Judge presiding in NFL mediation is Saint Mary’s University alum

WINONA, Minn. – The judge presiding over mediation of the National Football League labor dispute is an alumnus of Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota.

Arthur J. Boylan, Chief Magistrate Judge, U.S. District Court, Minnesota, graduated from Saint Mary’s in 1971 with a bachelor of arts degree in history.

Judge Boylan went on to earn a law degree in 1976 from the Illinois Institute of Technology/Chicago Kent College of Law. He was in private practice for 10 years with the law firm of Hulstrand, Anderson and Larson, Willmar, Minn. In 1986, he was appointed to the Minnesota District Court, and in 1996 he was appointed U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge.

Last week, U.S. District Court Judge Susan Richard Nelson appointed Judge Boylan to preside over non-binding mediation of labor agreement negotiations between the NFL and the NFL Players Association. Judge Boylan met with the players union on Tuesday (April 13), and met with NFL owners Wednesday. The two sides will meet together before Judge Boylan on Thursday.

Dance Repertory Company to present spring concert

WINONA, Minn. — The 2010-2011 Saint Mary’s University performance season will conclude with the Dance Repertory Company’s annual spring concert, “Dance Mosaic,” Friday and Saturday, April 29 and 30.

The events, which are scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m. April 29 and 3 p.m. April 30, will be held in Page Theater.

In honor of National Dance Week, these performances will feature five works including “A Tender Age,” a contemporary ballet about the coming of age of young women “Summer Sons,” a tap piece with live jazz music accompaniment; “In Flux,” a student choreographed piece from which an excerpt represented the university at this year’s American College Dance Festival; “Having/Making/Taking,” a modern work that explores the relationship between people and time; and “Love It!,” a jazz piece set to the music of Lyle Lovett.

For close to four decades, the Dance Repertory Company has provided the Winona community with quality dance productions featuring local dancers in classical and contemporary works. This year, the DRC presents contemporary ballet, jazz, tap and modern dance.

Performed by the dancers who currently train at the Minnesota Conservatory for the Arts and Saint Mary’s University, “Dance Mosaic,” will showcase their effervescent spirit, vibrant energy, and technical and artistic abilities.

The company’s artistic director, Tammy Schmidt, as well as Heidi Draskoci-Johnson, Lydia Feuerhelm, Christine Martin, and guest artist Tony Smith of Houston, Texas, choreographed this year’s concert.

Cast members in “Dance Mosaic” include: Dot Armstrong, Caroline Bartz, Jarod Boltjes, Jack Bryant, Mary Doctor, Keegan Eide, Lydia Feuerhelm, Anne Flicek, Courtney Klein, Bryony Livesey, Cory Meier, Joanna Mills, Bryan Moore, Colette Penic, Danielle Schleich, Adelle Vietor, Kaitlyn Vietor, Hannah Virlee, Danielle Weir and Anna Wolner.

Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for students and seniors. Tickets are available online at www.pagetheatre.org or by calling the box office at (507) 457-1715 Monday through Friday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The Dance Repertory Company is the pre-professional performance group of the Minnesota Conservatory for the Arts. Company members participate in rehearsals, technique classes and stage performances. Past productions of the company include: “The Firebird,” “Sleeping Beauty,” “The Nutcracker,” “Excerpts from Swan Lake,” “Cinderella,” “An Evening with Benny Goodman,” “Youth In Motion,” “Tappin' to Connick,” “Pure Entertainment,” “Dance Chronicles,” and “Time to Move.”

This activity is made possible in part by a grant provided by the Minnesota State Arts Board, through an appropriation by the Minnesota State Legislature from the Minnesota arts and cultural heritage fund with money from the vote of the people of Minnesota on Nov. 4, 2008.

For more information about The Dance Repertory Company other arts programming at the Minnesota Conservatory for the Arts, visit www.mnconservatoryforthearts.org, e-mail mca@smumn.edu or call (507) 453-5500. The Minnesota Conservatory for the Arts is an affiliate program of Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota.

SMU’s Kabara Institute hosts Jake Leinenkugel April 28

WINONA, Minn. — Saint Mary’s University invites the public to a presentation by Jake Leinenkugel, president of the Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company, at 5 p.m. Thursday, April 28, in Page Theatre. The event — hosted by Saint Mary’s Kabara Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies — will highlight the “Leinenkugel Family Legacy.”

The company’s founder, Jacob Leinenkugel, found a home for his brewery in Chippewa Falls, Wis., in 1867. The Leinenkugel brewing legacy continues today, more than 140 years and five generations later.

Current president Jake Leinenkugel worked in the family brewery each summer from the end of high school and all through college in a variety of roles — including the summer of 1972, when he almost burned the brewery to the ground.

In the fall of 1982, he resigned his commission from the U.S. Marine Corps and came back to Chippewa Falls at the request of his father. He started in the sales department, and in 1986 was elected vice president of marketing and sales. In 1988, Miller Brewing Company purchased the Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company. Miller saw the importance of keeping the Leinenkugel family heavily active in the brewery’s management, and Jake Leinenkugel continued as vice president until he was promoted to president in 1989.

“I feel privileged to follow in my great-great-grandfather’s and father’s footsteps into this wonderful business,” he said. “We are fortunate to have so many loyal fans that love and support our products, and I feel it is important to interact with as many of them as possible.”

Leinenkugel’s presentation will include a brief history of the company, along with an overview of the brewing industry, water stewardship, and the renaissance of brewing used in the 21st century. In addition, he will explain how Leinenkugel operates as a business by showing their current brand portfolio and brand plan key imperatives, before concluding with the company’s succession planning.

For more information, contact Trevor Hall at (507) 457-6978 or tmhall@smumn.edu.

SMU honors retirees, faculty and staff for years of service

Photo caption: Brother William Mann, center, president of Saint Mary’s University, congratulates four long-time Saint Mary’s employees retiring this year, including, from left: Sister Clare Korte, OSF, Biology Department, 36 years; Dr. Marilyn Frost, Academic Affairs and Psychology Department, 42 years; Susan Edel, Registrar’s Office, 25 years; and Dr. Martin Judd, Business Department, 20 years. Not pictured is Dorothy Huwald of the Maintenance Department, 33 years. This group was recognized at an employee service event Thursday, April 7. Other Winona campus employees honored included: Dr. John Paulson and Dr. James Rodgers, 30 years; and Dr. Raymond Faber, Bruce Hill, Alan Joswick, Darlene Paulson and Kenneth Pellegrini, 35 years. Employees with 5-, 10-, 15-, 20- and 25-year anniversaries were also recognized.

Student History Research Symposium is April 16 at SMU

WINONA, Minn. — Seniors from five area universities will present the results of their historical research at the Student History Research Symposium on Saturday, April 16, at Saint Mary’s University. The event — free and open to the public — is sponsored by the history departments of Winona State University, Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota, the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, Viterbo University, and the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. This year’s symposium will also feature a panel of seniors from Cotter High School.

In addition to the student presenters, Dr. Stacey Robertson, Oglesby Professor of American Heritage at Bradley University, will speak on “Hearts Beating for Liberty: Women Abolitionists in the Old Northwest.”

Saint Mary’s University and Winona State University have co-sponsored a student research symposium for nine years, with UW-La Crosse, Viterbo University, and UW-Eau Claire joining in the past four years. Each school asks senior history majors — and at Winona State, law and society majors — to write a senior thesis based on their original research of a historical question of their own choosing. In this way, the students actually do the work of historians, and in the process deepen their research, writing and speaking skills.

All symposium sessions will be held on the third and fourth floors of Saint Mary’s Hall. The symposium opens at 9 a.m. in Salvi Lecture Hall (Room 332) with a short welcoming ceremony and coffee. Students will present their research in concurrent panels of three or four students each. The first panel session starts at 9:15 a.m., the second at 10:45 a.m. Dr. Robertson’s talk will start around noon and will be accompanied by a complimentary lunch.

For further information, contact Dr. Tycho de Boer, SMU Department of History, at (507) 457-6995 or tdeboer@smumn.edu.

SMU Kabara Institute hosts business panel

WINONA, Minn. — The public is invited to a special panel discussion titled “First Generation Business: Starting & Building a Business from the Ground Up” on Tuesday, April 26, at Saint Mary’s University.

The event, hosted by SMU’s Kabara Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies, will run from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. in the Toner Student Center Lounge.

Speakers — including Russ Neitzke of Digicom, Inc.; Carolyn Wilson of Peace Out Clothing Store; and Keith Laken of Mugby Junction — will describe why they decided to start their businesses, their struggles in getting their businesses started and growing, and where they are now on their journey of owning their own businesses. A question-and-answer period and a time for networking will be included. The event will conclude with formal presentations to the 2011 Business Plan Competition winners at Saint Mary’s.

Conservatory presents music division spring concert April 18

WINONA, Minn. — The Minnesota Conservatory for the Arts will present a Music Division Spring Concert, at 7 p.m. Monday, April 18, at the Valéncia Arts Center, 1164 West 10th St.

The concert will feature the Winona Area Youth Singers’ (WAYS) and instrumental lesson students from MCA.

Reserved tickets are not necessary. Admission is $10 at the door for adults; cash and checks only please. Financial-need based admission waivers are available. Admission is free for children and students ages 2 to 21.

WAYS members are students in grades four through eight from Winona and the surrounding areas. WAYS is dedicated to providing quality, artistic and educational vocal music experiences for all young people, regardless of their financial circumstances. WAYS was offered tuition-free to all students for the 2010-11 academic year. Private lesson instrumental students also performing in the concert range in age from 5 to 15. Students will present clarinet, piano, and saxophone works.

MCA Music Division Spring Concert performers include: Donari Brandes, Katelyn Dennis, Ananth Iyengar, Sarah Ortega, Connor Polodna, Baker Swenson, Logan Swenson, Lily Titus, Erin Walters, and the Winona Area Youth Singers: Emily Burfeind, Rachel Burfeind, Michael Hoffman, Jessica Kohner, Mackaylee Kohner, Baker Swenson and Lucy Wilfarht. WAYS is directed by Lindsy O’Shea. The assistant director is Jessica Ingvalson and accompanist is Dr. Daniel Barr. MCA Music Division Instructors featuring students in the concert include: Ryan Ballanger, Aleah Harvey and Amanda Whisenant.

This activity is made possible in part by a grant provided by the Minnesota State Arts Board, through an appropriation by the Minnesota State Legislature from the Minnesota arts and cultural heritage fund with money from the vote of the people of Minnesota on November 4, 2008. This activity is also made possible in part by a grant from the Young Singer’s Foundation.

For more information about MCA’s Music division or other arts programming, visit www.mnconservatoryforthearts.org, e-mail mca@smumn.edu or call (507) 453-5500. The Minnesota Conservatory for the Arts is an affiliate program of Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota.

Hendrickson Institute for Ethical Leadership Events promote social capitalism and empowering women

Institute adds supporting events leading up to
Hendrickson Institute for Ethical Leadership: Forum 2011

Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota invites business and community leaders to attend upcoming events hosted by the Hendrickson Institute for Ethical Leadership. This year marks the fourth annual Hendrickson Institute for Ethical Leadership Forum, and new to the line up this year are additional events that will compliment the overall theme of this year’s Forum – social capitalism.

Women Who Step Forward ~ April 16
Mark your calendars for a personal and professional development conference on women's leadership. This event will be held 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Harrington Mansion and Event Center, 2540 Park Ave., Minneapolis. Tickets are $45 for general admission, $35 for students. For registration information, contact Anna Shields at (612) 238-4550 or ashields@smumn.edu.

The keynote speaker is New York Times best-selling author Gail Evans who served as the executive vice president of CNN and served in President Johnson’s administration. Evans will discuss the ethics and importance of women supporting other women in order to succeed in leadership. Attend this day-long event if you’re interested in professional development, personal growth, and learning from inspiring and forward-thinking keynote and break-out session speakers.

Hendrickson Forum Seminar:
Microfinance in the Urban Core ~ April 20
Widely publicized as a tool for developing nations, microfinance has a profound impact in the Twin Cities. Explore how the local microfinance landscape — access to business development, credit, grants — helps move individuals and communities toward economic security. Then join a group of distinguished panelists in a lively discussion.

The event will be held from 1 to 2:45 p.m. at the Harrington Mansion and Event Center in Minneapolis. Tickets are $20 for general admission. Order online at www.smumn.edu/hendricksonforum.

Moderated by Dr. Richard Bohr, the panel includes:
• Ramón León, president, Latino Economic Development Center
• Diane Patterson, director of Business Development, WomenVenture
• Joe Selvaggio, founder of MicroGrants.net
• Mihailo Temali, president of Neighborhood Development Corporation

Hendrickson Forum:
Social Capitalism: An “App” to Fight Poverty ~ April 20
Enjoy a conversation with Jacqueline Novogratz, CEO of Acumen Fund and author of “The Blue Sweater.”

The event will be held 3:30 to 5 p.m. at the Harrington Mansion and Event Center. Regular admittance is $25 for the public, $10 for SMU students or $20 for SMU faculty and staff.

Fred de Sam Lazaro, director of the Project for Under-Told Stories at Saint Mary’s University and a correspondent for The PBS NewsHour with Jim Lehrer, will be the moderator.

Novogratz is the founder and CEO of Acumen Fund, a non-profit global venture fund that uses entrepreneurial approaches to solve the problems of global poverty.

For her work with Acumen, Novogratz was named a TIME magazine “Responsibility Pioneer,” recognized for her work in changing the world for the better.

Acumen Fund seeks to prove that small amounts of philanthropic capital, combined with large doses of business acumen, can build thriving enterprises that serve vast numbers of the poor.

Her recent best-selling memoir, “The Blue Sweater: Bridging the Gap Between Rich and Poor in an Interconnected World,” chronicles her quest to understand poverty and challenges readers to grant dignity to the poor and to rethink their engagement with the world.

The Hendrickson Institute for Ethical Leadership is an educational enterprise of Saint Mary's University of Minnesota and serves as an educational and transformational resource to the community. Founded in 1994 and located in Minneapolis on the Twin Cities campus of Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota, the Institute serves both current and emerging leaders. It is an academic resource for Saint Mary's University and the community, and a forum for exploration of ethical issues. As part of its mission, the Institute strives to provide programs that encourage and develop ethical, globally oriented leaders, offer integrative leadership models, promote ethical principles that are practical, and infuse leaders with an appreciation of spirituality and free enterprise. For additional information, call (612) 728-5100 or visit www.smumn.edu/hendrickson.

Saint Mary's welcomes guest pianist Norman Lee April 11

WINONA, Minn. — Saint Mary’s University will welcome guest pianist Norman Lee at 7:30 p.m. Monday, April 11. The performance, free and open to the public, will be held in Figliulo Recital Hall, located in the SMU Performance Center.

Lee, a Steinway artist, is a dedicated performance artist, piano teacher and music educator who currently teaches at The Baptist University of Hong Kong, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, The Kingston University of London and The Hong Kong Institute of Education.

Born in Hong Kong, Lee started his piano studies at a very young age. Awarded the Sklarevski Scholarship, he furthered his piano studies in The Peabody Conservatory of Music with Walter Hautzig and Robert Weirich, where he received his Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance.

Lee furthered his repertoire by studying with Irina Zaritzkaya in London, England. He was also awarded certificates from the U.S.S.R. after studying with Anatoly Verdernikov and Tatiana Nikoleava in Mozertum, Salzburg.

Lee received his Master degree of Music from The University of Western Ontario, working under Professor Ronald Turini. He has conducted master classes and lectures in Hong Kong, China and Canada on the topic of piano injuries and movement retraining.

His program will include works by Bach, Beethoven and Schumann.

Saint Mary’s University mourns loss of freshman Millie Harrison

WINONA, Minn. — Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota is mourning the loss of freshman Millie Harrison, who died unexpectedly Saturday, April 2, on campus, due to apparent natural causes.

Harrison, 19, of Colorado Springs, Colo., was known as an outgoing and charismatic student on the Saint Mary’s campus. A theatre major studying stage management and communications, she was active with theatre productions and was a member of the student Second Page Comedy Troupe. She also served as an Admission Ambassador and played an active role with KSMR, the campus radio station.

“It is heartbreaking to see a young person, so filled with spirit, taken from us too soon,” said Brother William Mann, Saint Mary’s president. “We join together in gratitude for the gift of life Millie so freely shared, and in remembrance of the joy and impact of her life. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Millie’s family and friends as we all try to come to terms with such a tremendous loss.”

Gary Diomandes, professor of theatre and dance, said, “Millie was an excellent student. She worked hard and earned top-notch grades. But the best thing about her was her sense of humor and fun-loving personality. She instantly made friends; everyone who met her, adored her.”

“She was a theatre major and wanted to be a stage manager,” Diomandes said. “She was very talented in the technical aspects, and she was interested in every aspect of theatre. She was good at everything she tried.” Diomandes said Harrison was the production stage manager for Saturday’s planned performance of student-produced one-act plays. “We canceled that performance, but (her classmates) all wanted to do it (for her) on Sunday as scheduled.”

A prayer service was held Saturday night at Saint Mary’s with several hundred students attending. A memorial service to honor Harrison’s life is planned for 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 5, in Page Theatre.

Counselors will continue to be available to students in the Saint Mary’s Wellness Center.