Feb. 25 Safe Return update

Dear Colleagues,

Thank you to everyone on our Duluth Campus who participated in our Spring Community Day this week! We are so proud of the many ways in which our Saints give back to the Twin Ports and live out our values in visible, meaningful ways.

Beyond the Twin Ports, the St. Scholastica community is composed of members from across the world. As global conflicts arise, it is a chance for us to reflect on how we can put our Benedictine values into practice. Many members of our own community are intimately or indirectly connected to geopolitical conflict on a daily basis. This impacts our community as a whole. As we watch the burgeoning situation in Ukraine, I would ask all Saints to consider how we practice our Benedictine values in these scenarios. How can we as a community support these individuals and thus strengthen our family as a whole? How can we show hospitality to those who are separated from loved ones or are suffering in other ways as a result of conflict while remaining respectful to their privacy and needs during these trying times? How can we exercise stewardship of our resources to prioritize the safety and well being of all members of our community? Last of all, I would like to encourage all of us to exercise our love of learning to educate ourselves on situations such as the one evolving in Ukraine as they unfold with an understanding that we are an institution whose mission is not anchored to a classroom or campus but to the globe.

Thank you to Wynter Miller, director in the office of international programs, for sharing these words of support. If you would like more information on supporting members of our community who are impacted by geopolitical conflict, please contact the Office of International Programs.

N95 Mask distribution

The College has purchased and received N95 masks for students and employees participating in in-person learning/working on our campus sites. Please look for an email next week outlining when and where you can pick up your N95 face mask. 

We continue to pay close attention to MDH/CDC guidance regarding well-fitted face masks. We know how eager many of our community members are to return to seeing one another’s faces! We expect to see some changes to our mandates in the near future, but in the meantime, masks remain a requirement in all indoor spaces on the Duluth Kenwood, Health Science Center and St. Cloud campuses. We continue to get guidance from the MN Department of Health and will keep you updated as to when any changes to our policies will take place. 

Athletics updates: Go Saints!

Cheer on your Women’s and Men’s Hockey teams this weekend as they host the first MIAC postseason events in the school history at Mars Lakeview Arena on Saturday. The Women face Augsburg at 3 p.m., while the Men take on Bethel at 7 p.m. in the quarterfinal round. The Men’s and Women’s Track & Field teams begin competition at the MIAC Indoor Championships at Carleton today. Our softball and baseball teams also open their season this weekend with the Softball team down in Northfield and Baseball in Illinois.

The Men’s and Women’s Nordic Ski teams had a successful weekend last weekend hosting the NCAA Central Region Championships at the Grand Avenue Nordic Center. The Men’s team had three All-Region performances. while the women had a program-best five All-Region performances.

The Men’s and Women’s Tennis teams earned their first MIAC wins last Saturday by sweeping Hamline.

St. Scholastica in the News

• Northland Residents with Ukraine Connections React to Russia Invasion, featuring adjunct faculty Liliya Kacharova
• Ukrainian Northlander reacts to having family overseas during Russian conflict, also featuring Liliya Kacharova 
• Northland connections to Ukraine ‘devastated,’ by invasion, featuring faculty members Tom Morgan and Karen Rosenflanz 
• CSS Ready for Musical Theater Return, highlighting the College’s first musical production since the start of the pandemic
• Guinness World Records declares Esko family tallest in world, featuring MEd student Molly (Trapp) Steede

Have a wonderful weekend!

Stay safe and be well,

Barbara