Flood relief donations generous; additional fundraisers planned

Two funds have been established for SMU community members severely affected by the Aug. 19 flood — one to help faculty and staff, and a second to help area alumni.

Initial fundraising efforts have been very generous. More than $12,500 has come in so far from faculty, staff, alumni, members of the Board of Trustees, vendors and other friends of the university.
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The need is still very great. Please continue to give generously to the many among us who have lost so much, and who continue to experience heartache.

A special internal fundraising event is tentatively scheduled for October. More details will be explained next week. A small portion of the fundraiser will be a silent auction. If you are able to donate art, jewelry, cards, crafts, homemade treats, volunteer work, or any other time or talents, please let Deb Nahrgang know at dnahrgan@smumn.edu or Ext. 6966. All proceeds will directly be distributed to our own faculty and staff who have lost their homes and belongings.

Rockin’ for Relief is tonight

Milwaukee band Monday Saga, will perform as part of Rockin’ for Relief tonight, Friday, Sept. 7.

The public is invited to join Saint Mary’s for Rockin’ for Relief — a live concert to benefit flood victims in our surrounding communities. The event, which will include barbecued food, kids games and a live auction, will begin at 5 p.m. today, Friday, Sept. 7, in the plaza.

Performing will be Bookreader, an SMU student band; SMU’s Adam Stasica; Winonan Mike Munson; and Monday Saga, a band from Milwaukee featuring SMU alum Brandon Mathieus performs.

Big-ticket auction items will include a Wenonah canoe, Twins tickets, a Watkins basket, and Saint Paul Saints merchandise.

Bring the whole family; admission will be $10 or $5 for students. A freewill donation will be asked for those younger than 12. Families will be admitted for $10 per adult and freewill donations for children.
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The event is sponsored by Saint Mary’s Volunteer Services and Office of Campus Ministry. Modern Woodmen of America is providing matching funds up to $2,500.

The concert will serve as a kickoff for an SMU volunteer weekend of service to flood victims. For more information, contact Katie LaPlant at Ext. 6936.

Additionally, the Women’s Programming Office, Skemp Hall and Residence Life are collecting women’s products and supplies for flood victims. Bring toiletries, Chapstick, nailclippers, razors and shaving cream, feminine products, hair products and deodorant to the concert to drop them off at the Residence Life Office in the Toner Student Center.

Letter of appreciation from flood victim, alum

The following letter of appreciation was sent to Alumni Relations by 1991 alum Kristen Herrick.

I live in Goodview/Minnesota City (Sunny Acres) and was a victim of the flood. I owned a split-level home and had to jump from a window on the upper level into the rescue boat, as that was the only available means of escape left. I was more fortunate than some other victims. I lost the lower level of my home, which we had just finished, including everything in there. Furniture, tech equipment, furnace, water heater, things in storage down there, etc. Everything will have to be replaced, including both sets of stairs. I also lost the entrance way, flooring on the upper level, and my garage, including car, tools, snowblower and lawn mower.

I really appreciated what SMU did for the victims on Sunday and the following week. Getting off the bus and finding towels and dry T-shirts to change into in a clean, warm locker room was a little bright spot in a very gloomy morning. Waking up to the blare of a fire truck, telling you that you had to evacuate because you were losing your home to a flood was very disarming. I was proud of my alma mater.

There will be a long, hard struggle to get back what we lost, but kindnesses like those from family, friends, SMU and even complete strangers make the journey just a little bit easier.

Other flood assistance events

Several groups have already volunteered with cleanup efforts in the area. Katie LaPlant will continue to coordinate ongoing volunteer opportunities from cleanup to rebuilding efforts. The need for assistance is still great. A new volunteer form has been set up at www.smumn.edu/sitepages/pid3522.php. After you have completed the form, LaPlant will be in contact with you.

Any other questions or comments can be addressed to her at kalaplan@smumn.edu or Ext. 6936. Anyone in the SMU community in need of volunteer assistance, is also encouraged to contact LaPlant.
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The school year’s Let’s Do Lunch proceeds have been reallocated to help faculty and staff who have lost their homes or had significant damage. The first Let’s Do Lunch, hosted by the Department of Athletics and Student Development, will be held Sept. 25.

Additionally, the Jeans for a Cause proceeds will be directed to this fund. Today’s the first day; don’t forget to get your sticker. We’re also adding another Friday! You are encouraged to participate in Jeans for a Cause on the first and third Fridays of each month. Don’t forget to turn in a minimum $5 donation to Student Services and get your sticker to participate.

Please continue to use WinBulletin to report your needs as well as to donate materials. Specific information (like sizes for clothing or shoes) is helpful.

Convocation and Mass will be held Sept. 11

The College Convocation and Mass of the Holy Spirit, both of which will be held on Tuesday, Sept. 11, are intended to mark the official opening of the school year. Brother Frederick Mueller, FSC, Ed.D., will be the featured speaker at the Convocation, which starts at 11:15 a.m. in the gymnasium. The title of his address is “The Lasallian Educational Journey: Follow the Yellow Brick Road.” First-year students are required to attend the Convocation; all other students are strongly encouraged to attend. Mass will follow in Saint Thomas More Chapel at 12:10 p.m.

The registrar has issued a truncated class schedule for Sept. 11.
• 7:45-9 a.m. and 8:10-9 a.m. classes meet 7:45-8:40 a.m.
• 9:15-10:30 a.m. and 9:15-10:05 a.m. classes meet 8:55-9:50 a.m.
• 10:45-noon and 10:45-11:35 a.m. classes meet 10:05-11 a.m.
• 12:15-1:30 p.m. and 12:15-1:05 p.m. classes meet 1:40-2:35 p.m.
• 1:45-3 p.m. and 1:45-2:35 p.m. classes meet 2:50-3:45 p.m.
• Classes that normally meet after 3 p.m. will start at 4 p.m. and end at the discretion of the instructor.

SMU to host speaker on PATRIOT Act Sept. 18

George Christian

A Connecticut librarian who is one of only four people in the nation who can legally discuss a gag order imposed as part of a USA PATRIOT Act investigation will speak at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 18, at Saint Mary’s. The event — free and open to the public — will be held in Figliulo Recital Hall.

George Christian was party to a lawsuit that successfully challenged the gag order provision of the National Security Letter (NSL) statute. The NSL is part of the USA PATRIOT Act (Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism). In 2005, Christian was served by the FBI with an NSL demanding that he turn over records concerning library patrons’ use of computers, the Internet and e-mail.
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“The idea that the government can secretly investigate what the public is informing itself about is chilling,” Christian says.

Christian and three colleagues are the only four people who can even mention they have been served with an NSL. Christian said the recipients of an estimated 270,000 other NSLs issued since 9-11 “are under a perpetual gag order and must therefore carry the secret of their encounter with them to their graves.”

Christian’s appearance is being held in conjunction with events for Constitution Day, which was instituted by the Bill of Rights Institute to “educate young people about the words and ideas of America’s Founders, the liberties guaranteed in our founding documents, and how our founding principles continue to affect and shape a free society.” For more information, contact Dr. Steven Schild, Ext. 1753.

Admission forum scheduled for Sept. 10

All faculty and staff are invited to an open Admission Forum Monday, Sept. 10. There will be two similar sessions that day. The first session will begin at 12:15 p.m. and end at 1 p.m.; the second session will begin at 4 p.m. and end at 4:45 p.m. Both sessions will take place in the President’s Room. Coffee, tea, and cookies will be served. Guests may bring their lunch to the 12:15 p.m. forum.

Tony Piscitiello, vice president for admission and Karen Sullivan, director for admission, will discuss the past year-in-review, plans and goals for 2008, and unveil the new recruitment DVD. Time will be allotted for questions and comments.

While no RSVP is required, contact the Office of Admission (Ext. 1700 or admissions@smumn.edu) if you plan to attend so the right amount of refreshments can be ordered.

First Page Series event, Pavlo, hits stage Sept. 14

Pavlo, the first Page Series event, will perform Sept. 14.

The first Page Series event, Pavlo, will hit the stage 7:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 14, in Page Theatre.

Pavlo’s unique sound and high-energy concerts have earned him an international reputation as one of today’s great performers. Through guitars, drums and vocals, Pavlo expresses his influences — flamenco, Latin, classical, Greek bouzouki — with a passion that is present in every note. Participants will see why the enthusiasm is contagious during this concert, called “the ultimate Mediterranean experience.”

Tickets are $20, $14 for seniors or $12 for students and are available online at www.pagetheatre.org, in person, or by calling the Performance Center box office at Ext. 1715 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays.

Maria Hall and parking sold to Winona State

Saint Mary’s has sold Maria Hall on the Saint Teresa Campus to Winona State University for $2.5 million. The sale includes the 100-room dorm and 60 spaces of adjacent parking. WSU had leased the property from SMU for five years, and leased from the Hiawatha Education Foundation before that.

Saint Mary’s will replace the lost parking capacity by building a new lot between Loretto Hall and Saint Michael’s Fields, near the outdoor tennis courts. Construction will be this fall, depending on availability of contractors.

SMU gallery features diverse art through Oct. 5

A variety of unique artwork — including a ceremonial robe, gourds, sculpture, photography, encaustic painting, charcoal drawings, and digital fine art prints — are currently on display at Saint Mary’s University’s Lillian Davis Hogan Galleries.

Artists Monta May, director of web communication at Saint Mary’s, and Carol Faber, assistant professor of art and design at Iowa State University, are displaying their work through Oct. 5.

In “Interstices,” May displays encaustic paintings, an ancient art form involving pigment, wax, and heat. Her eye-catching grouping of 5- to 7-foot sculptures titled “Communion Circle: 1-10” meets viewers at the exhibit’s entrance.

The exhibit — free and open to the public — is open 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. For more information, call Ext. 1652.

Silent art auction to benefit Friends of the School of the Arts

Winona artist Monta May displays “Communion Circle: 1-10,” part of the dual show with Carol Faber, “Interstices” and “Images of Nature,” on display through Oct. 5 at Saint Mary’s University.



A silent auction of works by Monta May, on display in the Lillian Davis Hogan Gallery, will be open through Oct. 5, the duration of the exhibition.

Three of her works, “Red Bowl Ritual,” a canteen gourd; “Bee Garden,” and “From the Beginning,” encaustics on wood, are being auctioned. All proceeds from the auction of these works, as well as 5 percent of the sale price of May’s other exhibited works, will support arts education and programming at Saint Mary’s through the Friends of the School of the Arts.

History Book Prizes announced for spring semester 2007

Since 1995, the Department of History has awarded book prizes to recognize students for outstanding work. The following students were chosen for their work during spring semester: David Dahlstrom and Katie Lenahan, H125 Europe and the World; Amira Sadek, Jenna Schmidknecht, Katherine Schultz, and Ryan Soukup, H150 American Experience; Alfred Beseler, H211 Modern America; Sam Nothnagel, H311 American Foreign Relations; Christina Giunta in both H332 The Renaissance and H368 Contemporary Europe; and Tim Chesterman, H461 Historical Research and Writing. The history faculty congratulate these students.

New books, DVDs, CDs available at the library

Over the summer, the library added 485 new titles on topics ranging from jeans to genes, priestesses to ghost hunters, wedding industry to oil industry, letterpress printing to iPods, Caribbean literature to Australian short stories, Catholicism to Wicca, ancient sport to modern skiing, John Philip Sousa to Nirvana, comics to tea ceramics, forest ecology to dark matter, and more.

Check out the complete list of 367 books (sorted by topic), 88 DVDs, 23 CDs, and other newly-added items.

First biology seminar to feature Dick Kowles

Dr. Richard Kowles, Biology Department, will present the first biology seminar 4 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 13, in Room 112, Hoffman Hall. Dr. Kowles will discuss “Genetics and Cartoons.”

Robeson, Tristano attend Lasallian leadership program

Valerie Edwards Robeson, Department of Social Science and Richard Tristano, Department of History, represented the Winona campus at the first annual International Lasallian University Leadership Program. The meeting took place at the Generalate of the Brothers of the Christian Schools in Rome, Italy from June 10-23. The program goal was a deeper understanding of Lasallian Partnership and featured a variety of speakers and various community building activities. Participants developed a plan for engaging their home campuses in a deeper understanding of their Lasallian identity.

Highland keynotes at Bethany Lutheran College

Provost Dr. Jeff Highland presented keynote remarks at the faculty/staff workshop at Bethany Lutheran College in Mankato, Minn., on Aug. 15. Bethany is preparing its institutional self-study for reaccreditation by the Higher Learning Commission, and Dr. Highland provided an overview of the self-study process to the professional staff and also met with the self-study steering committee. Dr. Highland led SMU’s successful reaccreditation efforts and serves as a consultant/evaluator for the HLC.

McCullough presents in Plainview; memoir translated

Ken McCullough, director of the PASS program and assistant director of Academic Advising, recently presented “An Evening with Dylan Thomas” at the Rural America Writing Center, in Plainview, as part of its “Third Wednesday” series.

“Crossing Three Wildernesses,” a memoir which McCullough co-wrote with Pol Pot survivor U Sam Oeur, has been published in a German edition and is now being translated into Korean.

Heukeshoven attends state music educators meeting

On Sept. 7-8 Dr. Janet Heukeshoven, Music Department, attended the state Minnesota Music Educators’ Association Board of Directors meeting as state collegiate chair. The two-day meeting in Plymouth, Minn., focused on the new revisions to the Minnesota K-12 Academic Standards in the Arts, the mentoring pilot project for new music educators, and plans for this year’s state music education conference. Heukeshoven represents collegiate music education program directors and music education faculty.

John Paulson jazz events

The John Paulson trio will perform 8 to 11 p.m. Friday, Sept. 14, at The Waterfront in La Crosse. The John Paulson Quartet performs 8 p.m. to midnight Saturday, Sept. 15, at the Starlite Lounge in La Crosse.

Marine Art Museum offers free faculty/staff open house

The Marine Art Museum will be holding an open house for faculty, staff and their spouses next Wednesday, Sept. 12 from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Come and go as you please. This will be an opportunity for faculty and administration to see the museum for free and consider bringing back their students, friends, or family. We will have some wine and cheese available and some informal tours if anyone is interested.

Studio Ramble Fall Art Tour is Sept. 22-23

The 6th annual Studio Ramble, which includes artists in the Red Wing, Minn., and western Wisconsin regions, will be held Saturday, Sept. 22, and Sunday, Sept. 23. This self-guided tour is a premier showcase of diverse talent by established professionals and emerging artists, offering a diverse selection of artistic styles and disciplines that will appeal to the broadest possible audience.

People have the opportunity to experience up close an extensive variety of media; pottery, painting, print making, photography, sculpture, textiles, jewelry, computer imaging and musical instruments.

There will be eleven Studio Ramble sites and 27 artists participating in this year’s event in the Red Wing area. The free Studio Ramble booklet provides detailed information about each artist and their location. The Studio Ramble fall art tour is from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information on the individual artists, locations, a detailed map, or things to do while in the area visit www.studioramble.com.