Karen Lange, vice president of student affairs, discussed the protest policy at St. Thomas in relation to the college protests happening nationwide at the general Undergraduate Student Government meeting on Thursday, May 2.

The Dean of Students works directly with St. Thomas students who want to have a demonstration or a protest. According to the protest policy, a Notice of Intent to Demonstrate form needs to be filled at least 48 hours in advance of the demonstration.

The Student Policy Regarding Expression, Demonstrations and Sponsorship of Speakers and Organizations was the main source that Lange used to explain how protests are allowed to be on the St. Thomas campus.

St. Thomas students are free to organize and participate in campus demonstrations that are nonviolent methods such as marches, rallies and protests that reflect the principles of Catholic social teaching, according to the policy PDF.

“We appreciate our student expression but we also, as a Catholic university, realize additional responsibility to our community about the dignity of each person,” Lange said.

If a demonstration violates the policy by infringing on a person’s rights, obstructing space, endangering people on campus, destroying property or violating laws, the University Action and Response Team will be the main response for stopping a demonstration, according to Lange.

The UART is a group of university administrators that is in charge of handling crisis situations on campus, according to St. Thomas’ emergency procedures policy.

“Bringing in the police would be our last resort,” Lange said. “We want to communicate with the students.”

Lange encouraged students to go through the 48-hour process and let the university be a part of helping the demonstration be successful and safe for everyone at St. Thomas.

“The first thing we always do is think about the safety and care for our students,”  Lange said. “We want to make sure that it doesn’t turn into bias or doesn’t turn into something that doesn’t value the dignity of each person.”

SANE

Kate Kapsner, president of USG, discussed a new resource at the Center for Well-Being; Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners.

SANEs are registered nurses who have received special training to provide care for sexual assault victims. SANEs have been a resource at St. Thomas since March 11, 2024.

There are currently two examiners and the Center for Well-Being plans to market and expand the program in the fall, potentially offering SANE resources to other local colleges, according to Kapsner.

“We would be one of 10 universities to offer SANEs at our on-campus resource center,” said Kapsner. The cost of sexual assault examinations are covered through the Minnesota Sexual Assault Examination Payment Program since July 1, 2023, according to the Minnesota Department of Public Safety website.

Four exams have already been performed at St. Thomas since March 11, according to Kapsner.

The benefits of having SANEs on campus include breaking down the transportation barrier, increasing follow-up care for patients and connecting students to other resources available.

Title IX involvement and resource connections are optional at each student’s request.

“There’s a need for this resource on campuses and it’s a really great resource that I’m happy the university has invested in,” Kapsner said.

Spring Elections

This semester, USG spring elections will have open positions on both the executive board and the general council. The intent-to-run forms are open now and are available on the USG TommieLink and the USG Instagram.

Patricia Conde Brooks, executive director of campus inclusion and community, encouraged USG members participating in the elections to commit to the USG positions or find someone else who will commit to USG.

“Whose voices are not here in the room?” Brooks said. “I think what you all need to do is tell everybody else that they have an opportunity to be here.”

Brooks asked students who have plans next year that will take away from USG to take a step back and wait for a time to fully commit to the USG council.

“Think about what’s best for the common good of all of us because that’s what makes a student government function,” Brooks said.

The e-board elections happened from April 15 to April 23, and elected students will be sworn in on Thursday, May 16.

The open positions on the general council are:

• Second-Year Class Policy Senator
• Second-Year Class Engagement Senator
• Junior Class Policy Senator
• Junior Class Engagement Senator
• Senior Class Policy Senator
• Senior Class Engagement Senator
• Commuter Senator
• Legislative Affairs Senator
• Neighborhood Senator
• Underclassman Residential Senator (first-year/second-year)
• Upperclassman Residential Senator (junior/senior)
• Transfer Senator
• Greater Minnesota Senator
• Out-Of-State Senator

The general council election timeline goes as follows:

Candidate intent-to-run packets and enforcement forms are due at 4 p.m. on Monday, May 6. Campaigning will begin on the same day at 6:30 p.m.

Schoolwide voting will begin on Monday, May 13, and will close on Tuesday, May 14. The voting forms will be available on the USG TommieLink.

All newly elected members will be sworn in on Thursday, May 16 at 12 p.m. at a general USG meeting.

The last general council meeting of the semester will be on Thursday, May 16 at 12 p.m. in the Al and Brenda Iversen Hearth room.

Gwynnevere Vang can be reached at vang5129@gmail.com.