Each year, Augsburg College honors the legacy of an individual who helped shape the College’s mission by hosting the Torstenson Lecture in Sociology, and—for the first time—the 2013 presentation will highlight the important work of a current Augsburg faculty member.

The Torstenson Lecture is an opportunity for a sociologist from the Twin Cities area to share with the Augsburg community the contemporary scholarship, research, and thinking on a sociological topic.

This year’s speaker, Garry Hesser, is the first Augsburg professor selected to be the Torstenson lecturer, and Hesser will present “Place Matters…So?” at 5 p.m., April 2 in Hoversten Chapel, Foss Center.

A college in the city

Hesser’s lecture will focus on concepts with a clear connection to the legacy of the event’s namesake. The annual lecture acknowledges the contributions Augsburg professor emeritus Joel S. Torstenson ’38 made to the College by founding the Sociology Department in the late 1940s; laying the foundation for the Metro-Urban Studies and Social Work programs as well as the Higher Education Consortium for Urban Affairs; expanding experiential education; and uplifting Augsburg’s identity as “a college in the city,” according to Nancy Fischer, associate professor of sociology and presentation coordinator.

Augsburg College educates students to be informed citizens, thoughtful stewards, critical thinkers, and responsible leaders, and—as acknowledged in the institutional mission—the College is shaped by its urban and global settings.

“Joel Torstenson shaped that part of the College mission, and Garry became the bearer of that torch when Joel retired,” Fischer said.

In 2012, the National Society for Experiential Education (NSEE) presented President Paul C. Pribbenow with the William M. Burke Presidential Award for Excellence in Experiential Education. Pribbenow, in an acceptance speech delivered on his behalf, said the award was possible because of the work of Hesser and others who have dedicated themselves to the experiential learning that is at the heart of the identity and character of the College.

Hesser is regarded as one of the pre-eminent experts on experiential education and urban education, according to Lars Christiansen, chair of sociology. In his lecture, Hesser said he will illustrate how “cities can be both the ‘best’ and the ‘worst’ places to live and grow, depending upon your resources and where you live in the city.” He will then discuss examples of what citizens and policy-makers are doing and might do to address some of the disparities and inequities in “our own tale of two cities.”

About the presenter

Hesser is the Martin Olav Sabo Professor of Citizenship and Learning and professor of sociology and metro-urban studies. He chaired the Augsburg Natural and Social Sciences Division from 1996 to 2006 and chaired the Augsburg Metro-Urban Studies program for more than 30 years.

Hesser will retire at the conclusion of the 2012-13 academic year, and the Torstenson event will include a celebration of Hesser’s career immediately following the lecture (schedule below).

Hesser is the author of Experiential Education as a Liberating Art; “Principles of Good Practice in Service-Learning”; “Examining Communities and Urban Change”; “Benefits and Educational Outcomes of Internships”; and more than 30 other publications that include research in the area of housing, community building, planning, and neighborhood revitalization. He received his doctorate from the University of Notre Dame after earning a bachelor’s degree from Phillips University and a Master of Divinity from Union Theological Seminary in New York City.

2013 Torstenson Lecture event schedule

Tuesday, April 2

Hoversten Chapel, Foss Center

5 p.m. – Lecture by Garry Hesser

6 p.m. – Remarks by Hesser’s colleagues

6:30 p.m. – Reception

Event hashtags

Share your event experience using social media. The hashtag for the lecture is #Torstenson.

The post Torstenson Lecture in Sociology features Garry Hesser appeared first on News and Media.

Justin Caron, a junior theater major, said Berlovitz is a master at bringing out an actor’s unique talents. “She’s good at getting people to make new discoveries without telling them exactly what to do and working with the talent we have and trying to make that come out,” Caron said.

As the “senior” member of the cast, Caron said he has been in between 5 and 10 productions at Augsburg and has worked with three different directors in each academic year.

“Each of them shapes your skills in different ways, teaching you new techniques,” he said. “It’s good to get a new perspective, especially in a college theater program where it’s education built in with the professional setting.”

Hannah Youngquist, a sophomore theater major, says working with Berlovitz has been “breathtakingly, terrifyingly great.”

What is breathtaking, Youngquist said, is Berlovitz’ experience. “She has been in theater for 30 years, and she does things and says things I never would have thought of,” Youngquist said.

And it’s Berlovitz’ professional caliber that is terrifying “in a friendly way,” Youngquist said. “She has a Tony, so there was a little bit of a star struck thing for me. She puts pressure on me to do well because she thinks I can do well, and I appreciate that.”

Youngquist, who plays a male character, said Berlovitz has pushed her to do more with character development and technique than she ever has done. “She doesn’t let anything drop. Every movement and action has a motivation.”

Boo Johnston, sophomore theater performance major, said she appreciates that Berlovitz lets actors make their own decisions. “She doesn’t constantly reaffirm your choices but trusts you to make decisions for yourself. And when she does give feedback, it’s more of a suggestion than a direction,” Johnston said.

This is Johnston’s first production at Augsburg and the first “straight” non-musical theater production she’s done since 2008, so it has been challenging for her in that regard. Berlovitz is also her instructor in Voice for the Stage this semester, so she has been working to take the lessons she has learned in class to the stage.

This is the fifth Augsburg theater production in which Isaac Kronlokken, a sophomore theater major, has been involved. “When you work with certain directors and instructors, you know what to expect most of the time. With a guest director, you get different input and learn different techniques,” he said.

Berlovitz has also encouraged Kronlokken to experiment as an actor “In past productions, I was very timid,” he said, “and Barbra has kind of given me the green light to try new things.”

The Titanic Orchestra is the third project Berlovitz has directed at Augsburg College. In addition to guest directing, she is teaching Voice for Stage/Speech/Screen and Creative Drama. Her other projects can be seen on the Theater Department Flickr photo stream.

Read more about Berlovitz and watch an interview with her on the Theater Department website.

The Titanic Orchestra by Hristo Boytchev

April 13, 14, 19, 20, 21 at 7 p.m.

April 15, 22 at 3 p.m. Tjornhom-Nelson Theater

Click for ticket information

The post Berlovitz brings her talent to Augsburg, brings out talent in actors appeared first on News and Media.

Founded in January 2010, the Global Connections Project has been the lifelong work and vision of Shawn Tuoch and Penh Soni Lo, director of Pan Asian Student Services at Augsburg. Shawn and Penh are children of the wars in Southeast Asia which resulted in the mass exodus of Southeast Asian refugees to the United States. After several individual trips to Southeast Asia for charitable projects, they recognize the need for humanitarian work in Southeast Asia. By luck, they met through various networks and started collaborating. As a result, Global Connections Project formed with an all-volunteer staff and board.

While in Cambodia, the group volunteered at New Life Center Organization orphanage in Siem Reap, which the Global Connections Project built in 2010. They also taught conversational English in Neanglem village about 20 miles from Battambang. In addition, they explored the effects of tourism on Sihanoukvillle region while shadowing two young women who have been sponsored by the Project.

Below are reflections from two of the group members. To read more, go to the Global Connections Project .

Mai Yer Vang ’11, currently teaching English in Japan

When I shot this picture [shown here], I didn’t realize how deep and captivating this woman would stick out to me until now. In a single snap, I hope to have captured the hardship she may have faced through her lifetime. I wonder if she still sees the world as a beautiful place, or if all the difficult things she’s seen in her lifetime have made it hard for her to see the beauty that lies within our humanity.

Cambodia has taught me that history does repeat itself if the world turns a blind eye. A slight shift in history impacts a society psychologically and things are the way they are because of it. Leaving Cambodia, I think the most important lesson I’ve learned is to be generous. Yes, there are a lot of problems in the world—but if we shut ourselves out, become ignorant to the problems in our world, then history would and could possibly repeat itself.

I will not forget to be generous. When you can do things without expecting anything in return, that is the ultimate meaning of life. I’m grateful that I have the opportunity, chance, and choice to be generous.

Maizoua Vang, Augsburg College senior

It has been almost a week since I have been back home from my trip to Cambodia. All of which I’ve done from the time I arrived in Cambodia up until I departed has finally sunk in completely. My time there may have been short, but in such a short period of time I was given the opportunity to learn so much.

For one, I’ve learned that to be of help goes beyond one’s power. The fact that you’re able to be present in that moment of time and be of help enables a person to realize how fortunate they are to be able to change a person’s life in that slight moment of encounter; whether you both know it or not.

Second, I’ve been reminded that in order to change anything, you must first learn to change yourself. Change your mindset, your views, and your heart to fully adapt to the changes you want for others. And you must learn to help and understand yourself before you can learn to be of help and understand others.

Lastly, continue to pursue your curiosity. Like my picture I’ve included in this post, be as curious as a child who seeks adventure. Continue to look beyond what you think you may know. Be open to the changes and opportunities given. Meet and talk to strangers, for you may be given a chance to change their lives just as they may be given a chance to change yours.

More importantly, I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to reflect upon all that I’ve learned here if it weren’t for this program and the group I traveled with. Being able to travel with everyone on this trip and through this program, it has definitely been a learning experience. It has helped me reshape my views on service and how to better myself individually as well. I can’t thank everyone enough for this tremendous and wonderful experience. Thank you Global Connections Project for this great opportunity. Thank you to all the supporters of this program, you are all the reason why this experience was made possible.

The post Global Connections Project—Enriching lives in Cambodia appeared first on News and Media.

Set against a backdrop of his most memorable speeches, quotations, and historical events from the Civil Rights era, this celebration pays tribute to the life and legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. through performances from renowned Twin Cities artists and talented members of the Augsburg College community. As part of this event, students from the Southside Family School will also share an excerpt from their world premiere production, “Keeping the Dream Alive.” Hosted and curated by T. Mychael Rambo, this stirring performance will give voice to “the dream” and refresh our resolve to boldly proclaim, that indeed “Now is the time!”

An affiliate professor and recruitment coordinator for the College of Liberal Arts, Theatre Arts and Dance at the University of Minnesota, T. Mychael Rambo is best know as a member of Penumbra Theatre Company. He has performed in several Guthrie main stage productions and other Twin Cities theatre venues. The convocation will be held Monday, January 16 at 1 p.m. in the Hoversten Chapel, Foss Center.

Photo courtesy of tmychaelrambo.com.

The post MLK Convocation features T. Mychael Rambo appeared first on News and Media.

The report, “A Tale of Two Cities,” is a joint project of the National Council on Citizenship (NCOC), the Florida Joint Center on Citizenship, and the CDC. It compares Minneapolis-St. Paul with Miami, which is shown to be the country’s least civically engaged city. While the two metro areas differ in many factors, the report indicates that these differences—including demographic measures of education and income—do not explain the disparities in their civic engagement.

The report research identifies several areas that contribute to the higher levels of Twin Cities’ civic engagement:

• Schools in Minnesota collaborate more effectively with community organizations, teach students civic knowledge, and help build a civic atmosphere of trust.
• Twin Cities residents seem to enjoy stronger social networks—more often families eat together, connect via the internet, and talk to neighbors.
• Citizens in Minneapolis-St. Paul have higher rates of satisfaction and trust of their government, and their public institutions foster greater collaboration among diverse populations.
• Twin Cities residents are more than twice as likely to volunteer as Miami residents.

In a commentary for the St. Paul Pioneer Press and a blog posting for the American Democracy Project, CDC director Harry Boyte draws parallels to the Civil Rights movement, recalling when the Southern Christian Leadership Conference was formed to spread a “culture of civic empowerment” and promote nonviolence and a desire to change.

Just as “the Montgomery Way” helped spread democratic change in the South, Boyte believes in a Minnesota Way, which “teaches the skills of collaborative work across differences, connects institutions to the life of the communities, and generates a spirit of optimism that people can share their future together.”

He points out that the “civic treasures” in Minnesota—including educational institutions like Augsburg that work across differences to foster a culture of civic empowerment—are critical factors in preparing students to discover how they can become agents of change to spread democratic hope and reform.

Read Harry Boyte’s St. Paul Pioneer Press commentary at .

Read his blog post at American Democracy Project at .

The post Spreading the Minnesota Way—civic engagement and democratic hope appeared first on News and Media.

Editor’s Note: On Tuesday afternoon, the Cedar-Riverside and Seward neighborhood will be filled with first-year Auggies, faculty members, staff members, and members of President Pribbenow’s Cabinet. Why is service important?

In his latest blog post, President Pribbenow addresses that question. A copy of the blog post is below. Find “Paul’s Blog” on the Augsburg College President’s .

Education and service

On Tuesday, the Augsburg community will honor its historic commitment to “Education for Service” as we participate in our long-standing “City Service Day.” On that day, more than 500 Auggies—students, faculty and staff—will fan out across the Twin Cities to be of service to our neighbors. It is a wonderful spectacle as we don our colorful t-shirts and work with our hands—painting, tending gardens, packing school supplies, doing whatever is asked of us at one of 25 sites where our volunteer efforts will illustrate our deep belief that education and service are inextricably bound together.

But this is more than a show of voluntarism (as impressive as it is!), this is a powerful way in which we begin to model for our students what it means that learning and service go together, a relationship that is central to their Augsburg education and experience.

So what is it that we believe “City Service Day” teaches us?

First, it is the important value of mutuality. If service is simply our meeting the needs of others, then we have missed a critical point. When we engage in service, we are entering into a relationship that is premised on shared needs and aspirations. Tending the garden of the Korean elders who live in the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood is not simply about getting rid of weeds, it is about our shared commitments to adequate and nutritious food. It is about the herbs grown there to help heal. It is about the peace and calm that we find in a garden in the midst of a busy city.

Second, it is the importance of engaging those who are different than we are and learning from them. In the city, we encounter strangers from all walks of life and backgrounds. As we meet and work with them in these service projects, we are introduced to their cultures, experiences and values. We learn about what it means to live in a homeless shelter or what it is like to be an immigrant in a new land. We learn how important it is to be open to learning from the many and diverse experiences we share with our neighbors who are negotiating their lives with us in the city.

Finally, it is the value of self-reflection. Our service projects include time during and after the experience for all of us to consider how I felt, how my values were affirmed or challenged, what I learned about myself as I engaged in serving my neighbor. Here is the heart of a liberal arts education—the life well-examined. Here is where education and service are bound up together, offering us the tools we need to live as informed citizens, thoughtful stewards, critical thinkers and responsible leaders.

All of these important lessons—and a lot of fun as well!

The post A word from the President—Why is service important? appeared first on News and Media.

In this spirit, we asked several Auggie faculty and staff to share their “You have to see/do/go to…” suggestions for getting to know our cities.

If you don’t find an adventure here that’s to your liking, ask a coach, professor, staff member, or another student for their ideas—or offer up some of your own!

Places to go, things to do

Lars Christiansen, Sociology and Metro/Urban Studies

An avid cyclist who bikes everywhere, Lars suggests three bike rides that are a MUST:

From Augsburg take Riverside to Franklin to west River Road, down to Minnehaha falls. Then, Minnehaha creek to the Chain of Lakes to the Midtown Greenway, over the Sabo bridge, to the trail along the LRT, then back to Augsburg.

Augsburg to Uptown and back via the Midtown Greenway, and then perhaps around Lake Calhoun.

Also Uptown to Downtown via the Kenilworth Trail and Cedar Lake Trail.

If you’re not sure what any of this means, find great bike trail maps on the City of Minneapolis website.

Nancy Fischer, Sociology and Metro/Urban Studies

Nancy is a St. Paul resident who reminds us that there is a lot to see and do ACROSS the river! Three must-see neighborhoods of St. Paul include:

Grand Avenue, stretching from Fairview Ave all the way to Dale where you can find many small restaurants and boutiques. For restaurants on Grand, Shish: A Mediterranean Grill is worth a visit; and Cafe Latte on Grand and Victoria is a requirement- it’s a true St. Paul institution, famous for its desserts and soups. One block from Grand is historic Summit Avenue where some of the largest, prettiest mansions of St. Paul’s “old money” elites stand.

University Avenue from Lexington Avenue to the Capital Building in St. Paul is a wonder of small (mostly Asian) ethnic eateries. If you made it a goal to try each one, it would probably take you at least 6 months. This area also currently displays the photographs of artist Wing Young Huie, who published Lake Street, USA.

And finally, everyone is talking about the Lowertown neighborhood of downtown St. Paul. It’s had a recent renaissance of condominiums, theaters, galleries and new restaurants. Mears Park in that area is charming and has many free concerts. Generally, downtown St. Paul has many fine examples of turn-of-the-century architecture in contrast to Minneapolis’s more modernist downtown. The architectural detail on the older buildings is exquisite.

Laurel Christianson, Student Affairs and David Langemo, Advancement Services

Both Laurel and David, and many other Auggies, suggest visiting and becoming a member of the Seward Co-op. Not only for the beautiful produce and wonderful array of organically grown and naturally-produced items, but for the lunches you can grab to go…nutritious, delicious, and oftentimes unique.

Carrie Carroll, Admissions

Take the light rail to Minnehaha Falls and rent a 2 or 4 (or more) person bike.

Visit the sculpture garden at the Walker Art Center at dusk. See the spoon, check out the metal horse and make a wish at the fish pond.

Ann Garvey, Student Affairs

Ann encourages you to check out some of the parks and architecture our cities have to offer. She suggests: Minnehaha Falls, Indian Mound Park (St. Paul river bluffs), the State Capitol building and grounds, Downtown Minneapolis skyways, and the houses that are across I-94 just off Franklin Avenue between 22nd and 23rd. Rebecca John of the department of marketing and communication agrees about the Milwaukee Road houses. “It’s like stepping back in time to walk along that bike- and pedestrian-only street. I know of nothing else like it in the entire Twin Cities!”

Darcey Engen, Theatre Arts

There are a lot of large and small theatre venues in the metro area. In addition to attending (or getting involved with) one of several Augsburg Theater Department productions throughout the academic year, Darcey recommends seeing a production at The Guthrie or Ten Thousand Things Theatre. She also suggests going to Open Eye Figure Theatre to see some original work by Michael Sommers. She says, “I promise you that you won’t be disappointed. You will experience something you’ve never experienced before.”

Casey Jarvela, Augsburg for Adults

I love the Minneapolis Institute of Arts (aka MIA) at 2400 3rd Avenue South (just a few blocks south of Franklin Avenue). A person could spend all day there, and admission is FREE every day for the general exhibits.

Barb Hutson, Advancement Services

Walk down Nicollet Mall from the IDS Building to Loring Park and then try to get back through the skyways!

Take the Minneapolis Queen boat ride through the locks on the Mississippi to get the best view of downtown Minneapolis and learn about our Mill City. Stop at the Mill City Museum afterwards for more fun info.

Go to Lake Harriet for a Sunday afternoon picnic and stay to watch a concert in the bandshell. It was the most impressive thing I planned for a family reunion last year!

Produce and other fun stuff

Minneapolis and St. Paul have incredible farmers’ markets that stay in business well into the fall months. Look for one in your neighborhood on the City of Minneapolis website. And don’t forget Augsburg’s market in connection with the Brian Coyle Center market held on Tuesdays. Watch your email and the Daily A-mail for more information including recipes!

Food – a smorgasbord of Auggie suggestions

St. Martin’s Table – Riverside and 20th. Warm soup, homemade bread. Nothing more to say, except desserts! Get there soon, because they are closing in December. *insert sad face here*

Pizza Luce – several locations with fantastic pizza, sandwiches, and pasta including the Lasagna Abruzzi, a cheesey, meaty mouthwatering caloric dream. Closest to Augsburg is on Franklin across the I-94 footbridge.

Café Latte – St. Paul on Grand Avenue and Victoria. Lots of great shopping nearby and some of the best desserts you can find!

Maashaa’Allah Restaurant – 605 Cedar Ave South. Incredible gyros and other African food all for great prices.

Victor’s 1959 Café – Grand and 38th in South Minneapolis. A tiny Cuban place with a fun, casual atmosphere. It has really great food including plate-sized banana or chocolate chip pancakes.

Maria’s Café – 1113 East Franklin Avenue. Great breakfast and lunch and some delicious coffee!

Galactic Pizza – Lyndale Avenue in Uptown. Fresh, local ingredients and superhero delivery drivers in 3-wheel electric cars. Eat pizza and save the environment!

Himalayan Restaurant – 2401 E. Franklin Avenue, a great buffet at a great price!

Red Stag – 509 First Avenue Northeast. A supper club with a contemporary flair that seems to have captured some old essence of Northeast Minneapolis. They also have great live music.

Psycho Suzie’s – 2519 Marshall Street NE. Show your tattoos and piercings at this hip, young bar and restaurant with great pizza, mini corndogs, deviled eggs, and other delectable treats. Great outdoor patio too!

The post We really do love life in the city appeared first on News and Media.

Julie Edstrom, Augsburg’s vice president of enrollment management, says that even though Augsburg is located along a major freeway in the state’s largest city, the College hasn’t been very visible to the tens of thousands of people driving by every day. “I’m always surprised when people who live right here in the Twin Cities ask me where Augsburg is located,” Edstrom says. She adds that the cost of advertising on metro area billboards, buses, and skyways is a significant investment. For Augsburg, Edstrom believes taking advantage of Augsburg’s location and proximity to downtown Minneapolis with prominent, attractive signage that can be seen from all directions, day or night, will pay big dividends for visibility and name recognition for the College.

“It’s like having our own billboard year ’round.”

President Pribbenow agrees. “It is a major marketing investment that we believe offers us the greatest return for visibility, pride of place, and quite honestly as a marker for folks to find our campus,” he says.

In the coming week, Auggie Eagle will sponsor a “Where Was This Photo Taken?” contest on Inside Augsburg. Using a photo and its accompanying clues, Auggies will determine the precise location where pictures of our new Augsburg signs were taken. The Auggie who gets the most correct answers will win a $50 gift certificate to the Augsburg bookstore. NOTE: if there is a tie for most correct answers, a drawing will be held to determine the winner.

See the old come down and the new one go up.

Become a fan of the sign on .

Augsburg Sign by the Numbers:

5′ – height of the “A” in Augsburg

30′ – width of the word “Augsburg” facing the freeway and the quad

10′ x 36′ – dimensions of the long sign panels with the word “Augsburg”

10′ x 26′ – dimensions of the shorter sign panels featuring the “Augsburg College” logo

295 – number of stairs from the ground floor to the roof of Mortensen. But most people just take the elevator.

The post Have you seen the sign? appeared first on News and Media.

The students, ages 19-22, arrived in Minneapolis on July 2, just in time to meet American culture at a Fourth of July picnic on Nicollet Island, complete with hot dogs, potato salad, and fireworks. The students are enrolled in an Augsburg summer session course and are participating in a program on Minnesota history and culture. Before returning home on August 7, they will complete a project about Minnesota and Augsburg that they will present in China.

None of them has had time to think about home, however, with a busy schedule of field trips, visits, and events. They’ve enjoyed a variety of museums in the Twin Cities—art and history museums, the State Capitol, Ft. Snelling—and also noted how many more historical sites they have in China than here.

Two weeks ago, the UIC students joined with Augsburg first-year TRiO and Pan-Asian students for a canoe trip and picnic on the St. Croix River, paddling down river from Taylors Falls.

While some students from UIC have visited Augsburg previously, the goal of this visit is to launch student exchanges between the two colleges. Additional UIC students will come to Augsburg during spring semester next year, and Augsburg students will plan to study there.

Faculty, also, share in this partnership. This year during fall semester, philosophy professor Bruce Reichenbach will teach at UIC. His assignment follows that of recently-retired Joyce Pfaff, professor emerita of health and physical education, who spent last year at UIC teaching physical education and starting fitness classes.

United International College is a four-year college jointly founded by Beijing Normal University and Hong Kong Baptist University in 2005. Its mission is to build a new model for liberal education in China and to nurture graduates with international perspectives. The college has 3,300 students who study in classes all taught in English.

The post UIC students immersed in Minnesota culture appeared first on News and Media.

Minnesota’s participation in this aspect of the democratic process also brings opportunities to our Augsburg campus. Because of its commitment to civic engagement and service learning, Augsburg was chosen by the Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars to host 250 students from across the country for a 2-week seminar in conjunction with the RNC. Twenty-three Augsburg students will participate in internships through the program, each working in the preparation and planning stages of this event to learn about the behind-the-scenes efforts involved with a national convention. Augsburg communication studies faculty Bob Groven and Kristin Chamberlain are serving on the faculty of the Washington Center Seminar.

This week we feature Feras Amr, a Weekend College graduate, and Meagen Swartzer (pictured left), a senior studying English and metro urban studies. Check back in a few days for more profiles<!–, and go to www.augsburg.edu/getpolitical for more profiles and the most current report on Augsburg’s role in the RNC–>.

Feras Amr — Graduate

Feras graduated this past June from the WEC program with a degree in organizational communication studies. He grew up in Palestine where party loyalty, or even participation, is very different than here in the US. “Party loyalty could get you in to trouble where I come from.” After coming to Minnesota in May of 2001, Feras began to look into American politics. When he heard about the Washington Center opportunity to be apart of the RNC, he put his name in. “Not all Americans get a chance to see a convention, so if I have the opportunity, why not?” Feras wants to meet the people in power and make a connection with them. Being a Communication major, the RNC will be a rich experience for him and will be a way to see what happens on the media floor. Because Feras speaks Arabic, Hebrew, and English, he will be working with Al Hurra, an Arabic language satellite television network for the Middle East that will be delivering news and information about the RNC.

Meagan Swartzer — Senior

Meagan (pictured above) is an English media writing major and metro urban studies minor. Last year, she worked as an intern at The Bridge, a Minneapolis neighborhood newspaper, and this year she will be interning at the RNC. Meagan says her father and older brother are strongly opinionated about politics. “I guess their influences have rubbed off on me,” she said. Attending the convention will be a way for Meagan to learn as much as possible about politics and the political process and to meet many interesting people. “I am starting to realize that if I want to make a difference I have to get educated and involved. Attending the Republican National Convention is my way of accomplishing both.” Meagan is grateful for this opportunity and knows that the knowledge she gains at the convention will “carry with me forever”.

After graduation, Meagan would like to work either on a community newspaper or with a city planner. She is also considering graduate school for city planning or library science.

Story by Amanda Symes, contributor

The post Auggie interns at the RNC appeared first on News and Media.