Commonweal speaker: ‘Is a Catholic College Possible?’

As a part of the Commonweal Lecture series, Dennis O’Brien, Ph.D., will be speaking on “Is a Catholic College Possible?” Thursday, April 10, at Saint Mary's. The lecture — free and open to the public — is scheduled for 7 p.m. in Salvi Lecture Hall.

Additionally, at 3:30 p.m. April 10, he will lead a student-oriented discussion of an article he wrote called “Good Faith: What the new atheists get wrong.” (By “new atheists,” he refers to popular titles such as Christopher Hitchens' God is Not Great, etc.) All viewpoints are welcome at this discussion, but reading the article beforehand is requested. The article is available to be picked up in Saint Mary’s Hall, Room 223 (the Theology suite), or may be accessed on the Ebsco Academic Premier database. The discussion will be held in the Common Room.

O’Brien is president emeritus of University of Rochester and an editor for the biweekly Commonweal Magazine, a review of politics, religion, and culture, run by lay Catholics. A philosopher by training, he is the author of many critically acclaimed books, including The Idea of a Catholic University and most recently, Finding the Voice of the Church.

Through the Commonweal Speakers series, universities across the United States are chosen to host free public lectures from the nationally respected editors at Commonweal. The Commonweal Speakers Program is made possible thanks to a generous gift from James H. Duffy.

For more information,visit www.commonwealmagazine.org. The library also has current and archived copies. For more information, contact Dr. Susan Windley-Daoust, Ext. 1995.

Goodall Institute director to highlight SMU biology research symposium April 4

The Saint Mary’s University Biology Department and Biology Club will host the 35th annual Undergraduate Research Symposium in Biology on Friday, April 4, in the Adducci Science Center.

Students from Saint Mary’s and other colleges and universities in the tri-state region will present the results of their undergraduate research projects. Registration is free and begins at 8 a.m. Presentations begin at 8:30 a.m. and continue until the 11:45 a.m. lunch break; presentations will then continue from 2:15 to 4 p.m.

This year’s featured speaker is Dr. Anne Pusey, director of the Jane Goodall Institute’s Center for Primate Studies at the College of Biological Sciences at the University of Minnesota. Dr. Pusey will present “Friends or foes? Social relationships among female chimpanzees” from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. in Page Theatre.

Dr. Pusey studied juvenile and adolescent development in the Gombe chimpanzees in the 1970s, then spent more than 10 years studying the social behavior of lions in the Serengeti. At the Jane Goodall Institute's Center for Primate Studies, which houses data on chimpanzees and baboons, Dr. Pusey’s research group is computerizing and analyzing the data from Jane Goodall’s 46-year study of Gombe chimpanzees.

The public is invited to attend Dr. Pusey’s lecture, as well as the student presentations, free of charge.

Saint Mary’s Concert Band to perform on March 30

The Saint Mary’s University Concert Band will present its spring concert at 3 p.m., Sunday, March 30, in Page Theatre.

Directed by Dr. Janet Heukeshoven, the 65-member band will entertain audiences with a varied repertoire including “Sea Songs” by Vaughan Williams; “American Hymn Tune Sketches” by Prescott; “Amazing Grace,” arranged by Tichel; “Albanian Dance” by Shelly Hanson, “Geometric Dances” by Cichy; “In Heaven’s Air” by Hazo; and “Africa: Ceremony, Song & Ritual,” by Smith.

This concert continues the theme of “Song and Dance,” which the ensemble is using this season to explore the rich band repertoire — both new and old — which originates from the folk song or hymn traditions, as well as dance-inspired music.

Tickets are $6 for adults and $4 for students and seniors and are available by calling the Box Office, Ext. 1715, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, or online at www.pagetheatre.org.

Mowry to share vocal talents April 5-6 at Saint Mary’s

Dr. Mark Mowry, left, accompanied by Dr. Nicholas Phillips will perform April 5-6.
Dr. Mark Mowry, adjunct faculty with the Department of Music, will perform a vocal concert April 5-6 as part of the Page Series’ “Voices of SMU.”

Mowry, accompanied by Dr. Nicholas Phillips on piano, will perform 7:30 p.m. Saturday April 5, and 3 p.m. Sunday, April 6. Both performances will be held in Figliulo Recital Hall.

Mowry, a tenor, has performed a diverse range of opera, concert, and recital repertoire, which reflects his broad musical interests. He sang the role of Enrico Carouser in the world premiere of Edwin Penhorwood’s opera Too Many Sopranos.

An advocate of the song genre, Mowry has participated in numerous master classes devoted to the subject and led by such noted musicians as Graham Johnson, Roger Vignoles, and Håkan Hagegård; his own recital appearances have occurred both at home in the U.S. and, more recently, in the United Kingdom — first at Jubilee Hall in Aldeburgh, England, for the Aldeburgh Festival, and then for his debut recital at London’s Wigmore Hall, for which Graham Johnson was pianist. In addition, Mowry’s various musical activities have taken him to the cities of Chicago, Dublin, Lucerne, Milan, Moscow, Munich, New York, Salzburg, Tokyo, and Washington, D.C. Mowry received a Doctor of Music degree from the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University.

Phillips is assistant professor of piano at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, where he teaches applied and class piano.

A native of Indiana, Phillips holds a degree in piano performance from the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory of Music. He has studied with internationally-renowned pianists and pedagogues including Karen Taylor, Paul Barnes, Karen Shaw, and Robert Weirich. Before joining the faculty of the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, Phillips taught applied and class piano at the University of Missouri-Kansas City and Indiana University.

The performance will include German and French song repertoire including music by Henry Purcell, Franz Schubert, Reynaldo Hahn, Benjamin Britten, and Francesco Paolo Tosti.

Tickets are $12, $9 for seniors and $8 for students and are available at the SMU Box Office, Ext. 1715, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, or online at www.pagetheatre.org. Because of a scheduling conflict, Dr. Patrick O’Shea will not be performing, as advertised in early Page Series marketing materials.

SMU Disc Golf Open scheduled for April 5

The first Saint Mary’s University Disc Golf Open tees off on Saturday, April 5, at 9:30 a.m. on The Woods at Saint Mary’s disc golf course.

The Woods is an 18-hole course that winds through the bluffs surrounding the campus. With narrow fairways and intricate hole placements, the course can be challenging for both beginners and experienced disc golfers.

The top three finishers will receive prizes:
• First place – portable disc catcher, disc bag, and three Innova discs
• Second place – Innova disc bag and three Innova discs
• Third place – three Innova discs

The tournament is sponsored by the SMU Office of Outdoor Leadership and co-sponsored by Innova Disc Golf. Proceeds will be used to maintain the disc golf course and for Outdoor Leadership Program funding.

Tournament fees are $15 for students and $25 for the general public. Each participant receives an SMU customized Innova putt and approach disc. To register, or for more information, visit www.smumn.edu/thewoods or contact Davey Warner at Ext. 8740 or e-mail him at outdoorleadership@smumn.edu.

Register now for SMU youth sports camps

Saint Mary’s is now taking registration for its residential boys and girls hockey camps, boys and girls basketball camps, and girls volleyball camps.

SMU youth sports camps offer outstanding facilities, professional coaching, good food, and innovative and creative instruction within a well-supervised environment.

Students will work on individualized skills, as well as team play. Athletic trainers are on site, and all camps are run by SMU coaches and players. Rates include instruction, housing, meals and a shirt.

For more information, and to register and pay online, go to www.smumn.edu/sportscamps or call Ext. 6973. Space is limited. Register by April 1 and receive the early bird discount! Information regarding SMU youth sports day camps will be announced soon.

Diocesan scholars recognized

Diocesan scholarship recipients were recognized during a special luncheon Wednesday, March 26. Students were joined for lunch by the Most Reverend Bernard Harrington, Bishop of the Winona Diocese (center). Scholarship recipients are, from left: Matthew Marek, Winona; Zachary Barry, Fort Wayne, Ind.; Josiah Ryks, Austin, Minn.; and Paula Angst, Winona. Barry received the Archbishop Binz Scholarship; Ryks and Angst received the Msgr. Julius C. Haun Scholarship; and Marek received the Bishop Patrick R. Heffron Scholarship.

High School Challenge continues to air

High School Challenge is a tournament of knowledge sponsored by Saint Mary’s.

Fox 25/Fox 48 continues to air previously recorded Super Challenge competitions from 10:30 to 11 a.m. Sundays. Tune in to cheer on your hometown team on these dates:
• March 30 – North Crawford vs. Eau Claire Regis
• April 6 – Seneca vs. La Crosse Aquinas
• April 13 – Quarterfinals begin airing
For more information, call Nicole Witt Gerdes, High School Challenge coordinator, at Ext. 1761 or ngerdes@smumn.edu.

Annual SMU benefit dance to help alumnus Leukemia patient

Saint Mary’s University will present the eighth annual Taylor Richmond Benefit Dance from 8 p.m. to midnight on Saturday, April 12.

The beneficiary of this year’s formal dance — open to the public — is SMU alumnus Steve Groby. Steve, a resident of Shakopee and formerly of Wabasha, was diagnosed two years ago with Chronic Myelomonocytic Leukemia, which resulted in a bone marrow transplant last May.

The benefit dance has become an annual tradition since it was started by students in 2001 in honor of Taylor Richmond, son of Saint Mary’s Campus Ministry and Student Activities staff member Nikki Richmond. Taylor has a genetic terminal illness called Ataxia Telangiectasia (A-T) and the money from his benefit was used to fulfill Taylor’s dream of going to Disney World. Each year this event benefits someone in the SMU community in need.

The dance, featuring music by the Johnny Holm Band, will be held in the Toner Student Center dining room. Ticket prices are $15 per person or $25 per couple. To purchase tickets or receive more information, contact Jason Richter at Ext. 1648 or Katie LaPlant at Ext. 6936. Dance tickets will also be available at the door.

To make a donation, send checks — payable to the Taylor Richmond Benefit Dance — to Katie LaPlant, Box 1471.

In combination with the dance, a silent auction will be held on campus from 9 a.m.-4 p.m., April 10-11. A variety of homemade goods, gift baskets and specialty items will be on display in the game room of the Toner Student Center.

Professional conference on teacher inquiry is April 5-6

“Leadership for Learning” is the thematic focus for the Master of Education in Teaching and Learning’s annual conference at Champlin Park High School April 5-6.

Approximately 900 learners in the M.Ed. Program from across the state of Minnesota and Wisconsin will come together for two days of shared learning. Participants will be given the opportunity to explore the fruits of applied inquiry into the use of strategies that support student learning and development.

The conference provides an opportunity to deepen participants’ understanding of their practice, explore ways to use classroom-based action research, and to develop instructional habits of mind that improve student learning and promote the well being of all learners.

During the two-day conference, participants will attend a total of seven sessions. Six sessions will be seminars following a forum, round table, or Socratic seminar format. Here, participants will experience learning seminars grounded in action research sharing, with seminar leaders communicating both an understanding and application of strategies being applied in their classroom. A seventh session will bring teachers of like grade, subject matter, and curricular interests together for a time of sharing new strategies and developing possibilities for future collaboration.

Each seminar at the conference will be led by a second year M.Ed. Program participant. Each leader will facilitate a seminar engaging participants in active learning and dialogue focused on instructional problem solving. Ultimately, the conference is designed to facilitate teacher efforts to realize their personal visions and goals through opportunities to gain relevant information, engage in instructional exploration through dialogue, and renew the purpose that fuels their passion for teaching.

For more information, or to attend, contact Suzanne Peterson, program director, Ext. 6615 or speterso@smumn.edu.

MCA auditions planned for summer intensive

The Minnesota Conservatory for the Arts will hold auditions for acceptance to the MCA Summer Intensive 2008 throughout the Midwest.

Interested students can audition in Minneapolis March 29; Rockford, Ill., on April 12; or locally at Minnesota Conservatory for the Arts at the Valéncia Arts Center, 1164 West 10th St., Winona, Saturday, April 26 from 10 a.m. to noon

The audition class will include a full ballet class. Students with pointe experience should bring pointe shoes to the audition. Following the ballet class, student may choose to also show a prepared jazz, modern, tap, or character dance piece.

The MCA Summer Intensive will be held July 7-25. The program offers comprehensive dance training for intermediate and advanced dancers ages 11-25. Students participate in four to six classes per day on technique, theory and repertoire. Students will also rehearse for a final showcase performance, to be presented to families and friends on the closing night of the Intensive. Courses include: ballet, pointe, variations, repertory, pas de deux, jazz, rhythm tap, modern, hip hop, contact/improvisation, Pilates, dance conditioning, water aerobics, health and nutrition, make-up and costuming, and dance history, among others.

MCA is housed in the Valéncia Arts Center on the Saint Mary’s University Saint Teresa campus in Winona.

Boarding and non-boarding options are available. Tuition, including room and board fees for the three-week intensive, is $1,600. Full and partial talent-based scholarships are available. Scholarships are awarded based on the student’s audition class. Video auditions are accepted for students who cannot attend an audition class. Videos must be received by April 15, 2008. Visit www.smumn.edu/mca for video audition guidelines and for a complete listing of all MCA Summer Intensive audition class sites.

The Conservatory is an affiliate program of Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota and works closely with Cotter High School offering accreditation for classes.
The application deadline for the MCA Summer Intensive is May 1. For a brochure and application, or for more general information about the MCA Summer Intensive, visit www.smumn.edu/mca, e-mail dance@smumn.edu or call Ext. 5501.

Fac/staff softball team needs more players

The faculty/staff co-ed intramural softball team is looking for some additional victims....er....players. “Older and Slower” will once again show the students that experience trumps youth when it comes to softball! Games are Tuesdays/Thursdays at 5:30 p.m. and will begin when St. Joe’s field is dry enough to play on. The only requirements are that you can bring a glove and want to have fun. Contact Katie LaPlant or Dean Beckman if you’re interested.

Women in Math Colloquium is March 31

The next speaker for the Women in Mathematics Colloquium is Dr. Suzanne Lenhart from the University of Tennessee. Her presentation on Monday, March 31, is titled “Rabies in Raccoons: Optimal Control for a Discrete Time Model on a Spatial Grid.” The presentation will be from 4:30 - 5:30 p.m. in Salvi with a reception starting at 3:45 in the Common Room.

Annual ‘Spruce Up Winona Day’ scheduled for April 18

Saint Mary’s, Winona State and Minnesota State College-Southeast Technical will conduct the third annual “Spruce Up Winona Day,”on Friday, April 18, from 1 to 5 p.m.

“Spruce Up Winona Day” is a community-wide clean up project. This year's event includes a flood relief component, in addition to working with Adopt-a-Block, downtown clean-up, the Elder Network and local residents.

Volunteers are needed to help with light clean up or maintenance such as cleaning, raking, painting and picking up trash.

The event features three shifts: 1 to 3 p.m., 3 to 5 p.m., or both shifts, from 1-5 p.m.

For more information, call Katie LaPlant, Ext. 6936.

Clothing drive March 28-30

The Common Threads Clothing Drive is March 28-30, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Toner Student Center. Items will be sold for $.50 each or $4 per bag. All proceeds go to the Winona Catholic Worker House.

Second Page shows are March 28-29

The free improv comedy shows by Second Page will be held 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. Friday March 28 and 10 p.m. March 29, all in Figliulo Recital Hall.

Gaut, Neff honored for article ‘Save the Lady’

Dr. Greg Gaut, Department of History, and his co-author Marsha Neff, received the David Stanley Gebhard Award from the Minnesota Chapter of the Society of Architectural Historians at their annual meeting and banquet on March 26 at the Minnesota Humanities Center in St. Paul.

The Gebhard Award is given biannually to the best book or article on the subject of Minnesota's built environment. The major criterion is how well the work strikes a balance between scholarship and accessibility. Their article is entitled “‘Save the Lady’ — The Struggle for the Winona County Courthouse,”and appeared in Minnesota History, Vol. 59, No 7 (Winter 2005-2006).

Go to: www.mnsah.org/gebhard.php or www.mnhs.org/market/mhspress/MinnesotaHistory/backissues.html.

Pohl family congratulations, prayers

Jim Pohl ’70, an adjunct teacher in the School of Education, Twin Cities campus, and member of the SMU Sports Hall of Fame, received the Cliff Thompson Award for the “Old Timer Coach” of the year. Pohl is a retired principal at Red Wing High School and taught and coached for many years prior to become a school administrator.

Please also keep the Pohl family in your thoughts and prayers. Jim's son, Tom, plays for the Minnesota Gophers hockey team and suffered a serious skull fracture during a game on March 18. After a successful head surgery, Tom is at home in Red Wing with his family. Notes of support can be sent to:

Jim Pohl
2382 Clover Lane
Red Wing, MN 55066

Ryan named director for M.A. Special Education

Dr. Kathy Ryan has accepted the position of program director for the M.A. in Special Education program, which will launch in the spring 2009. Dr. Ryan has served the university as the PACC director and as an assistant professor in the School of Education.

Employee changes

Departures:
• Marcia Hines, April 4, Twin Cities - Assistant to Chancellor and Admissions/Student Services
• Meghan Dowd, April 2, Twin Cities Admin. Asst. External Affairs/Hendrickson Institute
• Karen Slakey, March 19, Twin Cities Nurse Anethesia - Assistant Professor and Curriculum Coordinator

New employees:
• Velma Kimsal, March 11, Twin Cities program director, M.A. in Organizational Leadership and M.S. in Telecommunications
• Timothy Ahrens, March 31, custodian.
• Anna Drennen, March 25, Twin Cities administrative asst., interlibrary loan.

Dulak serves on St. Olaf program review committee

Joe Dulak, director of the Academic Skills Center, was asked by the dean of Students at St. Olaf College in Northfield to be part of a committee to perform a program review for their Academic Support Center. He attended a St. Olaf meeting March 10-12 with ASC staff, campus faculty and administration, as well as students, gathering information for this review.

The group will submit a written report by March 21 with their recommendations for the ASC. The other members of the the committee were the director of disability support services at Augsburg College, the director of the academic support center at Carleton College, and the director of the MAX Center at Macalester College.

Congratulations to Beckman family

Dean Beckman (Social Science) and his wife, Deb, had a baby girl, Erica Grace, on Tuesday, March 18. The Saint Mary’s community extends its congratulations to the Beckman family.