Blackhawks President, CEO John McDonough '75 to bring Stanley Cup to SMU today

In case you haven’t noticed, the Stanley Cup is coming to Saint Mary's! Saint Mary’s 1975 alumnus John McDonough, President and CEO of the Blackhawks, is bringing the National Hockey League Championship trophy to the Winona campus today, Friday, Sept. 6, and you are all invited to join us for a public rally and for an exclusive SMU viewing of the Cup.

The Saint Mary’s community private viewing of the Cup will be from 2:30 to 4:15 p.m. At this time, a limited number of SMU students, faculty, staff and alumni (and their immediate families) will have the opportunity for an up-close photo with the Cup. Wristbands will be distributed at 2 p.m. on a first-come, first-served basis at the Plaza entrance into the Toner Student Center nearest Campus Safety. You are welcome to begin lining up at 1:30 p.m. Students should obtain permission from faculty if this event conflicts with class schedules. Everyone must bring their SMU ID cards. Large bags and purses will not be allowed in the facility and smaller bags will be subject to search.

Everyone is then invited to a public rally from 4:30 to 5 p.m. in Gostomski Fieldhouse — during which McDonough will address the crowd, SMU hockey legends will be recognized, and the Cup will be on display. Enjoy a Blackhawks highlight video, along with photos, music and an abundance of championship spirit. A limited number of souvenir mementos will be available. If you are unable to attend, check out a live stream of the rally at http://client.stretchinternet.com/client/smu.portal.

Following the rally, a limited number of attendees will have an opportunity to take pictures with the Stanley Cup from 5 to 7 p.m. in Gostomski Fieldhouse. The public is invited to begin lining up at 1:30 p.m. outside of the entrance to the Toner Student Center’s Hall of Fame Room. Due to time constraints with the Cup, only those with wristbands will have the opportunity for an up-close photo. The doors will open at 3:30 p.m. at which time wristbands will be given out. If you do not receive a wristband, you will still be allowed into the facility to see and photograph the Cup from a reasonable distance. Please note that for security reasons, large bags and purses will not be permitted into the facility, and smaller bags or purses will be subject to search.

Saint Mary’s volunteers will direct attendees on where to park and line up. Please note that due to unforeseen circumstances, the schedule is subject to change.

Three to be added to Hall of Fame during ‘M’ Club Weekend

The  Cardinal 'M' Club, in association with the Alumni Association, will induct three members into the SMU Sports Hall of Fame during Cardinal 'M' Club Weekend Friday-Sunday, Sept. 13-15.

The 2013 Saint Mary's University Sports Hall of Fame induction ceremony will honor former student-athletes Greg (Dick ’84) Arens, Todd Borndale ’85 and Ashley (Dingels ’05) Gossen.

The trio will be honored during an awards ceremony on Friday, Sept. 13. Along with the induction of this year’s Hall of Fame class, Friday’s ceremony will also honor SMU’s 2012-13 postseason award-winners, and recognize the 2012-13 Outstanding Male and Female Athletes, and Outstanding Scholar Athletes.

Saint Mary’s to host annual Young Alumni Weekend

Saint Mary’s graduates from the past decade have been invited back to campus for Young Alumni Weekend, Sept. 13-15.

More than 150 alumni are expected to attend the full weekend of events which will include a faculty and staff social, a young alumni gathering at Mulligan’s, ropes course activities, a barbecue with live music on the plaza, disc golfing and the Cardinal Dash 5K. New this year is an alumni party at Jefferson Pub & Grill, featuring the young alumni band Ali and the Scoundrels, 8 p.m. Saturday.

The weekend also coincides with Cardinal ‘M’ Club Weekend, giving SMU alumni opportunities to cheer on Cardinal athletics.

For more information, contact Bob Fisher at Ext. 6658 or rfisher@smumn.edu. To read more about this event, or to register, go www.mysmumn.org/yaw13.

Saint Mary’s welcomes pianist Christopher O’Riley Sept. 17

Christopher O’Riley, NPR’s most famous pianist, will continue to stretch the piano beyond conventional boundaries Tuesday, Sept. 17, at Saint Mary’s University as part of the Page Series. Audiences will hear O’Riley interpret contemporary popular music including Elliott Smith, Radiohead and Pink Floyd.

O’Riley has taken his unique vision to both traditional classical music venues and symphonic settings, as well as to entirely new audiences on the radio, at universities and even clubs. As host of the popular classical music show, National Public Radio’s “From The Top,”  O’Riley works and performs with the next generation of brilliant young musicians, demonstrating to audiences that these young artists are as interesting and diverse in their personal lives as they are in their music-making.

He has toured the U.S. with the world-famous Academy of St. Martin in the Fields Chamber Orchestra. He has appeared with the philharmonic orchestras of Los Angeles, New York, Moscow and the Royal Philharmonic in London, the Minnesota Orchestra, and the symphonies of Pittsburgh, Atlanta, Baltimore, Philadelphia and San Francisco.

The show will begin at 7:30 p.m. in Page Theatre.

Tickets are $24 for adults, $22 for seniors and students and are available online at www.pagetheatre.org, or at the SMU Box Office, Ext. 1715, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday. There will be a limited quantity of $6 tickets available for youth 5-14 years old.

A Page in History event is planned for 12:05 p.m. Sept. 17 in the Winona County History Center. This free event includes a unique opportunity to talk with O’Riley about the making of his popular radio program and the mission behind the program. Heard on over more than 200 radio stations nationwide, this is a time for fans of both his music and this program to ask questions about this aspect of his career. He will be in the Slaggie Family Lobby on the 1884 Steinway.

Leung spends summer performing, recruiting in Asia

David Leung poses with Brother George Van Grieken, FSC, Ph.D., President of SJI international, and Megan, a piano student  who is interested in attending SMU.

Leung performs

David Leung, Music Department, spent time at St. Joseph’s Institution International in Singapore, part of his summer trips in Asia. Leung visited with Lasallian high schools the first week, where he met with students, parents and teachers; gave concerts and masterclasses; and stayed with the Brothers. Ned Kirk will accompany Leung on a follow up recruiting trip in November.

SMU ‘In the News’

Here are some ways Saint Mary’s is making the news this week:

Nikki Fennern, athletic director, was on Winona Radio’s morning talk show Sept. 4, promoting John McDonough and the Stanley Cup visit. Additionally WIZM Radio out of La Crosse, KSTP in the Twin Cities, the Star Tribune and the Saint Paul Pioneer Press have promoted the event. For the latest Winona Daily News coverage, go to http://bit.ly/15yC1rO.

Additionally, Saint Mary’s garnered quite a bit of attention for its New Student Volunteer Day Saturday including:

• KTTC at http://bit.ly/1frU9Zh
• FOX 47 at http://bit.ly/1324Q20
• Winona Daily News at bit.ly/14Q0fBo
• WKBT at http://bit.ly/162oyMo

Minnesota Conservatory fall offerings

The Minnesota Conservatory for the Arts offers programming in dance, music, visual art, and theatre, year-round. Classes, lessons, workshops and camps are offered for youth (beginning with 3-year-olds) through adults at the Valéncia Arts Center located at 1164 West 10th St.

Classes begin on Monday, Sept. 9, and run through Nov. 23. There is some wonderful new programming and registrations are now being accepted. Some of their offerings include:

• New art division classes including Architecture for Kids and Drawing 101
• Dance programming in ballet, pointe, modern, jazz, hip hop and tap with new course divisions.
• Private music lessons with talented teaching artists.
• New partner workshops with the Minnesota Marine Art Museum and Great River Shakespeare Festival.
• Advanced training for those serious about dance with an additional Ballet V/VI/VII class.
• New adult wellness classes including folk music workshops, Intro to Guitar, Self-Portrait Workshop, and Belly Dancing for Beginners.

Class days, times and tuition vary. Financial need-based scholarships are available. For a brochure and a complete listing, visit www.mnconservatoryforthearts.org, e-mail mca@smumn.edu, “like” them on Facebook, or call 453-5500. Interested students may registration online, by mail, or in person at MCA’s Valéncia Arts Center.

This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a Minnesota State Arts Board Operating Support grant, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.

Constitution Day panel presentation is Sept. 17

A Constitution Day panel presentation titled “Justice and the Constitution: The Right to Counsel, Gideon v. Wainwright, and its Legacy at Fifty” will be held Tuesday, Sept. 17, at Saint Mary’s.
The event, free and open to the public, will be held from 7 to 8:30 p.m. in the President’s Room of the Toner Student Center.

Panelists will include:

• Rich McCluer, J.D. — Criminal law attorney with Price, McCluer & Plachecki; formerly chief trial lawyer for the Third Judicial District Public Defenders Office and named a “Minnesota Superlawyer” by the Minnesota Journal of Law and Politics

• Larry Price, J.D. — Assistant professor, Department of Business, Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota

• Karin Sonneman, J.D. — Winona County attorney; formerly public defender for Minnesota’s Third Judicial District and two-time Gideon Award recipient, awarded to a public defender best exemplifying the principles of Gideon

• Judge Jeffrey D. Thompson, J.D. — Chief judge for Minnesota’s Third Judicial District, formerly Rice County attorney and assistant Winona County attorney

Gideon v. Wainwright was the 1963 Supreme Court case, which led to the government appointing defense attorneys at no cost to those not able to afford it. This is widely believed to have made the U.S. legal system more accurate and fair, but 50 years later, some question whether the ideals upheld in Gideon have been eroded by underfunding, heavy case loads and plea-bargains. This panel of legal experts will explore the original case and the state of justice in the U.S. court system 50 years later.

This Constitution Day presentation is sponsored by the Department of Social Science. For more information, contact moderator Dr. David Lynch, professor and chair, Department of Social Science, at dlynch@smumn.edu or Ext. 1526.

River cleanup is Sept. 7

The 33rd annual Mississippi River cleanup will be 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 7, at Latsch Island Beach. Volunteers should wear gloves, boots, and old clothes. Boats are needed to haul trash. Go to www.facebook.com/mrr1980 for more information.