by HANNAN MOHAMUD

A naming ceremony was held at the Learning Commons on September 27th to honour Rashmi Bale, an Augustana graduate who tragically passed away due to a motor vehicle accident in Calgary last summer. Rashmi had earned a Management degree at Augustana and then went on to earn a Law degree from the University of Leicester. The Bale family, Ravi and Rajni, and the Augustana community came together to create this wonderful space that will always have a ‘ray of light’.

Rashmi’s Memorial Plaque

Rashmi’s Family with the Dean and Faculty.

Sarah Laflamme

The word Rashmi is a Sanskrit word which means ‘ray of light’, as brought up Professor Varghese Manaloor. Professor Varghese had not only taught Rashmi at the time she was here, but had also lent her a helping hand when she organized dosa and Diwali parties on campus. At the opening ceremony, Jaynita Maru’s (Rashmi’s good friend during her time here) statements were read out by Geordie Nelson, “The Learning Commons captures Rashmi’s spirit perfectly; it is the balance between serious studying and a little bit of chit chat”. Nelson highlighted not only Rashmi’s impact on the campus, but also her impact on himself as well. Campus administration taking notice of the need for student spaces on campus and investing time in revamping “old cubicle spaces” to create the Learning Commons is not only beneficial for students at Augustana but for staff and faculty as well.