Class of 1999 2016 Class Agent Letter Dear Class of 1999, Greetings from frosty Sioux Falls! We hope you had a fantastic holiday season and are looking forward to a wonderful New Year! As we sit and write to you today, the east coast is bracing for a Snowpocalypse or as we at Augie called it “not enough snow to cancel classes.” We were so pleased with the great response to the launch of our Class of ’99 Facebook page last year. If you have not yet joined the group, here is the link: Augustana College (SD) Class of 1999. Please encourage your friends who either started or finished with us to join in and share as well. Feel free to use the page to update your classmates on what is going on in your life (i.e.- major accomplishments, events, children, etc.), share pictures or memories, or tag an occasional Class of ’99 “Throwback” Pic. Time flies, and the Augustana family continues to evolve. Here are a few updates from our classmates shared via Facebook: Emily Cole-Jones – Ellen is the Director of Development at Stages Theatre Company, a theatre for young artists and audiences in Hopkins, MN. Sonja (Dean) Ferrell – Lives in Hedrick, IA. She and her husband, John, welcomed a baby girl, Emileigh Clare, on November 12, 2015, who joined her big sister, Eleanora. Rebecca (Aden) Grev - Moved back to Sioux Falls in May and currently stays at home with her 3 year old son, Jody. Jen Haar - Lives outside of Madison WI. She is engaged to Steven Jones and works in the City of Madison's Clerk's Office licensing establishments serving alcohol and facilitating the right to vote. Jenn (Evanson) Lee – Recently released her first worship album, “Secret Place,” in August of 2015. The album is available on iTunes and sold locally at Crossroads Book and Music. Marcine (Ellwein) Polansky – Works as a pediatrician in St Cloud, MN. She and her husband, Jon, welcomed twin girls, Annabeth and Elleanor, who joined their brothers, Jacob (4) and Jackson (2). James Swenson – Was promoted this past year to the rank of Professor in the mathematics department at the University of Wisconsin- Platteville. He and his wife of 17 years, Rebecca, live in Platteville with their two kids, Daniel (13) and Sarah (9). Students are currently completing J-term, which makes us think back to our time at Augustana. It was 20 years ago that we completed our first J- term. Do you remember what your J-term class was that year? Had you chosen or changed your major yet? To jar your memories here are a few facts from 1996: 1. Braveheart won the Oscar for Best Picture, other movies released included Fargo and Jerry Maguire. 2. You oughta know (pun intended) Jagged Little Pill, by Alanis Morissette won the Grammy for album of the year. Song of the year was “Kiss From a Rose” by Seal. 3. Taylor Swift was six years old. Justin Bieber was two. 4. Approximately 45 million people were using the Internet, with roughly 30 million of those in North America (United States and Canada). 43.2 million (44%) of US households owned a personal computer, and 14 million of them were online. Do you remember your first email address? 5. In July, Dolly the lamb was born. The world finally had its first cloned sheep. 6. The Bulls defeated the Sonics in 6 games. That’s right, Seattle had a basketball team. Once again, it’s been an exciting year at Augustana. The biggest news was our alma mater’s name change to Augustana University on Sept. 1. In February, the new wing of the Froiland Science Complex will host classes for the first time with the remaining renovations being completed over the spring and summer. Click here to See the progress on the Froiland Science Complex in photos and video. Once again, Augustana earned high marks in US News, Princeton Review, Washington Monthly, and Forbes rankings earlier this year. Read more about Augustana’s high marks: www.augie.edu/rankings. Viking Days 2016 will be celebrated next fall October 14-16. Non-reunion year classes (us) will celebrate reunions during the All Augustana Reunion event on Saturday, Oct. 15, at The District. Please mark your calendars! Each year, alumni are recognized for exemplifying Augustana’s core values of Christian, liberal arts, excellence, community and service. Nominate a classmate for the Alumni Achievement Award or the Horizon Award (for alumni from the past 15 years). Nomination forms can be found at www.augielink.com/alumni-achievement-awards. Do you know a high school junior or senior who is looking for an outstanding college experience? Consider referring him/her to the Admission Office at Augustana. Visit www.augie.edu/refer to share information about your prospective Augustana Viking. Please consider a gift to Augustana as part of your charitable giving resolutions for 2016. Online gifts can be made at www.augielink.com/gift. We hope you all have a wonderful winter and look forward to seeing you soon. Joel Sonnichsen and Eric Gohl Class Agents ‘99 .