Saint Mary’s University to host auditions Aug. 9 for Fox 47 ‘Idol’

WINONA, Minn. — Saint Mary’s University and Fox 47 KXLT-TV are looking for the next singing sensation. Auditions for Fox 47’s “Idol” will be held 4 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 9, at SMU.

The Aug. 9 open auditions will be held in the SMU Performance Center. Singers will perform in front of a panel of area judges and spectators.

Walk-up registration will begin at 3 p.m., and contestants will receive an audition number upon arrival. They should be prepared to sing a song of their choice for 30 seconds a cappella (without accompaniment). Men and women must be between the ages of 16 and 28 on July 28, 2007, and must provide proof of age and photo identification. Parents must accompany minors.

Finalists from this competition — as well as competitions in Mason City, Iowa; and Rochester, Minn. — will perform at the regional finale Thursday, Aug. 16, at Rochester Community Technical College’s Hill Theatre. The public is invited; doors open at 6 p.m., and the finalists perform at 7:30 p.m.

The winner on Aug. 16 will receive a trip to Philadelphia for a guaranteed “American Idol” audition at the Wachovia Center on Aug. 27. Hotel accommodations are provided by Holiday Inn South, Rochester; airfare is pending.

For more information on “American Idol” auditions, go to Americanidol.com; for more information on local auditions, go to www.myfox47.com.

Gilmore Creek, Conservatory team with Missoula for summer theatre camp

Gilmore creek Summer Theatre actors Danny Pancratz (Dubuque, Iowa) and Mariah Ciangiola (Rushford, Minn.) are photographed with 6- and 7-year-old mask-makers from this summer’s theatre day camp, hosted by the Minnesota Conservatory for the Arts.


Samuel and Nathan Graff of Winona show off their finished wounds from the make-up workshop, lead by company manager and SMU theatre arts professor Dr. Gary Diomandes.




WINONA, Minn. — The Gilmore Creek Summer Theatre and the Minnesota Conservatory for the Arts teamed up with the Missoula Children's Theatre this week to offer Winona kids a summer theatre experience they won't soon forget. Youth entering grades one through nine were invited to participate in a six-day theatre day camp that covered basic theatre techniques both on stage and off July 30 through Aug. 4. The children rehearsed with the Missoula Children's Theatre to put on the "Pied Piper," and at the same time took classes with Gilmore Creek Summer Theatre actors and Minnesota Conservatory for the Arts faculty. Classes included acting, singing, dancing, costuming, mask-making, scenery, storytelling, technical theatre, and make-up. The camp concluded with two performances Saturday. The Gilmore Creek Summer Theatre is Saint Mary’s University’s professional summer theatre company, and the Minnesota Conservatory for the Arts is an affiliate program of Saint Mary’s.

SMU invests in two electric trucks; campus works to lessen environmental impact

WINONA, Minn. — Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota has purchased two electric trucks for use by its Department of Maintenance. Two extended-length SUV Neighborhood Electric Vehicles have recently arrived on the Winona campus.

These vehicles, made by Columbia, can reach 25 miles per hour and run an average of 30-40 miles per charge. At one charge per week, the university is confident these new purchases will save money as well as lessen the university’s impact on the environment. These electric vehicles cost an average of 2 cents per mile, are much quieter, and emit no pollutants. They are replacing a vehicle that cost approximately 20 cents per mile in fuel.

A few other universities have tried electric vehicles and found them economical to operate and environmentally friendly.

John Schollmeier, director of the physical plant, said he has been looking to purchase electric work vehicles for the past few years, but had not been able to find the right vehicle at a local dealer that could maintain and service the vehicles. The Columbia trucks were purchased from Honda Motorwërks in La Crosse, Wis., and cost approximately $12,450 apiece. Funding for this project came from a reallocation of maintenance funds.

“It is my hope to eventually change out all of the current maintenance vehicles for either electric or biodiesel vehicles,” Schollmeier said.

This is just one way that the university is continuing to “go green” in the 2007-08 school year.

With money from the Student Senate, the university will purchase a Flying F Bio-Fuels complete biodiesel production system as early as this spring. This system allows the operator to process, wash and dry raw vegetable oil into quality finished fuel — up to 80 gallons per week. Cooking oil from the university will be reused to create fuel. The cost of this system is estimated at $9,000.

The university — which has been active in the Adopt-a-Highway and Adopt-a-River programs — is also using more compact fluorescent light bulbs, and has recently replaced cooling units and the dining room refrigeration systems with more efficient equipment. Additionally, an Outdoor Leadership Office will be established on the Winona campus this fall, and the university has partnered with the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics, an educational, nonprofit organization dedicated to the responsible enjoyment and active stewardship of the outdoors by all people, worldwide.

Last spring the Student Senate passed a resolution stating the university should be an “ethical leader in the movement for environmental sustainability.” The resolution cited community support for the principles and practice of energy efficiency, waste and consumption reduction, alternative building designs, and use of renewable energy resources.

SMU Chancellor to speak in New York

WINONA, Minn. — Brother Louis DeThomasis, FSC, Ph.D., chancellor of Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota, will present “Doing it Right in a Shrinking World: The Balance of Ethics and Profit” at the 2007 Ethics Conference.

The conference, presented by the Foundation for Accounting Education, will be held Tuesday, July 31, in New York. Conference topics will explore the world of business ethics, where religion, ethical codes and historical perspectives are challenged.

DeThomasis who also serves as a senior fellow for the Hendrickson Institute for Ethical Leadership at SMU, will discuss a new “sense” of business ethics in a globalized world. The golden rule, religious tenants, and a code of ethics are no longer effective in our culturally diverse and complicated modern-day business world. The presentation will explore a modern-day definition of business ethics, where religion, ethical codes, philosophy, and historical perspectives are brought into question.

DeThomasis will address the relationship of global dynamics in financial networks, the role of business in “doing good,” and the question of “Who should do ethics: businesses or the people”? Last, he will discuss the importance of imagination and the role of faith as they relate to doing ethics in today’s rapidly changing and pluralistic economy.

SMU cross-country teams to host fund-raiser race

WINONA, Minn. — The Saint Mary’s University cross-country teams are hosting a fund-raiser race — the SMU Trail Scamper — Saturday, July 28, through the trails of Saint Mary’s Winona campus. The 4-mile run/walk will begin at 9 a.m., and registration opens at 7:30 a.m. at Saint Yon’s Hall. For directions, stop at the information booth at the main entrance.

Registration is $18 or $15 before July 21. The challenging but beautiful course includes hills and follows grass and cross-country dirt trails.

All participants will receive T-shirts. Awards will be given to the top overall male and female competitors and the top three runners in each age category for both male and female. Age categories are: 19 and under, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, and 60 and older.

For more information, call Ward Berndt at (507) 457-6614 or go to www.smumn.edu/scamper.

SMU launches Gilmore Creek Summer Theatre

Danny Pancratz, as Bellhop, Ashley Dillard, as Maggie, JoLeen Davis, as Julia and Chris Kernan, as Saunders, rehearse a scene from “Lend Me a Tenor”




Chris Kernan, as Saunders, and Andy Greene, as Max, rehearse a scene from “Lend Me a Tenor”





WINONA, Minn. — Saint Mary’s University’s Gilmore Creek Summer Theatre will have audiences laughing and dancing in their seats during this summer’s light and lively presentations of “Lend Me a Tenor” and “Showtune: Celebrating the Words & Music of Jerry Herman.” The shows run in repertory four times a week from July 5 to Aug. 5 in Page Theatre.

“Lend Me a Tenor,” a farce by Ken Ludwig, tells the story of a world famous opera singer who is poised to perform his greatest role at a gala season opener. A series of mishaps, including the accidental tranquilizing of the guest star, lead to hilarious consequences as the cast and crew try to save the show.

“Showtune…,” a musical revue, showcases the range of composer/lyricist’s Jerry Herman’s work, which includes “Hello Dolly” and “Mame.” Herman’s repertoire spans the Golden Age of Broadway musicals and focuses on the comic and romantic aspects of life and relationships.

“ ‘Lend Me a Tenor’ and ‘Showtune’ are great pieces to work on for the summer,” said artistic director Judy Myers. “They are definitely audience pleasers. ‘Lend Me a Tenor’, due to the energy it takes to perform a farce, demands total commitment from the actors. Rehearsing the comic timing is crucial in this type of show. It requires a lot of physical and vocal skill from the performers. But they thrive on it. They love it and are exhausted by it at the same time.

“You’d think they’d be worn out after four hours of strenuous rehearsal for Tenor, but then they turn around and rehearsal for four more hours on ‘Showtune,’ exhausting them even more with the singing and dancing required for that show. This is where their training really shows. Getting through a demanding eight hour day really tests their ability to go the distance.”

The talented cast and crew hail from Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin.

“Most of our actors, directors, and designers come from diverse university training programs including Ithaca College in New York, Baldwin-Wallace College in Ohio, Southeast Missouri State University, Viterbo University in Wisconsin, Southwestern Illinois College, Indiana State University, Bradley University of Illinois, University of Wisconsin-Madison, University of Minnesota, and Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota,” Myers said.

Make it dinner and a show for a full evening of enjoyment; pre-show dinners are offered every Friday and Saturday. Choose from several delicious entrees, including beef, chicken or vegetarian options (along with children’s dinners). Additionally, concessions are offered before every performance and at intermission. Beer and wine concessions are also available every Friday and Saturday.

Dinner reservations and show tickets are available at the Performance Center box office, (507) 457-1715, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays and online at www.pagetheatre.org. The regular ticket price for either show is $15, $12 for senior citizens. Preview nights will be held Thursday, July 5, for “Lend Me a Tenor” and Thursday, July 12, for “Showtune” and all tickets will be $12.

Gilmore Creek Summer Theatre Co., Performance Schedule includes:

“Lend Me a Tenor,” 7:30 p.m., Thursday, July 5, Preview Night Discount
“Lend Me a Tenor,” 7:30 p.m., Friday, July 6
“Lend Me a Tenor,” 7:30 p.m., Saturday, July 7
“Lend Me a Tenor,” 3 p.m., Sunday, July 8
“Showtune,” 7:30 p.m., Thursday, July 12, Preview Night Discount
“Showtune,” 7:30 p.m., Friday, July 13
“Showtune,” 7:30 p.m., Saturday, July 14
“Showtune,” 3 p.m., Sunday, July 15
“Lend Me a Tenor,” 7:30 p.m., Thursday, July 19
“Showtune,” 7:30 p.m., Friday, July 20
“Lend Me a Tenor,” 7:30 p.m., Saturday, July 21
“Showtune,” 3 p.m., Sunday, July 22
“Showtune,” 7:30 p.m., Thursday, July 26
“Lend Me a Tenor,” 7:30 p.m., Friday, July 27
“Showtune,” 7:30 p.m., Saturday, July 28
“Lend Me a Tenor,” 3 p.m., Sunday, July 29
“Lend Me a Tenor,” 7:30 p.m., Thursday, Aug. 2
“Showtune,” 7:30 p.m., Friday, Aug. 3
“Lend Me a Tenor,” 7:30 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 4
“Showtune,” 3 p.m., Sunday, Aug. 5

SMU to offer training for boards July 14

WINONA, Minn. — Saint Mary’s University is offering the interactive workshop “Creating and Sustaining an Effective Board for your Organization” Saturday, July 14, at the Winona campus.

Boards of all sizes, for-profit and not-for-profit, could benefit from a lesson in governance and implementation of legal and moral accountability. Participants will learn what it means to be a board member, how to recruit the best board members, ways to organize and support the board, skills to ensure effective board meetings, and how to improve boards through evaluation.

The event, sponsored by the Master of Arts in Philanthropy and Development program, will be held 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Salvi Lecture Hall, located in Saint Mary’s Hall.

Presenting will be Simone Joyaux, ACFRE, of Joyaux Associates in Rhode Island and a faculty member in SMU’s Philanthropy and Development program. Joyaux is recognized internationally in the philanthropic sector. She is an expert in fund development, board and organizational development and strategic planning. Her book, “Strategic Fund Development — Building Profitable Relationships that Last” is a standard in the profession. Her newest book, being co-authored with Tom Ahern, focuses on relationship building and fundraising communications. Joyaux had presented around the world, including the International Fundraising Congress in the Netherlands.

The cost is $100 for an executive director and one board member, plus an additional $35 for each additional board member. An on-site lunch will be provided. Registration and payment is due June 28.

Register online at www.smumn.edu/phildev. Click on “board governance workshop.” For more information, call Deborah Ward, (507) 457-1977.

Four alumni to be honored during SMU Homecoming

Joseph Ross ’67











Brother Paul Grass, FSC ’57, Ph.D











Walter Jungbauer ’87











Michael Panicola ’92











WINONA, Minn. — Each year during summer Homecoming festivities, Saint Mary's University of Minnesota honors outstanding alumni.

This year's Distinguished Alumni Award recipient is Joseph Ross ’67 of Naperville, Ill. Receiving the Religious Service Award is Brother Paul Grass, FSC ’57, Ph.D., of Winona. The Alumni Appreciation Award will be presented to Walter Jungbauer ’87 of St. Paul. And the Outstanding Young Alumni Award will be given to Michael Panicola ’92, Ph.D., of St. Louis, Mo. All four will be honored during a reception Saturday, June 16, on the Winona campus.

Five hundred alumni, family and friends will return to their alma mater for Saint Mary's Homecoming festivities, which begin Friday, June 15, and will run throughout the weekend. In addition to the alumni awards ceremony, highlights include a golf outing, the Gilmore Gallop 5K, a 50+ anniversary social, and the alumni picnic.

Conservatory announces children's dance day camps

WINONA, Minn. — The Minnesota Conservatory for the Arts at the Valéncia Arts Center will hold summer dance day camps for children, June 11-15 and June 18-22.

“Dance Me A Story,” — to be held 1 to 4 p.m. Monday, June 11, through Friday, June 15 — is a week-long dance day camp for children ages 4-8. Students will participate in technique classes including ballet and creative movement. Additionally, students will learn the story and choreography of a classical ballet, fairy-tale, or fable, which will be performed in a showcase for family and friends at the conclusion of the camp. The final showcase performance will be Friday, June 15, at 4 p.m. Tuition for this camp is $100.

“Dance the Day Away,” — to be held 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday, June 18, through Friday, June 22 — is a week-long dance day camp for children ages 9-12. Students will participate in technique classes (ballet, modern, and jazz) and theory classes (makeup and costuming, program design, dance vocabulary, dance history and traditions, and anatomy), as well as learn and create choreography for a final showcase performance. The final showcase performance will be 4 p.m. Friday, June 22. Tuition for this camp is $150.

Showcase performances are free and open to the public. These informal demonstrations will be held at the Valéncia Arts Center’s Academy Theatre, located at Howard and Vila streets.

Instruction for both dance day camps will be provided by MCA dance faculty: Christine Martin, Jennifer O’Neill, Juliana Piscitiello and Jennifer Severson. Financial need-based scholarships are available.

For a complete listing of all MCA summer dance and theatre camps, workshops and classes for youth and adults, visit www.smumn.edu/mca, e-mail dance@smumn.edu or call (507) 453-5500. Registration for all MCA summer programming is currently being accepted.

Saint Mary’s announces new dean, award renaming

Tim Gossen, new dean of students

WINONA, Minn. — Saint Mary’s University is announcing a promotion and the renaming of an annual award in the area of Student Development.

Tim Gossen has been named dean of students at Saint Mary's Winona campus, effective June 1. Gossen held the position of assistant dean of students, but has twice served as interim dean in the past two years. Gossen has worked at the Winona campus since he graduated in 2001. He also earned an M.A. degree from SMU in 2006.

“We're very fortunate to have Tim, with his experience, dedication and knowledge of the university serving in this vital role.” said Chris Kendall, vice president for student development. "Tim is a young and talented educator.”

The Resident Assistant of the Year Award has been renamed the Char Tjaden Outstanding Resident Assistant Award. Tjaden currently serves in the newly created position of student development resource specialist. She has worked for SMU since 2004.

“Char has given many dedicated years of service to Student Development in many capacities but most significantly, she's been a great mentor to young residence life staff,” Kendall said. “You will find Char attending hundreds of events on campus and she has been instrumental in creating many new and successful programs.”

The Office of Residence Life presents the award yearly to a resident assistant in recognition and appreciation of outstanding service and contribution to community life at Saint Mary’s.