Saint Mary's Newsroom
Campus ConnectionAn update from the president to alumni and parents
Green Bandana T-shirts available for purchase
Thank you all for your participation in The Green Bandana Project, Run 2 for SMU! Your efforts to support our community in learning about mental health have and will make our campus a better place!
We are also selling T-Shirts, and the money we raise will directly benefit The Green Bandana Project. They are only $12. We have made it easy for you to pay online, and we will deliver your T-shirt to your mailbox when shirts arrive. You can reach the T-Shirt site through bagyjo.com. Once you are at the site, click Order On-Line, then select The Green Bandana Project with our school logo, and choose store pick up. The final date to order shirts will be Thursday, Nov. 5.
We are one team here at Saint Mary’s and we are all in this together! No one is ever alone. If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to Justine Schultz at jxschu16@smumn.edu.
Thank you again for your support!
Food drive competition is part of course project
Amber Miller, Jordan Keeley, and Ivan Alatorre are students in the Psychology of Success course and are looking for your help. When first-year students first arrive at Saint Mary’s, one thing they look for is what communities to join. Building a community is essential for developing long-term relationships. However, COVID-19 has had a massive impact on the Saint Mary’s community and the Winona community. Their goal is to strengthen the community by working together to help those in need.
To help the Saint Mary’s and Winona community, they are hosting a friendly food drive competition between the residence halls. From Nov. 7-15, collection boxes will be located within each residence hall. Please contribute non-perishable items to donate to an organization or food pantry in Winona. For the competition, Bishop’s Hall and Brother William Hall will collect together, and Residencia Santiago Miller will collaborate with Brother Leopold Hall.
The winning hall will be based on the amount collected. Eight names will be drawn from the winning hall and those eight winners will receive a free Cardinal Coffee card. Each box includes a sheet on which everyone who contributes should sign.
If you have any questions, please contact us.
Amber Miller, acmill18@smumn.edu
Jordyn Keeley, jhkeel17@smumn.edu
Ivan Alatorre, ixalat17@smumn.edu
Dr. Dan Bucknam, dbucknam@smumn.edu
Thank you for your participation!
Student Senate minutes, Nov. 3
Student Senate – Nov. 3
The meeting was called to order by President Kendall Archer at 7:01 p.m.
A prayer was said by Collin van Waardenberg.
Members present: Cece Abel, Kendall Archer, Samantha Carlson, Larkin Clem, Jake Emeott, Sarah Fowler (proxy Giselle Centello), Mary Furlong, Gabriel Graves, Noah Kimel, Lillian Klein, Megan Kowalis, Jonathon Krull, Abigail Lang, Thomas Magnavite, Allison Moysis, Tara Nikolich, Nicole Noreen, Lyanna Novak, Sophia O’Neil, Marcos Pedroza, Angel Sacta Espinoza, Joseph Schauf, Ryan Stoynich, Collin van Waardenburg, Destiny Walker, and Elijah Williams
Members absent: Enitan Onayiga
Members excused: Sarah Fowler (proxy Giselle Centello)
Discussion items
- Ballroom Dance Club financial request
- Provided overview of club
- They have been teaching their own classes this year; and desire to hire a trained instructor
- Requested instructor fees for fall and spring semester (Total of $1,820)
- Recommended funding of $936 by the finance committee
- Not funding tonight’s lesson (bylaws)
- 80% funding of instructor fee (bylaws)
- 20% cut due to being late (bylaws)
- Question from Joseph Schauf
- How many people attend each session?
- Answer by club representatives
- Average of six or seven members per night
- Question from Joseph Schauf
- Why was your budget late?
- Answer from club representatives
- Due to the previous treasurer leaving (no longer a Saint Mary’s student), who did not contact incoming members and provide information to them
- Question from Joseph Schauf
- Did you attend transition meetings for club leaders?
- Answer from vice president of Finance Nicole Noreen
- They are not the only club who didn’t get their budget in; they did attend the transitional meeting.
- Move by Joseph Schauf to fund at $936
- Second by Collin van Waardenburg
- Passed unanimously by senate to fund at $936
- Recommended funding of $936 by the finance committee
- Provided overview of club
- Executive Board updates
- Kendall Archer, president
- Go Home Safely Campaign
- Starting two weeks prior to the end of the semester on campus
- You can still vote if you go before 8 p.m. tonight.
- Go Home Safely Campaign
- Marcos Pedroza, vice president of Media and Communications
- Follow Saint Mary’s social media if you have yet to
- Angel Sacta Espinosa, vice president for Campus Affairs
- No updates
- Nicole Noreen, vice president for Financial Affairs
- No updates
- Destiny Walker, vice president for Multicultural Affairs
- SAGA hosting training next Wednesday, more info next week
- Mary Furlong, vice president for Academic Affairs
- Registration for classes begin next Monday
- If you have questions, reach out to Mary Furlong.
- Registration for classes begin next Monday
- Elijah Williams, vice president for Student Life
- Residence Life door decorating contest completed
- Mental Health Initiative
- Information will be published in CommUNITY newsletters along with posters around campus
- Holding another Green Bandana training before the end of the semester
- Chartwells Food Committee
- Still looking for members
- Megan Kowalis, vice president for Public Affairs
- Serving as Saint Mary’s student representative for MPCC (Minnesota Private College Council)
- Jonathon Krull, executive aAssistant
- The ethics committee is formed, voting on appointment next meeting
- Will be looking into repercussions for members unexcused/excessive absences
- The ethics committee is formed, voting on appointment next meeting
- Sarah Fowler, SAC President
- Thursday: Jackbox Games
- Friday: Marvel Trivia
- Saturday: Build a bonfire
- Kendall Archer, president
- Class Officer Reports
- Freshman: No report
- Sophomore: No report
- Junior: Question regarding cleaning air purifiers and if there are fines associated?
- No fines yet
- Senior: No report
- Motion to Adjourn
- Motioned by Joseph Schauf
- Seconded by Collin van Waardenburg
- Time 7:26 p.m.
A message of patience and unity from the president
Dear Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota Community,
As I write to you this morning, the day after the election, it is in celebration of democracy even though we do not have a clear winner. While the entire nation wants to know who won, regardless of your favored candidate, the delay in the result was anticipated due to the extraordinary number of ballots cast by mail because of the pandemic. While we wait for the ballots to be counted, we can celebrate the rights afforded us in a democracy and the record voter turnout across the country. I am proud of our own community, where the level of civic engagement leading up to the election has been outstanding.
Elections officials are hard at work to make sure every eligible vote is verified and counted accurately before officially declaring a winner. Being intentional and meticulous, recognizing every individual vote, signifies democracy in action. That said, waiting for the results requires patience.
The lingering uncertainty can create uneasiness and impact our ability to focus on daily life. This year’s national election may seem highly unusual but our country has faced other elections held during historically challenging times. We have also had several elections where the winner was not determined on election night. Our democratic electoral system is lawful. Our nation and its citizens are resilient and steadfast.
I ask that everyone continue to model behavior that has been evident across our campuses all fall. Civil discourse and civic engagement has been at the center of the efforts of our students in Winona who led a voter registration effort, advancing the aims of a successful democratic process. The Twin Cities Campus was an election polling place, which supported the community and provided a safe location to exercise the right to vote. Faculty and staff led a series of events on civil discourse that offered various ways to discuss political positions, particularly when engaging with someone holding a different viewpoint. Together, we practiced understanding, sensitivity, and consideration in the spirit of unity and dignity. Many thanks to all who made this possible.
As each of us awaits the results, processes the election, and reflects on what positive action we can take in service of our community, I ask you to consider the wisdom of the founder of the Christian Brothers, Saint John Baptist de La Salle, “Do not let anticipation of tomorrow be a burden on the day that is passing. What you lack in the evening, the morrow will bring you, if you know how to hope in God.” May this new day bring each of you God’s grace.
Praying that God’s peace and blessing be upon us and our nation.
Rev. James P. Burns, IVD, Ph.D.
Cardinal Update Live scheduled for Nov. 19
Additional meetings for all faculty and staff are being added in an effort to provide progress reports, share news of interest, and celebrate our teamwork and outcomes. These meetings, called Cardinal Update Live, will take place virtually on Zoom over the lunch hour, from noon to 1 p.m. The next event is Thursday, Nov. 19.
Additional Cardinal Lives are scheduled for:
- Thursday, Feb. 11
- Thursday, April 15
Links and more information will be shared soon.
Looking for stories of kindness for candlelight service
Campus Ministry is putting together a virtual candlelight service, so that Saint Mary’s can continue this meaningful annual tradition although students will not be on our Winona Campus in December. With so much darkness that has happened in 2020, they are looking to include moments of light. Students, faculty, and staff are invited to submit stories in which they have been the recipients of kindness or know of kindnesses shown within, or originating from, the Saint Mary’s community. Responses are requested by Monday, Nov. 9, to campusministry@smumn.edu so there is time for video recording.
GSS staff travels to Utah
In late-September and early-October, three GeoSpatial Services (GSS) staff members (Andy Nadeau, Peter McColl, and Matt Hogan) traveled to Utah for 12 days to complete a wetland mapping fieldwork trip. GSS staff complete fieldwork for almost all mapping projects the group takes on for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service National Wetlands Inventory (NWI) program. Current mapping efforts in Utah stretch across much of the western portion of the state and are spread across two projects.
These field trips are crucial for GSS analysts, as they allow researchers to verify whether the geologic features, soil types, and plant communities observed on aerial imagery are accurate with what is actually occurring on the ground. The lessons learned while in Utah will be documented and provided to all analysts and students working on the project at Saint Mary’s, so that all features are mapped to a high level of accuracy.
Nadeau, McColl, and Hogan traveled over 2,500 miles by truck throughout the course of the trip, and visited over 250 checksites, where they verified unique ground signatures and water bodies. These checksites were typically located on federal and state lands in areas of the state that are rarely visited by non-residents. Federal lands crossed included Zion National Park, the Sawtooth, Uinta, and Wasatch National Forests, and many National Conservation Areas. Highlights of the trip included routes through Zion National Park, various historic springs and seeps in the remote Utah mountains, salt flats and salt lakes, and rugged landscapes across many wilderness and roadless areas of the state.
For more photos of the Utah trip, please visit the GSS website.
Google Calendar drop in meeting offered by IT
Google Calendar, which is part of our Google Suite, helps to ease the painful scheduling process. As we strive to be more efficient, Saint Mary’s University is now urging all staff and faculty to utilize Google Calendar and keep it up to date.
Google’s default setting is to allow all Saint Mary’s users to see ONLY your free/busy information on your calendar. No one can see the details of any meeting (title, attendees, etc.) unless you specifically share your entire calendar with them or mark the individual meeting as public. Saint Mary’s is asking everyone to leave this default setting marked and to change it back if you have previously changed it.
To check your settings:
- On your computer, open Google Calendar.
- On the left, find the “my calendars” section. You might need to click it to expand it. Point to the calendar you want to share or unshare, click the and then click settings and sharing.
- Under “access permissions,” the second box should be checked “make available for Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota.” See only free/busy (hide details).
If you prefer to watch a video and follow along, log into Hoonuit using your email address and password, then come back to this article and watch the 2-minute video.
For ease, we have also scheduled virtual drop-in meetings to help walk you through the process. If you have any questions, please join a Zoom meeting at the below times.
Wednesday, Nov. 4, from 10-10:30 a.m. or 2-2:30 p.m.
Thursday, Nov. 5, from 10-10:30 a.m. or 2-2:30 p.m.
If you would like a broader training on Google Calendar, please join us via Zoom on Friday Nov. 6 at 10 a.m.
As always, contact the help desk at 507-457-7800 to assist with any questions.
Fall 2020 faculty teaching and learning survey offered
This fall, we continue to adjust to the challenges of teaching and learning that the global pandemic presents. As we did in the spring, we again seek faculty input as to what we are doing well, where we can improve, and what support we can offer. To that end, Academic Affairs, in partnership with CELT, has designed a faculty teaching and learning survey to inform our sustained pedagogical efforts and support systems in a time of crisis. The survey will remain open until Friday, Nov. 6, at 11:59 p.m. Please complete the survey at your earliest convenience. Your feedback is invaluable.
Those who complete the survey will be entered into a drawing to receive a $25 Target gift card. Four winners will be selected at random.
Responses are anonymous, though you will need to supply an email address if you wish to enter the drawing.
Thank you for helping us learn more about your experience! We look forward to hearing from you.
The Rev. James P. Burns, IVD, Ph.D.
President
Saint Mary's University of Minnesota
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