SMU joins citywide efforts to help sister city in Japan

The Winona-Misato Friendship Association —whose members include current and past student ambassadors, their families and staff or community members, who have traveled to Misato, Japan — are helping to organize a city/area wide benefit for the town of Misato in Miyagi Prefecture, Japan.

Fifty homes were completely destroyed in the 8.9 earthquake. Three times that number were damaged. Many businesses and roads are in need of repair. Thankfully, no fatalities occurred, but more than 30 residents needed medical attention.

The area continues to experience aftershocks and communication because of power outages is inconsistent. The Misato residents are in need of funds to buy essential supplies: food, water and clothing.

SMU along with Winona State and other area businesses and institutions have been requested to support the city-wide initiative.

At SMU, “Misato Mondays” will begin next week. Collection jars will be available Mondays, April 11, 18 and May 2 at high visibility areas around campus. Additionally, collection jars will be available at Gaslight this weekend, Sunday Mass and the track and field meet April 30.

Special Misato wristbands will soon be available as well.

A week-long benefit effort is being planned May 1 through May 7 throughout Winona. One day during Misato Week, Saint Mary’s will showcase various cultural aspects of Japan through special public events. Details are being finalized. When the week is completed, a check from the Winona Community Foundation will be given to the City of Winona to send directly to officials in Misato.

Current pictures from Misato and pictures from past trips are available at at http://misatorelief.hbci.com.

For more information about Saint Mary’s participation, contact Chandu Valluri at Ext. 1466 or cvalluri@smumn.edu.

For more information on the benefit week, contact Bead Kerr at bker.1995@gmail.com, Joe Lepley at joseph.lepley@winona.k12.mn.us or Glenn Petersen at gpetersen@winona.edu.

Open Mic Night raises funds for Japan relief

The Open Mic Night organization hosted March’s OMN event in conjunction with the sisters of SAI in efforts to raise money for Japan relief on March 31.

The SAI sisters provided baked goods and asked for a donation of 50 cents. The event hosted a variety of performances from poetry, to rap to impromptu musical talent. More than 100 people participated, and SAI raised over $80 for Japan relief.

OMN was organized to honor the free expression of SMU students; this event offered the opportunity for students to see their peers perform while donating to a cause. The OMN club officers extend a special thank-you to the sisters of SAI and the SMU students who continue to support these events.

2011 Cardinal Pride T-shirt on sale soon; Cardinal Corner blowout sale is April 18

The new Cardinal Pride T-shirts will be available soon.

The Cardinal Corner Blowout Sale will be held in the Plaza (or Toner Student Center lobby as the rain location) on Monday, April 18, from 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. This is your last day to purchase items from the store for the semester. Free popcorn will be served! Free Cardinal Pride wristbands are available with purchase. Come and check out the new items and sale prices!

Senior art shows to run through May 14

Saint Mary’s senior art students will present their work in the upcoming exhibit, “Through the Lashes,” Saturday, April 2, through Saturday, May 14, at the Lillian Davis Hogan Galleries.

“Through the Lashes” is a capstone experience for SMU Art Studio and Graphic Design majors. The name, chosen by the exhibiting seniors, comes from a reference Vincent Van Gogh made to his brother Theo in many letters. Van Gogh would say “Today, I painted through the lashes,” which meant he would squint his eyes to remove the middle grays and helped him focus on the strong contrasts of the objects he was looking at.

Artists displaying their work through April 24 will include Mike Berg, Quinten Castillo, Liz Daugherty, Rachel Elbert, Andrew Kilpatrick, Ellen Klug, Steven Mino, Rachel Sievers and Melisse Treptow.

Artists displaying their work April 28 through May 14 will include Alexa Bergler, Stephanie Binot, Emily Cooper, Chelsea Deering, Jesse Fleming, Cody Harvey, Nicole Krystosek, Danielle Miller and Tania Trowbridge. An opening reception for the second showing will be held 4 to 6 p.m. Thursday, April 28.

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

Gaslight to be held April 8-9

The musical tradition of Gaslight will be held 8 p.m. Friday, April 8, and 7 and 10 p.m. Saturday, April 9, in the dining room. Tickets are $7 (sold at lunch week of and at the door, same price). Gaslight is put on by the Senior Class of 2011.

MWMF back for a second year

The second Mid West Music Fest (MWMF) will be held Friday and Saturday, April 15 and 16, at various venues in Winona.

The festival is an all-ages, multiple venue, multiple-genre weekend music festival, with more than 100 local and regional acts performing. Headlining this year’s festival is Charlie Parr, who will play on Saturday, April 16, at 10 p.m. at the Masonic Temple in Winona.

Several SMU acts will take part in the festival, including performances by Chris Kendall, Charolette Deranek, “The Morning Foreign,” and Battle of the Bands winner, “Fox Holes & Crow’s Nests.”

Last year, the festival raised over $7,000 for three local non-profits. Free tickets are available for SMU students in the Office of Student Activities.

To learn more about MWMF, visit www.midwestfest.org.

Vote for favorite study abroad photo

Voting for the annual Study Abroad Photo Contest has now begun. Stop by Saint Mary’s Room 132 to cast your vote for your top three choices..

All students, faculty and staff may participate.
Photos were submitted by students who studied overseas in spring, summer and fall 2010.

Voting will end Monday, April 11, at 3 p.m., and a winner will be announced and prizes awarded.

Special thanks to Brother Roderick Robertson and the Art and Design Department for assistance with printing and framing the pictures.

Farrell’s photography on display in Ben Miller Lobby

Photography by Winona artist Mary Farrell will be on display through April 17 in the Ben Miller Lobby of the Performance Center. For more information, call Ext. 1715.

Grief services offered April 11-15

During the week of April 11-15, Counseling Services in the Wellness Center will continue to offer opportunities to the SMU Community to deal with grief in the aftermath of the death of student Millie Harrison.

• Walk-in counseling appointments will be available from 9 a.m. to noon on Tuesday and Wednesday morning, April 12 and 13.

• Consultation or counseling appointments may be scheduled by calling Ext. 1773.

• Counselors are available to facilitate group discussions in classes and/or residence halls.

• An Hour of Remembrance will be held on Tuesday, April 12. This evening is particularly directed to community members who have lost other loved ones (parents, grandparents, siblings, friends) in the past year and who wish that loss with other community members. For more details and place and location, please call Ext. 1773.

Hendrickson Forum events April 16-20

Save these dates for a variety of Hendrickson Institute-sponsored events. The Hendrickson Institute for Ethical Leadership is committed to serving both emerging and current leaders of society. It is an academic resource for the university and the community, a forum for the exploration of ethical issues.

Women Who Step Forward ~ April 16
Mark your calendars for a personal and professional development conference on women's leadership. This event will be held 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Harrington Mansion and Event Center, 2540 Park Ave., Minneapolis. Tickets are $45 for general admission, $35 for students. For registration information, contact Anna Shields at (612) 238-4550 or ashields@smumn.edu.
The keynote speaker is New York Times best-selling author Gail Evans who served as the executive vice president of CNN and served in President Johnson’s administration. Evans will discuss the ethics and importance of women supporting other women in order to succeed in leadership. Attend this day-long event if you’re interested in professional development, personal growth, and learning from inspiring and forward-thinking keynote and break-out session speakers.

Connect. Network. Advance. ~ April 19
Alumni, students and friends of Saint Mary’s will gather for an evening of networking, résumé reviews and a guest speaker. Bring along business cards for networking opportunities and résumés if you're searching for a job change. This event will be held 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Harrington Mansion and Event Center in Minneapolis. To register, contact Barb Hall at (612) 238-4517 or bhall@smumn.edu.

Hendrickson Forum Seminar:
Microfinance in the Urban Core ~ April 20
Widely publicized as a tool for developing nations, microfinance has a profound impact in the Twin Cities. Explore how the local microfinance landscape — access to business development, credit, grants — helps move individuals and communities toward economic security. Then join a group of distinguished panelists in a lively discussion.

The event will be held from 1 to 2:45 p.m. at the Harrington Mansion and Event Center in Minneapolis. Tickets are $20 for general admission or $10 for SMU students, faculty and staff. Order online at www.smumn.edu/hendricksonforum.

Moderated by Dr. Richard Bohr, the panel includes:
• Ramón León, president, Latino Economic Development Center
• Diane Patterson, director of Business Development, WomenVenture
• Joe Selvaggio, founder of MicroGrants.net
• Mihailo Temali, president of Neighborhood Development Corporation

Hendrickson Forum:
Social Capitalism: An “App” to Fight Poverty ~ April 20
Enjoy a conversation with Jacqueline Novogratz, CEO of Acumen Fund and author of “The Blue Sweater.”

The event will be held 3:30 to 5 p.m. at the Harrington Mansion and Event Center. Regular admittance is $25 for the public, $10 for SMU students or $20 for SMU faculty and staff.

Fred de Sam Lazaro, director of the Project for Under-Told Stories at Saint Mary’s University and a correspondent for The PBS NewsHour with Jim Lehrer, will be the moderator.

Novogratz is the founder and CEO of Acumen Fund, a non-profit global venture fund that uses entrepreneurial approaches to solve the problems of global poverty.

Her recent best-selling memoir, “The Blue Sweater: Bridging the Gap Between Rich and Poor in an Interconnected World,” chronicles her quest to understand poverty and challenges readers to grant dignity to the poor and to rethink their engagement with the world.

Complimentary tickets for the forum and seminar are reserved for SMU staff/faculty (first come, first served basis). Contact Barb Hall at (612) 238-4517 or bhall@smumn.edu to reserve one complimentary ticket.

Contact Bob Biebel if you’d like to carpool to the Forum or if you’d like to watch a live podcast to the Winona campus. The Hendrickson Institute will be happy to fund the podcast if a core group — or class — expresses interest in attending. Please RSVP to Barb Hall or Bob Biebel.

Volunteer Mentors plan ‘Spruce Up Winona Day’

In recognition of “Spruce Up Winona Day,” Saint Mary’s Volunteer Mentors group is inviting Winona nonprofit agencies to submit requests for service.

Student volunteers will be available to work two shifts from 1 to 3 p.m. and 3 to 5 p.m. on Thursday, April 14, to help local individuals, groups, churches and organizations in recognition of “Spruce Up Winona Day.” Saint Mary’s will supply the workers, if the materials needed (paint, brushes, rakes, tools, etc.) are supplied for them.

To register a request, please call Chris McClead at Ext. 7268 or e-mail cmcclead@smumn.edu.

Last ‘Let’s Do Lunch’ scheduled for April 20

The Volunteer Committee has scheduled the last “Let's Do Lunch” of the academic year for Wednesday, April 20, in the lobby of the hockey arena. The potluck meal will be hosted by the Athletic Department and proceeds will once again help students at CTIE in Nairobi. Mark your calendars and come and get some good food while donating to a good cause.

Heukeshoven composition wins Iowa competition

“Preghiera Semplice” (Simple Prayer) by SMU music instructor A. Eric Heukeshoven has been chosen as one of three winning compositions at the first annual Morningside College Choral Competition in Sioux City, Iowa. The work, written by Heukeshoven for the SMU Chamber Singers’ recent tour in Italy, is based on an Italian translation of “The Prayer of Saint Francis.” The world-premiere performances took place last month in the Basilica of St. Francis in Assisi, Italy and St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican. (Founder’s Day attendees also heard the piece at this week’s annual convocation.)

Choirs from Sioux City area high schools and Morningside College will perform the three winning original compositions during the Morningside College Choral Composition Festival Concert at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, April 10, in Eppley Auditorium.

Heukeshoven will also have the opportunity to work with the choirs as guest clinician prior to the performance.

More information is available on the Morningside College website: http://webs.morningside.edu/music/ChoralCompositionWinners.htm.

Tadie attends CUR Dialogues, STEM conference

Dr. Joseph Tadie of the Department of Philosophy attended the Council for Undergraduate Research’s event called “CUR Dialogues 2011” from Feb. 24-26. CUR Dialogues is designed to bring faculty and administrators to Washington, D.C., to interact with federal agency program officers and other grant funders.

Tadie also attended the American Association of Colleges and Universities and Project Kaleidoscope’s event called “Engaged STEM Learning: From Promising to Pervasive Practices: Network for Academic Renewal Conference” from March 24-26. This interactive, hands-on conference was designed to help campuses adapt, scale up, and sustain effective practices in STEM teaching and learning.

Luedtke and Sorvaag present in San Francisco

Drs. Melissa Luedtke and Karen Sorvaag of the Department of Education recently presented at ASCD’s annual conference in San Francisco.

Their presentation, titled, “Taking Pre-Service Teachers Through the RTI Process in the Field” detailed how engaging education majors in the RTI process beyond just an academic understanding can be a challenge. The presentation provided a description of a mutually beneficial RTI process involving elementary education pre-service teachers and K-8 students struggling with literacy. The steps of the process were described, task lists and rubrics were provided, and exemplars from the experience were shared. The session concluded with a discussion about RTI and pre-service teacher engagement.

May featured in Bluff Country Studio Art Tour

The 11th annual Bluff Country Studio Art Tour of Southeast Minnesota will be April 29 through May 1 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, go to www.bluffcountrystudioarttour.com.

One of the artists displaying is Monta May, director, website and web development, at her home, 854 W. 5th St. To see May’s work, go www.montgael.blogspot.com.

Employee changes

New Employees:

• Casey Ingvalson, (returning) April, IT multimedia technician
• Charesse Douglas, April, Twin Cities security guard
• Mary Jo Dahl, April, Twin Cities administrative assistant - Education
• Richard Kuusisto, April, custodian
• Krystle White, April, Twin Cities security guard
• Kathleen Kilkus, March, GSS - Natural Resource Specialist
• Sandra Pilarski, (reassigned) March, Human Resources assistant
• Peter Watkins, March, men’s soccer coach

Employees Leaving:

• Andrew McCaslin, April, assistant soccer coach
• Eric Zimmerman, April, women’s soccer coach
• Dorothy Huwald, March, custodian

Jazz notes

Swing Inc. will perform 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. today Friday, April 8, at Signature’s Restaurant, 22852 County Road 17.

Next week is last week of ‘Campus Notes’ before break

Look ahead on your calendars. The Friday, April 15, edition of “Campus Notes” is the last one before Easter break. The deadline for that issue is Wednesday, April 13. The next edition after break will be Friday, April 29, and the deadline for that edition is Wednesday, April 27.

Sympathy to the Titus, Berg and Harrison families

Robert Titus, father of Steve Titus, senior vice president for University Advancement, died Tuesday, April 5. Cards can be sent to Steve Titus, campus box 30, or 64 Oakwood Court, Winona, MN 55987.

Alan Wilson, husband of Laurie (Berg ’88) Wilson , son-in-law of Cora Berg, (retired SMU library), and brother-in-law to Heidi Berg ’93 died Tuesday, April 5. Cards can be sent to:

Laurie (Berg) Wilson and family
9116 Indian Blvd. South
Cottage Grove, MN 55016

Sympathies continue to go out to the family and friends of freshman Millie Harrison, who died Saturday, April 2.

The Saint Mary’s community expresses its sympathies to all of these families.