Introducing Viking Days king and queen
Starting off a week of festivities, Augustana chose its newest Viking Days king and queen, Logan Hattervig and Kirtana Krishna Kumar. The two seniors were crowned on Monday night in the Elmen Center. Hattervig is a biology and religion major from Carthage, SD. Kumar is a biology and philosophy major from New Delhi, India.
How does it feel to be chosen as Augustana’s Viking Days king/queen?
Hattervig: It’s awesome, I’m honored to get to represent Augustana. I don’t know how to express it in words; I’m just grateful for this university and all the friends that I’ve made over the years here.
Krishna Kumar: I’m very humbled. It’s just really nice to see how many people think about me. They’re so compassionate and kind to have chosen me. I’m very, very humbled and overwhelmed.
What is your favorite Viking Days tradition?
Hattervig: I like singing the national anthem before the football game with the Augie choir; that’s always a lot of fun.
Krishna Kumar: I love the parade. That’s not something I’ve done back home, so that’s one of my favorite things where the community gets together. I love the community aspect of Augie and that parade, especially, brings all kinds of people here.
How do you feel about being crowned with Kirtana/Logan?
Hattervig: Pumped. Kirtana is a true embodiment of what it means to be an Augstana Viking. That’s evident by the fact that she was the recipient of the community Covenant Award last year. She has such a skill [for] making everybody feel welcomed and has such a great emphasis on inclusion and empathy.
Krishna Kumar: I’m so happy, of course. I’ve known Logan since freshman year, and we have worked on different things together. I’m so happy being next to someone who is so capable and so qualified for this. It’s very well deserved.
How have you changed from freshman year to senior year?
Hattervig: I’m very content. I felt like coming in [as a freshman], I needed to either change who I was or become a different person. I’m just very pleased with where God has brought me in life.
Krishna Kumar: In so many ways. I think every time I go back home my parents and my brother would tell [me]how much I have changed, not just professionally. I have developed as a human and how my thinking works now. Even though India is a diverse country, I think that’s a different kind of diversity. Here, I experience another, different kind of diversity, and it opened me to some things that I would have never seen back home, and I think it has made me, hopefully, a better person.
Who here at Augustana has had the biggest impact on you?
Hattervig: For professors, it’s Ann Pederson. Ann has been really influential in terms of helping me develop what I theologically believe and why. She has helped me figure out why I hold the beliefs that I do.
Can I mention four more people? I want to mention Danielle Kemnic (that’s my girlfriend, I love her), Derek Hamre, Hosea Kost and Mollie Varpness [for their constant presence and support.]
Krishna Kumar: I would go with both of my academic advisers. They both have not only worked on developing me academically but also in a lot of different ways. They’ve been more like family. So, Dr. Vitiello for my biology, and Dr. O’Hara for philosophy. Apart from that, my friends always keep me going and support me whenever I’m low.
What are your plans for after graduation?
Hattervig: I plan to open a checking account, do some woodworking, hang out with my girlfriend a lot, do some stuff in youth ministry. You know, adult things—eat more vegetables, probably.
Krishna Kumar: I’m going to take a gap year and work with research, get more hands-on experience. Then I’ll apply to grad schools and go for molecular biology.
Is there anything you want to add or say to Mirror readers?
Hattervig: I’m just thankful—thankful for Augustana.
Krishna Kumar: I’m just really, really humbled, and I think more than me, my family is super happy to see how people love me here, to see people accepting me here. That is something that I’m really thankful for.
