Class of 1970 2016 Class Agent Letter Dear Classmates, I am writing to you the day after NFL Championship Sunday, so the contenders for the Super Bowl LI title on February 5th have been determined. The Atlanta Falcons and the New England Patriots won decisive victories yesterday (on 1/22), so Quarterbacks Matt Ryan and Tom Brady, respectively, are names that are being tossed around freely in sports media today. By the time you read this, Super Bowl 2017 may also be history. But thanks to social media, we are still reading about who did or said what – and why – for weeks prior to the Super Bowl itself. For example, did you catch the interview between Tom Brady and CBS reporter Tracy Wolfson immediately after the Patriots defeated the Steelers on 1/22? Her question regarding Brady’s offensive line drew a ‘shout out’ to his family instead. (As a side note, you may have already noticed that Brady has often ended his post-game interviews with a “Hi Mom.”) What grabbed my attention this morning on cbssports.com was this comment: “Everyone on Twitter seems to think Brady’s postgame interview was a way for him to throw a jab at Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who is currently estranged from his family.” Never mind that the Packers were not even the Patriots’ opponents in yesterday’s game. How interesting that a statement of appreciation of one’s family is called into question due to “wrong motive.” Perhaps Brady was so enjoying the moment that he wanted to simply share it with his close family members. Period. My curiosity was piqued enough to read more about how others describe Tom Brady. There is no question that he is very competitive and confident but he is also a man with a softer side; he loves being home with his wife and two young sons. And he is one who savors the moment, which is consistent with his shout out to his family in yesterday’s interview. Following yesterday’s championship games, he said of Falcons’ QB Matt Ryan: “I’m always sending him texts over the course of the season and vice versa. I have a lot of respect for Matt. I like him a lot as a person, as a player, as a leader.” I appreciate these words of commendation by Tom Brady. Period. What do you think? Is judging another person or his/her motives something new, or is it just more visible due to technology and the heightened emphasis of every person’s opinion on ANY topic? Certainly being judgmental of others is nothing new. We are all human and we all do it. Hmm … ever wonder why we are prone to criticize and quickly jump to conclusions about another person? Psychologist Barbara Markway makes it crystal clear: “Judging someone does not define who they are; it defines who you are.” Now I’m all ears! I get it that it’s loud and ugly out there on social media! All the more reason to behave in a manner that sets us apart. It isn’t up to us to prove someone wrong. Instead, it’s up to us to have a higher mindset. Sure, we are all challenged by difficult people and difficult conversations, but as blogger Lisa Whittle reminds us, “We are servants of the Most High” and so we need to “live in a way that pleases God.” (1 Thess. 4:1). That includes “tweet, Facebook and text” in a way that pleases Him. When someone disagrees with us or somehow makes our life difficult, remember that it’s typically not about us; it may be about their pain or struggle. So why not give him/her the benefit of the doubt and look for the basic goodness in others? Here are more great reminders for each of us: Before you speak, THINK! T - is it true? H - is it helpful? I - is it inspiring? N- is it necessary? K - is it kind? Really think about your words before you speak. They can mean different things to different people. When we do this consistently, our responses will stand out. If that seems ludicrous or impossible, let’s think of it as one response at a time. By intentionally hitting pause in our minds before tweeting, texting or speaking too quickly, only then can we catch that first critical thought that can occur for all of us, and we can rephrase it into a much more positive one. By practicing this over time, we will naturally begin to appreciate others more and consider our own judgements less. It’s a ‘win – win’ situation because kind & carefully chosen words have the power to change someone else’s day (or week), not to mention that our own thoughts become healthier and happier as well. Period. As your Class Agent, I have enjoyed writing to you and reflecting on our time together at Augustana. Although many of the people and the buildings have changed in over 50 years, we are a part of a great heritage as a small, liberal arts institution that continues to achieve high standards of excellence in higher education. We can, and should, be excited to keep up on what is happening at Augustana University in 2017, for it continues to be “A Great Day to be a Viking”! Enrollment this year is at a 26-year high and 98% of the 2015 grads are employed in their major or chosen field! It’s also a great day to “Give Like a Viking” on the first ever Augustana Giving Day on March 2nd. Together we can make this an important event in our lives and in the lives of others. So please mark March 2nd as a special day to show our generosity and appreciation for all that Augustana represents in our lives and in the lives of thousands who are scattered across this country and globe. Thank you! If you are not aware that President Rob Oliver is retiring at the end of July after 25 years of service, I share that news with you. I am very grateful for his tremendous leadership for so many years. A Presidential search is in progress at this time. If you have not browsed through the augie.edu website for a while, please take a little time to do that. It is inspiring to know that we continue to play a role in Augustana’s exciting future. While on that site, please check out the alumni news and feel free to leave a Class Note for our class of 1970. It can be about anything at all – in fact, we can use it to show appreciation to President Oliver or anyone else who comes to mind from Augustana past, or your dreams for Augustana in the future. You can even use it to shout out words of appreciation to your family, just as QB Tom Brady did yesterday. There will be a Class Note waiting there for you from me. Please check it out. Thank you! Sincerely, Karen (Bucks) Wegner Class Agent .