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Winona Campus NewsletterFireside musical variety show happens this weekend
This weekend, the sisters of Sigma Alpha Iota Kappa Sigma will present Fireside 2019. The annual musical variety show will take place Friday, Feb. 8, at 8 p.m., and Saturday, Feb. 9, at 7 and 10 p.m. in the Common Room on the third floor of Saint Mary’s Hall. Join the events for incredible music and yummy cupcakes. Tickets can be purchased ahead of time online for $7 or at the door for $8.
Frozen River Film Festival feature showing on campus
Don’t miss the showing of Hesburgh tonight on campus as part of the Frozen River Film Festival.
Date: Friday, Feb. 8
Time: 7 to 8:30 p.m.
Location: Toner Student Center Cafeteria
Director: Patrick Creadon
Runtime: 104 minutes
Hesburgh offers a unique glimpse at more than 50 years of American history as seen through the eyes of the long-time president of the University of Notre Dame and America’s most well-known Catholic priest. Educator, civil rights champion, advisor to presidents, envoy to popes, theologian and activist, Hesburgh was called on by countless world leaders to tackle the most challenging issues of the day. He built a reputation as a savvy political operator with a penchant for bridging the divide between bitter enemies.
Saint Mary’s Rochester Center at Cascade Meadow will close at noon today, Thursday, Feb. 7
Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota’s Rochester Center at Cascade Meadow will close at noon today, Thursday, Feb. 7, due to extreme weather conditions; there will be no evening classes in Rochester.
All other Saint Mary’s locations remain open. Students are advised to check their email before driving to class, should anything change for specific class sessions. When traveling, please take necessary safety precautions.
Saint Mary’s hosts poetry reading by Steven Schild
WINONA, Minn. — The public is invited to Pastries and Poetry: An evening with Steven Schild on Thursday, Feb. 14, from 7 to 8 p.m. in the President’s Room, located in Saint Mary’s University’s Toner Student Center. Dr. Steven Schild of the Saint Mary’s Communication Department will read from his new poetry collection titled These Humans, which has been nominated for a Minnesota Book Award.
Dr. Schild lives in Winona with his wife Margaret. They have two grown sons, Jake and Sam. A faculty member at Saint Mary’s since 1992, Dr. Schild has worked in farming, construction, factories, journalism, and public relations. His writing has appeared in USA Today, the Minneapolis Star Tribune, and other newspapers. He has written three poetry collections (These Humans, Eros in Autumn, and Gone Away from Crystal Valley), and his poetry has also appeared in four anthologies and a number of literary magazines.
This event is part of the Composers on the Edge series and is sponsored by the Office of Writing at the College and the Business and Communications Department.
Baseball team takes time for retreat
Dating back to the early ’90s, coaches and student athletes have participated in retreats, and some teams do so on an annual basis. Nick Winecke, Saint Mary’s baseball coach and associate athletic director, recalls his time as a student-athlete and the importance of setting time aside to contemplate and reflect on his spiritual life. He therefore makes it a priority each year for his team and fellow coaches to make the retreat part of the baseball program.
This year, the baseball team and coaches met at Alverna Center Jan. 18-19. The theme of this year’s retreat was Integrity – based on 2 Corinthians 8: 21 “We are taking pains to do what is right, not only in the eyes of the Lord, but also in the eyes of others.” The two-day retreat included four sessions of prayer and reflection centered on the notion of integrity. In addition, the young men met in small and large groups where they spoke about their relationships with their families, teammates, and God.
The seniors, who have been making the annual baseball retreat since they were first-year students, play a critical role in helping create an environment early in the retreat — where sharing from the heart is commonplace. Senior Dixon Irwin said, “Leading a small group, I was able to set the tone and be an example to the underclassman and show them that it’s okay to open up.”
First-year student, Luke Gilbertson said, “Before the retreat, I thought it was simply going to be time of being together as a team, but it was so much more. We learned so much about care and empathy, particularly in light of the fact that everyone is going through something which causes us to treat everyone with respect.”
When asked why he makes the retreat a priority, Coach Winecke stated, “One of our goals each year is to learn one another’s story. We all have a story and to be able to share it with your teammates, I think is a powerful thing. These two days are about growth, not only as an individual, but also as a group of men looking to create life-long bonds. Working with Brother Pat Conway and Brother Frank Carr is special; I have always believed that the Christian Brothers mission is to help create strong individuals with a moral compass.”
Winecke interviewed on Cardinals’ Nest
Nick Winecke, Saint Mary’s baseball coach and associate athletic director, was recently featured in an episode of Cardinals’ Nest, a TV program that airs on Winona cable access HBC TV-25. Cardinals’ Nest is co-hosted by Donny Nadeau, sports information director, and Dean Beckman, Communication Department chair and faculty athletic representative.
Watch Winecke’s interview, which also features footage of the baseball clubhouse being unveiled to Cardinal baseball players:
2017-18 Fact Book now available online
The Office of Institutional Research is pleased to announce that the 2017-18 Fact Book is now available. The Fact Book provides a wealth of historical and current university data. It serves as a useful resource for facilitating internal communication, providing data to use in decision-making, planning and improvement efforts, and providing answers to common questions about various facets of the university. It may be found on the Office of Institutional Research webpage or can be found here.
Retired Saint Mary’s professor stays active
Dr. Richard Kowles, after 40 years at Saint Mary’s University, retired from teaching in the Saint Mary’s Biology Department in 2008 and from additional part-time teaching in 2012. Since then, he has given numerous presentations on genetic subjects to various organizations in Winona and Rochester, all of which have received publicity in both cities. Most recently, two genetic presentations were given in Rochester as a featured part of a Mayo Clinic Education Program for adult audiences. In Winona, he has been engaged in an entire series discussing genetic subjects of interest to the Winona Learning Club. Thus far, he has given 11 such presentations to the organization with more scheduled. Dr. Kowles has also presented 34 slide shows over the past two years to residents of Winona’s Adith Miller Care Facility. This series has also received recent publicity in the Winona Daily News. Dr. Kowles never passes up an opportunity to discuss genetics, his favorite subject. He thinks that retirement would otherwise be boring.
Student-led campaign promotes community through handwritten letters
A student group will run a month-long letter writing campaign to promote positive vibes on campus.
Now in its second year, Spread the Love was created with the idea of building community and expressing gratitude and appreciation for others on campus.
“There was a need for sharing positivity and care, especially in the winter when spirits are not necessarily high and people feel stressed,” said Kate Dulak, student leader for the campaign.
The campaign works this way: people on campus submit names to the Spread the Love team, who then creates and sends personalized letters, accompanied with a Spread the Love button.
Students, faculty, and staff are encouraged to “spread the love” by private messaging names to the Spread the Love Facebook page (smumnSTL). The submissions must contain a first and last name, mailbox number, and some positive attributes about the individual being highlighted.
“The notes are even more personal because names are submitted by other students or faculty. So when someone gets a letter it’s not because they were selected from some random list but because there is someone thinking of them,” said campaign contributor Jennifer Warweg.
Spread the Love was formed under the guidance of Dr. Peggy Johnson, director of the Office of Writing at the College, and operates through the university’s innovative writing initiative.
In addition to Dulak and Wareg, student contributors include Shauna Frahm and Courteney Jacob.
Spread the Love was started last February by alumna McKayla Collins ’18. The current team is happy to continue the mission.
The Spread the Love mission
Everyone has value, and we are on a mission to share it! Spread the Love promotes friendship and unity by sending personal messages to the Saint Mary’s community.
Communication professor to read poetry collection at two upcoming events
Dr. Steven Schild of the Saint Mary’s Communication Department will read from his new poetry collection at two upcoming events. The collection, titled These Humans, has been nominated for a Minnesota Book Award. All are invited to attend.
On Saturday, Feb. 2, at 2 p.m. he’ll be at Paperbacks and Pieces, 429 Mankato Ave. in Winona.
On Thursday, Feb. 14, from 7 to 8 p.m. he’ll be in the President’s Room on campus. This event, titled Pastries and Poetry: An evening with Steven Schild, is part of the Composers on the Edge series and is sponsored by the Office of Writing at the College and the Business and Communications Department.
Dr. Schild lives in Winona with his wife Margaret. They have two grown sons, Jake and Sam. A faculty member at Saint Mary’s University in Winona since 1992, Dr. Schild has worked in farming, construction, factories, journalism, and public relations. His writing has appeared in USA Today, the Minneapolis Star Tribune, and other newspapers. He has written three poetry collections (These Humans, Eros in Autumn, and Gone Away from Crystal Valley), and his poetry has also appeared in four anthologies and a number of literary magazines.
Saint Mary’s Theatre and Dance Department to present ‘The Lady from the Sea’ Feb. 13-17
WINONA, Minn. — The Saint Mary’s University Department of Theatre and Dance will present “The Lady from the Sea” by Henrik Ibsen Feb. 13-17. Directed by Jimmy Bickerstaff, Theatre and Dance associate professor and department chair at Saint Mary’s, the performance will take place at the Performance Center on Saint Mary’s Winona Campus:
- Wednesday, Feb. 13, at 7:30 p.m.
- Thursday, Feb. 14, at 7:30 p.m.
- Friday, Feb. 15, at 7:30 p.m.
- Saturday, Feb. 16, at 3 and 7:30 p.m.
- Sunday, Feb. 17, at 3 p.m.
Daughter of a lighthouse keeper, the mysterious Ellida Wangel is persistently drawn to the freedom of the sea, away from her husband and stepdaughters. People in her small town refer to her as “the lady from the sea.” As her shadowy past begins to emerge, so does a compelling, past love from the sea. Where will she find her true freedom?
Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for students and seniors. They can be purchased at pagetheatre.org or by calling the Performance Center box office at 507-457-1715 from noon to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday. This performance is presented by special arrangement with Samuel French, Inc.
Saint Mary’s in the news
Pilgrims receive the love of God in the ‘Garden of Forgiveness’ [Catholic Standard] — article featuring Saint Mary’s student Brianna Jacobson and staff member Kirsten Rotz on one of the experiences they had at World Youth Day in Panama
Saint Mary’s University to remain closed until noon Thursday, Jan. 31, at all locations
Because the dangerously cold weather has not subsided, Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota will remain closed until noon Thursday, Jan. 31. This applies to the Winona Campus, Minneapolis Campus, Rochester Center (Cascade Meadow), Apple Valley Center, and all offsite program locations.
Only essential personnel should report to work. Employees with questions should contact their managers to verify if they should report to work.
On the residential Winona Campus, Food Service will serve brunch/lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the cafeteria; the Cardinal Club will open at 2 p.m.; Cardinal Coffee will open at noon. Additionally, Gostomski Fieldhouse will open at 8 a.m.
Saint Mary’s encourages students and employees to continue to put their safety first. Campus Safety will remain open 24 hours. In case of an emergency, please call 507-457-1703.
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