Campus update for Feb. 3, 2021

Feb. 3, 2021

Creativity on display during J-term

Augustana's wide creative streak is never more evident than during J-term classes. For example, we've seen students making computer-generated art, and students learning the history of the modern Olympic Games from an athlete in Australia.

But the creativity prize may go to students in "History 260: Making a Museum."

Their timely topic: the history of disease and epidemics at Augustana from 1890-2021. They conducted oral histories and investigated our archives to better understand our changing perceptions of and experiences with disease. 

Then they produced a fascinating six-part digital exhibition to show their findings. 

Also getting creative, Chase Fahy uses a Leap Motion controller in Dr. Tauheed Khan Mohd 's "Human Computer Interaction" J-term class. It is an optical hand-tracking module that captures the movements of your hands.

Volunteers needed for surveillance testing 

Volunteers are needed for surveillance testing, due to new class schedules, new students joining the community, and an effort to refresh our testing pool.

New and previous volunteers who wish to participate should sign up by 4:30 p.m. on Feb. 9. 

Sign up for surveillance testing

Tips from a contact tracer

Farrah Roberts, director of student well-being and resiliency, has been working as a COVID-19 contact tracer and shared these tips and observations during the Jan. 29 briefing:

• Small gatherings of even three or four people in a TLA or off-campus house seem the most likely place where COVID is spread. Keep your groups small and wear masks.

• Be aware that what may feel like allergies or a cold could be symptoms of COVID-19.

• When you go for a car ride with others, wear a mask. When possible, avoid car rides with others altogether, especially if they're going to be longer than 15 minutes.

• If you've been exposed or even suspect you have, stay put and call Public Safety at 309-794-7711.

Today's updates: 

• The Black Student Union, along with other student groups and offices, has a full slate of movies, events and activities for Black History Month.

• Seven students will be featured in the Figge Art Museum's annual College Invitational through June 6. You can attend their virtual opening reception tomorrow night.

• Dining Services will observe special hours over J-term break. Meal plans will not resume until Feb. 9, but cash, credit card and Viking Bucks will be accepted.

• ACES will not run Feb. 3-9 over J-term break. Services will resume Feb. 10.

 Registrar Liesl Fowler is interviewed today in the CCIW series on women athletes. She competed in the CCIW's first-ever women's athletics contest: a volleyball match in 1986. Among many other things, she was our women's volleyball coach from 1992-2002, and the 2001 CCIW Coach of the Year.

Geology is mind-blowing!

Autumn Peele '21 and three other geology seniors engaged 400 8th-graders from Naperville, Ill., via a virtual tour of our Fryxell Geology Museum and department to inspire STEM learning. Here, Autumn blew the 8th-graders' minds when she explained her SI research which allowed her to make ontogenetic and developmental findings about an Edmontosaurus by histological thin-section analysis of the dinosaur's 73-million-year-old rib bone!