Mayo Clinic seeks volunteers for genetic study Nov. 13

Mayo Clinic is seeking volunteers for a study that determines how the genetic makeup of heart, lung, and blood pressure receptors influence blood pressure regulation from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Nov. 13 in the Toner Student Center.

The study is necessary to describe the importance of gene variation in heart and lung function. To participate in the study, volunteers need to donate a blood sample for genetic determination. The sample is 4 teaspoons. The genetic makeup of certain receptors will be determined over the subsequent months. Depending on genetic makeup, volunteers may be eligible for studies, which may include arm or leg blood flow measurements, medication administration, exercise (handgrip, leg extension, or bicycling), breathing maneuvers, nerve measurements, or dietary salt manipulation.

For time and inconvenience, a monetary compensation stipend will be offered for all studies. Volunteers may not be on regular prescription medications, except contraceptives.

Pre-registration will be held from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Nov. 10. in the Toner Student Center. Walk-ins are welcome, but pre-registration is preferred.

To pre-register in advance call 255-6938 or e-mail: Engrav.pamela@mayo.edu.

Joint jazz, Batucada concert set for Nov. 21

The SMU Jazz Ensemble and Jazz Combo, under the direction of Dr. John Paulson, and Batucada Nossa Senhora, directed by Denny McGuire, will perform a joint performance at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 21, in the Page Theatre.

Tickets for the performance are $10 for adults and $5 for seniors and students and available by contacting the Page Theatre box office at Ext. 1715 or online at www.pagetheatre.org.

SMU guest pianists to give free recital Saturday

Saint Mary’s guest pianists Dr. Mary Ellen Haupert and Dr. Timothy Schorr will present a four-hand piano recital at 3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 8, in Figliulo Recital Hall. Admission is free. The program includes works by Corigliano, Gottschalk, Beach and Barber.

Dr. Schorr is a strong advocate of both solo and collaborative piano literature from all musical periods. His performance credits in the United States and Europe include Carnegie Recital Hall in New York, numerous university guest artist concerts, and concerto appearances. He frequently adjudicates, presents workshops, and gives master classes, and has authored and edited publications for Keyboard Companion Magazine and Hal Leonard Publishing. He is currently associate professor of music at Viterbo University in La Crosse, Wis., where he serves as Music Department chair and coordinator of Applied Piano & Pedagogy.

Dr. Haupert divides her time between music directorship at Roncalli Newman Parish and teaching duties as assistant professor of music at Viterbo University in La Crosse, Wis. An avid chamber musician, Dr. Haupert has enjoyed frequent appearances with the Artaria String Quartet, as well as a rewarding collaboration with Dr. Schorr. Since their first concert two years ago, the two have performed four-hand programs at Washington University in St. Louis, Winona State University, and University of St. Francis in Joliet, Ill. They were also featured on Wisconsin Public Radio’s broadcast of “LIVE from the CHAZEN” in February 2006.

Barlow, Beckman attend 2008 Assessment Institute

Patrick Barlow, director of college assessment, and Dean Beckman, mass communication program coordinator, recently attended the 2008 Assessment Institute, sponsored by Indiana University and Purdue University-Indianapolis. Beckman presented a 75-minute workshop on “E-folio Use that Benefits Students and Programs.” The presentation focused on Beckman’s use of an electronic portfolio for students in the senior capstone course for the public relations major to provide feedback to the students, as well as collect information for program improvement. The Assessment Institute is the nation’s oldest and largest event focused exclusively on outcomes assessment in higher education.

O’Shea, Heukeshoven compose music for Words to Music

Dr. Patrick O’Shea and Eric Heukeshoven of the SMU Music Department composed music for this year’s La Crosse Chamber Chorale Words to Music Project.

Through the Words to Music Project, poetry from six La Crosse area students are set to music. The students, as eighth-graders, were the winners of a poetry contest themed “My Favorite Things.” The contest drew 154 contestants.

Audiences can hear these works in concert at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 8, and 3 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 9, at First Lutheran Church in Onalaska, Wis.

O’Shea wrote a piece for choir, oboe and piano for “Sand Castle” by Erin Brenner. Heukeshoven set to music Laura Nebeck’s “Things, Things, Things You Love.”

Tickets for the event are $15 adults, $12 senior citizens, $8 students. They can be ordered at (608) 780-6107 or by e-mailing chamberchorale@centurytel.net.

Business Office to host First Friday

The Business Office will be hosting the Nov. 7 First Friday gathering today in its reconfigured area. In recognition of everyone’s efforts to work safely, visitors can enjoy a special cake in addition to the regular First Friday offerings.

Jazz news

The John Paulson trio will perform 6:30 to 10 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 8, at Michael’s Restaurant in Rochester.

Sympathy to Dotterwick family

Elaine Brosinski, mother of Sally Dotterwick, switchboard operator, died Nov. 4. A funeral is planned for Saturday, Nov. 8, in Stoddard, Wis. Cards of condolence can be sent to Sally Dotterwick, Campus P.O. 15. The Saint Mary’s community extends its sympathy to the Dotterwick family.

Gilmore Creek Summer Theatre takes the summer off

Saint Mary’s has announced that the Gilmore Creek Summer Theatre will not present a season of shows in 2009. Michael Charron, dean of the School of the Arts, said the university is stepping back to evaluate its professional summer theatre program, “given the current economic climate and the saturation of the arts market in Winona.”

GCST is a professional summer stock program produced in collaboration with the Saint Mary's School of the Arts.

Charron said the first two seasons of GCST featured “wonderful shows, and talented actors and directors. It was a grand experience for everyone involved.”

He added that the university plans to whole-heartedly support local endeavors such as the Shakespeare and Beethoven festivals, as well as the many community theatre productions in the area. “We’re also leaving open all possibilities for the future,” he said.

Judy Myers, GCST artistic director and theatre arts faculty member, thanked the community for its support. “Gilmore Creek was tremendous fun,” she said. “It provided a wonderful opportunity for budding theatre professionals, and was certainly of great value for the community. I look forward to continuing my involvement in other Winona performing arts activities.”

Global Citizenship Symposium continues today

The Global Citizenship Symposium continues today, Oct. 31, in the Common Room. The symposium is sponsored by the Department of Social Sciences and Provost’s Office and is free and open to the public. Other universities participating and attending include Winona State University, Viterbo University and University of Wisconsin-La Crosse.

Friday
Living Locally and Visioning Globally: Scholarship, Research, Performance and Service Regarding 21st Century Citizenship
10 a.m. — “Citizenship, diversity and community programs,” Project FINE of Winona
11 a.m. — “Global Trade,” David Lynch, Saint Mary’s
Noon — Lunch
1:15 p.m. — “Globalization of Crime,” Tim Kullman, UW-La Crosse
1:45 p.m. — “Globalization” open discussion with Cecilia Manrique, UW-La Crosse as discussant
2:15 p.m. — “Creating Community Within Profit-Centered Organizations: Pitfalls and Possibilities” open discussion with Jeff Hefel, SMU, as discussant.

Horrible Harry hits Page stage Nov. 5

Harry may be horrible, but audiences are sure to find his transition from page to stage entertaining when the Omaha Theater Company presents “Horrible Harry” at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 5, at the Page Theatre.

This brand-new theatrical production of author Suzy Kline’s popular children’s books “Horrible Harry in Room 2B” and “Horrible Harry Moves Up to Third Grade,” was adapted for the stage by Omaha Theater Company Artistic Director James Larson and will captivate children ages 4 to 12, as well as entertain audiences of any age.

The meaning of “double revenge” will become clear as spectators get a double dose of Harry’s antics as a school-aged prankster who is transitioning between grades. Doug, Harry’s best friend, frequently speaks to the audience, giving an inside look at Miss Mackle’s classroom. The production follows Harry, Doug, Sidney, Song Lee, Miss Mackle and the rest of the class from room 2B to room 3B, with amusing moments all along the way.

Kline’s vivid characters will take audiences on a lighthearted ride through a hilarious, prank-ridden storyline that will make everyone realize that maybe Harry isn’t so horrible after all.

In addition to Harry’s mischievous shenanigans, the audience will experience a clever rendition of a Thanksgiving play and a class field trip to the aquarium, brought to life by the clever stage design for “Horrible Harry.” Harry and friends move from Room 2B to recess to the bus to the aquarium and back again, without time for set changes, allowing Omaha Theater Company Set Designer Will Davis to skillfully combine all of the scenes into one set.

Tickets to this Page Series performance are $10 for adults, $5 for seniors and students and available anytime online at http://www.pagtheatre.org/, or by calling the Performance Center box office, Ext. 1715, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday. Omaha Theater Company’s national tour is sponsored by Children’s Hospital. Local sponsors include HBC and Winona Radio.

SMU to host free cello recital Sunday

Saint Mary’s will host a free cello recital by guest artist Kirsten Whitson at 3 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 2, in Figliulo Recital Hall. This recital is unusual in that it will be performed without piano. Whitson plays regularly with the Minnesota Orchestra and the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra. The program includes Jean Louis Duport’s “Concert Etude #1”; Chinary Ung’s “Khse Buon”; Johann Sebastian Bach’s “Suite # 6 in D Major”; and Mark O'Connor’s, “Appalchia Waltz.”

Whitson also performs with the Milwaukee Symphony and the Grand Teton Festival Orchestra in Jackson, Wyo. Whitson maintains a private teaching studio in St. Paul and has taught at McPhail Center for the Arts, Indiana University, Carroll College and in a fishing village in Norway. She has performed throughout the U.S., Europe, Japan and Cuba with Minnesota Orchestra, the Milwaukee Symphony and the Bergen Philharmonic. As a chamber musician she played with the Koan Quartet in Minneapolis from 2000-2003 and the Morini String Quartet in Milwaukee from 1994-1999.

SMU Oldie Moldies to perform at Signatures Nov. 14

Catch dinner and a show with The Oldie Moldie All-Stars from Saint Mary’s on Friday, Nov. 14, at Visions Event Center.

Rock along to your favorite ’50s, ’60s and ’70s tunes, while you enjoy a menu of garden salad, pan-seared Canadian walleye fillet, wild rice pilaf, mixed vegetables, caper tarter sauce, rolls and butter, and a mini banana split.

The Oldies are members of the national music fraternity Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia at Saint Mary’s. The group consists of 12 talented and engaging singers and band members. Doors open at 5:30 p.m., and dinner will be served at 7 p.m.; the Oldies will perform two sets, one at 6:30 p.m., and a second at 7:45 p.m.

The price for the dinner and show is $30 per person; reservations can be made by calling Signatures at 454-3767. Payment is accepted at time of reservation. The reservation deadline is Nov. 12.

Visions Event Center is located at Signatures Restaurant, 22852 County Road 17 in Pleasant Valley.

Special movie night hosted by Saint Teresa Institute

The Saint Teresa Leadership and Service Institute is hosting a special movie night at 6 p.m. Monday, Nov. 3, in the World Room.

One hundred and forty four years after the founding of the United States of America, women gained the right to vote. Women around the world are still working to gain this right in their countries. Learn from women in office today what the political arena is like for women and watch a movie portraying young American women suffragettes’ actions as they risked their lives to help American women win the right to vote.

After the movie Dr. Muna Matar, SMU visiting professor, and Marsha Ward, 5th Ward Winona County commissioner, will host a discussion.

Saint Mary’s students to stage ‘Playhouse Creatures’ Nov. 6-9

The Saint Mary’s Department of Theatre Arts will stage the racy historical drama “Playhouse Creatures” Nov. 6-9.

Set in 1669, a bawdy and troublesome time, “Playhouse Creatures,” by April DeAngelis details a time when theatres have just reopened after 17 years of Puritan suppression. With this surge in theatrical activity, comes a new British novelty — the actress. Too often the lines between actress and prostitute become obscured as these women walked a tightrope between admiration and derision.

Directed by Dr. Steven Bouler, “Playhouse Creatures” captures the pioneering struggles of these extraordinary women, including six of the most famous — Nell Gwyn, Elizabeth Farley, Rebecca Marshall, Elizabeth Barry, Doll Common and Mary Betterton.

This tale of theatrical heroism and perseverance is a moving, and often comic, account of the precarious lives of Restoration actresses. Please note that this play contains adult language and situations.

“Playhouse Creatures” begins at 7:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, Nov. 6-8, and 3 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 9. All performances will be held in the Academy Theatre of the Valéncia Arts Center, located at 1164 West 10th St.

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

Author to discuss ‘Hmong in America’ Nov. 6

Kao Kalia Yang, author of the memoir, The Latehomecomer, will be reading from her book about her family’s experience in Laos during the Vietnam War, in refugee camps in Thailand, and, now, as American citizens in St. Paul. The presentation about “Hmong in America” begins at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 6, in the President’s Room. The event is free and open to the public and is sponsored by the Lasallian Honors Program, School of Humanities, and the Departments of English and History. For more information, contact Dr. Jenny Shanahan at Ext. 6607.

Excerpt from The Latehomecomer, from Coffee House Press:

Before babies are born they live in the sky where they fly among the clouds. The sky is a happy place and calling babies down to earth is not an easy thing to do. From the sky, babies can see the course of human lives.

This is what the Hmong children of my generation are told by our mothers and fathers, by our grandmothers and grandfathers.

They teach us that we have chosen our lives. That the people who we would become we had inside of us from the beginning, and the people whose worlds we share, whose memories we hold strong inside of us, we have always known.

From the sky, I would come again.

Donations needed for senior class auction Nov. 13-14

The senior class auction is set for Nov. 13-14. In preparation, the senior class is seeking donations from businesses, students and faculty (including cooking a meal, photography, art, tickets, gift baskets etc.) For more information, contact Mandy Haus at alhaus05@smumn.edu or Kaitlin Depuydt at kadepu05@smumn.edu

United Way pledge forms due today

United Way pledge forms should be returned to the business office, box 8, today, Oct. 31. Forms are available at the rack in the hallway outside of the business office. SMU needs a big finish in order to match its pledge from last year.

Employee change

New employee:
Aretta-Rie Johnson, Oct. 20, Rochester site coordinator.

113 SMU students volunteer for ‘Make a Difference Day’

Saint Mary’s University students Sara Clements and Tim Wojcicki raked leaves at a Minnesota City residence as part of the annual Make a Difference Day.
Chris Stanish moves building materials to help out a Minnesota City family during Make a Difference Day Saturay, Oct. 25.

In recognition of national “Make a Difference Day,” 113 Saint Mary’s students volunteered their time on Saturday, Oct. 25, throughout Winona and the surrounding area. Students raked leaves, painted, stacked lumber, cleaned sheds and assisted individuals and organizations in numerous other ways.

Volunteers helped at St. Anne Hospice, the Catholic Worker Home, Valleyview Towers, Living Light Church, Winona Arms, the Winona Family Community Center, all three grocery stores (with the 10 Days of Giving), Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, Saint Mary’s Parish, and individual homes of seniors, as well as homes affected by flooding in the Minnesota City area.

“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. SMU is proud to join the millions of people throughout the nation who participated.