Eubank named director of Institute for Lasallian Studies

Dr. Roxanne Eubank has been selected as the first director of the newly established Institute for Lasallian Studies in the Schools of Graduate and Professional Programs. She will continue as professor in the Doctor of Education in Leadership Program, teaching and advising graduate students.

Dr. Eubank has been at the university since 1991, serving as a faculty member and an administrator in the graduate school. She has participated in a wide and rich variety of Lasallian formation programs, and she now is recognized as a leading lay partner in university, regional and international Lasallian conversations. Dr. Eubank currently serves on the SMU University Council for Lasallian Mission, the Mission and Ministry Council of the Midwest District of the Christian Brothers, and the International Lasallian University Leadership Program.

The Institute for Lasallian Studies was founded to provide Lasallian formation and accompaniment to members of the regional and international family. The Institute will provide master’s-level and doctoral-level programs, as well as certificates, designed to serve the needs of those working in Lasallian ministries around the world. In addition, the Institute anticipates hosting retreats and workshops on emerging issues of special concern to members of the Lasallian family.

Visiting Palestinian prof to speak about West Bank life

Dr. Muna Matar, a computer science professor from Bethlehem University in Palestine, will speak on “Daily Life in Bethlehem: The Israeli Occupation” on Thursday, Dec. 4. Dr. Matar’s presentation will run from 7:30 to 9 p.m. in Salvi Hall. The event is free and open to the public.

Dr. Matar is a visiting scholar in residence at Saint Mary’s during fall semester. She is teaching courses on “Women in the Middle East” at both Saint Mary’s and Winona State University. Dr. Matar lives in Beit Jala, a small city near Bethlehem. After graduating from Bethlehem University with a degree in mathematics, she earned an M.A. in Computer Science from Oregon State University and a doctorate from the University of Ghent in Belgium.

The Palestinian cities of Beit Jala and Bethlehem are part of the West Bank territories occupied by Israel after the 1967 war. For Palestinians, daily life in the occupied territories involves coping with checkpoints, the Israeli barrier wall that divides communities, and the growing number of Israeli settlements.

Bethlehem University is a Catholic institution in the Lasallian tradition, which has been serving students of all faith traditions since 1973. Dr. Matar’s visit is the result of the close association between Saint Mary’s and Bethlehem University, both of which are led by the De La Salle Christian Brothers.

Dance Repertory Company presents ‘The Nutcracker’

The Dance Repertory Company of the Minnesota Conservatory for the Arts — in association with Merchants Bank — will present the holiday favorite “The Nutcracker” Dec. 4-7.

Producing this delightful ballet every other holiday season, the Dance Repertory Company once again brings this magical experiences to the Winona-area community for its fifth biennial production.

The 2008 cast includes 100 members — including students from Saint Mary’s, Winona State University, and children and community members from the Winona area. In addition to beautiful dancing, this year’s production will feature a special choral performance by MCA’s Winona Area Youth Singers at the conclusion of Act I in the Land of Snow.

“The Nutcracker” performances are scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 4, through Saturday, Dec. 6, and at 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 7, at Page Theatre. The Dec. 4-6 evening performances are recommended for children ages 5 and older. The Sunday, Dec. 7, afternoon performance is considered a “family event” and children ages 2 and older are welcome. At this time, the Page Theatre facilities and programs are not equipped to serve the needs of infants.

Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for students and senior citizens and are available at the Saint Mary’s Box Office at Ext. 1715 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, or visit www.pagetheatre.org. Online ticket orders are only available through Dec. 1. Faculty and staff can receive two free tickets.

SMU Concert Band to give holiday performance Dec. 7

The Saint Mary’s Concert Band will present a multi-cultural holiday concert at 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 7, at St. Cecilia Theater, located on the Saint Teresa campus.

Under the direction of Dr. Janet Heukeshoven, the band will perform Polish music composed by John de Meii, Russian Christmas music by Alfred Reed, and a Chanukah Celebration written by David Bobrowitz and Kenneth Soper. In addition, SMU student conductors will lead the band in two arrangements. “Away in a Manger,” composed by Chip Davis and adapted for concert band by Robert Longfield, will be directed by Ryan Ballanger; “Variations on Deck the Halls,” arranged by Robert W. Smith, will be conducted by Gosia Paidosh.

The music will continue to flow after the formal concert. A Christmas cookie reception in the lobby will include lively jazzy carols, a brass quintet, a flute choir and a clarinet ensemble.

Tickets are $10, $5 for seniors and students and are available at the SMU Box Office, Ext. 1715, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays or online at www.pagetheatre.org. Online orders are available until Dec. 1.

Saint Mary’s University choirs to present ‘Lessons & Carols’

Saint Mary’s University Concert Choir, Chamber Singers and Women’s Choir will present their annual holiday tribute, “Lessons and Carols,” at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 6.

The performance — a celebration of Advent and the Nativity through sung and spoken word — will held at Chapel of Saint Mary’s of the Angels, located on the Saint Teresa campus.

Music will include some familiar carols, as well as selections by Byrd, Hassler, Rutter, Nystedt, Mozart, and a variety of other composers from Renaissance to the present.

The concert will feature the premiere of “Ovejita,” a setting of a Lorca poem in English translation by composer William Neil. The setting is for women’s voices and harp, and harpist Elinor Niemisto will join the women of the Concert Choir for the premiere. Neil's composition, along with a major work in preparation for the 2009 SMU Spring Choir Concert, is supported by a grant from the McKnight Foundation.

Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for students and seniors and are available by calling the SMU Box Office, Ext. 1715, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, or online at www.pagetheatre.org. Tickets are available online through Dec. 1.

SMU ‘Lets do Lunch’ scheduled for Dec. 5

The next “Let’s do Lunch” is scheduled for Friday, Dec. 5, sponsored by the SMU Cabinet.

Jazz groups, Batucada joint performance is today

Saint Mary’s jazz ensembles will join forces with the percussion ensemble Batucada Nossa Senhora for an evening of rhythmic jazz and unique ethnic sounds starting at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 21 in Page Theatre.

The joint concert combines the talents of the 18-piece Jazz Ensemble and 12-member Batucada ensemble. The Jazz Combo, featuring five student soloists, will also perform. Dr. John Paulson directs the jazz groups and Denny McGuire directs Batucada Nossa Senhora (translated as “percussion ensemble of our lady”).

The big band will feature the world premiere of Dr. Paulson’s “Drop Off Blues.” This piece stretches the boundaries of traditional blues arrangements by giving each section in the band a challenging “soli” part, as well as ample space for individual soloists. Also included in the jazz ensemble set will be a Basie-style ballad “Nice and Easy,” written and arranged by Jeff Taylor; “Carnival Del Sol,” a lively jazz samba by Dean Sorenson; Dizzy Gillespie’s famous “Manteca”; bebop trumpeter Lee Morgan's ever popular “Sidewinder”; and “Spring Cleaning” by Maynard Ferguson alumnus Matt Harris (featuring music faculty member Eric Heukeshoven on piano). Jazz Combo will be performing A.C. Jobim’s well-known bossa nova “Triste” and Mongo Santamaria’s “Afro Blue.” The jazz groups will combine with the Batucada percussionists to ignite the rhythmic excitement of the concert’s Latin-jazz style pieces.

Student soloists in the jazz groups include: tenor saxophonist Ryan Ballanger; baritone saxophonist Ben Scott and trombonist Tom Briese; and alto saxophonist Vanessa Grams.

Batucada Nossa Senhora will perform styles from the Afro-Cuban and Afro-Brazilian traditions, as well as a drum medley from Ghana in West Africa.

Tickets are $10, $5 for students and seniors and are available at the SMU Box Office, Ext. 1715 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays or online at www.pagetheatre.org. For more information on the event, contact Dr. Paulson at Ext. 1596 or jpaulson@smumn.edu.

SMU jazz combos to perform Dec. 4 at Acoustic Café

Three jazz workshop combos, directed by Dr. John Paulson and Eric Heukeshoven of the Saint Mary’s Music Department, will present a free concert Thursday, Dec. 4, at Acoustic Café in downtown Winona.

The event will be held from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. and will feature student musicians who have been playing together all semester. The performance serves as their “final exam.”

The show will include jazz standards by composers like Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter and Miles Davis, as well as some unique arrangements by Heukeshoven of popular jazz tunes blended with familiar Christmas melodies.

Student art on display at SMU through Dec. 12

“Hungry?” — a photograph by Keisha Harcey — is one of several pieces on display for the 2008 Undergraduate Art Show at Saint Mary’s University. The show is not limited to art majors, but is open to any SMU art student. A variety of artwork is on display Nov. 13 through Dec. 12 in the Lillian Davis Hogan Galleries, located in the Toner Student Center. Gallery hours are 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily, and the exhibit is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Sister Margaret Mear at mmear@smumn.edu.


This linoleum print by Mariana Sanchez del Castillo is part of the 2008 Undergraduate Art Show at Saint Mary's University. The show, currently on display at the Lillian Davis Hogan Galleries, includes photographs, drawings and prints.

Area schools advance in SMU High School Challenge

The Saint Mary's University High School Challenge season continued Saturday, Nov. 15, with Round 1C. High School Challenge is the longest-running, locally produced television program showcasing Eastern Minnesota, Western Wisconsin, and Northeast Iowa high school students in an educational forum.

The following schools competed Nov. 15 and are moving onto the Consolation Championship on Dec. 6: Melrose-Mindoro, Osseo-Fairchild, and Alma Center Lincoln. Moving onto the Super Challenge Feb. 21 are: La Crosse Aquinas, Cotter and Eau Claire North. Other competing schools were: Holmen Maroon, Decorah, West Salem Black, West Salem Orange, Hope Lutheran and Bangor.

During the first rounds of competition, teams that win their afternoon game return for the Consolation Championship games. Teams that win their morning and afternoon games return for the Super Challenge Championship. The final eight games of the tournament are taped at SMU and televised on Fox 25 La Crosse and Fox 48 Eau Claire.

High school students receive scholarships to Saint Mary’s for participating in High School Challenge. Schools that win their first game receive $2,000 scholarships to SMU. Schools that lose their first game receive $1,000 scholarships to SMU. These scholarships are for any member of the senior class with a B or above average.

For more information, contact Nicole Witt Gerdes, High School Challenge coordinator, at Ext. 1761 or ngerdes@smumn.edu.

Winona Area Youth Singers’ inaugural concert is Nov. 23

The Minnesota Conservatory for the Arts will present the Winona Area Youth Singers (WAYS) in “Musical Menagerie,” an inaugural concert, beginning at 1:30 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 23, at the Valéncia Arts Center.

WAYS members are students in grades three through six from the Winona area. The youth choir started in September of this year and has been rehearsing a variety of choral material. The program features music about animals, including German and American folk songs; a familiar hymn text; and modern compositions, both serious and humorous.

Lindsy O’Shea serves as the WAYS director. The WAYS assistant conductor is Jeff David, and Anthony Freeman serves as accompanist.

Reserved tickets are not necessary. Admission is $5 (cash or check only) at the door.

WAYS is the official youth choir of the Minnesota Conservatory for the Arts. WAYS is dedicated to providing quality, artistic and educational programs for all young people, regardless of their financial circumstances.

For more information about WAYS or MCA’s other performing arts programming, visit www.smumn.edu/mca, e-mail dance@smumn.edu or call Ext. 5501.

‘Gifts for Winona’ seeks donations for families in need

Saint Mary’s University Gifts for Winona giving trees are up. This community-wide program — in its seventh year — provides gifts to less-fortunate families during the holiday season. Last year the Winona community provided gifts to more than 1,500 residents. This year more than 1,700 individuals — a record number — have asked for help.

Tags, each labeled with a different person’s holiday gift wishes, are available on one of the trees located in the Toner Center and Saint Mary's Hall.

Return gifts to the Business Office by Dec. 10. A monetary donation can also be made to sponsor the purchase of gifts; make checks payable to SMU GFW and send to Gifts for Winona, Box #8 or drop off at the Business Office windows.

‘Toys for Teens’ hosted by CAC accepting donations Dec. 2-10

The Cardinal Athletic Council will host its “Toys for Teens” holiday giving drive from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 5 to 6 p.m. Dec. 2-10 by the stairs to the Cafe.

With a gift appropriate for a teenage boy or girl, you will be entered into a drawing for gift certificates around Winona.

Monetary donations will also be accepted to purchase toys. CAC will be competing with all other MIAC schools for the highest percentage of toy collection.

If you have further questions, contact Melissa Paulson at mmpaul05@smumn.edu.

Heukeshoven featured by American Composers Forum

A. Eric Heukeshoven, instructor in the SMU Music Department, is one of the featured members on the American Composers Forum website, www.composersforum.org, during the month of November. The ACF selects members to be featured on their homepage based on composers’ recent works. John Michel, director of Projects and Promotions for the group, cited recent premieres of “Honneur à Toi” for Brother William Mann’s inauguration and “Things Things Things You Love,” commissioned and recently premiered by the La Crosse Chamber Chorale, as examples of Heukeshoven’s on-going work as a composer.

The “Featured Member” section on the ACF homepage highlights several composers each month and changes each time the page is visited. If the link to Heukeshoven’s feature doesn't appear, reload or refresh the page until it does.

Staff, student basketball game to raise money for Habitat

Volunteers are needed to play in a staff vs. student basketball game fundraiser for Habitat for Humanity. The game will be held on Sunday, Nov. 23, at 6 p.m. in the SMU gym. Because the student team will be made up of any club presidents who are willing to play, no skills are required. If you are interested, please contact Anjy Buck at habitat@smumn.edu.

SMU in the news

As an effort to let our university community know all the ways SMU is “making the news” — in the Winona area and beyond — the Communication and Marketing Office will provide a regular list of stories highlighting SMU that are featured in the print media.

• SMU alum and former Trustee Renée Garpestad was interviewed by Minneapolis/St. Paul Magazine’s December 2008 issue in an article titled, “Why I Give,” about the reasons why she donates to Saint Mary’s University.

• The Winona Daily News has printed a variety of stories in mid-November including: SMU’s Gifts for Winona community gift-giving program (Nov. 19), the expansion of our Brother James Miller program (Nov. 19), a learning extension through SMU’s Science and Math Methods students and the Area Learning Center in a hands-on GPS lesson (possibly Nov. 21), and the Minnesota Conservatory for the Arts Sugar Plum Tea Party (Nov. 17). Additionally Steven Bouler was interviewed in an article titled, “Where the Boys Aren’t: Area Theatre Needs a Few Good Men,” (Nov. 16).

Let us know so we can share

Whenever you have news to share, call Deb Nahrgang, director of communication-Winona, at Ext. 6966 or e-mail dnahrgan@smumn.edu. The venues we use to share the good news about Saint Mary’s include “Campus Notes,” internal e-mails, news pitches to media, press releases, the alumni magazine, university e-newsletters, brochures, the website and more.

Reminder: No ‘Campus Notes’ next week

Because of Thanksgiving break, there will be no “Campus Notes” next week. The deadline for the Dec. 5 edition is Wednesday, Dec. 3.

Sympathy to Fox family

Gale Fox, father-in-law to June Fox (Registar's Office) and grandfather to John Fox ’10 died Thursday, Nov. 13. A card of condolence can be sent to the Fox family at Campus Box 34. The Saint Mary’s community extends its sympathy to the Fox family.