We Are Always Here for Students

Many of you may be aware of the loss of one of our students to suicide in the first week of the semester. This has been a terrible loss to our community and a reminder for all of us to be aware of the toll that suicide can take on the lives of young people.

Suicide is the second leading cause of death in college students, and its effects are wide ranging: approximately 25% of students know of someone who has died by suicide, and 40% report knowing someone who has attempted.

Please make sure you are doing your part to help your student, even if you do not think they are struggling. Some common risk factors among college students include marginalized gender and sexual identities, holding a disability or disabilities, academic struggles, and financial concerns.

Please pay attention to these and other warning signs and know that counseling services is prepared to help. We offer individual and group counseling and are able to connect students with additional resources if needed.

Remember, mental health struggles are real and can affect anyone. Please continue to do your part to help stop the stigma.

—Justin McKnight, director of counseling services

Campus Community Is Close-Knit Group 

We hope your student has settled in and gotten comfortable in what we hope has begun to feel like home. Returning students are staying on campus at a higher rate than ever before and we are so appreciative of the mentoring and leadership they show our younger students.

Our student community is an active and close-knit group and much of that value can be attributed to what our returning students contribute to our group. Thank you for all your student brings to the Viterbo living and learning environment.  

Though it may seem like we just got started, your student has the ability to access the housing contract for the 2024-25 academic year, pay a deposit, prepare for roommates, and get ready for building and room selection. Students were emailed this information and can consult that for more information or greater detail. As always, students can always come into the Residence Life office in the Hawk’s Nest and we can help in person!

—Matt Jurvelin, assistant dean of student community

For Franciscans, 2023 Is a Very Big Year

In the spirit of St. Francis, whose feast we celebrated on campus Oct. 4, I invite you to participate in a journey of wonder, awe, and humility. This year we celebrate the 800th anniversary of the first nativity creche, a symbol that is precious to the Franciscans and which helps us understand the significance of the incarnation. 

St. Francis, inspired by the story of the nativity, sought to emphasize the joy of the incarnation, the embodiment of the divine in the everyday, through a live recreation of the little event in Bethlehem. Our college students are on their own journey to engage not just the everyday, but something beyond themselves. Our campus theme this year is “Dare to Wonder,” and we invite you to contemplate the following questions in that spirit: 

► How can we, as family and Viterbo community members, embrace the wonder of the ordinary moments in our students’ lives, just as Francis cherished the simple manger scene?
► In the face of new questions and paths that college life presents, how can we cultivate a sense of humility and openness, like St. Francis, who dared to explore uncharted territories?
► How can we support our students in finding joy in their own unique journey, just as St. Francis found joy in the embrace of the Gospel message?

As we reflect on these questions, let us remember that the essence of a Franciscan education lies not only in academic growth but in nurturing the spirit of wonder and humility. Together, we can help our students navigate this transformative chapter of life, allowing them to discover the beauty of the incarnation in every experience.

—Emilio Alvarez, director of campus ministry