Republican-Eagle: September 29, 2023 - Minnesota State College Southeast Day in Red Wing!
Guest column by Dr. Marsha Danielson, President
Minnesota State College Southeast
September 9, 2023
It was 50 years ago this fall that our Red Wing campus at 308 Pioneer Road first opened its doors to the public. I would say we are more than due for a celebration!
And that's just what we have planned for Friday, September 29, 2023 - a celebration of our students, faculty, staff, alumni, and retired employees; a celebration of our partners in higher education, business, and industry; and a celebration of the entire Red Wing community that has been home to Minnesota State College Southeast for the past 50 years.
I am excited to extend a warm invitation to come to campus for one or both of the two events we are hosting on September 29. Join us from 11 am-1:30 pm for "Lunch with the Eagles" or in the afternoon from 4-7 pm for an Alumni & Friends Mixer. Both events are free and open to the public! For all the details and to RSVP, go to www.southeastmn.one/anniversary.
Just a few highlights of the day will include a visit from a live eagle, a delicious taco buffet lunch, live music from 4 to 6 pm and an Open Mic from 6 to 7 pm.
As you probably know, our Red Wing campus has long been noted for attracting students from all over the country (and even internationally) to study Band Instrument Repair, Guitar Repair & Building, and Violin Repair & Making. We are inviting current students and alumni to showcase their musical talents at the Alumni & Friends Mixer.
September 29 will also be the occasion to celebrate the release of Volume II of our college literary journal, Highway 61, Revised. You will be impressed by the poetry, short stories, and creative non-fiction written by our students. We will have both Volume I (published in January 2020) and Volume II available for sale, and we will have readings from the new edition during the Open Mic.
Throughout the celebration, please take some time to browse through an exhibit that has been created by Goodhue County Historical Society and our staff to highlight the history of higher education in our community. It is fascinating to learn that both Hamline University and Gustavus Adolphus College were originally founded in Red Wing, and that two Lutheran seminaries were once located at the top of College Avenue.
If you have photos, old yearbooks, certificates, papers, or any memorabilia from "back in the day" that you might be willing to loan or allow us to photograph for the college's exhibit, please contact our communications staff at [email protected].
We are also collecting "Southeast Stories" and have been so happy to hear from alumni who have shared the impact attending Minnesota State College Southeast made on their lives. You may submit "Your Southeast Story" through our website at www.southeastmn.one/anniversary or by email to [email protected].
50 years of higher education in Red Wing - 1973-2023 - is truly a remarkable accomplishment. What's more, this year we are also celebrating 75 years of higher education in Winona - 1949-2024 - making this academic year a double anniversary.
Think of the lives that have been changed throughout the decades because of access to career, technical, and transfer education at Minnesota State College Southeast!
We hope September 29, 2023 will be a special day in our history as we look back over the past and imagine where our college will be 50 years from now. Whatever your connection to Minnesota State College Southeast, you are invited to join us. And just as a reminder, everything is free and open to the public! For all the details and to RSVP, go to www.southeastmn.one/anniversary.