The Winonan

The Winonan Winona State University's student newspaper since 1919. The Winonan has served as Winona State University’s student-run newspaper since 1919.

It is a weekly publication, with new issues available Wednesday mornings at the entrance of campus buildings. The Winonan also maintains an online edition that is updated Wednesday mornings. Mission Statement:
To inform and empower the campus and community of Winona State University. Inform: to report news and events that affect the campus and community. Empower: to provide students with an outle

t for creativity and an opportunity to learn all aspects of newspaper operations. For more information visit: http://www.winona.edu/communications/winonan.asp

Federal Immigration and Custom Enforcement (ICE) activity has been the topic of discussion since Operation Metro Surge b...
02/05/2026

Federal Immigration and Custom Enforcement (ICE) activity has been the topic of discussion since Operation Metro Surge began in Dec. 2025. It initially targeted the Twin Cities but has expanded to all of Minnesota. Thousands of agents have flooded into Minnesota creating tension and leading to the detention of U.S. citizens among various rights violations.

One month into 2026, Minnesota has seen two U.S. citizens shot and killed by ICE agents. On Jan. 7, Renee Nicole Good, a 37-year-old mother of three, was killed by an ICE agent. This was followed by the killing of Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old Veterans Affairs nurse, on Jan. 24. Both killings have led to statewide protests including a general strike held on Jan. 23 which led to hundreds of businesses closing and thousands of protesters hitting the streets of Minneapolis.

Although it sits over a hundred miles from Minneapolis, ICE activity has been reported in Winona. During a Winona City Council meeting held on Jan. 20, Mayor Scott Sherman shared a statement confirming an ICE presence in Winona. The Winona Police Department (WPD) also confirmed that federal agents were in the area on Jan. 16 and 22. The WPD was notified when they were coming and going from Winona. A member of the Winona Rapid Response team reported that at least two Hmong American men were detained.

Written and photographed by: Delia Derner

Read the full article at winonan.org

A good student is one who never stops learning for their entire life—at Winona State University, this principle is reinf...
02/05/2026

A good student is one who never stops learning for their entire life—at Winona State University, this principle is reinforced by the Retiree Center and the many learning opportunities they offer for retired staff from Winona State and the greater Winona community. This winter, the Retiree Center is offering a class taught by Emeritus Professor of Philosophy Dr. Don Scheid on War, Peace, and Terrorism that meets every other week and is discussion-based.

According to the Winona State Retiree Center newsletter, “this group is open to all adult learners, both within and beyond the university community, who are interested in thoughtful, respectful dialogue about some of the pressing issues of our time.” The group meets biweekly on Thursdays from 2:00-4:00 p.m. in Somsen Hall Room 113. Undergraduate students are also welcome to join.

Written by: Elsa Schreiner
Photographed by: Cassandra Raymond

Read the full article at winonan.org

Winona State University scored a pair of conference wins this weekend. They won against both the University of Mary and ...
02/05/2026

Winona State University scored a pair of conference wins this weekend. They won against both the University of Mary and Minot State University. This is their first full week victory at the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) after a new starting five.

Winona State had three seniors in their starting lineup before, and they graduated. On top of that, their best player transferred. This year, they are starting with two freshmen and three sophomores.

“We are a young team. We look really promising. We just have to build up the chemistry like we had last year,” said Winona State player, Tyler Mason.

Written and photographed by: Pronob Kumar

Read the full article at winonan.org

During winter especially, many students want to schedule appointments through Health and Wellness Services, but sometime...
02/02/2026

During winter especially, many students want to schedule appointments through Health and Wellness Services, but sometimes it could feel like a roadblock to make the step to call or go into the office. The Winona State University Health & Wellness Center now has the option for students to schedule appointments through an online system. In today’s digital age, many students feel more comfortable and find it more convenient to schedule online.

Lexie Yanta-Green, the Health & Wellness Promotion Coordinator, has found that many students would feel discouraged from seeking an appointment due to the old scheduling options.

“We have received feedback for years that students would prefer an online scheduling option, but we did not have the capabilities to offer online scheduling with our previous electronic health record system,” Yanta-Green said. With the new process, according to Winona State’s website, students can access their health portal through a link on the university’s main webpage, then click on “Appointment Scheduling” and find a time that works for them.

Written by: Elsa Schreiner
Photographed by: Cassandra Raymond

Read the full story at winonan.org

The horror genre is widely known for its extremely high returns compared to its budget, becoming a favorite classic for ...
02/02/2026

The horror genre is widely known for its extremely high returns compared to its budget, becoming a favorite classic for many studio makers on a way to growing a steady budget with not much challenge. When the first Five Night At Freddy’s film rolled out in 2023, its budget of $20 million got overwhelming results of almost a $300 million box office and opened the doors to the trilogy based on the popular videogame to continue being a staple of young generations and social media.

FNAF 2 continues the story of Michael, a young men who lost his younger brother to the main villain of the series, William Afton, the co-owner of the Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza restaurant, with the supporting characters of Vanessa who is William’s daughter who distanced herself away from him and Abbey, the sister of Michael who created a strong friendship with the animatronics from the first film.

Written and illustrated by: Larissa Lopez

Read the full review at winonan.org

Winona State University students filling out a 2027-2028 housing application will have the opportunity to sign up to be ...
01/29/2026

Winona State University students filling out a 2027-2028 housing application will have the opportunity to sign up to be the first residents in the newest residential hall: Foundation Hall. On Jan. 20, 2026, a groundbreaking ceremony was held to mark the official start of the hall’s construction.

The new building will offer several modern amenities such as air conditioning, private bathrooms and hammock spaces. With the 2025-20206 academic year beginning with an overcapacity number of students, Winona State President Kenneth Janz and Jon Olson, Vice President of University Advancement knew that they needed to make a plan to ensure that overflow housing will not be a problem in the future as Winona State continues to expand and attract more applicants.

Written by: Cora Waterman
Photographed by: Elly Herrick

Read at winonan.org

Over the long break, students found their own ways to keep themselves busy. Whether students were picking up extra shift...
01/29/2026

Over the long break, students found their own ways to keep themselves busy. Whether students were picking up extra shifts at work, having late nights with friends or family, settling down to watch movies or pick up a new book to read, students were looking for something to fill their time.

Read the full article for five books students spent their time diving into over winter break.

Written and photographed by: Jade McElmury

How does a collective strive for higher goals after achieving great things previously? Winona State University’s women’s...
01/29/2026

How does a collective strive for higher goals after achieving great things previously? Winona State University’s women’s gymnastics team spent all last season shattering the record books. Ending their efforts in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) championship meet with a school record in overall team and vault score. A top finish in the conference meet in eight years. Now the Warriors begin their season with higher expectations, but they strive for more accomplishments this year.

Irene Kearney, a second-year gymnast for Winona State, discussed the high standards heading into the season.

“All of preseason was embedded that we would want to start off the 2026 season where we had left off at that last meet. Our team motto has a strong emphasis on that: ‘Everything to Gain.’”

Written by: Gabe Slavin

Welcome back from break! We at The Winonan are excited to keep bringing you the news this semester!Our first edition wil...
01/22/2026

Welcome back from break! We at The Winonan are excited to keep bringing you the news this semester!

Our first edition will be out next Wednesday, January 28th. Be sure to check out the latest stories and stay informed!

A reminder that we do hire on a rolling basis, so if you're interested in working with us go to our website winonan.org to apply!

The Winonan

Watkins gallery sits as artwork comes and goes from it’s white walls. From the second level, all three projects done by ...
12/03/2025

Watkins gallery sits as artwork comes and goes from it’s white walls. From the second level, all three projects done by students on the study aboard trip, “Berlin: Shifting the Paradigm”. While all exhibits can be seen, the most prominent one being “Concrete & Culture” done by Thea McAdams, Maya Laudierdale, Meghan Cooper and Kaia Peterson.

Written and photographed by: Elly Herrick

For more on the art exhibit, you can also read "working together to exhbit a story," which delves behind the scenes of the exhibit!

Go check out both these amazing stories at winonan.org!

The holiday season is usually a warm time for many despite the typical bitter cold outside. November and December are ho...
12/01/2025

The holiday season is usually a warm time for many despite the typical bitter cold outside. November and December are home to many holidays where friends and family get together to enjoy company and good food. Now imagine that the ability to get that food taken away. Not only does someone not have the means to contribute to their holiday events, they might not even be able to put food on the table at all

According to Food and Nutrition Services of the U.S. Department of Agriculture “Pending any explicit direction to the contrary from Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), states must not transmit full benefit issuance files to EBT processors. Instead, states must continue to process and load the partial issuance files that reflect the 35% reduction of maximum allotments detailed in the Nov. 5 guidance.” This means that while the government shutdown is over and SNAP benefits are technically back, people are not receiving the full amount they would be getting. In fact, states that have sent out full allotments are required to “immediately undo any steps taken to issue full SNAP benefits for November 2025.”

Located on Winona’s very own Third Street is Red Wing Tattoo, a local tattoo shop that is doing its best to make a difference. Owners Casey and Zephyr are hosting a food drive where people can bring non-perishable foods to the shop and they will donate it to Winona Volunteer Services, which has a food bank.

Written by: Desiree Noon
Photographed by: Elly Herrick

Read at winonan.org

As the lights dim, a hush falls over the audience. They wait with quiet anticipation for the lights to come up and the s...
12/01/2025

As the lights dim, a hush falls over the audience. They wait with quiet anticipation for the lights to come up and the show to begin. The play, “I and You,” was put on at Winona State University from Nov. 19 to Nov. 22. This play allowed students and community members to view a captivating performance in the Dufresne Performing Arts Center’s Dorthy B. Magnus Black Box Theatre. The play was directed by Heather Williams-Williams and adapted for the stage by Lauren Gunderson.

The play opens with Caroline, played by Leah Blanchette, jamming out in her room and being startled by a boy barging in with a large poster board. Through the conversations between the two we learn they have never met and the boy, Anthony, played by Daniel Lozano, volunteered to work with Caroline on this project even though she has been out of school nearly all of the time because of her illness.

Written and photographed by: Jade McElmury

Read the full review at winonan.org

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