Multicultural Week Schedule announced

A full week of events are scheduled to celebrate Multicultural Week.

Monday, Feb. 10

• 9 a.m. — International Club fundraiser, Saint Mary’s Hall
• 1 p.m. — Center for International Students presents Around the World in Fifteen Tables, Saint Mary’s Hall
• 5 p.m. — Office of Campus Ministry presents Dine with the Divine, Hillside Hall
• 7:30 p.m. — Yoga with the Yoga Club, dance studio

Tuesday, Feb. 11

• 9 a.m. — International Club fundraiser, Saint Mary’s Hall
• 3:30 p.m. — “Attending a Predominantly White Institution,” Salvi Lecture Hall
• 7 p.m. — “Unmasking Prejudice: Microaggressions,” Common Room
• 7:30 p.m. — Page Series: Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Page Theatre
• 9 p.m. — Ladysmith Black Mambazo Reception, Ben Miller Lobby

Wednesday, Feb. 12

• 9 a.m. — International Club fundraiser, Saint Mary’s Hall
• 3:30 p.m. — Solidarity Talks
• 7:30 p.m. — Yoga with the Yoga Club, dance studio
• 8 p.m. — SAC presents Nelly’s Echo, Toner Student Center lounge

Thursday, Feb. 13

• 9 a.m. — International Club fundraiser, Saint Mary’s Hall
• 5 p.m. — Study Abroad Office presents “Returning From Study Abroad,” World Room

• 7 p.m. — Residence Life Presents: Boxes and Walls, Saint Mary’s Hall

Friday, Feb. 14

• 7:30 to 11 a.m. — Fair Trade Friday with the Peace and Justice Club, Saint Mary’s Hall
• 9 p.m. —  SAC and Multicultural Week present “The Butler,” Salvi Lecture Hall

Saturday, Feb. 15

• 7 p.m. — Multicultural Showcase, Toner Student Center lounge

Brother Louis, other Christian Brothers leaders to be honored

Brother Louis DeThomasis, president emeritus of Saint Mary’s, will be honored Thursday, Feb. 13, at a special event at the Twin Cities campus.

The event will include a dedication of Brother Louis Hall, formerly Park Avenue North (PAN). In addition, Brother Louis and four other Christian Brothers who have served as presidents at Lasallian institutions will be recognized and presented with honorary doctorates. The event is scheduled to begin at 4:45 p.m. in the Saint Mary’s University Center, 2540 Park Ave. S., Minneapolis. The indoor ceremony will be followed by a reception with light refreshments.

The four other Christian Brothers to be recognized include:

• Brother Mel Anderson, FSC, past president of Saint Mary's College of California
• Brother James Gaffney, FSC, president of Lewis University (Ill.)
• Brother Michael McGinniss, FSC, president of La Salle University (Pa.), past president of Christian Brothers University (Tenn.)
• Brother Thomas Scanlan, FSC, past president of Manhattan College (N.Y.), past vice chancellor of Bethlehem University (Palestine)

Together the five have served more than 125 years as leaders of Christian Brothers institutions that follow a heritage of innovative, student-centered education.

Panel to discuss ‘The Rime of the Ancient Mariner’

The Department of English and Sigma Tau Delta, the international English honor society, will host a panel discussion on Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner”on Tuesday, Feb. 18, at 7:30 p.m. in the President's Room. Refreshments will be served; all are welcome to come and participate in “unpacking” this famous and compelling but puzzling poem. Copies of the poem are available in the English office, Room 231, Saint Mary’s Hall.

Students to present at Museum of Russian Art

Five history and English majors will present at the first annual Interdisciplinary Student Research Symposium, hosted by The Museum of Russian Art (TMORA) and a consortium of Minnesota colleges and universities. The symposium will take place at TMORA in Minneapolis on Saturday, Feb. 15, in connection with the museum’s exhibit: “The Romanovs: Legacy of an Empire Lost,” which runs until March 23. Presentations will address the art, literature and history of the Russian empire.

Students presenting are:

• Brianna Theis, “The Shackled Hands of Russia’s Poet: Nicholas I’s Censorship of Alexander Pushkin’s Personal and Professional Life”
• Anna Segner, “The Representation of Empire in Lermontov’s Paintings and Prose”
• Paul Schmitt, “The Otherworldly Bureaucracy in Gogol’s Petersburg Tales”
• John Soucheray, “In Search for Russia’s Soul: Aleksei Khomiakov and Sobornost Principles in Russian Orthodox theology, 1830-1860”
• Peter McColl, “Dangers of Assimilation: Old Believer Iconography under Nicholas II”
Accompanying the students are Dr. Erich Lippman, Department of History, and Dr. Carolyn Ayers, Department of English.

Cardinal Plunge Feb. 8 to raise money for Ellinghuysen family

Brave souls and warm hearts are invited to join Saint Mary’s University for the fifth annual “Cardinal Plunge” 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 8, at the Lake Park Lodge Recreation Center, in coordination with the city’s Winter Carnival Goose Bump Jump.

This year, Cardinal Plunge participants will be freezin’ for a reason. Proceeds will be given to SMU junior Conner Ellinghuysen’s father, Robert Ellinghuysen of Winona. Robert was hit head-on in a collision in June 2012 along Highway 14 in Stockton. He underwent numerous surgeries and lengthy hospital stays. Proceeds will help the Ellinghuysen family with ongoing medical expenses and other family needs. A silent auction will also be held. Cash donations and items can be brought to the SMU Alumni Office.

The cost to plunge is $20 ($15 for the SMU community). This event is sponsored by the Saint Mary’s Future Alumni Committee.

Pre-register online at www.mysmumn.org/plunge2014. For more information, contact Kenzie Corrow at (507) 995-4863 or Conner Ellinghuysen at (507) 429-7960.

SMU presents six plays in ‘SPLaSH’ Feb. 19-23

The Theatre and Dance Department will present the spring “SPLaSH” series — six one-act plays produced by students — Feb. 19-23. The plays will be held at the studio theatre, located in the Performance Center.

SPLaSH, which stands for “short play showcase,” will feature six one-act plays. Four of the one-acts, “English Made Simple,” “Words Words Words,” and “Sure Thing” from All in the Timing as well as “Lives of the Saints” from Seven Short Plays, are comedies by David Ives.

Two of the featured plays, “Meeting of the Mind” and “The Well-Wishers,” were written by Alexander Green ’14 specifically for this production. Another Green original one act, “He Who Fights Monsters,” was produced in the Studio Theatre in January.

Directors for SPLaSH include Lydia Munroe ’14, Brian Pipal ’14, Kathleen Bryant ’15 and Colleen Morgan ’15. Students cover all design, production, and performance areas for this studio production.

Shows are scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday, Feb. 19-22, and 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 22-23.

Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for students and seniors 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.

News from Nairobi

By James Chege
Librarian
Maryknoll Institute of African Studies

MIAS three-week immersion
course final day activities

Students and field assistants share experiences over lunch during the final day ceremony for the special immersion.

Jan. 29 marked the end of a three-week immersion course at the Maryknoll Institute of African Studies. The program featured the course “African Culture: An Overview,” taught by Dr. Michael Katola, as well as field research workshops given by Dr. Edith Chamwama. The course focused on the basic aspects of African cultural knowledge in general and is one of the prerequisite courses for the master’s degree in African Studies.

As part of the final day celebrations, the class was treated to lunch as they shared their various experiences in the field and in the classroom. The special three-week immersion course was not on the regular academic calendar at MIAS but was organized after a special request from a Franciscan missionary community. The Franciscans opened a mission in the Archdiocese of Juba, Southern Sudan last year where they work in pastoral activities. They are also engaged in sharing Catholic social teaching, and peace building and reconciliation activities. To adequately perform these tasks they recognized a need for a deeper understanding of African culture, hence the program.

Elizabeth Evans hands a gift to her lecturer Dr. Michael Katola as a sign of appreciation for his hard work and effort in teaching the course.

Two students from this Special Immersion course have enrolled full-time in the 12-week second-semester program after getting a taste of the MIAS method of learning, which combines field-research and lectures, and with it an appetite to learn more about African culture as well as their own cultures.

One-week justice and peace 
workshop kicks off

Brother Matthias Kule (right), a participant in the five-day workshop and his field assistant Keta Kida Jacob listen and keenly take notes as a respondent explains a point during one of their field work sessions

The month of February at the Maryknoll Institute of African Studies began on a busy note with a one-week justice and peace workshop given by Dr. Emmanuel Manayasa, running concurrently with the second semester courses. The workshop ran Feb. 3-7.

This workshop is a follow-up to the three-week  immersion course that presented an overview of African culture. The availability of such workshops demonstrates the flexibility and versatility of the MIAS programs, and the eagerness to foster its unique educational method which combines in an equal manner lecturer material with professional-quality field research data. This method helps students who are unable to attend the semester and immersion programs to begin to  learn the deep structures of African cultural knowledge and domains.

The five-day workshop covers areas such as causes and effects of armed conflicts and responses to conflicts and reconciliation from an African perspective. Through the lectures,  the participants are exposed to an in-depth understanding of the concepts of human rights and peace within the context of contemporary, vibrant African cultures, and through field research they begin to understand and appreciate the deep African heritage that exists on issues of human rights and peaceable co-existence within societies.

Tickets sold out for Ladysmith Black Mambazo; waiting list will be available

At this time there are no tickets available for the Page Series Ladysmith Black Mambazo performance Tuesday, Feb. 11, in Page Theatre.

The performance begins at 7:30 p.m. Some tickets will become available at the door the night of the performance. A waiting list will begin at 6:30 p.m. the night of the show. Tickets are $27 for adults, $24 for seniors and students.

Nominated 17 times for the Grammy awards, the South African a cappella group Ladysmith Black Mambazo celebrates more than 50 years of joyous and uplifting music that marries the intricate rhythms and harmonies of their native South African musical traditions to the sounds and sentiments of Christian gospel music.

Assembled in the early 1960s in South Africa by founder Joseph Shabalala, the group took the name Ladysmith Black Mambazo – Ladysmith being the name of Shabalala’s rural hometown; Black being a reference to oxen, the strongest of all farm animals; and Mambazo being the Zulu word for axe, a symbol of the group’s ability to “chop down” any singing rival who might challenge them. Paul Simon visited South Africa in the 1980s and incorporated Black Mambazo’s rich tenor/alto/bass harmonies into his Graceland album.

The ensemble just released an album “Always With Us” on Jan. 15.

As part of the evening concert they will play tribute to the late South African leader Nelson Mandela.

After-show reception

The SMU Solidarity Committee will host an after-show reception in the lobby of the Performance Center as part of the SMU Multi-Cultural Week celebrations. Light refreshments will be available.

Faculty display works at current art exhibition

Faculty members of the Department of Art and Design have joined talents for the current art exhibit, on display through March 8 in the Lillian Davis Hogan Galleries.

The show features new works — ranging from sculpture to photography — by Lisa Truax, Matt Winkler, Preston Lawing, Rob McColl, Rod Robertson and Tony Calabrese.

Gallery hours are 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily, and the show is free and open to the public.

Chamber Music Concert scheduled for Feb. 7 cancelled

The Saint Thomas Trio Chamber Music Concert scheduled for today, Friday, Feb. 7, has been cancelled.

SMU presents free concert featuring Baroque music

The Department of Music will present “The Cuckoo and the Nightingale and other Baroque Spectaculars” at 3 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 16, at Central Lutheran Church, 259 W. Wabasha St.

The event, free and open to the public, will feature the Saint Mary’s Chamber Orchestra, under the direction of Dr. David Leung. The concert will include music by Handel, Bach and Corelli.

Special guests joining Dr. Leung on violin will be Maureen Yuen, a violinist from State University of New York at Fredonia, and Erik Floan, an organist from Saint Mary’s University.

The group will also perform the same program at Sugar Loaf Senior Living at 2:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 15.

Chat, Chow & Web 2.0

The next Chat, Chow & Web 2.0, hosted by the Fitzgerald Library, Information Technology, and Instructional Technology, will be held noon to 1 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 19. Faculty and staff should meet in the main lounge of the McEnery Center. Lunch will be provided and RSVPs are appreciated to jspartz@smumn.edu.

In this session, titled “Talk to Me,” two faculty members enlist the power of social media technologies to promote engaged student response.  Lisa Truax (Art) will share her experiences with Flipgrid, a video response tool, and Janel Schultz (Math) will talk about how she is using Poll Everywhere, the classroom response system that incorporates mobile devices.

350 join in Chinese New Year celebration

On Friday, Jan. 31, the International Center and the International Students Club sponsored a Chinese New Year celebration. An occasion for families to reunite and celebrate, Chinese New Year is of high significance in China. SMU’s international students were proud to be able to recognize the start of the Year of the Horse together with more than 350 members of the SMU community. Along with Chinese food and cultural presentations, guests enjoyed music played on traditional Chinese instruments, the ruan and the zheng.

More chili makers needed for Feb. 21 cookoff

In what has become one of the hottest competitions at Saint Mary’s, the annual SMU Chili Cookoff is scheduled for Friday, Feb. 21.

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 SMU shirts.

Let Deb Nahrgang (Ext. 6966 or dnahrgan@smumn.edu) know if you plan to enter the contest, so that there is enough to go around. Then, just bring your unmarked crockpot to the Common Room by 11:15 a.m. sharp and check in.

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. Awards will be presented at noon.

Proceeds will benefit our students in Jamaica.

Donations now accepted for Taylor Richmond benefit, auction

The beneficiary for the 2014 Taylor Richmond Benefit is Jason Richter.

Richter is well-known to the Saint Mary’s community as he worked from 1998 to 2010 as the Student Activities director, and as such he was responsible for overseeing this benefit.

Richter was diagnosed with multiple myeloma last summer. He had pain in his lower back that turned out to be a mass, hindering the flow of liquids in his spinal cord. This is a disease that is more commonly found in people around the age of 60; because of his young age, he has responded well to treatments. He has undergone 10 radiation sessions, as well as recent bone and stem cell transplants. On top of that, the Richter family lives an hour away from the hospital Jason is receiving treatment at in Iowa City.

Although now in remission, Richter is still undergoing chemotherapy treatments. This year’s proceeds will assist his family, which includes three young sons, with their medical expenses and travel costs.

The silent auction will be March 13-14. Donations for the auction are now being accepted. Past items have consisted of: all-expense paid trips, electronics, dinners, themed baskets, tickets to sporting or music events and gift cards.

The benefit has become an annual tradition since its start in 2001 by students in honor of Taylor Richmond, son of SMU staff member Nikki Richmond and Nick Richmond. Each year this event benefits continues to help someone in need who has ties to the SMU community.

Donations for the silent auction or monetary donations to help with cost of dance or supplements for the silent auction can be sent to Hannah Friedrich at Box 1090.

Kirk returns from trip to Asia

Dr. Ned Kirk, Music Department, just returned from his ninth trip to Asia in the past four years, this time to serve on the jury of the 2014 Hong Kong International Piano Invitation Competition where he heard 370 pianists ages 5-25. Following the competition, Dr. Kirk taught 38 piano students from four Hong Kong high schools in his continuing efforts to enhance enrollment at Saint Mary’s.

Article by Ziliak published in America Magazine

An article by Laurie Ziliak, adjunct instructor of Theology and Lasallian Core Traditions, was published last week in America Magazine, including a cover mention. The article, titled “Worship at Willow Creek; lessons from a megachurch,” can be found at http://americamagazine.org/issue/worship-willow-creek.

Fireside planned for Feb. 7-8

The sisters of Sigma Alpha Iota, the music sorority, will present Fireside 2014 at 7 and 10 p.m. today, Friday, Feb. 7, and Saturday, Feb. 8, in the Common Room. Tickets are $7 in advance or $8 at the door.

Heukeshoven to be featured soloist at MMEA conference

Dr. Janet Heukeshoven, Music Department, will perform on both flute and piccolo with the WSHS 9th-grade band on Thursday, Feb. 13, at the Minneapolis Convention Center as part of the Minnesota Music Educators conference. The Winona freshman band, under the direction of Melody Snyder, auditioned and was selected to perform at this year’s conference last May. Dr. Heukeshoven will be performing “In a Gentle Rain” by Robert W. Smith on flute, followed by “Flight of the Bumble Bee” (Rimsky-Korsakoff/arr. Davis) on piccolo (800 notes in 1 minute, 15 seconds!).

A preview concert will be presented to Winona audiences on Sunday at 4 p.m. in the Winona Senior High School Auditorium following the Concert and Symphonic Band’s annual Pork and Pops Concert at 2 p.m.

Additionally 12 students will attend the MMEA conference, both as performers in the intercollegiate honor band and as student attendees. The Music Department will also have an exhibit booth at the event.

For additional details contact Janet Heukeshoven at jheukesh@smumn.edu or Ext. 1675.

Paulson to perform as part of MMEA conference

American Composers Forum member and professor emeritus Dr. John Paulson (tenor sax) will perform one of his original compositions “Song for D” with the Winona State University Jazz Ensemble Feb. 14, at 3:30 p.m. at the Minneapolis Convention Center as part of the Minnesota Music Educators Conference. “Song for D” is a beautiful ballad featuring the tenor sax with full jazz ensemble composed by Dr. Paulson.

Dr. Paulson will perform the piece with Winona State University’s 18-piece jazz ensemble directed by Dr. Rich MacDonald. “Song For D” is one of the 10 original compositions on the recently released “John Paulson Big Band Project” CD and DVD. The recording is available on iTunes, CDbaby and various other digital sites.

Students, staff attend Power in Diversity conference

Saint Mary’s students and staff attended the fifth annual Power in Diversity Leadership Conference at St. Cloud State University from Jan. 23-26.

The conference theme was “Today’s Vision: Tomorrow's Reality.” The event focused on identifying ways that participants could become leaders for positive changes. Students had the opportunity to engage in workshops, listen to keynote speakers, and expand ideas for learning and leading through the asset of diverse people and experiences.

Fiyazz Karim, Counseling, led two presentations during the conference titled, “Unmasking Microaggressions” and “Credit: Your Adult Report Card.”

Article by Cochran profiled in newsletter

An article on lake sturgeon that Dr. Phil Cochran, Biology, co-authored in 2012 was recently profiled in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service newsletter on fisheries conservation, Eddies (Fall/Winter 2013, p.6).

Business Office selling valentines as fundraiser

The Business Office is selling homemade valentines for $2. Stop down and load up on valentines for your loved ones. All money raised will go toward the office’s Feed My Starving Children team.

Feed My Starving Children is a Christian non-profit organization which utilizes volunteers to put together specially formulated food packets to be sent around the world to feed starving children. The program serves children who are starving, even in the United States.

Paulson-Price Jazz Quintet to perform Feb. 15

Dr. John Paulson and Larry Price will bring a stellar jazz quintet to Ed’s NoName Bar in Winona to perform their own brand of contemporary original jazz Saturday, Feb. 15, from 8 to 11 p.m. The group includes SMU’s Paulson on sax and flute, and Price on piano as well as bassist Eric Graham, guitarist Scott Gerry and drummer Rich MacDonald.

As composers, Paulson and Price have collaborated on many projects over the last 25 years including two jazz CDs: “Mobley Street Blues” (2005) and “Tower Blues” (2002).  The Winona performance will highlight their best compositions in an evening of all original jazz. Their music reflects the diverse influences of many popular styles including swing, blues, ballads, Latin, funk and hip-hop. Ed’s Bar is located at the corner of 3rd and Franklin Streets, and there is no cover charge for this event.  For more information, visit www.paulsonjazz.com or www.edsnonamebar.com.

Mini-grant lunch presentations are Feb. 12

The Faculty Development Committee has rescheduled the mini-grant luncheon presentations by Dr. Janet Heukeshoven and Lisa Truax for Wednesday, Feb. 12, from 12:30-1:30 p.m. in the Toner Student Center faculty dining room.

Faculty are invited to hear Dr. Heukeshoven talk about the Alexander Method, an approach to health, wellness and better living for all people, especially embraced in the arts. Musicians’ health and wellness is a major initiative by NASM (National Assoc. of School of Music), which is required by our accreditation. Diane Foust (certified Alexander practitioner) is also working with SMU music students to provide an introduction to body awareness and mapping, preventing and correcting common problems related to body alignment, proper use and function to both heal and prevent injuries common to musicians.

Lisa Truax will talk about a mini-grant the Department of Art and Design received to develop materials and examples for both the planned summer Animation Camp and the new Interactive Multimedia and Web Design 2 courses. Faculty developed two demonstration animations, one using Adobe Flash and another using stop motion photography as well as a  step by step handout in beginning to intermediate level Flash animations.

Next Cineclub movie is Feb. 10

The Department of Modern and Classical Languages is pleased to announce the dates for Cineclub for spring 2014. All showings will be on Mondays at 7 p.m. in the student lounge of St. Edward’s Hall. Contact Dr. Kyle Black at kblack@smumn.edu for more information.

The Feb. 10 crime/drama/thriller from Argentina, “Nueve reinas” directed by Fabián Bielinsky, is about two con artists who try to swindle a stamp collector by selling him a sheet of counterfeit rare stamps (the “nine queens”).

One of the main objectives of Cineclub is to provide an opportunity for the Saint Mary’s and Winona communities to enjoy some films in Spanish and Portuguese that may not typically be shown in local theaters. All films will have English subtitles. In addition to viewing the films, participants will be invited exchange ideas related to the films and their underlying socio-cultural contexts.

Sympathy to Seebach family

Willard Jones, father of Beth Seebach, Psychology, died  Monday, Feb. 3. The Saint Mary’s community extends its sympathy to the Seebach family.