De La Salle Week schedule announced

Saint Mary’s has celebrated Founders’ Day for many years to commemorate its founding in 1912. It has been a time of celebration and recognition of individuals within the Lasallian community.

With so much to celebrate about our Lasallian history and mission, the annual day of celebration has been expanded to become De La Salle Week.

Students, staff and faculty members are invited to a week of participation in these opportunities for learning, reflection, discussion and connection with others.

SUNDAY, MARCH 30

10:30 a.m. and 9 p.m. — Opening liturgy, Saint Thomas More Chapel, followed by refreshments

3 p.m. — SMU Concert Band, Page Theatre

MONDAY, MARCH 31
“Faith in the Presence of God”

7:30 a.m. — Donuts on the first floor of Saint Mary’s Hall

11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. — Lasallian Luncheon for faculty and staff, President’s Room: “Experiencing the Reign of God: the Ecology of the Lasallian Spirituality and Doing Justice” with Brother Ernest Miller, FSC. RSVP to richmond@smumn.edu or Ext. 1643.

12:10 p.m. — Liturgy in Saint Thomas More Chapel

5:30 p.m. — Dine with the Divine for students at Saint Mary’s Press: “Experiencing the Reign of God: the Ecology of the Lasallian Spirituality and Doing Justice” with Brother Ernest Miller, FSC. RSVP in Campus Ministry

TUESDAY, APRIL 1
“Quality Education”

7:30 a.m. — Donuts on the first floor of Saint Mary’s Hall

10:45 a.m. — Founders’ Day Liturgy, Saint Thomas More Chapel with the Most Rev. John M. Quinn, Bishop of the Diocese of Winona

1:15 p.m. — Convocation in Page Theatre including the presentations of the Distinguished Lasallian Educator Award, the Bishop Patrick Heffron Award and the Outstanding Senior Awards. To watch a live stream, go to  http://client.stretchinternet.com/client/smuadmin.portal.

3 p.m. — Convocation reception, Hall of Fame Room

5 to 6 p.m. — Hunger Banquet, President's Room. At this interactive event, the place where you sit and the meal that you eat are determined by the luck of the draw, just as in real life some of us are born into relative prosperity and others into poverty.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 2
“Inclusive Community”

7:30 a.m. — Donuts on the first floor of Saint Mary’s Hall

12:10 p.m. — Liturgy in Saint Thomas More Chapel

4:45 p.m. — Interfaith prayer experience for students, faculty and staff, Toner Student Center lounge. Sponsored by the International Center and the Office of Campus Ministry, this event will include sacred texts, reflections and prayers from a variety of faith traditions.

7:30 p.m. — Sustainability Forum Series, "SMU Solar Initiative," Watters Hall. The students behind the solar panel initiative will explain the details behind this renewable energy project.

THURSDAY, APRIL 3
“Respect for All Persons”

11:45 a.m. — Lasallian Luncheon for faculty and staff, Toner Student Center, Room 9 with presentation at noon. Students will reflect on their experiences from the SOUL mission trip to India and the Holy Land pilgrimage. Hear how the Lasallian mission is lived across the globe. Lunch is provided. RSVPs are required to Campus Ministry.

8 to 9 p.m. — India and Holy Land trip presentations for students, Toner Student Center lounge. Students will reflect on their experiences of the SOUL mission trip to India and the Holy Land pilgrimage. Free T-shirts to the first 50 students. Grab a snack and support international mission-inspired programs at SMU.

9 p.m. — Open mic night, Toner Student Center Lounge

FRIDAY, APRIL 4
“Concern for the Poor and Social Justice”

7:30 to 10 a.m. — Fair Trade Friday, first floor Saint Mary’s Hall, hosted by the Peace and Justice Club; donations to benefit Christ the Teacher Institute for Education in Nairobi.

12:10 p.m. — Liturgy in Saint Thomas More Chapel

7:30 p.m. — SMU jazz ensemble, Page Theatre

Lenten retreat Friday and Saturday evenings — Immaculate Heart of Mary Seminary. This OCM-sponsored retreat for all students is a great opportunity to deepen your relationship with God. The retreat will draw on some of the themes and techniques of the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius. Contact Eric Styles in the Office of Campus Ministry for more information. Register  online at www.surveymonkey.com/s/LentenRetreat2014.

SATURDAY, APRIL 5
“Concern for God’s Creation”

1 to 4 p.m. —  Volunteer outdoors. Contribute to the removal of invasive species on campus and allow native floral to flourish. Join Patrick Sweet and others in removing the Oriental Bittersweet from the bluffs. Contact pksweet11@smumn.edu to sign up.

3 p.m. — Music Department recital, Figliulo Recital Hall.

7:30 p.m. — Earth Rally, Room B of the Toner Student Center. Plant vegetables and microgreens to get your garden started. Organic snacks and refreshments will be served.

Lenten retreat Friday and Saturday evenings — Immaculate Heart of Mary Seminary. This OCM-sponsored retreat for all students is a great opportunity to deepen your relationship with God. The retreat will draw on some of the themes and techniques of the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius. Contact Eric Styles in the Office of Campus Ministry for more information. Register  online at www.surveymonkey.com/s/LentenRetreat2014.

Results of study abroad photo contest announced

Winners of the study abroad photo contest are:

1st Place - “Plaza de Espana” by Mayra Rodriguez

2nd Place - “Staircase to Heaven” by Audrey Ferris

3rd Place - “Neuschwanstein Castle” by Sarah Lent

Thanks go to all the students who entered the contest and to everyone for voting.

Musical comedy ‘Urinetown’ set for March 21-23

Gabe Verges and Katie Sapper rehearse a musical selection from "Urinetown."

Water is scarce, but corruption flows freely in the Saint Mary’s musical comedy production of “Urinetown,” March 21-23.

In a Gotham-like city, a terrible water shortage, caused by a 20-year drought, has led to a government-enforced ban on private toilets. Water is worth its weight in gold. The citizens must use public amenities, regulated by a single malevolent company that profits by charging admission for one of humanity’s most basic needs. A hero plunges forward, deciding he’s had enough, and he plans a revolution to lead them all to freedom!

Inspired by the works of Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill, “Urinetown” is an irreverently humorous satire in which no one is safe from scrutiny. For added fun, the show spoofs well-known musicals and itself. Director Dr. Gary Diomandes and musical director Judy Myers are flushed with excitement about bringing the hilarious tale of greed, corruption, love and revolution to life.

Books and lyrics for “Urinetown” are by Greg Kotis; music and lyrics are by Mark Hollmann.

The show will run 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, March 21-22, and 3 p.m. Sunday, March 23, in Page Theatre.

Tickets are $10 for adults or $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.

Taylor Richmond benefit raises more than $14,000

About 575 people attended the Taylor Richmond Benefit Dance

Jason and Tina Richter with their sons, Jackson, Carter and Gus.

More than 575 people attended Saint Mary’s 14th annual Taylor Richmond Benefit Dance on March 15.

Proceeds from the dance — and a silent auction held on campus — raised more than $14,000 for this year’s beneficiary Jason Richter, who worked at Saint Mary’s from 1998 to 2010 in Student Activities and was once responsible for overseeing this same benefit event. Richter, who currently lives in Davenport, Iowa, is formerly of Rollingstone, where he served with the volunteer fire department and was an active community member.

Prior to being diagnosed with multiple myeloma last summer, Richter had pain in his lower back that turned out to be a mass. 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 benefit has become an annual student tradition since its start in 2001 in honor of Taylor Richmond, son of SMU staff member Nikki Richmond and Nick Richmond. Each year this event benefits someone in need who has ties to the SMU community. Although Taylor passed away this past October, his memory lives on at Saint Mary’s.

Donations are still being accepted; send checks — payable to the Taylor Richmond Benefit Dance — to Lance Thompson, Saint Mary’s University, 700 Terrace Heights #1528, Winona, MN 55987.

To see more photos, go to www.smumn.edu/photos.

Students inducted into Delta Mu Delta

Ten Saint Mary’s students were inducted into Delta Mu Delta at a luncheon reception on March 19. Delta Mu Delta is an international honor society in business established to recognize and reward outstanding academic achievement of students in business administration.

SMU’s Delta Mu Delta chapter, Eta Beta, was established in 1994 to promote the national organization’s goals of promoting higher scholarship in business education and recognizing and rewarding academic attainment in business subjects. Students selected must be in the top 20 percent of their class, as well as have a minimum GPA of 3.25 for undergraduates and 3.6 for graduate students.

New inductees include, from left: Ryan Gager, Christian Gaffy, Aaron Haley, Kevin Miley, Marissa Jacob, Sara Schoenthaler, Rachel McQuiston, Lucas Kubik, Janie Maki and Katarzyna Plawiak (not pictured).

Former inductees present included, from left: Kaylee Bunne, Sean Pavelich and Cassandra Kujawa.

Minnesota printmaker features new works in SMU art show through April 6

White Bear Lake printmaker Emily Gray Koehler will present 27 new works in “Burning the Old Growth” through April 6 at Saint Mary’s.

Gray Koehler’s reduction woodblock prints are nature scenes informed by a childhood split between the farm and the forest. In this particular series, her work depicts the beauty of nature, depleted by man’s influence.

“Since its earliest beginnings, humanity has manipulated nature in the pursuit of prosperity,” she writes. “Without these alterations to the environment, our existence in this world would certainly be dubious. However, after millennia of digging, burning, harvesting, and draining we now find ourselves at a crossroads where all possible routes forward have significant obstacles and potent repercussions.”

The Lillian Davis Hogan Galleries are open 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. All gallery shows are free and open to the public.

For more information about Gray Kohler’s work, go to www.studioegk.com.

SMU band, wind ensemble concert March 30 celebrates ‘Music in our Schools Month’

Dr. David Leung rehearses with the SMU Concert Band, under the direction of Janet Heukeshoven.

The Concert Band and Wind Ensemble, under the direction of Dr. Janet Heukeshoven, will present a concert Sunday, March 30, in celebration of “Music in our Schools Month.” The performance will begin at 3 p.m. in Page Theatre.

The featured violin soloist is Saint Mary’s Dr. David Leung, in a rare pairing with winds and percussion. The Concertino (1998) by Evzen Zámecnik is written in a modern jazz style combined with traditional classical violin techniques. Dr. Leung is a graduate of the Eastman School of Music and is a frequent soloist and chamber music performer around the world. In his second year at Saint Mary’s, Dr. Leung teaches violin and viola, as well as ear-training courses, and he directs the SMU Chamber Orchestra.

Other performances will include: Bernstein’s delightful overture A Musical Toast, Eric Whitacre’s hauntingly beautiful October, Grainger’s Children’s March, and a recently published piece by Valerie Coleman, founder of the “Imani Winds,” Umoja. Richard Strauss’s moving Allerseelen and Bencriscutto’s Lindbergh Jubilee round out the program.

Tickets are $10 for adults or $5 for students and seniors and may be reserved at the SMU Box Office, Ext. 1715, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday or online at www.pagetheatre.org. Tickets are also available one hour before the concert.

The SMU Concert Band is made up of SMU students and community musicians from the Winona area. The ensemble presents two performances each semester on the SMU campus. For additional information, contact Heukeshoven at Ext. 1675 or jheukesh@smumn.edu.

Tribute concert to Victor Jara is March 27 at Saint Mary’s

A tribute concert Thursday, March 27, will celebrate the life of Victor Jara, the Chilean singer-songwriter, political activist and playwright assassinated during the Chilean military coup in 1973.

On the 40th anniversary of his death, the Stearns County Pachanga Society will perform Jara’s songs, with the lyrics projected in both Spanish and English. The contrast between the themes of his songs, on love, peace and social justice — and the brutal way in which he was murdered — transformed Jara into a symbol of struggle for human rights and justice worldwide. Based in St. Cloud, the Stearns County Pachanga Society is an ever-evolving, ever-growing organic musical experiment that aims to combine the musical spirit of Cuban Cabildos, Brazilian Samba clubs, and Spanish Charangas with danceable rhythms from all over the globe.

The event, scheduled for 7:30 p.m., will be held in Figliulo Recital Hall. The public is welcome to attend, free of charge. Co-sponsors include the Department of Modern and Classical Languages, the Intercultural Awareness Association and the Student Activities Committee of Saint Mary’s.

Next Cineclub movie is March 24

The Department of Modern and Classical Languages announces 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.

“Bolivia” (Argentina, 2001), directed by Adrián Caetano, is about a Bolivian immigrant working illegally as a cook in a small restaurant in Buenos Aires who suffers abuse and discrimination from its customers. The drama stars Freddy Flores and Rosa Sánchez.

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.

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, March 26. Faculty and staff are invited to meet in the main lounge of the McEnery Center. Lunch will be provided and RSVPs are appreciated to jspartz@smumn.edu.

“You Gotta Get Up and Try, Try, Try!” will include presentations by Nathan Lien (Chemistry) who has been trying out a flipped classroom technique, and Rose Beal (Theology) who is trying to use  Google Docs as a replacement for the ubiquitous Power Point.  Find out how it has been working for them and how it might also work for you.

SMU students to promote state grant program March 27 at Day at the Capitol

One of the biggest ways that students and campus communities can have a major impact on supporting the Minnesota State Grant program is to participate in the Minnesota Private College Council’s Day at the Capitol.

On Thursday, March 27, Saint Mary’s students will have the opportunity to travel to the Capitol and tell legislators and the governor how important the Minnesota State Grant program is to them, their school and the state.

This grant program provides critical support, helping make higher education possible for one out of three Minnesota college students from low- and middle-income families. The state invested $120 million in aid in the most recent academic year, helping more than 88,000 students.

After meeting with state legislators, students will have an opportunity for a Q&A discussion with Minneapolis Police Chief Janeé Harteau, a 2003 SMU undergrad alumna and 2006 master’s alum, and Don Winger, program director of the B.S. in Police Science program on the Twin Cities campus.

Students interested in attending are asked to register online at http://www.mnprivatecolleges.org/day-capitol-registration. SMU hopes to send 50 students and employees to the Capitol this year.

For more information, contact Ann Merchlewitz at amerchle@smumn.edu.

SMU in the news

Here is just one way SMU is “making the news”:

• The Winona Daily News featured Jason Richter and the Taylor Richmond Benefit in the March 15 edition: http://bit.ly/1nGuqWl

Get tickets now for Gaslight March 27-28

Gaslight shows are 8 p.m. Friday, March 28, and 7 and 10 p.m. Saturday, March 29, in the Toner Student Center Dining Room.

Each faculty and staff person can receive one free ticket to one of the shows by e-mailing Lance Thompson at ljthom01@smumn.edu. Regular tickets are $6 or $7 at the door.

The musical variety show is in its 52nd year and is sponsored by the senior class as their main fundraising event.

Employee Giving Campaign ends April 2

The 2014 One University One Mission Community Campaign will end April 2.

The Office of Development is trying to beat last year’s record by raising $82,000 with 62 percent of employees participating.

Each year employees demonstrate a remarkable spirit of community by participating in the Employee Giving campaign. Every investment, whatever the amount, blesses a life in a very significant way. Giving is easy:

A. Decide on an amount you’re comfortable with. To see what your gift was last year, log into Webtools and click “payroll data.”

B. Decide who receives the benefit: Is it the Saint Mary’s Fund, faculty/staff scholarship, or something else?

C.  Complete the online giving form at http://www.smumn.edu/employeegiftform or request a paper form by e-mailing apengra@smumn.edu.

Congratulations to Palermo

Richard Palermo was elected Student Senate President for the 2014-2015 academic year.

Truax to present at national arts conference

Today, Friday March 21, Lisa Truax, Department of Art and Design, is presenting and leading a conversation at the NCECA (National Council for Eduction on the Ceramic Arts) national conference in Milwaukee, Wis. It is an NCECA Connections session called “Reverse Engineering Projects.”

Cupcakes for a Cause is today

Cupcakes for a Cause, a fundraiser for SMU’s Nairobi campus, sponsored by the First Generation Initiative programs and students, will run 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. today, Friday, March 21, on the first floor of Saint Mary’s Hall. Have a sweet and help raise money for a good cause.

SMU to host two volleyball camps

Saint Mary’s University will host two girls’ volleyball camps July 18-29 for students entering grades six through 12 in the fall.

This first camp, “Session I,” is for girls entering grades six through eight and will be held Sunday, July 20, through Thursday, July 25. The second camp, “Session II,” is for girls entering grades nine through 12 and will be held Sunday, July 27, through Thursday, July 31.

These camps provide a great experience for players who want intense work in a competitive atmosphere. Seventy-five percent of the focus will be on individual skills, and the other 25 percent will be on team play. Mike Lester, SMU’s head volleyball coach, will lead this camp with the assistance of SMU women’s volleyball team members.

For commuters, rates are $375 before April 15 and $400 after April 15. Residential rates are $425 and $450. Register and pay online at www.smumn.edu/camps by June 27. This registration fee includes lodging and meals, as well as access to the Recreation and Athletics Center, indoor pool, weight room, dance studio, hiking trails, disc golf course, track and soccer complex, ropes course and more. For more information, call Ext. 6921.

Rodgers to be honored by alma mater

Dr. James Rodgers, Social Science, was selected by the alumni board of his undergraduate alma mater, Northwestern Oklahoma State, as the Most Outstanding Graduate from NWOSU in the field of education. He will travel to NWOSU, located in Alva,  to receive the award on April 26. He received his bachelor’s degree from there in 1975.

Three students win $100 for survey participation

Three students were chosen to receive a cash award for participating in the Noel-Levitz Student Satisfaction Inventory in February. The survey measured student satisfaction and priorities, showing how satisfied students are as well as what issues are important to them.

The students winning $100 each are Selena Bergstrom, Colin Hennessy and Natalie Williams.  

Second majors fair offered

Last week students had an opportunity to explore majors at a unique fair led by students for students in the cafeteria.

The event drew mostly freshmen and sophomores, who were looking for a variety of information. This fair was geared toward students who are not happy about their majors, are undecided majors, are trying to choose a minor, or are just first-year students looking for information.

Twenty-five student representatives from 15 majors participated. These students answered questions about their majors, their college experiences and their career plans.

The fair encouraged meaningful peer-to-peer interaction, which research shows is a primary factor in student retention. The event was hosted by Career Services.

Registration open for MCA spring, summer programming

The new Minnesota Conservatory for the Arts spring and summer 2014 catalog is now available. New programming includes a workshop in partnership with the Minnesota Marine Art Museum, as well as a playground “Stomp” workshop during Screen Free Week! Registration is now open.

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 (507) 453-5500. Interested students may register online, by mail, or in person at MCA’s Valéncia Arts Center.

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 ages 3 and older through adults at the Valéncia Arts Center, 1164 West 10th St.

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.

The MCA Music Division winter 2014 concert will begin at 7 p.m. Monday, March 24, in Figliulo Recital Hall; admission is a freewill donation.

SMU jazz groups present ‘A Night in Havana’ April 4

Eric Heukeshoven, right, and Dr. John Paulson, second from left, during a recent trip to Cuba. The upcoming concert 'A Night in Havana' is inspired by the music and rhythms of Havana,  Cuba

It’s been a long winter, but things will heat up as Saint Mary’s University’s Music Department presents “A Night in Havana” at 7:30 p.m. Friday, April 4, in Page Theatre.

Inspired by the music and rhythms he experienced while visiting Havana, Cuba last December, SMU jazz studies director A. Eric Heukeshoven and the talented student jazz musicians will bring music written and inspired by Cuban composers back home to Winona.

From Caravan – Duke Ellington’s collaboration with Juan Tizol – to Chick Corea’s La Fiesta, the concert will trace the threads of Cuban culture and its extraordinary contributions to jazz.

Special guests for the evening include a select group of percussionists led by SMU World Drum Ensemble director Dennis McGuire. The group will join the celebration on authentic Afro-Cuban instruments.

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

For more information, please contact A. Eric Heukeshoven at Ext. 7292 or eheukesh@smumn.edu.

Hendrickson Forum to be broadcast on Winona campus

Each year, the Hendrickson Institute for Ethical Leadership sponsors a forum that brings an internationally renowned leader to the Twin Cities campus for a keynote address. This year, the event will be live streamed to the Winona campus, so that everyone can participate in the event.

This year’s speaker is the Honorable Sheila Bair, former chair of the FDIC during the Great Recession. Bair is an exceptional leader, speaker and commentator on the fiscal health of the United States and beyond, and was named the second most powerful woman in the World by Forbes magazine in 2008. Her address is titled “Main Street vs. Wall Street and the New Financial Paradigm,” through which she will address timely topics including short-term gratifications to long-term economic stability, producing real value to generate meaningful economic gains, global challenges and other 21st century issues.

In addition, Chris Policinski, CEO of Land O’Lakes, will be awarded the Hendrickson Medal for Ethical Leadership during the event. The event will be moderated by Fred de Sam Lazaro, director of SMU’s Under-Told Stories Project and a correspondent for PBS NewsHour.

The Winona community will be able to watch the event live in three locations around campus: Page Theater, Room 9 of the Toner Student Center and the Common Room.
       
The full event will take place from 11:30 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. The welcoming remarks and presentation of the Hendrickson Medal for Ethical Leadership will occur between 11:30 and 11:50 a.m. Bair’s remarks will take place from approximately 12:10-1:15 p.m. (There is a break in the event from 11:50 a.m. to 12:10 p.m. as lunch is served to those attending on the Minneapolis campus.)

Everyone is invited to come for all of the event or part of the event, depending on schedules. Faculty may wish to bring your class to this event.

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

Common Threads clothing drive ends today

The Peace and Justice Club will once again be conducting the Common Threads clothing drive from noon to 4 p.m. today, March 21, in Room B of the Toner Student Center.

News from Nairobi

By James Chege
Librarian
Maryknoll Institute of African Studies

Pastoral Reflection Research Workshops

Friday, March 14, marked the end of the eighth week of the second semester at the Maryknoll Institute of African Studies. In the afternoon, the students and field assistants gathered for the second and final (PR session) and research workshops. In the PR, three classes presented skits relevant to their courses, namely, Sociology of Development/Underdevelop-ment and African Religion, African Marriage and Family; Challenge and Change, and African Culture: An Overview.

Students and field assistants from the Sociology of Development/Underdevelopment and African Religion class in action as they present their skit at the PR.

The  class on African culture created a skit depicting a baraza or a meeting of a council of elders which had been convened to give judgment over a case of parental negligence. In the performance, the child’s parents were refusing to take the child to hospital as they had no faith in western medicine and preferred to go and look for a herbalist or better still, a diviner. The local authorities at the meeting decreed that the child be forcefully taken to hospital thus leaving the parents very disappointed.

In the next skit presented by the class on sociology of development, a working-class couple hires a house girl to take care of their children, a boy and a girl, when they go their respective jobs during the day. The house help takes advantage of the absence of the parents to  mistreat the children left under her care making them do all the house chores she is paid to do. The children raise the alarm that they are not being treated fairly. The dispute is ended with an amicable solution after some dialogue.

Father  Lance Nadeau (far left) makes a point as his discussion group listens intently. 

Father Nadeau is the Maryknoll Regional Superior and the Chairman of the MIASMU Board of Directors. He is presently the Catholic Chaplain at the huge Kenyatta public University  with over 7,000 parishioners. He hold a Ph.D. in Religious Studies from Temple University, a Licentiate in Missiology from the Gregorian University and  is  presently enrolled in his third MIASMU course.

The skit by the class on African marriage introduced an international businessman who wanted to marry a lady but did not have the time to perform the rituals of paying bride price. In fact he had a plane to catch in a few hours’ time and wanted to leave with the girl immediately. The parents are dumbfounded by the bold request and will not hear any of it. The bride to be is then left with the dilemma of following her traditions or following her heart.

After the animated presentations, three discussion groups were formed to tackle questions arising from the skits. The issues raised were reported back in a plenary session.

After the PR session, students and field assistants participated in their respective field research workshops — foundational or advanced. The workshops are aimed at sharpening students’ research skills so that their data collection techniques are professional and the data collected  is of high quality and can readily be  factored into their course papers and MA theses.

Sympathy to Moore family

Dorothy Johnson (M’95) died March 17 in Cottage Grove. Dorothy is mother to Andrea Moore ’13 (admissions), mother-in-law to Bill Moore ’84 (Head men’s hockey coach and Cardinal M-Club co-director), and grandmother to Greg Moore ’10 (assistant women’s hockey coach), Brian Moore ‘12 and Patrick Moore ’14.