Saint Mary’s brand training: messages and templates

All university employees are invited and encouraged to attend the upcoming brand training sessions:

• Nov. 5, noon to 12:50 p.m., President’s Room, Toner Student Center, Winona Campus
• Nov. 13, 3 to 3:50 p.m., Brother Louis Hall Alumni Room, Twin Cities Campus

These 50-minute sessions will provide attendees with practical ways to use the newly developed universitywide key messages and branded communications resources, such as a brand book, visual identity guide, writing style guide, and branded templates (now all available on the university website, under www.smumn.edu.brand).

At the University Convocation in August, Vice President for Enrollment, Marketing, and Strategic Initiatives John Pyle announced the completion of a months-long brand research and strategy project. Brother William emphasized the importance of this work in achieving Goal 7 of Strategic Plan 2017, allowing the best of what Saint Mary's has to offer to become the reality of our reputation in the minds of our constituencies in the communities we serve and beyond.

With newly designed marketing materials already in the marketplace, consistency and cohesion of our messaging and imagery play an important role. With your help, we can effectively instill our most compelling attributes in the minds of our key audiences.

These sessions will be led by Stacia Vogel, assistant vice president for brand management, who offices on the Twin Cities Campus. Feel free to bring your lunch.

Jackson, Tadie to discuss summer research Monday

The next Faculty Development Committee lunch will be Monday, Nov. 3. Derek Jackson and Dr. Joe Tadie, with their respective minigrant teams, will discuss the research and work they did with awarded minigrants this past summer. The Jackson minigrant team, comprised of many members of the School of Business, will present on “Core Quantitative Skills Competency Assessment Opportunities” and the Tadie minigrant team, comprised of faculty working in the Living Learning Communities, will present “Living Learning Communities: A Tale of Two Handbooks.”

Presentations will be in the faculty dining room: lunch is available at noon, and presentations start at 12:15 p.m. Interested faculty members and academic staff should go through the cafeteria line and tell Chartwells that they are with the FDC lunch.

Students invited to submit elevator pitches

The annual Elevator Pitch Contest, sponsored by the Kabara Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies at Saint Mary’s, is open to all students on campus, regardless of major. Cash prizes will be awarded.

What is an elevator pitch? Create an idea for a new business, a non-profit or an event, such as a fundraiser that address a social concern. Pretend that you have a chance encounter (such as a 60-90 second elevator ride) with a person who could help make your dream a reality. Use this short time to convince this person to support your project.

A live competition is set for 3:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 6. For more information, contact Chandu Valluri, Dr. Elizabeth Seebach, Dean Beckman or Dr. Phil Cochran. As an alternative to the live presentation, students can submit a video pitch by noon Tuesday, Nov. 4.

New this year: Entries can be submitted by individual students or in teams of two.

Concert Band to play Nov. 16 as part of Fall Band Festival

Come hear four bands at 3 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 16, at the Fall Band Festival to be held at Cotter High School’s Saint Cecilia Theatre. Performing bands include the Cotter Concert Band and Symphonic Band, Saint Mary’s Wind Ensemble and Concert Band, plus two combined pieces with the Cotter Symphonic Band and the Saint Mary’s Concert Band. The event is free and open to the public. Directors are Rick Peters and Dr. Janet Heukeshoven.

Sugar Plum Fairy Tea Party fundraiser is Nov. 16

The Minnesota Conservatory for the Arts is pleased to announce the eighth biennial Sugar Plum Fairy Tea Party, Sunday, Nov. 16, at the Valéncia Arts Center, 1164 West 10th St.

This year’s Sugar Plum Fairy Tea Party will feature two tea sittings (1 and 4 p.m.). Specialty teas and exquisite finger foods will be served. Additionally, the Land of the Sweets Gift Boutique, featuring holiday gifts and crafts, is available to the public from 12:30 to 5:30 p.m.

Tickets are $15 for children and $18 for adults.  All children attending the tea party will receive a complimentary photo with their favorite character from the “Nutcracker” ballet. Tea attendees will enjoy the sounds of live cello by MCA’s music division instructor, Rachael Ryan Dahlgren, and a dance demonstration by the Sugar Plum Fairy.

The Sugar Plum Fairy Tea party is the first big event of the “Nutcracker” production season for MCA and its performing group, the Dance Repertory Company. The company will present the full-length ballet Dec. 3-7 at Saint Mary’s Page Theatre. This year’s cast totals more than 85 members, including students from Saint Mary’s, Winona State University, and children and community members from the Winona area. For tickets to the production, call 457-1715 or visit www.pagetheatre.org.

Proceeds from the Sugar Plum Fairy Tea Party go toward the MCA student scholarship fund and “Nutcracker” production costs.

To reserve seats or a full table of six for the tea, call 453-5500 or visit www.mnconservatorforthearts.org. Reservations are preferred by Nov. 1. The Valéncia Arts Center is handicapped accessible.

Saint Mary’s students to stage drama ‘Pentecost’ Nov. 6-9

Art, religion, and politics collide in the Saint Mary’s Department of Theatre and Dance production of the complex British drama “Pentecost” Thursday through Sunday, Nov. 6-9.

Written by David Edgar and directed by Judy Myers, “Pentecost” tells the story of Gabrielle Pecs, a beautiful and passionate art curator in a small village in an unnamed Eastern European post-communist country. Gabrielle believes she has discovered something wonderful in an ancient, abandoned church near her country’s border. Realizing that a celebrated art historian from England is arriving in her country to give a talk, Gabrielle brings him face to face with what very well may be a work of art that will change the course of history.

This play contains adult language and adult situations. Patron discretion is advised.

Shows are scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, Nov. 6-8, and 3 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 9, in Page Theatre.

Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for students and seniors and are available at the box office, 457-1715, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, or online at www.pagetheatre.org.

Garment industry is topic of next Under-Told Stories Forum Nov. 12

The next Under-Told Stories Project Forum asks the question, “Is What You’re Wearing Enslaving or Liberating?” A panel of speakers will conduct a public discussion about issues related to the garment industry Wednesday, Nov. 12, at Winona Campus.

The event’s keynote speaker is Joe Bozich, CEO of Knights Apparel, who is convinced his Alta Gracia collegiate sportswear subsidiary can compete with Adidas and Nike while providing a living wage to the Dominican workers who make the clothes.

Bozich has more than 20 years of manufacturing, sourcing, marketing, and operations experience. He founded Knights Apparel in 2001, and by 2009 Knights Apparel became the largest supplier of college apparel in the United States. Knights Apparel also holds exclusive rights with the NHL. Bozich was named Ernst & Young’s 2005 Entrepreneur of the Year for the Illinois Region and in 2010 the Huffington Post nominated him as one of the top 100 Game Changers in the nation.

Participants will be asked to think about these questions:

• Bozich pays Alta Gracia garment workers 3.5 times the legal minimum wage. What’s your price point for fairness?
• In Bangladesh, 4 million people are employed in the garment industry, many in unsafe conditions with poverty-level pay. Are “non-living wages” better than the alternative?
• From “fair trade” to “green washing,” can consumers be persuaded to make socially responsible choices?

The moderator will be Fred de Sam Lazaro, who directs the Under-Told Stories Project at Saint Mary’s—a program that combines international journalism and teaching—and is a senior distinguished fellow at the university’s Hendrickson Institute for Ethical Leadership. He has served as a correspondent for PBS NewsHour since 1985 and is a regular contributor to Religion and Ethics Newsweekly on PBS.

Panelists will also include:

• Chandu Valluri M’06, assistant professor of marketing at Saint Mary’s. Valluri has advised CEOs and senior business leaders in the textile, information communication technology, and food and beverage industries, both domestically and internationally.

• Nikki See, producer and editor, Under-Told Stories Project. See covers a variety of global issues for PBS, including those in the apparel trade and human rights. See brings the rare perspective of one who has spent time amid the garment racks in Cambodian and Bangladeshi factories, as well as those of the fashion retailers she browses for her own consumption.

This event—free and open to the public—is planned for 7 to 8:30 p.m. in the Page Theatre. (The same event will be held 6 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 11, at Saint Mary’s Twin Cities Campus.)

This event is made possible by the Under-Told Stories Project as seen on the PBS NewsHour, and is sponsored by the Hendrickson Institute for Ethical Leadership at Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota.

Faculty present research about flipped classrooms

A 2013 minigrant allowed faculty from the Business and Math Departments to research the flipped instructional strategy in their classrooms. They presented their research at the 100th annual American Association of University Professors (AAUP) conference in Washington, D.C. Their paper, “An Examination of the Flipped Classroom Approach on College Student Academic Involvement,” has been accepted for publication in the International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education (IJTLHE). Dr. Shelly McCallum, Dr. Janel Schultz, Dr. Kristen Sellke, and Jason Spartz are the coauthors.  Publication of Volume 27(1) is scheduled to come out early in 2015.

Blue Angel is Oct. 31-Nov. 1

The Brothers of Phi Mu Alpha cordially invite members of the faculty and staff to Blue Angel  2014. This year’s performances are today, Friday, Oct. 31, at 8 p.m. and Saturday, Nov. 1, at 7 and 10 p.m. You may receive a complimentary ticket to the show of your choice by contacting Lance Thompson at Ext. 1686 or ljthom01@smumn.edu.

Rouault’s ‘Seeing Christ in the Darkness’ on display

“Seeing Christ in the Darkness,” a collection of the world-class prints of one of the most important printmakers of the 20th century, Georges Rouault, will be on display through Nov. 16 at Saint Mary’s.

Rouault (1871-1958) was a lifelong Roman Catholic, but the Church resisted the darkness of his work. It wasn’t until the end of his life that he received a church commission. But the graphic art in this exhibition, done at the height of the artist’s powers, shows how deeply the artist identified with people’s sufferings and, indeed, saw within this darkness the salvation that Christ brought.

Rouault’s work will be on display in the Lillian Davis Hogan Galleries. The exhibit is free and open to the public from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily.

Special Halloween ‘Boo-fet’ and costume contest is today

Enjoy some tasty food, good company and frighteningly great costumes today as offices and departments compete for the highly coveted traveling Halloween contest trophy. The last costume contest winners, Development and Alumni Relations, aren’t going to give it up easily!

This is the Saint Mary’s Volunteer Committee’s first “Let’s Do Lunch” potluck/fundraiser.

This year’s winner and runner-up will be able to direct their $300 and $200 winnings to their choice of the following worthy causes: Winona Food Shelf; scholarships at Saint Mary’s; Saint Mary’s in Jamaica; Habitat for Humanity; the First-Generation Initiative; or the Red Cross.

The lunch will run from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday, Oct. 31, in the Common Room. All faculty and staff are welcome! Staff from the library, Business Office and Registrar’s Office are joining forces to host the event.

It’ll be a ghostly good time; ghoul be glad you came!

‘Make a Difference Day’ and ‘Lasallian Day of Service’

Make a Difference Day

In recognition of national “Make a Difference Day,” 108 Saint Mary’s students served 47 Winona residences on Oct. 25. As part of these efforts, the women’s hockey team assisted with a Red Cross smoke alarm installation. Teams of students, Winona firemen, and Red Cross and community volunteers installed 100 alarms and changed many batteries and canvassed 390 homes.

Lasallian Day of Service

Also on Oct. 25 around 100 alumni participated in the sixth-annual Lasallian Day of Service. This is a day that allows alumni to come together in the spirit of the Lasallian mission in service to others. Winona students, staff and alumni volunteered at the current Habitat for Humanity house.

Volunteer sites were set up in the Chicago, Twin Cities, Saint Louis, Milwaukee and Denver areas.

Kirk, Leung recruit in Asia

Dr. Ned Kirk and Dr. David Leung recruited students in Asia Oct. 13-22. They went to Malaysia, Hong Kong, and Singapore, and met with talented music students from various high schools, including several Lasallian schools (Lasalle College in Hong Kong and St. Joseph Institution in Singapore). They gave music lessons and master classes and interacted with students, parents and teachers. to promote studying music at Saint Mary’s and the Summer String Camp 2015.

Halloween Fun Night draws more than 500 to Saint Mary’s

Pint-sized ghouls, princesses and superheros covered the campus Monday night as more than 500 people participated in Saint Mary’s Halloween Fun Night. This free, safe and fun event was sponsored by the Office of Residence life. Thanks go to the many volunteers who made the event such a success. For more photos, go to the Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota Facebook page.

The Walk of Horror awaits for one more night

This year’s Saint Mary’s University Walk of Horror is again guaranteed to give you goosebumps. New scares are planned around every corner.

The 18th annual hair-raising fundraiser for the Cardinal fastpitch softball team will take place from 7 to 10 p.m. tonight, Oct. 31, in the campus bluffs. Walkers are asked to meet on the lighted path between the Saint Mary’s baseball and softball fields, where the haunted walk will begin.

Groups are then escorted through the dark bluffs for approximately 20 minutes.

The cost is $5 for adults, $4 for students with ID, and $4 for children 12 and younger. Tickets are available at the gate.

Head fastpitch softball coach Jen Miller said the event is fun for all ages. The scare level is toned down for younger children and turned up for groups bold enough to face their fears. Last year more than 1,100 brave souls took the Walk of Horror.

Proceeds from this event will be used for the softball team’s travel expenses. For more information, contact Miller at Ext. 6923.

Chat and Chow events

The Chat, Chow & Web 2.0 professional development series, hosted by the library, IT, and Instructional Technology, is open to all faculty and staff. Meet in the main lounge of McEnery; lunch is provided. An RSVP is appreciated, but not necessary, to Jason Spartz at jspartz@smumn.edu.

The next event, “Freedom to Roam,” will be noon to 1 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 19. Dr. Moni Berg-Binder (biology), Dr. Demian Cho (physics), and Dr. Kristen Sellke (math) have reinvented  their classrooms using iPads. They will talk about how they can now move easily through their classrooms carrying their technology with them.

Rannikko named Miss Winona

Photo courtesy of Jacob Hilsabeck, Winona Daily News

Maija Rannikko, a biology major at Saint Mary’s, was named Miss Winona on Sunday. Rannikko’s platform is “Conquering Chiari: Raising Awareness, Creating Hope.” Chiari is a neurological deformation of the brain. Her talent was a trombone solo to the song “Locked Out of Heaven” by Bruno Mars.

The Duluth native, who currently is a student worker in the President’s Office, was also awarded the spirit award and a $1,300 scholarship.

Two other Saint Mary’s students, Shauna Mayer and Catie Deysach, also competed for the crown.

News from Nairobi

By James Chege
Librarian
Maryknoll Institute of African Studies
Editor: Father Michael C. Kirwen, Director

MIASMU director Michael Kirwen addresses new and returning students together with their field assistants during the orientation.

MIASMU Welcomes New Students

The Maryknoll Institute of African Studies began its new academic year in full gear welcoming new and returning students. Seven new students, coming from different countries including Malawi, Mexico, Uganda, DR. Congo and Kenya, were registered. This variety of students adds to the cultural diversity of the student body.

This semester features the following courses: Contemporary Political and Economic Realities in Kenya, taught by Edward Oyugi, African Culture: An Overview, by Prof. Mary Getui, African Religion: Major Beliefs, Practices and Contemporary Forms, by Dr. Michael Katola, and Sage Philosophy: The Root of African Religion and Philosophy, by Dr. Oriare Nyarwath.

After the orientation session, field research workshops for both foundational and advanced groups were held as part of the opening day’s activities. The foundational workshop is especially helpful to new students who may not have prior experience with ethnographic research, and it acts as a useful introduction to the MIASMU method of learning in which there is a required hour of professional-quality field research for every hour of class.

MIASMU students and field assistants discuss the questions raised by the PR skits.

First Pastoral Reflection
During the fourth week of the program a pastoral reflection (PR) session was held. The PR  is an assembly of all MIASMU students and field assistants where different classes make presentations to share various themes and subjects they are currently covering. The students groups discuss questions arising from the presentations and then share their findings in a plenary session. Two classes, African Culture: An Overview and Contemporary Political and Economic Realities in Kenya, presented.

Where Will I Be Buried?
The first class presented a skit in form of a discussion among elders regarding a death in the family. The discussion focused on the burial rites where a deceased lady had a child out of wedlock and the father of the child could not be traced. Strictly following the traditions and despite protests from younger members of the family, the elders prescribed that she should not be buried within the homestead as she is considered to belong to the clan of the child’s father. This brought to light some challenges facing the practices of African cultures in contemporary times.

For Whom Should I Vote?
The second skit featured a female politician seeking election at a political rally. She spoke well and had good plans and policies that would tackle the problems the community was facing. However, mid-way through the rally another candidate emerged from nowhere and ‘hijacked’ the crowd’s attention dishing out money and hand-outs. The crowd left the woman and followed the money-man promising to vote for the hand that feeds. This illustrated how voters in poverty stricken areas are prone to electoral malpractices.

After the PR discussion and reports, the second sessions of the foundational, and advanced field research workshops were held.

Students invited to participate in innovation challenge

Registration is now open for the 2014 Innovation Challenge, and the top prize is $7,000.

Miller Ingenuity, a manufacturing innovation leader in Winona, invites all college and graduate students to submit plans and creative ideas in response to the challenge, “How might an American manufacturer attract the best and brightest innovative minds to pursue careers in the manufacturing industry?” The best solutions will win $7,000 (first prize); $2,000 (second); $1,000 (third). Submissions are due Nov. 5.

For more information, go to http://www.milleringenuity.com/challenge.

Saint Mary’s Off the Page event explores Western, Eastern music

The Saint Mary’s “Off the Page” series invites audiences to explore the intersection of Western and Eastern music with a visit from the Twin Cities-based new music ensemble Zeitgeist, with guest artist Nirmala Rajasekar on veena.

“Summer Rain” is a new production, with music developed and performed by Zeitgeist with composer and veena virtuoso Nirmala Rajasekar. A blend of Indian classical music (Carnatic tradition) and Western classical new music, Summer Rain features five musical compositions interspersed with discussion and interactive opportunities designed to bring audiences a greater understanding of the two traditions.

The event is planned for 7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 14, in Figliulo Recital Hall. Tickets are $15 for adults, $12 for seniors and students and are available at www.pagetheatre.org or by calling the box office, 457-1715, Monday through Friday between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m.

A Page in History event with these artists is planned for noon on Nov. 14 at the Winona County History Center. Zeitgeist and Nirmala Ragjasekar talk about their collaboration, the instruments they use, and about composing Eastern and Western music together.

Cochran to present ‘An Amazon Expedition’ at biology seminar

Dr. Phil Cochran with a peacock bass in Brazil

During the 2013-14 school year, Dr. Phil Cochran was on sabbatical to work on a variety of projects. Along with completing many papers, he went on an amazing trip to see and work on the Amazon River in Brazil.

At the next biology seminar, he will talk about his experiences. The event will begin at 4 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 6, in Hoffman Hall, Room 112. Everyone is welcome.

MPR digital producer to speak Nov. 12

Jay Gabler, digital producer at The Current and Classical MPR and co founder of The Tangential, will present “Does Writing for the Internet Mean Writing for Dummies?” at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 12, in the President’s Room. The event, sponsored by Sigma Tau Delta—the international English Honor Society—and The Writing Studio, is free and open to the public.

O’Shea, Heukeshoven to premiere choral compositions

Two new works for choir by Saint Mary’s University music professors Dr. Patrick O’Shea and A. Eric Heukeshoven will receive their world premiere by the La Crosse Chamber Chorale as part of the ensemble’s “Words to Music” project.

Words to Music is a project in which poetry written by local students is set to music by area composers. Last April, over 200 area students submitted poems based on the theme of compassion. The poems were given to five area composers who each chose one to become the text of a new musical work.

Both of the new compositions will feature performances by fellow Saint Mary’s music department faculty. O’Shea’s “Unlock Your Heart” will include a performance by Dr. David Leung on violin and Heukeshoven’s “And They Have Lies” will be assisted by Dr. Janet Heukeshoven playing a Swiss folk instrument known a “Talerschwingen.”

“The Energies of Love” concert will be presented twice:

Saturday, Nov. 8 • 7:30 p.m.
First Lutheran Church
410 Main St.
Onalaska, Wis.

Sunday, Nov. 9 • 3 p.m.
English Lutheran Church
16th and King streets
La Crosse, Wis.

Tickets will be available at the door, $20 for adults and $10 for students/seniors.

More information can be found at http://chamberchorale.org/index.html or by contacting A. Eric Heukeshoven at Ext. 7292.