Saint Mary's University of Minnesota

Thursday, June 24, 2010

Welcome for Dumestre planned for today

A welcome for Marcel Dumestre, Ed.D., the new vice president for the Schools of Graduate and Professional Programs, will be held at 10:30 a.m. today, Friday, June 25, in Mother Teresa Hall on the Twin Cities campus. The event will be connected by live video feed with Computer Lab 23 in the Hendrickson Center in Winona. Dr. Dumestre has returned from Rome and is looking forward to meeting the staff of SGPP and colleagues on the Winona campus.

Staff members are invited to stop by and welcome him. Refreshments will be served at both locations.

About 300 students attend New Student Orientation

Dr. Carolyn Ayers, English Department, meets with a student.

Students had their photos taken with parents and siblings during New Student Orientation.

New Student Orientation, held June 12, 15 and 17, drew around 300 new students and families. Students were given tours, met with faculty advisors and attended a full schedule of events.

Homecoming schedule, awardees announced

During summer Homecoming festivities, Saint Mary’s will honor outstanding alumni Saturday, June 26.

This year’s Distinguished Alumnus Award recipient is Dr. Jane (Weydert ’86) Homeyer of Reston, Va. Lasallian Service Awards will go to James Cunningham ’49 of Coos Bay, Ore., and Christine (Coglianese’ 93) Collins of Orland Park, Ill. Additionally, Timothy Horan ’70 of Plymouth, Minn., will receive the Alumni Appreciation Award. All four will be honored during a reception Saturday, June 26.

Approximately 300 alumni, family and friends will return to their alma mater for Homecoming festivities, which begin Friday, June 25, and run throughout the weekend.

2010 HOMECOMING HONOREES:

Distinguished Alumna

Dr. Jane (Weydert ’86) Homeyer
Reston, Va

Jane (Weydert) Homeyer, Ph.D., began her career as a forensic scientist at the Northern Illinois Police Crime Laboratory and was eventually promoted to the laboratory’s executive director. Five years into her career, she joined the FBI in its laboratory division as the unit chief of the Forensic Science Training Unit in Quantico, Va. Homeyer assumed her current position as director of Competencies and Standards for the Central Intelligence Community (IC) Chief Human Capital Officer of the Director of National Intelligence in April 2006. She is responsible for establishing common competencies and standards for the IC workforce to help unify the IC agencies.

Alumni Appreciation

Timothy Horan '70
Plymouth, Minn.

Tim Horan’s dedication to Saint Mary’s University can never be questioned. He has generously shared his time and talents with SMU by first serving as a member of the Alumni Board of Directors from 2001-2003 and then on the Board of Trustees from 2004-2009. But his involvement doesn’t stop there. Horan is also a former parent, phone volunteer, and fundraising volunteer. He is currently assisting the Office of Development with raising funds to endow the Brother Raphael Memorial Scholarship. A strong advocate of the university, Horan is also a loyal and dedicated benefactor.

Lasallian Service

James Cunningham '49
Coos Bay, Ore.

James Cunningham has educated the poor for more than 50 years. He spent 18 fulfilling years as a Christian Brother, but it was the eight years he spent working in Nicaragua that he found life-changing. There he witnessed intense poverty, extreme poor living conditions and severe illness. He soon recognized that teaching these students had to extend beyond the classroom and into their daily lives. One day, looking down on the school’s muddy fields, he realized these students needed a gymnasium. After a year of soliciting funds, he raised enough money to purchase a pre-fabricated gym. Cunningham’s college career began at Saint Mary’s at the tender age of 16; a life-long learner, he has attended classes in 16 colleges and universities in six states and two foreign countries. He has authored a book, “Education on the Wild Side,” about his years in Nicaragua, and he is in the process of publishing two more books.

Lasallian Service

Christine (Coglianese’ 93) Collins
Orland Park, Ill.

For the past 12 years, Christine (Coglianese) Collins has infused Lasallian ideals and faith-based values into her youth ministry group at Our Lady of the Woods Parish in Orland Park, Ill. Her work as a youth minister includes weekly liturgy and advanced faith exploration sessions. She also initiated summer service trips to Appalachia involving more than 100 high school students. This summer she is planning a pilgrimage to Lourdes, France. In recognition for her efforts, Collins was awarded the Knights of Columbus Regnum Caeli Award in 2000. In 2008, she was presented with the Catholic Charities Vincentian Award and was also recognized by the Archdiocese of Chicago for her and her group’s work with soup kitchens in the Chicago area. She also currently serves on the Archdiocese of Chicago Vicariate V Leadership Award Committee.

Some of the other Homecoming events are:

Friday, June 25
9 a.m. to Noon — Golf Outing, Bridges Golf Club ($65 per person)

Saturday, June 26
7:45 to 8:30 a.m. — Gilmore Gallop 5K Run, registration near the gazebo

Noon to 1:30 p.m. — Family Picnic on Max Molock Field

5 p.m. — Mass at Saint Thomas More Chapel

6 p.m. — Alumni Reception, Dinner & Awards Ceremony in Toner Student Center, Dining Room
8:30 to 11 p.m. — Reunion Party in Toner Student Center, President’s Lounge

Sunday, June 27
9:30 a.m. — Mass at Saint Thomas More Chapel

Faculty and staff are invited to attend these events. This year, we will celebrate anniversary classes that end in 0 or 5, the golden anniversary class of 1960, and the 25th anniversary class of 1985. To view a complete schedule of events, go to www.smumn.edu/homecoming.

DeFries named director for undergraduate admission

Brandi DeFries, Ed.D., has been named the new director for undergraduate admission on the Winona Campus. She will begin July 19.

DeFries was hired after a national search was conducted. She is currently vice president for enrollment management at Mount Marty College, S.D., serving in that position since 2003. Previously, she was a counselor at Augustana College (S.D.) and then admission counselor, assistant director for admission, and director for admission at MMC before rising to vice president.

She recently completed her coursework on her Ed.D. from the University of South Dakota with an emphasis in Adult & Higher Education.

100 students tour campus for MPCC week

Saint Mary's is one of 17 private schools participating in Minnesota Private College week June 21-25. Saint Mary’s has hosted about 100 students and their families for tours of campus and meetings with admission counselors this week.

Michener appointed director of Lasallian Honors Program

Dr. Christian Michener, professor of English, has been appointed director of the Lasallian Honors Program. Dr. Michener, a regular instructor in the honors program and formerly associate dean for general education, has been a member of the Saint Mary’s faculty since 1995. He replaces Dr. Jenny Olin Shanahan.

Saint Mary’s helps sponsor Mid West Music Fest

The first Mid West Music Fest, scheduled for July 30-31, will bring together more than 50 bands and musical acts at various venues around Winona to raise funds for three local non-profit organizations: Winona SEMCAC Head Start, Winona Fine Arts Commission and Winona360.

Saint Mary’s is proud to support SMU alumni by sponsoring Koo Koo Kanga Roo’s performance in the Fest. Swing Inc., which features Eric Heukeshoven and Dr. John Paulson from the Music Department, and The Wet Bandits, which features Adam Stasica from the Office of Admission, are also on the roster.

“Our goal is to produce an all-ages, alcohol-free community event that really has a little something for everyone.” said Sam Brown, the festival founder.

An event for children is also in the works. A two-day all-access pass is $20 and up to two children under the age of 10 are permitted with each all-access pass. Admission for individual shows will range from $5 to $10 at the door.

For more information, go to www.midwestmusicfest.org.

Thanks to parade volunteers

As part of visibility initiative, the Communication and Marketing Office entered two floats for this year’s Steamboat Days parade Sunday, June 20. Thanks go to all the volunteers who gave out fold-up fliers, provided music, drove vehicles, helped blow up balloons and served as the Cardinal mascot!

‘Let’s Do Ice Cream’ events set

The next “Let’s Do Ice Creams” — hosted by the Volunteer Committee — will be July 15 with sundaes and Aug. 12 with floats. Money raised will be used for scholarships for Christ the Teacher Institute for Education in Nairobi.

Charron to speak at Chamber Network Nite

July’s Chamber Network Nite Tuesday, July 6, will include a special reception with brief comments from Michael Charron, dean of the School of the Arts and chair of the Minnesota State Arts Board, and Paul Barnes, producing director of the Great River Shakespeare Festival, at 5:30 p.m. at the WSU Performing Arts Center. The presentation is titled “Winona, the Arts and the Economy: What’s the Big Secret?” “Othello” will begin at 7:30 p.m. Reservations are required. Tickets are $15 through the Chamber.

Ames Municipal Band to perform Heukeshoven piece

“The Elephant and the Fly,” a duet for piccolo and tuba arranged for concert band by SMU music instructor A. Eric Heukeshoven, will be performed by the Ames (Iowa) Municipal Band in the Durham Bandshell on Thursday, July 1, at 8 p.m. The concert is free and open to the public. “The Elephant and the Fly” was originally composed by Henri Kling (1842-1918) and scored for military band. Heukeshoven’s arrangement for modern concert band has been performed by numerous bands across the U.S. including a 1998 performance by the Winona Municipal Band with Janet and Eric Heukeshoven as the soloists.

A podcast of the Ames Municipal Band performance will be available from KASI 1430 AM at:
www.1430kasi.com/cc-common/podcast.html

Price presents workshop for Diocese of St. Cloud

Larry Price of the Business Department and Institute of Pastoral Ministries was invited to present a workshop to the members of the tribunal for the Diocese of St. Cloud on the role of the Defender of the Bond in tribunals cases.

The presentation, given on June 8 at the Chancery for the St. Cloud Diocese, was very well received. Price notes that, in addition to the warm hospitality extended by the Diocese of St. Cloud, a highlight of the trip was a personal tour of the St. John’s campus given by Father Virgil Helmin (Judicial Vicar) who is an alumni of St. John’s College. After learning about the St. John’s Bible project, Price was also fortunate to see the work in progress a few weeks later at the Science Museum in St. Paul, where it is on display together with a Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit.

Trail Scamper set for July 31

The cross country teams will be hosting the sixth annual public SMU Trail Scamper on Saturday, July 31. The 4-mile run/walk is slated to begin at 9 a.m. on the trails.

Over the past five years, the Cardinal cross country teams have put on the SMU Trail Scamper as a fund-raising effort for their athletic programs.

The cost is $18 prior to July 17 and $20 thereafter. T-shirts will be presented to all participants, with awards being given to the top overall male and female competitors, as well as the top three finishers (male and female) in each age category.

Jazz notes

Swing Inc. with John Paulson and Eric Heukeshoven will perform 7 to 10 p.m. July 9 and Aug. 27 at Signatures Restaurant and 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. today, Friday, June 25, at the Canadian Honker Restaurant in Rochester.

John Paulson’s Jazz Quartet performs Friday, July 16, with Kies & Co. at the Starlite Lounge in La Crosse, Wis.

Tournament of Hope basketball fundraiser nears

Saint Mary’s is helping to sponsor the Tournament of Home basketball fundraiser Saturday, July 24. The event will include a 3-on-3 tournament, 3-point shootout and free-throw contest plus music, food, and face painting. All donations will go to the Red Cross Disaster relief program.

The tournament, which will be run 3 to 7 p.m., will be held at the East End Recreation Center, 210 E. Zumbro St.

Participants of all ages are invited and asked to bring one non-perishable food item. Participation is $75 per team for the 3-on-3, with a maximum of four people per team. Individual registration is $20 per person. The 3-point shootout is $5 per person, and the free throw contest is $5 per person.

Register online at http://tournamentofhope.eventbrite.com.

For more information, contact Tory Johnson at tjohnson@hbci.com or Eldridge McClatchey at exmccl01@smumn.edu.

Tristano to participate in seminar in Washington, D.C.

Dr. Richard Tristano, professor of History, has been chosen to participate in a seminar titled “Ancient Greece in the Modern College Classroom” sponsored by the Center for Hellenistic Studies and the Council of Independent Colleges. The seminar, funded by the Gladys Krieble Demas Foundation, offers participants an opportunity to extend their knowledge of ancient sources and develop strategies for incorporating them into their courses. Gregory Nagy, Francis Jones professor of Classical Greek Literature and professor of Comparative Literature at Harvard University, and Kenneth Scott Morrell, associate professor and chair of Greek and Roman Studies at Rhodes College, will lead the seminar on “Herodotus' Histories as Literature” in Washington, D.C., on Aug. 7-11. There were nearly 100 applicants for 24 spaces in the seminar.

Whelan and May show work in FASEM Exhibition

John Whelan and Monta May are exhibiting work at the 2nd annual Fine Artists of Southeast Minnesota (FASEM) Exhibition — a juried, regional, professional visual art show that will run through July 29 in the Lillian Davis Hogan Galleries at Saint Mary’s and in the Paul Watkins Gallery on the Winona State University campus.

Project FINE (Focus on Integrating Newcomers through Education) hosted its annual Taste of International Cuisine fundraiser on June 13, and SMU supported this event by sponsoring a table. Project FINE is a local, private, non-profit organization that has been serving refugees and immigrants in Winona County since 1990.

Lupita Garza, International Admission, is a Project FINE Board Member. Fatima Said, executive director of Project FINE is pictured to left of Garza. Other SMU staff attending included, from left: Brit Wagner, International Center; Edith Galvez, Countdown to College; Ken Pellegrini, Domestic Admission; Katie Trnka, Domestic Admission; and Brother Ed Siderewicz, assistant to the President for First Generation and Lasallian Initiatives.