Dance Repertory Company presents The Nutcracker

The Saint Mary’s Department of Theatre and Dance and the Minnesota Conservatory for the Arts will present the Dance Repertory Company in The Nutcracker, Thursday through Sunday, Dec. 2-5.

The production will take place in Page Theatre.

This year marks the company’s sixth biennial production of the piece and features a special choral performance by MCA’s Winona Area Youth Singers at the conclusion of Act I in the Land of Snow.

The cast includes 80 members, comprised of students from Saint Mary’s, Winona State and children and community members from Winona and the surrounding areas.

Through this ballet the beauty of the pure, young heart shines bright in a world of dancing dolls, angels, and of course, the wonderful, magical Nutcracker Prince. In the dreams of a child named Clara, a battle wages between a band of mice and a company of toy soldiers. With Clara’s assistance, the toy soldiers are victorious and grateful. A Nutcracker Prince welcomes her to the Land of Snow where they dance with the angels, and to the Kingdom of the Sweets hosted by the Sugar Plum Fairy, where she sees a beautiful array of ethnic dances such as Spanish Coffee, Chinese Tea and Russian Baba.

The Nutcracker will be presented at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 2, through Saturday, Dec. 4, and at 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 5. Page Theatre admits children ages 3 and older to this family event.

Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for students and seniors. To order tickets, call the Box Office from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday at Ext. 1715 or visit www.pagetheatre.org.

Oldie Moldies to perform at Signatures Nov. 20

Catch dinner and a show with the Oldie Moldie All-Stars Saturday, Nov. 20, at Visions Event Center.

Rock along to your favorite ’50s, ’60s and ’70s tunes while enjoying a menu of house salad, pan-seared Canadian walleye fillet, wild rice pilaf, mixed vegetables, caper tarter sauce, rolls and butter, and a root beer float.

The Oldies are members of the national music fraternity Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia at Saint Mary’s. The group consists of 10 talented and engaging singers and band members. Doors open at 5:30 p.m., and dinner will be served at 7 p.m.; the Oldies will perform two sets, one at 6:30 p.m., and a second at 7:45 p.m.

The price for the dinner and show is $32 per person; reservations can be made now through Nov. 19 by calling Signatures at (507) 454-3767. Payment is accepted at time of reservation. A chicken or pasta option is available by reservation.

Visions Event Center is located at Signatures Restaurant, 22852 County Road 17 in Pleasant Valley.

MCA holds sixth biennial Sugar Plum Fairy Tea Party Nov. 21

The Minnesota Conservatory for the Arts (MCA) is hosting its sixth biennial Sugar Plum Fairy Tea Party, Sunday, Nov. 21, at Valéncia Arts Center, 1164 West 10th St. Both tea settings are now full. To get on a waiting list, call Ext. 5500.

This year’s Sugar Plum Fairy Tea Party features two tea sittings at 1 p.m. and 4 p.m., providing specialty teas and exquisite finger foods. The Land of the Sweets Gift Boutique, featuring holiday gifts and crafts, as well as products from At Home America, Forever Engraved, Mon Petit Cupcake and USBorne Books, will be available for purchase from 12:30 to 5:30 p.m.

Tickets are $15 per person. All children attending the tea party will receive a complimentary professional photo with their favorite live character from the Nutcracker Ballet. Tea attendees will enjoy the sounds of MCA’s Winona Area Youth Singers, as well as flute, clarinet and piano accompaniment by MCA’s music division instructors.

Proceeds from The Sugar Plum Fairy Tea Party will benefit the MCA student scholarship fund and Nutcracker production costs.

Toys for Tots teddy bear toss tonight at men’s hockey game

The men’s hockey team will hold the first Toys For Tots Teddy Bear Toss tonight during the home game against Hamline University at 7 p.m.

Fans attending are encouraged to bring a teddy bear or stuffed animal — preferably new, but used in good condition will also be accepted and appreciated. Teddy bears will also be available at the area for a donation of $1.

After the first SMU goal in the first period — or at the end of the first period — fans will have an opportunity to throw their teddy bears and/or stuffed animals onto the ice. They will then be collected and go directly to benefit children in the local Winona area through Toys for Tots.

If you are unable to make it to the game, donate your gently used teddy bears from home for a good cause. Labeled boxes are on 1st floor of Saint Mary’s Hall and in the Office of Campus Ministry. Your bear will be available to fans without a teddy bear for a $1 donation and all proceeds will benefit Winona Toys for Tots.

Deported Palestinian student to speak at Saint Mary’s Dec. 1

A Palestinian woman who made world headlines in 2009 after she was arrested at an Israeli military checkpoint and forbidden to continue her studies at Bethlehem University will share her story with Winona audiences Nov. 30 and Dec. 1.

In October 2009, on her way back to Bethlehem from a job interview, Berlanty Azzam was arrested at a checkpoint and forcibly deported. A Palestinian student from Gaza, Azzam was blindfolded, handcuffed and forbidden by the Israeli military to return to Bethlehem University — just two months shy of completing her bachelor’s degree. The Israeli state never told her why she was denied permission to complete her studies, only that her presence in Bethlehem was illegal. In December 2009, the Israeli High Court upheld the government’s position.

In January 2010, despite not being able to return to school, Azzam completed her degree long-distance from Bethlehem University.

Her story drew international attention from human rights groups and CNN, MSNBC, BBC and the Washington Post.

Since July, Azzam has been sharing her story across the United States. Her presentation in Winona is being hosted through a collaboration between Saint Mary’s University and Bethlehem University, both run by the Brothers of the Christian Schools. The group sponsoring her trip to the U.S. is Project Engage of the Telos Group, a non-profit educational initiative that seeks to educate America’s mainstream faith leaders and their communities about the causes of — and solutions to — the modern conflict that currently ravages the Holy Land.

Winona State University students are being invited to hear Azzam’s story Tuesday, Nov. 30. On Wednesday, Dec. 1, she will speak to Saint Mary’s students.

The public is invited to hear her story at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 1, at Saint Mary’s University’s Figliulo Recital Hall, located in the Performance Center.

For more information, contact Dorothy Diehl at Ext. 1531. To learn more, visit www.bethlehem.edu/archives/2010/2010_003.shtml.

United Way pledge forms due Nov. 26

The employee United Way campaign has started. Last year, employees of Saint Mary’s donated over $6,000 to the United Way.

Pledge forms and United Way brochures are available in the Human Resources Office, Heffron 145; the form rack in the hallway outside of the Business Office; and at the Maintenance Department Office. Pledge forms are due back to the Human Resources Office at P.O. Box 38 by Friday, Nov. 26.

For more information, call Paul Wildenborg at Ext. 1442, or e-mail questions or comments to pwildenb@smumn.edu.

Students present, Wallerich honored at symposium

Cassie Berning, Acacia Gammage, Alyssa Habberstad, Jamie Jones and Rob Sassetti

Caiti Knudson, Steve Lochen, Cathy Rennie and Casey Twardowski

Kelsi Addabbo, Alyssa Habberstad and Bethany Hastings

Saint Mary’s psychology, biology, chemistry and engineering physics students presented research at the Seven Rivers Undergraduate Research Symposium in La Crosse, Wis., on Nov. 12.

Presentations included:

• Pre-gaming on a College Campus: Extent and Definition: Caiti Knudson, Steve Lochen, Melissa Murphy*, Rachel Otten*, Cathy Rennie and Casey Twardowski.

• A Lens Model Approach to Understanding Clothing Choice in Regard to Impression Management: Kelsi Addabbo, Alyssa Habberstad and Bethany Hastings.

• Digging Deeper: Factors Affecting Body Image in Men and Women: Cassie Berning, Acacia Gammage, Alyssa Habberstad, Jamie Jones, Mekenzie Reps* and Rob Sassetti.

• Use of an Artificial Habitat by Racerunners (Aspidocelis sexlineata): Michelle Gossen.

• Iron Oxide / Gold Nanoparticle Arrays as Multimodal Imaging Agents: Jennifer Koezly.

• Tick-borne Pathogens in Winona County: Borrelia burgdorferi and Anaplasma phagocytophilum in Ixodes scapularis: Lukas Wallerich. Wallerich also was awarded first place for outstanding presentation in his session of talks. He was also one of two students awarded travel expenses to present at the national meeting of the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology in Washington, D.C.

* These students were not able to attend the symposium but were involved in all other aspects of the projects.

Saint Mary’s makes history through ‘Give to the Max’ Day

A total of 233 donors participated in Give to the Max Day Nov. 16, pledging a total of $17,488 to Saint Mary’s. Additionally, because SMU has the 10th highest number of donors within the Greater Minnesota region, GiveMN awarded Saint Mary’s with an extra $1,000 gift.

Through the assistance of Give to the Max Day, the employee campaign achieved the University goal of 50 percent giving participation. This is the first time Saint Mary’s has achieved this level of employee giving.

If you would still like to make a gift but do not have a form, please contact Bob Fisher at Ext. 6658 or rfisher@smumn.edu.

Elevator pitch competition winners announced

Mike Ostman and Joe Richards were awarded the top prizes in the recent Elevator Pitch Competition sponsored by The Kabara Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies.

Contestants created an idea for a business or an event and had 90 seconds (the length of an average elevator ride) to convince a panel of judges that the idea was a worthwhile investment. Judges considered the feasibility and creativity of the idea, as well as the enthusiasm and professionalism of the presentation.

The Kabara Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies will be sponsoring another Elevator Pitch Competition early second semester.

Chat, Chow and Web features ‘Tech Toys’

The next “Chat, Chow and Web 2.0” will feature a presentation about the latest tech toys.

The event, hosted by The Fitz, IT and Instructional Technology, will be held noon to 1 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 1, in the main lounge of McEnery Center. Lunch will be provided.

For more information, contact Jason Spartz at jspartz@smumn.edu.

Cardinal Corner closing for semester Dec. 3

The Cardinal Corner will be closing for the semester at 2 p.m. Friday, Dec. 3. Hurry on down to get Christmas gear for your family!

High School Challenge season continues Saturday

The Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota High School Challenge continues with Round 1C 9 a.m., Saturday, Nov. 20, in the World Room.

The 2010-11 season marks the 40th year of the longest running, locally produced television program showcasing Eastern Minnesota, Western Wisconsin, and Northeast Iowa high school students in an educational forum.

High School Challenge is a contest in which high schools compete to correctly answer questions dealing with high school subjects, general information and current events. Thirty-two teams compete in winner and consolation bracket tournaments at Saint Mary’s. The final eight games of the tournament are taped at SMU and are televised on Fox 25 La Crosse and Fox 48 Eau Claire.

High school students receive scholarships to Saint Mary’s for participating in High School Challenge. Schools that win their first game receive $2,000 scholarships to SMU. Schools that lose their first game receive $1,000 scholarships to SMU. These scholarships are for any member of the senior class with a B or above average.

The following schools will participate: West Salem, Winona Senior High, Onalaska, Holmen, DeSoto, Blair-Taylor, Cotter (White team) and Riceville.

Teams that win their afternoon game will return Dec. 4 for the Consolation Championship games with Logan (White team), Cotter, Bangor, Weston and Eau Claire Regis (White team). Teams that win their morning and afternoon games will return Feb. 19 for the Super Challenge Championship with Logan (Red team), LaCrescent, Lewiston-Altura, Osseo-Fairchild and Eau Claire Regis (Green team).

For more information, contact Nicole Witt Gerdes, High School Challenge coordinator, at ngerdes@smumn.edu or Ext. 1761.

Jazz notes

Swing Inc. performs 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. every Friday (except Dec. 24) at Signature’s Restaurant.

The John Paulson Jazz Duo performs 2 to 5 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 20, at the Salem Glen Vineyard & Winery in Rochester.

Undergraduate Art Show now open

The 2010 All Campus Undergraduate Student Art Exhibition opened Thursday, Nov. 18, in the Lillian Davis Hogan Galleries.

All undergraduate students were invited to participate in a campus wide call for entries, and this exhibition highlights the variety and diversity of our students. On display are student artworks from more than 14 majors, including Chemistry, Journalism, Theology, English, Theatre, Marketing, Biology, Electronic Publishing, Art Studio, Graphic Design, and others.

Reminder no ‘Campus Notes’ next week

This is a reminder that there is no ‘Campus Notes’ next week because of Thanksgiving break. Look ahead on your calendars. The next issue will be Friday, Dec. 3. The deadline for submissions is Wednesday, Dec. 1.