Editor in Chief- Grace LaTourelle
Photo credits: Hailey Mueller
Welcome to and back to the hill. My name is Grace LaTourelle and I am the editor in chief of the Gustavian Weekly. While news will largely cover important events and updates, I wanted to start this year with a warm invitation and introduction to this paper and to campus.
The Gustavian Weekly was founded in 1891 and continues to be committed to unbiased reporting of Gustavus campus happenings. During the 2025-26 academic year, the Weekly reported on the government shutdown, AI challenges/guiding principles, reconciliation work with the Dakota community, local ICE activity and campus’ response, response to federal funding cuts including SNAP benefits, “No Kings” protests in St. Peter, President Volin’s five-year strategic plan, the Minnesota State Grant, and many more topics.
Each Friday, a new issue of the Weekly is released online at weekly.blog.gustavus.edu and around campus in marked distribution bins. Each issue contains news, variety, features, opinion, entertainment, and sports, as well as other features such as comics, advice columns, and inventive horoscopes. Students can also sign up to have a newsletter sent to their inboxes each week containing a digest of that week’s issue. Further information, including job posting, can be found online or on the instagram @gustavianweekly.
Campus is already back in full swing with Welcome Week activities. On Sunday, the Sustainability Interns hosted the annual Gustie Garage Sale, selling and repurposing used items to new owners. On Tuesday was “Gusties on the Town,” with students becoming accustomed with St. Peter’s offerings. On Friday, there will be a 9:00 p.m. movie showing taking place in Eckman Mall or Alumni Hall. While advertised in an email, these events were also promoted on lounge.
lounge is an app where students can follow various campus organizations, find students with similar interests, and become aware of events happening each week. Each organization was required this fall to create a lounge as part of the re-recognition process. Due to this, lounge will now be the main source of information for students and their involvements.
“The Campus Activities Office received feedback from students about the lack of a singular location to find information about student-led events and organizations, specifically a calendar of all events and an easy way to get in contact with the organization,” Student Engagement Coordinator Kadyn Triebenbach explained. “The Campus Activities Office did research and brought the best options to Student Senate who had many conversations ultimately voting on bringing lounge to campus.”
Students can reach out to Triebenbach with questions regarding lounge.
“This platform was brought to campus for students, so we want your opinion on how to make it as accessible as possible,” Tribenbach said.
While we’ve had some changes, other things are not changing for this semester as we welcome back President Volin for his second year on campus.
“My first year was really about getting to know Gustavus— our students, faculty, staff,
alumni, and the culture of this place. What impressed me most was how deeply people
care about one another and about the College,” Volin said.
Last year, Volin began his five-year strategic plan, Gustavus Unbound, relying on student input and guided discussions to begin planning for the future of the college.
“Going into Year 2, I’m especially excited about turning those ideas into action,” Volin explained. “I want us to build an even more distinctive student experience— one where students develop meaningful relationships, discover a sense of purpose, learn through experiences as well as classrooms, and graduate prepared not simply for their first job, but for a meaningful life and career.”
With organizations starting up again, the bi-annual involvement fair occurred on Thursday, boasting new and returning students looking to add more to their Gustavus experience and truly ‘Go Beyond.’
“To me, “Go Beyond” means refusing to define a college education too narrowly,” Volin said.
Of course we want our students to graduate prepared for great careers. But a Gustavus education should go beyond that. It should help students become thoughtful, resilient, curious people who know how to work with others, navigate uncertainty, find purpose, and contribute to something larger than themselves.”
Students are encouraged to be committed and dedicated in all that they do this semester, beyond just academics, including organizations, music, sports, jobs, and personal wellbeing. Volin also recommended investing in personal relationships.
“Find people here who know you well enough to support you when things are difficult but also know you well enough to challenge you and expect more from you,” Volin said. “For our first-year students especially, I would say: you don’t need to have everything figured out. Part of college is discovering who you are, what matters to you, and what you want to contribute to the world. Give yourself permission to do that.”
On behalf of the Weekly, good luck on fall semester and happy learning. Take care of yourself, take care of one another, and take care of this campus, because our community is the strongest thing we’ve got. To the class of 2030, we’re so glad that you’re here and make the most of the years ahead of you. Finally, check in every week for information, events, student opinions’, highlights, and more…oh, and make sure to repurpose or compost this issue when you’re done reading!