John Deere Planetarium and Fryxell Geology Museum open house
The John Deere Planetarium will be open for an evening of stargazing and planet viewing from 8:30-10 p.m.
There will be indoor and outdoor programs in the planetarium, the Carl Gamble Observatory, and the building's grounds. Observing areas are unheated so dress for the weather.
In the event of cloudy conditions, the indoor programs will still be offered.
This year’s open house will feature Venus, the beautiful "evening star." Telescopes also will reveal the mountains and craters of the Earth’s Moon and views of other heavenly bodies.
Also on display will be a quarter-ton piece of the Canyon Diablo meteorite and a planetarium show with images and information on the wonders of the night sky.
The Fryxell Geology Museum, which features one of the best collections of minerals and fossils in the Midwest, will also be open to the public. Highlights in the museum include a wall of glowing fluorescent rocks, as well as a cast of a Tyrannosaurus rex skull and a complete 22-foot long skeleton of Cryolophosaurus, a large crested carnivorous dinosaur discovered in Antarctica.
Senior Send-Off
Graduates and their families are invited to a festive evening of food, music and fun.
Dinner is included and a cash bar from Bent River Brewery will be available for those who are 21. Live music will be provided.
Each student receives a complimentary ticket, plus two complimentary tickets for guests; more tickets can be purchased from the Ticket Office for $12 each. Tickets must be purchased in advance.
Parking is available in the parking lot behind the Gerber Center, Centennial Hall and the Brodahl parking lot. (Map)
Photo gallery: Spring break all over the place
Some Augustana students hit the road for home for spring break, but many others choose a different route. Here are some of them.
Curtis Lecture: Jim Leach, 'What is Precedented and Unprecedented in American Politics'
Jim Leach, who represented the Iowa Quad-Cities in the U.S. House of Representatives for 30 years, will give this year's Ellwood F. Curtis Family Lectureship in Public Affairs. His talk is entitled "What is Precedented and Unprecedented in American Politics."
A native of Davenport, Leach represented Iowa's 2nd Congressional District from 1977-2007. He was the ninth chair of the National Endowment for the Humanities from 2009-2013.
The Curtis Lecture was established in memory of Ellwood F. Curtis, who served as president and vice chairman of Deere and Company during his 42-year career with the Moline-based manufacturer. Curtis was active in the Quad City community and was co-chair of Augustana College's Agenda for Leadership Campaign.
NCAA men's basketball tournament
Augustana will host the NCAA Division III men's basketball tournament sectional, playing against John Carroll University at 7:30 p.m.
Emory University and the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh will square off in the first game at 5:30 p.m.
Tickets will go on sale at 4 p.m. at Carver Center.
Friday's winners will meet Saturday at 7 p.m. to advance to the final four championship. Saturday ticket sales will begin at 5:30 p.m.
CCIW Men's Basketball Tournament
Augustana will host the CCIW Men's Basketball Tournament at Carver Center.
Doors open at 3:30 p.m. and the first game of the night, North Central vs. Illinois Wesleyan, starts at 5 p.m.
Augustana will play Wheaton at 7 p.m.
Fans at home can view a livestream of both games.
The two winners will play at 7 p.m. Saturday for a trip to the NCAA D3 Men's Basketball Tournament.
My Augustana Story: Ryan Jenkins
Senior Ryan Jenkins says the one-on-one attention of faculty has made a difference for him. "That's a really unique experience that I wouldn't trade anything in the world for."
Visual effects artist Victor Schutz: 'A New Take on an Old Galaxy: Making the Visual Effects of Rogue One'
"Rogue One" computer graphics supervisor Vick Schutz will talk about what it was like to be part of the ensemble crew at Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) working on the Star Wars film "Rogue One."
Put your Star Wars knowledge to the test as you discover the information they unearthed about the previous films that was needed to recreate the familiar feel of "A New Hope" within the style of the new film. Learn about the visual effects in the film, including the spectacular, the subtle, a few Easter eggs, and some of the hijinks that ensued along the way.
Schutz currently is the lighting supervisor for the upcoming "Solo: A Star Wars Story."
"For Rogue One: A Star Wars Story," he was in charge of the technology needed for the visual effects of the film and a member of the Digital Human team. He also supervised the K-2SO vault sequence.
He has worked on such films as "Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones," "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets," and "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl." His two dozen film other credits also include "Ready Player One" and "Pacific Rim," for which he was the computer graphics supervisor; "Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol" (lead artist); and "Watchmen" (lighting lead).
This event is co-sponsored by the Lawrence H. Roys Endowment and the Institute for Leadership and Service.
Dr. Monica Smith named inaugural Vice President of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Augustana College will soon welcome Dr. Monica Smith as the college’s first Vice President of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.
Augustana Choir to tour Spain, France and Sweden
The Augustana Choir will travel to perform in Spain, France and Sweden this summer.