Saint Mary's Newsroom

Despite the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference’s recent announcements postponing competition until at least January 2021, Saint Mary’s student-athletes are allowed to practice during the fall and must adhere to strict Minnesota Department of Health, NCAA, and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines:

• Student-athletes must wear masks to and from practice.
• Student-athletes can only remove their mask in practice and within their assigned “pod” for the first 14 days. Pods are no greater than 10 individuals. After that 14-day “pod” phase, teams are allowed to practice as a full unit without masks.
• All student-athletes have their temperature checked and fill out an online questionnaire about COVID-19 symptoms on a daily basis.
• All coaches are in masks while at practice in close contact with student-athletes.

To my fellow Cardinals,

Student Senate, in conjunction with Student Athletic Advisory Committee (SAAC) and Student Activities Committee (SAC), will be launching an “I Pledge” social media campaign within the next week, and I implore you to join us in pledging:

“I pledge to protect my friends and fellow Cardinals.
I pledge to avoid overcrowded bars and house parties.
I pledge to mask up wherever I am.
Because we can be here for the semester.”

My goal, and I hope yours as well, is to be learning, living, and eating together in Winona for the entire semester. I strongly believe, if followed, these three actions will drastically help us accomplish that.

Although the campaign will not officially launch for a few days, you can start pledging now by filling out this form.

I hope you consider joining me as we aim to keep our campus safe. Thank you for your continued efforts toward reaching our shared goal!

Kendall Archer
Student Senate President

If for whatever reason we had to travel home, would we have to quarantine when we arrived back on campus?
We are strongly recommending no travel. This largely depends on where you are going and if it is considered a hot spot. Please fill out the travel form, and we can help you make that determination.

Would I have to quarantine when returning back to campus if I visit home (Twin Cities area) for the weekend?
You will need to fill out the travel form as you are traveling outside of the region. We are strongly recommending no travel. Although we cannot mandate you quarantine when you return, if you will be involved in activities where COVID-19 safety protocols (wearing masks and social distancing) are not possible, it may be necessary to seclude yourself.

If I live in Rochester, and I had to go home and spend the weekend home, upon my arrival back at school, would I need to quarantine?
Students must notify the university of any personal travel occurring outside Winona County and any overnight travel or travel to high-risk states, with the exception of travel within an hour of campus in the state of Minnesota (Rochester, Red Wing, Wabasha). So, there’s no need to notify for travel to Rochester. If your family has largely been quarantining and/or following safety protocols, there should not be an issue.

If my family member is staying at a hotel in Winona, would I be allowed to stay there overnight? And would I have to fill out a travel form?
No travel form is needed as this is within our community. We would ask you to continue following safety protocols by social distancing, wearing a mask, and sanitizing your hands.

Why are there fewer food options this year? Many items offered last year aren’t offered this year even though we are paying the same amount. For example, there are no omelets at breakfast which is a favorite for many and can be served safely.
You are correct that omelets can be served safely, but they also take time to prepare individually. And with our current situation, we need to offer items that can be served more quickly. We are hoping that once we work through some of our serving issues, we can expand our offerings. We continue to make changes and will work with Chartwells.

Will Campus Safety be monitoring who goes in and out of Saint Mary’s?
The front guard booth is not staffed, but Campus Safety is patrolling the university. Only outdoor venues are open to the public at this time.

My friend told me that because they had COVID-19 earlier this year, even though they were in direct contact with a confirmed case, they don’t have to quarantine. Is that true? Can’t people still transmit it even though they’ve already had it?
According to the Minnesota Department of Health, those who have tested positive in the previous three months do not need to quarantine.

If I am quarantined in my residence hall and I am not sick, can I use the printer for class purposes?
Yes, you may use the printer within your residence hall. Please continue to follow safety protocols by wearing a mask, social distancing, and sanitizing the area frequently.

Have an additional question or concern? Fill out the form and let us know.

Freshman Retreat: Saturday, Sept. 5, at 10 a.m. in Saint Thomas More Chapel
Come pray with us, meet classmates, play games, join small groups. Runs throughout the day.

Mass: Sunday, Sept. 6 at 10:30 a.m. and 8 p.m. in Saint Thomas More Chapel
Confessions: 1 hour before both Masses in Saint Thomas More Chapel
The 10:30 a.m. Mass will be livestreamed on Campus Ministry’s Facebook page for those who are quarantined and unable to join in person.

Daily Mass: Weekdays at 12:10 p.m. in the Saint Thomas More Chapel

All Day Adoration: Tuesday, Sept. 8, in the Saint Thomas More Chapel

Community Night: Wednesday, Sept. 9, starting at 6:30 p.m. in the Plaza
Join us for games (hike with s’mores has been postponed to ensure additional precautions during COVID-19).

Movie Night: Friday, Sept. 11, at 7 p.m. in Salvi
Watch “Breakthrough” with free popcorn.

Kayaking on Lake Winona: Saturday, Sept. 12, at 1 p.m.
Meet at Campus Safety.

Mass with Father Burns followed by Eucharistic procession around campus: Sunday, Sept. 13, at 10:30 a.m.

The Writing Center is ready and waiting for you. We help students in all phases of the writing process, from understanding an assignment to brainstorming, drafting, and revising. The Writing Center is fully online this semester, with two options for assistance:

• Synchronous Zoom meetings
• Asynchronous email sessions

To make an appointment, go to write.smumn.edu, select UNDERGRAD (WINONA), and Get Help with a Paper (Winona). There will then be an option to ‘Make an Appointment’ (Winona Writing Center) for a Zoom meeting or ‘Submit to the Online Queue’ (Winona Undergraduates) for an email session. After you answer a few questions, your appointment will be made, and we’ll be there to work with you.

If you have questions about how to make an appointment, please reach us at write@smumn.edu or 612-728-5154.

The Saint Mary’s men’s hockey team is hiring a director of hockey operations for the 2020-21 season. The team is looking for a person who is interested in learning more about the inner workings of college hockey. The ideal person for this position must be hardworking, punctual, and willing to work long hours. This position requires some travel and does pay through work study.

Daily duties may include (but are not limited to):

• Assisting with practice planning and execution
• Filming practice
• Assisting players with equipment
• Assisting with travel and meal planning
• Assisting with video breakdown
• Assisting with game day planning
• Assisting with in-game promotions
• Assisting with fundraising programs

Game day duties include:

• Setting up film equipment
• Assisting players with pregame equipment needs
• Overseeing the collection of in-game statistics
• Assisting players with in-game equipment needs
• Assisting coaches with in-game needs

If you are interested in this position, please contact Coach Egan at regan@smumn.edu to schedule an interview. This job posting will close Tuesday, Sept. 15.

Saint Mary’s alumna Marcie Rendon M’95 has been selected by the McKnight Foundation as the 2020 Distinguished Artist Award recipient. The $50,000 award honors a Minnesota artist who has made significant contributions to the state’s cultural life. Rendon received her M.A. in Human Development from Saint Mary’s in 1995.

Read more from the McKnight Foundation.

The St. Paul Pioneer Press featured alumna Julie Nielsen in a recent article about her school district’s plans during the pandemic. Nielsen earned her M.Ed. in Teaching and Learning from Saint Mary’s in 1998, her Educational Administration licensure in 2000, and a graduate certificate in Education Administration-Superintendant in 2014. She is the superintendent of South Washington County Schools.

Read the article.