Saint Mary’s Relay for Life raises more than $36,000

On Friday and Saturday, March 16-17, the Saint Mary’s community participated in the Relay for Life. More than 300 students, faculty, and staff came together to celebrate and remember those who have defeated cancer, those currently battling cancer, and those who have lost their lives to this disease. The event raised more than $36,000 for the American Cancer Society and donations are still coming in. Team members spent the night walking around SMU’s indoor track from dusk to dawn to represent the 24-hour fight against cancer.

Founder’s Day is March 27

Saint Mary’s will present awards to a faculty member, a Lasallian educator and two outstanding seniors at its Founder’s Day celebration Tuesday, March 27. Founder’s Day is the annual celebration of the founding of Saint Mary’s in 1912 by Winona Bishop Patrick R. Heffron.

Roger Peckover, Ph.D., professor and associate director of the Master of Education program, will receive this year’s Bishop Patrick Heffron Award for Service. This award is presented to an employee who has contributed positively to the life of the university, demonstrated a long-term commitment to the values of the university, and been a model of the Lasallian spirit through interactions with colleagues and students.

Mary Catherine Fox, ’75, M’89, Ph.D., professor of interdisciplinary studies, has been chosen as this year’s Distinguished Lasallian Educator. These awards are given by Lasallian institutions in the North American-Toronto Region of the De La Salle Christian Brothers to honor contributions and commitment to the Lasallian mission of education. Dr. Fox’s nomination noted her exceptional service to and involvement in local, regional, national and international Lasallian efforts, and her dedication to excellence in teaching at the undergraduate level. Dr. Fox is highly regarded in the Lasallian family and has written and presented on numerous aspects of the Lasallian heritage and charism.



Additionally, the Outstanding Male and Female Senior Awards will be presented.

The following students are finalists for the 2012 Outstanding Senior Awards — Males: Brian William Dillon, Luis Escobar, Kevin Halpin, Robert "Robby" McGuire, and Michael Mockler. Females: Lauren Baier, Ellen Koneck, Amy Kujak, Jill Spitzmueller, and Regina Quandt.

Below is the truncated schedule for the day.

• 7:45 to 9 a.m. classes meet 7:45 to 8:35 a.m.
• 9:15 to 10:30 a.m. classes meet 8:45 to 9:35 a.m.
• 10:45 a.m. to Noon classes meet 9:45 to 10:35 a.m.
• 10:45 a.m. – Eucharistic Liturgy, Saint Thomas More Chapel
• 1:15 p.m. – Convocation, Page Theatre
• 3 p.m. – Reception, Michael H. Toner Student Center, Hall of Fame
• 12:15 to 1:30 p.m. classes meet 3:20 to 4 p.m.
• 1:45 to 3 p.m. classes meet 4:10 to 4:50 p.m.
• Classes that meet anytime after 3 p.m. start at 5 p.m. and end at the discretion of the instructor

De La Salle Week schedule

A variety of activities are scheduled for this year’s De La Salle Week, which will run Sunday, March 25, through Saturday, March 31.


Sunday, March 25
• 10:30 a.m. and 9 p.m. — Opening Liturgies, Saint Thomas More Chapel; refreshments served after Mass
• 1 to 3 p.m. — Help care for disc golf course. Register in Campus Ministry

Monday, March 26
“Faith in the Presence of God”
• 7:30 a.m. — Free donuts, first floor Saint Mary’s Hall
• 12:10 p.m. — Liturgy, Saint Thomas More Chapel
• 5:30 p.m. — Dine with the Divine — Brother Larry Schatz, FSC, to lead conversation with students. RSVP in Campus Ministry

Tuesday, March 27 (Founder’s Day)
“Quality Education”
• 7:30 a.m. — Free donuts, first floor Saint Mary’s Hall
• 10:45 a.m. — Liturgy, Saint Thomas More Chapel — by the Most Rev. John M. Quinn, Bishop, Diocese of Winona, Celebrant
• 1:15 p.m. — Convocation, Page Theater; with presentation of the Distinguished Lasallian Educator Award; Bishop Patrick Heffon Award; and Outstanding Senior Awards
• 3 p.m. — Convocation Reception, Hall of Fame Room
• 8 p.m. — Lasallian Collegians Meeting, President’s Room, with Brother Claude Reinhardt, FSC

Wednesday, March 28
“Inclusive Community”
• 7:30 a.m. — Free donuts, first floor Saint Mary’s Hall
• 12:10 p.m. — Liturgy, Saint Thomas More Chapel
• 4 p.m. — Young Lasallian Gathering with Joseph Gilson, President’s Room
• 7:30 p.m. — SPLaSH performances, Valéncia Arts Center
• 8 p.m. — Evening prayer, Common Room
• 9 p.m. — Campus movie, “The Human Experience,” Salvi Lecture Hall. Pizza will be served in honor of De La Salle Week

Thursday, March 29
“Respect of all persons”
• 8 a.m. — Morning Prayer, Toner Student Center Lounge. Students, faculty, and staff are invited to join the Christian Brothers for morning prayer. Breakfast will follow – all are welcome
•Noon — Lasallian Luncheon for faculty and staff with Brother Claude Reinhardt, President’s Room. By invitation to participants in Lasallian formation programs
• 12:10 p.m. — Liturgy, Saint Thomas More Chapel
• 2 p.m. —  Cookies and milk, first floor, Saint Mary’s Hall
• 4 p.m. — Wine & Cheese Social for faculty and staff with Brother Claude Reinhardt. Attendees should read this article in advance — http://axis.smumn.edu/index.php/axis
• 5:30 p.m. — Recognition dinner: students, President’s Room with Theresa Breault ‘11. By inviation
• 7:30 p.m. — SPLaSH student performances, Valéncia Arts Center

Friday, March 30
“Concern for the Poor and Social Justice”
• 7:30 a.m. — Free donuts, first floor Saint Mary’s Hall
• 7:30 to 10 a.m. — Fair Trade Friday, first floor, Saint Marys Hall
• 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. — CTIE lunch and ceremony, Hall of Fame Room. Soup and salad for $5 donation, to benefit CTIE in Nairobi. Brother James Miller Social Justice Grant to be given to Rev. Warren Green of Winona’s “Fresh Start”
• 12:10 p.m. — Liturgy, Saint Thomas More Chapel.
• 7:30 p.m. — SPLaSH student performances, Valéncia Arts Center

Saturday, March 31
• 12:30 p.m. — Kickball and refreshments, Leo Ochrymowycz Soccer Field
• 1 p.m. – Baseball and softball, Max Molock Baseball Field/softball field
• 6 p.m. – Gather at the Christian Brothers’ residence for a pasta dinner (limited to 25 people; sign up in Campus Ministry by March 28)
• 7:30 p.m. — SPLaSH student performances, Valéncia Arts Center

Taylor Richmond benefit to help alumnus, veteran

Saint Mary’s will present the 12th annual Taylor Richmond Benefit Dance from 8:30 p.m. to midnight Saturday, March 24.

The beneficiary of this year’s formal dance — open to the public — is alumnus Josh Misiewicz, a Marine veteran who was severely injured this past summer while serving in Afghanistan.

Marine Lance Corporal Misiewicz grew up in La Grange, Ill., where he was a well-known hockey star. He attended Saint Mary’s for two years (2006-08) before pursuing his passion to become a U.S. Marine.

In July, his life changed in a flash: a landmine exploded and he suffered the loss of both legs and two shattered eardrums. He recovered at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Maryland, where his positive attitude and enduring spirit served as an example to others.

Misiewicz received the Purple Heart medal this past fall.

Even though the federal government covers Misiewicz's medical expenses, the family is facing many other long-term costs including transportation, home improvements, and a hand-controlled vehicle. Josh and his parents are planning to return to Winona for the event.

The benefit dance has become an annual tradition since its start in 2001 by students in honor of Taylor Richmond, son of SMU staff member Nikki Richmond and her husband Nick Richmond of Cochrane, Wis. 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 gymnasium. Ticket prices are $18 per person or $30 per couple. To purchase tickets or receive more information, contact Lance Thompson at Ext. 1686. Dance tickets will also be available at the door.

In combination with the dance, a silent auction will be held on campus from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. today, March 23. A variety of homemade goods, gift baskets and specialty items will be on display in the game room, located in the Toner Student Center. The public is welcome to bid.

To make a donation, send checks — payable to the Taylor Richmond Benefit Dance — to Thompson at Campus Box 1528.

Concert Band to perform March 25

The Saint Mary’s Concert Band, guest directed by James Knutson, will present a spring concert at 3 p.m. Sunday, March 25, in Page Theatre.

The evening will include a wide variety of works including “American Salute,” “Siyahamba,” “Sticks and Stones (featuring guest artist Rich MacDonald of WSU on drums),” “Suite of Old American Dances,” “Streets of Honor March,” “In Taberna Quando Sumus,” “Who Puts His Trust in God Most Just,” and “Lord of the Rings.”

Knutson has taught music for more than 25 years and currently teaches at Onalaska High School and Saint Mary’s University. 

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.

Saint Mary’s senior art show runs March 24-May 12

Saint Mary’s seniors will display their artwork in the show “Boundaries Fade” March 24 through May 12 in the Lillian Davis Hogan Galleries.

The first group of artists, displaying March 24 through April 18, includes: Sean Coleman, Sarah Grundhoefer, Laura Larson, Joel Reinhart, Stephen Ronchak, Chris Speltz and Cory Wessels.

The second group of artists, displaying April 21 to May 12, includes: Michael Blanda, Ashley Blum, Keisha Harcey, Maria Ann Harris, Mary Karnick, Sarah Marie Kennedy, Laura Polzin, Morgan Stock, Jim Tandberg and Margaret Villaume.

An opening reception is scheduled for 4:30 to 6 p.m. Saturday, March 24, in the galleries, located in the Toner Student Center.

The galleries — free and open to the public — will be open 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily.

Students to produce three plays through ‘SPLaSH’

The Theatre and Dance Department invites the public to the spring “SPLaSH” series — three one-act plays produced by students — March 28 through April 1. The plays will be held at the Valéncia Arts Center’s Academy Theatre, 1164 West Howard St.

SPLaSH, which stands for “short play showcase,” will feature three one-act plays:

• “The Swing Set,” written by senior Tom Conry of Waunakee, Wis., and directed by theatre faculty Judy Myers, is a play about two intertwined people who just missed each other. Maybe it just wasn't meant to be.

• “So, I Wrote This Play…!” is a zany comedy about a man trying to write a play that doesn’t want to be written. This piece is written and directed by senior Rick Baustian of Dell Rapids, S.D.

• “Blackout” by Davey Anderson is adapted and directed by junior Mary Doctor of Aurora, Ill., and is a portrayal inspired by a true story of what happens when young minds are exposed to dangerous ideas.

Shows are scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday, March 28 through 31, and 3 p.m. Sunday, April 1.

Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for students and seniors 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.

Saint Teresa Institute plans women’s forum

In 2010, 36 million women (29.3%) dedicated 4.7 billion hours of service to communities across the country.

This year’s public “For the Common Good” Women’s Symposium, hosted by Saint Mary’s University’s Saint Teresa Institute, delves into the question of why women choose to give so generously of their time and the impact it has on the quality of life and the security of citizens in the United States and around the world.

The event will be held from 3:30 to 8 p.m. Thursday, April 12, in SMU’s Toner Student Center.

Beth Forkner Moe, executive director of the United Way of the Greater Winona Area, will set the stage in her opening address. The keynote by Sister Tierney Trueman, OSF, will provide an inside look at the work of faith-based organizations. She will highlight one of the Sisters of Saint Francis ministries, which provides education for approximately 1,000 girls at Colegio Santa Francisca Romana in Bogotá, Colombia.

Participants can select from three breakout sessions:

• Does it Matter? Does volunteering really make a difference in securing, retaining or being promoted to a position in the workplace?
• In Community: Why do businesses actively encourage employee volunteerism?
• Still Serving: Why emerging leaders, mothers and senior members of our communities volunteer.

Register at www.smumn.edu/womensymposium by April 5. SMU students will be admitted for free; other student tickets are $10, and adult tickets are $30.

Said to be guest speaker at women’s reception Wednesday

Fatima Said, executive director for Project FINE will share her experience of the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina in the 1990s during a women’s reception Wednesday, March 28.

The event, hosted by the Saint Teresa Institute, will run from 4:45 to 6 p.m. in the Common Room of Saint Mary’s Hall. Refreshments will be served at 4:45 p.m., and the program will begin at 5 p.m.

Said was sent to a refugee camp in Croatia where, though she had a tough and unpredictable life, she started a school in the camp. She now influences refugees' and immigrants' lives through her work with Project FINE. This event is in celebration of women.

Register early for Row, Ride, Run Triathlon

The annual Saint Mary’s “Row, Ride, Run Triathlon” will take place on Saturday, April 28, beginning at 9 a.m. at Lake Lodge in Winona and finishing on SMU’s Winona campus.

About 100 athletes from throughout the Midwest are expected to register for the race.

Participants will canoe or kayak a 2.5-mile loop around Lake Winona, then bike 14 miles from Lake Winona to the SMU campus. Once on campus, racers will run 3.1 miles through the bluffs surrounding the university.

Proceeds assist Serving Others United in Love (SOUL), a program of SMU’s Office of Campus Ministry. Through SOUL, students are able to connect with diverse communities by participating in national and international service trips.

Registration is $30 per individual or $60 per team. Teams can be made up of two, three or four members.

Participants must be 10 or older to row or run and 15 or older to bike. Awards will be presented to the top three fastest individuals and the top finishing team.

For more information, visit www.smumn.edu/rowriderun or call Ext. 7268.

Family Pirate Party planned for March 24 at Valéncia

The Dance Repertory Company of Saint Mary’s Conservatory for the Arts is throwing a “Pirate Party,” Saturday, March 24, from 4 to 6 p.m., at the Valéncia Arts Center, 1164 West 10th St.

This family event offers swashbuckling fun for all ages! Games and activities will include walking the plank, a treasure hunt, pin-the-eye-patch on the pirate, cupcake decorating, and a best pirate costume contest. Prizes will be provided to all children who attend.

Admission is $10 for adults, $5 for students, or $20 for an entire family. Cash or check only will be accepted at the door. All proceeds will support the Dance Repertory Company’s Spring production of “Le Corsaire” (the pirate ballet). The Dance Repertory Company will present “Le Corsaire” April 27-28 at the SMU Page Theatre.

For more information about the “Pirate Party,” call the Valéncia Arts Center at Ext. 5500.

SMU hosts sustainability forum

The last sustainability forum, hosted by Student Life, is Tuesday, April 24. The forums are intended to provide interested students, staff and faculty with the opportunity to learn more about the broad concepts of sustainability, discuss these issues as they relate to our daily lives both on and off campus, and then identify actions to contribute toward a more sustainable future.

• “Water” — Tuesday, April 24, 7:30 p.m., Toner Student Center Lounge

If today the issue is oil, then tomorrow the issue will be water. Whether gathered in your reusable container, flowing down the Mississippi River, pumped from the ground, or falling from the sky, water is at the core of all life on earth and we can’t take it for granted.

Thanks for help with regional science fair

On March 2, SMU hosted the Regional Science and Engineering Fair. Dr. Debra Martin, SMU site director, would like to thank all the people that helped to make this a wonderful opportunity that allowed local middle school and high school science, math and engineering students to showcase their research. A special thank you to the IT Department for helping set up the AV equipment, to the information desk for assisting with room reservations and set-up, the librarians for use of the class rooms, the athletic department for the use of the gyms, the VPAA office for the judges' luncheon and all the teachers and students who assisted with the judging of the projects. Your help made this community event memorable.

Today’s Chat & Chow topic is technology and teaching

The next “Chat, Chow & Web 2.0” event, “And I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” will be held today, Friday, March 23, from noon to 1 p.m. in the McEnery Center. These events are hosted by the Fitz, IT and Instructional Technology.

If you are still looking for the best new technologies to facilitate teaching and learning, come to this session to hear about what the futurists have seen in their crystal balls. In this session, examine the 2012 Horizon Report and hear concrete examples of how the technologies of the future are being harnessed to enhance the teaching practice.

Lunch is provided. An RSVP to Jason Spartz, jspartz@smumn.edu, is appreciated, but not necessary. Everyone is welcome!

Sympathy to Stevens family

Dr. Bill Stevens, who taught approximately 20 years (until 1991) in the Music Department, died Friday, March 9, from cancer.

A memorial service will be held today, Friday, March 23, at 11 a.m. at Brunswick United Methodist Church, 6122 42nd Ave. N., Crystal, MN 55422.  Visitation is one hour prior to the service.

The Saint Mary’s community extends its sympathy to the Stevens family.