Special Edition Fall 2021: The Composition of a Katie

What’s in a name? 

What does it mean to be a Katie? Is Katie simply a nickname given to those who attend St. Catherine University? If so, why would the name be spelled with a “k” and not a “c”? As an English major, and someone who constantly critiques words, this was quite annoying to me. I asked around campus why this was the case, and the common response was that Katie is a typical nickname for Catherine. After consulting the library archives, I found that this must be the case as there is little or no evidence indicating otherwise. 

After a day of ruminating on this conclusion, I found it inadequate. Are we really just a nickname? Is a difference in title all that it means to be a Katie? I think not. Surely, we are much more than a name. Our institution's history and the experiences of current Katies affirmed my suspicion: being a Katie is more than a nickname; it is a way of existing in the world.

 St. Catherine University was created with the intent of being one of the finest institutions to offer an education to women, though academic education was not the only topic our founders emphasized. Early yearbooks from the 1910s all shared a common desire, to foster “in pupils a sense of order and spirit of self-control, conceiving it to be their duty to permit and nourish the development of the natural character.” Faculty were expected to educate the mind and the soul, to draw out the uniqueness of every individual they encountered in the classroom. Students were taught to love their neighbors as themselves without distinction. Professors demonstrated this belief by engaging with and teaching students without distinction. St. Catherine’s created an environment in which each individual could learn to express themselves and give their gifts to the world. From the 20th century up to 2021, these ideals—freedom of expression and serving thy neighbor—are still pillars of what it means to be a Katie.

When I first looked at St. Catherine’s, it was because of a scholarship. As the oldest of six, I needed financial aid wherever I was going to go to college. Once I received a scholarship, St. Kate’s had my attention, but when I finally decided, “this is my college,” financial aid letters weren’t even considered. Rather, the caring community of acceptance that I experienced when visiting campus, dominated my thoughts. 

Each person I met treated me with respect. As one who deals with chronic illness and pain, this is not something I always find. I reached out multiple times for accommodation, and I found people here who were willing to help me without asking intrusive questions. Accommodations were made to allow me to participate, and the validity of my unseen illness was not questioned. Respect and kindness colored my experience of St. Kates both then and now. Being a Katie means being a part of this community that cares. There is space here for people to be themselves (or to figure out what that means) and there is room here to care for others too.

In one of my classes, I took a poll to see how current students view their identity as a Katie. While I understood my experience, I wanted to hear the voices of others. What does being a Katie mean to them? Angelique Morgan ‘22 (Interpreting) describes a Katie as: “Being a woman empowered by women to empower women.”

Others were not quite sure what being a Katie was other than being a part of a unique community. In class, the discussion revolved around how students had never experienced a college campus with a community like ours. One student commented that Katies are expected “to learn from our community and to bring back/give back to the community.” Another student ‘25 enjoyed St. Kates' emphasis on social justice; how St. Kate’s focuses on speaking up for what is right and being an educated individual.

When asking these questions and listening to the responses, I wondered what the founders of St. Catherine University would think. Would they be proud to hear students champion our campus as a place of free expression and service? I believe they would; the legacy of St. Catherine’s is continuing through Katies and what students believe a Katie to be.

Simply put by a current student, a Katie “is more than being a girl at a women’s college. It’s being part of a community, as cliche as that sounds.” A community that cares for both those outside and those inside is one of the many ways that St. Catherine University is unique.