Augustana College

Augustana's opera singers will present a touching and poignant new opera, "Truce of Carols," at 8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 19, through Sunday, Nov. 22, in Wallenberg Hall at Denkmann Memorial Building (3520 7th Ave.). The opera takes place in the Belgian trenches of World War I and is based on true accounts of the 1914 Christmas ceasefire between German and English troops. From your area this includes:

The Augustana Symphonic Band will explore the grand themes and everyday moments of American life during its annual fall concert on Saturday, October 30, at 8 p.m. in Centennial Hall (3703 7th Ave.). The free public concert will feature music from five contemporary American composers, including several new compositions. The students participating in the fall concert from your area includes:

The Augustana Choir will showcase pieces from diverse musical traditions at its annual fall concert on Friday, October 29, at 8 p.m. The concert is free and open to the public and will be held at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Davenport (2136 Brady St.). Choir members from your area include:

Celebration, the Augustana gospel choir, will present its inaugural concert on Sunday, October 24, at 4 p.m. in Wallenberg Hall inside Denkmann Memorial Building (3520 7th Ave.). The director is Dr. Keith Hampton, a nationally recognized gospel musician and composer. The concert is free and open to the public. The concert is the first for the newly created choir and will present gospel and traditional spiritual works by Hampton, Ysaye M. Barnwell (of Sweet Honey and the Rock), Kurt Carr, Israel Hougton, V. Michael McKay, Verolga Nix and Rosephanye Powell. "The concert will be the most fun you have ever had at a choir concert," said Larry Peterson, campus ministries director of music and organ instructor. "Even if gospel music is not your music of choice, there is no way you will leave the concert unaffected by what you have just experienced." Choir members from your area include:

Music enthusiasts are invited to join the Augustana Symphony Orchestra for their free fall concert on Saturday, October 16, at 8 p.m. in Centennial Hall (3703 7th Ave.). The concert will feature the debut performance of contemporary composer James Romig's "Percussion Concerto," as well as classical pieces by Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy and Maurice Ravel. The orchestra's first piece, "Symphony in aEUR~Italian' Op. 90," was inspired by Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy's trip to Italy in the early 1830s. Today, it is considered one of Mendelssohn's most famous and fascinating works. Culver says, "This piece is perfect for the orchestra because the complexity requires such musical discipline." For their second piece, the Symphony Orchestra will debut James Romig's newly composed "Percussion Concerto." The piece features a highly intricate percussion solo, which will be performed by professional percussionist and Augustana music faculty member Tony Oliver. Romig, who is an associate professor at Western Illinois University, will attend the concert to celebrate the official launching of his new piece. The final piece of the concert will be the colorful "Ma MA?re L'Oye," composed by nineteenth century French musician Maurice Ravel. The piece's title, which translates to "Mother Goose," gives a hint at its style and theme; each of the five movements is based on a different children's fairy tale. Ravel originally composed the piece as a piano duet for his children and developed it into a full orchestra piece several years after. Symphony Orchestra members participating in the fall concert from your area include:

The Augustana Department of Theatre Arts, including several students from the local area, will wrestle with hot-button issues like race, politics, gender and religion as they explore the meaning of democracy in the original production, Wrestling with Angels and Demons. Performances will run Friday, October 15 and 22 at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, October 16 and 23 at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, October 17 and 24 at 1:30 p.m. at the Potter Theatre in Bergendoff Hall of Fine Arts (3701 7th Ave, Rock Island, Ill.). Wrestling with Angels and Demons is unique because it was inspired, written and produced entirely by Augustana students and faculty members. Rather than playing characters, the students onstage will present their own honest answers to questions like, "What does the aEUR~American dream' mean to you?" and "Is it possible that Rod Blagojevich is blacker than Barack Obama?" The show's multimedia format and insightful social commentary promise to engage audience members of all ages and cultural backgrounds. Students from the local area who are performing in the production include:

Five Augustana faculty and 80 students will spend the fall term of 2010 living and learning in East Asia. The term is one of the longest running international programs at the college; nearly 1,000 students have participated in the 12-week program since it began in 1974. The faculty-led term includes traveling to the culturally diverse countries of Japan, Taiwan and China (including the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region) and concluding in Hawaii. From your area this includes:

85 Augustana students were honored recently at the Recognition of Student Honors Program. The annual ceremony highlights exceptional students from various academic departments through scholarships and awards. The following students given awards are from your area:

85 Augustana students were honored recently at the Recognition of Student Honors Program. The annual ceremony highlights exceptional students from various academic departments through scholarships and awards. The following students given awards are from your area:

85 Augustana students were honored recently at the Recognition of Student Honors Program. The annual ceremony highlights exceptional students from various academic departments through scholarships and awards. The following students given awards are from your area:

864 students have been named to the Dean's List at Augustana College for the 2009-10 spring term. Students who have earned this academic honor have maintained a grade point average of 3.5 or higher on a four-point scale for courses taken during the term. From your area, students who have earned this honor include:

Twenty-two Augustana students will spend two weeks in mid-July administering medical care to impoverished Nicaraguans. The service trip gives students hands-on experience in the medical fields and immerses them in Latin American culture. It is organized through JETS (Joining Education Through Service), a student organization at Augustana. The students will be accompanied by Dr. Darrin Good, professor of biology, and three doctorsaEUR"two alumni and one the spouse of an alumna. The students will set up their free medical clinicaEUR"usually in a tent or covered pavilionaEUR"in six small Nicaraguan towns. The students will work with translators to evaluate patients' symptoms and make a preliminary diagnosis. Before prescribing treatment, they will consult with one of three Nicaraguan doctors or the three American doctors who confirm the students' diagnosis. From your area, this includes:

Thirty-three Augustana students will spend 11 days this summer in Rome, Italy, studying and visiting a variety of sites including St. Peter's Basilica, the Pantheon and Jewish Quarter. The group will also visit The Vatican and attend an audience or formal meeting with Pope Benedict XVI. The trip to Rome is the final requirement for a class called Faiths in Dialogue, which focuses on both historical and ethical issues within Christianity. The program started in 2006 as an opportunity for students to participate in an international experience outside of their normal coursework schedule and is open to students of all majors. Every two years, students can sign up for the upper-level religion course during the spring term and then culminate their class work with a trip to Rome.

Ten Augustana students, including several students from the local area, will immerse themselves in the Spanish language and culture as they participate in a month-long international study opportunity in Salamanca, Spain this July. Salamanca is a historical university town located 130 miles west of Madrid, which is nicknamed the "Golden City" for the unique golden color of its stone buildings. The students will have the opportunity to attend a class at one of Salamanca's universities and experience the living history of its streets, museums and plazas. Students from the local area who are participating in the international study program in Salamanca include:

Seven Augustana students will spend 10 weeks this summer living and studying in Cuenca, Ecuador. They will live with host families and attend classes at the Center for Inter-American Studies and participate in several multi-day excursions, including a 10-day trip to Peru. This summer will mark the 25th year that Augustana has offered this program. Augustana's Summer Spanish Program in the Andes is designed to help students to improve their Spanish skills. Students earn nine Spanish credits and can take classes at any level from entry-level courses to 400-level culture and literature classes. The program is open to students of any major, so participants are not required to have any experience speaking Spanish. From your area this includes:

More than 75 Augustana students, including several from the local area, will share their advanced research projects on Saturday, May 8 at Augustana's 14th annual Celebration of Learning. This unique on-campus research symposium gives students an opportunity to show off their academic accomplishments to their families and friends and members of the Augustana community. Celebration participants can choose to present their research through a poster display or an oral presentation. Many students present the results of their senior inquiry project, a multiple-term research project required for most academic programs. Other students share Honors capstone projects or student-faculty research. Because of the advanced level of research involved, most of the presenters are upperclassmen.

The academic achievements of forty-one Augustana students earned them election into the Phi Beta Kappa society this spring. Only about one in every one hundred college students nationwide is selected as a member of the oldest and most prestigious honor society in the nation. Augustana students are selected for Phi Beta Kappa based on their academic standing and recommendations from faculty members. Members must be senior students who exhibit strong intellect and integrity and are committed to freedom of thought and expression. Augustana emphasizes that election to Phi Beta Kappa is more than an honor of past academic success. It is also recognition of a student's outstanding potential for growth and achievement. For Dr. Jeff Abernathy, dean of the college, Phi Beta Kappa scholars exemplify the goals of an Augustana education-creative, critical thinking and the willingness to question conventional wisdom. Their leadership and service is as important as their high academic standing. "Phi Beta Kappa students contribute greatly to our college and to the Quad Cities. Even as they serve Augustana in many ways, most are deeply involved in service to the broader community," said Abernathy. Phi Beta Kappa was established in 1776 to celebrate excellence in the liberal arts and sciences. A select 10% of the nation's leading colleges and universities have Phi Beta Kappa chapters, and the chapters only elect about 10% of their most exceptional arts and sciences students for membership. Augustana's Phi Beta Kappa chapter, Zeta of Illinois, was officially established in 1949 to recognize students of high academics, leadership and service. From your area, the inductees include:

In conjunction with Augustana's 34th annual Business Day, the Augustana Business Department is proud to recognize more than 40 business administration and economics majors as recipients of endowed departmental scholarships this year. Students from the local area who were awarded scholarships include:

Augustana's 2009-2010 theatre season concludes with The Seagull by Anton Chekhov on the weekends of April 30-May 2 and May 7-9. Tickets are $10 ($8 for senior citizens, full-time students and children) and can be purchased by calling (309) 794-7306. Performances are at 7:30 p.m. on April 30, May 1, May 7 and May 8 and 1:30 p.m. on May 2 and May 9 in Potter Hall within Bergendoff Hall of Fine Arts (3701 7th Ave.). The Seagull tells the story of an actress, a writer and a playwright and their complicated love interests. One common experience unites all the characters in the storyaEUR"each falls in love with the "wrong" person. The Augustana production is set in contemporary California, adding a new twist to the warmth and humor of Chekhov's original script, which was set in 19th century Russia. Jennifer Altenbernd, a senior theatre arts major who plays Masha, enjoys the complexities in the script. "Chekhov is no piece of cake to perform," she said. "His writing has a very unique quality so that it evokes the emotions out of the actors just through the words he writes." Rolf Koos, a junior anthropology major playing Trigorin, is glad to be part of this cast of The Seagull. "There really are no specific main characters, which gives everyone a chance to shine. The cast is really talented and enjoyable, and everyone is given their opportunity to really showcase their personality and heart in these characters." Mark Hurty, director, has been working on the concept for this production of The Seagull since he first acted in the play in 1982. "Chekov's works offer rich portraits of human experience. The relationships depicted in his plays and stories are vividly realistic," he said. Hurty is a graduate of the American Conservatory Theatre in San Francisco and has acted and directed professionally for 30 years. Past productions at Augustana include An American Daughter, Children of Eden, Black Comedy and The Fantasticks. Hurty is particularly excited to be working with his older son, Justin, on this production. Justin, who graduated from Augustana in 2005 and recently graduated from the California College of the Arts in San Francisco, joined the cast for rehearsals and shared some of his artistic techniques for the performance. From your area, the cast includes:

827 students have been named to the Dean's List at Augustana College for the 2009-10 winter term. Students who have earned this academic honor have maintained a grade point average of 3.5 or higher on a four-point scale for courses taken during the term. From your area, students who have earned this honor include:

Augustana's top choir, symphonic band and orchestra will perform in the renowned Orchestra Hall at Symphony Center in Chicago on Sunday, April 18 at 3 p.m. Augustana musicians made their first appearance at Orchestra Hall in 1926. This return concert will be in honor of the college's sesquicentennial anniversary. For ticket information, please visit www.cso.org or call (312) 294-3000. The concert will include David Manslanka's Symphony No. 8 performed by the Augustana Symphonic Band, BA(C)la BartA?k's Dance Suite performed by the Augustana Symphony Orchestra, and Eric Whitacre's Cloudburst performed by the Augustana Choir. Student performers from your area include the following:

A talented collection of student and faculty musicians from Augustana College's music department will lead worship at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Naperville, Ill., on Sunday, April 11 at 8:00 and 9:30 a.m. More than 40 students from Augustana, including several from the local area, will share their talents as a part of these worship services. The Ascension Singers, an audition-based choir directed by Dr. Michael Zemek, will lead the vocal component of the worship music. They will collaborate with a four-person brass ensemble and organist to perform several festive Easter anthems during the services. Zemek sees the choir's trip to Good Shepherd as a valuable opportunity to use their musical gifts in a new, meaningful setting. "One of the primary goals of Ascension Singers as an ensemble is to provide musical leadership in worship settings. Our trip to Good Shepherd allows us to expand our service beyond the Augustana community, where we regularly sing in chapel services and other events, and to share our musical offerings with a congregation that has many close ties with our college." Students who will be performing at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church from your area include:

Ireland is the destination for a group of Augustana professors and students in early March. The 10-week experience will focus on looking at the European island from the historical, scientific and cultural perspectives, working as volunteers and visiting many of the well-known sites that shape the country. Students studying in Ireland for spring term from your area include:

More than 15 aspiring doctors and nurses, one biology professor, two Augustana alumni and a Quad-City dentist will spend the next two weeks providing medical care to people in several small Nicaragua towns. The service trip was organized through JETS (Joining Education Through Service), a student organization at Augustana. The team will be in Nicaragua from February 21-March 5. The following team members are from your area:

Four professors and nearly 40 Augustana students will leave in early March to spend 10 weeks studying in the West African countries of Ghana and Senegal. The two countries, both important regional and continental leaders, were chosen for the global learning experience because of their diverse culture, linguistic and topographical contrasts. The term begins with six weeks in the country of Ghana, where the group will visit the capital city of Accra, as well as Kumasi and Cape Coast. The final four weeks will be in Dakar and St. Louis in Senegal. Classes will be held four days a week and cover the topics of African history, literature, music and art through reading, assignments, guest lectures and field trips. Students will also volunteer at a school and orphanage, spend a weekend with a host family and visit and attend classes at local universities. From your area, this includes:

Ascension Ringers, Augustana's handbell choir, will share their musical talents will Lutheran churches across Minnesota and Iowa in the Ascension Ringer's second annual handbell tour this March. From your area this inlcludes:

The Augustana College Department of Theatre Arts is proud to recognize students Rachel Stearns and Liz Riordan and alumna Katie Wyant '09 for receiving honorable mention in the Student Dramaturgy category at the Region III Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival in January. Dramaturgs study the social and historical context of a play to decide how their theatre company will choose to interpret it onstage. Stearns, Riordan and Wyant served as the dramaturgs for the international college premiere of Tim Carlson's Omniscience at Augustana last spring. The futuristic play, which incorporates video projections and interactive media directly into the plot, explores issues of privacy, language and media that are all too familiar in a post-9/11 world. Wyant, the lead dramaturg for the production, says the play's futuristic tone but timely themes presented some unique challenges to the team. "We were really in foreign territory with this project. As the play was placed in the not-so-distant future, we had to draw heavily on our own experience, along with influential works like 1984 and current events in order to create a unique historical, cultural and social framework for the production." Students from your area who received this honor are:

The 2010 Augustana Choir will perform throughout the Midwest and east coast from February 21-28. From your area, this includes:

The 2010 Augustana Symphonic Band will perform throughout the Midwest from February 19-28. From your area, this includes:

The Augustana Choir will be performing at