The FREEDOM Film Tour, featuring a documentary on alternative fuels and a full size, ethanol-burning, solar-panel-covered bus will roll through campus on Monday, Sept. 19. The FREEDOM Bus will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. outside of Morrison Commons. The film will be shown at 7 p.m. in Kresge. Both are free and open to the public.

Mary Robinson, the first woman president of Ireland and former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, will speak at the 2011 Boe Forum on Public Affairs. Her address, “World Hunger and Poverty,” will begin at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 9, in the Elmen Center.

“Words of Art: Remembering 9-11,” an interactive memorial exhibition of written reflections and musings in commemoration of the 10-year anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks, will be on display in the Siverson Lounge from September 11 through October 16.

On Sunday morning, an estimated 431 new freshmen from all over the globe arrived on campus. As they begin the process of unpacking plastic tubs and laundry baskets, unrolling rolls of carpet, and filling their mini refrigerators, we're excited to say, welcome to Augustana College, Class of 2015!

A memorial for Dianne Hammrich, former administrative assistant to the Academic Dean, will be held on Thursday, Sept. 1. "Dianne was a person who cared deeply about Augustana and we will miss her," said Dr. Murray Haar, senior vice president for Academic Affairs and Dean of the College.

Calling all orchestra players! The historic Augustana College-Community Orchestra, directed by Dr. Christopher Stanichar, is now accepting community and student members for the 2011-2012 season. The first rehearsal will be held on Sunday, Sept. 11.

On Monday, 45 Augustana resident assistants learned about general fire safety, received training on fire extinguishing, witnessed a live fire demonstration and took part in an evacuation drill during Sioux Falls Fire Rescue's Campus Fire Safety Education day.

Augustana will mark the beginning of the 2011-2012 academic year during its Opening Convocation at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 7, at the Elmen Center. The ceremony will feature a keynote address by Dr. Jetty Duffy-Matzner, associate professor of Chemistry.

Tickets are now on sale for the St. Paul edition of “Holiday Jam with the Hegg Brothers,” a musical evening of holiday favorites presented by Augustana College, featuring Augustana alumni Jeremy Hegg ’94; Jon Hegg ’99; Noah Hoehn ’02; and Andrew Reinartz ’05.

The fall semester hasn’t officially started yet, but that didn’t stop 13 of Augustana’s new international students from receiving a lesson in civics and leadership this afternoon from Sioux Falls Mayor Mike Huether.