‘Let Us Remember’ Centennial performance

WINONA, Minn. — In honor of Saint Mary’s University’s Centennial, a special program celebrating the history, mission and legacy of Saint Mary’s will be presented. “Let Us Remember” — a performed narrative that includes many of the voices from Saint Mary’s rich history — will incorporate theatre, music, visual art and dance into one inspiring program.

Experience SMU’s 100-year journey through word, music and photographs during performances scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, Oct. 4-6. A matinee will begin at 2 p.m. Oct. 6.  “Let Us Remember” was written and will be directed by 1979 Saint Mary’s alumnus and Dean of the School of the Arts Michael Charron.

The program features newly commissioned music scores by Dr. Patrick O’Shea, director of choirs, and Eric Heukeshoven, director of jazz, as performed by the SMU Concert Band and SMU Choirs.

Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for students and seniors and are available at the SMU Box Office, (507) 457-1715 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday or online at www.pagetheatre.org.

Saint Mary’s to unveil Centennial timeline Oct. 5

WINONA, Minn. — In honor of its Centennial year, Saint Mary’s University commissioned Brother Roderick Robertson, FSC, professor of art and design, to complete a timeline wall mural of the university’s history.

The timeline installation will be unveiled during a public ceremony 10:45 a.m. Friday, Oct. 5, in the lobby of the Toner Student Center.

Brother Roderick, a 1963 alumnus, has taught art and design at Saint Mary's for 35 years. This timeline depicts the first century of Saint Mary's University. Fittingly, the artist wanted to tell the university’s story symbolically with 100 photographs. 

The piece is divided into four segments or panels. The first panel illustrates the founding and early years of the university under the direction of the Diocese of Winona. The second panel illustrates the arrival of the Brothers of the Christian Schools and the beginning of the Lasallian character of the school. The third panel depicts the arrival of women on campus and how becoming co-educational influenced and changed the nature of the institution. The fourth panel presents the changes that occurred as the college became a university, including the expansion of graduate and international programming. The end of the mural speaks to the future of Saint Mary’s University.

The rich and colorful history includes many of the faces from Saint Mary’s University who have shaped its heritage and transformed the school’s educational experience.

The piece includes the first photograph of Saint Mary’s College, taken by Florence Curran and donated by her grandson Rob Linden of Winona. Curran captured the school’s cornerstone laying in 1912.

The SMU class of 2011 helped fund the project through their senior class gift.

Saint Mary's invites public to Fall Frolic Oct. 6

WINONA, Minn. — The public is invited to participate in the 25th Fall Frolic 5K fun run/walk at Saint Mary’s University Saturday, Oct. 6.

Registration will run from 8 to 9:30 a.m. in SMU’s Toner Student Center with the race beginning at 10 a.m. The $8 cost includes a T-shirt.

The annual event is free to SMU students, faculty and staff, but is open to the community as well. Typically close to 500 people participate; competitors of all levels (including walkers) are welcome.

Participants will enjoy the beautiful bluff trails of SMU’s Winona campus. Registration forms — as well as a complete weekend schedule — are available online at www.smumn.edu/familyweekend.

Family Weekend runs Oct. 5-7 and includes a full slate of activities for families of students and the SMU community — including special Centennial arts debuts in honor of the university’s 100th anniversary. In previous years, as many as 1,000 visitors have come onto campus for Family Weekend music and theatre events, sporting events, the Fall Frolic, and other games and activities.

Lawing to display new work Sept. 27-Nov. 4 at Saint Mary’s

WINONA, Minn. — Preston Lawing, SMU Art and Design faculty member, will display new work during the next Saint Mary’s University art exhibit.

In “Cabinets of Curiosities,” Lawing will display sculptures, prints, drawings and an installation/recreation of a “hoarder’s” apartment.

The show will run Sept. 27 through Nov. 4 at the Lillian Davis Hogan Galleries, located in the Toner Student Center. The galleries will be open 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily, and all exhibits are free and open to the public.

A gallery reception is scheduled for 4:30 to 6 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 27.

Saint Mary’s moves up in U.S. News ‘Best National Universities’ ranking

WINONA, Minn. — Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota continues to move up in the annual U.S. News & World Report rankings of best colleges and universities.

Saint Mary’s is ranked No. 174 in the National Universities category of the U.S. News Best Colleges 2013 guidebook, moving up three slots from No. 177 in the 2012 guide.

The ranking of more than 1,500 schools is available online at www.usnews.com. Results were announced today, Sept. 12.

“We’re elated that Saint Mary’s is being nationally recognized for its excellent educational experience,” said President Brother William Mann. “We’re a top-tier university that is meeting the needs and exceeding the expectations of its students at every level, from our undergraduate students to our doctoral students.”

U.S. News placed Saint Mary’s in the first tier of the “National Universities” category. This grouping includes schools that offer a wide range of undergraduate majors, as well as master’s and doctoral degrees. This is the sixth year Saint Mary’s is ranked in this category.

Taking top honors in the “National Universities” ranking are Harvard University, Princeton University, Yale University and Columbia University. Saint Mary’s is one of only three public or private schools in Minnesota in this category.

Along with the “National Universities” category, the other main U.S. News institutional groupings include “National Liberal Arts Colleges,” “Regional Universities,” and “Regional Colleges.”

U.S. News categorizes schools primarily by mission and region, and ranking data is gathered from each institution on indicators of academic excellence.

Saint Mary’s plans 4th annual Young Alumni Weekend

WINONA, Minn. — Saint Mary’s University graduates from the past decade have been invited back to campus for Young Alumni Reunion Weekend, Sept. 7-9.

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

For more information about the Young Alumni Program, please contact Bob Fisher at (507) 457-6658 or rfisher@smumn.edu. To read more about this event, or to register, go www.mysmumn.org/yaw2012.

Speaker to discuss Holocaust in literature Sept. 13 at Saint Mary’s

WINONA, Minn. — A public presentation titled, “The Holocaust and the ‘Subject’ of Fiction,” will begin at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 13, at Saint Mary’s University.

The guest speaker is Dr. Emily Budick, Ann and Joseph Edelman Chair in American Literature and Chair of the Program of American Studies at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem in Israel, and Phyllis Greenberg Heideman and Richard D. Heideman Fellow with the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C.

Dr. Budick is researching the role of Holocaust fictions in grappling with the events of World War II. The lecture will deal with the ways in which Holocaust fictions frame the problem of subject position, forcing the reader to confront the ways in which even horrific historical events can become subjects of fantasy and projection.

The event will be held in the President’s Room, located in the Toner Student Center.

Dr. Budick will also speak to Saint Mary’s “Seminar in Holocaust Literature” students Thursday afternoon.

The presentation is made possible by the Campus Outreach Lecture Program of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum’s Center for Advanced Holocaust Studies, supported by the generosity of the Jerome A. Yavitz Charitable Foundation, Inc. and Arlyn S. and Stephen H. Cypen.

Area schools invited to matinee performances at Saint Mary’s

WINONA, Minn. — The Performance Center of Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota is pleased to announce the 2012-2013 school-only matinees. This year’s matinee performances provide inexpensive opportunities for area students in kindergarten through grade 12 to experience the best in performing arts.

Interested schools should contact Tove Wiggs at (507) 457-1716 or twiggs@smumn.edu to reserve seating for their school groups. If e-mailing, include “SCHOOL MATINEE” in the subject line and include the following information:
• Name of School
• Contact name, phone number, and email address
• Number of students expected to attend
• Grade level or age range of students (whichever is applicable)
• Number of expected chaperones
• Any needed accessibility services

All seats cost $3 per person (for students and chaperones) and payment is due upon arrival. Schools are asked to limit chaperones to one adult per 10 students, when possible. You will be contacted to confirm your school’s participation.

Groups should plan to arrive between 20 and 30 minutes prior to the performance. Those who arrive earliest are seated first. Most events last 50 to 60 minutes and offer study guides with pre- and post-performance activities and discussion topics.

Go to www.pagetheatre.org to find more information about the artists, study guides and links to artist websites. Click on the “School Matinee” link to find more information.

School matinees 2012-13

Bunnicula
Theatreworks USA
TUESDAY • OCT. 9 • 10 a.m. or 12:30 p.m.
A bunny tale of mystery
* Recommended for grades 2-6
“Bunnicula” is new musical co-written by Tony-nominated playwright Charles Busch and based on the best-selling books by James & Deborah Howe. Chester the cat and Harold the dog get along like ... well... cats and dogs, even though underneath their furry exteriors, they’re really the best of pals. A very strange baby rabbit who has sharp fangs instead of buckteeth, and who sleeps all day and prowls around his cage all night arrives to rattle their friendship. Will Harold and Chester remain friends? Will Bunnicula find his mother before it’s too late? Will the nocturnal assault on all that is good and green continue?

Theatreworks USA was last seen at the Page with Duck for President and Other Stories. Celebrating their 50th year of high quality touring family friendly theatre, this New York City based company is a Page Series favorite.

‘The Nutcracker’
Dance Repertory Company and SMU Dept. of Theatre and Dance
WEDNESDAY • NOV. 28 • 10 a.m.
Traditional Christmas-time tale
*Recommended for first-graders and above
The ballet tells the story of a young girl, Clara, who on Christmas Eve dreams of a battle between the Nutcracker Prince and the Rat King and his band of mice. At a pivotal moment, Clara comes to the aid of the Prince and helps him win the battle. To reward Clara for her help, the Prince takes her to the Land of Snow and the Kingdom of Sweets where she meets the Sugar Plum Fairy and sees a beautiful array of ethnic dances.

Zorro
Visible Fictions of Scotland
WEDNESDAY • JAN. 23, 2013 • 10 a.m. or 12:30 p.m.
A mysterious figure has arrived in town
*Recommended for grades 3-8
With a mask and a cape, Don Diego becomes Zorro and fights for the good of the people and the woman he loves. No tyrant or traitor is safe from the justice of the mysterious Zorro, who leaves his mark — a distinctive “Z” carved with his sword — on those who bully, torture, steal and threaten the lives of others. Visible Fictions has been internationally touring award-winning theatre for young people for 17 years. This is their first visit to the Page Theatre. PLEASE NOTE: Run time is 65 minutes

The Gruffalo
Tall Stories of England
WEDNESDAY • FEB. 27, 2013 • 10 a.m.
One scary forest monster
*Recommended for pre-k students through third-graders
Join Mouse on an adventurous journey through the deep, dark wood in this magical, musical adaptation of the Blue Peter award-winning picture book by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler. Mouse can scare hungry animals away with tall stories of the terrifying Gruffalo, but what happens when he comes face to face with the very creature he imagined?  Songs, laughs and scary fun for children and their adults. Let your imagination run wild!
Tall Stories, from London, England, was founded in 1996 by joint artistic directors Olivia Jacobs and Toby Mitchell. They present old, new and timeless stories in fresh and exciting ways and their productions tour to theatres, community venues and schools in the UK, Europe, North America and Asia.

Spring Concert
Dance Repertory Company and SMU Dept. of Theatre and Dance
THURSDAY • APRIL 24, 2013 • 10 a.m.
Exciting dance by area dancers
* Recommended for grades 3 and older
Suitable and appealing for all ages, the annual spring concert by Dance Repertory Company offers a well-rounded dance experience by including a variety of dance styles in its performances. Full of youthful exuberance, effervescent spirit and burgeoning talent, the company upholds high artistic standards and commitment to technique, discipline and fun. From contemporary ballet to tap, and from jazz to hip hop, this concert promises delightful choreography performed by an equally delightful company of student dancers.

Social media in health care marketing to be addressed at Saint Mary’s Sept. 20

WINONA, Minn. — A Gundersen Lutheran Health System representative will discuss the use of social media in health care marketing on Thursday, Sept. 20, at Saint Mary’s University.

Marna Holley, manager of digital marketing at Gundersen Lutheran, will begin her presentation at 7 p.m. in Salvi Lecture Hall, located in Saint Mary’s Hall.

Holley, who began her communications career in print journalism, has held a variety of positions at Gundersen Lutheran for more than 20 years, and had headed the organization’s social-media operations since they began about two years ago. She’ll discuss some of the ways Gundersen Lutheran has used Facebook, Twitter and other social media, highlighting what’s worked well and what hasn’t been as effective.

Holley’s talk, free and open to the public, is sponsored by Saint Mary’s Mass Communication Program. For more information, contact Steve Schild at (507) 457-1753 or sschild@smumn.edu.