About 300 students to attend New Student Orientation

New Student Orientation is planned for Tuesday, June 14; Thursday, June 16; and Saturday, June 18. There is an additional optional overnight orientation on Friday, June 17, with an outdoor movie, bonfire, and ice cream social. Students will then attend the Saturday orientation if they have chosen to attend the overnight session.

Close to 300 new students and their families will be on campus during these days. Events run 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

For a schedule or more information, go to www.smumn.edu/nso or contact Laura Schmidt, Ext. 1648, or leschmid@smumn.edu.

Homecoming schedule for June 24-26

The 2011 Homecoming Celebration is scheduled for June 24–26. Some of the weekend events are:

Friday, June 24
9 a.m. to Noon — Golf Outing, Bridges Golf Club ($70 per person)

Saturday, June 25
7:45 to 8:30 a.m. — Gilmore Gallop 5K Run, registration near Max Molock Field

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

Award Recipients:
• Dr. Don Truhlar ’65, Distinguished Alum
• Rob Figliulo ’76, Alumni Appreciation
• Mary Lou (Black ’76) Scheid, Lasallian Service
• James ’91 and Molly (Crosby ’91) Cave, Lasallian Service

8:30 to 11 p.m. — On-campus entertainment in Toner Student Center Lounge

Sunday, June 26
9:30 a.m. — Mass at Saint Thomas More Chapel

Faculty and staff are invited to attend these events.

To view a complete schedule of events, go to www.smumn.edu/homecoming. To register, contact the Alumni Office at Ext. 1499 or go to www.smumn.edu/sitepages/pid4093.php by June 17.

‘Celebrate Japan’ raises money for Misato, Winona’s sister city

As part of a citywide effort to raise money for earthquake relief in Misato, Japan — Winona’s sister city — Saint Mary’s hosted “Celebrate Japan” Thursday, May 5. This event, combined with other fundraising efforts on campus, raised more than $2,000 for Misato.

Al Thurley, a Winona City Council member, wrote: “A very sincere and huge thank you to you and all the folks at Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota who most generously gave of your time, materials and facilities to assist Winona help our sister city, Misato, rebuild from the earthquake. Thank you, thank you, thank you!”

Blackboard 9.1 is almost here

Take a minute to read the “Bb 9.1 Coming Soon” tab in Blackboard. It’s the best way to stay informed on the changes ahead.

IMPORTANT: If you wish to have a course from 2008M3 (Summer 2009) or earlier copied to the new Bb system, you must request it. To request a course that is from before 2008M3, please send an e-mail indicating the complete course ID(s) and your name to Edtech@smumn.edu.

The Blackboard system will not be available during the weekend of July 1-4.

Interested in attending an introduction to Bb 9.1 training session in July? Contact Jason Spartz, jspartz@smumn.edu, to learn about your options.

SMU nominated for Chamber Business Celebration Award

Saint Mary’s University was nominated for a Winona Area Chamber of Commerce Business Celebration Award for Outstanding Leadership in Community Citizenship. Others nominated in this category were Habitat for Humanity, Peerless Chain Company, Winona Agency, and Winona ORC.

Habitat received the top honors during the Business Celebration Luncheon May 17.

Winona Cabaret Ensemble raises $540 for Nairobi

The Winona Cabaret Ensemble brought about 170 guests to SMU throughout Memorial Day weekend. Their performance raised $540 in donations for SMU’s Nairobi campus.

Employee changes

New employees:

• Donna Aronson, vice president of Academic Affairs
• Andrew McLees, June, Student Life - administrative assistant
• Diana-Christine Teodorescu, May, Twin Cities, director, M.A. Organizational Leadership
• Ryan Wockenfus, May, Admissions counselor

Leaving:

• Robert Biebel, May, Hendrickson/Development
• Ambjor Brown, May, athletic trainer
• Adolfo Cardona, May, Twin Cities - faculty, MBA
• Susan Edel, May, registrar
• Jason Flanders, May, AOD education coordinator
• Timothy Fredrickson, May, hall director and area coordinator
• Marilyn Frost, May, interim VP/faculty
• Viki Kimsal, May, Twin Cities - Organizational Leadership - program director
• Richard Olson, May, Twin Cities - associate director, MS Nurse Anesthesia
• Jennifer Schmidt, May, grad assistant and hall director
• Jeff Stangl, May, Athletics - Men’s and Women’s Golf
• Diane Steffen, May, Twin Cities - M.A. in Education, director
• Elizabeth Throop, May, dean of Humanities and Sciences
• Casey Finnerty, May, Biology Department assistant professor
• Martin Judd, May, Business Department professor
• Sister Clare Korte, May, Biology Department professor
• Samuel Taylor, May, Twin Cities - security officer
• Christine Mart, April, Development database manager
• John Neaton, April, Twin Cities - Field Placement coordinator

Rothering honored for presentation

Lauren Rothering ’11 has received first place in the Isabel Sparks President’s Awards of Sigma Tau Delta, the English Honor Society. She won $375 for having the best presentation on world literature; she gave the paper at the 2011 Sigma Tau Delta International Convention in Pittsburgh last month.

Her paper is titled “Domestic and National Identity in Adichi’s Purple Hibiscus.” See the list of awardees at: www.english.org/sigmatd/conv/pdf/ConventionAwards11.pdf. Rothering’s award is at the top of page 2 with a shortened title.

Trinona Kids Triathlon is June 11 at SMU

Saint Mary’s will host the Trinona Kids Triathlon, a swim/bike/run triathlon for kids ages 5-13 on Saturday, June 11. Starting waves will be based on age. Each triathlete will swim first in the SMU pool, go directly to bicycling, and finish the competition running around the outdoor track.

Participation has reached the 200-child maximum. The adult Trinona event has reached capacity as well at more than 800 participants.

For more information, go to www.trinona.com.

HCO presents ‘Joseph’ in Page Theatre

Home and Community Options will present “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” at Saint Mary’s Page Theatre. Performances are 7 p.m. June 16-18 and June 20-22 and 5 p.m. Sunday, June 19. Tickets are $15 for adults and $8 for seniors older than 62 or students. For tickets, call the box office at Ext. 1715 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday or order online at www.pagetheatre.org.

Parade volunteers needed

As part of Saint Mary’s visibility initiative, the Marketing and Communication Office is entering a float for this year’s Steamboat Days parade, and a couple more volunteers are needed to help pass out SMU bandanas.

The parade, which will be held Sunday, June 19 (Father’s Day), begins at 12:30 p.m., and SMU’s float is No. 64.

Volunteers will receive a free T-shirt (please let Deb Nahrgang know your size), and cold beverages will be provided.

A brave soul is also needed to wear the Cardinal mascot outfit (only sitting down, waving and staying cool is required)!

If you’re interested in helping or would like more details, contact Nahrgang at Ext. 6966 or dnahrgan@smumn.edu.

Lueck to competing in Dancing with Winona Stars

Forty local stars — including Terrie Lueck, SMU director of conferencing and camps — are getting ready to dance the night away for charity this summer during the 3rd Annual Dancing with Winona Stars.

The event will be held Saturday, Aug. 13, at SMU’s Gostomski Fieldhouse and will be sponsored by the Gotta Dance Competition Group. The pre-show begins at 7 p.m., and the competition begins at 7:30 p.m.

Last year over 1,000 people attended the show and more than $10,000 was raised for local charities. Lueck is raising money for SMU’s First-Generation Initiative.

This year will feature 11 individual stars dancing with Gotta Dance Instructors and five star groups that will be performing a variety of styles from rhumba to hip hop.

Tables are available for $250 and include hors d’oeuvres, a cash bar, reserved seating and early admission at 5 p.m.

Single tickets with hors d’oeuvres and early admission at 5 p.m. are $25 and show-only tickets with 7 p.m. admission are $10 or $20 at the door.

For more information, visit www.dancingwithwinonastars.com or call Gotta Dance at (507) 474-7077.

Quilters Guild show to be displayed at SMU

The summer show, “Beneath the Covers: The Winona Area Quilters’ Guild” will be on display at Saint Mary’s from June 20 through Aug. 14.

A huge variety of full-size quilts, as well as other quilted pieces — ranging from traditional patterns to very graphic and experimental ones — will be on display.

An opening reception is scheduled for 5 to 7 p.m. Monday, June 20, at the Lillian Davis Hogan Galleries.

The galleries — free and open to the public — are open 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily.

SMU hosts Concert on the Green June 25

The Great River Shakespeare Festival Concert on the Green Saturday, June 25, will feature French cafe music with Cafe Accordion Orchestra. The event will be sponsored by Saint Mary’s University and Paul Barnes and James Edmondson in honor of Sue and Jack Cornwell. The concert begins at 6:30 p.m. at Winona State University. Concerts on the Green are free and open to the public. For more information on the concert series or the festival, visit www.tdmwinona.org or www.grsf.org.

Jazz notes

Swing Inc. will perform from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. every Friday at Signatures Restaurant, 22852 County Rd. 17.

The John Paulson Jazz Trio will perform Wednesday, June 15, from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Steamboat Days Beverage Tent at Levee Park.

The Swing Inc. Trio will perform 2 to 5 p.m. Saturday, June 11, at Salem Glen Winery in Rochester.

Ibarra receives HECUA scholarship

Karolina Ibarra, an SMU global studies and journalism student, received a Higher Education Consortium for Urban Affairs merit scholarship this year.

Ibarra, who will be studying in Norway this fall on HECUA’s Scandinavian Urban Studies Term, received a $750 scholarship.

‘Campus Notes’ will continue every other Friday

“Campus Notes” will continue every other Friday during the summer including June 24, July 8, July 22, Aug. 5, and Aug. 19. The deadline for each issue is noon the previous Wednesday.