Board of Trustees unanimously adopts Strategic Plan 2017

On Friday the Board of Trustees unanimously adopted Strategic Plan 2017, a transformational document that will guide our work in the years to come to advance the mission of Saint Mary’s University and realize the vision of Saint Mary’s as a well-known, top-tier national university.

The board action was the punctuating moment to a process that began in June of 2011 with the establishment of a strategic planning task force and the appointment of three planning co-chairs. Since that time over 900 persons, representing various stakeholders of the university, were engaged in a rigorous, structured process. The university is grateful for the dedicated work of so many individuals whose thoughtful contributions have made this document so outstanding.

A comprehensive brochure laying out the themes, goals and objectives of the plan can be viewed and downloaded by going to www.smumn.edu/strategicplan. A printed copy of this brochure is now being produced and will be distributed later this month. Each of you are encouraged to engage with the strategic themes identified in this document as a means of strengthening our capacity to provide the kind of education needed to help our students shape a better world for all.

Presentation about U.S. religious landscape is Oct. 23

Saint Mary’s will host a public presentation titled, “The U.S. Religious Landscape: Continuities and Some Change” at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 23.

Guest speaker Clifford Grammich, Ph.D., the chairman of the 2010 Association of Statisticians of American Religious Bodies, will discuss the fact that recent religious data shows many remarkable patterns of stability over the past century, including the Catholic Church as still the largest religious body in the U.S.

The event will be held in the Common Room, located on the third floor of Saint Mary’s Hall, and is sponsored by the SMU Departments of History, Political Science and Theology.

For more information, contact Dr. Richard Tristano at rtristan@smumn.edu.

Get set to scream at annual Walk of Horror

This year’s Walk of Horror is again guaranteed to give you goosebumps. New scares are planned around every corner.

The 16th annual hair-raising fundraiser for the Cardinal fastpitch softball team will take place from 7 to 10 p.m. Oct. 26-27 and 30-31 in the SMU bluffs. Walkers are asked to meet on the lighted path between the SMU baseball and softball fields, where the haunted walk will begin.

Groups are then escorted through the dark bluffs surrounding the campus for approximately 20 minutes.

The cost is $5 for adults, $4 for students with ID, and $4 for children 12 and younger. Tickets are available at the gate.

Head fastpitch softball coach Jen Miller said the event is fun for all ages. The scare level is toned down for younger children and turned up for groups bold enough to face their fears. Last year more than 1,100 brave souls took SMU’s Walk of Horror.

Proceeds from this event will be used for the softball team’s travel expenses.

For more information, contact Miller at Ext. 6923.

Halloween Fun Night Oct. 29th; donations requested

Elementary and preschool children from the Winona area are invited to attend the 12th annual Saint Mary’s Halloween Fun Night from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Monday, Oct. 29.

Donations of individually wrapped candy by the bag and/or financial donations are appreciated and can be dropped off at the Office of Residence Life. It takes a lot of candy to make this event successful and keep 750 trick-or-treaters happy. Financial contributions can be sent to Box. 9.

Young trick-or-treaters will start out the evening at the Hall of Fame Room, located in the Toner Student Center, where tattoos and stickers, a coloring station, and other fun games will be offered, and the Cardinal mascot will greet pint-sized ghosts and goblins.

From there, SMU students will lead groups of trick-or-treaters through the residence halls of the university, where they can go door to door for candy.

Last year more than 750 youth participated in this free, safe and fun event, sponsored by the Office of Residence Life of Saint Mary’s.

Page Series welcomes Winona native Simone Perrin

Winona native Simone Perrin, joined by Dan Chouinard will present some sweet songs and dandy accordion playing at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 19, at Page Theatre.

Simone Perrin is a Minneapolis-based theater artist, accordionista and chanteuse. She’s also an artist and composer. She has appeared on “A Prairie Home Companion” and premiered two shows at the 2006 Minnesota Fringe Festival, her one–woman show, “Tall Tale of a Broken Heart,” and “In Hopes of Claudia” with Kevin Kling.

She grew up on the banks of the mighty Mississippi in Winona, where she learned that singing for your supper is OK, houseboats are the best way to enjoy a lazy river, and family is the most important. After school in Ohio and years in New York, she came back to the Midwest. Settling in the Twin Cities, she has collaborated with storyteller Kevin Kling on numerous projects, as well as performed with everyone from Prudence Johnson to The Brass Messengers. Perrin is inviting Chouinard to join her for an evening of new songs, stories and fun.

The audience is invited to dress up in ball gowns, suits and tuxedos for this event; gift cards will be given away for “best-dressed” attendees.

Tickets for this Page Series performance are $20 for adults for $15 for seniors and students. Tickets for these events 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.

Special Halloween ‘Boo-fet’ and costume contest is Oct. 31

Start planning your spooktacular Halloween costume now; get your office or department together and vie for the highly coveted traveling Halloween contest trophy. The last costume contest winners, Dr. Roger Peckover and the M.Ed. faculty and staff, aren't going to give it up easily!

The SMU Volunteer Committee’s first “Let's Do Lunch” potluck/fundraiser will raise money for our students in Jamaica.

Staff from the Toner Student Center are sponsoring the lunch from 11:30 to 1 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 31, in the Common Room. All faculty and staff are welcome! In our continuing efforts to “go green;” attendees are asked to please bring their own cups for water.

Judging will be held at 12:15 p.m. promptly.

It’ll be a frightfully good time; ghoul be glad you came!

Lawing displays new work at galleries 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 is showing 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.

Blue Angel auditions are Oct. 19-21

The SMU annual music variety show Blue Angel is planned for Friday and Saturday, Nov. 2-3.

Auditions for the show will be during the weekend of Oct. 19-21, and are open to the entire SMU community (students, faculty and staff).  Look for a sign-up sheet near Phi Mu Alpha room in the basement of the Toner Student Center.
 
For more information, please contact John Fitzpatrick at jrfitz09@smumn.edu or Camden Webster at ciwebs10@smumn.edu.

Cardinal Corner now open

The Cardinal Corner is now open! All profits benefit Sabrina Larson Bushlack’s medical fund. Normal hours are Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. New products are on order and will arrive soon.

The Cardinal Corner is a non-profit retail store located in the lower level of the Toner Student Center. Managed by the students of MG315 Entrepreneurship and supported by the Business Department, the mission of the store is to create an opportunity for entrepreneurship students to gain hands-on experience in operating a small business.

Each semester, the class donates profits from the Cardinal Corner to a charity of their choice. In addition, the store sells products for various SMU clubs, teams, departments, and organizations and returns 100 percent of the sales to benefit the SMU community.

For more information, contact Jana Craft at Ext. 1491 or jcraft@smumn.edu. Become a fan and receive the latest updates at www.facebook.com/cardinalcorner.

Sugar Plum Fairy Tea Party is Nov. 18

The Minnesota Conservatory for the Arts will present the Sugar Plum Fairy Tea Party Sunday, Nov. 18, at the Valéncia Arts Center, located at 10th and Vila streets. Shop the Land of the Sweets Boutique for seasonal and unique gifts and cards. All children attending receive a photo with their favorite character from “The Nutcracker.” To reserve seats or a full table for six, call 453-5500 or e-mail mca@smumn.edu. Proceeds from this event go to the MCA student scholarship fund and offset production costs for the “Nutcracker” performance.

Jazz notes

Swing Inc. performs from 6 to 9 p.m. Fridays at Signatures in Winona.

The John Paulson Jazz Trio will perform 7 to 10 p.m. Friday, Oct. 19, at Michael’s Restaurant in Rochester.

Last chance to register for MCA's visual arts workshops

In “Art in Motion: Drawing a Powerful Still Life,” students at the Minnesota Conservatory for the Arts will explore the art of drawing a still life using versatile charcoal techniques to create a powerful drawing, using props from the MCA “Nutcracker” ballet.  These drawings will be exhibited during the “Nutcracker” performance in the Ben Miller Lobby in December.  This class — scheduled for 6 to 9 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 25 — is open to artists of all experience levels wishing to refresh or improve their drawing skills. The cost is $30 and participants must be age 16 or older.

With some paper, some thread, and a needle you can make books that are more creative and special than anything you can buy through MCA’s “Book Arts Workshop, Blank Books.” Participants will take hand-made books home and fill them with stories, drawings and beyond! The class is 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 15, for students in grades 5 through 8 for $20; or from 4:30 to 6 p.m. Monday, Oct. 22, for grades two through four for $15.

For more information, go to www.mnconservatoryforthearts.org.

Flu shot clinic is Oct. 22

In coordination with HealthPartners and Homeland Health Specialists, Saint Mary’s will offer a flu shot clinic Oct. 22. Bring your insurance card. The clinic will run 8 a.m. to noon in the faculty and staff lounge, Room 115 of Saint Mary’s Hall.

Cineclub announces fall films

The Spanish Department is pleased to announce the first round of dates for the Cineclub for Fall 2012. One of the main objectives of Cineclub is to provide an opportunity for the Saint Mary’s and Winona communities to enjoy some films from Spain and Latin America that may not typically be shown in local theaters.

In addition to viewing the films, participants will be invited to exchange ideas related to film and other forms of cultural expression of this kind. Also, the films included may serve as an additional opportunity or resource for students of the Hispanic language, literature, and culture.

All showings will all be held on Fridays at 3 p.m. in the World Room of the Hendrickson Center.

The first film, to be shown Oct. 19, is “El Aura (The Aura).”  This 2005 film, from Argentina, was directed by Fabián Bielinsky. A deluded taxidermist plans the perfect crime in this crime/drama. It stars Ricarado Darín and has English subtitles.

Article mentions Saint Mary’s and Pathways program

A MinnPost article, posted Thursday, Oct. 11, highlights Saint Mary’s Pathways program, a new venture of the Schools of Graduate and Professional Programs. It responds to the growing population of incoming college students attending two-year colleges who plan to transfer their credits towards a bachelor’s degree. Check out the article at www.minnpost.com/learning-curve/2012/10/pathways-program-saint-marys-helps-adults-use-array-credits-continue-educatio.