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January Augie Works 2020

January 2020

New faces on campus

We're starting the new year by welcoming some new and returning colleagues to Augustana. Say hello when you meet these folks on campus:

Coming attractions

Pop in and play

Jan. 18,  1-4 p.m., PepsiCo Recreation Center  Bring your family and beat the winter doldrums!  The PepsiCo center is reserved for Augustana families and friends and all equipment will be available along with a bounce house.

RISE - Tribute to honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. 

Jan. 18,  6:00 p.m. Centennial Hall Community celebration and musical tribute to honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. with featured guest Walt Whitman and the Soul Children of Chicago.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration 

Jan. 20,  10:30 a.m. Gerber Center (Gavle) Martin Luther King, Jr. Keynote Address by Rev. Dwight L. Ford

Young Professionals of Augustana Happy Hour

Jan. 20, 4-6 p.m. Hyatt Place Come enjoy complimentary appetizers, 1/2 price domestics, wine, & wells as well as $1 off all martins. The event will be hosted in the River Room (9th floor) at the Hyatt Place located at 111 Bend Boulevard, East Moline, IL 61244. Please watch for the email flyer to come!

Junie B. Jones Is Not a Crook

March 1,  12:30 p.m. Wilson Theater Special employee pricing with pre-show snacks and a meet and greet with the cast.  Tickets are $5 for employees with a free child’s ticket! You can purchase the employee tickets here:

https://app.arts-people.com/index.php?show_special=111166

For your benefit

You may have read that the IRS has substantially revised Form W-4 beginning with the calendar year 2020 form. One major change is that on the new form you will no longer be able to claim withholding allowances.

While no change is required, the IRS is advising all employees to do a paycheck checkup to ensure that the proper amount of taxes is withheld from their pay. You may do this by accessing the IRS's withholding estimator.  The Tax Withholding Estimator (www.irs.gov/W4App) was created with the intent of helping taxpayers evaluate their withholding. It is helpful to have a copy of your most recent pay stub and last year’s tax return. After you complete this online form you will get an estimate of your tax overpayment or shortfall at year end. If you wish to make a change to your W-4 the website will allow you to create a new W-4 from the data contained therein.  Alternatively, you may ask a tax professional for advice on how to complete the form. 


The IRS has also published Frequently Asked Questions that you may find helpful as you complete the form (https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/faqs-on-the-draft-2020-form-w-4).

Ask the expert

At this institution of higher learning, we are a community of experts! And each of us also has knowledge unrelated to the office or department where we work. So, every month Augie Works will ask a campus expert to provide some advice or a how-to. 

This month, we ask:

Shaun Edmonds, Assistant Professor in Kinesiology and Jeff Rose who oversees strength and conditioning training for Augustana athletes

With the new year, I'd like to amp up my fitness and all the articles I'm reading encourage strength training.  What are some beginning activities that I should try, given that I haven't been working out much for the past several months?  Is this really necessary or can I just stick with basic aerobic activity?

Shaun:

 First, look for fitness classes that fit into your schedule. For beginners who are unsure what to do, fitness classes can be a way to learn where your body is at and how to move. Additionally, the predicable schedule of fitness classes makes it easier to create a regular fitness routine. Second, find a friend to go with you! Not only is a workout partner great for motivation, they can also hold you accountable and support you when learning proper form. Finally, hiring a personal trainer is a good step to learning a regular routine and being motivated to continue. In general you want to train with a trainer at least 2 times a week in order to see progress.

Jeff:

For beginners, strength training should consist of bodyweight movements. These basic bodyweight movements consist of back squat, bench press and deadlift. However, to be able to physically get into these positions, there is a need for core strength and mobility. 

Squat

Starting off with bodyweight squats or prisoner squats, teaches a new lifter to sit into a proper squat position while maintaining a neutral-spine which keeps the weight on the lifter's glutes and hamstrings versus their knees and low back. When a lifters knees start to buckle in, this could mean they need to lower the weight they are using because they are breaking proper form. Ido Portal has a great video on mobility exercises (Deep Squat w/ Knee Press, Deep Squat w/ Sky Reach (Thoracic-Spine Rotation), and Buddha Prayers) to open up the hips and groin to be able to get into a better, more natural squat position. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lbozu0DPcYI

Bench Press/Push Ups

Push-Ups are one of the best exercises for Bench Press because they work on upper body and core strength throughout the motion.  A flat-ground Push-Up is the first step and can be done from the toes or knees.  Learning to pinch the shoulder blades (Scapula) together at the beginning of the movement and finish by pushing them apart at the top helps to build the Scapular muscles quicker and more efficiently.  If flat-ground Push-Ups are too difficult, a wall can be used to take more bodyweight off the movement.  Then progressing lower towards the ground using a box or bench will make the Push-Up more difficult.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=62feQpAclEA

Deadlift

The Deadlift is a great exercise to pull weight from the floor but one of the most dangerous exercises in the sense that lifters tend to focus on weight versus form.  The Deadlift is predicted on the ability to properly perform a Hip Hinge.  The best way to learn the Hip Hinge is putting a PVC pipe along the spine with three points of contact at the back of the head, middle of the spine, and tailbone. From there, slightly bend at the knees and push the hips back without moving the hips down. This means that weight is putting a good stress on the Hamstrings and Glutes without putting a bad stress on the low back/knees.  When the Hip Hinge becomes easy, a barbell or dumbbells can be used to add resistance.  Then, to learn to properly pull from the floor, the safest way is to grab a dumbbell or kettlebell between the feet while squatting down and learning to drive through the heels.    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQuipWqfiRE

A few reasons that strength training is important and should be done by anyone looking to get fit is that it provides:

1. Increasing and restoring bone density which is especially important for the female population that has an increased risk of Osteoporosis

2. Increased lean muscle mass that makes you look better as well as physically, mentally, and emotionally feel better

3. Injury prevention because strengthening the muscles helps strengthen joints

4. Losing weight, which what the scale reads should not be the focus, because muscle weighs more fat due to their densities and anaerobic exercise like strength training increases the resting metabolism

5. Elevating natural levels of endorphins which increase energy levels, improve mood, and have been shown to improve sleep as well

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Have a question you’d like us to ask an expert? Or some timely advice or bit of knowledge you’d like to share? Please send it to brittnidegreve@augustana.edu

Community and family news

Hilarious bloopers from our admissions team promoting Augustana.

Grey
Grey Giovanine
Maria
Maria and Scout

Let's give a round of applause to Grey Giovanine who celebrated his 500th win as the head coach for Augustana men's basketball this past December. Grey has been the head coach for our men's basketball for the past 20 years.

 

Picture on the left is Maria Emerson , librarian, and her daughter Scout partaking in the Laundromat Library League. The Tredway library recently started a Laundromat Library League at the Rock Island Neighborhood Laundromat, only blocks away from Augustana’s campus. The Laundromat Library League is a non-profit, volunteer-run organization whose mission is to place boxes of children’s books in laundromats so that children who are there can spend their time reading while waiting for their caregivers to finish the laundry. These books are also available to be taken home. Anyone looking to donate please drop your books off to the front desk at the Tredway library. 

 

 

In the Works is a monthly newsletter for Augustana College employees from the Office of Human Resources. The photo at the top is of Eric Rowell, assistant director of admissions & diversity outreach, showing his Augie pride at a recent basketball game surrounded by many Viking fans. If you have any questions or comments, please contact Brittni DeGreve, Office of Human Resources. 

Office of Human Resources
639 38th St.
Rock Island, Ill., 61201

humanresources@augustana.edu

Phone: 309-794-7352

Fax: 309-794-8962