8 September 2024
DULUTH — As students swarm into the College of St. Scholastica’s newly unveiled student center, the campus is buzzing with the promise of a fresh start and a new hub for connection.
The campus community came together to celebrate the grand opening of its long-awaited student center on Tuesday evening, drawing students and key figures from the Duluth community. The building’s construction, completed in just over a year, surprised students with its rapid progress.
Maddy Ploof, president of the CSS student government, marked the occasion by hosting an informal gathering of the student government in their new dedicated space.
“This will meet our needs in terms of connecting with students,” Ploof said. “We’re going to be at the epicenter of where the students are, and I think that’s going to be crucial to our mission — students helping students.”
The $17 million facility offers a variety of study spaces, both private and open, designed with comfortable couches, TVs, and large windows to welcome natural light. These rooms bear the names of donors who contributed to CSS’s funding campaign, “A Second Century of Saints,” which has raised over $64 million since its inception in 2014.
The opening of the student center represents more than just a new building; it’s a strategic response to broader trends in higher education. The expansion of on-campus facilities comes amid national trends of declining enrollment and funding challenges for higher education. Universities nationwide increasingly rely on donations and endowment returns to sustain their operations.
In addition to the student center, the campaign’s funds support scholarships, infrastructure improvements, and endowment growth.
“These students, our graduates and current students, are indeed the hope of the future, and we believe this space and investment will serve them well,” CSS President Barbara McDonald said, reflecting on the campaign’s successful conclusion in 2023.
The event took on a celebratory atmosphere as attendees, holding glasses of lemonade and cookies, mingled and congratulated each other on the achievement.
Among the nearly 200 attendees were prominent figures from the Duluth community, including Duluth Public Schools Superintendent John Magas and Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College President Anita Hanson.
Chamber of Commerce President Matt Baumgartner also spoke, emphasizing higher education’s enduring value.
“Higher education remains your best investment for future opportunities, leadership roles, and societal contributions,” Baumgartner said. He specifically praised CSS for being “ahead of the curve” in its early investments in adult, non-traditional, and virtual education.
The event’s excitement continued after the ribbon-cutting as attendees were invited to explore the new Student Center. While CSS staff and faculty mingled on the first floor, students eagerly ventured throughout the building, discovering its various features.
Some students had already visited the center earlier in the day while navigating campus on their first day of classes. The new café, offering paninis, coffee, snacks, and smoothies, quickly became a popular spot.
“I heard it’s going to have the longest hours of any dining option on campus,” said Moyosoluwa Davis, a CSS junior and secretary of the Black Student Union on campus, pointing to the appeal of having a convenient place to grab a bite at nearly any time of day. “We’re hungry.”
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