April 9 Safe Return update

Dear College Community,

In Minnesota we always talk about the weather; the ebb and flow of the seasons is an integral part of what shapes our work and leisure, our family activities and time with friends. Over the past many months under the pandemic, we have been blessed with a wonderfully mild winter followed by an early spring, allowing us to enjoy the great outdoors more than usual. These silver linings should never be overlooked! And I hope you all have been able to enjoy our good fortune in some fashion.

We have several updates for you this week:

COVID-19 on-campus vaccination clinic

A big thank you to our Student Health Service team, facilities and safety for responding quickly to the opportunity to offer vaccines to our residential students at the Duluth campus. The COVID-19 vaccine clinic launched this week, offering the Janssen vaccine to students Wednesday, Thursday and today. As supply permits, Student Health Service will continue to offer ongoing vaccines.

The following includes information for students who are interested in signing up for the next COVID-19 vaccine clinic, scheduled Monday, April 12:
Location: Somers Main Lounge
Date: Monday, April 12
Time: 9 a.m.- 2:50 p.m.
Sign up at: Sign up Monday, April 12 COVID Vaccine Clinic
In order to maintain proper distancing measures, please use this form to sign up for an appointment. Please plan to spend approximately 30 minutes for registration, inoculation and observation.

Athletics update

This week marks the annual National Division III Week, established to recognize and celebrate the accomplishments of our student-athletes. In recognition of our student-athletes’ many achievements, 57 have been inducted into Chi Alpha Sigma, a nationally recognized honor society established to identify outstanding college student-athletes who excel in the classroom, in their sport and in the community. The chapter at The College of St. Scholastica was established in 2020 to cover an unfulfilled need to provide national recognition for our student-athletes’ accomplishments.

As our teams continue to find success, Volleyball concluded the regular season with a 7-1 record as they head into the UMAC Conference Tournament. Baseball is currently 4-2 as they prepare for conference play, while the Softball team continues a five-game win streak with a 17-3 record. Both Men’s and Women’s Soccer won their home openers, while Tennis and Golf continue to tune up before they begin conference play.

Congratulations to Ryan Steger (Track and Field), Nick Carlson (Track and Field) and Dallas Miller (Baseball) for being named UMAC Players of the Week.

And a huge shout out to our athletic administrators, coaches and supporting staff who have worked tirelessly to make the athletic experiences work under the pandemic conditions.

Student Employee Appreciation Week

Next week is Student Employee Appreciation Week! Take time to recognize our outstanding students who serve, feed, clean, teach, tutor, guide, write, track, tour, call, lead, develop and direct. We couldn’t do our work without them! Also, look for an announcement next week about the winner of the Student Employee of the Year. The College has a reputation for sending forth winners that become strong candidates for State and Regional awards…let’s keep this going!

Save the dates for Mayfest Week: April 26-May 1!

Mayfest is back on the Duluth Main Campus! Some of the notable events we are planning are listed below. More details to come.

• Monday, 4/26 Club Crawl, a socially distant Activities Fair for students to find clubs, get some cool swag and apply for club leadership positions
• Wednesday, 4/28, 2:45 p.m., Reif Run on Science Lawn
• Saturday, 5/1 The Great Scholastica Get Together, State Fair themed outdoor gathering with outdoor activities, food trucks and more! This event will be open to the College community and their families.
• All Week: The search for Al Bob! We heard Al Bob may be back in town? Rumor has it they have lost a significant amount of weight and are hardly recognizable.

All events will be following strict COVID-19 safety protocols and are dependent on weather. Any questions can be sent to Kaitie Selleck or to Student Activities.

In closing, let me remind the Community how important it is to continue to take precautions as the vaccination programs unfold across our state. We are hearing daily about the new variants, highly contagious and just as powerful, and their impact nationally on our COVID-19 numbers. I urge you to remain vigilant in carrying out our Community Pledge, both at work and in your personal lives. This is truly a race, and we can help shape a better outcome for our future by supporting a safe environment.

Blessings, be safe and be well,
President McDonald