Thursday, September 27, 2012

‘Let Us Remember’ Centennial performance to debut Oct. 4-6


In honor of Saint Mary’s Centennial, a special program celebrating the history, mission and legacy of Saint Mary’s will be presented. “Let Us Remember” — a performed narrative that includes many of the voices from Saint Mary’s rich history — will incorporate theatre, music, visual art and dance into one inspiring program.

Experience SMU’s 100-year journey through word, music and photographs during performances scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, Oct. 4-6. A matinee will begin at 2 p.m. Oct. 6.  “Let Us Remember” was written and will be directed by 1979 Saint Mary’s alumnus and Dean of the School of the Arts Michael Charron.

The program features newly commissioned music scores by Dr. Patrick O’Shea, director of choirs, and Eric Heukeshoven, director of jazz, as performed by the SMU Concert Band and SMU Choirs.

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

Centennial timeline unveiling will be Oct. 5


In honor of its Centennial year, Saint Mary’s University commissioned Brother Roderick Robertson, professor of art and design, to cdesign a timeline wall mural of the university’s history.

The timeline will be unveiled during a public reception 10:45 a.m. Friday, Oct. 5, at the Toner Student Center. The timeline will also be installed on the Twin Cities campus.

Brother Roderick has taught art and design at Saint Mary’s for 35 years. This timeline depicts the first century of Saint Mary’s. Fittingly, the artist wanted to tell the university’s story symbolically with 100 photographs.

The piece is divided into four segments or panels. The first panel illustrates the founding and early years of the university under the direction of the Diocese of Winona. The second panel illustrates the arrival of the Brothers of the Christian Schools and the beginning of the Lasallian character of the school. The third panel depicts the arrival of women on campus and how becoming co-educational influenced and changed the nature of the institution. The fourth panel presents the changes that occurred as the college became a university including the expansion of graduate and international programming. The end of the mural speaks to the future of Saint Mary’s University.

The rich and colorful history includes many of the faces from Saint Mary’s University who have shaped its heritage and transformed the school’s educational experience.

The piece includes the first photograph of Saint Mary’s College, taken by Florence Curran and donated by her grandson Rob Linden of Winona. Curran captured the school’s cornerstone laying in 1912.

The SMU class of 2011 helped fund the project through their senior class gift.

Saint Mary's invites public to Fall Frolic Oct. 6

The public is invited to participate in the 25th Fall Frolic 5K fun run/walk on Saturday, Oct. 6.

Registration will run from 8 to 9:45 a.m. in the Toner Student Center with the race beginning at 10 a.m. The $8 cost includes a T-shirt.

The annual event is free to SMU students, faculty and staff, but is open to the community as well. Typically close to 500 people participate; competitors of all levels (including walkers) are welcome.

Registration forms — as well as a complete weekend schedule — are available online at www.smumn.edu/familyweekend.

Family Weekend runs Oct. 5-7 and includes a full slate of activities for families of students and the SMU community — including special Centennial arts debuts in honor of the university’s 100th anniversary. In previous years, as many as 1,000 visitors have come onto campus for Family Weekend music and theatre events, sporting events, the Fall Frolic, and other games and activities.

Centennial Chicago event draws 1,000

Tom Marpe joins a group of recent alumni.
Attendees rocked out to the Oldie Moldies.
Alumni were transported to Chicago Centennial events in trolleys.
The stage party joins Father Andrew C. Fabian for pictures. 


The presence of 1,000 Saint Mary's alumni, benefactors, and friends at the Centennial Celebration-Chicago created an atmosphere of unmatched energy and excitement that filled the Harris Theater Rooftop Terrace at Millennium Park Sept. 22.

This event was an opportunity for the university to honor the enormous contribution that many generations of Chicago families have had on Saint Mary’s during its first century. It was a night to remember with great food and entertainment, and the opportunity to visit with friends and classmates and to meet new people who share the common bond that is Saint Mary's.

The Presidential Award for Outstanding Merit was bestowed upon Father Andrew C. Fabian for his 48 years of service to the university. Honored guests and speakers included event honorary co-chairs Mary Dempsey '75 and John McDonough ’75, who spoke of change, transformation, and impact. Thanks go to all faculty and staff who attended this event, reconnected with alumni and helped spread the good news about Saint Mary’s.

Lasallian Week of Peace schedule announced


The annual Lasallian Week of Peace will begin Sunday, Sept. 30. This is an opportunity for us to join with Lasallian institutions around the world to foster peace through study, prayer and action. This year the theme for the SMU Lasallian Week of Peace is “Non-Violence, Silence is Not an Option.”

Activities for the week include locally and nationally recognized presenters on topics such as cyberbullying, gangs, and non-violence strategies. Brother Robert Schieler, FSC, General Councilor for the Lasallian Region of North America, will presenting on the Lasallian response to the Rights of the Child; Justin Patchin, Ph.D., will address the topic of cyberbullying; and Caprice Smalley will share his first-hand experience of gangs and how to respond to this issue. The full schedule for the week is below. For more information, contact the Office of Campus Ministry.

The SMU community is welcome to attend as many of these events as possible; please encourage students to attend.

Lasallian Week of Peace Schedule

Sunday, Sept. 30                                                                                                                  
10:30 a.m. and 9 p.m., Mass — Reflection on non-violence, Saint Thomas More Chapel.

Monday, Oct. 1                                                                                                                      
7:30 p.m.,   Symbolic Violence, President’s Room (Dr. Wes Miller, Sociology).  
Learn how to live non-violently by developing awareness and skills so that you can be an agent of social change for society.

Tuesday, Oct. 2
11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Multi-Media Art Mural Project: “Silence is Not an Option,” Game Room. Make your contribution to this communal art project.
                                                                                                                               
7:30 p.m., Presentation for Women: Encountering Violence Close to Home, President’s Room (Jean Lauer, Director of Heartwisdom Center for Compassionate Consciousness). Lauer will present on the presence of violence in our most familiar relationships and ways to respond to and transform violence you encounter.

7:30 p.m., Presentation for Men: Being Respectful and Improving Relationships, Toner Student Center Room B (Joseph Morse and colleague, Beyond Tough Guise). He will address the guise of being “tough” that men often hide behind and present characteristics for men that promote and support healthy relationships.

Wednesday, Oct. 3                                                                                                                                                                              
12:15 to 1:30 p.m., Lasallian Response to the Rights of the Child, President’s Room (Brother Robert Schieler, FSC, General Councilor for the Lasallian Region of North America). Join us for lunch to hear Brother Robert Schieler present on the Lasallian Response to the Rights of the Child. Please join for as much of this event as you can (come when you can, leave when you must). Lunch will be provided and space is limited so R.S.V.P. with Nikki in the Office of Campus Ministry at Ext. 1643 by Monday, Oct. 1.

7:30 p.m.,  Cyberbullying, Salvi Lecture Hall (Justin Patchin Ph.D. from U.W. Eau Claire – Cyberbullying Research Center) Dr. Patchin, a nationally recognized expert on cyberbullying, will present on the topic of cyberbullying providing real world examples, examining legal concerns, and exploring ways to address the issue.

9 p.m.,  “Pray the Devil Back to Hell” movie, Salvi Lecture Hall. This award-winning documentary follows a peace movement called Women of Liberia Mass Action for Peace. Through prayer and nonviolent actions this movement was the catalyst for change in Liberia, including to the election of the first female president for an African nation.

Thursday, Oct. 4                                                                                                      
7:30 p.m., Gangs, Violence, and Change, Salvi Lecture Hall (Caprice Smalley – Dean of Discipline at Catalyst Schools of Chicago). Caprice Smalley, a former gang leader and now educational leader in Chicago, will share the story of his experience in a gang and the impact gangs have on individuals and communities. He will also explore the role violence plays in the gang culture and what are effective and ineffective ways of addressing the issue.

Lawing to display new work through Nov. 4





Preston Lawing, SMU Art and Design faculty member, is displaying new work during the current Saint Mary’s art exhibit.

In “Cabinets of Curiosities,” Lawing will display sculptures, prints, drawings and an installation/recreation of a “hoarder’s” apartment.

The show will run through Nov. 4 at the Lillian Davis Hogan Galleries, located in the Toner Student Center. The galleries will be open 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily, and all exhibits are free and open to the public.

Benefit 5K run/walk to assist Sabrina Larson Bushlack


“Strong is the New Beautiful,” a benefit 5K run/walk for SMU senior volleyball player Sabrina Larson Bushlack, is planned for 1 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 21. The race will start at the Toner Student Center and run through the bluffs.

Bushlack was critically injured in a car accident July 16 and appreciates prayers and financial support as she recovers from a severe brain injury.

A minimum $10 donation will include a T-shirt, and all donations are welcome. Mail donations to Jenna Ness at Campus Box 62; make checks payable to Saint Mary’s. Registration will be accepted on race day.

Packets can be picked up Friday, Oct. 19, from 7 to 8 p.m. or 3 to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 20, in the gym.


Saint Mary’s invites community to submit ‘to-do’ lists for ‘Make a Difference Day’


In recognition of national “Make a Difference Day,” Saint Mary’s University’s Volunteer Mentors group is inviting Winona residents and nonprofit agencies to submit requests for service.

The university hopes to get as many students as possible out into the community between 9 a.m. and noon on Saturday, Oct. 27. Students are willing to help individuals and organizations with anything from painting to yard work.

Saint Mary’s will supply the workers, if you supply the materials needed (paint, brushes, rakes, tools, etc.).

“Make a Difference Day” is the most encompassing national day of helping others, a celebration of neighbors helping neighbors. Created by USA WEEKEND magazine, this annual event takes place on the fourth Saturday of every October. For the fifth year, SMU is proud to join the millions of people throughout the nation who are participating.

To register your request, please call Chris McClead at Ext. 7268 or e-mail cmcclead@smumn.edu by Wednesday, Oct. 17. Please include details about what you need done, how many students are needed for the job and where you are located.

MCA to receive support from the State Arts Board


The Minnesota Conservatory for the Arts was once again selected to receive grant funding from the Minnesota State Arts Board.

For the 2013 fiscal year, MCA has been awarded funding in the form of an operating support grant allowing the organization to continue to provide arts-based learning opportunities and programming to people of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds in Southeast Minnesota.

In 2010 and 2011 MCA was awarded funding through the State Arts Board’s Community Arts Schools and Conservatories grant division, and for the 2011-2012 year MCA was awarded formulary and merit-based funding for operating support. The consistent funding support by the Minnesota State Arts Board acknowledges MCA as a leader in community arts education for the state of Minnesota.

The Minnesota State Arts Board funding will help support and expand MCA’s current programming in dance, music, visual art, and theatre for children and youth. Furthermore, the grant will allow MCA to venture into new community outreach projects, expand its visual art and theatre divisions, grow the adult arts wellness program, and remain fiscally responsible with balanced budgets.

In 2012 MCA employed 31 teaching artists, served 1,032 local children/youth, 108 adult students, and over 3,500 people attended dance and music performances and events produced by MCA.

For more information , visit www.mnconservatoryforthearts.org, e-mail MCA@smumn.edu, or call Ext. 5500.


Jazz notes

In addition to the weekly “Dinner & Dancing”  from 6 to 9 p.m. Fridays at Signatures in Winona, catch the Swing, Inc. trio at the Elmaro Winery near Trempealeau this Sunday, Sept. 30, from 1 to 4 p.m. For more details, go to www.elmarovineyard.com/events.

Music faculty members John Paulson (emeritus) and Eric Heukeshoven along with Steve Kulas and Jerry Paulson are “the best little big band in town.”

Depression Screening Oct. 2

Saint Mary’s will participate in National Depression Screening Day on Tuesday, Oct. 2.   From 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., students are invited to the Wellness Center to fill out a short questionnaire and meet briefly with a counselor to assess symptoms of mood disorders (depression, anxiety, bipolar). Untreated mood symptoms can lead to missed classes, poor performance, social isolation, and other missed opportunities in students’ college careers.  Understanding the signs and symptoms of mood issues can assist students to seek treatment that will promote their well-being and enable them to gain maximum benefit from their investment in themselves and a SMU education.