News

Dr. James Mullen Jr. has been named transitional president of Saint John’s University by the SJU Board of Trustees.

“He’s an experienced president, and he’s got a great track record in higher education. We are pleased to have Jim’s leadership and guidance to help us with this unique transitional year,” said SJU Board Chair Dan McKeown (SJU ’85).

“I’m tremendously honored to join the Saint John’s community at this moment in its history,” said Mullen, whose duties as president officially started June 1. “The Benedictine tradition and their devotion to higher education and community is inspiring. To have a chance to be part of this educational community during this transitional period is both exciting and humbling.”

“I’m enthused to partner with Jim as we guide these institutions through this process of integrating more closely,” said CSB Transitional President Laurie Hamen. “He brings a fresh new set of insights and a strong history of collaboration.”

Mullen follows Dr. Eugene McAllister, who served as interim president for the past two years. President McAllister will be returning to his family in Montana, and Saint John’s is deeply grateful for his service.

The Boards of Trustees of Saint John’s and Saint Ben’s plan to lead a search for the first joint president of the two institutions later this fall, pending approval by the Higher Learning Commission.

Update on Strong Integration

Since late 2018, the CSB and SJU Boards of Trustees have been working toward stronger integration of governance and leadership structures to simplify processes and decision-making across our two institutions.

In late April, CSB and SJU submitted their application to the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), seeking approval of a change to the governance and leadership structure. The HLC is expected to decide on the application by late fall 2021. Once the change of structure is approved and executed, CSB and SJU will operate under boards with common members, a single president, and more integrated administrative leadership. This new governance and leadership structure is being referred to as “Strong Integration.”

The long-standing “Coordinate Relationship” between CSB and SJU demonstrates a history of delivering excellent outcomes through an outstanding joint academic program.

Strong Integration is a natural extension and strengthening of that current relationship. It is not a merger of the two institutions; the college and university will remain two separate institutions aligned with their respective sponsoring monastic communities. Strong Integration necessitates no changes to the joint academic program, the admission of students or the separate conferring of degrees.

“The common denominator,” said CSB Transitional President Laurie Hamen, “is the search for nimble and efficient frameworks for decision making and use of resources. This is a unique and innovative model.”

Newly instated SJU Transitional President Dr. James Mullen agrees. “The goal is to create the best experience for our students. The approach we are pursuing is innovative and could provide a model for other institutions around the nation.”

The collaborative work of the two institutions and two founding monastic communities is a vital part of what makes the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University such beloved and special places. According to a statement from Barb Brandes, Chair of the CSB Board of Trustees, and Dan McKeown, Chair of the SJU Board of Trustees, “This process has been guided throughout by the Benedictine values, the institutions’ missions, and the needs of our students, and we are proud to take this historic step in our shared history.”

Updates on Upcoming Alum Events

COLLEGE OF SAINT BENEDICT | SAINT JOHN’S UNIVERSITY

Due to ongoing limitations and challenges related to COVID-19 restrictions on group gatherings, and the overwhelming feedback from alums that they prefer an in-person Reunion experience when it is safe to do so, CSB/SJU have made some tweaks, changes and adjustments in order to make sure every class gets the best opportunity for the best reunion experience possible.

CSB/SJU Class of 2020 Celebration

There’s no arguing with the fact that the class of 2020 missed out on some of the most iconic events of their senior year. So this fall we want to get them all back together for a bit of a do-over. It’s too soon to call this a Reunion, so let’s call it a “Celebration.” There will be food, drinks, fun, games, a unique joint commencement ceremony – and we’ll top it off with a band at Sal’s. Come on back, 2020 alums. Let’s take another crack at this!

Saturday, Sept. 11, will be a special celebration specifically for the class of 2020, featuring activities on both campuses, with food and entertainment.

CSB/SJU Class Years Ending in 0 and 5

Alums from 0 and 5 years had their reunion postponed last summer. When the decision was made to postpone summer reunions again in 2021, we consulted with class volunteers from 0 and 5 classes. Rather than waiting one more summer, we’re excited to bring 0 and 5 alums back to campus for a special one-day reunion event on Saturday, Oct. 2, 2021.

“I am thrilled that all the classes 0 and 5 will finally be able to gather on campus,” said JoBeth Pike Ranfranz ’80, board development chair for the CSB Alumnae Board. “The Bennie and Johnnie friendships sparkle even brighter when we can be together in person, renewing our brother and sisterhood.”

There’s a lot to pack into a one-day Reunion. And you won’t want to miss any of it. • Kick-off at Saint Ben’s • Lunch on the Mall • Special celebration for the class of 1970 • Alum College sessions at Saint John’s • Social hour • Reunion awards dinner • Big Toe and the Jam at Sal’s

CSB/SJU Class Years Ending in 1 and 6

We worked with class volunteers over the past year with the intent to bring you safely to campus in June 2021 to celebrate Reunion. But, based on conditions at the time we needed to make a decision, the outlook for a large, in-person gathering just wasn’t clear. And, in collaboration with class volunteers who greatly prefer an in-person reunion as close to “normal” as possible, we made the decision to postpone summer Reunion 2021. We will celebrate 1 and 6 alums for a special Reunion weekend on July 8-10, 2022.

CSB/SJU Class Years Ending in 2 and 7

That means the campuses of Saint Ben’s and Saint John’s are going to be extralively next summer! Because Reunion 2022, for alums from class years ending in 2 and 7, is scheduled, as usual, for the weekend of June 24-26, 2022. We have absolutely missed every one of you over the last 16 months. Let’s start making some plans for getting together. It’s time to rekindle some community!

Fiscal Year 2021 Recap – It Was a BIG Year for Scholarships

College of Saint Benedict alumnae and friends didn’t let obstacles like a global pandemic keep them from rallying throughout the year in support of scholarships for nearly all of our students. Even if we weren’t face-to-face, it was definitely a busy year. This magazine went to print before the end of the month. But the fact that we were close enough to have a shot at this year’s annual goal of $2,840,907 is remarkable. We’re grateful for that trust and support from our alumnae and friends!

One Impressive Day

On Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2020, the entire Saint Ben’s community came together supporting scholarships for all of today’s Bennies. With help from generous matching grant donors, 949 alumnae, parents, faculty, staff, friends and students rallied to contribute an incredible $562,131 in one 24-hour period.

The total smashed the $500,000 goal and is a single-day giving record for Saint Ben’s.

Sustaining Success

One area where Saint Ben’s is a recognized industry leader is in our Saint Ben’s Sustainers program. Bennie alumnae and friends understand the simplicity of setting recurring, automatic gifts at a level that’s comfortable for them. Sustainers also see the impact that regular, recurring monthly or quarterly gifts can have on the college and our students.

During fiscal year 2021, 19.4% of our donors to the Annual Giving program were Sustainers, making CSB one of the best-performing sustaining programs in the country.

You can join in on this sustained success by becoming a Sustainer at givecsb.com. It takes just a few minutes.

Student Emergency Fund Update

When students were sent home in 2020, we were proud of the way the college was able to deploy the modest Student Emergency Fund that was on hand to help with unexpected expenses. But we learned from the experience. That’s why we’ve chosen to direct the ongoing reward dollars from our institutional credit card account toward the purpose of building a stronger Student Emergency Fund. And we’ve reached out to donors to help us build a more stable and reliable fund for things like …

• Help with a plane ticket for a loved one’s funeral.

• Covering part of the bill for unanticipated dental care.

• Bridging the gap when unforeseen circumstances impact regular living expenses.

Scholarship gifts will always be important. They provide access to deserving students. But once those students are here, we want to make sure they’re able to meet their needs. So we’re happy to note that today that Student Emergency Fund holds $100,000.

You can support the fund at givecsb.com. Simply type “Student Emergency Fund” in the Comments box.

Breonna Taylor Scholarship Update

During fiscal year 2021, alumnae, friends, faculty, staff and students of Saint Ben’s continued taking steps to create an anti-racist campus community. As one part of that effort, alumnae and the college worked together to create an endowed scholarship to “support the educational promise of young Black American leaders”: the Breonna Taylor Scholarship for Racial Justice. This scholarship will support women with financial need whose identities are under-represented at CSB, with special consideration given to Black or AfricanAmerican women.

We’re pleased to report that funding for the endowed scholarship has reached the point where recipients are being selected for this fall. This year we have around $2,500 from the Breonna Taylor scholarship to award.

You can make a gift toward this scholarship at givecsb.com. Simply type “Breonna Taylor” in the Comments box.

Rallying for CSB Athletics

Wednesday, Feb. 24, was the second annual CSB Athletics Give Day. For 24 hours, hundreds pulled together – former athletes, long-time fans, parents of current and former student-athletes, staff, faculty – to support their favorite programs, with a goal of rallying 500 donors. Financial gifts like these give our athletic department the flexibility to build programs that develop our studentathletes and make us all cheer.

Total donors Total dollars Top teams (donors)

Track/CC Softball

Top teams (dollars)

Basketball Softball 657 $102,594

(140) (134)

($19,009) ($18,025)

Congratulations, Class of 2021!

L to R: Abbey Witham (Lino Lakes, Minn.), Steffi Tapsoba (Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso), Raven Dames (Nassau, Bahamas) and Derica Ferguson (Nassau, Bahamas)

On Saturday, May 15, the 449 members of the CSB class of 2021 received their diplomas and joined the ranks of Bennie alumnae.

The ceremony, held outdoors in Clemens Stadium at Saint John’s, was kept intentionally brief (there was no external commencement speaker) and was limited to two guests per graduate.

Rylan Bistodeau (Delano, Minn.) and Breanna Hess (Sartell, Minn.)

Kaylee McGovern (Lynnwood, Wash.) and D’Havian Scott (Nassau, Bahamas)

Honor Society Inductees

Fifty-three students (42 seniors and 11 juniors) from CSB/SJU were inducted this year into the Theta of Minnesota Chapter of Phi Beta Kappa, the nation’s oldest academic honor society.

The following inductees, all liberal arts and/or sciences majors, were selected by CSB/SJU faculty who are members of Phi Beta Kappa: Leandria Albury ’21, Nassau, Bahamas Elena Anderla ’21, Appleton, Wisconsin Daniel Bachmeier ’21, Long Prairie, Minnesota Samuel Black ’21, Minneapolis, Minnesota Samantha Bruce ’21, Cottage Grove, Minnesota Samuel Colella ’21, Tacoma, Washington Jacob Czech ’21, Kewaunee, Wisconsin Maximilian Ditzler ’21, Eagle River, Alaska Belen Dominguez ’21, Cicero, Illinois Elliot Edeburn ’21, Sartell, Minnesota Anne Marie Griebie ’21, Minnetonka, Minnesota Mitchell Hansen ’21, Cold Spring, Minnesota Usama Hassan ’21, Waite Park, Minnesota Johanna Jernberg ’21, Detroit Lakes, Minnesota Molly Kiley ’21, Rochester, Minnesota Michael Klonowski ’21, Rice Lake, Wisconsin Margaret Kobs ’21, Maple Grove, Minnesota Jane Koll ’21, Winona, Minnesota Mengzhen Li ’21, Zhengzhou, China William Matuska ’21, Cold Spring, Minnesota Molly Meyer ’21, St. Michael, Minnesota Joshua Mikos ’21, Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota Emma Murphy ’21, Wauwatosa, Wisconsin Ellen Otto ’21, Oshkosh, Wisconsin Karen Phillips ’21, Bozeman, Montana Laurel Poole ’21, Longview, Washington Amanda Schmitz ’21, West St. Paul, Minnesota Jena Schroepfer ’21, Sleepy Eye, Minnesota Joseph Schwamm ’21, Littleton, Colorado D’Havian Scott ’21, Nassau, Bahamas Caitlyn Shipp ’21, Eden Prairie, Minnesota Kathryn Sohm ’21, Minneapolis, Minnesota Jenna Steichen ’21, Overland Park, Kansas Steffi Tapsoba ’21, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso Nikolas Thompson ’21, Palm Harbor, Florida Ryan Thompson ’21, Edina, Minnesota Katherine Wagner ’21, Milwaukee, Wisconsin Flannery White ’21, Duluth, Minnesota Drew Wilds ’21, Eden Prairie, Minnesota Abbegayle Witham ’21, Lino Lakes, Minnesota Colin Yokanovich ’21, Eagan, Minnesota Jordan Zachmann ’21, Montgomery, Minnesota Yunyiyi Chen ’22, Chengdu, China Anna Cole ’22, Bloomington, Minnesota Maria Determan ’22, Omaha, Nebraska Megan Greenberg ’22, Elk River, Minnesota Olivia Hoff ’22, Rushford, Minnesota Channa Kalsow ’22, Hudson, Wisconsin William Lee ’22, Fallbrook, California Grace Savard ’22, Arden Hills, Minnesota Olivia Solano ’22, Grayslake, Illinois Zoe Witham ’22, Lino Lakes, Minnesota Julian Yaruro Carreno ’22, San Jose de Cúcuta, Colombia

Twenty-five Bennies (10 seniors, 15 juniors) were inducted this year into the Omega Chapter of Delta Epsilon Sigma, the elite national Catholic honor society. Students are selected based on a combination of academic performance and community involvement. This year’s inductees included:

Charlotte Rose Bjorn Frisk ’21, Broomfield, Colorado Abigail Braun ’21, Apple Valley, Minnesota Anna Hammer ’21, Lakeville, Minnesota Catherine Jaroszewski ’21, Frazee, Minnesota Margaret Kobs ’21, Maple Grove, Minnesota Jane Koll ’21, Winona, Minnesota Isabella Lovinger ’21, Savage, Minnesota Sarah Neve ’21, Minnetrista, Minnesota Katherine Wagner ’21, Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin Aubrey Walter ’21, Billings, Montana Elizabeth Botz ’22, St. Joseph, Minnesota Sarah Broghammer ’22, Winona, Minnesota Julia Buntrock ’22, Rochester, Minnesota Olivia Hoff ’22, Rushford, Minnesota Kennedy Kehr ’22, Coon Rapids, Minnesota Brianna Kreft ’22, Elbow Lake, Minnesota Rachel Leen ’22, Sauk Rapids, Minnesota Gabriella Lott ’22, Duluth, Minnesota Jaiden McCollum ’22, Park Rapids, Minnesota Caitlin O’Toole ’22, Eden Prairie, Minnesota Tracy Renier ’22, Plymouth, Minnesota Grace Savard ’22, Arden Hills, Minnesota Kate Schiltz ’22, Minnetonka, Minnesota Olivia Solano ’22, Grayslake, Illinois Claire Westby ’22, Lake Elmo, Minnesota

Induction into Sigma Beta Delta is reserved for highachieving majors in business and accounting. This year the following 25 CSB/SJU students (15 SJU, 10 CSB) were honored:

Mya Bowe ’21, Nassau Bahamas Reiley Huntoon ’21, Rochester, Minnesota Cade McComber ’21, Andover, Minnesota Danielle Werning ’21, Carver, Minnesota Abigail Worthington ’21, Maple Grove, Minnesota Benjamin Allen ’22, Maple Grove, Minnesota Avery Bentrott ’22, Blaine, Minnesota Dillon Diekmann ’22, Lake Elmo, Minnesota Joshua Elstad ’22, Lakeville, Minnesota Mitchell Gerlach ’22, Cloquet, Minnesota Yunhua Gong ’22, Chengdu, China Michael Kuhn ’22, Alexandria, Minnesota Grace Lee ’22, Portland, Oregon Joseph Linders ’22, Circle Pines, Minnesota Jaiden McCollum ’22, Park Rapids, Minnesota Jerome Newhouse ’22, Shorewood, Minnesota Andrew Pearson ’22, St. Cloud, Minnesota Julia Pias ’22, Maple Grove, Minnesota Annika Rzeszutek ’22, St. Francis, Minnesota Brady Sabolik ’22, Kensington, Minnesota Anthony Samson ’22, Maple Grove, Minnesota Peter Schroeder ’22, Plymouth, Minnesota Noah Schumacher ’22, Edina, Minnesota Olivia Tikalsky ’22, Lakeville, Minnesota Henry Trost ’22, Lindstrom, Minnesota

A Sensational Spring With TWO Bennie All Americas

BY | LEAH RADO

Elly Novak ’23 (Montgomery, Minn.)

Fiona Smith ’24 (Dhahran, Saudi Arabia)

Neither Elly Novak nor Fiona Smith knew what to expect heading into their respective 2021 seasons.

Novak, a sophomore pitcher for the College of Saint Benedict softball team, had seen limited time in the circle for the Bennies in 2020 before the COVID-19 pandemic cut the season short.

Smith, a first-year on the track and field team, came to CSB from Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, where she competed mostly in road races against competition of all ages throughout her high school running career.

The unknown didn’t seem to both either athlete as both wrapped up record-setting – and All-American – seasons this spring.

“My mindset coming into this year was to work my butt off because I wasn’t sure how long the season was going to be, or if we were even going to have a season,” said Novak, who finished the year with 172 strikeouts and 17 wins – both CSB single-season records. She also earned Third Team All-America honors and is just the second All-American in program history. “The records had never crossed my mind as something I wanted to accomplish this year.”

Both athletes set the tone for their respective seasons right away. Novak – who made just four appearances in the circle in 2020 and struck out 21 batters – recorded a career-best 15 strikeouts in the team’s first game of the year.

Smith broke CSB’s indoor record in the 3,000-meter run by more than 12 seconds in the first race of her collegiate career.

“I honestly had no idea where I would be in comparison to others, both CSB and other teams,” said Smith, who set five school records – three indoor and two outdoor – in 2021. “I was hoping to be somewhere near the top of CSB’s team, but didn’t have real times to compare so I was pretty unsure.”

Smith and Novak are both sure of themselves now. Smith – who became the first athlete in CSB history to break 10 minutes in the indoor and outdoor 3,000-meter run – finished fifth in the 5,000-meter at the NCAA Outdoor Championships in Greensboro, N.C., to earn All-America honors. Novak finished the year 11th in the nation with a 0.96 ERA and 12th with 172 strikeouts.

“Each time that I am able to get a new PR or a new record, I just get so excited and can’t help but think about what else I can do,” Smith said. “Breaking records and running times for the first time in program history is still pretty surreal.” “

I kept setting the bar higher for myself each time, like getting one more strikeout than the previous game,” Novak added. “My mindset heading into a game is that I have a part in every play and that I dictate how things go. If I am feeling hype and having fun, then my teammates are also hype and having fun.”