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Winona Campus Newsletter
Photographer visits communication class
Photo caption: From left, Emily Vlahos, Nathan Young, Lisa Means, Eli Morison, Heidi Ledermann, Kate Dulak, and Courteney Jacob.
Minnesota Conservatory for the Arts hosts Sugar Plum Tea Party
WINONA, Minn. — The Minnesota Conservatory for the Arts (MCA) will host its 10th biennial Sugar Plum Fairy Tea Party fundraiser Sunday, Nov. 18, at the Valéncia Arts Center, 1164 West 10th St.
This year’s Sugar Plum Fairy Tea Party will feature two tea sittings, the first at 1 p.m. and the second at 4 p.m. Specialty teas and exquisite finger foods will be served. Additionally, the Land of the Sweets Gift Boutique, featuring holiday gifts and crafts, is available to the public from 12:30 to 5:30 p.m.
Tickets are $15 for children and $20 for adults. All children attending the tea party will receive a complimentary photo with their favorite characters from the Nutcracker ballet. Tea attendees will enjoy live music and a dance demonstration by the Sugar Plum Fairy.
The Sugar Plum Fairy Tea party is the first big event of the Nutcracker production season for MCA and its performing group, the Dance Repertory Company. The company will present the full-length ballet Nov. 28 – Dec. 2 at the Saint Mary’s University Page Theatre. This year’s cast totals more than 100 members, including students from Saint Mary’s and Winona State University as well as children and community members from the Winona area. Tickets to the production can be purchased by calling 507-457-1715 or visiting pagetheatre.org.
Proceeds from the Sugar Plum Fairy Tea Party go toward the MCA Nutcracker production costs and student scholarship fund. The MCA is a non-profit, 501(c)3 organization. Individual seat reservations or a full table of six can be made online. For more information, call 507-453-5500 or visit mca.smumn.edu. Seating is limited, so reservations are preferred by Nov. 1. The Valéncia Arts Center is handicap accessible.
About MCA
The Minnesota Conservatory for the Arts, an affiliate program of Saint Mary’s University, is a nonprofit organization offering programming in dance, music, visual art, and theater. Classes, lessons, workshops, and camps are offered for students of all ages from birth through older adults at the Valéncia Arts Center. For more information, go to mca.smumn.edu, email mca@smumn.edu, or call 507-453-5500.
Using YouTube to bring social studies to life
Riley Sinn’s YouTube videos have gone viral.
It isn’t necessarily his video topics — which range from “Stages of the Demographic Transition Model” to “The Underlying Causes of World War 1” — that are garnering all the attention.
Instead, students are logging in to watch Sinn make classroom material come alive.
By using an equal measure of creativity and technology, Sinn, a 2014 secondary education alumnus of Saint Mary’s, is finding new ways to engage his students.
Currently in his fifth year of teaching social studies at Lourdes High School in Rochester, Sinn said that when he was a high school student, he always learned best through hands-on learning and by interacting with the content, rather than via a lecture format.
What he’s found is that his students feel the same way. Using their input, Sinn has now completed more than 180 flipped classroom videos, which he has posted on his YouTube Channel within the areas of world history, economics, advanced placement human geography, and sociology.
Right now, in history alone, Sinn has posted more than 15 hours of online material, which combines charts, graphics, and photos, with his high-energy presentations.
The idea started out in PowerPoint format and grew to its current state with student input to make the content be more animated, full of graphics, shorter, and fun. But he said, they’re always a work in progress.
“As I got feedback, they’ve gotten a lot more advanced,” he said. “I’m in them. They all have guided notes, so students can be taking notes. They’re actively part of it, like they’re in class. The one I finished today is the most ambitious one. We’re analyzing the ‘Avengers: Infinity War’ movie, and it’s tied to AP geography concepts.”
The goal, he said is to make classroom content more relatable to his students. In the end, the videos help students review for tests, get them more interested in the material, help students who are struggling to understand the concepts, and assist when students are out sick so they don’t fall behind.
“If they miss something or they miss a class, they can catch up,” he said.
Sinn is making a flipped classroom video for every lesson and tries to get the videos and guided notes out before the class, but says viewing is always optional.
“I’m surprised at how many watch them,” he said.
In fact, the YouTube channel hosted by “Mr. Sinn” has nearly hit over 2 million minutes watched, and students (and teachers) from nearly every country, including Thailand, South Africa, and India, are using and commenting. His highest viewed video reached 55,000 viewers and he’s gotten more than 400,000 views all together.
“Whatever will engage students a little bit more,” he said. “If I can make them a little more interested in the subject, I can effectively teach them better.”
As another learning technique, Sinn incorporates escape rooms into his curriculum. Students come in, pick teams, and review the rules. The goal is to get into a lockbox by the end of the class period. Using all resources available to them, including the internet and their phones, they are taken through a series of clues, riddles, and puzzles. Some clues are hidden in the room. He even uses black lights to further the mystery.
“When they get into it, it’s a big deal,” Sinn said. “They may have to take a quiz, but the answers from the quiz are used in QR code to get into a locked online website that connects them to something else in the room where something else hidden. It’s all customized by lesson.
“They have to think outside the box and utilize teamwork and good luck,” Sinn said. “You can see students thinking. It gets to be an intense competition. They’re a lot of fun. Some students have submitted it for memorable moments in the yearbook.”
Sinn credits Saint Mary’s for planting the seed for his creative teaching methods and as where he learned to focus on adapting teaching styles to facilitate student learning.
“Saint Mary’s helped me a lot,” he said. “Especially my classes with Dr. David Jackson and Dr. Melissa Luedtke. I also use a lot from my classes with Dr. Wes Miller in sociology; the way he engaged us helps me a lot in guiding my students to engage. A lot of the ideas I started with in the Saint Mary’s Education Department, I now use in my own classroom.
“Making learning more hands on, all of that goes back to the ideas and discussions that happened at Saint Mary’s and within the Education Department that focused on putting students first and getting creativity flowing.”
Halloween Fun Night is Oct. 29 at Saint Mary’s
WINONA, Minn. — Elementary and preschool children from the Winona area are invited to attend the 17th annual Saint Mary’s University Halloween Fun Night from 6 to 8 p.m. Monday, Oct. 29.
Participants can come through the main entrance of the Winona Campus where they will be directed where to park.
New this year, the Halloween Fun Night will be held entirely indoors in the Toner Student Center. Young trick-or-treaters should start out the evening at the Hall of Fame Room, where fun games will be offered, and the Cardinal mascot Big Red will greet pint-sized ghosts and goblins.
From there, groups of trick-or-treaters will be led through the halls of the Toner Student Center, where they can go station to station for candy, all while staying warm and dry.
As many as 700 youth participate in this free, safe, and fun event each year.
Celebrating educational excellence in Chicago
Alumni and friends will be celebrating educational excellence and business innovation at Saint Mary’s University Saturday, Oct. 20, during the annual Celebration of Excellence.
During this fundraising event, to be held in Chicago, attendees will meet Father Burns, hear student business presentations, and learn more about what’s happening at Saint Mary’s. They will also hear the university’s vision for the future of business and innovation.
Additionally, the Presidential Award for Outstanding Merit will be presented to a Saint Mary’s legacy family, the Mullins family, including Michael Mullins ’74, Ed Mullins ’75, Jeanne (Mullins) Gannon ’77, Judy (Mullins) Lucas ’83, Tom Mullins ’86, Kathryn (Mullins) Burke ’89, and Shannon (Mullins) Smith ’93.
Pre-register for the 5th annual Career and Internship Fair
The 5th annual Saint Mary’s Career and Internship Fair will be held 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 24. All Saint Mary’s students and alumni are invited to meet with employers, internship sites, and graduate programs to explore next steps and land their next great opportunity.
Pre-register by Sunday, Oct. 21, here. You can also register at the fair the day of the event, but nametags won’t be guaranteed.
See a list of companies and grad schools who will be at the fair.
You’re invited to Lasallian Day of Service
Students are invited to participate in the annual Lasallian Day of Service on Saturday, Oct. 27. Volunteer Mentors and Campus Ministry invite students to sign up for this fall service day and engage with the Winona community.
Start the morning with a FREE continental breakfast from 8:15-8:30 a.m. Groups and vehicles will be dispatched once everyone has gathered. Service projects will go until the jobs have been completed or noon, whichever comes first for each group.
Questions? Reach out to Kirsten Rotz at krotz@smumn.edu or Emily Seykora at easeyk16@smumn.edu.
Saint Mary’s alumni will also be participating in Lasallian Day of Service at volunteer sites throughout the Twin Cities, Chicago, New York City, and more. Find out more at mysmumn.org/ldos18.
Taylor Richmond Benefit Dance beneficiary nominations open
It’s time again to honor and support someone in connection with The Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota community. On behalf of the Office of Student Activities and the Taylor Richmond Benefit Committee, we are happy to announce that we are now taking nominations for the 2019 beneficiary. The 19th Annual Taylor Richmond Benefit Dance will be held Saturday, March 9, 2019.
The benefit has become an annual student tradition since its start in 2000 in honor of Taylor Richmond, son of Saint Mary’s staff member Nikki Richmond. Each year this event benefits someone in need who has ties to the Saint Mary’s community. Although Taylor passed away in 2013, his memory lives on at Saint Mary’s University.
If you would like to nominate someone, please complete this form by Wednesday, Oct. 31, 2018 at midnight.
Faculty/staff Halloween ‘Boo-fet’ and costume contest planned
Start planning your spooktacular Halloween costume now; get your office or department together and vie for the highly coveted traveling Halloween contest trophy. Individual entries also welcome!
The last costume contest winners, Development and Alumni Relations, aren’t going to give it up easily! A newly formed Faculty and Staff Spirit Committee is hosting this “boo-fet”/fundraiser of soups and sandwiches. Come eat, drink, and be scary!
Let’s creep it real — the winning team can help determine where funds are directed!
The lunch will run from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 31, in the Common Room. All faculty and staff are welcome. Judging will begin at noon.
Prayer requests
Tammy Pape, administrative assistant in academics, has requested prayers for her mother who passed away on Tuesday. Please keep Patricia Walters in your prayers along with Tammy and her family. A Celebration of Life Service will be held at 11 a.m. on Friday, Oct. 19, 2018, at Hoff Celebration of Life Center in Goodview, with Pastor Greggory Olcott officiating and a visitation one hour prior to the service. Burial will be in Pickwick Cemetery. Read the obituary for Patricia Walters.
Two students have requested prayers from the Saint Mary’s community for recent deaths in their families.
- Frydha Cordova-Fragozo’s maternal grandmother recently passed away. Please pray for Maria-Hiong Macab. If you would like to send Frydha a note her email address is fjcord11@smumn.edu.
- Bridget Finley’s mother recently passed away. Bridget has greatly appreciated all of the support from the Saint Mary’s community, and if you would like to send Bridget a note her email address is bafinl16@smumn.edu.
Minnesota Conservatory for the Arts puts BK-5K grant to good use
WINONA, Minn. — Music education at the Minnesota Conservatory for the Arts (MCA) has recently been expanded, thanks to a generous grant from the BK-5K Road Race.
Since receiving the grant in June, the impact at MCA has been substantial. A classroom set of children’s guitars, hand drums, world music instruments, percussion bell kits, hand bells, boomwackers (plastic percussion tubes), preschooler-sized chairs, and creative movement tools were purchased with the funds, additions that have helped MCA provide music education to more than 300 youth of all ages.
Due to the new equipment and the support from the BK-5K Road Race, many MCA programs and partnerships have been made possible, including Winona Arts Camp, Winona Family YMCA summer camps, a Cochrane-Fountain City 4-H summer program, Riverway Learning Community music classes, a tap camp, private music lessons, a beginning guitar class, an instrument petting zoo, and Drummin’ Up Fun.
The academic and social benefits of providing this type of education are well-documented, but with dwindling budgets dedicated to the arts in some area schools, it has become important to create more arts exploration opportunities in a community setting. Thanks to the recent support, MCA is now better prepared to create more local music education opportunities.
MCA expresses its gratitude to the BK-5K Road Race and the supportive community for making this possible.
About the BK-5K Race
The BK-5K is held to honor Bob Kierlin, founder of Fastenal and lifelong supporter of youth programs. All proceeds go to various area youth organizations/programs demonstrating financial need. Funding grants are evaluated for merit and dispersed by the BK-5K Youth Fund Award Committee, in partnership with the Winona Community Foundation. Race winners have the opportunity to donate their cash awards to Winona youth programs and receive a commemorative certificate. To learn more, please visit bk5k.com.
Photo caption: Enjoying music at the Minnesota Conservatory for the Arts are, from left: Kayleen Stoos, Charlie Reszka, Anthony Rupert, Marshall Kieffer, Kasheef McKitty, and Charlotte Morse.
Saint Mary’s Theatre and Dance Department to stage ‘Romeo and Juliet’ Nov. 1-4
WINONA, Minn. — The Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota Department of Theatre and Dance will present the classic Shakespearean tale of two star-crossed lovers in Romeo and Juliet Thursday through Sunday, Nov. 1-4, in the Page Theatre on the Winona Campus.
Written by William Shakespeare, directed by Walter Elder, and set largely in Verona, Italy, Romeo and Juliet is the tragic telling of the story of a young couple in love whose vengeful feuding families lead them to undertake a dangerous mission to preserve their love, a mission that ultimately results in the couple’s untimely deaths. Romeo and Juliet is one of Shakespeare’s most popular and frequently performed plays and is recognized as both an iconic love story and tragedy.
Written and published in the late 16th century, Romeo and Juliet has received much critical acclaim in its lifetime and has been performed in theaters worldwide, including the renowned Globe Theatre in London.
Showtimes to watch this classic story are 7:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, Nov. 1-3; and 3 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 4.
Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for students and seniors and are available by calling the Performance Center box office at 507-457-1715 from noon to 6 p.m. weekdays or online at pagetheatre.org.
Page Series to present ‘Pinocchio’ Nov. 7
WINONA, Minn. — The Page Series will present renowned children’s theater company Tout à Trac in Pinocchio on Wednesday, Nov. 7, at 6:30 p.m. in the Page Theatre on Saint Mary’s University’s Winona Campus.
Following the internationally acclaimed Alice in Wonderland, which was presented by the Page Series in 2017, Tout à Trac now revisits the world’s most famous puppet: Pinocchio. Born from a talking piece of wood — carved by the old Geppetto — the rebellious, cheeky, and careless Pinocchio discovers the meaning of growing up through a thousand trials. To become a real boy, he will have to face Mangiafuoco, the terrible Puppet Master; suffer the malice of Mr. Fox and his sidekick, the Cat; escape from Toyland; and save his father from the belly of a giant fish.
Adapted from Carlo Collodi’s classic story, Pinocchio was written by Hugo Bélanger, with the English translation by Bobby Theodore.
Founded in 1998 and based in Montréal, Tout à Trac has been exploring the inner workings of imagination and of theatre through a creative process in which acting with masks, storytelling, and puppetry all play an active part. Playfulness and thoroughness are the cornerstones of their work, and their shows are designed for all audiences, from the theatre connoisseur to the first-time attendee.
The Page Series will also host a free gathering at the Winona Public Library Saturday, Nov. 3, at noon. Recommended for children in kindergarten through grade 5, the gathering will include a Pinocchio-themed story time, craft activity, and chance to win tickets to the Nov. 7 performance.
Tickets to Pinocchio are $12 for the general public and $8 for youth ages 17 and under. For more information or to order tickets, visit pagetheatre.org or call 507-457-1715 from noon to 6 p.m. weekdays.
A video preview of the performance can be found at youtu.be/LgsYpk–VOM.
About the Page Series
Now in its 32nd annual season, the Page Series connects professional performing artists from around the globe with thousands of Winonans each year. With events at the Joseph Page Theatre on the Winona Campus of Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota, as well as at locations across the Winona community, the Page Series offers dance, music, and theatre performances, workshops, classes, and more that inspire, uplift, educate, and invite community members to discover the relevance of the arts in their daily lives.
Pinocchio is a production of Tout à Trac in co-production with Place des Arts and Tennessee Performing Arts Center.
This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a Minnesota State Arts Board Operating Support grant, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.
Page Series community programs are made possible, in part, through a grant from the Xcel Energy Foundation.
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