Remembering
Dr. Jeremy Kolwinska
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On Friday, March 13, we received the sad news that Dr. Jeremy Kolwinska, UNW's Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the College of Arts & Humanities, passed away unexpectedly of cardiac complications. Tributes in honor of Dr. Kolwinska have been written by Dr. Janet Sommers and Andy Gammons, colleagues and friends. As funeral services have been postponed due to the recent spread of COVID-19, we share these tributes with you at the following link: unwsp.edu/news/jeremy-kolwinska-tribute |
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Scott Krueger ('21) was nominated for a student production award from Midwest Emmy’s.
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Department of Communication alumnus, Josh Svendsen, who does mornings at Spirit 92 in St. Cloud, created this video that will hopefully help lighten your mood.
Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Music Video
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On March 6 and 7, Professor Karly Hall led a workshop called, "Positive Communication in a Polarized World" at the Set Apart women's conference.
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Note from the Five16 Film Festival Director
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The Five16 Film Festival was one of many disappointing cancellations this month. The Mel Johnson Media Center is always abuzz this time of year with film students doing final preparation and marketing for the film festival. Today, it is eerily quiet and empty. It will be a grand day when we can gather together again to learn, grow and have fun together.
In the meantime, thank you for your flexibility and continuous support during this unprecedented time. I look forward to seeing you on the red carpet for the Five16 Film Festival, take 2 on Monday, September 21, 2020 at 7:00 p.m.
Ann Sorenson
Festival Director
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Transitioning to Online Learning: Pro Tips on What You Need to Know
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- Learn the Technology. This may seem like a no-brainer, but taking an online class involves learning a new technology. The courses, discussions, and assignments are all completed in an online platform.
- Get to Know Your Professors. College students are constantly encouraged to get to know their professors. This makes sense when you are seeing them in person and interacting on campus. But this is important for the success of online students as well.
- Be Organized. When you attend a class on campus, you come prepared with notebooks and folders, armed with ways to organize your school supplies. You should take the same approach to online classes. Set up a file structure on your computer that will clearly divide your readings and assignments so that you can find them easily and keep up-to-date with your school work, stress free.
- Have a Schedule. Having a set schedule can help you manage the stress of such a heavy work and study load.
- Have a Routine. Figure out what time you like to study—whether it’s in the morning, on your lunch break, or late at night. Then, fit your coursework into your daily routine.
- Learn to Love Writing. Professors for online courses will often add extra reading and writing assignments to the syllabus to compensate for the lack of in-person discussions. All this adds up, meaning online students have to write a lot! If you learn to write well, and to enjoy the process of writing, you’ll ultimately find more success as an online student.
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These are indeed unique days. Campus is empty. Classes are virtual. And now stay-at-home orders dominate the headlines. My family is hunkered down in various parts of the house each with their little own little “office” area, but God is not surprised. It may seem unsettled, strange, and awkward but God is steadfast and abounding in love. It may get a little intense holed up like outlaws in an old western, but God will be rich in mercy.
One of the great joys has been the response to this crisis from our communication department community (and UNW!). Grace has been extended during the transition. Conversations have been joyful and hope-filled. There’s been a flexible Gumby-like spirit to find solutions to all the problems in the transition - even amidst this season of tremendous loss.
It has been a painful time. Not only is there a long list of things we miss from our daily face-to-face interactions due to the chaos of COVID-19, we grieve deeply the death of the Jeremy Kolwinska, the Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the College of Arts & Humanities on March 13, 2020 from a cardiac event.
There is no scenario that the loss of Jeremy feels real. And yet it is. Life is as fragile as the wall of the vein that leads to your heart. Psalm 103 says, “As for man, his days are like grass, he flourishes like a flower of the field, for the wind passes over it and it is gone.”
The key word for you is “flourish." Jeremy flourished. He did what the Lord required of him. He led with a humble and contrite spirit. He could laugh with you and lament with you within moments. A true musician.
Jeremy’s passing and the loss we feel is a bitter reminder that there is a more deadly eternal sickness than the coronavirus. It’s sin. And our only hope for overcoming it is Christ. In Christ, there is no condemnation, and nothing can separate us from Him (Romans 8). In Him, He holds all things together and makes peace through the blood of the cross (Colossians 1:15-20). It is only in Christ that you can truly flourish - to shine brightly. To do what God purposes for you. It is not by your strength or might it is the spirit of the Lord (Zechariah 4:46) and nothing (NOTHING!) thwarts the Lord (Job 42:2). We have a great High Priest who can sympathize with our weaknesses (Hebrews 4:16). When the instinct is to give up: Hold fast to your confession. There is a gravity and gladness of God that is deep, supremely joyful, and everlasting. In our sadness, He is never any less true. We do not grieve as those who have no hope. Psalm 103 continues, “The steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him and his righteousness to their children’s children.”
For now though. Still a bit numb until, somehow and miraculously, His mercies are new. This morning. Tomorrow morning. Every morning. And the truth that this grief will one day be without tears or sorrow will prevail. Only love remains. Basking in the glory of our risen King. Standing side by side. Jeremy among us. Trombone at his side and to his lips. Worshiping. Forever. What a great day. Already. Not yet.
Professor Mark Seignious
Chair, Department of Communication
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Here are Dr. Kirk Moss, Chair of the Department of Music & Theatre, and I goofing around with some creative backgrounds for classes on the video conferencing platform, Zoom.
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