The Viterbo University community was treated Sept. 18 to a talk by author Sarah Smarsh, author of this year's Common Read, Heartland: A Memoir of Working Hard and Being Broke
in the Richest Country on Earth. The talk, which was part of the D.B. Reinhart Institute of Ethics in Leadership lecture series, was open to the La Crosse community as well as students.

In addition, Smarsh spent an hour before her talk answering questions from a few dozen first-year students, most of them in the Honors Program. 

One Saturday each month, the Viterbo community gathers to do some good. By joining in on Service Saturdays, students place themselves in opportunities for leadership and growth—problem-solving, communication, and critical thinking—all while building relationships with people and organizations with a passion and commitment to bettering our community. 

Maybe you took part in our recent Family Day Service Saturday, and if so, many thanks to you. We had 96 people register to work on 14 service projects, with more than half of registrants being guests (along with 36 students and 10 faculty and staff members). Check out our photo gallery from Family Day Service Saturday.

If you didn’t, that wasn’t your only chance this year. Parents and families are invited to any Service Saturday that works for them.
 
Service Saturdays remaining this semester include one Oct. 5 in Arcadia, a joint day of service Nov. 2 with UW-La Crosse and Western Technical College, and a day of Salvation Army bell-ringing on Dec. 7. For more information or to register for a project of your choice, visit our Service Saturdays page. 

Want to learn more? THIS VIDEO does an excellent job of capturing the Service Saturdays experience.

Making our students feel at home is priority No. 1 for Viterbo University, and nobody exemplifies that mission better than Joann Stacey, residence life director, and Devin Brown, one of our many students who serve the university as resident assistants.

Stacey is a native of Kansas who has worked at Viterbo since 2020. With a background in music, Stacey works hard to ensure that our students live in harmony. "For students to feel comfortable sharing deeper concerns or issues, I need to be more than a name on an office door or email," she said.

Brown is a senior biochemistry major from Green Bay who played baseball for Viterbo before a knee injury cut short his playing career. He sees building community as one of the most important aspects of his work as an RA in La Verna Apartments. "School goes by fast," Brown advises students. "Cherish each moment with the people around you and be grateful for who you are with."

Visit our website to read more about Stacey or Brown.

As students are settling into their new spaces and making new connections, we have already started to prepare them for the housing selection that occurs in the spring semester. Many students find on-campus living to be a safer, simpler, cost-effective alternative to living off-campus. Our 2025-26 housing applications are now available to students as we look to support their student learning experience. Studies show that students who live on campus tend to get better grades, graduate faster, and have a more satisfying college experience.

Our housing selection process will be completely digital and all in one place, using Viterbo’s THD Housing Portal. Your student can submit a contract now. Roommate matching will open starting Oct. 1; housing selection will take place March 5-7. 

For step-by-step directions from applying to live on-campus to securing a specific apartment (as well as answers to frequently asked questions), students can consult our Housing Selection Guide. 

Viterbo has more than 35 student clubs and organizations this fall, and we saw almost all host a table to recruit new members at our Welcome Back Bash event, an event that draws more than 350 participants and highlights the diverse opportunities available while empowering students to start their own club if they see a need.

Club and organization leadership and advisors will have development sessions the week of Sept. 23, covering everything from membership engagement, financial tools and strategies, inclusion, and more. 

Many students wait until they get a handle on academics before adding activities to their plate, while others add a lot right away and trim down by what feels right for them. There isn’t a wrong way, but getting connected to a variety of groups on campus is important for building student support that’ll come in handy down the road.

Ask your student about the ways they are getting connected on campus. Maybe it’s joining a club, signing up for fun activities through Weekends at Viterbo (WAVU) like open mic night, laser tag, pickup volleyball games, and more, or enjoying entertainment options at the Fine Arts Center, Ethics Institute lectures, varsity athletics or intermurals, or campus ministry events like Theology on Tap or Morning MUG.

Did you know that September is National Suicide Prevention Month? Counseling Service’s memorial for college students who have died by suicide in the past year has been a reminder for all on campus. Suicide can be a difficult topic but so many of us have been affected by it. 

On Sept. 10 (National Suicide Prevention Day), more than 40 members of the Viterbo community, including students, faculty, and staff, took part in QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) training. These Viterbo community members took an important step to help prevent suicide on our campus and in our communities. 

QPR is the gold standard in suicide prevention interventions. Counseling Services will continue to offer QPR training throughout the year, so be sure to watch for mentions on Viterbo social media accounts and encourage your student to attend. If you are looking for QPR training for yourself, an online course is available for a fee through the QPR Institute page. 

If you or someone you know is struggling with suicide, contact 988, 911, or your local emergency services. Viterbo resources can be found on our Viterbo Counseling Services page. 

Viterbo University is an active member of the La Crosse Area Tri-Campus Alliance, which recognizes the importance of collaborating to promote safety, education and positive experiences for La Crosse’s college students. With school back in full swing, this is an exciting time for both students and family members, especially with the excitement of the upcoming Oktoberfest celebration. We will be sharing some good reminders with our students for Oktoberfest that also apply to any social activities:

►Travel in groups and stay near your friends.
►Charge your cell phone and ensure that emergency numbers and contacts are pre-loaded.
►Drink responsibly, monitor your drink, be careful near the rivers downtown, and don’t put yourself or others in danger.
►Remember that consumption of alcohol on public streets and sidewalks is illegal.
►Consider: local ordinance fines for hosting parties with underage guests range between $1,000-$5,000.
►If a friend has consumed too much alcohol or appears to be a health risk, don’t hesitate to seek immediate assistance