Reunion Alum College Sessions
Saturday, Oct. 2
2 p.m. Sessions, SJU Campus
SJU Athletic Facilities Tour, Assistant Vice President SJU Institutional Advancement, John Young ’83
SJU, walking tour - meet at Gagliardi Field and Skalicky Dome
Join John for a first-hand look at the modernization of athletic facilities at SJU. These new dedicated fields are a game changer for current and future SJU students and gives SJU a competitive advantage in student recruitment. You will see how we have remained true to our Benedictine style with thoughtful and innovative design that gets right to the heart of the game. Let’s go for a walk and tour new athletic facilities! We will explore the Chang Tennis Complex; Becker Park/Haugen Field, home of Johnnie baseball; Haws Field, where the Johnnie soccer team plays; and the new Gagliardi Field and Alpers Golf Learning Cente
Woodworking shop Tour, Fr. Lew Grobe
SJU, walking tour - meet at Woodworking Shop
The woodworking shop has helped with construction and expansion of many buildings such as Mary Hall in 1950, the interior of the new monastery in 1956, as well as the forms for the construction of the Abbey church in 1959-1961. The woodworking shop has also created thousands of pieces of furniture such as tables, bookcases, chairs, beds and coffins for those in the St. John's community. They have also created cabinets to hold The Saint John's Bible Heritage Edition. The woodworking shop has always focused on values of stewardship and sustainability in its practices.
Most recently, the woodworking shop has shared its talents on the Holtkamp-Pasi organ in the Abbey Church. The expansion of the organ, first built by Walter Holtkamp Sr. in 1961, means that there are no longer any musical limitations to community worship. The inaugural year of concerts for the organ will launch in the fall of 2021.
Abbey Church Tour, Br. Aelred Senna
SJU, meet inside Abby Church
The Abbey and University Church was designed for a complex community made up of Benedictine monks, students of the University, the Seminary and the Preparatory School, a parish attached to the monastery, and visitors. The design of the church was based on the premise that all these members should be allowed closer participation in services. This was achieved by building a vast worship space without columns and based on a trapezoidal shape that would enable all to sit as close as possible to the altar.
The church is a technological feat as well. Incorporating a massive use of cast and steel-reinforced concrete, it was fundamentally constructed by local carpenters who made the forms into which the concrete was cast. The large bell banner at the north side, the main entrance to the church, houses a cross made of oak harvested from the woods at Saint John's Arboretum, and the five bells that call people to worship. It is 112 feet high, stands on thin parabolic arches, and announces that this is indeed a special place.
How Did We Get to Rockin’ ‘round the Clock?, Thom Woodward ’70
SJU, Little Theater, Quad 346
Rock history compiler Thom Woodward ’70 will trace the music evolution/revolution that brought us to rock and roll with a PowerPoint presentation, music snippets and commentary.
About Thom Woodward ’70: Retired director of alumni relations, secretary of the J-Club and current Johnnie assistant baseball coach.
2 p.m. Sessions, CSB Campus
Facilities Updates Tour - New and Remade: Monastery Buildings, Main and Nursing Department, Chad Marolf
CSB, walking tour - meet in the Fireside Lounge in Gorecki Dining and Conference Center
Through the recent Illuminating Lives campaign and beyond, the College of Saint Benedict has been investing in the construction of new spaces and the renovation of others. On this tour, you will learn how it came to be that the college purchased three historic buildings from the monastery and have transformed them into an admissions welcome center and spaces for other college administrative functions. This step allowed us to free up and completely remake space in the Main building, which is now home to the departments of Math, Computer Science, Psychology, Economics and Nursing. We have also created new spaces for students in Haehn and an all new XPD (Experience and Professional Development – and the Experience Hub).
About Chad Marolf: Chad serves in the Institutional Advancement department as a Senior Principal Gifts Officer. He has been with CSB for nine years, having served in a similar role for six years prior at St. Cloud State University. Chad harkens from Ohio where he grew up and went to college and grad school. He is married and has three kids ages 28, 26 and 23.
3 p.m. Sessions, SJU Campus
Library and Learning Commons Tour, Vice President SJU Institutional Advancement, Rob Culligan ’82
SJU, walking tour - meet inside main Learning Commons doors
Innovation. Collaboration. Technology.
These are the watchwords of 21st-century workplaces and communities. The Reinhart Learning Commons is designed for the kind of learning and teaching essential to preparing our students for their future.
This exciting building combines flexible classrooms, the latest technology, and a variety of informal social learning spaces. It will provide faculty and students with the environment and the tools to fully engage in collaborative learning and innovative thinking. This tour of the newly remodeled Alcuin Library will demonstrate how a 21st century library provides flexible spaces for both solitary study and collaborative work; deploys the digital tools required by scholars and students; efficiently houses print resources; and supports a holistic academic experience with an array of academic support services.
The Saint John's Bible Gallery Presentation
SJU, Alcuin Library, Sullivan Auditorium 170, inside Alcuin Library
The Saint John’s Bible Gallery, which officially opened on Oct. 6, 2017, is a place to acknowledge the work that Donald Jackson and his team spent years creating this monumental work. This presentation will introduce guests to the story on how The Saint John's Bible developed and the influence The Bible project has today on both biblical interpretation and art. A tour of the Bible Gallery follows the presentation and guests will see 28 original pages from the project.
“An Historian’s Reflection: How Should We Tell the Story of the US Effort in Afghanistan?”, Ken Jones
SJU, Little Theater, Quad 346
In October 2001, US troops invaded Afghanistan and drove the Taliban from power. Almost twenty years later, the Taliban has retaken large parts of Afghanistan as the last of our forces are officially withdrawn. Was this a triumph over terrorism? A long and futile war? Something in between? Are there lessons we can take from the experience?
Historians like to wait until the dust settles and more of the documentation is available -- and of course we need more than an hour for a complicated subject like this! Nevertheless, I’m going to wade in, not with something definitive, but rather by raising questions that we should consider in evaluating our engagement in Afghanistan.
Thriving during and after COVID, Boz Bostrom ’95
SJU, meet in Pellegrene Auditorium (inside Peter Engel Science Center)
he past 18 months have been something none of us could have predicted nor asked for. Our students went through an academic year filled with many highs, lows, and disappointments. Accounting professor Boz Bostrom became an inspiration for many in our community with the way he attacked COVID-obstacles head on, keeping his focus on creating a positive student experience within the established limits. Join this session where Boz talks about actions he took and what he learned along the way to become a better professor in a post-COVID world.
3 p.m. Sessions, CSB Campus
Facilities Updates Tour - New and Remade: Monastery Buildings, Main and Nursing Department, Chad Marolf
CSB, walking tour - meet in the Fireside Lounge in Gorecki Dining and Conference Center
Through the recent Illuminating Lives campaign and beyond, the College of Saint Benedict has been investing in the construction of new spaces and the renovation of others. On this tour, you will learn how it came to be that the college purchased three historic buildings from the monastery and have transformed them into an admissions welcome center and spaces for other college administrative functions. This step allowed us to free up and completely remake space in the Main building, which is now home to the departments of Math, Computer Science, Psychology, Economics and Nursing. We have also created new spaces for students in Haehn and an all new XPD (Experience and Professional Development – and the Experience Hub).
About Chad Marolf: Chad serves in the Institutional Advancement department as a Senior Principal Gifts Officer. He has been with CSB for nine years, having served in a similar role for six years prior at St. Cloud State University. Chad harkens from Ohio where he grew up and went to college and grad school. He is married and has three kids ages 28, 26 and 23.