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Lois Hofstad Esselstrom Ph.D. ’58 Publishes “An Intimate Journey with Our Father: Walking and Talking with God”

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Book cover for An Intimate Journey with Our FatherAlumna Lois Hofstad Esselstrom, Ph.D., has recently published “An Intimate Journey with Our Father: Walking and Talking with God,” available on Amazon for purchase. Before earning her bachelor of arts from Augsburg in 1958, Lois grew up in the home of a pastor and educator and says her family walked and talked with God through Bible reading and prayer. She went on to earn both an M.A. and Ph.D. from Western Reserve University. She has been a church parish worker, a publish school teacher and a professor of English at Indiana University South Bend. She and her husband Michael Esselstrom have two children and are now retired in Florida.

About this Book (from the author)

To walk life’s road with the Almighty God, engaged in intimate conversation with Him? Can it be? As astonishing, indeed shocking, as this concept is, it is simple enough for a child to experience. I know because I was that child. When I was very small, Mother found me on a chair talking to Someone she could not see. “Who are you talking to?” she asked. “I’m talking to Jesus. You said He was here.” Ever since that day decades ago I have known that I may talk to Jesus, or more precisely, with Jesus, with God. God chooses to engage with children, men, and women in intimate dialogue. Sometimes He initiates the conversation through words of the Bible as we read or remember them. Sometimes words from morning devotional reading steady me all through the day. Our answer is amazement and gratitude. Or we speak to Him first, through conscious prayer or through longings which He hears in our hearts. He answers according to what is best for His child. Jesus was very specific about God’s intentions. He said that He and His Father would “come and make our home” with those who love Him. It occurred to me that God, Who is Love, may enjoy being welcomed to be at home in our personal lives even more than we limited mortals can rise to being glad He has come. Thus, as the almighty God lives in our lives, we, together with believers of all ages, bear witness to the reality of An Intimate Journey with Our Father: Walking and Talking with God.

Photos from Velkommen Jul

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Thank you for ringing in the holiday season with us at Velkommen Jul and Vespers. This weekend is always a great time to see friends and celebrate togetherness. And a special thank you to all the volunteers who worked these events, to the Augsburg Associates who raised more than $4,800 for student scholarships at Velkommen Jul and to Trudi Anderson ’77 who lead the pop-up flute choir.

Velkommen Jul 2018

Sad news about Jeroy Carlson ’48

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Jeroy CarlsonWe are deeply saddened to share the news that Jeroy Carlson ’48 passed away yesterday. Jeroy spent more than 60 years at Augsburg. He was a student, parent, grandparent, volunteer, alumni director, and a senior development officer for Augsburg. Known as “Mr. Augsburg,” he spent much of his life inspiring, connecting, and mentoring Auggies.

Jeroy embodied everything about Augsburg and knew its history by heart. His dedication to the University was seen most in the way he connected to its students and alumni. During his long tenure here, he helped countless students get their careers off the ground by picking up the phone and calling someone he knew.

He built relationships with hundreds of people through Augsburg and raised millions of dollars to help build the chapel, library, fitness center, football field, and theater, to name just a few. Carlson’s efforts can be seen all over campus and his legacy along with his wife, Lorraine, was recently honored through the dedication of the new Jeroy ’48 and Lorraine Carlson Religion Department Home in the Hagfors Center for Science, Business, and Religion.

Jeroy Carlson as a studentSports were always a passion for Jeroy. He played baseball, basketball, and football as a student at Augsburg and was part of four MIAC championship teams. After graduating, Jeroy spent 15 years teaching and coaching. During this time, he served on the Augsburg Alumni Board before returning to his alma mater as the alumni director.

Our prayers and sympathies go out to Lorraine “Ainy” Carlson and their family. Jeroy was a beloved husband, father, and grandfather.

Visitation and Funeral

A visitation will be held at 10 a.m. with the funeral following at 11 a.m. on Dec. 13 at Mount Olivet Church, 5025 Knox Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55419.

Augsburg Hosts Bruce Shoemaker ’82 Book Launch for “Dead in the Water: Global Lessons for the World Bank’s Model Hydropower Project in Laos”

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Dead in the Water coverSponsored by the McKnight Foundation and the Sabo Center for Democracy and Citizenship, a book launch for the release of “Dead in the Water: Global Lessons for the World Bank’s Model Hydropower Project in Laos,” by Bruce Shoemaker ’82 will be held on Thursday, Nov. 29, from 4 to 6 p.m. in the Student Art Gallery in the Christensen Center.

The book “offers a new understanding of Laos in a difficult period of nation building and development [and] a vital lesson to policy planners, scholars, and INGOs encountering the illusory success of a globalizing economy,” according to the forward by Yos Santasombat.

About the Author

Bruce ShoemakerBruce Shoemaker is an independent researcher based in far northern California who focuses on natural resource conflict issues in the Mekong Region. Among his current projects is the preparation of an edited volume on the World Bank’s involvement in the Nam Theun 2 hydropower project in Laos, to be published by University of Wisconsin Press. He has lived in Laos for eight years and Thailand for three while working for a number of NGOs and subsequently was employed, for more than ten years, as the program advisor for the Southeast Asia Grants Program of The McKnight Foundation, helping the foundation focus its grant making around natural resource rights issues as well as support for Indigenous Peoples organizations and other grassroots community organizing. He has a particular interest in the impacts of large hydropower projects on the lives and livelihoods of local communities in the Mekong Region and has authored or co-authored numerous articles and reports in this field.

Grab Your Norwegian Sweaters for Velkommen Jul!

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Velkommen Jul
Treats abound at the Velkommen Jul buffet.

As we near the holiday season, Co-Chair of the Augsburg Associates Jessica Wahto has a special message to share about an Augsburg favorite tradition:

Remember the days of walking into grandma’s kitchen at the holidays, and the smell of cardamom and sugar wafting through the air. Recall that trip you took to Norway and Sweden. The beauty of the Fjords, the colorful knit sweaters and the delicate embroidery on their bunad’s. Think of your exchange student who visited from Denmark and all the laughs you shared. Enjoy these memories and make new ones at Velkommen Jul!

Please join us and kick off your holiday season at Velkommen Jul on Friday, Nov. 30! Augsburg University’s annual Christmas celebration is open to all. Attend chapel and worship featuring Scandinavian Christmas music at 10:40 a.m. in the Hoversten Chapel. Then head to the Christensen Center at 11 a.m. Here you will find our Velkommen Jul boutique, offering unique Nordic gifts and treats.

After you have claimed your treasured gifts, join us for a festive celebration in Augsburg’s commons with music and traditional costumes and sweaters! Reminisce with friends and make new introductions while enjoying a smorgasbord of Scandinavian treats. Don’t worry; there will be plenty of coffee as well! You can add to the celebration by wearing your Norwegian sweater or Bunad! Velkommen means Welcome, and here at Augsburg you always are! We hope to see you there!

*All proceeds from the boutique as well as donations gathered at the smorgasbord go to help fund student scholarships.

15 Days for Auggies to Give to the Max

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A descriptive audio version of this video is available at vimeo.com/298217057

Give to the Max is a giving event where Augsburg athletic teams, academic programs and student groups across campus create fundraising pages and secure Auggie support to make their projects a reality. This year, fundraising begins on Nov. 1 and ends on the big Give to the Max Day: Nov. 15. You can see all 30 projects on our Give Campus page.

Each year, our global community responds generously to support and recognize the breadth of programs and experiences offered by Augsburg.

Over the past five years, Augsburg programs have raised more than $1.5 million through Give to the Max efforts thanks to the commitment of our alumni, faculty, students and friends of the University!

This year, it is our goal is to raise $250,000 from 1,001 donors.

Ways you can help:

 

Image text: Give to the Max Day Social Media Toolkit. Here are 5 ways to be an Auggie Advocate:

  1. Mark your calendars for Nov. 15. – This is the biggest day of the year for giving. Spread the word about our Give Campus website and how every donation makes an impact.
  2. Share posts on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. – From Nov. 1 – 15, Augsburg University and the Alumni pages will be posting information about Give to the Max Day, sharing videos, and updates on our progress. Share as much as you are able!
  3. Make a donation! – No matter the size, your donation is meaningful to Auggies. Lead by example and let your friends know how your donation is helping Augsburg.
  4. Tell your Augsburg story. – What does Augsburg mean to you? Why are you getting involved on Give to the Max Day?
  5. Create a personal plea on Give Campus. – A personal plea is a short video in which you explain why you support Augsburg’s campaign and encourage others to do the same. Personal Pleas are accessed from the Advocates tab of the campaign page. Videos create a huge impact!
    Helpful resources: Use #AuggiesGive and #GTMD2018
    Give Campus Page: https://www.givecampus.com/bmwmew
    Thank you for helping to make Give to the Max Day a success!

From the Archives: Augsburgians Offer Windows into Cedar-Riverside During the 1970s

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police marchingDigital Archives Librarian Stewart Van Cleve shares his thoughts on a robust collection of Augsburg’s archives.

When I started as the Digital Archivist last summer, I was fortunate to inherit a large number of collections that had already been digitized by my predecessor, Bill Wittenbreer. This included a full set of The Augsburgian, Augsburg’s yearbook published from 1916 to 2010. For nearly a century, these yearbooks documented the buildings, faces, and events that stood out each year on campus.

They also reflect the graphic design aesthetics of their period. I particularly enjoy the nordic viking themes from 1930 and the midcentury modernism evident in 1958, but my favorite yearbooks all date from the 1970s. Looking at the covers from 1970 to 1979, you can almost hear the music transform from folk to disco.

group talking to police officerYou can also see how the decade ushered dramatic changes in the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood. Beginning with its heady days as the epicenter of the Minneapolis counterculture, Cedar-Riverside transformed with the construction of Riverside Plaza and the unrest that welcomed the development to the neighborhood. It is also interesting to see the histories of familiar places, such as the Lucky Dragon and Hard Times Cafe (once Mama Rosa’s).

To view the entire Augsburgian Collection, click here.

About the Augsburg Archives

The University Archives preserve Augsburg’s legacy and make its historical information available to students, faculty, staff, alumni, and researchers. The archives include information related to the university’s history and provide limited information about administrators, faculty, staff, and alumni.

From the Archives: “One Day in May” Recordings: Digitizing a Crucial Day in Augsburg’s History

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Lillian Anthony and Dr. Mary Howard reflect the thoughtful mood of "One Day in May."In 2013, the Augsburg University Archives received fifteen boxes of “reel-to-reel” audio recordings and promptly began an ongoing project to save them. Created from the late 1950s to the early 1980s, these recordings documented everything from commencements and building dedication ceremonies to notable speakers and chapel talks. Lindell Library purchased a refurbished reel-to-reel player and oversaw a student workers’ painstaking inventory of more than 500 tapes in the collection.

“Over the past year, I have supervised a small army of students who have transformed these recordings into a collection of YouTube videos that grows by the day,” said Stewart Van Cleve, digital archives librarian.

Van Cleve shared that some of the most significant and fascinating recordings come from a single day: May 15, 1968. President Oscar Anderson canceled classes on this “One Day in May,” and the Augsburg community listened to leaders of Minneapolis’ black community as they detailed the racism, sexism, economic and geographic segregation, and other problems that continue to affect Minneapolis’ black community.

Of the fifteen original sessions from that day, thirteen recordings have survived. You can listen to those recordings here.

About the Augsburg Archives

The University Archives preserve Augsburg’s legacy and make its historical information available to students, faculty, staff, alumni, and researchers. The archives include information related to the university’s history and provide limited information about administrators, faculty, staff, and alumni.

Season Finale of The Augsburg Podcast: Diane Pike: The Sociologist’s View

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The Augsburg Podcast features voices of Augsburg University faculty and staff. We hope this is one way you can get to know the people who educate our students to be informed citizens, thoughtful stewards, critical thinkers, and responsible leaders. Subscribe on Itunes.

 

Diane Pike
Diane Pike, Professor of Sociology, explores the social nature of learning and the interchanges between the disciplines of sociology and teaching.

 

Volunteers Needed for Advent Vespers

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Vespers concertJoining us at Advent Vespers this year?

We are looking for as many as 20 volunteers for each Vespers service to help usher and work at the will-call table. Central Lutheran Church has recently added a beautiful addition to their building and there is a need for extra hands this year to help direct attendees.

Vespers services will be held:

Thursday, November 29 at 8 p.m. (Dress Rehearsal)
Friday, November 30 at 5 & 8 p.m.
Saturday, December 1 at 2 & 5 p.m.

Volunteers should plan to arrive at Central Lutheran Church in downtown Minneapolis (333 S. 12th St.) 60-90 minutes prior to each service. The service lasts approximately 90 minutes.

Please contact Kia Burton (burton@augsburg.edu, 612-330-1329) if you are able to volunteer.

About Augsburg’s Advent Vespers:

For more than three decades, Augsburg University has ushered in the Advent and Christmas seasons with Advent Vespers, a magnificent experience of music and liturgy, focusing on the theme of preparation and culminating in the joyful celebration of the Incarnation. Advent Vespers is set in downtown Minneapolis in the majestic sanctuary of Central Lutheran Church, soaring 65 feet high with large stained-glass windows.