Saint Mary's Newsroom
Campus ConnectionAn update from the president to alumni and parents
Many activities planned for Family Weekend
Invite your family to visit Winona during Family Weekend, Sept. 28-30. Family Weekend includes a full slate of activities for families of students and the Saint Mary’s community. In previous years, as many as 1,000 visitors have come onto campus for music events, sporting events, the Fall Frolic, and other games and activities. Find a full schedule of events at smumn.edu/familyweekend.
Celebrate peace with events on campus
You’re invited to join these upcoming events in celebration of International Lasallian Days for Peace.
SUNDAY, SEPT. 30
10:30 a.m. — Mass
Saint Thomas More Chapel
MONDAY, OCT. 1
8:15 to 10:15 a.m. — Coffee and Donuts
Come talk with Kathleen Swain, director of Lasallian Volunteers
Vlazny Lounge
12:10 p.m. — Mass
Saint Thomas More Chapel
7 p.m. — Sanctuary Church: “Creating Peace in our Community”
Presentation by Fr. Jim Callahan, pastor at St. Mary’s Catholic Church (in collaboration with the English Department, Lasallian Honors, and Winona Interfaith Council)
SLC 200
Originally from Boston, Mass., Fr. Jim has been a pastor at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Worthington, Minn., since 2010, but has been in ministry for 35 years. Fr. Jim spent 17 years in Africa, Haiti, El Salvador, and in south central Los Angeles, working on refugee resettlement with Doctors without Borders and the United Nations. He has master’s degrees in theology and African/black studies, works with alcoholics and addicts, and also teaches spirituality at a treatment center for priests.
TUESDAY, OCT. 2
8:15 a.m. – Pancakes and Morning Prayer for Peace
Vlazny Lounge
12:10 p.m. — Mass
Saint Thomas More Chapel
12:40 p.m. — Prayer
Peace Pole
WEDNESDAY, OCT. 3
Noon — “Work for Justice”
Presentation by Justin Van Dalen, attorney at Van Dalen Law Firm (in collaboration with the Kabara Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies)
Figliulo Recital Hall, Performance Center
Justin is a solo-practitioner attorney from Rochester, Minn. Before graduating magna cum laude from Mitchell Hamline School of Law, he spent 10 years as a supply chain analyst and sourcing executive in the electronics manufacturing and health care industries. Justin spent 16 months in Gulu, Uganda, serving as a Legal Fellow with International Justice Mission (IJM) where he defended widows and orphans who were victims of violent land theft. His experience with IJM brought into focus what it means to pursue peace by working for justice. Justin and his wife, Rebekah, live in Rochester with their three young children.
THURSDAY, OCT. 4
12:10 p.m. — Mass
Saint Thomas More Chapel
7:30 p.m. — “Pope Francis: A Man of His Word”
Documentary and Discussion
Salvi Lecture Hall
A rare co-production with the Vatican, the pope’s ideas and his message are central to this documentary, which sets out to present his work of reform and his answers to today’s global questions of death, social justice, immigration, ecology, wealth inequality, materialism, and the role of the family. “Pope Francis: A Man of His Word” documents a personal journey with Pope Francis and was written and directed by Oscar-nominated German filmmaker Wim Wenders.
FRIDAY, OCT. 5
7:45 to 10 a.m. — Coffee and Donuts
Vlazny Lounge
Beyond the Classroom Walls: Podcasting, Public History, and Pop Culture
You’re invited to “Beyond the Classroom Walls: Podcasting, Public History, and Pop Culture” on Wednesday, Oct. 3, in Room 200 of the Science and Learning Center from 4 to 5:30 p.m.
East Asia for All is a podcast about East Asian popular culture and media. Co-hosts Melissa Brzycki and Stephanie Montgomery each have a Ph.D. in East Asian history. Brzycki is currently a member of Saint Mary’s History Department, and Montgomery is an assistant professor in History and Asian Studies at St. Olaf College. They created the podcast to develop an easily accessible platform that makes historical research and knowledge interesting and available to students, scholars and the public. Their talk will focus on how they began the project and how it figures in their work as academics.
This event is sponsored by the Saint Mary’s University Department of History and Social Sciences. For more information, contact Dr. Erich Lippman at 507-457-6944 or elippman@smumn.edu.
Public Relations/Business Club visits WinCraft
About 20 members of the Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota Public Relations/Business Club recently visited WinCraft, a Winona company that is a nationwide leader in the manufacturing of licensed and promotional products that specializes in sports-related merchandise. The students learned about WinCraft’s communication, marketing, and sales strategies, and then toured WinCraft’s state-of-the-art manufacturing and distribution facilities. The club’s visit was made possible in part by Robert Gas ’12, a Saint Mary’s Business and Public Relations alumnus who is now a national account manager at WinCraft. Saint Mary’s Public Relations/Business Club faculty advisers Dean Beckman and Dr. Shelly McCallum-Ferguson accompanied the students on the visit.
Photo caption: From left, Amber Collins, team sales manager at WinCraft, Liz Sagar, inside sales/collegiate sales at WinCraft, and Robert Gas ’12, Saint Mary’s alumnus and national account manager at WinCraft, address the Saint Mary’s Public Relations/Business Club during its visit to WinCraft.
Music performance scheduled for Saint Mary’s Family Weekend
WINONA, Minn. — Jazz, choir, and band are joining together for a public student performance during Saint Mary’s University’s upcoming Family Weekend Sept. 28-30. The joint performance will take place at 2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 29, in the Page Theatre.
Saint Mary’s University’s Jazz Ensemble will launch another great season. Under the direction of A. Eric Heukeshoven, students will preview this season’s Red Bird Club show Christmas in New Orleans, A drawing for up to four complimentary tickets to the Dec. 7 performance will be held at this event. For more information, email eheukesh@smumn.edu.
Saint Mary’s choirs and concert band will also join forces alongside the Jazz Ensemble for the show. The 64-member concert choir and the 25-member Chamber Singers are directed by Dr. Patrick O’Shea. The band is directed by Dr. Janet Heukeshoven and is open to Saint Mary’s students from all majors as well as advanced high school players and qualified community member. For information, email jheukesh@smumn.edu or poshea@smumn.edu.
Tickets to the performance are $10 for adults, $5 for students and seniors, and are available at the Saint Mary’s Box Office, 507-457-1715, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays or online at smumn.edu/tickets. Tickets are also available at the door.
In previous years, as many as 1,000 visitors have come onto campus for Family Weekend, which includes a full slate of activities for families of students and the Saint Mary’s community.
Cardinal Conversation addresses disaffiliation in young Catholics
From left, Father James Burns, Saint Mary’s president, presents Cardinal Conversation speakers John Vitek, Saint Mary’s Press president and CEO, and Dr. Bob McCarty, national pastoral ministry and mission consultant, with a Cardinal and plaque.
The seventh Cardinal Conversation event took place at Saint Mary’s Cascade Meadow facility in Rochester last week on Sept. 13. Saint Mary’s faculty members and academic administrators gathered for a presentation by John Vitek, Saint Mary’s Press president and CEO, and Dr. Bob McCarty, national pastoral ministry and mission consultant, called “Going, Going, Gone! The Dynamics of Disaffiliation in Young Catholics.” Created in 2001, Cardinal Conversation provides a space where conversations about the values, meaning, and understanding of our Catholic identity can be nurtured. The conversations are intended for members of the Cardinal community to discuss topics related to our identity as a Catholic university in hopes of strengthening comprehension of who we are.
Women’s soccer team, coast-to-coast and beyond
To Saint Mary’s University women’s soccer coach Neil Cassidy, the student-athletes in his program are more than just collegiate soccer players — they are family. A family whose roots span from coast-to-coast and beyond. From Chula Vista, Calif., to New York City, N.Y., to Copenhagen, Denmark, Cassidy has brought together players from 14 different states and one foreign country to form this year’s “family” — a group that has kicked off the season with wins in four of its first six games. Experiences like those of a student-athlete are an important part of a Saint Mary’s education that help us create a vibrant campus and transformational life at the College.
SGPP faculty member recognized for excellence in teaching
Brother Robert Smith, chief academic officer and vice president of the Schools of Graduate and Professional Programs, presents the Brother Julius Winkler Adjunct Faculty Recognition Award to Dr. Debra Castner, Master of Arts in Special Education assistant professor and Grandview Middle School special education teacher.
Saint Mary’s awarded Dr. Debra Castner, Master of Arts in Special Education assistant professor and Grandview Middle School special education teacher, with the Brother Julius Winkler Adjunct Faculty Recognition Award on Sept. 14. The award acknowledges excellence in teaching in the Schools of Graduate and Professional Programs at the university. Brother Julius Winkler was known at Saint Mary’s for his teaching excellence and for being a superb model of Lasallian values. Dedicated in his memory, the award is presented annually to one faculty member. Castner has been a faculty member at Saint Mary’s since 2011, teaching the last two classes in the master’s program: Research Methods and Action Research. She’s been teaching in the Westonka School District for 17 years, providing emotional and behavioral support for middle school students. Castner holds licenses in Elementary Education, Emotional Behavior Disorders, Learning Disabilities and Mild to Moderate Mentally Handicapped.
A career before commencement
Mike Mezzano ’17 admits there was only one, very small negative aspect to having a job lined up early in his college career.
During his senior year, when Mezzano found himself with a little extra free time, his friends were busy sending out résumés and lining up interviews.
A double major in finance and business intelligence and analytics, Mezzano began working full-time for Piper Jaffray Companies—a leading investment bank and asset management firm in Minneapolis—right after graduation.
As an investment banking analyst for the healthcare medical technology team within Piper Jaffray, Mezzano works in mergers and acquisitions to help their client companies grow.
But Mezzano had a foot in the door at Piper Jaffrey, starting the summer after his sophomore year.
“I applied for a summer internship, out on a limb, knowing that as a sophomore, it would be tougher to get a position,” he said. Not only did Piper Jaffrey hire him for the summer internship position, they asked him to stay on and work remotely for them while attending school the following year.
“My junior year, I decided I wanted to try something different and harder,” he said. “I applied for the 10-week investment banking program at Piper Jaffrey to work as a summer analyst, and I ended up getting that too. I worked there until I switched to banking with the healthcare medical team. In August of last year, I was fortunate to receive a full-time offer to come back this year and start working for them again. I lucked out and had everything worked out my senior year.”
In addition to double majoring, and working for Piper Jaffray, Mezzano—a Woodbury, Minn., native—was also a two-sport Cardinal athlete.
It was Saint Mary’s hockey program that first drew Mezzano to Saint Mary’s, but it was the strength of the university’s science and business programs, as well as its friendly atmosphere, that convinced him to stay.
“It felt like home,” he said. “I just felt like it was the place I wanted to be.”
Mezzano played hockey all four years, and golf his junior and senior years. He said many of the skills he learned as an athlete translate well to the corporate world.
“It was demanding, but it taught me to manage my time,” he said. “Being in two sports and taking school pretty seriously, it taught me I had to get my priorities straight, take things more seriously, and get things done more efficiently. I think that playing sports teaches you how to fail in the sense that you’re not going to win every game or play well every game. It teaches you that no matter what happens, you have to flip the page and come back and start fresh the next day, and that translates well into the real or corporate world.”
Mezzano added, “It’s also about being part of a team and pushing each other to succeed, and Saint Mary’s does an amazing job of that. I’ve never been in a place where so many people want to see you succeed.”
One of Mezzano’s favorite memories is of playing hockey in the MIAC championship his sophomore year.
“The Saint Mary’s community was behind us 100 percent,” he said. “It was during spring break, but a lot of students and professors made their way back early just to go to the game. We didn’t know what to expect, and when we came out for warmups, the rink was sold out. It was the coolest experience for us because we felt like everyone was behind us.”
Mezzano found that same support in the Business Department.
“(Faculty members) were very personable,” he said. “There wasn’t a single person in that department who didn’t prepare me for the real world. They deserve a lot of credit for my success.
“Theresa Speck, Derek Jackson, and Andrew Scott really gave me the skills to be successful in the career I’m in,” he added. “And the entire department taught me how to be personable. You can have a 4.0 grade point average and if you can’t be personable, it’s very difficult to succeed in the business world.”
The Rev. James P. Burns, IVD, Ph.D.
President
Saint Mary's University of Minnesota
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