Nov. 19 Safe Return update

Dear Colleagues,

As we prepare for Thanksgiving, I want to share how deeply grateful I am for the blessings and gifts each of you provide to one another and to our community. There’s no doubt, this academic year has presented new challenges to the ways in which we approach our work, find balance and take time for rest and reflection when needed, and that many of you have had quite a lot of things to juggle and deal with, both at work and on the home fronts. I hope that next week’s break provides you with a well-deserved opportunity to take that necessary time for rest and reflection with your loved ones. Thank you for everything you do for our St. Scholastica community!

COVID-19 updates

Thanks to Mike Turner for providing this Thanksgiving “recipe” from the Public Health Communications Collaborative. Ingredients for a safe, happy holiday gathering include getting vaccinated, washing hands and taking the necessary travel precautions beforehand.

Please note, classes will resume in-person on Monday, Nov. 29. Our campuses will not be offering a hybrid option after Thanksgiving break concludes.

Boosters are available and you are encouraged to schedule yours! According to the Minnesota Department of Health, any student, faculty and staff can consider themselves at increased risk for COVID-19 exposure and transmission because of their occupational or institutional setting, and therefore qualify for a booster. No proof of this status is needed when requesting the booster. Additionally, anyone that received a J&J vaccine should get a booster after at least two months from their shot, regardless of living or working setting. This site will allow you to find booster availability based on your location: vaccines.gov/search. Thank you for continuing to do your part in keeping our community safe.

As transmission rates and breakthrough cases increase, it’s important to remember that face masks still represent one of our best mitigation strategies. Masks are required in all indoor spaces on the College’s campuses when you are not actively eating or drinking. And don’t forget: it goes over your nose! Thanks for your cooperation.

Athletics updates

Award season continues for Saints Athletics. Joining Volleyball’s Alcia Draper as All-MIAC First Team selections this fall were:

Ken Pryde (Men’s Soccer)
Morgan Friday (Women’s Soccer)
Calvin Boone (Men’s Cross Country) – Also earned All-North Region honors
Lars Dewall (Men’s Cross Country) – Also earned All-North Region honors
Maj-Lis Helmer (Women’s Cross Country) – Also earned All-North Region honors

All-MIAC Football awards will be announced next week. Other recent accolades for our CSS Athletes include Women’s Hockey’s Rachel Anderson and Taylor Thompson being named MIAC Athletes of the Week in the last two weeks and Football’s Tandrell Foster named to D3football.com Team of the Week for his performance in the season finale vs. Hamline. The Saints have also earned Academic honors in the last two weeks with Women’s Soccer’s Hunter Zamzow, Football’s Mitchell Adrian and Volleyball’s Madissen Burns named Academic All-District by CoSIDA.

A busy weekend in Duluth for Saints Athletics ahead of Thanksgiving. Here is what is happening at home this weekend:

Tonight, Men’s Hockey vs. #5 Augsburg – 7 p.m. (Mars Lakeview)
Saturday,
- NCAA Cross Country Championships Watch Party – 10 a.m. (BWC 249) – Watch Calvin Boone and Maj-Lis Helmer compete at Nationals. Snacks and beverages will be provided
- Women’s Basketball vs. Saint Benedict – 1 p.m. (Reif Gym) – MIAC opener
- Men’s Basketball vs. Saint John’s – 3 p.m. (Reif Gym) – MIAC Opener
- Women’s Hockey vs. Augsburg – 7 p.m. (Mars Lakeview)

Tri-Alpha Induction

Congratulations to the 94 first-generation undergraduate and graduate students who were inducted in The College of St. Scholastica’s chapter of Alpha, Alpha, Alpha. In addition to the students, our TRIO staff from Talent Search, Upward Bound, Upward Bound Math/Science, Student Support Services, and McNair Scholars were also inducted. Congratulations are also given to Vice President for Student Affairs, Steve Lyons, and to our Alumni First-generation Award winner, Nur Mood, for their inclusion in the 2021 inductee class for the Tri-Alpha Honor Society.

Sandbulte Center for Ethical Leadership Speaker Series

Maggie Thickens, Vice President, Chief Legal Officer, and Corporate Secretary at Allete gave an emotional, inspirational talk as part of the Sandbulte Center for Ethical Leadership speaker series on Tuesday. She shared about her life journey and the many paths taken with raising a family and finding a career that aligns with her values. Our students, faculty and staff were so impressed with her story, advice and life lessons shared! Stream previous speakers and watch for upcoming events on the Sandbulte Center’s site.

Updates from the CDO

A friendly reminder that November is Native American Heritage month. On Monday, you are invited to join us for an Indigenous Language Revitalization presentation from 3-4:30 p.m. via Zoom. Come learn about contemporary Ojibwe and Indigenous language revitalization through the personal experiences and stories of two Ojibwe second language learners. Participants will engage in discussions about history, decolonization, allyship and also take home some Ojibwe words!

I would also like to take this opportunity to remind our community that smudging (often with sage and sweetgrass) for native people is a time honored tradition and a well established practice within Native communities. Here at St. Scholastica, we have an official smudging policy to respect and honor this practice. If you smell the burning of sage and sweetgrass, don’t be alarmed. It is often done prayerfully to improve one’s spiritual, physical and mental well-being.

Advent Vespers and Lighting A Tradition, Tuesday, Nov. 30

Our annual Advent Vespers service will be on Tuesday, Nov. 30 at 4:30 p.m. in Our Lady Queen of Peace Chapel. All are welcome to this service as we celebrate the season with stories and songs. Immediately following, we hope you will join us as we illuminate our campus on the front steps of Tower Hall with Lighting A Tradition.

St. Scholastica in the news

Our Saints are transforming their communities! Here are some recent examples that caught the attention of our local media:

St. Scholastica’s Thanksgiving Buffet goes mobile for second year
Harbor City International School hires first alumnus as teacher featuring education alumna Krissa Boman ‘19
Moore, St. Scholastica volleyball team receive 2021 YAF Award of Excellence

As we prepare for the holidays ahead, I give thanks for each and every one of you, for our amazing sponsors, the Sisters of the St. Scholastica Monastery, our supportive Board, and the entire Saints community near and far. We are truly blessed. Please stay safe and enjoy your time over this long weekend of Thanksgiving.

Sincerely,

Barbara