Brother Louis to discuss global economy Thursday at SMU

Brother Chancellor Louis DeThomasis will address global economic challenges and their impact on the U.S. economy from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. Thursday, March 12, in Figliulo Recital Hall.

The event is free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be available. The presentation is sponsored by the Offices of the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, and the undergraduate School of Business.

Brother Louis — an accomplished educator, scholar, author, lecturer and executive — served as president of Saint Mary’s from 1984 to 2005. He has extensive first-hand knowledge of the business world. He is a founder of Christian Brothers Investment Services Inc., an investment advisory firm that today manages assets valued at more than $5 billion dollars. He also was a director of the Galaxy Funds, which manages mutual funds with collective assets of approximately $20 billion dollars.

Page Series presents Einstein Alive! March 12

Storyteller Marc Spiegel, channeling Albert Einstein, will prove to audience-goers of all ages that learning is fun on Thursday, March 12, at Saint Mary’s.

The final Page Series event of the season, Einstein Alive! is a one-man show that is both entertaining and educational. Through theater, sing-along songs and audience participation, Spiegel vividly and realistically brings Einstein to life as he takes you on an adventure into the great genius’ mind. Audience members will find themselves laughing while they learn complicated theories, including Einstein’s Theory of Relativity.

The show begins at 6:30 p.m. in Page Theatre. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for seniors and students and are available at the SMU Box Office, Ext. 1715 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and online at www.pagetheatre.org.

This presentation is supported by the Performing Arts Fund, a program of Arts Midwest funded by the National Endowment for the Arts, which believes that a great nation deserves great art, with additional contributions from Minnesota State Arts Board, General Mills Foundation and Land O’Lakes Foundation. The Helen and Sam Kaplan Foundation is providing additional support, and Excel Energy Foundation has supported the school matinee for Einstein Alive!

Relay For Life is March 20

The 2nd annual SMU Relay for Life is Friday, March 20. Register at www.relayforlife.org/smu. Thanks for all you do to help fight back against cancer! SMU has a goal of 20 teams and 200 participants.

For more information, contact Marissa (mjkadl06@smumn.edu) or Alison (amhill07@smumn.edu).

National Women’s History Month is March

During March, Saint Mary’s will join thousands of other institutions across the United States in recognizing the significant role of women in American history and contemporary society for National Women’s History Month.

The 2009 theme is “Women Taking the Lead to Save Our Planet.” The 2009 national honorees are women who have demonstrated leadership in protecting the environment on a local, state, national, or international level. The most well-known 2009 honoree is Rachel Carson, who authored “Silent Spring” and who is widely recognized as a founder of the current environmental movement. Other honorees include women who are scientists, engineers, business leaders, writers, filmmakers, conservationists, teachers, community organizers, religious or workplace leaders and others whose lives show exceptional vision and leadership to save our planet. For information about all honorees, go to www.nwhp.org.

SMU women also take the lead in saving the planet through a variety of activities and initiatives and these projects will be highlighted during March. Mark your calendars —Thursday, March 12, will be the annual Women’s History Month reception. Look for more information throughout the month about local projects to save our planet.

SMU, WSU choirs to present ‘The Spirit of Venice’ March 21

The choirs of Saint Mary’s and Winona State will present an evening of Renaissance and early Baroque music in “The Spirit of Venice” on Saturday, March 21.

The choirs, under the direction of Dr. Patrick O’Shea and Dr. Harry Mechell, will perform,beginning at 7:30 p.m. at Chapel of Saint Mary of the Angels, located at the Saint Teresa campus.

The concert will feature the works of G. Gabrieli, Schuetz, Monteverdi, Hassler, Charpentier, Vivaldi and Pergolesi — composers who have all lived or studied in Venice.

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. Monday through Friday or online at www.pagetheatre.org. Free student rush tickets are available 20 minutes before the performance with either a Saint Mary’s or WSU student ID.

SMU information provided in MPCC newsletter

The February 2009 four-page electronic newsletter of the Minnesota Private College Council mentions Saint Mary’s in an article titled “College presidents make case for preserving state’s financial aid.” Go to www.mnprivatecolleges.org/publications/newsletter/2009/02_all.php. Three hundred and seventeen Saint Mary’s undergraduates receive these need-based grants; and the total aid received by these students amounts to about $1 million.

Alumni and friends arts event scheduled for March 28

The SMU Department of Theatre and Dance, the Friends of the School of the Arts, and the the Alumni Association will host an alumni and friends event on Saturday, March 28, featuring a performance of “A Chorus Line.” Faculty and staff are invited and welcome to attend this gathering.

From 2 to 3:30 p.m., a panel of theater majors will meet with current theatre students in the President’s Room, Toner Student Center.

At 5 p.m. a social hour and dinner will be offered in the Toner Student Center lounge, and “A Chorus Line” begins at 7:30 p.m. in Page Theatre. A 9:30 p.m. a dessert reception — with cash bar — will be held in the Presidents Room.

The cost is $35 for the dinner, performance and reception or $15 for the performance and reception.

To register for this event, contact the alumni office at Ext. 1499 or register online at www.smumn.edu/sitepages/pid819.php.

May to display mosaic at Winona Arts Center

Monta May, Communication and Marketing, will display a glass tile mosaic titled "Flock" at the Winona Arts Center Members Exhibition March 6 through April 29. A reception will be held 5:30 to 7 p.m. Friday, March 13. Gallery hours are Wednesdays from 4 to 7 p.m. and Fridays from 3 to 6 p.m. For more information about Monta's work, go to www.854w5th.com.

ICAA hosts ‘Taste of Africa’

Renee Mompremier, James Agunsoye and Hillary Stenzel participated in a fashion show.

Christian Yao Adeti

The ICAA (Intercultural Awareness Association) hosted a Black History Month program, “Come and get a Taste of Africa,” on Saturday, as part of the De La Salle Week activities.

The evening included a special dinner and presentations by Christian Yao Adeti, renowned drum and dance instructor and performer; Yolanda McIntosh, Twin Cities motivational/inspirational speaker; former staff Xavier Wilson with the “I Have a Dream” recitation; and presentations by SMU students. The event also included dance performances and an African fashion show.

Next SMU exhibit features digital photography, paintings

“Old Media, New Ways and New Media, Old Ways” — featuring the work of two Chinese-American artists — will be on display through March 20 at the Lillian Davis Hogan Galleries.

Jing Zhou, Monmouth University in West Long Branch, N.J., is displaying digital photography and Ming Zhou, University of Missouri, Columbia, is displaying paintings.

The Lillian Davis Hogan Galleries are free and open to the public and are open daily between 9 a.m. and 8 p.m. For more information, call Ext. 1652.

Common Threads Clothing Drive is March 20-22

On March 20-22 the Peace and Justice Club will be having a clothing drive/sale for the SMU community and the Winona community.

March is Campus Energy Challenge Month

During the month of March, the Saint Mary’s community is invited to examine its energy consumption and work together to reduce the amount of energy. In the coming weeks, look for more information about ways you can reduce energy and some activities promoting energy-saving via e-mail and all over campus.

Gaslight performances near

Gaslight music show performances will be March 13-14. For more information, contact Kaitlin Depuydt, kadepu05@smumn.edu.

McCullough to judge Poetry Out Loud competition

Ken McCullough, assistant director of Academic Advising, and director of the PASS program, will serve as one of three judges for the state Poetry Out Loud competition on March 9 at the Fitzgerald Theatre, St. Paul. The National Endowment for the Arts, in collaboration with the Poetry Foundation, has created Poetry Out Loud, a program that encourages the nation's youth to learn about great poetry through memorization and recitation. In 2005, after a successful pilot program in Washington, D.C., and Chicago, Poetry Out Loud was launched in high schools across the country. State arts agencies bring Poetry Out Loud to each state, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the District of Columbia, with more than 150,000 students participating annually.

Heukeshoven featured in Twin Cities jazz newsletter

A. Eric Heukeshoven, Music Department, is featured in an article published in the March 2009 edition of “Coda,” the online newsletter of the Twin Cities Jazz Society. The story, written by retired Star Tribune reporter Dick Parker, chronicles the Winona Steam Calliope’s recent
appearances in the 2009 New Orleans’ Mardi Gras parades.

The newsletter is not yet available on the Twin Cities Jazz Society’s website, but Parker has given SMU permission to link to a PDF of the newsletter at http://av.smumn.edu/03_09_Coda.pdf.

SMU in the news

Here is a recent mention of SMU “making the news” — in the Winona area and beyond.

• An article titled, “Earmark may help SMU teacher training” appeared in the Feb. 27 edition of the Winona Daily News.

Jazz notes

Dr. John Paulson and Miles Johnston Quartet will perform 8:30 to 12:30 p.m. today, March 6, at the Starlite Lounge in La Crosse, Wis., and 8 p.m. Saturday, March 14, at the Oak Center General Store in Oak Center, Minn., just outside of Lake City.

Swing, Inc. (Jerry Paulson, Dave Townsend, Steve Kulas and Eric Heukeshoven, Music Department) will perform in the all-new Riverside Center at Jefferson Pub & Grill in Winona from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. today, March 6; no cover charge.

May is next Knowledge Acknowledged speaker

Monta May, Communication and Marketing, will share her passion for creating art that is bound up in the mystery of antiquity — the ancient artifacts, techniques, motifs, and imagery that allow us brief glimpses into the lives of our common ancestral pasts — on March 24 at the library. Her artwork reflects a fascination with things from the past.

Poems co-authored by McCullough featured in play

Four poems from the book “Sacred Vows,” co-authored by Cambodian poet U Sam Oeur and Ken McCullough (PASS program and Academic Advising), were featured in a new play, “Breaking the Silence,” by veteran Dutch director Annemarie Prins. The play premiered in Phnom Penh and then toured the Cambodian provinces. The production was sponsored by the Prince Claus Fund, with additional support from the Dutch Embassy in Bangkok.

Faculty/staff changes

Leaving:
• Charles Cicalello, Feb. 25, athletics — assistant baseball coach
• Timothy Johnson, Feb. 11, Twin Cities security guard

SMU invited to Polish-American Art Show and Lecture

The Polish Art Museum (at 102 Liberty St.) will celebrate its annual “Dyngus Day” on Monday, April 13. Dyngus Day is a celebration of Easter Monday. The celebration is based on traditions of baptism and the suffering of Jesus during the Easter season. A Polish-American art exhibit, displaying past and present paintings of local Minnesota artists of Polish descent, will be a major part of the festivities. The exhibit will be open between 4 and 9 p.m.

Additionally, Dr. Tomas Tolvaisas, an assistant professor in the Department of History at WSU, will lecture on the numerous intersections and mutual influences of American and Polish modern art during the 1960s. His presentation and a question-and-answer session will take place in the museum theater between 7 p.m. and 8 p.m.

The exhibit will continue through Saturday, April 18, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. For more information, go to www.lacrossetribune.com/brochures/polishmuseum/polishci.htm or call the Polish Museum, 454-3431.

Sympathies

Michael Troy Wieser, son of Richard Wieser ’68, and the nephew of Kevin Hennessy (Professional Development specialist), died on Wednesday, Feb. 25. Condolences can be sent to: Kevin Hennessy and family, Campus Box 74.

Marie McDonald, mother of Terri Nye (assistant to Brother Chancellor Louis DeThomasis and Brother President William Mann), died Saturday, Feb. 28. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, 360 Main St., Winona, Minn., at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, March 7. There will be an hour-long visitation prior to Mass. Notes of condolence may be sent to Terri Nye at Campus Box 28.

Lyle G. Seebach, father-in-law of Dr. Beth Seebach (psychology) and father of Barton Seebach M’06 died Tuesday, March 3. Notes of condolence may be sent to Beth and Bradley Seebach and Family, Campus Box 1488.

The Saint Mary’s community extends its sympathy to these families.