Saint Mary’s alumni celebrate Centennial in Chicago

BY JULIANNE BARTOSZ
Editor in Chief

One thousand Saint Mary’s University and College of Saint Teresa alumni and friends gathered in Chicago’s Millennium Park on Sept. 22 to celebrate the Centennial and launch the university into the next century.

Not only did the celebratory event allow attendees to mingle, but it also honored Father Andrew C. Fabian with the Presidential Award for Outstanding Merit, updated alumni on the current status of the university and featured a performance by the Oldie Moldie All-Stars.

“The greatest challenge of planning the event was getting all classes involved,” said Co-Chair of the Event Committee Joe Phillips ’80.  According to Phillips, the event aimed to include 63 consecutive years of SMU alumni spanning from 1952 to 2015.  This span of attendees included notable alumni like President and CEO of the Chicago Blackhawks John McDonough ’75 and former Chicago Public Library Commissioner Mary Dempsey ’75.  The oldest alumni in attendance was Sam Cascio ’48.

Class of 2011 graduate Katy Gannon said that she enjoyed being with so many people who are all a part of SMU.  “I can go talk to anyone and know that they’ve had a great four years,” said Gannon.  “They’re all here because they love SMU.”

The Centennial celebration also included an outing at the Chicago Cubs game on Sept. 21, an alumni boat cruise and mass at St. Peter’s Church.  The street posts outside of the church displayed SMU Centennial banners similar to the ones throughout the Winona campus.

Throughout the event, alumni and guests were encouraged to share their experiences on Twitter using #SMUMNChicago100.

SMU will continue to celebrate the Centennial with Centennial artwork being revealed during Family Weekend, a School of Graduate and Professional Programs alumni reunion in March, a student celebration later in the year and an all-class reunion during the 2013 homecoming.

Brother Leopold residence hall designed to meet students’ needs

BY REGINA BARBOSA

News Editor

Saint Mary’s University’s new Brother Leopold Residence Hall opened this fall with a variety of housing styles and abundant community space to accommodate students living there.

Despite work completed after classes commenced, students were able to move into Brother Leopold Hall, named after the first Christian Brother to serve as the university’s president.

“It’s great to see that it arrived on time and that people moved in on time,” said Director of Residence Life Brendan Dolan. “We wanted students to feel at home when they got here. It’s exciting to see people in it after watching it be built.”

The residence hall houses sophomore, junior and senior students in double-occupancy, single-occupancy and apartment-style suites.  According to Dolan, this structure allows the university to give as many options for living styles as possible.

“People still have their own private bedroom but still live in a community through shared space,” Dolan said.

Each floor of the new building contains at least community space. The spaces range from large lounges with multiple couches and lounge chairs to smaller study areas with a few tables and chairs. The lounges contain smart televisions that can connect to the Internet.

Dean of Students Tim Gossen shares Dolan’s value for community space.  Gossen said that community space was important when designing the building to offer “places for people to hang out with friends, groups or study; whatever it might be.”

Brother Leopold Hall also contains a cardio room, a chapel and numerous study areas, “giving options for holistic wellness: physical, spiritual and mental,” said Dolan. “It’s designed well and it’s very clear that the design is based for the students’ needs.”

“It was a long process of getting a new residence hall,” said Gossen. “The last new residence hall was actually Hillside Hall and that opened in the fall of 2001.”

The university will use the new building as a year-round residence hall, housing those who stay on campus during the summer as well as during the school year, according to Gossen. He said, “I hope it’s something that they like and they want to live in this year and many years to come.”

Family Weekend to offer fun for all ages

BY MATT WUBBEN
Cardinal Staff

Family Weekend at Saint Mary’s University is all set to take place next weekend, Oct. 5-7.

The weekend brings with it, for most freshman students, the first visit their parents have made to campus since move-in day. The weekend itself is going to be jam packed with activities, athletics and plenty of fun.

The weekend kicks off on Friday, Oct.5, with the unveiling of a timeline wall mural of the university’s history created by Brother Roderick Robertson, FSC, professor of art and design. This will take place during a public reception on Friday, Oct. 5, at the Toner Student Center.

For any parents that decide to arrive a day early, a performance of “Let Us Remember” will also be on Friday at 7:30 p.m. in the Page Theatre. The show will also be performed Thursday, Oct. 4, at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, Oct. 6, at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

Also on Saturday from 8 a.m. until noon, check-in for Family Weekend will be taking place in the Hall of Fame Room. At the same time, any late entries for the Fall Frolic 5k run/walk will be accepted until 9:45 a.m. The run/walk will begin at 10 a.m. with the starting line in between the baseball and softball fields.

Dave Evans will be back this year to make shapes with balloons. According to Lance Thompson, director of student activities, this is Evans’ fifth year at the weekend and he can make anything from a sword to a Millennium Falcon. He will be joined this year by caricaturist Bill Luse, who will also be in the Toner Center.

Outside of the Toner Center, inflatable games will be found from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The baseball and softball “red and white” games will start at 11 a.m. and will consist of two separate inter-squad games played on each of the team’s respective fields. Brunch will be served from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m.

In terms of athletics, the weekend also includes a Men’s soccer game on Saturday against Hamline University at 1 p.m.

The afternoon will start off with the challenge rope course, which begins at 2 p.m., located in between the outdoor track and baseball field. Following this at 2:30 p.m. tours of the new Brother Leopold residence hall will be available.

The Study Abroad information session will begin at 3 p.m. in the President’s Room located in the Toner Center. This meeting is primarily for parents, according to Thompson, but any interested students are encouraged to attend as well.

Liturgy will begin in the Saint Thomas More Chapel at 4 p.m. but will also be available on Sunday at 10:30 a.m. Dinner will be available from 5 p.m to 7 p.m.

English honor society welcomes distinguished guest

BY KEOTTA HOUSE
Cardinal Staff

Sigma Tau Delta brought Emily Budick, Ph. D. to Saint Mary’s University to speak to the Winona community about the good and bad of fictional literature of the Holocaust.

Budick is the chair of American literature and chair of the program of American studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in Israel. She spoke on how the fictional literature of the Holocaust can be a good thing, but it also can contain negative connotations about the Jewish characters that are portrayed.  Budick spoke to a crowd of at least forty students, faculty, staff and community members.

SMU English professor Erin Clark, Ph. D. was attending a seminar at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum where Budick had been speaking. After hearing Budick speak, she knew she had to get her to SMU.

“I teach a class for seniors on Holocaust literature and I felt it would be good to have her here,” said Clark.

This event marked the first of many presentations from the Sigma Tau Delta speaker series of the 2012-13 academic year. According to Clark, the English honor society was quite lucky to have Budick speak because the doctor is returning to Israel this fall.

Clark said, “I am grateful to Sigma Tau Delta for hosting the event, as well as to Dr. Aronson [SMU’s Vice President of Academic Affairs] for her support of what was a very well-attended event here on campus.”

Colleges Against Cancer dedicated to raising cancer awareness on campus

BY SKYLAR FINKELSTEIN
Cardinal Staff

Saint Mary’s University’s Colleges Against Cancer (CAC) aims to raise cancer awareness throughout the academic year leading up to SMU’s Relay for Life.

CAC is a student organization associated with the American Cancer Society that aims to raise cancer awareness on campus while supporting SMU community members whose lives have been impacted by cancer and raise funds to fight back against cancer. The group’s main event is Relay for Life, which will take place at SMU on March 15, 2013.

“We all have a connection to this event. Therefore we should all participate,” said CAC Co-President Julie Pierce.

In addition to Relay for Life, CAC is also committed to putting on monthly events to raise awareness, said CAC Event Development Chair Julianne Bartosz.  Since September is prostate cancer awareness month, CAC put up informational decorations about prostate cancer throughout campus.  They also hosted a dodge ball tournament called “Knocking Out Cancer.”  Students were able to compete by creating a team with 8-10 players who each paid one dollar to play.  The funds raised at the tournament will be put toward SMU’s Relay for Life.

CAC is currently in the process of planning for October’s breast cancer awareness month.  Bartosz said they are trying to organize a bowling fundraiser.  Future events may also include an event in coordination with the American Cancer Society’s Great American Smoke Out in November to fight against lung cancer.

CAC is dedicated to take a stand against cancer.  According to Pierce, they hope to have 40 teams and 400 or more participants for this year’s Relay for Life.  Pierce said CAC is challenging SMU participants to raise $40,000 to help the American Cancer Society’s research and to support the Hope Lodge, a facility where families can stay while a loved one is undergoing treatments.

To learn more about CAC and its events, keep an eye out for their posters throughout campus or email Julie Pierce (Jmpier07@smumn.edu) or Kim Puk (Kapuk08@smumn.edu) to get involved.

New dean of Campus Ministry joins SMU community

BY KELSEY HULBERT
Feature Editor

Saint Mary’s University welcomes a new Dean of Campus Ministry this year who said he is excited to “expand and grow the community at SMU in order to meet the diversified needs [of the students].”

Steven McGlaun, the new Dean of Campus Ministry, was previously an editor, author and marketing coordinator at St. Mary’s Press.  He said that the opening at SMU was a great way for him to be involved in ministry again.

“It opportunity that I couldn’t pass up,” he said.

McGlaun said he is most excited to experience everything that goes on around campus with Serving Others united in Love (S.O.U.L.) Council, Buddies, Together Encountering Christ (TEC) and Big and Little Pals. “It should be a year of discovery,” he said.

McGlaun was involved in high school parish ministry in Texas before working for Saint Mary’s Press. He added that it is an adjustment having to learn everything over again.  McGlaun said that the biggest challenge is being integrated into a new community.  

However, McGlaun said that SMU is a great fit for him.  “My daughters were convinced that I work at the coolest place in the world when they saw the swimming pool,” he said.

SMU challenges international students from Vietnam and China

BY KELSEY HULBERT
Feature Editor

International students from Vietnam and China say it’s a challenge adjusting to the educational system at Saint Mary’s University.

Tran Nguyen previously studied at an Australian school in Vietnam, and she said that schooling in the U.S. has more everyday homework.  Back home, she said, the assignments are longer and due at longer intervals.  “It’s challenging to get used to a new system, especially when English is your second language,” Nguyen said.

However, she said that the environment at SMU is favorable.  “The professors are great,” said Nguyen. “They are supportive when you have questions and really help you to improve.”

Yuting Li, a transfer student from China, said that she is very thankful for the helpful teachers in the international department.  “It’s different adjusting to a new culture and being separated from family and friends back home,” she said.  

Nguyen is an entrepreneurship major, and Li is undecided but thinking of majoring in education.

Saint Mary’s welcomes four new hall directors

By MARC HARTMANN
Guest Writer

This year the Saint Mary’s University community and the Office of Residence Life welcome four new hall directors to campus: Al Beseler ’09, Keith Donovan ’06, Mary Bambenek and Angie Glodowski.

After his graduation from SMU in 2009, Beseler spent a two years volunteering with AmeriCorps, educating youth in both science and education.  Now, as the hall director in Saint Edward’s Residence Hall, Beseler said that he is extremely excited for the opportunity to work with freshmen this year.

Donovan, who is also a recent graduate from SMU, has returned after spending several years teaching and working at a high school in Chicago.  Donovan said that SMU has always been a second home to him and that he was extremely excited for his return.

“I’m looking forward to being with a group of young men who are full of dignity, brotherhood and pride in who they are, where they live and the impact they will have on this campus for the next four years,” said Donovan who will be the hall director of Saint Benilde Residence Hall.

The third new hall director is Bambenek who will be continuing her long-time work at SMU, but in a new department. She said that she is extremely excited to be back working with students in such a close capacity.

As the hall director of Lasalle Residence Hall, Bambenek is especially excited about the living-learning component it will entail.  She said, “I look forward to providing a safe, comfortable and enjoyable on-campus experience for each member of this newly-remodeled and beautiful residence hall. “

Glodowski, who is new to the university, is the hall director who oversees Skemp and Heffron Residence Halls. Glodowski, who got married this past summer, will be joined in Skemp hall by her husband Roy and 8-year-old son Colton.

All four hall directors have expressed great excitement to be at SMU because of its environment.

Bambenek said that SMU is a special place that can be compared to a beautifully wrapped gift.  “The ‘wrapping paper’ is our extraordinary campus setting and well cared for grounds and facilities,” she said. “However the true gift of Saint Mary’s has to be the dedicated faculty, staff, coaches, students, alumni and families who comprise this unique Lasallian Catholic community.”

The Oldie Moldie All-Stars play in Chicago

By PETEY BROWN
Arts & Entertainment Editor

The Oldie Moldie All-Stars performed in Chicago’s Millennium Park for Saint Mary’s University’s Centennial celebration on Sept. 22.

The group consisting of 12 SMU students who are members of SMU’s Phi Mu Alpha music fraternity played an hour set at the event for alumni, family and friends of SMU.

“It made me realize that I’m part of something bigger than I imagined,” said SMU junior and leader of the Oldies Miles Dunna. With the ability to meet alumni who were members of Phi Mu Alpha, Dunna said he’s proud to be part of the “long tradition that is growing bigger and stronger throughout time.”

As the group grows this year, it is also “the first time that the group will be playing out of the state of Minnesota,” said Bob Fisher, faculty advisor of the group and horns player in the band.

Fisher said he is excited because the group is very different than last year’s. Seven of the 12 members are new and had not performed together.  Therefore, prior to the event, the group had a tune-up performance in SMU’s Common Room on Sept. 20 before Saturday’s show in Chicago.

“It is great to see the group grow together when we practice,” Fisher said. “The show in the Common Room helped us get some jitters out before our big show in Chicago.”

SMU junior Aaron Fimon is a baritone singer and first year member of the group who was excited and nervous for this big opportunity.

“We will be ready for the show, but I have to admit I am a little nervous,” Fimon said prior to the Chicago event. “I am excited to represent the school and fraternity; I will have to bring even more energy to make the show the best it can be.”

Remembering history and heritage through art

BY RAQUEL ROMO
Cardinal Staff

The performed narrative “Let Us Remember” will celebrate Saint Mary’s University’s history and accomplishments prior to and during Family Weekend, Oct. 4-6.

“Let Us Remember” is a program that was written and will be directed by 1979 SMU alumnus and Dean of the School of the Arts Michael Charron.

The program will consist of a new arrangement of compositions composed by SMU Director of Choirs Patrick O’Shea, Ph.D., and SMU Director of Jazz Eric Heukeshoven.

“We have been working on these music creations since the beginning of last school year until this past January,” said O’Shea. “I am very curious to see how everything falls into place.”

According to O’Shea, the program will allow SMU’s history to be explained and celebrated while allowing the School of the Arts to create new music compositions and dance routines that give students “a platform to show off their talents.”

This Centennial show includes monologues performed by students from the theatre department. Sophomore Ashley Curry will be presenting one of many monologues for “Let Us Remember.”

“I am excited to be representing someone close to my heritage. Not only do I feel proud, but I also look at it as an honor to be recounting my character’s story,” said Curry.  “The whole idea is fascinating, has amazing potential and has a great representation of the school’s history.”

Additional features of the program include a piece based on the words of Saint John Baptist de La Salle and the performance of music by SMU’s Concert Choir and Chamber Singers that was debuted in the Convocation held earlier this school year.

With a mix of fanfare, concert band and an arrangement of melodies, O’Shea hopes these new compositions will be used for the Centennial show as well as other occasions.

Deer park provides close interaction with nature

BY PAUL SCHMITT
Cardinal Staff

Although spotting deer on Saint Mary’s University’s campus is common, it’s generally difficult to get up close and personal with the creatures.

The Lefty Hymes Memorial Deer Park, located near Prairie Island Campground, provides such an up close experience. The deer park is about the size of a football field and is surrounded by 12-foot fences that contain numerous deer, including two bucks.  This pen includes a man-made shelter for the deer along with feed troughs and an elevated patch of land in the case of a flood.

“The experience is terrifying and awesome at the same time,” said SMU junior Mitch Lawler.

Due to continued exposure to humans, the deer are fairly docile and approach visitors regularly, even allowing people to pet and feed them.  The real challenge comes with visiting at a time when the deer are most active: dusk and dawn.

Lawler was disappointed that visitors are not allowed in the pen, which is a safety precaution taken by the park.  He said, “It wasn’t the Snow White-ness I was hoping for, but still acceptable.”

The park was established in 1974 in memory of Henry G. “Lefty” Hymes by the Will Dilg chapter of the Izaak Walton League, a non-profit conservation organization.

Movie review: Don’t rush for The Words

By Ashling Meehan
Cardinal Staff

The Words, which premiered Sept. 7th, is co-starring some of the industry’s biggest rising names like Olivia Wilde, Zoe Saldana and Bradley Cooper. The cast is supported along with Dennis Quaid and Oscar-winner Jeremy Irons. With such big names, and no doubt big talent, one would think this all-star cast would be able to pull off a real hit.

Sadly, you’d be mistaken.

The story line is good.  Writer Clayton Hammond (Quaid) reads from his newest book, The Words, which is centered on Rory Jansen (Cooper). Jansen is an aspiring writer who can’t get published. While on his honeymoon with wife Dora (Saldana), Jansen discovers a beautifully written manuscript. After copying it to his laptop, Jansen’s new bride mistakenly believes the story to be his own and pushes him to meet with a publisher.

Can you guess what happens next?

The manuscript is published, the novel is a hit and Jansen becomes an awarded author. But the true owner of the script (Irons) takes the stage and explains what inspired him to write the story.

While most critics are spewing out disappointing words like “unimaginative” or “boring”, CNN Entertainment said that Cooper “held his own” while Quaid and Iron’s performances are sadly mediocre.

As for Wilde and Saldana, CNN describes them as either “Doe-eyed with admiration or walking out the door, with precious little in between.”

While the movie wasn’t the box-office hit like everyone was expecting, it wasn’t the biggest flop to date either. Cooper’s performance was pleasantly surprising, the actor is steadily proving that he can play in-depth characters and won’t be type-casted as the funny guy.

As a whole, the idea for the movie is beautifully imagined. Though it’s not in any way a classic, it may appear similar to Atonement, a movie about a guilt-ridden writer coming to terms with their past by ways of telling a story performed by agile actors. There’s always room for improvement; however, the female performances in The Words were disappointing. Nevertheless, the movie wraps itself up in the end, tying everything together in one big knot.

While it wasn’t horrible, unless you’re a fan of Bradley Cooper I wouldn’t rush in desperation to see this one.

Music review: The Carpenter connects with everyday people

By ANNA SEGNER
Cardinal Staff

It has been three years, but The Avett Brothers are back with their new album, The Carpenter. In many respects, this album is the perfect modern folk album.

The Avett Brothers have a very authentic way in which they use the folk instruments.  Nevertheless, they have found a new way to mesh the intensity of both their bluegrass and rock ‘n’ roll style. This album has a lot more slow ballads than their previous album, I and Love and You, which was much more upbeat and electric bluegrass.

The Carpenter is a very thoughtful album; there are heavy themes of life and death, particularly in the song, “The Once and Future Carpenter.” This song is about the life and the movement of life and how ridding yourself of fear of life helps you shed the fear of saying goodbye to it.

The most appealing aspect of this album is the appeal to the common man. The album weighs the very abstract but real troubles of life by relating these issues to things that are real such as nature.  The song “Winter in my Heart” relates depression to seasons to show the reality of the depression.

When first hearing The Carpenter, listeners will be wondering where the intensity and excitement of the rock ‘n’ roll banjos and folk instruments that they heard in I and Love and You have gone. Some of that intensity may have been poured into the more heavy themes of life and death in The Carpenter. However, there is an equal balance between the soft ballads and the upbeat songs. The backwoods folk are consistent throughout the whole album. Therefore, it represents a strong folk/rock album that connects with everyday people.

Tibetan Monks create sand mandala at SMU

By Julianne Bartosz
Editor in Chief

The Tibetan Monks of the Drepung Loseling Monastery visited Saint Mary’s University and created a sand mandal.

SMU students were able to watch the Tibetan Monks complete the sacred tradition that includes creating intricate designs from colored sand then destroying the creation.

The Tibetan Monks spent one week at SMU, which concluded with a closing ceremony on Friday, Sept. 21.  During this ceremony, the sand mandala was destroyed and some of the sand was released into Gilmore Crekk.

Volleyball team names Bushlack an honorary captain

BY MEGAN HAFNER
Cardinal Staff

Driven by her strength and determination, Saint Mary’s University’s volleyball team names Sabrina Bushlack an honorary captain.

After being critically injured in a car accident this summer, Bushlack has inspired the volleyball team with her fight to recover.  The team is dedicated to working harder than ever to do their best, not only for themselves, but also for Bushlack, who cannot be on the court with them.

“Sabrina is the hardest working person that I have ever met, both on and off the court,” said senior volleyball player Tara Rasmussen.

Bushlack has been described as being a great friend, classmate, student and someone to look up to. As an athlete, she has a drive and passion for the game of volleyball and is always pushing herself to do her best.

Head Volleyball Coach Mike Lester said, “Bre’s personality and leadership role was apparent when the team took a blind vote and nominated her as a captain, even though she is not physically present on the team.”

Bushlack’s absence has had a large impact on the team. They have been commemorating her this year by taking her jersey with them to every game and placing it on the first seat on the bench.  Also, all of the volleyball players have wristbands for Bushlack that they have on their water bottles or shoes so that she is always with them.

Senior volleyball player Carissa Hahn said, “It means a lot to the team to have Sabrina named as an honorary captain, because it shows that we still think of her and she is still a part of our team and our family.”

The volleyball team is helping to host a 5K Run/Walk called “Strong is the New Beautiful” to benefit Bushlack. It will start at the Toner Student Center and continue through the bluffs of campus on Sunday, Oct. 21.

‘M’ Club and Hall of Fame

BY SAMANTHA BORAWSKI
Sports Editor

Saint Mary’s University inducted alumni into the Hall of Fame and honored current student-athletes for their outstanding achievements at the annual Cardinal ‘M’ Club Awards Program on Sept. 7.

This year SMU inducted three members into its Hall of Fame: Chris Kendall ’79 for Baseball, Anne Erickson ’89 for Women’s Soccer and Alex Kugel ’99 for Men’s Soccer.  Each were selected for being outstanding athletes in their particular sports during their four years at SMU.  The speeches by Kendall and Kugel shared some common themes: be a supportive teammate, put a hundred percent into every practice and game and have pride in your school.

After speaking about his love for sports, especially soccer, Kugel provided the student-athletes in attendance with advice: live in the moment. He said it is important for student-athletes to appreciate their sport and give it their all because that ability can be taken away in the matter of seconds.

Kendall also mentioned the importance of the support and love of family in his speech. Besides immediate family, Kendall talked about the importance of having the SMU family behind him, not only when he was an athlete, but also during his time working at SMU.

Prior to inducting the three stellar athletes into the Hall of Fame, SMU student-athletes were honored for a variety of achievements including being named Academic and Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) All-Conference. This year over 50 student-athletes representing an array of sports teams received awards for one or both of these two categories.

SMU also honors four student-athletes for their achievements. Jake Traxler and Regina Quandt were named SMU’s Outstanding Male and Female Scholar Athletes for their academic success in addition to both of their athletic success in Indoor Track and Field. Kevin Gannon for Baseball and Bailey Edwards for Women’s Tennis were also honored as SMU’s Outstanding Male and Female athletes for their stellar athletic seasons during the 2011-12 academic year.

The Cardinal ‘M’ Club Awards reminds the SMU community of the accomplishments that each student-athlete has earned and continues to be a celebration even in this Centennial year.

B.T.’s Corner: The importance of rest

By Brian L. Thomas
Cardinal Staff

As college students, we perform an amazing amount of activities on the daily basis. Our brains are constantly working and our bodies are constantly fighting to keep up.

We work to organize our busy schedules and become frustrated or discouraged when things don’t work in our favor.

Very rarely, do we take time to truly rest our minds. We often confuse watching TV, surfing the Internet or spending time with friends with relaxation.

Mental rest is important because it grants perspective. With a better perspective, we can find better, more efficient paths to success in class, in our social sphere and in life.

I challenge you to take 15-20 minutes out of each day, find a quiet place and simply rest your mind.