Special events planned for MLK Day, Presidential inauguration

Special events are planned for Monday, Jan. 21, on campus in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day and the Presidential inauguration. First, the Inauguration Address will be played at 11 a.m. in Page Theatre.

At noon, video of Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream” speech will be shown in Page Theatre. Following the speech, Dr. Lori Charron, Department of Theatre and Dance, will address the rhetoric of the speech.

Following her presentation, the President’s inauguration speech will be replayed.

Monday evening, a Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration and Prayer service will begin at 8 p.m. in Salvi Lecture Hall. The event will be hosted by the Office of Campus Ministry.

The film documentary, “At the River I Stand,” set in Memphis during the 1960s, which details the events leading up to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s death, will be presented in Salvi at 8:30 p.m. Monday. The offices of Residence Life and Student Activities will sponsor the film and provide light refreshments.

All faculty, staff and students are encouraged to attend.

Public invited to SMU’s ‘Cardinal Plunge’ Feb. 9

Brave souls and warm hearts are invited to join Saint Mary’s University for the fourth annual “Cardinal Plunge” 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 9, at Lake Goodview’s Michael LaCanne Park.

This year, Cardinal Plunge participants will be freezin’ for a reason. Proceeds will be given to SMU junior Arianna Williams and her family of Rochester. Williams’ life was changed in October 2012, when an accident claimed the life of her stepfather and left her mother seriously injured. Proceeds will help the Williams family with ongoing medical expenses and other family needs.

The cost to plunge is $15, and all participants will receive a “Cardinal Plunge” towel. This event is sponsored by the Saint Mary’s Future Alumni Committee with support from Student Life, Chartwells and Winona County Dive and Rescue.

Registration (cash or checks only) begins at 10 on-site. Participants are also encouraged to pre-register online at www.mysmumn.org/plunge2013. Donations can be made to the Cardinal Plunge Student Emergency Fund, Campus Box #21.

Refreshments and a light lunch will be available. Teams and costumes are encouraged.

For more information, contact Bob Fisher at rfisher@smumn.edu or Ext. 6658.

Saint Mary’s exhibit honors Russian artist

A new exhibit of 20 works — commemorating the 120th anniversary of Aleksander Rodchenko’s birth — will be on display Jan. 17 through Feb. 24.

Rodchenko, a Russian constructivist artist, worked during some of the most turbulent eras of the early 20th century in Russia. His groundbreaking philosophy and methodology in painting, photography and graphic design make him one of the most innovative artists of the early modern avant-garde.

Twenty contemporary Russian graphic designers created these posters as an homage to Rodchenko’s work and life. The vast range of styles exhibited is a testament to Rodchenko’s ability to break open new vistas for artists and designers who came after him.

This exhibit — located in the Lillian Davis Hogan Galleries — is one of several worldwide dedicated to the memory of Rodchenko’s life. Thirty cities across the globe including New York, Chicago, Paris, Prague, Mexico City, Melbourne, Taipei and Kiev are included in this poster exhibition.

The public is invited to view the exhibition free of charge during normal gallery hours, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily.

The Moscow Biennale of Graphic Design Golden Bee partnered in this exhibit.

SMU 10K ski race canceled for Jan. 27, set for Feb. 17

The SMU 10K cross-country ski race Sunday, Jan. 27, has been canceled due to lack of snow.

The public is invited to a Feb. 17 race at SMU. The classic-style citizens’ ski event begins at 10 a.m.; the skate race will begin at 1 p.m. Participants can register in competitive or recreational classes.

The race winds through the beautiful and challenging bluffs and valleys surrounding the Saint Mary’s campus. The cost to participate is $10.

Registration, the starting line and the finish line will be near Saint Yon’s Hall, located on the back east portion of campus.

For more information, call Gary Borash at Ext. 8740 or e-mail gmbora05@smumn.edu. A registration form can be found online at www.saintmaryssports.com.

SMU alum’s one-man show a tribute to his grandfather

“The Accidental Hero,” a Czech-American World War II true story, brought to life by a Saint Mary’s alumnus, will be performed at 2 and 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 31, at Page Theatre.

The show’s creator and actor Patrick Dewane is a 1985 graduate, and “The Accidental Hero” is about his grandfather, Lt. Col. Matt Konop, a World War II veteran who never openly shared stories from his time in the service. When Konop died, the family discovered typewritten accounts, photos and rare film footage that told an astonishing story. 

Based on this information, Dewane created a one-man, multimedia show that offers a captivating, humorous and heartwarming tale of coincidences and heroism. The performance includes World War II film footage, shot with a home movie camera of the liberation of a Czech town.

Dewane has performed “The Accidental Hero” throughout the United States and in the Czech Republic.

The special 2 p.m. matinee has been added to accommodate seniors and those who prefer to not travel in the evening.

Tickets are $12 for adults, $5 for students and seniors and are available at the SMU Box Office, Ext. 1715 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays or online at www.pagetheatre.org.

A related Page in History event, “Military Genealogy: Finding Accidental Heroes” — is planned for 7 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 30, at the Winona County History Center, 160 Johnson St.

Family history researcher Sandy Mochal Thalmann will teach attendees how to search their families’ military service history using the latest research tools. This event is free and open to the public.

MCA announces 2013 DRC spring concert auditions

Auditions for the Dance Repertory Company of the Minnesota Conservatory for the Arts will be Saturday, Jan. 19, at 2 p.m. at the Valéncia Arts Center, 1164 W. 10th St.

The DRC will present its annual Spring Dance Concert April 25-27 at Page Theatre. Roles for male and female intermediate and advanced dancers in rhythm, tap, jazz, hip hop, modern, and classical/contemporary ballet and pointe are available for age 12 through adults. Younger students can participate by invitation only. Students under the age of 21 who are cast are required to be enrolled in at least one dance class at MCA, Saint Mary’s, or Winona State. A $75 performance fee is required.

For more information, contact MCA director of dance Tammy Schmidt at tschmidt@smumn.edu or call 453-5500.

Chili cookoff scheduled for Feb. 1

In what has become one of the hottest competitions at Saint Mary's, the annual SMU Chili Cookoff is scheduled for Friday, Feb. 1. Just in time for the Super Bowl, the SMU community is invited to enjoy a super bowl of chili.

No beans about it, the Volunteer Committee believes this is a great fundraiser.

All faculty and staff are invited to submit their award-winning chili and vie for the golden ladle. Prizes will be awarded to the top three entries, and all competitors will get a SMU Crew shirt!

Please let Deb Nahrgang (Ext. 6966 or dnahrgan@smumn.edu) know if you plan to enter the contest, so we can be sure we have enough to go around!  Then, just bring your “unmarked” crockpot to the Common Room by 11:15 a.m. and check in so we know whose culinary delight is whose.

Everyone is invited to eat chili between 11:45 a.m. and 1 p.m. You do not need to compete to enjoy. Toppings, sides and desserts will also be provided.

Proceeds will benefit Christ the Teacher Institute for Education in Nairobi. Donations are accepted.

Auditions approach for Fireside

Auditions for the Fireside student music show are Jan. 25-26. Shows are Feb. 8-9. Sign up outside the Phi Mu Alpha room in the basement of Toner Student Center.

Heukeshovens selected as Minnesota Ambassadors of Music faculty

Dr. Janet and A. Eric Heukeshoven, Music Department, have been selected to be on the faculty of the Minnesota Ambassadors of Music.  The group will represent Minnesota on a 16-day tour of seven European countries in July 2014. The Minnesota Ambassadors are comprised of a select concert band and choir composed of students from throughout the state. 

This will mark the couple’s fifth tour together. Janet Heukeshoven began her duties as flute section coach in 2000 and has been featured as piccolo soloist each trip. Eric Heukeshoven joined the faculty for their 2006 tour and serves as low brass section coach and is the group’s German interpreter.

Students are nominated for the trip by their local band or choir director based on musicianship and character. The tour itinerary will include concerts and sightseeing in London, Paris, Switzerland, Austria, Germany, Liechtenstein and Italy. The group will spend several days rehearsing together prior to departure.

The late Dr. Frank Bencriscutto and his wife, Jean, founded the Minnesota Ambassadors of Music in 1989.  “Dr. Ben” was the director of Bands at the University of Minnesota for many years.  The Heukeshovens were both students of his while earning their bachelor degrees.

Alumnus to give percussion recital Saturday

Music alumnus Jeremy Johnston will present his D.M.A. percussion recital for the SMU community at 3 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 19, in Figliulo Recital Hall. Admission is free and open to the public.

Johnston, a native of Lake Elmo, Minn., is pursuing a Doctor of Musical Arts in Percussion Performance at the University of Minnesota where he is studying with Fernando Meza. Johnston received his Bachelor of the Arts in Percussion Performance from Saint Mary’s in 2009 and his Master of Music in Percussion Performance from Illinois State University in 2012. 

Johnston is currently serving as principal percussionist in the University Symphony Orchestra and University Wind Ensemble at the University of Minnesota, coaching the percussionists of the Greater Twin Cities Youth Symphony, and performing with a wide variety of groups around the Twin Cities Area.  He has performed with the Illinois Symphony Orchestra, Peoria Municipal Band, and is on call with the Mankato Symphony Orchestra.