“I know you’re not supposed to have favorite chapel services, but this one ranks up there,” University Pastor Babette Chatman said from the front of Hoversten Chapel, smiling at �鶹�� community members and their pets. 

Blessing of the Animals is an annual chapel service in honor of St. Francis of Assisi, patron saint of animals. In remembrance of his love for all sentient beings, individuals around the world bring their animal companions to church for a Blessing of the Animals for St. Francis Day on October 4. �鶹�� Campus Ministry provided that same opportunity for Auggies on Friday, October 2. Some community members submitted photos of their pets that played on a slideshow throughout the service. Others brought their creatures to campus for an in-person blessing. 

University Pastors John Schwehn and Chatman presented a litany interspersed with the audience singing “All God’s Creatures Got a Place in the Choir.” Schwehn then presented a sermon, sharing how a kitten found in his backyard last year became an integral part of their family. He described how everyone in that chapel was connected—not because they were all part of the �鶹�� community, or because they were all Christian, or because they were all even the same species. He said all pets and people were connected because they were created by God in the image of love, as St. Francis deeply believed. 

Chatman and Schwehn then traveled between rows of seats to greet every animal. They blessed them by placing their hands onto each furry creature and offering a benediction over them. For those who couldn’t bring their animals in person, they offered a blessing over a shared image. 

The service ended with this closing prayer: 

“Bless them who will never be entirely tamed and so remind us that you love what is wild, that you rejoice in what lives close to the earth, that your heart beats in the heart of these creatures you have entrusted to our care.” 

2026 Blessing of the Animals

Photos by Douachee Lee and Darcia Cole

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This year marks the 20th anniversary of Zyzzogeton. Back in 2006, the name “Zyzzogeton” was chosen—the last word in the dictionary symbolizing “the last word on student research” at the end of the academic year. According to Lara Crombie, program coordinator for the �鶹�� School of Business, the first Zyzzogeton featured 20 posters with information displayed through cut-and-paste techniques. Two decades later, Hagfors was filled with more than 60 posters and nearly 80 participants. Crombie, who has been involved with Zyzzogeton since 2008, credits the university’s continued support for the event’s steady growth.

“I think what makes �鶹�� especially unique is its ability, as a small institution with smaller departments, to offer such robust research experiences,” Crombie said. “This is largely thanks to the faculty who work with students during every step of the research process, and a holistic approach to mentorship that continues well beyond the formal end of a project. After all, research is never really over.”

Students from all programs are invited to participate in Zyzzogeton, including those from the humanities and arts. While the majority of projects are based in STEM, this year featured an URGO project from Lily Truebenbach ’26 on the process of writing a musical. For Zyzzogeton, she put together a small cast to perform a selection from her piece. She said the experience left her feeling inspired, seeing her peers engaged in conversation and excited to share their work.

“�鶹�� has supported me by giving me the resources and time to prioritize projects that are meaningful to me,” Truebenbach said. “I’ve been able to explore my own artistry through my creative project, and that means so much.”

Zyzzogeton is truly a campuswide collaboration between departments; programs; faculty members, who partner with student researchers; staff members, like Crombie, who are instrumental in organizing the event; and Ben Stottrup, director of the School of Natural Sciences, who secures the financial means to print professional-grade posters. Hundreds of hours of research are represented on each poster, but the students have learned so much more than how to conduct a one-time professional presentation. According to Crombie, they have gained experience that prepares them for graduate school and research fields, the ability to communicate a specific topic clearly and persuasively, translating dense terms into accessible language, and how to identify when a listener is or isn’t following.

Crombie’s favorite part of the event is seeing the posters come to life as the students talk about their research. “I’m always impressed with the level of critical thought and intellectual curiosity that the students express, both visually on their posters and through conversation,” she said. “For the graduating seniors, it’s especially rewarding to hear what’s next after �鶹�� and how the opportunity to do research has helped shape their plans.”

For biology major Luís Millan ’26, the student research experience he gained at �鶹�� has informed the scientist he wants to become.

“�鶹��’s unique focus on bringing communities and people together has really shaped the biologist I want to be, and I couldn’t be more grateful for the opportunities they have given me,” Millan said. “My mentor, Matthew Beckman, has been so supportive of my research journey, giving me agency in my project and allowing me to be an independent scientist.”

Millan also presented at the 2024 National Diversity in STEM conference hosted by SACNAS, the Society for the Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science. This opportunity to connect with other Latinx and queer researchers in STEM was made possible by support from URGO and the McNair Scholars program.

The celebratory atmosphere at Zyzzogeton points to something Millan found at �鶹��: a research community. “The [�鶹�� faculty and staff] were always there for me when I needed community and to remind me why I started research: to go to graduate school and work in a health equity lab so everyone has treatment that addresses their unique needs.”

Top photo: Hagfors Center welcomes hundreds of faculty, staff, alumni, family, and friends to campus for Zyzzogeton. (Photo by Courtney Perry)

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Pictured above: Cece ’29, Carly ’30, Haylee ’30, and Brilee ’30 

“I love my friends because they’re always there to support me no matter what the circumstances are.” —Brilee Nelson ’30

Pictured above: Aidan Wippich ’27, Faye Kelley ’28, Hannah Rust ’28, Emmie Sandifer-Stech ’26, Avery Cheeseman ’26, Paul Ellertson ’26, Diego Perez ’28, and Maxwell Danzel-Lage ’27

“I love that my friends are kind and amusing!” —Faye Kelley ’28 

Pictured above: members
Top row: Dejchia Lor ‘27 and Naw Blu ’26
Middle row: Yan Urrizalqui ’27, Jennifer Vo ’26, and Rachelle Cha ’26
Bottom row: Tommy Lee ’26

“It means support from people who are passionate about the same things. It means having a team who’s excited about building and creating projects/events that are for the community.” —Yan Urrizalqui ’26

Pictured above: members Goldy Moua ’27, GaoNou Vang ’26, and Eli Yang ’27

“It means honesty, teamwork, communication, and having each other’s back. It’s knowing how to have a good time and when to take things seriously” —GaoNou Vang ’26

Pictured above: members Cecelia Dauphine ’28, Maya Miller ’26, Camille Hunte ’26, and Ajulu Otong ’26

“Unity, Black sisterhood” —Camille Hunte ’26

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We asked Austin about their journey to �鶹��, their ministry, and what being named a 2025 LGBTQ changemaker means to them.

What brought you to �鶹��?

I am so glad that I found my way to �鶹��, because I have found a community here that I absolutely adore. It baffles me that I hadn’t heard of �鶹�� sooner. I came to �鶹�� for two reasons. One, because I received an amazing financial aid package, which allowed me to afford to attend university. And two, because it’s a Lutheran university, which really appealed to me, since my mother is an ELCA Lutheran pastor. My mother and I took the train out here all the way from the west coast in Washington. It was a long journey, but so worth it for all the love I have found in both the people and the physical spaces �鶹�� has.

What was it like to be featured on the GLAAD 20 Under 20 list honoring exceptional LGBTQ youth?

Being one of GLAAD’s 20 Under 20 is a huge honor. It has been such a joy to receive recognition for the work I’ve been doing in my community and in the church. And it has been such a privilege to share more about this work on a larger scale and raise awareness of all the intersections the church holds. There are queer folx in the church; there are people of color in the church. We are here, and we are the church. I have grown up with my mother as my pastor, a woman of color. I have grown up surrounded by the diversity of the Lutheran church, and it’s absolutely beautiful. I wish everyone could see the beauty that is God’s love in action. I’m excited to have this accolade with me as I continue to do this work.

“It is absolutely possible to be a person of faith and have a queer identity. In fact, for me, those two identities are intertwined and irretrievably linked.” —Dante Austin ’29 in Teen Vogue

How do you see your faith and your queer identity as being linked?

For me, there has never been a separation between my queerness and my faith. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve struggled with my identity and my belief system before. But when I think about these two parts of myself, they are more similar than they have ever been different. I know that I, along with everyone and everything else in this world, am made in God’s image. For me, that means being Black, being queer, being Hispanic, being everything that I am without shame or regret. I am proud to be who I am, and that is a faithful and queer person of color. I know that God created me this way, to be living proof of intersectionality and to “be light and love that the world so desperately needs,” as �鶹�� University Pastor Babette Chatman ’06 says.

What does your ministry look like?

I have primarily worked with children, youth, and families in the church. I feel called to make the word of God accessible to the most marginalized among us. And oftentimes, there is not much representation for children who grow up in the church, or for them to see the Bible stories portrayed in ways they can connect with. I show up with all of my marginalized identities to be a visible advocate for others. I want to show children that they can participate in church leadership if they so choose, or at the very least, see someone who looks like them, someone they feel comfortable speaking to leading in worship—whether it be reading, singing, or assisting in any other way—and sharing the word of God through a minority lens.

What are your dreams for the church?

My dream is for the church to act out its faith in the world; to be the hands and feet of Christ; to display the love of the gospel; and to uplift the voices of the most marginalized or minimized in our community. I see my dreams slowly being realized every day—in Presiding Bishop Yehiel Curry and Secretary [Lucille “CeCee”] Mills, in the work I do with my family on our podcast, “Sacred Storytime With Pastor Priscilla,” and in daily chapel with Pastor Babette Chatman. Slowly but surely, we are changing the church for the better; we are building tables to commune, not barriers; and we are inviting in, not pushing out. The church has always been a home for me, and I dream of a day when, whether someone believes or not, no one feels afraid or rejected when they enter a place of worship. I dream that spaces of praise to God are places where all of God’s creation feel safe to rest and be in community with one another.

Top image: Dante Austin ’29 was named a 20 Under 20 LGBTQ changemaker by GLAAD. (Photo by Courtney Perry)

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When Amy Cooper started her role as �鶹�� athletic director on June 1, she knew she had a lot to learn—although not about the NCAA, student-athletes, or sport administration. She gained that experience throughout her time as senior associate athletics director at the University of St. Thomas, associate athletic director of administration at Howard University, director of athletics at Trinity Washington University, and in coaching roles at South Carolina State University, Southwest Minnesota State University, and Prairie View A&M University.

While she championed the �鶹�� mission, Cooper still had a lot to learn about being an Auggie herself.

“I’m the type of person who has to get in, dig in, and see what’s going on,” said Cooper. “I can lead better when I fully understand everything, and I’ve been doing a lot of learning.” Her �鶹�� experience has involved a lot of time on the operations side of Auggie Athletics to see how everything functions together.

The biggest surprise, she said, was how familiar �鶹�� student-athletes felt to her. “I’ve been surprised by the connection that I feel like I already have with our student-athletes. I feel like I’ve known them for a long time. They’re always speaking, saying hello, being polite.”

Cooper has also been learning about the array of responsibilities �鶹�� student-athletes juggle. Beyond coursework and practice schedules, many of them have jobs and other extracurricular commitments. She has worked to emphasize the importance of balance, for both the students and the coaches. “That’s what the Division III model is about, making sure student-athletes have an opportunity to do a lot of different things,” said Cooper. “We’ve got a cross-country runner in band and a hockey player in the choir. When Mohammad Bati ’26 won the MIAC cross country championship for the fourth time, I know he went to work later that day. I was shocked to hear how many students we have participating in different things.”

To supplement that balance, Cooper said it’s important to celebrate classroom accomplishments alongside athletic achievements. Earlier this month, on National First-Generation College Celebration Day, �鶹�� Athletics recognized the first-generation student-athletes—both on the football field during a game against Gustavus Adolphus College and on the volleyball court during a game against St. Mary’s University.

“I think it’s so important to do our best to make sure student-athletes are having a great experience at �鶹�� in general. They only have four years for it. I want them to live it up before the real world comes,” Cooper said.

There have been plenty of great experiences during the Fall 2025 athletics season: men’s wrestling has ranked number one in the nation, women’s hockey number two, men’s soccer number three, and Bati has experienced tremendous success in cross country. Cooper described the excitement of hosting a semifinals sendoff for the women’s soccer team, when they advanced in the MIAC tournament on November 6.

Cooper’s goals for the future? “I want to keep going. It’s been years of building up to this point for these teams to have this success. We’ve got a lot of other teams working hard to get there. My job now is to bolster and support our coaches and student-athletes as much as possible to add to that success.”

Top image: Amy Cooper began her journey at �鶹�� on June 1, 2025, serving as athletic director. (Photo by Cary Percy)

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On the first day of class for the 2025–26 academic year, Campus Ministry invited the �鶹�� community to the lawn outside Foss Center for its annual block party. �鶹�� Student Ministry leaders chose “Love Thy Neighbor” as the theme for the event and provided guests with t-shirts and wrist bands that depicted the message.

“I love that the students are mindful of the importance of caring for and welcoming their neighbors in the spirit of love,” says University Pastor Babette Chatman ’06.

Students also enjoyed live music from Kent Goodroad and a band, sweet treats, games, and an opportunity for self-performance during an open mic session. “I love the excitement at the beginning of the new year and seeing students enjoying gathering for games, conversation, and music. There is joy in the smiles and dancing,” says Administrative Assistant Janice Dames.

This event also reminds students that Campus Ministry’s doors are always open to offer support and a place to belong. “The block party embodies for new and returning students what we say all the time in Campus Ministry: You are welcome here; you belong here; and there’s a whole community here that celebrates and supports you,” says University Pastor John Rohde Schwehn. “Campus Ministry is all about creating spaces that cultivate what Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. called ‘the beloved community.’ We set tables that intentionally gather the amazing diversity of this campus, building relationships based on human dignity and justice, joy, and love.”

Chatman echoes these sentiments as she welcomes students to the new year: “Welcome, Auggies, to your home away from home. Trust and believe—we got you.”

Learn more about Campus Ministry and the �鶹�� Student Ministry leaders. 

Slideshow: Campus Ministry Block Party

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Few people on campus are as radiant as University Pastor Babette Chatman ’06. Her heart for the �鶹�� community is revealed through her strong hugs, easy smiles, and gentle prayers. She’s a consistent presence at core campus events in her white robe or Auggie swag, eager to cheer for students at opening convocation, commencement, and every chapel service, symposium, and campus block party in between.

Pastor Babette knows the importance of showing up for students, especially since she was once an �鶹�� student herself. She promised her family that she would finish her undergraduate degree when she moved from Detroit to Minneapolis in the early 2000s, and �鶹��’s former Weekend College program allowed her to take classes around her regular work schedule as an adult student. Many of her credits transferred, and a major in English literature made the most of her previous academic experience, helping set her up for what came next.

Her next steps led her to ministry and eventually back to �鶹��, thanks to some divine orchestration. Here, Pastor Babette shares what she loves most about being part of the �鶹�� community and what she has learned about herself along the way.

How did you stay connected to �鶹�� after graduation?

After I graduated, Campus Pastor Emeritus Dave Wold, who was the then-director of ministry, and then-Associate Pastor Sonja Hagander were having conversations about an intentional collaboration between �鶹�� Campus Ministry and a north side parish. I worked at Redeemer Lutheran Church at the time, and my supervisor and brother Pastor Kelly Chatman helped me begin a collaboration with Redeemer and �鶹�� Campus Ministry in 2007. There, I offered the Ministry of Presence, which is about being physically and emotionally present and relational. This collaboration really fed me. During this time, my sense of call felt concrete for both my work at Redeemer and at �鶹��.

What drew you to ministry?

Originally, being a minister was just who I was and what I did. While on professional staff at Redeemer Center for Life—Redeemer Lutheran Church’s nonprofit—I did outreach, youth development, and evangelism work within the community. I was invited to be a council member on the Minneapolis Area Synod. While on the council, I chaired a committee and joined several others in service to the Synod and community. All the things I said yes to were solidifying to me that I was actually doing ministry. After presenting to a group of college presidents, my brother told me I should go to seminary to be a pastor. I was hesitant for a long time, but then I did an accelerated path to my master’s degree, which fit my life better.

When Pastor Dave retired, I was invited to take over Doing Theology With Girlfriends, a Bible study group for students, and to just be more present. That’s when I realized that God might be up to something. In 2018, I applied for and was extended the call to be the associate pastor at �鶹��. Then, when I was onboarded, then-Pastor Justin Lind-Ayres made a decision around equity that we would no longer be identified as senior pastor and associate pastor. We would both be pastors equally.

�鶹�� has a way of creating belonging. I don’t say yes to opportunities if I don’t believe I belong or can bring something to the community. I am unapologetically a Black woman, and I feel like �鶹�� never once asked me to minimize myself or decrease myself to acculturate to an identity. I felt like the invitation was always to be my true, authentic self, which honors the fullness of the student body.

What have you learned about yourself through ministry?

Faith is all about relationships, and it is about spirit. In some ways, it’s a relationship of a mothering spirit. These young adults come here, and they don’t know what they don’t know, but I hope that being proximate to me could give them a sense of home.

There are two things that have always been at my core. I tend to notice the person that’s not belonging. Even as a child in school, I usually noticed the other classmate that was sitting by themselves or one that might’ve been bullied or ignored, and I made my way to them. I’ve also always been drawn to working with young people—middle schoolers, high schoolers, and young adults. With me, young people get to practice challenging adults; I have capacity for that. They challenge me as much as anybody, but in them challenging me, I don’t reject them. Instead, I wait them out, and I do the work to make them fall in love with me as I am falling in love with them.

How do you think �鶹��’s roots as a Lutheran institution inform the student experience?

I think the church is at its best when it turns towards the marginalized, not away from them. I have had my own marginalized experiences in the sanctuaries of this tradition that I belong to. Because of that, I think �鶹�� is so unique in its approach to Campus Ministry. Pastor John Rohde Schwehn, my co-pastor, knows that we are university pastors to the whole of �鶹��. The believers and the nonbelievers, the atheists, the agnostic—they are all ours because we are called to pastor. We’re the ones trained to touch the suffering, and suffering comes to everybody. It’s important that everybody experiences radical love and hospitality through Campus Ministry.

Do you have any words of encouragement for the �鶹�� community?

We acknowledge the suffering in our world. We don’t deny it. We acknowledge it, and sometimes we’re at a loss for words. But then we get this blessed assurance: God is with us. Come visit us in the Foss building, and we’ll remind you that God is with us. God enters our suffering with us daily. No matter what happens, we’re not alone. On �鶹��’s campus, both physical and virtual, we’re in this together.

Also, specifically for the students and their families, our work is a promise that somebody is thinking about their child. Somebody is thinking about your child and their best interests. Provost Paula O’Loughlin, President Paul Pribbenow, Dean of Students Mike Grewe, Pastor Babette, Pastor John—we’re all thinking about the students and the staff and faculty. Because no matter what, we’re together. We’re an intentional community. We are intentionally �鶹��.

Top image: University Pastor Babette Chatman ’06 at Opening Convocation, August 2024 (Photo by Courtney Perry)

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July marked two years since Paula O’Loughlin arrived at �鶹�� to take on the role of provost and senior vice president of academic and student affairs. As the university’s second-ranking officer after President Paul Pribbenow, her portfolio includes oversight of �鶹��’s academic programs, faculty, campus life, student support and retention, accreditation, and more. In two years, she has also facilitated major strategic initiatives, including a recent revision of the general education curriculum and the development of a schools-based administrative structure.

Having previously served as provost and dean of the faculty at Coe College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, as a senior administrator at Gustavus Adolphus College, and as a faculty member at the University of Minnesota–Morris, O’Loughlin knows that authenticity matters in leadership. And whether she’s unpacking the “rumor of the week” in her weekly campus email, coordinating an office potluck in Memorial Hall, or putting in a cameo appearance in “The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” it’s clear that fun matters, too. Here, O’Loughlin reflects on her journey and how she has been shaped by the �鶹�� community so far.

Q: What drew you to higher education?

A: My parents were both academics, and it was the last thing I ever wanted to do. I certainly didn’t plan to be a teacher or provost—which is kind of like if the leader of the rebel forces all of a sudden runs the Death Star. But it turns out I love what I do, and I realized that you can do so much more for students as a provost. You can do a lot of good by amplifying certain strategic choices and helping more students achieve their dreams. You can also mentor faculty, which is important.

Q: When did you realize you wanted to join the “dark side” of academia (i.e., administration)?

A: The critical moment was when I went to a political science conference, and then I went to an American Association of Colleges and Universities conference. I geeked out more at the AAC&U conference than the PoliSci one. That’s when I knew I wanted to expand beyond teaching a specific discipline. There was an intellectual excitement to the academic administrative conversations. I wanted to help open up the academic systems to all students—not, for example, just the students who knew the right professors.

I see what I do in the form of a calling. It’s not a job. It’s an adventure.

Q: What brought you to �鶹�� specifically?

A: The �鶹�� mission—that’s what it’s all about. You can love a school’s mission, but your skills may not be able to make a difference. When I was on campus for my interview, I realized I could probably make a difference here to one extent or another. I’m trying to keep learning. Paul Pribbenow is a rock star in the higher ed world. You don’t often get to learn from a president whose values are the same as yours and has been doing this work for a long time.

I’ve always wanted to enable students to tell their own stories. A lot of schools talk about giving students opportunities, and �鶹�� actually does it. That means something. The students that come to �鶹�� are from communities that are often underrepresented. They may not have had the same opportunities as their peers, and I want them to. For me, that’s our mission, and our mission is embedded in a community that comes together around students, opportunities, and being authentic to who we are, both as people and as �鶹��.

Q: What’s your favorite time of the academic year?

A: Oh, that’s tough. It’s either the beginning of the year or graduation. The clapping tunnel [at opening convocation and commencement] is a pretty powerful time. I love that for the first-year students, and I also love it at the end of their college career. Being there for commencement and seeing our students’ families is a pretty special thing. The more you know students and see them succeed, the better it is. So I can’t tell you which one I like better—the start of the year or the completion. They are both filled with real happiness and possibility.

Q: How did you get involved with �鶹��’s production of ‘The Rocky Picture Horror Show’?

A: Honestly, I asked [Professor of Theater Arts] Darcey Engen ’88 if I could participate. I have zero theater background, but I just wanted to. When she found a part for me, I did it. I loved it—we were all having so much fun. How many provosts will just laugh at themselves enough to dress up and be a character? Throughout my time at �鶹��, I’ve tried to bring my authentic self, hoping that other people can find opportunities to do so in their own ways, too, especially after the pandemic.

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