Magazine Editor-in-Chief Ellen Burkhardt Art Director Lauren Gantner Managing Editors Bethany Onsgard Lana Walker Senior Editors Carolyn Deutsch Megan Hanson Janae Olinger Colleen Powers Associate Editors Lauren Caffery Megan Hussong Daniela Przybyszewska Erik Williams
Assistant Art Directors Kathryn Holahan Jay Jorgenson Karen Locke Yaisha Neiderhiser Staff Photographers Liz Johnston Amanda Pointer ... Web Web Editor Nicole Holdorph Web Associate Editor Trey Mewes Web Programmer Andrew Osthoff Web Designer Melanie Boyung Web Writers/Bloggers John Grimley Jake Thiesse Jeremy Woodson ... Thanks We would like to thank the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Minnesota, Elizabeth Larsen, Jeanne Schacht, Scott Dierks, Wally Swanson, and Al Tims. This publication is made possible by the Milton L. Kaplan Memorial Fund. Cover photo by Lauren Gantner
2 { refuge magazine } spring 2010
E DITOR’S LETTER At a glance, it was nothing more than a refrigerator box sitting next to the recycling bin. But to a nine-year-old bookworm, that hollow brown rectangle represented more than a shell to be discarded. It offered adventure, privacy, invisibility—my own personal reading room. I didn’t have much to hide from, especially when compared to the chaos facing many Americans today. There was no credit card debt lurking in my mailbox, no home foreclosure forcing me onto the street, no need to rely on a government check to compensate for a year of joblessness. But as a third grade girl, that box was my temporary refuge, my shelter from the storm. The message of finding sanctuary in someone or something—as voiced by Bob Dylan in “Shelter From The Storm”—inspired this very magazine. Refuge—both the magazine and the website—goes beyond those cardboard boxes and romantic relationships that serve as escapes. It embraces the realities
of life, including the circumstances we are unable to control. It debunks the stereotypes of homelessness (pg. 16) and enters the mind of a soon-to-be nun (pg. 22), exploring if there’s more to life than material goods and traditional careers. Most of all, Refuge recognizes that in the midst of challenges, joys also abound. Whether it is a chef’s favorite comfort food (pg. 5) or pets boasting more bling than P-Diddy (pg. 36)(or is he Sean Combs now?), Refuge recognizes that each person’s sanctuary uniquely reflects their identity. No matter where you find yourself today, consider this your chance to take a break from life, from chaos, from stress. Consider this your shelter from the storm. Best,
Editor-in-Chief Ellen Burkhardt
Photo by Lauren Gantner
Staff Writer Jennifer Thomsen