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Welcome Weekend

Welcome Weekend is Sept. 1-4, 2023, with move-in day on Friday, Sept. 1. This is your time to make new friends, move in and become familiar with your new St. Scholastica home, experience the Benedictine values in action, get involved and have tons of fun!

What to Expect

Each student will be part of a Delta Group. These are small groups led by an upper-class student leader. Your first Delta Group will be at 2:30 p.m. Friday, after you’ve moved into your home for the next nine months. Starting with that group, you will be involved in Welcome Weekend throughout the whole weekend.

Welcome Weekend is mandatory for all new first-year students. It is full of lots of fun programs, activities, and conversations that will help you connect well to this community and give you what you need to hit the ground running! You will have required events every day.

If you have a disability or chronic medical condition that may affect your ability to participate fully and richly in Welcome Weekend, please contact the Center for Equal Access at 218-625-4891 or at access@css.edu. It is important that you contact them at least two weeks before Welcome Weekend if possible.

Welcome Weekend is a great introduction to life at The College of St. Scholastica. During this time you will:

have a ton of fun!
become familiar with your new home at St. Scholastica
make new friends and connect with a number of the diverse people who make up this community
meet faculty and staff
find ways to be involved and make connections that get you started
learn more about academic success strategies
be familiar with the student support services that exist at St. Scholastica
experience our Benedictine values in action and explore further what it means to live them every day

Is St. Scholastica Welcome Weekend required?

Welcome Weekend is a required program and attendance is integral to your transition from high school to The College of St. Scholastica. The choice to attend is similar to the decisions you’ll be making every day of your college experience — whether to attend class or not, whether to participate in on-campus events or not, or whether to have a positive attitude or not. Just like regular class attendance has a positive impact on academic success, attending Welcome Week will enhance your academic experience by helping you get acquainted with St. Scholastica and build a sense of community (one of our values). We encourage you to attend all the sessions and events. Get to know your classmates and start making new friends and memories.

And remember, you have your first real Dignitas class on Sunday afternoon, Sept. 3!

Schedule

The 2023 schedule will be provided in the future. Below is the 2022 schedule that you may review as an example of events in which you may participate.

Some events are mandatory each year and are indicated with bold titles. All meals and activities during Welcome Weekend are free.

Friday, Sept. 2

9 a.m.-1 p.m.
Move into Your New St. Scholastica Home
Welcome Home! Check in for Welcome Weekend and move in your belongings.
Lot 5 and Somers Hall

Students who have arrived early or who are commuting can check in between noon and 2 p.m. in Somers Main Lounge.

9 a.m.-2 p.m.
Welcome Refreshments
Lemonade, coffee and bakery items
Somers Hall 168

11 a.m.-2:30 p.m.
Free Root Beer Floats for Everyone
From Campus Ministry
Alpha Chi Lawn (outside between Somers Hall and Tower Hall)

11 a.m.-2 p.m.
Enjoy a Free Lunch (for new students and families)
Greenview Dining Room, Somers Hall
Get tickets at welcome table

1 p.m.
Muslim Prayer
Musala, Tower Hall 1603

Musala is available for Friday prayers, Campus Ministry will be available to open the room.

Note: If your family is still on campus, please plan to say goodbye to them before Delta Group meetings. New students will be busy for the remainder of the day.

2:30-4 p.m.
Delta Groups
Delta Locations

2:30-3:30 p.m.
Parent and Family Council Welcome Reception
Benedictine Commons

4-5 p.m.
Welcome to the Neighborhood (Part I)
Mitchell Auditorium

5-6 p.m.
Celebration Dinner
Greenview Dining Room

7-8 p.m.
Reslife Wing Meetings and Commuting Students Meeting
Commuters meet in Somers Main Lounge

8-9:30 p.m.
Playfair
Reif Gymnasium

9:30-11 p.m.
Back to School Bonfire
Live music, ice cream treats, s’mores, lawn games and a bonfire.
Groves Lawn

Saturday, Sept. 3

8-9:15 a.m.
Breakfast
Greenview Dining Room

9:30-10:15 a.m.
Delta Groups
Delta Locations

10:15-11:30 a.m.
Welcome to the Neighborhood (Part II):
Building Relationships to Last with Sarah Stewart and Megan Perry-Spears
(Bonus content on diving into Saints Life!)
Mitchell Auditorium

11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
Intramurals, Yard Games and BBQ Lunch
Science Front Lawn

1:30-2 p.m.
Delta Groups
Delta Locations

2-3:15 p.m.
Loving our Neighbor; What this Means at St. Scholastica-Sex Signals
For yourself and others to learn strategies in taking responsibility for your health and safety in college.
Mitchell Auditorium

3:15-3:45 p.m.
Getting Involved in Community: Residential Life and Student Activities
Mitchell Auditorium

3:45-5:30 p.m.
Saints Social
Meet new friends over refreshments, games and a chance to win prizes!
TBD

5:30-7:30 p.m.
Reslife Family Floor Dinners
Greenview Dining Room
Commuting students will meet at 5:45 p.m. in Somers Main Lounge.

8-10 p.m.
Paint and Plant
Decorate a terracotta pot and pick a plant to make your new space feel like home.
Storms Atrium

9 p.m.-Midnight
Nights Out, Lights Out Glow Party!
All things glow in the dark — photo booth, DJ and lots of free food!
Storms Den

Sunday, Sept. 4

10 a.m -12:15 p.m.
Brunch
Greenview Dining Room

11 a.m.
Catholic Mass
The Chapel

12:15-1:45 p.m.
Delta Groups
Find your classes and campus resources.
Delta location

1:45-2 p.m.
Cookies in the Student Union
Student Union

2-4 p.m.
Student Success Panel and Dignitas First Class Meeting
Meet in Mitchell Auditorium first

4-4:15 p.m.
Snack
Mitchell Foyer

4:15-5:15 p.m.
Being Healthy: Striving for Benedictine Balance
Mitchell Auditorium

5:15-6:45 p.m.
Delta Groups Dinner
Greenview Dining Room

7-9:30 p.m.
Nerd Nite
Board games, Mario Kart races, D&D, free stickers and pizza!
Storms Den

9 p.m.
Outdoor Movie on the Hill
Alpha Chi Lawn

Monday, Sept. 5

8:30-9:30 a.m.
Breakfast
Greenview Dining Room

9:45-10:15 a.m.
Delta Groups
Prepare for your last day of Welcome Weekend.
Delta Locations

10:15 a.m.-Noon
Welcome to the Neighborhood (Part III): Connecting as a Community of Saints
Mitchell Auditorium

Noon-2 p.m.
Lunch/Final Delta Group Meeting
(Lunch closes at 1:30 p.m.)
Greenview Dining Room

3-7 p.m.
Community and Beyond

Canal Park Touring: First Bus leaves at 3 p.m. from Mitchell lot and loops. Last bus leaves at 6:45 p.m. from Canal Park.
Bus to Target: First Bus at 3 p.m. from Mitchell lot and loops. Last bus leaves at 6:45 p.m. from Target.
Hike through Chester: Enjoy a nice hike and a sweet treat. Departing from Mitchell lot at 3 p.m.
Climbing Wall: Head to the Burns Wellness Center to meet the Outdoor Program staff and climb the wall. Starts at 4 p.m.

4:30-6 p.m.
Dinner
Greenview Dining Room

6-7 p.m.
Praise and Worship with Bonfire
Christian Fellowship and Worship
Groves Lawn

7-8:30 p.m.
Stand Up and Knockdown Show
Comedian and Hypnotist
Mitchell Auditorium

Other Helpful Bits of Information

Housing

If you apply for and select to live on campus for the fall, you will receive a letter in the middle of July informing you of your fall housing assignment and your new roommate(s). To be assigned a room, you will need to complete a housing contract and submit your $200 deposit. If you have not yet submitted your full deposit, please contact your admissions counselor or make your deposit online. You may also review a list of suggested items to bring to campus. Transfer students are not required to live on campus, but if you are a transfer student and interested in living on campus, please complete the same steps.

Saints Dining

Meal plans are used primarily in the Greenview Dining Room. Here students can dine with their friends and enjoy the diverse food options provided. More information can be found on the Saints Dining website.

Parking Permit and Transportation

Students are allowed to have vehicles on campus, but are required to register their vehicle online and purchase a student parking permit.

Please note that many students opt to NOT have a car on campus and it works out just fine. You can use your Saints Card as a bus pass to go anywhere in Duluth. For traveling further distances (Twin Cities and beyond) Jefferson Bus Lines picks up right on campus! (www.jeffersonlines.com/)

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