By: Cassie Olson, University student

I recently was recommended to read an April 3 article titled, “Defining the St. Paul student.” As both a student and resident in the St. Paul campus community, I feel justified in answering this question myself.

In the article, one student, a resident on West Bank, vouched that students of St. Paul are “kind of left out of everything.” Although it may be misconceived that a campus of smaller students would feel disconnected from University of Minnesota events, this is far from the case. Some of the best memories for many students on the St. Paul campus come from spending long evenings in the Livestock Pavilion pomping floats in preparation for Homecoming, waking up at 6 a.m. to get the best spots available to tailgate at fall football games or taking the Campus Connector to Mariucci Arena to catch another women’s hockey victory. The small-town atmosphere only adds to the enjoyment of these common University events, as we don’t attend as individuals or even as groups; we find ourselves feeling like family.

Family is what leads me into my next point. Nowhere else at the University will you be able to find a group of people who support you through all obstacles of life. One student in the article put it correctly by saying that even though you may not know every single person on campus personally, you quickly learn their face in passing. When someone in St. Paul makes news, even in the smallest of ways, they are supported and congratulated in a way much similar to how one would feel at home. St. Paul is a small community, and with that, we are connected to one another, whether or not we realize it.

“So what makes up a St. Paul student?” you may ask. Although the professor in the article made a valid point in saying we are all connected as University students, there is something special about being a St. Paul student. We are the students who wake up at the crack of dawn to head out to the dairy barn to check on a newborn calf or even just to visit the employees in the parlor. We are the students who enjoy the friendly competition against one another in Minnesota Royal every spring. We are the students discovering the effects of different clothing materials. We are the students who are working hard to find new ways to feed more than 7 billion people.

The April 3 article sought out a definition of what defines a St. Paul student. To sum it up, a St. Paul student is simply a unique individual in a great community that may seem disconnected from the bigger picture but is connected on a greater level. The involved, hardworking and dedicated students in St. Paul make it a great place that I am proud to call home.