Students celebrate National Chemistry Week during Chemistry Nights

Many area high school juniors and seniors will perform hands-on chemistry projects during upcoming Chemistry Nights at Saint Mary’s, which will run 5 to 9 p.m. Wednesdays, Oct. 22 and 29.

Chemistry Night, sponsored by the Saint Mary’s Department of Chemistry and the La Crosse-Winona local section of the American Chemical Society, is an annual event designed to help students explore the discipline of chemistry and appreciate the positive role that chemistry plays in our everyday world.

Each year students solve challenging but fun chemical problems, based on the National Chemistry Week theme. This year the theme is “The Sweet Side of Chemistry—Candy.”

Students will work in small teams, using wet chemistry and working with chemical instrumentation in the Saint Mary’s Department of Chemistry, under the guidance of chemistry and biochemistry majors.

Prizes will be awarded to the teams that have the greatest success in solving the chemical problems. Prizes will include Saint Mary’s scholarships of $2,000 and $1,000. Pizza and refreshments will also be provided.

About 10 area schools and 50 students typically participate in this event.

For more information, contact Dr. Brett Bodsgard at Ext. 6972.

Public invited to panel discussion about elections

The public is invited to a panel discussion about the importance of elections and how the election process works on Tuesday, Oct. 21.

The event is scheduled for 5 p.m. in Salvi Lecture Hall, located on the third floor of Saint Mary’s Hall.

Panel members include Jeff Narabrook, voter outreach director for the Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State; Scott McMahon, Schools of Graduate and Professional Programs associate vice president for external relations; and Dr. David Lynch, department chair and professor of social science.

The event will be held in a question-and-answer format, with the Saint Mary’s student Legislative Affairs Committee asking questions of the panelists prior to opening up questioning to the public. Information will be provided to students about voting locations, and there will be time for discussions about ballot measures that affect the Saint Mary’s and greater Winona communities.

Theology Department hosts speaker on youth ministry

The 2014 Spirituality for the Vineyard Colloquium will occur Wednesday, Oct. 15, at 12:15 p.m. in the Presidents’ Room.  This year’s speaker is Chris Rogers, the director of youth ministry for the Diocese of La Crosse, and a new adjunct member of the Theology Department at Saint Mary's.

The talk is titled “Real World Ministry” and will focus on what you may or may not expect if you do pastoral ministry, especially youth ministry, full-time in a parish. There will time for questions and answers.

Pizza and drink is provided. Anyone who is interested is welcome to attend.

The Spirituality for the Vineyard project is a co-curricular program angled toward helping Pastoral and Youth Ministry, Theology, and Educational Studies (Religious Ed.) majors and minors address meeting standards for the National Lay Ecclesial Ministry accreditation.

Rouault’s ‘Seeing Christ in the Darkness’ is next gallery show

“Seeing Christ in the Darkness,” a collection of the world-class prints of one of the most important printmakers of the 20th century, Georges Rouault, will be on display Oct. 16 through Nov. 16 at Saint Mary’s University.

Rouault (1871-1958) was a lifelong Roman Catholic, but the Church resisted the darkness of his work. It wasn’t until the end of his life that he received a church commission. But the graphic art in this exhibition, done at the height of the artist’s powers, shows how deeply the artist identified with people’s sufferings and, indeed, saw within this darkness the salvation that Christ brought.

Rouault’s work will be on display in the Lillian Davis Hogan Galleries. The exhibit is free and open to the public from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. An opening reception is scheduled for 4:30 to 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 16, at the galleries.

Saint Mary’s to host first Career Fair, prep workshops

The first Saint Mary’s University career fair will be held 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 30, in the Toner Student Center.

All students and alumni of Saint Mary’s are invited to check out local and regional businesses and organizations, network with potential employers, and find out what they are looking for in potential interns and employees.

This is a great opportunity for students to practice job interview skills and potentially land a job or internship that could launch their careers.

To help prepare for this career fair, the Career Services and Internships Office will be offering two upcoming workshops.

• Your Résumé—and Other Ways to Deliver your Brand, 4 to 5 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 15, Lab 23, Hendrickson Center. This workshop will help students develop a personal brand and communicate that to potential employers, especially through résumés.

• Conducting a Winning Interview, 4 to 5 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 23, Lab 23, Hendrickson Center. Interviewing can be a scary thing, so come to this workshop and discuss what kinds of questions students can expect, strategies for answering them, and questions to ask employers/interviewers.

Biology Club joins Brother Arnold for fall harvest

Members of the Saint Mary’s Biology Club joined Brother Arnold McMullen for the harvest of produce from his prosperous garden on campus.

Brother Arnold and the students picked gourds from his garden as well as Brother John Grover’s garden. Brother Arnold appreciated the garden help, and the students enjoyed the opportunity to spend time with one of the Christian Brothers.

The gourds are available for sale in the Science Office (Hoffman 114). Additionally, be sure to watch for pumpkin sales by the Biology Club in the near future!

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

The Business Office posse was saddled up for the challenge last year.

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, Development and Alumni Relations, aren’t going to give it up easily!

This is the Saint Mary’s Volunteer Committee’s first “Let’s Do Lunch” potluck/fundraiser.

This year’s winner and runner-up will be able to direct their $300 and $200 winnings to their choice of the following worthy causes: Winona Food Shelf; scholarships at Saint Mary’s; Saint Mary’s in Jamaica; Habitat for Humanity; the First-Generation Initiative; or the Red Cross.

The lunch will run from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday, Oct. 31, in the Common Room. All faculty and staff are welcome! If your office is interested in hosting, contact Deb Nahrgang or Laurie Haase.

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

‘Make a Difference Day’ and ‘Lasallian Day of Service’ are Oct. 25

Make a Difference Day

In recognition of national “Make a Difference Day,” Saint Mary’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 1 and 4 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 25. 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 a 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 more information, call Anna Waechter at Ext. 7268 or email awaechte@smumn.edu.

Lasallian Day of Service

Also on Oct. 25, alumni are invited to participate in the sixth-annual Lasallian Day of Service. This is a day that allows alumni to come together in the spirit of the Lasallian mission in service to others. The alumni association has established a volunteer site for the Winona area at a Habitat for Humanity house.

Sites have also been confirmed in the Chicago, Twin Cities, Saint Louis, Milwaukee and Denver areas. Alumni who reside outside these locations have been encouraged to arrange their own service project(s).

For more information go to:  www.mysmumn.org/LDOS14.

Halloween Fun Night is Oct. 27 at Saint Mary’s

Elementary and preschool children from the Winona area are invited to attend the 14th annual Saint Mary’s, Halloween Fun Night from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 27.

Participants should stop at the guard booth at the main entrance of the Winona campus for directions on where to park.

Young trick-or-treaters should 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, Saint Mary’s 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.

Get set to scream at annual Walk of Horror

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

The 18th annual hair-raising fundraiser for the Cardinal fastpitch softball team will take place from 7 to 10 p.m. Oct. 24-25 and 30-31 in the campus bluffs. Walkers are asked to meet on the lighted path between the Saint Mary’s baseball and softball fields, where the haunted walk will begin.

Groups are then escorted through the dark bluffs 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 the 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.

Figliulo to speak at Chamber luncheon

The Winona Area Chamber of Commerce 2014 Manufacturers & Technology Week Luncheon is 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 23, at the Riverport Inn.

The luncheon will also feature keynote speaker Rob Figliulo, former Saint Mary’s trustee and 1976 alumnus, speaking about “Importance of Innovation and Leadership.” Figliulo serves as the CEO of The SPR Companies, a position he has held since 1992.

As part of the week-long Manufacturers and Technology Week celebration, the Winona Area Chamber, in partnership with the Winona Workforce Center will be recognizing a deserving manufacturing business as the recipient of the Minnesota Governor’s Commendation.

Chat and Chow events continue Oct. 22

The Chat, Chow & Web 2.0 professional development series, hosted by the library, IT, and Instructional Technology, is open to all faculty and staff. Meet in the main lounge of McEnery; lunch is provided. An RSVP is appreciated, but not necessary, to Jason Spartz at jspartz@smumn.edu.

The next session, “Curiouser and Curiouser”  will be on Oct. 22. Topics are 3D printing and business intelligence. Staff and faculty are invited.

A printer that can create jewelry, hand guns, or car bodies?  The IT department's  3-D printer might not be quite that sophisticated, but Jason Spartz (Instructional Technology) will demonstrate what it can do and speculate on how faculty may be using 3-D printers in the future. In addition, Michael Ratajczyk (Business) will satisfy your curiosity about something called business intelligence.

Study Abroad Fair a success

On Tuesday, Sept. 23, Saint Mary’s hosted its second Study Abroad Fair. The event was well-attended and showcased the various study abroad programs available to Saint Mary’s students. Study Abroad Office staff, students who studied abroad, representatives from affiliated programs, and faculty leaders of short-term study abroad programs were all on hand to answer questions. For more information about study abroad opportunities, go to smumn.edu/studyabroad.

Page Series hosts Creole Choir of Cuba Oct. 23

The Page Series will host an evening of vibrant dances, spectacular harmonies, and colorful rhythms of the Caribbean Thursday, Oct. 23, as the Creole Choir of Cuba takes the stage.

Experience the heart and soul of Cuba through irresistible melodies, poetic lyrics and impassioned vocal and percussive performance. With influences from both the Caribbean and West Africa, the Creole Choir of Cuba tells stories of survival, faith and tragic history, drawing you in with infectious music.

This Grammy-nominated choir sings the vital music learned at home from grandparents and parents, as well as the songs of some of the foremost groups of contemporary Haitian scene. The Creole Choir’s Cuban name Desandann means literally “descendants.” Members of the Creole Choir of Cuba are descendants of Haitian and Dominican migrants who came to Cuba in waves, first escaping slavery and then as laborers in Cuba’s sugar plantations. The Philadelphia Inquirer calls the choir’s performance “as much for the emotions and gut as it is for the ears and eyes.”

Tickets are $27 for adults, $24 for seniors and students and are available online at www.pagetheatre.org or at the Saint Mary’s box office, Ext. 1715, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Marketing alum returns to speak to PR/Business Club

Pictured from left are: PR/Business Club Vice-President Ashley Bollig, President Jase Pater, Treasurer Kelsey Petron, 2011 alumna Lauren Rothering, and Faculty Adviser Dean Beckman

Saint Mary’s alumna Lauren Rothering visited campus Oct. 2 to speak to the PR/Business Club about her business experiences in Madison, Wis. She is currently marketing community manager for Duluth Trading Co.

Prior to her current job, she was PR and social media coordinator at Stephan and Brady and C. Blohm and Associates. Rothering graduated from Saint Mary’s in 2011 with B.A. degrees in Literature and Public Relations.

Hockey team members come to the rescue

Coach Bill Moore and members of the men’s hockey team heard that a Saint Mary’s colleague was scheduled for a significant surgery and moving to a new house in the same week.

Last Friday, eight students showed up ready to do some heavy lifting. They unloaded the moving truck and trailer in about an hour, and they did it all with smiles on their faces.

They were described as “amazing, wonderful and incredible” and their assistance will never be forgotten.

Fall Preview Day for prospective students Oct. 17

Fall Preview Day provides students’ with an introduction to Saint Mary’s in all its fall splendor. Visitors can tour the campus, learn about academic departments, and speak with Saint Mary’s staff and students. There are sessions reviewing the college search timeline, applying to Saint Mary’s, and how to access scholarship and financial-aid resources.

Please join the Office of Admission in warmly welcoming these students and families to campus and assist them with any questions or needs they may have.

Saint Mary’s in the news

Check out this online article about our recent Lasallian Research Symposium, held on the Twin Cities Campus: www.lasallian.info/2014/10/03/lasallian-research-symposium-forges-partnerships-2/