Last Week's Campus Notes

Below are the postings from last week's Campus Notes.

Concert Band to debut Jewish composer’s work*

Internationally recognized composer Judith Lang Zaimont is the most recent winner of the Saint Mary’s University Concert Band Kaplan Commissioning Project. She composed “Israeli Rhapsody” for the band during the summer of 2006 after visiting campus and meeting the band members last May.

Read more.
Lang Zaimont will share her talents with Saint Mary’s music students during a residency March 7-11 and will introduce the premiere performance at a 3 p.m. concert on Sunday, March 11, in Page Theatre. Concert goers will have an opportunity to meet the composer at a post-performance reception in the Toner Student Center.

Of “Israeli Rhapsody,” Lang Zaimont wrote, she is “paying tribute to the complicated, thoughtful and joyous aspects that come together and characterize the people who flourish in that dramatic land.” Lang Zaimont thinks of Israel as a cultural wellspring and the homeland of her religion. Fragments of well-known Israeli melodies flow through the complex piece, which ends clearly as a joyful dance.

A grantee of both National Endowments, a Guggenheim Foundation Fellow and Aaron Copland Award winner, Lang Zaimont currently holds a 2005 Bush Foundation Artist Fellowship. She recently retired after three decades of teaching in higher education (at the Peabody Conservatory, CUNY, Adelphi University and University of Minnesota). For additional information, see her web site, www.jzaimont.com.

The SMU Concert Band commissioned “Israeli Rhapsody” through the Helen and Sam Kaplan Foundation Commissioning Project. Lang Zaimont is the fourth composer to participate in the Kaplan Commission. The Helen and Sam Kaplan Foundation supports performances and activities led by Jewish artists and scholars that are designed to increase cultural and religious understanding at Saint Mary’s. Her visit is funded in part through Meet the Composer’s Creative Connections program.

Lang Zaimont will share her talents with Saint Mary’s students during class and concert band rehearsals. She also plans to visit with Winona Senior High School students.

The concert band, under the direction of Dr. Janet Heukeshoven, will also perform works by Franco Cesarini, Philip Sparke, John Zdechlik, J.Michael Roy, Travis Cross, and John Philip Sousa. For additional performance details, contact Dr. Heukeshoven at jheukesh@smumn.edu or Ext. 1675.

Tickets are $6, $4 for students and senior citizens, and free to high school students with identification; tickets are available at the Performance Center box office, Ext. 1715, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays, online at www.pagetheatre.org or at the door.

Outstanding seniors announced at Founder’s Day

At the Founder’s Day celebration Tuesday, Feb. 27, the Outstanding Male Senior Award went to Davey Warner, son of David and Valerie Warner of McGregor, Minn. The Outstanding Female Senior Award went to Sarah Bellingham, daughter of Jane Bellingham and Don Bellingham of Harmony, Minn.
Read more.

This year's Outstanding Seniors are Davey Warner (back row, third from left) and Sarah Bellingham (front row, left).







Preston Lawing, chair of the Art Department, was presented with the Brother H. Charles Severin Award for Excellence in Teaching.

Preston Lawing, 2007 Severin Award winner











The event also honored the work of Brother James Miller, FSC ’66, who was killed by gunmen in 1982 in Guatemala. Two Brothers who were with Brother James at the time of his death, Brother Martin Spellman, FSC, ’54 and Brother Paul Joslin, FSC, received Presidential Awards for Outstanding Merit.

Brother Paul Joslin, FSC, left, and Brother Martin Spellman, FSC ‘54, received Presidential Awards for Outstanding Merit at Founder’s Day.

Noted theologian to speak on torture, Mar. 19*

Dr. William Cavanaugh will speak on “Torture, Terror, and Resistance: Theological Reflection on the Political Landscape” Monday, March 19.

The event — free and open to the public — will be held from 7 to 8:30 p.m. in Salvi Lecture Hall.
Read more.

Dr. Cavanaugh is an associate professor of theology at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul. He brings a radical vision grounded in a deeply traditional understanding of Catholic teaching to bear on issues such as consumerism, corporate power, the nation-state, war and torture. He has written extensively on these issues, and his clear, insightful approach has been compared to that of the great Catholic activist and writer Dorothy Day.

Among his recent writing on torture is his book, “Torture and Eucharist: Theology, Politics, and the Body of Christ” (Blackwell Publishing, 2006).

Dr. Cavanaugh worked as a Catholic lay missioner in Chile during the Pinochet regime and helped found a Catholic Worker house, Casa Guadalupana, for primarily Spanish-speaking immigrants on St. Paul’s West Side. He is also active in the National Religious Campaign Against Torture (NRCAT), which speaks against torture as a moral issue from a variety of religious perspectives.

The talk is sponsored by the departments of Theology, History, and Social Science; the Lasallian Core Tradition and the Lasallian Honors programs; the Office of Campus Ministry and the Office for Mission.

The sponsors believe that torture is one of the most important political and moral issues facing our country today; it is their hope that this talk will deepen our understanding and provoke thoughtful discussion. For further information about this event, contact Dr. Susan Windley-Daoust at Ext. 1995 or swindley@smumn.edu.

For more information, go to www.stthomas.edu/theology/cavanaugh.html;
www.nrcat.org; or
godspy.com/reviews/A-GodSpy-interview
-with-William-T-Cavanaugh-by-John-Romanowsky.cfm

Cartel to headline spring concert March 8

The rising pop punk band Cartel from Atlanta, Ga., will headline a public concert Thursday, March 8, at Saint Mary’s. In March, the band signed with Epic records and was also named Yahoo! Music’s winner in the “Who’s Next” competition. The group is currently on a nationwide tour that started in February and will continue into April.
Read more.

Cartel’s three opening bands are New Atlantic, Boys Like Girls, and Cobra Starship. Music from Cobra Starship was recently featured in the movie “Snakes on a Plane.”

The concert, hosted by the Student Activities Committee, will be held in the gymnasium. Doors will open at 6 p.m. New Atlantic per-forms at 7:15 pm., Boys Like Girls at 8 p.m., Cobra Starship at 8:45 p.m., and Cartel at 9:30 p.m.

SMU students may receive one free ticket for the concert and may purchase additional tickets for $10 each. Tickets are $10 for SMU faculty and staff and $15 for the public. Tickets are $15 for the general public and are available at the Performance Center box office, 457-1715, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays, or online at www.pagetheatre.org.

For more information, contact Katie LaPlant at Ext. 6936 or email kalaplan@smumn.edu.

‘The Ghost Sonata,’ tonight through March 5*

Caitlin Murphy and Joe Kritzeck rehearse a scene from “The Ghost Sonata.”

Ghosts walk in bright daylight, a beautiful woman is transformed into a mummy and lives in a closet, and the household cook sucks all the nourishment out of the food before she serves it to her victims in the next Saint Mary’s University Department of Theatre Arts presentation March 1-5.
Read more.

“The Ghost Sonata,” is one of Swedish playwright August Strindberg’s famous chamber plays. He bases the structure of the play on the sonata, with three movements instead of acts. The play delves into the psyche, casts away superficial masks and reveals that which desires to be hidden: our skeletons in the closet, our private nightmares and ghosts. The characters in “The Ghost Sonata” speak, move and act as if they are part of a dream — or a nightmare. One sees anxious glimpses of the future, another embodies tragedies from the past.

Director Steven Bouler says, “Ultimately the play is about corruption and anxiety, regrets and how we are transformed by those we encounter in life.”

Performances are scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, March 2 and 3, and Monday, March 5. A matinee is scheduled for 3 p.m. Sunday, March 4 — all at the Valencia Arts Center’s Academy Theatre, located at 10th and Vila streets.

Tickets are $8 or $6 for students and seniors and are available at the Performance Center box office, 457-1715, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays or online at www.pagetheatre.org.

Cotter performers to join Ball in the House*

Local singers from Cotter High School will work and perform with the nationally renowned a cappella ensemble Ball in the House as part of the Page Series at Saint Mary’s.

The Cotter Show Choir, under the direction of Cathy Snyder, will take part in a workshop with the five-member vocal band and will perform Stevie Wonder’s hit “Superstition” during the Ball in the House concert Friday, March 9, at Page Theatre.
Read more.

Ball in the House is a pop and R&B “mouthband” from Boston. From golden oldies to original pop — all performed with a strong beatbox background — Ball in the House offers a sound that has made it one of the best-known and most-loved acts in the a cappella community today.

Tickets to the March 9 concert cost $16, $10 for senior citizens and $9 for students, and are available at www.pagetheatre.org or from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays at the Performance Center box office, Ext. 1715.

SMU joins CST in celebrating centennial

The Alumnae Association of the College of Saint Teresa is planning a centennial celebration July 5-8, 2007. Saint Mary’s University recognizes the gifts that the College of Saint Teresa has brought to this community, especially to our SMU community. Many CST “family members” are employed at Saint Mary’s University.

We would like to bring our CST family at SMU together to help celebrate the centennial. Please let Pat Beech in Development and Alumni Relations, Ext. 1499, know if you have any connection to the College of Saint Teresa and would like to be included. Also let Pat know of other people in your department who have retired from SMU but had a CST connection and may want to be involved.

Viewing of total eclipse of the moon is Saturday*

On the evening of Saturday, March 3, there will be a total eclipse of the moon as the moon passes through the shadow of the earth. This event will be going on when the moon rises (about 6p.m.), but it will stay fully eclipsed for about half an hour after that.

The Physics Department, and the Physics and Astronomy Club will host an eclipse viewing in the observation area by the observatory on the roof of Hoffman Hall (accessible through a stairwell from the third floor). Telescopes will be available, starting at 6 p.m.

Barber to speak on ‘From Faust to Wikipedia’*

Dr. Mark Barber, Philosophy Department, will present “From Faust to Wikipedia: Intellectual Achievement & Its Discontents” at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 15, in the President’s Room of the Toner Student Center. The event is free and open to the public, and refreshments will be served. Dr. Barber’s presentation is sponsored by the National English Honor Society, Sigma Tau Delta. For more information, contact Dr. Carolyn Ayers at Ext. 1523 or cayers@smumn.edu.

First ‘Senior Experience’ conference is March 6

The first Senior Experience Conference, sponsored by Student Development, Career Services and Alumni Relations, will be held 4to 8 p.m. Tuesday, March 6.
Read more.

The event, “Real World 101: Surviving Life After SMU,” will be held in the Toner Student Center. Seniors only are invited to this fun and informational event that will include a reception with free food and beverages and a dress -for-success fashion show, featuring the sisters of Sigma Alpha Iota. Pre-registration is not necessary. Visit booths to learn about career ser-vices, internships, graduate school, financial aid and alumni relations.

From 4 to 4:45 p.m., Megan Germo ’06 and Nathan Semsch ’04 will present “From the Classroom to the Real World: What Really Happens After Graduation” in the President’s Room.

Sessions throughout the evening will include “Graduate/Professional School,” “More than a Paycheck: Benefit Basics,” “Interviewing,” “Life Without my College Buddies,” “Budgets: How Not to Live on the Financial Edge,” “Résumé Building and Job Searching,” “How to Survive Moving Back Home,” and “Alternative Jobs: Call to Service.”

High School Challenge to air Sundays on Fox 25/48

High School Challenge, an academic knowledge tournament for area high school students — sponsored by and held at Saint Mary’s —finished the 2006-07 season on Saturday, Feb. 10. The tournament began in the fall with 32 high school teams from Eastern Minnesota, Western Wisconsin and Iowa, each competing for a place in the consolation or winner brackets. The final eight games were taped by La Crosse’s FOX 25/48.

On Sunday, March 4, the Consolation Championship game, featuring a competition between Cotter High School and Lewiston-Altura High School, will air. Tune in at 10 a.m. on FOX 25/48 to find out which school is the 2006-07 High School Challenge Consolation Champion.

Rochester artists opening reception Saturday*

The upcoming art exhibit “Brush Stroke: Group Painting Show” will be on display at Saint Mary’s University March 3-April 4.
Read more.

The show — to be held in the Lillian Davis Hogan Galleries — will feature the work of several artists from Rochester including Jane Belau, Corene Bernatz, Andrea Costopoulos, Pat Dunn-Walker, Ann Riggott, Jane Schulz, Denise Walser-Kolar, Lily Weinshilboum, as well as Eva Deli from Austin, Minn.

The artwork will include abstract landscapes, realistic figures, colorful impressionism, and complex scenes; the artists use a variety of mediums including watercolors, oils and acrylics. A wide variety of influences and styles are represented in the paintings including Oriental, Western and Austrian traditions.

The exhibit is free and open to the public and will be open daily from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. An opening reception is scheduled for 4 to 6 p.m. Saturday, March 3. For more information, call Ext. 1652.

M.Ed. conference is March 31-April 1*

“Shared Learning…Bringing Knowledge to Life” is the theme for the Master of Education in Teaching and Learning annual conference at Champlin Park High School March 31- April 1. Approximately 900 learners in the M.Ed. program from across the state of Minnesota and Wisconsin will come together for two days of shared learning.

Anyone interested in more information about the conference or who may wish to attend can contact Suzanne Peterson, program director, at Ext. 6615 or at speterso@smumn.edu.

Take a shot at Hoops for Humanity

Saint Mary’s Habitat for Humanity chapter is hosting a double elimination 3 on 3 basketball tournament fundraiser on March 11, beginning at 2 p.m. in the RAC. Teams need three players (and have the option of a fourth member as an alternate). There is a $9/team entry fee (donation to Habitat) and the chance to win some great prizes.

The first-place winners will receive a dinner cooked by Gary Diomandes, Department of Theatre Arts, and a Hoops for Humanity champs T-shirt. Additional prizes will be awarded. If you wish to sign-up, send your team name and members list to habitat@smumn.edu by March 8.

Auditions, interviews for summer theatre*

Gilmore Creek Summer Theatre will hold actor auditions and technical interviews on Saturday, March 10, at the Performance Center.

GCST’s six-week repertory season includes the comedy “Lend Me a Tenor” and the musical “Showtune: Celebrating the Words and Music of Jerry Herman.” The company will give four performances a week from July 5 to Aug. 5 at Page Theatre.
Read more.

Actors should bring a headshot and résumé, and prepare two contrasting monologues (not to exceed three minutes). Actors who can sing should also prepare two song selections (ballad and up-tempo, not exceeding two minutes) and bring their own battery-operated media player(cassette, CD, MP-3) for accompaniment. Acappella singing is not permitted. Technicians should bring a résumé and portfolio in their area of interest.

The acting company will consist of eight performers, some of whom will have additional technical responsibilities. Technical positions available include technical director, lighting designer(s), costume designer, costume shop supervisor, two stage managers, scenic artist, technician/master electrician, set construction/carpenter, and costume technician.

Contract dates for actors run from June 4 to Aug. 6. Technician contracts vary, depending on position, from May 13 to Aug. 8. Salaries vary from $250 to $350 per week, depending on duties. Housing is provided on the Winona campus.

To schedule an audition time, actors should contact artistic director Judy Myers at Ext. 6686 and technicians should contact production manager Kit Mayer at Ext. 1717. More information about GCST is available at www.smumn.edu/gcst.

Blood drive planned for March 6-7

The Saint Mary’s Winter Blood Drive will be held 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. March 6-7 in the Hall of Fame Room of the Toner Student Center. Walk-ins are accepted. For more information, contact Nicole at Ext. 7113 or Kristen at Ext. 1894.

Cochran to speak at next biology seminar*

The next biology seminar at 4 p.m. Thursday, March 8, will feature Dr. Phil Cochran, SMU biology professor, speaking on “History Fish —Time Traveling with Lake Sturgeon in the Upper Midwest.” The event will be held in Room 112, Hoffman Hall.

Join others at SMU for April 21 Relay for Life

The Colleges Against Cancer student group has again challenged SMU faculty and staff to participate in the Relay for Life on April 21. All money raised goes to the American Cancer Society.

Contact Jason Richter, Ext 1648, or Laurie Hale Erdmann, Ext. 1464, to join the team.

Benefit dance March 3 to help La Crosse family

Saint Mary’s University will present the seventh annual Taylor Richmond Benefit Dance,” The Start of Something New,” from 8:30 p.m. to midnight on Saturday, March 3.

This beneficiary of this year’s formal dance —open to the public — is SMU 1994 alumna Shelly (Kubicek) McMahon and her family.

Read more.

The dance, featuring music by the Johnny Holm Band, will be held in the Toner Student Center dining room. Ticket prices are $15 per person or $25 per couple.

To purchase tickets or receive more information, contact Jason Richter at Ext. 1648 or Katie LaPlant at Ext. 6936. Dance tickets will also be available at the door.

To make a donation, send checks — payable to the Taylor Richmond Benefit Dance — to Jason Richter, Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota, 700 Terrace Heights No. 45, Winona, MN 55987.

A silent auction will be held on campus from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. today (Friday), March 2. A variety of homemade goods, gift baskets and specialty items will be on display in the game room, located in the lower level of Toner Student Center. Proceeds from the auction will also go to the McMahon family.

Renewable energy program at SMU March 10*

The Midwest Renewable Energy Association, along with a grant from the Wisconsin Environmental Education Board, has developed a new program called Renewable Energy 101 for Universities. The program is for student activists who want to advocate for renewable energy.

The Renewable Energy 101 for Universities program will come to Saint Mary’s on March 10, the eighth stop on its 10-University tour.

For more information about the program, contact the Midwest Renewable Energy Association at 715-592-6595. For more information about the Saint Mary’s session, contact Joseph Tadie at jtadie@smumn.edu or Ext. 6652.

Lasallian mission topic of two upcoming events*

The Lasallian Leadership Initiatives Council is planning two more events for this semester.

• Wednesday, March 14, noon — “Chicken Soup for the Lasallian Soul.” (This will have limited seating. When the time draws near, there will be an opportunity to RSVP.)
  
  
• Friday, April 13, 3 p.m. — Lasallian Hour with Brother Arnold McMullen.

For more information, contact Brother Bob Smith at Ext. 1797 or rsmith@smumn.edu.

Saint Thomas Aquinas Lecture is March 6*

Father Kurt Pritzl, OP, Ph.D. of the Catholic University of America will deliver the second annual Saint Thomas Aquinas Lecture on the subject of “Contemplation and Sharing” at 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 6, at Saint Mary’s University.

The event — to be held in the President’s Room of the Toner Student Center — is sponsored by the Saint Mary’s Department of Philosophy and The Immaculate Heart of Mary Seminary.
Read more.


An afternoon “quodlibetal-style” question-and-answer session with Father Pritzl will begin at 3 p.m. in Salvi Lecture Hall, located insanity Mary’s Hall. With the “quodlibetal-style,” Father Pritzl agrees to answer any questions that are asked of him. All questions are welcomed.

The Saint Thomas Aquinas Lecture is an annual event, through which a well-known Thomistis brought to SMU in celebration of the feast of Saint Thomas Aquinas. Father Pritzl is associate professor and dean of the School of Philosophy at The Catholic University of America. He specializes in ancient Greek philosophy, particularly the philosophy of the early Greek thinkers and Aristotle regarding the theory of knowledge, theories of soul and philosophical anthropology. As an educator, a Dominican priest and an expert in Aristotle, Father Pritzl will bring a multidisciplinary viewpoint to this topic.

For more information, contact Joseph Tadie at jtadie@smumn.edu or Ext. 6652.

An update from Nairobi*

From Father Michael Kirwen, director of the Maryknoll Institute for African Studies in Nairobi, Kenya:

“MIAS will soon publish the second volume of the ‘Journal of African Cultures and Religion.’ This edition features the field research papers of the students who took the following courses: Gospel and Culture: The African Experience and African Culture: An Overview and African Traditional Religion Interprets the Bible. In these papers, students demonstrate their ability to search out and recognize cultural patterns underpinning the data of their field research, and interrelate the data with lecture and bibliographical materials. The papers are edited and compiled by course, with a brief introduction by the course lecturer. Copies of the journal can be obtained for $5.95 via the website www.africancultures.org.”

Volunteer Committee events

Today is another “Jeans for a Cause” Friday. Please stop in Student Services with your donation and pick up your “Blue Jean for accuse” sticker. The money raised will be donated to the De La Salle High School in New Orleans.

A tentative schedule for future “Let’s Do Lunches” includes:

March 8 — “Let’s Do Lunch,” hosted by the Office of Admission
April 19 — “Let’s Do Lunch” hosted by the Education Department
May 18 — “Let’s Do Ice Cream”
June 22 — “Let’s Do Ice Cream”
July 20 — “Let’s Do Ice Cream”

Jazz events*

Swing Inc. (with Eric Heukeshoven) will perform 5:30 to 9 p.m. Saturday, March 3, at Michaels Restaurant in Rochester and 7 to 11 p.m. Friday, March 16, at the Canadian Honker Restaurant in Rochester.

The John Paulson Jazz Trio will perform 7:30 to midnight at the Big River Room just outside of Winona, and the John Paulson Quartet will perform 8 to 10:30 p.m. Thursday, March 15, at Jefferson Pub & Grill, 58 Center St.

SMU Paintball Club competes near Milwaukee

The SMU Kidz took eighth place out of 24 teams at the fourth Class AA Midwest North Division’s NCPA (National Collegiate Paintball Association) college paintball tournament Feb. 24-25, near Milwaukee, Wis.

Kugel to speak Friday about energy distributions*

Dr. Roger Kugel, professor of chemistry and associate vice president for academic affairs, will be giving a presentation titled “Energy Distributions: Does God Play Dice?” for the Math and Science Brown Bag Seminar Series. The presentation is today, March 2 at 12:30 p.m. in Hoffman 301. Feel free to bring a lunch; beverages will be provided.

Contact Brett Bodsgard, bbodsgar@smumn.edu, for more information.

Gibson presents paper in Canada Feb. 10*

Ann E. Gibson, Ed.D., director of Counseling Services and Women’s Programming, presented a paper Feb. 10 at an international conference “Educating Women in the 21st Century” held at Saint Vincent’s University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
Read more.

Gibson’s paper, “The Impact of a Catholic Women’s College: Voices of Alumnae” reported a historical case study of the College of Saint Teresa including alumnae assessment of the impact of their college experience and relevance to 21st century women.

Gibson also visited another Saint Mary’s University while in Halifax. Founded in 1802,that Saint Mary’s has more than 7,500 full- and part-time students. It is the oldest English-speaking, Roman Catholic-initiated university in Canada.

Bambenek hired as graduate programs coordinator

Mary Bambenek has been hired as the new graduate programs coordinator for the Winona campus. Bambenek’s office is Saint Mary’s Hall Room 106.

Bambenek’s primary responsibilities are with the masters programs in Geographic Information Science, Institute for Pastoral Ministries, International Business, and Philanthropy and Development. Stop in to greet her or call Ext. 8738.

Congratulations to Richtman and Wells families

Mike and Meg Richtman, director of alumni relations, had a baby girl, Elizabeth Claire, on Saturday, Feb. 24.

Tracy and Jeremy Wells, vice president of development and alumni relations, had a baby boy, Liam Thomas, on Tuesday, Feb. 27.

The Saint Mary’s University community extends its congratulations to the Richtman and Wells families.

Eulogy for Tim Burchill by Brother Louis

(The following eulogy was delivered by Brother Chancellor Louis DeThomasis Monday, Feb. 26, at the funeral service for Tim Burchill, Executive Director of the Hendrickson Institute for Ethical Leadership and long-time Saint Mary’s administrator.)

“Tim was my friend, and he will always be. He was my colleague, and he will always be. Tim was an amazing professional, whose efforts will be with us for longer than you can imagine. Tim was all those things, but, most importantly, he was my friend.
Read more.


“Tim Burchill was also an enthusiastic and tire-less friend of Saint Mary’s, who, for 28 years, worked almost constantly, it seemed, to find the ways and means for his alma mater to do its work for its students, faculty and staff. Of course, it was his job, his noble profession. But, because Tim was who he was, it was a deep and profoundly felt commitment to ideals. He worked so very hard and so wonderfully creatively because he knew it was the right thing to do. I could make you a list of all of the things he accomplished for Saint Mary’s; but Tim wouldn’t want that.

“Tim was my friend and he will always be. Oh, yes, he excelled at his work, but far more than that, he was . . . . Well, the best way to say it is this: He was a great guy. He was a very calm person who dealt with difficulties by remaining calm, even if I were “not remaining calm,” on those rare occasions. His sense of humor could appreciate both the erudite and the silly. And he knew when to use humor, and when to be quite serious. Speaking as a person whose work made so many demands on him, I knew he would always be there . . . as a colleague, as a professional, and, most importantly, as a friend.

“And we were good friends in spite of the fact that some of his favorite activities were rather different than mine. Motorcycling, for example. Tim and his cherished wife, Barb, were quite the pair, tooling down the highway on those Harleys, observing either the spirit or the letter of the law at every moment, of course. He really tried to get me interested in joining him. He said a picture of me on a Harley would make a classic collector’s item for alumni and the most significant action I could take in SMU fundraising! In retrospect, I think he really meant it. He may even have been right!

And then there was golf. Tim loved it. All the years we worked together, he tried to get me to be as enthusiastic about golf as he was, but I used to tell him, “Tim, until they have a restaurant on the 9th hole where I could get needed nourishment – I won’t be golfing.” It didn’t work for me, but it provided so much enjoyment and relief from the pressures of work for him. And he was very good at it, too.

“Tim Burchill was a man of Context and Vision. Many of you may recall that an early major fund raising campaign that Tim and I undertook was called Context and Vision. The name was Tim’s idea and, without going into the details of that effort, it was most meaningful and most effective. But, as I think of those words now – Context and Vision – they clearly speak to what Tim was all about. He lived in a Context which blended his strong faith, his vital family, his deep friendships, and his professional work. And we know that he was a man of remarkable Vision. I witnessed the wisdom of his hopes and dreams for the future, of the way things ought to be. And his insight and future-sight were so right so often, making him a remarkable professional in his field.

“I am sure Tim did not think of himself when he dreamed up that mantra, but it describes him so well, doesn’t it? Tim Burchill was a man of Context and Vision; of faith and action; of understanding and commitment.

"Thank you, Tim, for being my colleague and my friend and for being such a vital part of the SMU family ... we will miss you."