Ending of CSS Theater Program Draws Sit-in by Students and Supporters

DULUTH, Minn. – A decision announced by the College of St. Scholastica last Friday to cease offering theater productions this fall has shocked students, staff, alumni and the community.  A sit-in by students and others took place Monday.

The all-day sit-in outside the school president’s office saw many people from the school and the community taking part. The students talked among themselves about how the news is affecting them.  MacKenzie Williams, a CSS sophomore, said, ‘It just means so much to me. It feels like a part of my personality is just taken way now and I don’t have opportunities.”

The news of the theater productions ceasing had a much bigger impact on students and others than what some school officials had been expecting.

The news came as a surprise to many. Even the Director of Theater didn’t have any knowledge of the final decision until the school’s email was sent to the college community on Friday afternoon. “I’m crushed,” said Sharon Obst. “Really that’s the only way to describe it is, I’m crushed.”

One of the student organizers of the protest sent an email to the UMD theater director, Mark Harvey, asking for support. Harvey passed the email onto theater students, and a number of UMD students showed their support by taking part in the sit-in.

Alumni of the school and the theater program sent emails talking about the impact theater productions had on their lives. Those gathered to show support read from the emails throughout the day.

One email that was submitted from 2020 graduate Natalie Ness read, “I am extremely disappointed in the community of College of St. Scholastica to hear that the theater program is to be cut. This is a place of acceptance, well-being and a home for many students at CSS throughout the years….By cutting this program you cut students access to acceptance, connection, ability to present words and encouragement to others, and really importantly, their retention to school.”

The Vice President of Academic Affairs for the school, Ryan Sandefer, said the cut was necessitated in part by about a 30 percent drop in overall school enrollment during the past five years. “We know this is going to be difficult,” said Sandefer. “This transition is going to be difficult for students, faculty, staff, alumni and the community. But I want to say that we are committed to the mission of the institution. We are committed to responsible living and meaningful work. We take that seriously and that includes the arts.”

MacKenzie Williams summed up her feelings this way, “This is really hard. The theater has been the one place where I could express myself and be a person where I feel accepted.”

A Go Fund Me page has been set up to raise the money needed to have some sort of theater performances next year at St. Scholastica.