Commencement schedule announced for May 11

On Saturday, May 11, the Winona campus will hold a joint ceremony including both Winona undergraduate and graduate students. A baccalaureate Mass will begin at 8 a.m. in Saint Thomas More Chapel, and the commencement ceremony will begin at 11 a.m. in the gymnasium. The ceremony is expected to last approximately two hours. A reception will follow in the Plaza (or in case of inclement weather, Gostomski Fieldhouse).

Limited parking will be available. A shuttle service will be provided from a nearby parking lot. More information will be posted at www.smumn.edu/commencement.

Handicapped parking is available on campus. Anyone needing special accommodations for seating in the gymnasium should call Darlene Paulson at Ext. 1586 to make arrangements. In order to honor all handicapped section seating requests, only one additional guest may sit with the individual requesting handicapped seating. A sign language interpreter will be at the ceremony.

Everyone invited to Red Carpet Centennial Gala June 22

The John Paulson Big Band

Nicholas David

Mike and Joette Gostomski

Brother Álvaro

Brother Larry

A year of Centennial celebrations and special events across the country will
culminate June 22 with the Red Carpet Gala.

The public is invited to join with students, families and alumni in a grand event that will mark the university’s first 100 years and propel it into a second century of transformational higher education.

Attendees of the Red Carpet Gala on June 22 will be treated like stars. The evening is designed to feel like the Oscars, with all the elegance and glamour of Hollywood transported to the Winona campus.

Guests will walk the red carpet from valet parking through "paparazzi" and into the transformed fieldhouse, where the 17-piece John Paulson Big Band will be performing. There they will be treated to specialty drinks, butlered hors d’oeuvres and a gourmet dinner served under glittering chandeliers.

Bill Lunn

A special program will be emceed by Bill Lunn ’87, news anchor of KSTP-TV in the Twin Cities.

The university’s Heritage Award will be given to Mike ’62 and Joette Gostomski of Winona, whose generous lifetime philanthropy has significantly transformed Saint Mary’s University.

Two special recognitions will honor the profound influence of the Christian Brothers on Saint Mary’s. Brother Álvaro Rodríguez Echeverría, the order’s Superior General, will accept a Centennial Award on behalf of the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools, and Brother Larry Schatz, Visitor, will accept a Centennial Award on behalf of the Midwest District of the Brothers of the Christian Schools.

A fireworks extravaganza will dazzle the campus and incorporate a portion of the “Centennial Suite” of commissioned music pieces. Music and dancing caps the evening, with entertainment provided by Nicholas David (finalist on NBC’s The Voice) and his band.

For more information or for Red Carpet Gala tickets, go to mysmumn.org/gala or call Ext. 6609.

Senior art work on display through May 11

“Defining,” the SMU senior art show, will be on display through May 11 in the Lillian Davis Hogan Galleries.

Students displaying work include Brianna Bloomquist, Jamie Cooper, Jennifer Daniels, Tommy Holme, De’Shanda Morley, Lisa-Marie Nihart, Amanda Rahman, Yuchen Ren, Jamie Stefely and Caroline Stringer.

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

Dance Repertory Company to present annual spring concert

The Minnesota Conservatory for the Arts’ Dance Repertory Company’s annual spring concert, Juxtapose, will be held 7:30 p.m. Friday, April 26, and 3 p.m. Saturday, April 27, in Page Theatre.

Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for students and senior citizens and are available at www.pagetheatre.org or by calling the box office from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Ext. 1715.

The DRC is the pre-professional performance group of the Minnesota Conservatory for the Arts. Company members participate in rehearsals, technique classes, and stage performances.  

This production will feature pieces from numerous genres of dance including hip hop, modern, jazz, tap, contemporary ballet and pointe. The theme is “collaboration” — with each piece incorporating another aspect of the arts from live music to multi-media, and much more.

These dancers currently train at the Minnesota Conservatory for the Arts, Saint Mary’s University, and Winona State University. Juxtapose showcases their effervescent spirit, vibrant energy, and technical and artistic abilities that continue to inspire audiences year after year.

For more information, visit www.mnconservatoryforthearts.org, e-mail mca@smumn.edu or call 453-5500.

Row, Ride, Run to raise money for SOUL participants

The annual Saint Mary’s “Row, Ride, Run Triathlon” will take place on Saturday, April 27, beginning at 8:30 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). Through SOUL, students are able to connect with diverse communities by participating in national and international service trips.

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

Saint Mary’s choirs to perform April 27

The Saint Mary’s Concert Choir and Chamber Singers — under the direction of Dr. Patrick O’Shea — will present a spring concert at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, April 27, at Chapel of Saint Mary of the Angels, located at 7th and Vila streets.

Guests will include the Northwestern College Varsity Men’s Chorus, under the direction of Dr. Tim Sawyer, and the SMU Chamber Orchestra.

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

SMU Chamber Orchestra to perform April 28

The Saint Mary’s University Chamber Orchestra will perform “A Bach Family Festival” at 3 p.m. Sunday, April 28, in Figliulo Recital Hall.

This free public performance will include works by J.C. Bach, W.F. Bach, C.P.E. Bach and J.S. Bach including:

• “Overture to Temistocle”
• “Adagio and Fugue”
• “Symphony in F, H. 665”
• “Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 in G, BWV 1048;”
• “Orchestral Suite in B minor, BWV 1067” (featuring a solo by SMU’s Dr. Janet Heukeshoven, on flute); and
• “Keyboard Concerto in D minor, BWV 1032” (featuring a solo by Norman Lee, guest artist from Hong Kong).

The SMU Chamber Singers, under the direction of Dr. Patrick O’Shea, will collaborate with the Chamber Orchestra on “This is the Record of John” by Gibbons/E. Heukeshoven during their spring concert on Saturday, April 27.

Stage Combat workshop offered April 30, May 1

A free stage combat workshop will be offered Tuesday, April 30 (for ages 10 to 16) and Wednesday, May 1, (for ages 16 and older) at the Valéncia Arts Center, located at 10th and Vila streets. The event is 4 to 5:30 p.m. and no pre-registration is required. It is being held in partnership with Great River Shakespeare Festival.

Violence is a part of the life we create on stage, and there isn’t always a fight choreographer to help. Actors and directors need to know how to tell a clear story with violence and how to perform it safely. In this workshop participants will learn basic principles of unarmed stage combat that will help them create simple, safe and effective violence on stage.

One more issue of ‘Campus Notes’

The last issue of “Campus Notes” before summer will come out May 3. The deadlines for  thid issues is May 1. “Campus Notes” will return in mid-June and come out every other week to update the SMU community on all the news and events that occur on campus during the summer.

Employee giving campaign celebration April 30

Employees are invited to celebrate another successful employee giving campaign on Tuesday, April 30, from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. in the Common Room.

Attendees will receive one last entry into the drawing for the campaign prizes. Prizes include an autographed Percy Harvin photo, an autographed Jim Kleinsasser minifootball, wine basket with Sullivan’s gift card, $50 Mangos gift card, and a pair of gala tickets.

The grand prize of one additional day off will be drawn on May 8.

Light refreshments will be provided.

Chamber Orchestra performs for Winona seniors

The SMU Chamber Orchestra made its third visit to the Sugar Loaf Senior Living facility. A spring concert titled, “An afternoon with Bach,” featuring music by J.S. and W. F. Bach, was presented April 20.

Student Life Awards to be presented May 1

The Office of Student Life will conduct the sixth annual Student Life Awards Wednesday, May 1, in the Common Room from 7 to 8 p.m.

Individuals who have exhibited outstanding leadership and service through co-curricular activities at Saint Mary’s will be recognized.

End of year dinner reminder

The end of the year dinner for faculty and staff will be Thursday, May 9. Hors d’oeuvres will be served at 6 p.m., followed by a 7 p.m. dinner in the dining room.

Students receive Beta Beta Beta awards

Bridget Richardson and Katie Smith

Ten biology students and one biochemistry student attended the Iowa Academy of Science (IAS) /NC-3 Beta Beta Beta convention at Simpson College on April 19-20 in Indianola, Iowa.

Two students received awards from Beta Beta Beta. For the John J. Johnson award for best poster, Katie Smith won first place with her poster titled, “The effects of in utero exposure to Atrazine on the hematopoietic system in mus musculus” (Dr. Debra Martin advisor).  Winning second place for the Frank G. Brook award for best paper (oral) presentation was Bridget Richardson with her presentation “The antibacterial effectiveness of the goggle sanitizer which uses UV radiation as a means of disinfection” (Dr. Jeanne Minnerath advisor).

Also attending from SMU were Aaron Henry, Catherine Gas, Jacinta Jude, Mary Gerty, Megan Johnson, Clinton Nienhaus, Mark Ross, Bridget Trio, Marissa Wollak, Dr. Debra Martin (BBB NC-3 district director) and Dr. Jeanne Minnerath (Biology Department).

Piotter wins Study Abroad Photo Contest

The 2013 Study Abroad Photo Contest winner is Dwight Piotter with “Sea Turtle,” taken at the Great Barrier Reef in Australia.

Kowles authors new book

Dr. Dick Kowles, professor emeritus in biology, is publishing a new book that will be out early this summer (May or June). The book’s title is “A Passion to Teach. Fifty-Eight Years of Humorous, Weird, and Engaging Tales.” The book is arranged in four parts: preparation to teach; teaching in a high school setting; teaching in college (mostly SMU tales); and pedagogical considerations. Beaver’s Pond Press in Edina, Minn., is handling the production of the book.

Bluff Country art tour features work by May, Hulsing

Monta May ’04, Office of Marketing and Communication, is one of the featured artists in the Bluff Country Studio Art Tour, Friday through Sunday, April 26-28. Visit her at 854 W. 5th St.

May’s art features an exploration of the ancient and the contemporary. Visitors to her studio will see mosaics, ceramics, sculptures, drawings and paintings done by May and her daughter, Emerald Hulsing ’09. May will be doing mosaic-making demonstrations all day, each day of the tour.

The Bluff Country Studio Art Tour is held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

For more information, contact Historic Bluff Country at (800) 428-2030, www.bluffcountrystudioarttour.com.

Twenty books given to SMU De La Salle Language Institute through ‘World Book Night’

As a part of “World Book Night U.S.” on April 23, Nancy Wiltgen, a 1975 alumna and senior development director at Saint Mary’s, gave 20 copies of “Playing for Pizza” by John Grisham to students at SMU’s De La Salle Language Institute and to other members of the SMU community.

Wiltgen was just one of 25,000 “book givers” who gave away a half-million free books across America on April 23. Wiltgen, who also participated in the first World Book Night in 2012, was inspired to get involved in this program after working with an international student. The student told Wiltgen that she was interested in reading a good book in English that was not a textbook. John Grisham is one of Wiltgen’s favorite authors.

Each year, 30 books are chosen by an independent panel of librarians and booksellers. The authors of the books waive their royalties, and the publishers agree to pay the costs of producing the specially printed World Book Night U.S. editions. The Book Shelf, an independent bookstore in Winona, signed up to be the community host location for the local volunteer book givers.

For more information, go to www.us.worldbooknight.org.

Jazztennial performance given at history center

The SMU Jazz Ensemble and Jazz Combo One presented an encore performance of “Jazztennial - 100 Years of Jazz History” on April 18 in the Slaggie Family Lobby of the Winona County History Center.