Gaslight celebrates 50 years

In spring 1963, a Saint Mary’s musical tradition was born as the melodies of Gaslight first delighted audiences. On Saturday, April 21, the SMU alumni community will celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Gaslight with a special alumni performance in the Toner Center Dining Room.

The alumni show will include performers of Gaslight from several generations.  Alumni performers will be from the ’60s, ’70s, ’80s, ’90s and recent years. A special highlight will be a performance from the original Oldie Moldie All-Stars.

A reception is planned at 6 p.m., and the alumni Gaslight will begin at 7 p.m.

This year’s student Performances of Gaslight are 8 and 10:30 p.m. today, Friday, April 20, and 10:30 p.m. Saturday, April 21. Tickets are $6 in advance or $7 at the door. Faculty and staff can receive one free ticket by contacting Lance Thompson, Ext. 1686 or ljthom01@smumn.edu.

Tickets are $15 for the alumni event. To pre-register, go to www.mysmumn.org/50thGaslight.

Senior Academic Honors Banquet is April 26

The annual Senior Academic Honors Banquet will be held on Thursday, April 26, beginning with a reception in the President’s Room at 6:30 p.m. Dinner and the awards program will follow at 7 p.m. in the Toner Student Center Dining Room.

Tickets are not required for faculty and staff but RSVPs should be made to Barb Schmidtknecht at Ext. 6678 or to bschmidt@smumn.edu by the end of the day today (Friday) so that there is ­an accurate count.

DRC presents ‘Le Corsaire’ April 27, 28

The Saint Mary’s 2011-2012 performance season concludes with the Dance Repertory Company in “Le Corsaire,” April 27-28 at Page Theatre.

For close to four decades, the Dance Repertory Company has delighted the Winona community with quality dance productions featuring local dancers in classical and contemporary works.

“Le Corsaire,” loosely based on a poem by Lord Byron, follows Medora, a beautiful slave girl, and Conrad, a dashing pirate, as they journey through a tapestry of captive maidens, rich sultans, swashbuckling abductions, and dramatic rescues, all culminating in a happy ending. Originally choreographed by Marius Petipa to music by Adolfe Adam, the ballet continues to delight audiences more than 150 years after its premiere.

Under the artistic direction of Tammy Schmidt, the DRC’s production features dancers who currently train at the Minnesota Conservatory for the Arts and Saint Mary’s, as well as community members. Gary Diomandes, Department of Theatre and Dance, is one of the performers.

Performances are scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Friday, April 27, and 3 p.m. Saturday, April 28.

Tickets cost $10 for adults and $5 for students and senior citizens. Tickets are available at www.pagetheatre.org or by calling the SMU Performance Center at Ext. 1715.

For more information, visit www.mnconservatoryforthearts.org, e-mail mca@smumn.edu or call Ext. 5500. The Minnesota Conservatory for the Arts is an affiliate program of Saint Mary’s.

Service awards presented to students, faculty, staff

Campus Ministry staff with the Volunteer Service Award recipients Stephanie Schaub and Megan Linder

Ann Merchlewitz was presented with the Brother Charlie Burke Award by Tim Gossen.

Campus Ministry staff with Brother James Miller Award recipients Madelynn Kettner and Jill Spitzmueller.

Saint Mary’s recognized outstanding students, faculty and staff Thursday, April 12, at the Student Life Awards Ceremony. Several awards were handed out to students who made a noticeable impact on student life at SMU. Awards included:

Brother Finbar McMullen Award (presented to an SMU community member who demonstrates him/herself to be an individual who unselfishly meets the needs of the undergraduate students of Saint Mary’s) — Tim Gossen, dean of students

Charlene “Char” Tjaden Outstanding Resident Assistant Award — John Soucheray

Club and Organization Advisor of the Year — Lance Thompson, assistant activities director

Organization of the Year — Open Mic Nite, accepted by Ben Scott

Intramural Official of the Year — Rachel Otten

Volunteer Service Award — Stephanie Schaub and Megan Linder

Outstanding Student Senator of the Year Award — Andy Bauer

Brother James Miller Award (presented to a student who has dedicated his/her college experience to promoting the legacy of Brother James Miller, spreading the compassion of God and continually serving the community) — Jill Spitzmueller and Madelynn Kettner

Student Service Award — Luis Escobar

Outdoor Leadership Recognition — Courtney Lee

Brother Charlie Burke Award (presented to a faculty or staff member who has made significant contributions to the entire Student Life Department. This individual has promoted the growth of the whole student through their exemplary standard of ethical service, dedication to creating developmental relationships, and their desire to promote lifelong learning) — Ann Merchlewitz, executive vice president and general counsel

Saint Benilde Award (presented to a student who reaches out to new members of the university community, is inclusive and inspiring and leads by being hospitable, open and accepting) — Amy Streit and Robert Rousseau

Leadership Certificate (presented to students who have completed the co-curricular program designed to give both emerging and advanced leaders the skills and knowledge to enhance his or her leadership development) — Riley Sinn, Julianne Bartosz, Morgan Carlson, Sara McNary, Abby Ross, Danielle Strebel, Chris Froelich, Mae Yang, Katherine Wall and Stephanie Schaub

Saint Mary’s senior art show runs through May 12

Saint Mary’s seniors will display their artwork in the show “Boundaries Fade” through May 12 in the Lillian Davis Hogan Galleries.

The second group of artists, displaying April 21 to May 12, includes: Michael Blanda, Ashley Blum, Keisha Harcey, Maria Ann Harris, Mary Karnick, Sarah Marie Kennedy, Laura Polzin, Morgan Stock, Jim Tandberg and Margaret Villaume.

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

Women Who Step Forward Conference planned

On Saturday, April 21, the second Women Who Step Forward Conference will take place at the SMU Event Center on the Minneapolis campus. This is a unique opportunity for women who are aspiring leaders who wish to learn the skills and mindsets that are essential to leadership.

Women Who Step Forward is a full-day leadership conference with international leaders who are sharing their time and talents with women who need it the most. This conference is funded by grants and sponsorships so that students may attend all sessions and meals for only $45.  For those that cannot afford this rate, scholarships are available.

Keynote speaker Marilyn Tam, former CEO of Aveda, former president of Reebok Apparel and Retail Group, and former vice president of Nike, believes in this mission of helping women further their careers and will be available to sign her books, “How to Use What You’ve Got to Get What You Want” as well as “Living the Life of Your Dreams.”

Julie Gilbert, former senior vice president of Best Buy and founder of WOLF Means Business, will open the day with inspiring remarks about her personal journey through the ranks of leadership and how she founded her own successful company here in Minnesota.

Participants will choose from the following breakout sessions:

• Networking
• Career Search Strategies
• Women in Entrepreneurship
• The Self Esteem & Confidence of a Leader
• The Power of Your Personal Brand
• Stress Management Through Yoga & Meditation
• Personal & Professional Finance
• Self Management

Please share this information with students, friends, faculty, and colleagues. For scholarship information, e-mail Anna Riechers at ariecher@smumn.edu.

For more information, go to www.smumn.edu/wwsf.

Register for Row, Ride, Run Triathlon

The annual Saint Mary’s “Row, Ride, Run Triathlon” will take place on Saturday, April 28, beginning at 9 a.m. at Lake Lodge in Winona and finishing on SMU’s Winona campus.

About 100 athletes from throughout the Midwest are expected to register for the race.

Participants will canoe or kayak a 2.5-mile loop around Lake Winona, then bike 14 miles from Lake Winona to the SMU campus. Once on campus, racers will run 3.1 miles through the bluffs surrounding the university.

Proceeds assist Serving Others United in Love (SOUL), a program of SMU’s Office of Campus Ministry. Through SOUL, students are able to connect with diverse communities by participating in national and international service trips.

Registration is $30 per individual or $60 per team. Teams can be made up of two, three or four members.

Participants must be 10 or older to row or run and 15 or older to bike. Awards will be presented to the top three fastest individuals and the top finishing team.

For more information, visit www.smumn.edu/rowriderun or call Ext. 7268.

Student History Research Symposium is April 21

Seniors from five area universities will present the results of their historical research at the Student History Research Symposium on Saturday, April 21, at Saint Mary’s. The event — free and open to the public — is sponsored by the history departments of Winona State University, Saint Mary’s, the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, Viterbo University, and the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. This year’s symposium will also feature a panel of seniors from Cotter High School.

In addition to the student presenters, Dr. J. Vincent Lowery, assistant professor of Humanistic Studies and History at the University of Wisconsin — Green Bay, will speak on “Looking for the Port City Prophet: A Historian’s Tale of Research and Revisionism.”

SMU and WSU have co-sponsored the research symposium for 10 years, with UW-La Crosse, Viterbo, and UW-Eau Claire joining in recent years. Each school asks senior history majors — and at Winona State, law and society majors — to write a senior thesis based on their original research of a historical question of their own choosing. In this way, the students actually do the work of historians, and in the process deepen their research, writing and speaking skills.

All symposium sessions will be held on the third and fourth floors of Saint Mary’s Hall. The symposium opens at 9 a.m. in Salvi Lecture Hall with a short welcoming ceremony and coffee. Students will present their research in concurrent panels of three or four students each. The first panel session starts at 9:15 a.m., the second at 10:45 a.m. Dr. Lowery’s talk will start around noon and will be accompanied by a complimentary lunch.

Biology symposium is April 20

The Biology Department will host the 39th annual Undergraduate Research Symposium in Biology on Friday, April 20, in the Adducci Science Center.

Students from Saint Mary’s Biology, Chemistry and Mathematics departments and students from colleges and universities in the tri-state region will present the results of their undergraduate research projects.  Registration is free and begins at 8 a.m. Presentations begin at 8:20 a.m.

The symposium presents all attendees the opportunity to experience the process of open collegial assessment of experimental findings, the opportunity to encounter discoveries from a variety of scientific disciplines, and an excellent environment to develop personal contacts and acquaintances.

Dan Keyler, professor of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology at the University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy and Graduate School, will present the R.V. Kowles Lecture at 1:45 p.m. in Figliulo Recital Hall. Professor Keyler is a noted expert in the field of envenomations, actively publishing and presenting lectures on venomous snake bites. He serves as the director of Research for Animal Venom Research International and as a consultant to several groups including the Minnesota Poison Control System and the U.S. Armed Forces. The title of his presentation is “Toxicology & Snakes: Passion and a Career.”

The public is invited to attend the lecture, as well as the student presentations. Morning refreshments will be provided.

Athletics to host last ‘Let’s Do Lunch’

The final “Let’s Do Lunch” of the school year is planned for 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday, April 26, in the hockey arena lobby. The event, hosted by the Athletics Department and sponsored by the Volunteer Committee, will include grilled burgers and brats. Bring your appetites. A freewill offering will be taken, with funds benefiting CTIE in Nairobi.

SMU hosts forum about food

The last sustainability forum, hosted by Student Life, is Tuesday, April 24. The forums are intended to provide interested students, staff and faculty with the opportunity to learn more about the broad concepts of sustainability, discuss these issues as they relate to our daily lives both on and off campus, and then identify actions to contribute toward a more sustainable future.

• “Food, Compost and Recycling” — Tuesday, April 24, 7:30 p.m., Toner Student Center Lounge

Wasted food, starvation, organic movement, free-trade Friday, eat local, community gardens, food contamination, composting, foodies, and carbon-free diet will all be discussed. We are what we eat!

Saint Mary’s to participate in ‘Spruce Up Winona Day’

In recognition of “Spruce Up Winona Day,” the Volunteer Mentors group has invited Winona nonprofit agencies to submit requests for service. Saint Mary’s student volunteers will be available from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, April 21, to help local individuals, groups, churches and organizations. For more information, contact Chris McClead at Ext. 7268 or cmcclead@smumn.edu.

Next ‘Chat and Chow’ provides hands-on learning

The next “Chat & Chow 2.0” at the Fitzgerald Library will discuss “It’s all Happening at the Zoo.” The event, scheduled for noon to 1 p.m. Friday, April 20, will include a trip to the petting zoo. Participants will get an opportunity to “pet” some of the latest technologies — the Kindle Fire and Kindle Touch, the Nook, iPads, iPods, etc., as well as a variety of new apps.  Stop in for some real hands-on learning and lots of discussion about these technologies can be used in the classroom.

The event is hosted by the Fitzgerald Library, iT and Instructional Technology and will be held in the main lounge of the McEnery Center. Lunch is provided and an RSVP is appreciated but not necessary to Jason Spartz at jspartz@smumn.edu. Everyone is welcome.

Conservatory presents music division spring concert

The Minnesota Conservatory for the Arts will present a Music Division Spring Concert, Monday, April 23, at 7 p.m. at Valéncia Arts Center Recital Hall, 1164 West 10th St.

The concert will feature the Winona Area Youth Singers (WAYS), Flutistry (the MCA Adult Flute Choir), and instrumental lesson students from MCA.

Admission is $10 at the door for adults (cash and checks only please). Financial-need based admission waivers are available. Admission is free for children and students ages 2-21.

WAYS members are students in grades four through eight from Winona and the surrounding areas. WAYS is dedicated to providing quality, artistic and educational vocal music experiences for all young people, regardless of their financial circumstances. WAYS was offered tuition-free to all students for the 2011-12 academic year. Lindsy O’Shea directs WAYS. The choir’s assistant director is Jessica Ingvalson and the accompanist is Camie Schneider. 

Flutistry, the MCA Flute Choir, is in the midst of a successful inaugural season. The choir performs for many community outreach events and benefits throughout Southeastern Minnesota and Western Wisconsin. Recent performances have included the Fantasy of Trees, a Women in Business luncheon and a Quilted Christmas. Upcoming events include a performance at the Upper Midwest Flute Association Flute Choir Concert on April 21 and a benefit performance for Project FINE at Signature’s Lounge on June 10. Amanda Moburg directs Flutistry.

Private lesson instrumental students also performing in the concert range in ages from 7 to 18.  Students will present clarinet, flute and piano works. MCA Music Division Instructors featuring students in the concert include Amanda Moburg and Markiese Russell.

MCA Music Division Spring Concert performers include: Ryan Ortega, Miranda Ruben, Erin Walters and Samantha Wirkus; Flutistry members Jessica Bouska, Heidi Bryant, Carly Eggert, Janet Heukeshoven, Elsbeth Krumholz, Mandy Moburg and Bob Ogren; and WAYS members Emma Bucknam, Mia Herrick, Caidan Hoarn, Jessica Kohner, Mackaylee Kohner, Raquela McManimon, Carol Miller, Taylor Sanchez, Vivienne Warner, Lucy Wilfahrt and Emily Wobig.  Additionally, this performance will feature Dr. Janet Heukeshoven on piccolo in a piece she has arranged for flute choir titled, “La Chasse.”

For more information about MCA’s Music Division or other arts programming, visit www.mnconservatoryforthearts.org, e-mail mca@smumn.edu or call Ext. 5500. The Minnesota Conservatory for the Arts is an affiliate program of Saint Mary’s.

SMU Jazz Workshop Combos to present ‘Final Exam’ April 26

Two Saint Mary’s University jazz workshop combos, directed by Dr. John Paulson and A. Eric Heukeshoven, will present a free performance Thursday, April 26, from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at the Acoustic Café, 77 Lafayette St. This event will feature student musicians who have been playing together all semester, and it will serve as their “final exam.”  The “Heavy Metal Jazz Combo” directed by Paulson, and Heukeshoven’s “Fabulous 5 + 1” group will play well-known jazz standards by composers like Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Miles Davis and Duke Ellington, plus original jazz works by Paulson and Heukeshoven.

Saint Mary’s University choirs to perform April 28

The Saint Mary’s Concert Choir and Chamber Singers, under the direction of Dr. Patrick O’Shea, will present their Spring Concert on Saturday, April 28, at 7:30 p.m. at the Chapel of Saint Mary of the Angels. The concert will also feature the Saint Mary’s Chamber Orchestra and organist Eric Heukeshoven. The performance will include works by Purcell, Bruckner, Egil Hovland, Stephen Hatfield, and Stephen Paulus.

Tickets are $10 for adults, $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 or online at www.pagetheatre.org.

World Drum Ensemble to perform at MWMF

Come join the celebration as SMU’s World Drum Ensemble performs as part of the Mid-west Music Fest’s “Earth Day” celebration at Unity Park (east end of Lake Winona) on Saturday, April 21, at 4:15 p.m.  The WDE will be joined by RCTC’s ensemble and will lead the “parade” and finish with a smokin’ hot set of Brazilian sambas. Entertainment is scheduled all afternoon, beginning at 12:30 p.m.  In case of rain, events will move to the East End Rec Center.

Heukeshoven to conduct Honors High School Flute Choir

The MCA Flute Choir

Dr. Janet Heukeshoven, music faculty, will be serving as this year’s Upper Midwest Flute Association (UMFA) Honors Flute Choir director on Saturday, April 21. The auditioned ensemble, made up of 18 select student flutists, will rehearse Saturday morning and early afternoon, then perform at 3:30 p.m. at Mayflower Congregational Church, Minneapolis. In addition to the high school ensemble, a Twin Cities-based adult flute choir will perform, as well as Winona’s  Minnesota Conservatory for the Arts (MCA) Flute Choir, led by Mandy Moburg. The MCA Flute ensemble will also feature Heukeshoven performing “La Chasse,” a turn of the century solo feature which she arranged for piccolo and flute choir for this performance. The concert will conclude with a massed ensemble of flutists in attendance of Bizet's “Farandole” arranged for piccolo, c flutes, alto and bass flutes and tambourine.   For additional details, please contact Janet Heukeshoven at jheukesh@smumn.edu, or umfa.org.

May to display mosaics in Ben Miller Lobby

“Recent Mosaics — Explorations in Glass & Stone” by Monta May (Marketing and Communication) will be on display through May 11 in the Ben Miller Lobby of the Performance Center. For more information about May’s art and practice, visit www.montagaelmay.com. An artist reception is scheduled for 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., Thursday, April 26. For more information, call Ext. 1715.

Study Abroad photo contest winners announced

First place

Second place

Third place

Nikki Farmer

The top three photos from this year’s Study Abroad Photo Contest have been named: First Place — Nikki Farmer, “Man with the Chalk in his Hand,” Florence, Italy Second Place — Kacey Gavin, “Traditional Life,” Oslo, Norway Third Place — Marcy Mueller, “Kilt Rock,” Isle of Skye, Scotland

Congratulations to Lallaman family

Sarah and Joshua Lallaman (Biology Department) had a daughter, Elliott Christine, on Tuesday, April 10. The Saint Mary’s community extends its congratulations to the Lallaman family.

Sympathy to Edel family

Patricia Schlink, mother of Sue Edel (retired registrar) died Monday, April 16.  Patricia is also the mother of Gene Schlink ’67, mother-in-law of Robert Edel ’67, and grandmother of R. Scott Edel ’95. Services are Saturday, April 21, at Saint Anne Extended Healthcare. Visitation is at 9 a.m., with a rosary at 9:30 a.m., and a funeral Mass at 10 a.m. A card of condolence can be sent to the Edel family at 178 Tree Tops Lane, Winona, MN 55987. The Saint Mary’s community extends its sympathy to the Edel family.

‘Campus Notes’ countdown

There are only two editions of “Campus Notes” left this academic year: April 27 and May 4. Submissions are due the Wednesday before each Friday’s edition. “Campus Notes” will return in mid-June and come out every other week to update the SMU community on all the news and events that occur on campus during the summer.