Students celebrate SMU’s Centennial

By Paige Carter

Business Editor

Over 540 students and faculty attended the Saint Mary’s University carnival-themed Student Centennial Event on April 13, according to Associate Director of Alumni Relations Bob Fisher.

The event was planned by the Student Centennial Leaders (CSLs), a group of students who assist in the planning and support at Centennial events.  The efforts were co-chaired by senior Julianne Bartosz and sophomore Conner Ellinghuysen.

Fisher, who oversees the CSLs, said that the Student Centennial Event was the largest student-attended event of the 2012-2013 academic year.

“The CSLs put a lot of hard work into planning and implementing the event, especially since it was in celebration of such a monumental year for Saint Mary’s,” said Bartosz.  “Seeing all of the students enjoying themselves at the event definitely made all of the work worth it.”

During the three-hour carnival event, live bands played and Famous Dave’s catered in food. The event  featured many blow-up activities and games. There was an obstacle course, arcade-style skeeball and a basketball activity. Prizes specific to the student event were given to students, including shirts, drawstring bags, tumblers and chip clips.

After the carnival, 195 students attended the Decade Dance, which was held in the Toner Dining Hall. Students were encouraged to dress in attire from their favorite decades. The decades that were represented ranged from the 1940s to 2020. DJ Downtown Petey Brown provided music for the two-hour event.

Throughout the carnival and dance, students had the opportunity to win prizes through a raffle. Some of the raffle prizes included flat screen TVs, iPad Minis, SMU apparel, tickets to a Chicago Cubs game and an iPod Nano.

“I was happy to see the reaction of people who won prizes,” said Bartosz, who emceed the Decade Dance.  “So many students were overjoyed because they’ve never won such a big prize before.”

The CSLs began planning the event in November after receiving approval from Brother William Mann, president, and Vice President for Student Life Chris Kendall.

“Being involved in the planning process, it was great to see the turnout after all the hard work we put into each stage of the event,” said senior CSL Hailey Ohl. “It was a great way to start the university’s next 100 years.”

Saint Mary’s celebrates student academics, interdepartmental involvement

By Paul Schmitt
Cardinal Staff

Appreciation for both academic achievement and interdepartmental involvement was fostered through a series of student presentations on April 12 at Saint Mary’s University’s first Celebration of Scholarship.

The event involved three sessions, each 75 minutes long, throughout the day in which students either presented their research from the past year or observed others’ presentations. The celebration occurred in lieu of the normal Friday class schedule. 

Lawrence Price, chairman of the committee organizing the event, said the administration felt “it would be good for our university to see what other parts of our university were doing, to promote the interdisciplinary flavor.”

The biggest challenge, he said, was in giving students an incentive to participate. “Just the idea of sitting through a presentation is boring to most students,” said Price. “But I think that there was some impetus for students to come out and support their buddies.”

Among other incentives was a pizza party awarded to the dormitory with the most attendees, and extra credit opportunities offered by various professors.

Over 750 students attended the event, along with 100 other guests.

“The event was a great way to get out of the bubble of my own department,” said Clinton Nienhaus, a senior environmental biology student at Saint Mary’s University. “The sciences always have symposiums, but it was nice to see some liberal arts get involved as well.”

The celebration may have added benefits besides giving students the chance to present their work. “What I call the ‘crown jewel’ of this event is that the underclassmen have seen the seniors present pretty high levels of scholarship and they realize how high the bar is set,” said Price. “This event, in my mind, could potentially raise the entire university a notch, academically.”

Price said that, while he is not responsible for it, the chances of repeating the event next year are high based on the success experienced this year.

Student Senate cuts all club budgets

By Paul Schmitt
Cardinal Staff

Student Senate recently enacted a 9 percent budget cut for all student clubs for the 2013-14 academic year, leaving some organizations scrambling for funds.

The cuts are the result of a decline in enrollment at Saint Mary’s University, despite the student activity fee increase from $170 to $185 per student.

“The fee of $185 per person comes out to roughly $211,000, so that’s what we’re working with for the Student Senate budget,” said Vice President for Financial Affairs Melissa Radermacher. “If all the clubs have the same budget they had this year, we would have a $20,000 deficit, so a 9 percent cut was made so we come out even.”

A 9 percent cut may not seem like a lot, but clubs such as Ballroom Dance need every penny they request. Ballroom Dance hires a dance teacher from the Twin Cities to come to campus once a week for three hours, and has a long-standing reduced rate worked out with the teacher, according to Jackie Jones, co-president of the club.

“One of the things that sort of bothered me was that if I had known about this budget cut beforehand, I would have focused more on fundraising so that our cap would have been decreased,” said Jones. “I think that exceptions should be made if clubs show a specific need for something. It’s really hard for our club to function without an instructor.”

Student Senate did have the ability to grant exceptions to the cut, but “they all seemed to understand it would be unfair if one group got less than a 9 percent cut, because that would mean another group would have to have a higher cut to make up for it,” said Radermacher.

Radermacher assured that $8,000 per semester would be available for special request funds based on need. She encourages students to get their requests in early in the semester for the best chance of getting approved.

Coach sights mountain lion in bluffs

By Midge Reller

Cardinal Staff

A mountain lion was reportedly seen by a coach in the bluffs by St. Yon’s Valley on March 27, according to Campus Safety Director Phillip Gaddis.

Saint Mary’s University students and faculty received an email notification from Gaddis about the sighting immediately after the report was made. “The important thing is to get the word out so that if people are planning to go in that area, they go in groups for safety,” said Gaddis.

Since the sighting, there have not been any notifications sent to students and faculty declaring that the bluffs are safe. “I don’t know that it’s ever safe,” said Gaddis. “There is always a potential threat. Whether it’s mountain lions, bears, snakes or falls,” he said. Campus Safety has not been aware of any additional mountain lion sightings since March 27.

Although Gaddis has never had a report of a mountain lion on campus, he has heard of reports on outlying areas. “DNR [Department of Natural Resources] was not surprised when I made the report. It’s spring, and that’s when they travel,” said Gaddis. “There have been reports almost annually of mountain lions and bears,” he said.

According to Gaddis, the animals are not generally aggressive, but they have attacked in places during drought seasons. This is when there is very little game for them, and the lions feel that people have invaded their territory.

The large size of these wild animals makes them dangerous, according to Gaddis. “An adult male can get up to 6.5 ft. and 150 lbs.,” he said. “Mountain lions and bears are more afraid of people than we are of them. We just have to be cautious when we’re in the woods. If they are cornered, there’s a lot to contend with.”

The news of the sighting did not shock Susan Drazkowski, assistant director of the SMU Toner Student Center. “Mountain lions are not as unusual as it was five years ago,” said Drazkowski.

Darlene Paulson, director of the SMU Toner Student Center said the sighting verified her decision not to visit the bluff trails. ”I used to ski and hike up there, but then one time I saw a rattlesnake,” Paulson said. “Maybe I would go up again if the mountain lion ate the rattlesnake, because I think I would rather see a mountain lion than a snake.”

Gaddis said that people are not generally as aware as they should be when travelling in the woods. “It’s just common sense,” he said. “Most of the time a wild animal in the woods is going to know you’re there before you get to them.”

SMU honors the 2013 outstanding seniors

By Regina Barbosa

News Editor

Peter Borash and Connie Budin received the Outstanding Male and Female Senior Awards at the Founder’s Day Convocation on Tuesday, April 9, for their demonstration of scholarship, character, leadership, service and genuine concern for meeting the needs of others at Saint Mary’s University.

“It is a huge honor to be nominated as an outstanding senior and represent this university,” said Budin, a public relations major with both an art and business minor and an active student on campus.

According to Coordinator for the Mass Communication Program Dean Beckman, Budin “has embedded herself in our university.”  Budin has held positions of leadership for the admissions office, future alumni committee, student activities committee, student senate, the Taylor Richmond benefit dance, new student orientation, yearbook, Serving Others United in Love (S.O.U.L) trips and Together Encountering Christ (T.E.C.). Budin is also a member of the Lasallian Honors Program and Delta Epsilon Sigma (National Scholastic Honor Society).

“If it wasn’t for the other students here, if it wasn’t for everyone, we wouldn’t be up here either. We wouldn’t be involved. We wouldn’t have things to be involved in, if it wasn’t for every student on this campus,” said Borash, an environmental biology major.

Borash has helped to form the Archery Club and LSCB (Leadership, Service, Community, Brotherhood) Club as well as been a member of the Liturgical Choir, Beta Beta Beta (National Biological Honor Society), Delta Epsilon Sigma (National Scholastic Honor Society), Hendrickson Scholars, the Lasallian Honors program, Biology Club, Lasallian Collegians, Buddies, Outdoor Leadership and the Taylor Richmond Benefit Dance Committee. He has worked as a resident assistant for the past three years and has competed for the university’s cross country, indoor track and outdoor track teams, as well as multiple intramural teams.

Borash specifically thanked the cross country team for their contributions to his life. “They’ve seen me at my best, they’ve seen me at my worst,” he said. “And even then, they’ve continued to make me realize there’s more to strive for. You may reach one goal but there’s always another one to go for. For that, I can’t say thank you enough.”

Ten students were nominated for the awards. The four other male nominees were: Aaron Henry, a biology major; Bryan Moore, a performance studies major in dance and theatre; Jay Olson, a biochemistry major; and Jake Traxler, a biochemistry major.

The four other female nominees were: Sarah Anderson, a biology pre-physical therapy major and theatre minor; Samantha Herbst, an elementary education major; Jacinta Jude, a biology pre-physical therapy major and chemistry minor; and Shannon Nelson, a public relations and Spanish double major.

Living Learning Communities expand for second year

By Jimmy Becker 

Cardinal Staff

Living Learning Communities have started to expand after the first year at Saint Mary’s University, with the hopes of becoming a formalized program on campus.

Living Learning Communities are residential groups with the purpose of having students interact and connect with faculty on Saint Mary’s University campus.

“First-year students learn a lot of lessons throughout the program, which helps them connect to the Saint Mary’s University community,” said Director of Residence Life Brendan Dolan.

According to Dolan, the program has been a success this past year because the amount of faculty and students involved. Professors give their time to monitor the Living Learning Communities.

The four communities are: Well Inc., supervised by Dr. Moni Berg-Binder and Professor Chandu Valluri; ArsAlive supervised by Dr. Janet Heukeshoven and Lisa Truax; Global Faith supervised by Dr. Daniel Bucknam and Erich Lippman; and Wide World and Sports supervised by Dr. Joseph Tadie and Kyle Black.

According to Dolan, the success of the program is obvious. “It’s the students of the community who are passionate, bond with similar interests and have common goals,” said Dolan. “The socialization comes with an understanding that they will be invested to what is expected among their peers.”

Students give back at Spruce Up Winona

By Mary Nordick 

Cardinal Staff

About 155 Saint Mary’s University students volunteered in the annual Spruce Up Winona event on Saturday, April 20.

The event is in conjunction with Earth Day and is a way for the SMU community to give back to Winona. This year, the event went off without a hitch and had volunteers out the back door.

“Groups of people will go out into the community and volunteer for different organizations,” said senior Volunteer Mentor Shannon Nelson. “We had about 155 volunteers and the event overall was a success.” 

It was the first sunny day Winona has seen in a while, and participants received sunglasses as they went out to different areas in Winona to volunteer.

Sophomore Mae Yang said, “I met a lot of new people also and we got cookies from the site volunteer. Overall I would say it was a great day. It was so fun that I did not seem to think I was volunteering. It did not seem like a chore at all.”

The event takes place every spring and students are encouraged to attend. Nelson said, “It is definitely a rewarding experience that everyone should participate in.”

2013 Senior Class Gift: Donation will help beautify new campus statue

Brian L. Thomas

Cardinal Staff

The Class of 2013 jump-started the annual Senior Gift Campaign with a kick-off event at the start of this month, which raised over $4,000 in pledges.

Led by a committee of 17 students, the annual gift campaign encourages graduating seniors to give back to the SMU community in the form of pledges. The kick-off event took place in the President’s Room and offered seniors an opportunity to learn about the importance of the campaign and how it can impact future students.  In addition, there was plenty of food, music and fun for the near 80 seniors in attendance.

This year the Senior Gift Committee has decided to focus its efforts on the beautification of the new Christian Brothers’ Statue. The statue, expected to be revealed on campus this summer, will symbolize each of the Christian Brothers that has served the Saint Mary’s community throughout its rich history. The statue will also cap off an amazing Centennial year. 

The committee members are excited about their role in the project as most of the funds from the gift campaign will be put toward landscaping for the statue. 

The Senior Gift Campaign works in collaboration with the SMU Alumni and Development Department. At the end of campaign, which lasts two weeks, a celebration will be held to honor the Class of 2013 members who pledged and to congratulate the class on its successful effort.

Cardinal Corner embraces students

By Brian L. Thomas

Cardinal Staff

The Cardinal Corner is no stranger to Saint Mary’s University students. As the only student-operated business on campus, the Cardinal Corner has served as a perfect hands-on learning project for business majors for the past two years. Students are able to incorporate a business plan, promote new products and account for revenue, while working at the small stand in the basement of the Toner Center. 

Each semester, students take on the responsibility of operating the Cardinal Corner and donate profits to a worthy cause. Like many organizations and events in the SMU community this year, they decided to embrace one of their own, Sabrina Bushlack. Bushlack is a Saint Mary’s student who was severely injured in a car accident this past summer. In light of her recovery and return to the SMU community, she inspired a campus-wide “Strong is the New Beautiful” campaign to support her family.

The Cardinal Corner is an integral part of the MG315 Entrepreneurship course. Students in the course are divided into teams within the class and take turns running the store throughout the week. 

The store sells a variety of products like SMU apparel, coffee mug, notebooks and much more. To contribute to their efforts, there will be a final store sale on Friday, April 26.

Students lobby at Day at the Capitol

By Carissa Hahn

Copy Editor

Saint Mary’s University students participated in Day at the Capitol to promote civic engagement and active citizenship while lobbying Minnesota state legislators for the Minnesota State Grant program on March 20, according to SMU’s Executive Vice President and General Counsel Ann Merchlewitz.  

“This year we took 58 students to the Capitol, which was one of the largest groups from any Minnesota private college,” said Merchlewitz.

Merchlewitz said SMU has been involved with this event for well over 10 years. The event is sponsored by the MN Private Council and happens every year. 

Brian Thomas, senior and Student Senate vice president of external affairs, has participated in this event for three years. This year, it was his job to plan and promote the event with the help of a small committee. 

“The trip is very beneficial to students for several reasons,” said Thomas. “Lobbying for the program is important because it affords many students the opportunity to come to SMU. It’s also important to get to know your legislators in case there is an issue you need solved.”

SMU will be attending this event next year, and it will be open to all students who are interested. Students who are interested in going should talk to incumbent Student Senate VP of External Affairs Connor Ellinghuysen.

Spain offers multiple opportunities for a December SMU graduate

By Alexi Lund

Feature Editor

Saint Mary’s University alum, Desiree Caballero, was offered an opportunity to utilize her Spanish and Human Services majors in Spain where she is currently volunteering and working as a nanny since graduation in December 2012.

During Caballero’s final semester at SMU, she was introduced to the family for whom she is currently an au pair. According to Caballero, in Spain she, met them and they expressed interest in having someone like her return with their family and speak in English to their three children.”

“I was really interested in traveling to Spain and knew this was a unique opportunity and that I would have time in the mornings and weekends to volunteer and to continue practicing my Spanish,” said Caballero.  

Caballero is currently volunteering in Malaga, Spain. Besides working as an au pair, she is also volunteering with two organizations: Protección Civil (Civil Protection) and Cruz Roja Española (The Spanish Red Cross). “I selected these two organizations because they fit well with my Human Services and Spanish majors,” said Caballero.  

In protección civil the main objective is prevention of emergencies; Caballero works at various arenas like soccer games, basketball games, concerts, street markets, fairs, etc. 

     

On top of volunteering and being a nanny, Caballero teaches beginning English to two adults, one-on-one in her spare time. 

Caballero arrived in Spain on January 31, 2013, where she began working as a nanny and giving English courses right away. She said it it took two months to complete the interview processes and necessary courses for her to become enrolled as a volunteer in two formal organizations. 

Caballero has always been an active volunteer for Habitat for Humanity and her local food pantry. She has a desire to help others and to work together to make things more desirable for everyone. “Volunteering is a unique experience in which not only do you help others but you can learn a lot about other people and the different circumstances have in one way or another effected their life,” said Caballero. 

Caballero’s time at SMU has been significant in this process. Her professors and advisor have each helped Caballero in a different way. “Professor Robeson, my Human Services advisor, helped me a lot to learn how to work-speak with others in a formal way and to complete service work to find my interests, and Dr. Reed as well as Dr. Black both encouraged traveling as well, as a way to continue practicing Spanish,” said Caballero. 

Caballero said, “Traveling and volunteering don’t have to go hand in hand, but for me and my desire to practice Spanish at the same time, going to Spain was a perfect opportunity to do both.”

Seniors pursue volunteer opportunities with Lasallian Volunteers after graduation

By Alexi Lund

Feature Editor

Seniors Kyle Garesche and Samantha Herbst will dedicate a year to service with the Lasallian Volunteers after their graduation in May 2013.

The prospective placement that Garesche received is at the San Miguel De La Salle Middle School on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation in Browning, Mont. Herbst will be at the De La Salle Blessed Sacrament in Memphis, Tenn. 

“This post graduation path gives meaning to my education. I have been blessed with such incredible opportunities afforded to me by my family, friends and educators that I have a compelling urge to share my hard work and blessings with some of the less fortunate people in our nation,” said Garesche.

Herbst spent a week at the San Miguel Schools in Chicago her freshman year and a week at Saint Mary›s Mission School in Red Lake, Minn., last year, both for SOUL trips. “I really enjoyed the mission of teaching the whole child and wanted to be a part of schools that are working so hard to provide opportunities and resources for these students who wouldn›t otherwise have them,” said Herbst.

Herbst student taught at Marian Middle School, a Nativity Miguel school in Saint Louis, Mo., which was a "trial run" for her to see if she felt the same about working at these schools when she was there for longer than a week and had to teach and work as part of the staff and live in community. "I loved the experience more than I could have even imagined," said Herbst. After her experience, she started looking into volunteer programs.

“I realized that being part of a volunteer program, especially Lasallian Volunteers, would give me the support system, mentors, and spiritual support that would help me be successful while pushing myself and gaining meaningful experience,” said Herbst. Now is a good time for both of these students to volunteer because they have the flexibility to travel and serve where they are needed as well as time and energy to devote to their students.   

“It's important to volunteer because all of us here at SMU are given such great opportunities with our education and future that not everyone in this world has,” said Garesche. 

Garesche’s goal is to be a high school history teacher, “This is an opportunity to really make a difference in a child's life. Even if it›s just one student who I help, it would make all of my time spent here at SMU and volunteering worth it,” said Garesche.

“I like to give back because I know how fortunate I have been and how many people have helped me get to where I am today,” said Herbst. “However, it never fails that I seem to get more than I give and learn many lessons from those to whom I am trying to be of service.”

Different academic paths prepare SMU seniors for various law schools

By Julianne Bartosz

Editor in Chief

As the 2012-2013 academic year nears its end, Saint Mary’s seniors are forced to plan for the next step in their lives.  As some still struggle finding their calling, three of SMU seniors are about to embark on the next step of their lives: law school.

Seniors Meghan Campbell, Cathy Rennie and Jeunesse Rutledge have each been accepted into law school despite their different academic paths at SMU. 

Campbell is a political science & history double major who will be attending Villanova University in Pennsylvania in the fall.  She will be pursuing a career in public interest, which may include anything from immigration to civil rights and family law to low income.

“I was always fascinated by legal matters and our political rights,” said Campbell.  “Being at college has really helped me become more passionate about preserving the rights of others as well.”

Campbell said that Saint Mary’s has also prepared her through her classes and extracurricular activities.  Meanwhile, Rennie said that SMU has prepared her by becoming a better writer.

“Also, some of the classes I have taken have exposed me to various cases and taught me how to write case briefs and evaluate each case,” said Rennie, a psychology major with a business minor.

Rennie will be attending the University of Saint Thomas and is not sure what kind of law she wants to study.  She said, “I am kind of leaning toward some type of business or corporate law or trial law”

As a student-athlete who is active on campus, she said her biggest challenge will be putting all of her focus and attention on school.  On the other hand, Rutledge said the biggest challenge will be the “grading on a curve.”

“I am excited to be challenged and have to defend my beliefs while doing the same for others,” said Rutledge, a criminal justice law enforcement and literature double major who will be attending the University of Wisconsin Madison Law School.  

She plans on being a prosecutor for a larger county and can definitely see herself in the felony violence courtroom in the future.  This strong sense of her future is based on her internships, one of which was at the Lake County, Ill., State Attorney’s Office.

“My three years of internships have probably been the most helpful in getting hands-on experience and exposure with my future career paths,” she said.  Rutledge advises students interested in law school “to start internships as soon as possible and get as many under your belt as soon as you can.”

Campbell also said that her internship at a law firm in Washington, D.C., provided a very valuable experience.  

“I not only gained hands-on experience working in a firm by assisting in trials, managing case briefs and handling clientele,” said Campbell.  “I also had several opportunities to meet many other attorneys and judges who were more than willing to give me advice on my career path.”

Campbell advises students “to get involved in things that you are interested in and that might add to your career goals.”  She explained that she was able to utilize this advise by getting involved in SMU’s Peace and Justice Club and by volunteering at the Red Wing Correctional Facility.

Campbell, Rennie and Rutledge each emphasized the importance of studying for the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) and giving yourself enough time to take it more than once.  Campbell and Rennie advise students interested in pursuing law school to visit the Law School Admissions Council’s website (LSAC.org).

Europe offers teaching opportunities for 2013 literature graduate

By Julianne Bartosz

Editor in Chief

A Saint Mary’s University senior is taking advantage of a global volunteer program to explore Europe for the first time.

Senior Rosa Edholm, who majored in literature at SMU, will be exploring Europe while teaching English for 10 weeks through a volunteer program called Learning Enterprises.

“This is a great opportunity to explore my Croatian heritage while also gaining some teaching experience,” said Edholm.

Edholm will first teach English in a part of Hungary then in Slovakia.  However, she does not yet know her exact placement.

“I am interested in world cultures,” said Edholm.  “I am also serious about learning to speak Croatian, so being somewhere I can speak the language will really help me.”

The program will allow her to emerge herself in the culture while living with a host family.

Prior to the program, Edholm will have the opportunity to visit Italy.  She will be traveling from Rome to Venice with her brother as they visit relatives in Eastern Europe.  When the program ends in August, Edholm will tour parts of Europe.  She will first fly to Switzerland, then fly to Iceland.

Her SMU courses inspire her to visit Germany, Berlin and the United Kingdom.  However, she knows she will not be able to because of travel limitations.  Edholm said, “There are a lot of places I want to see, but I can’t.”

Edholm believes the experience will be a true “perspective shifter” for her.  She said one of the biggest challenges will be either the culture shock or having to leave.  “I haven’t even bought a ticket home yet,” said Edholm.

Edholm is unsure of what she will do when she returns home in the fall.  She expressed interest in volunteering to teach English in longer programs.  Edholm also mentioned pursuing graduate school to study either women’s studies or Slavic literature.

Gaslight 2013: Diverse music, awkward jokes

By Carissa Hahn

Copy Editor

The Senior Class presented the 51st annual Gaslight show on April 19 and 20, providing three shows full of diverse musical acts and awkward jokes in the Saint Mary’s University Cafeteria.  

Each show consisted of two sets, a total of 26 acts. There was a multitude of different music genres presented including country, rock, and pop.

SMU Admission Counselor and Visit Coordinator Aubry Hollnagel and senior Jamie Cooper were the Masters of Ceremonies for all shows. Between each act, they provided light-hearted comedy and even read tweets from the designated Twitter hashtag for the show, #Gaslight2013. 

Gaslight is presented by the Senior Class, but a lot of the work is done by the Brothers of Phi Mu Alpha. Many fraternity members performed in the show. John Fitzpatrick has been involved in every Gaslight since he has been at SMU. He said, “The thing about the show that is so awesome is all of the support that is shown during the show by the crowd. A lot of the performers don’t usually get the chance to perform in front of people, and the crowds really make it a great experience.” 

The show opened with a group called “Fitzy and the Crowbars” performing “Thrift Shop” by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis; bass player Paul Schmitt was sporting a fur coat. “I liked that they opened with this song because I think it really set the tone for the rest of the show,” said Alexi Lund, who attended the Friday evening show.

Lund said she didn’t have a favorite act because all of them were presented so differently. “I can’t decide what single performance I liked best because each was unique and they were all from different genres. It was fun to listen to them all,” said Lund.

Band has final concert before commencement

By Clinton Neinhaus

Cardinal Staff

The Saint Mary’s concert band had its final concert of the year on April 14.

The repertoire comprised of technical works composed in challenging time signatures that allowed for significant improvement by the entirety of the band throughout the year. Songs featured in the concert were “Vesuvius” by Frank Ticheli, “Slava” by Leonard Bernstein and “Wind Power” by Johan de Meij.  There was also a jazzy piece for concert band entitled “Blues for a Killed Kat,” which featured two soloists as well as the trombone section. 

Though there were some weather challenges, attendance was great with many making the trek through the sleet and rain to enjoy a wonderful performance. Special to this concert was recognition of the senior class members, who have put in four years of work cumulating with a wonderful final performance.

The concert band will play next during the May 11 commencement ceremony. It will also be recording two selections including Centennial March, which was featured during the first week of the school year.

SMU choirs share the stage April 27 spring concert with Northwestern

By Petey Brown 

Arts & Entertainment Editor

The Saint Mary’s University concert and chamber choirs will be joined by the Northwestern College varsity men’s choir to perform at the annual spring concert on April 27, at 7:30 p.m. at Chapel of Saint Mary of the Angels. 

Over 100 singers will be performing at this concert, with 66 of them from Saint Mary’s chamber and concert choir and 40 from Northwestern.  The Northwestern choir will join the men of the Saint Mary’s choir to sing two pieces.  Along with this, the chamber and concert choirs will have about eight pieces each that they will perform.  

“There will be many different colors and tones to this concert with the variety of pieces,” said SMU Choir Director Dr. Patrick O’Shea. “One of the pieces will have a French horn, another with a snare drum and one with the chamber orchestra.”

Some pieces that will be performed by the concert choir will be “Three Scottish Folksongs”, “Sing a Mighty Song,” and a traditional spiritual called “Didn’t My Lord Deliver Daniel.”  “This is the record of John” will be performed by the concert choir with the chamber orchestra.   Also, there will be two pieces by the men’s choir from Northwestern and the Saint Mary’s men: “How Can I Keep from Singing” and “Abraham Lincoln Walks at Midnight.”

“It has been a great year so far with a lot of good music,” said O’Shea.  “I am excited to see everyone at the concert.”

O’Shea wishes to remind all SMU students that anyone is welcome to audition for the choir, not just art or music majors.  Auditions are at the start of every semester.

Movie Review: ‘Safety Not Guaranteed’ worth a watch

Petey Brown
Arts & Entertainment Editor

Safety Not Guaranteed is a romantic comedy that men and women can both enjoy about three magazine employees who go on an assignment to find a man who needs a companion for time travel.

Darius (Aubrey Plaza-Parks and Recreation) tries to get the interview that will have her noticed at the magazine she works at by going along on a trip to interview a time traveler.  The time traveler, Kenneth (Mark Duplass-The League), is an awkward and strange man who put an ad in the local newspaper looking for  someone to accompany him as he travels back in time.

The magazine wants to write an article about this man, but Kenneth has his reservations.  Darius pretends to want to be Kenneth’s companion and goes through training to gain his trust.  This training is to make sure Darius is up for time travel and if Kenneth can trust her. 

Meanwhile, staff writer Jeff and nerdy intern Arnau are doing their own thing on the trip.  Jeff is trying to reconnect with a high school crush even though he is not sure if he still likes her or not at first glance.  During this trip, Jeff also wants to expose shy Arnau to fun times and how to live as a college student.  Arnau is unsure if he wants to partake in that kind of life style, but Jeff eventually pushes him enough to have a little fun.

Darius and Kenneth grow closer to each other through Kenneth’s crazy training routine.  Darius starts to think Kenneth is less crazy and the two learn they actually have a lot in common.

Safety Not Guaranteed was enjoyable, especially since it had multiple storylines. The movie, which is available on Netflix Instant Watch, has something for everyone. It also includes a lot of actors from popular television shows. If you are looking for an independent comedy movie, be sure to give Safety Not Guaranteed a try.