Saint Mary's Newsroom / Campus Notes
Winona Campus Newsletter
‘Decoding the Driftless’ outdoor movie night Sept. 9
Come watch a documentary made about the beautiful bluffs and geology of our area. Filmed right here in Winona County and the surrounding region, “Decoding the Driftless” is now an internationally acclaimed documentary showcasing the wonders of the Driftless Region.
The Saint Mary’s University Biology Club and R.I.S.E. will show the film on campus Thursday, Sept 9, at 7:30 p.m. The film will be outside in the plaza with the surrounding bluffs as a magnificent backdrop.
Six prominent area scientists and naturalists will join and share their knowledge and passion for the Driftless Region. These include: Jennifer Biederman (Saint Mary’s biology assistant professor), Dylan Blumentritt (geology), Dustin Hoffman (Trout Unlimited naturalist), Gabe Ericksen (prairie restorationist), Kaitlyn O’Connor (plant ecologist), and George Howe (film producer). We are excited to be joined by Howe who produced the film and Blumentritt and O’Connor who are both featured in the film. To learn more about Howe and his work, visit sustainabledriftless.org.
There is an opportunity to have dinner with the speakers beforehand. Sign up if you are interested.
The rain location for the showing is planned for the Toner Student Center lounge.
If you have any questions, contact RISE@smumn.edu.
Save the date: Register for the Fall Faculty Conference
The Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching (CELT) at Saint Mary’s University is pleased to invite Schools of Graduate and Professional Programs (SGPP) and College faculty to register for this year’s virtual Fall Faculty Conference taking place on Saturday, Sept. 25, from 9 a.m. to noon.
Led by Peter Felten, executive director of the Center for Engaged Learning, assistant provost for teaching and learning, and professor of history at Elon University, this interactive virtual workshop will explore the meaning and impact of cultivating educationally powerful human interactions. The workshop draws from Felten’s research and his most recent book, “Relationship-Rich Education: How Human Connections Drive Success in College.”
Last year as an integrated university approach, CELT brought together both SGPP and College faculty during the Fall Faculty Conference. Traditionally, this conference has been a culmination of a Teaching and Learning series that takes place over the summer. This year’s Fall Faculty Conference will play a slightly different role, making connections both to where we have been and where we are going. The emphasis on relationship-rich education will be crucial to our ongoing conversations related to diversity and human dignity, helping us think through how the connections we make and maintain as part of our Lasallian heritage, with our students and with each other, support student success as well as the continuous development of ourselves as educators.
Welcome back to campus, thanks for all you do
Students,
It has been great seeing so many of you on campus the last couple of weeks albeit a different semester than what we all planned. Thank you for continuing to adhere to COVID-19 guidelines. Your resilience is greatly appreciated. A friendly reminder to wear masks in all buildings and keep reviewing the CommUNITY newsletter for updates and events occurring on campus.
As you have noticed, a number of updates have occurred in the student dining room and Aquinas Hall. We hope you will enjoy utilizing these areas. For those of you living in the residence halls, please notify your resident assistants if you have questions or maintenance concerns. This semester you will see:
- Resident assistants hosting programs within the residence halls
- Clubs and organizations having meetings and planning events
- Intercollegiate athletic competition is occurring — Go Cardinals!
- Intramurals will be in full swing shortly
- Fine arts are continuing
Thank you for being part of this vibrant community. Enjoy the semester.
Tim Gossen, Ed.D.
Vice President for Student Affairs
Niki Peterson
Dean of Students
Sign up for intramurals
The first intramural season will run from Monday, Sept. 13, to Friday, Oct. 15. Team registration ends Friday, Sept. 10, at 11:59 p.m.
Since intramurals will be played outside, masks will be optional. Social distancing will still be practiced whenever possible. COVID-19 protocols may change the way we conduct intramurals as we progress through the school year.
Games being offered at this time:
- Football: 1-hand touch, 4 on 4 (5-person team)
- Soccer: 4 on 4 (5-person team)
- Basketball: 1/2 court, 3 on 3 (4-person team)
- Pickleball: 2-person team
- Spikeball: 2-person team
- Bocce ball: 2-person
Questions, concerns, or suggestions can be emailed to intramur@smumn.edu.
How to sign up
Visit imleagues.com/SMUMN and click Create Account. Enter your information, use your Saint Mary’s email, and submit. You will be sent an activation email. Click the link in the email to login and activate your IMLeagues account.
To sign up, pick the sport and league you want to play in. Click Register/Sign-up and choose Create Team (Team Captain) or Join Team (Player).
To create a team, complete the registration form leaving the auto accept members box unchecked. Fill out the league preferences. Invite players to your team via email or player lookup.
To join a team, click the Join button. An email will be sent to the Captain to approve your request. Once the Captain has approved your request, you will be added to the roster.
Student Senate general election information
Hello Cardinals!
It’s that time of year: Student Senate election season! We are excited to offer any student, freshman to senior, the opportunity to truly make an impact on the very campus we call home.
To run for any position, you must gather 25 unique signatures from the student body endorsing your campaign. The available positions are:
- Two class officer positions per class, sophomores through seniors
- Hall representative positions from all areas, including freshman
- An at-large representative
For the signature form, and other information, please contact Riley Hall, Student Senate vice president for media and communications, at rmhall19@smumn.edu. Petition forms are due Thursday, Sept. 9, by 11:59 p.m.
Should you have any questions, comments, suggestions, or concerns about campus, please contact us at senate@smumn.edu.
Congratulations on getting through the first week of classes, you’ve got this! #rollcards
Kindest regards,
Elijah Williams
Student Senate President
The only real mistake …
Henry Ford once said, “The only real mistake is the one from which we learn nothing.” Learn from your mistakes with peer tutors that can help you with the course content and peer learning assistants (PLA’s) that can help you change your study habits to improve your grades. Sign up for a peer tutor or peer learning assistant today.
Don’t have the Knack app on your phone? Download Knack in the App Store or get it on Google Play.
If you need help with writing mistakes, contact the Saint Mary’s Writing Center.
Making mistakes can be stressful. Learn how to manage your stress so you can be successful.
Cardinal athletics in action this week
It’s another busy week in Cardinal athletics — here’s a look at what’s in store, including live stats and streaming video links, so you can keep up with all the action, home or away: saintmaryssports.com/calendar
Updated Gostomski Fieldhouse hours
Gostomski Fieldhouse hours were extended. The new hours are:
Monday through Friday, 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Saturday, 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Sunday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Campus Ministry presents the Freshmen Retreat
All freshmen are welcome to join us at the Alverna Center for the annual Freshman Retreat on Friday and Saturday, Sept. 10 and 11. This is a chance for new students to have fun, meet new people, and look ahead to the experiences that await them at Saint Mary’s University.
Spaces are limited! More details to follow for those who sign up.
Join the all-campus History Scavenger Hunt
Join the Office of Advancement for an all-campus Saint Mary’s History Scavenger Hunt Monday, Sept. 13. The scavenger hunt will be open for participation from 5 to 6:30 p.m., just stop by the Alumni Room in Toner Student Center to kick off the hunt. All participants who locate six of the eight places on the hunt will be entered to win a Wise Owl Hammock! Those who can find all eight will receive two additional entries. See you there!
Saint Mary’s Fund looking to hire student engagement officers
Are you looking for a way to improve your résumé and build the skills you need after college? Look no further, Saint Mary’s Fund is hiring student engagement officers for the year.
What’s a student engagement officer?
Great question! Student engagement officers provide valuable support for the Saint Mary’s Fund by talking with alumni, updating their records, and asking them to support the future of Saint Mary’s.
Skills that you will gain include (but are not limited to):
Customer service, public relations, marketing, quick thinking, problem-solving, leadership, and the list goes on.
Don’t wait, student engagement officers are needed right now. Contact Ellen Heydon at eheydon@smumn.edu for an application.
New gallery exhibit in Toner Student Center
The Department of Fine and Performing arts is pleased to announce the first exhibition of the 2021-22 academic year. Today through Friday, Oct. 8, Presently by Mary Beth Magyar will be on view in the Lillian Davis Hogan Gallery in the Toner Student Center. There will be an opening with the artist on Thursday, Sept. 9, from 4:30 to 6 p.m. We hope to see you there! Social distancing will be maintained in the gallery.
Pick up your new student gift, sign welcome banner
Welcome to all of the newest members of the Saint Mary’s University family! The Office of Advancement team enjoyed meeting and spending time with you on campus during Welcome Weekend. If you did not get the chance to sign the A Place to Call Home banner or receive your welcome gift, please stop down in Heffron 60F.
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