Fisher hopes to ...

By Kassondra Burtis

News Editor

Hundreds of students graduate from Saint Mary’s University every year, yet few decide to come back and work at the place where they received their education. Bob Fisher is one of those few.

Fisher is a Dec. 1997 SMU graduate with a history major and business minor. He also completed his master’s degree in philanthropy and development from SMU in 2006. He has been working for Saint Mary’s since June 2000, first as director of the annual fund, and just last year switched to associate director for young alumni and student relations.

“One of the reasons that I decided to come back and work here is because Saint Mary’s did so much for me, academically and personally,” Fisher said. “It made me who I am today. I want to help provide those same opportunities that I had and actually create better opportunities for the future students of Saint Mary’s.”

As a student Fisher had a love for music, as he participated in jazz ensemble, jazz combo, concert band, liturgical choir and the musical fraternity Phi Mu Alpha. He also participated in cross country running, cross country skiing, the history club and the SMU historical society.

One of the greatest experiences Fisher was able to be a part of at SMU, he said, was the chance to study abroad in Italy.

“I would say that experience was truly rewarding; and educationally it was rewarding and refreshing,” Fisher said. “The opportunity to travel around with some of your greatest friends, travel around some of the countries in central Europe, to really grow as a person and see other cultures was so important.”

Another highlight of Fisher’s years as a student was doing the Gaslight and Blue Angel shows.

“I’m a performer by hobby and getting up on stage and performing for the student body was always a lot of fun,” Fisher said. “What is awesome for me now is I get to continue that but see it from a different side – see how students grow through those experiences and helping them get more comfortable on stage as one of the advisors of the show.”

Other aspects of Fisher’s SMU experience that helped him to excel included the chance to do three internships – at the history museum in Winona, the Art Institute of Chicago, and the SMU Development Office – as well as the close attention that professors give to students.

“I wasn’t an honors student by any means, but I worked hard, and I learned to really write well as a student here,” Fisher said. “I came in here with fairly poor writing skills, so the attention that the Saint Mary’s faculty and staff gave me was extraordinary.”

One of the things Fisher says hasn’t changed from his time as a student until now is his character.

“I’m always smiling,” Fisher said. “I think the nice guy, smiley Bob is what a lot of people would remember about me.”

Another thing about Fisher that has remained constant is his love of music. He is still active in Phi Mu Alpha, as he is now the faculty advisor of the fraternity.

One piece of advice Fisher has for students as they leave Saint Mary’s students is to stay in touch with the university.

“Stay involved, stay connected and continue embracing our great community because it’s not just a community for four years, it’s a community for life.”

Miller’s career at SMU

Samantha Borawski

Cardinal Staff

Saint Mary’s University alumnus and current head fastpitch softball Coach Jen Miller recalls her memories of attending SMU and the differences and similarities between the university then and now.

While attending SMU, Miller played four years on the fastpitch softball team, leading her to her favorite and best memory of college as winning a National Division III Championship in 2000.

Aside from a national championship, Miller also remembers significant moments such as winning regionals and just being able to continue to enjoy playing softball.

As a student, Miller majored in elementary education. She said to her knowledge, classes are still similar to when she attended SMU. Her favorite class she took at SMU for her major was Social and Science Methods, which was a class where the student practiced writing lesson plans for elementary school students.

“Students tend to be more inquisitive [now] and want to know why things should be done one way rather than another,” said Miller. Students tended to have a more “just do it” mentality when Miller was a student, she said.

When not being a full-time student or being an active member of the softball team, Miller recalls enjoying all campus parties in the quad which offered things such as live bands for students to listen to.

Two things Miller wished she SMU had when she was a student were the ropes course and the soccer field. Students are still able to enjoy these aspects of Saint Mary’s today.

Lastly, Coach Miller did not plan on staying at SMU to coach. She always imagined herself in a classroom setting, teaching children.

While working at SMU is not what Coach Miller thought would happen in her life, she is glad that she chose this university as her place of employment. She initially chose SMU because of the great softball program, and that is why she is still here today.

Gaslight variety show to celebrate 50-year anniversary

By Jenna Capelle

Cardinal Staff

Gaslight, a music variety show that serves as a fundraiser for the senior class at Saint Mary’s University, will celebrate its 50-year anniversary with an exclusive alumni show.

Associate Director of Young Alumni and Student Relations, Bob Fisher, is responsible for coordinating the alumni show, which will feature various performances from former SMU students throughout the decades.

“The original Oldie Moldie All-Stars from the ‘70s will be performing with Chris Kendall and Mike Charron as emcees,” said Fisher.

The Gaslight alumni show is the first collaboration between the Alumni Relations office and the senior class officers. A reception will be held for alumni one hour before the 7 p.m. alumni show on Saturday night in the Toner Center Dining Room.

“Gaslight is a wonderful tradition for this university,” said Fisher. “It’s a memorable experience for students from every generation.”

Senior class officers, Tina Swanberg and Danielle Strebel, will stay busy over the next few weeks preparing for the Gaslight fundraiser by running auditions, publicity, advertisements and ticket sales.

“Since I have never performed in it and have only been on the audience side, I am really excited to be a ‘behind-the-scenes’ person and make it all happen,” said Strebel.

The senior class officers and Fisher encourage students to audition for Gaslight from March 30 to April 1. In honor of the 50th anniversary, the top two acts that score the highest ranking in auditions have the privilege of performing in the alumni show.

“It’s a variety show, so we make an effort in auditions to enter all different types of music,” said Swanberg. “Every person watching the show can find something they like.”

There will be two student shows at 7 and 10 p.m. on Friday, April 20. The alumni show will be at 7 p.m. and the student show at 10:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 21. Tickets can be purchased during lunches the week prior to the show in the Toner Building or at the door. The shows will take place in the Toner Center Dining Room.

For more information about Gaslight, look for campus emails, posters and the Facebook page. The senior class officers can be contacted at tswan08@smumn.edu and dmstre08@smumn.edu.

Jazz Combo I travels to Germany

By Trisha Stachowski

Arts & Entertainment Editor

Saint Mary’s University’s Jazz Combo I traveled to Cologne, Germany, to perform during spring break.

The 12-piece band was able to experience German culture and share American jazz with the German citizens. The band also had to opportunity to sightsee. The Combo was able to tour both a German cathedral and palace.

The band also had the opportunity to participate in several musical experiences. Under the direction of Dr. John Paulson, the band was able to partake in one rehearsal and play at two different events.

According to junior Jazz Combo I member Allen Mekash, the band had the chance to play at an open rehearsal with a local community band.

In addition to the rehearsal, the group also got to perform at a sold-out show where they teamed up with magician Stefan Gusgen to put on a memorable performance, playing in front of a crowd of over 400 people.

Jazz Combo I concluded their German experience by performing once last concert at the Community Evangelical Church in Wesseling, Germany.

Mekash said the concert was mainly for the host families that housed the students throughout their trip to Germany.

Jazz Combo I will perform at the Page Theatre at SMU on April 13. Tickets for the event are $10 for adults and $5 for students. For more information, contact the Page Theatre.

Jazz Combo I performs homecoming concert

By Trisha Stachowski

Arts & Entertainment Editor

Saint Mary’s University’s Jazz Combo I performed a homecoming concert on Friday, March 16, celebrating their return from Germany in the Figliulo Recital Hall.

The homecoming concert marked the first concert that the 12-piece Combo put on in the United States following their return from their German tour. For the concert, the Combo played 12 songs, including a song arranged by SMU faculty member and Jazz Combo I member A. Eric Heukeshoven. The performance included songs such as “Comin’ Home Baby” and “I’ll Take Romance.” The Combo performed under the direction of Dr. John Paulson.

Paulson said, “I asked each of the students to introduce one of the selections we played, as well as talk about their favorite aspect of the tour.” The Combo stayed consistent with their typical style. When asked about the trip to Germany and the homecoming concert, Paulson stated, “both Eric (Heukeshoven] and I were very proud of the way the students conducted themselves. they were very polite and responsible”.

Jazz Combo I will perform again in the Page Theatre on April 13 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for students. They can be purchased through the Page Theatre.

Successful spring trip leads to hopeful season

Samantha Borawski

Cardinal Staff

Despite losing two games in Rochester at the beginning of the season, the Saint Mary’s University fastpitch softball team went 6-2 on its spring break trip to Clermont, Fla.

By the end of the trip, the Cardinals walked away feeling victorious, hopefully giving the rest of SMU a preview of how the season will go.

Coach Jen Miller said one of the most beneficial things she learned about her team was the depth of players at each position. She said the amount of versatility and willingness to work has given her and the coaching staff confidence in each player at each position.

Miller said she also discovered the team’s determination, since the players never gave up during their games and worked hard for their victories.

With conference games beginning March 28 against Augsburg College at home, the team is ready to begin playing, especially since the weather has been unnaturally warm lately.

Miller said that “defense, hitting and pitching” will be important for the team to have a successful season this year. She said those three aspects will determine if the team will have as much success as they did on their spring break trip.

Cardinal baseball off to a strong start

Nick Bravos

Sports Editor

The Saint Mary’s University baseball team once again started the season off with a spring break trip, this year traveling to Arizona to take on teams from around the country. The team ended the trip winning six out of the ten games, providing a very solid start to the season.

In the final game of the ten-game trip the team came back from a 10-5 deficit to Oregon Lewis and Clarke College. After tying the game in the bottom of the ninth, the score was dead-locked at 13-13 in the bottom half of the tenth. With the Cardinals at the plate, senior Curt Swanson hit an RBI-single to score sophomore Zach Wolfe to win the game 14-13.

Since returning from Arizona, the team has continued to play well, winning two of its three games. After splitting a doubleheader with Cornell College on March 17, the Cardinals outlasted University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh 1-0 in a 14 inning pitchers’ duel on March 25. The Cardinals won after Andy Edholm hit the game winning single in the bottom of the 14th inning to score Matt Tessmer.

The Cardinals have their first home game of the season Saturday, March 31 when they host a doubleheader against Bethel University starting at 1:00 p.m.

El Otro Lado

By Jill Spitzmueller and Kelsi Addabbo

Guest Writers

Ricardo came to the United States with his parents when he was just 10 years old. Now at the age of 34, he is eating beans and tortillas in Nogales, Sonora, a border town in Mexico. He hadn’t been to his native country in 24 years and had no family to turn to or a place to call home. Back in California, Ricardo had an established carpentry business, a wife and two young children. One day, he was pulled over for a burnt-out tail light. The officer asked for his papers and when he failed to produce documentation, he found himself deported to Nogales.

During spring break, we heard many stories like Ricardo’s while on our SOUL trip to Tucson, Arizona. We took part in the San Miguel High School immersion program, El Otro Lado (The Other Side). Throughout the week, we not only saw what life was like on both sides of the border, but we were also challenged to consider many different perspectives on the issue of immigration. We invite you to be open to the many viewpoints we are going to share with you.

Day One: The Wall

Seeing the wall for the first time was shocking. The “wall” is more like a fence in that you can see through the posts to el otro lado. As we walked along the wall, we began to see how arbitrary it was. We walked past a border patrol agent sitting in his vehicle to deter people from jumping the wall.

We then went downtown to the border crossing station where a bus full of recently deported migrants was being unloaded. As we stood there, watching in disbelief, residents walked by as if nothing out of the ordinary was taking place. We were almost ashamed to be watching.

Day Two: The Government Perspective

We began our day with a visit to the Tucson Sector Border Patrol Station where we were given a tour and an informational presentation. The agent told us that the mission of Border Patrol is to prevent terrorism in the United States. Interestingly, they have caught a total of zero terrorists trying to enter from Mexico. We also learned that only 12-14% of migrants are carrying drugs into the United States. One agent shared that the most difficult part of his job is hearing the stories of the migrants, knowing that the current solution is not the best fix, but being unable to think of a better solution.

Later that afternoon, as we sat in a courtroom full of 70 shackled migrants, we watched them approach the bench in groups of five to seven to have their “trial.” Operation Streamline is a federal program used to process undocumented migrants caught in the United States. Again, we felt ashamed as we watched them being herded like cattle through the American Justice System. At a debriefing session with a federal defense attorney, we learned that most of the people involved in Operation Streamline have the same feelings toward it and are seeking a better, more dignified solution.

Day Three: The Environmental Perspective

In the morning, a cattle rancher who lives on the border invited us to his home to give his perspective on immigration. He shared some of the challenges he faces with migrants coming through his property, including cutting his barbed wire fences and leaving the water tanks open. Although he is sympathetic towards the migrants, he worries about his safety and the safety of his family. This concern came to light after a close friend and fellow rancher was killed by a migrant when he was trying to offer assistance to a distressed group of migrants.

Later we met with No More Deaths, a humanitarian group that works along the border. We hiked to a shrine built by migrants along a well-traveled migrant trial, leaving gallons of water along the way. It is impossible for migrants to carry the necessary amount of water with them as they cross through the desert, causing many of them to die of heat stroke.

Day Four: The Humanitarian Perspective

We spent the day with the Green Valley Samaritans who are a group of mostly retired people working to maintain the dignity of the migrants. We drove to a “nest” on the rancher’s property, a place where migrants rest and abandon their unnecessary belongings before making their next move. We proceeded to pick up backpacks, clothes, toothbrushes, food cans, and more personal items, checking for identification along the way.

Afterwards, we took part in a memorial walk in the desert to remember those who lost their lives on their journey. We visited three sites where human remains were found. Unable to be identified, their families have no closure and likely don’t know where their loved ones are.

Day Five: The Migrant Perspective

It was on this day, at the Kino Border Initiative, that we met people like Ricardo who shared their stories with us. Talking with the migrants, we learned that some of the them had been living in the United States for 20 or more years while others did not want to stay in the United States, but only wanted to work for a year or two to make enough money to support their families. Meeting the migrants themselves was a fitting end to our week.

You likely have your notions about immigration. You may have thought Ricardo was deserving of his deportation, or you may have thought it was wrong of the government to deport him. After hearing the many different sides of this issue, we hope you have realized that immigration is a complex issue and have reevaluated your own ideas. We also hope that you will take the time to look further into immigration to become better informed about this prevalent topic. For more information about our trip, visit our blog at www.cbmidwest.org/districtnews.

SMU mourns loss of Br. Jerome

By Julianne Bartosz

Editor-in-chief

Brother Jerome Rademacher, FSC ’58, Ph.D., passed away on Feb. 15 at Saint Anne Extended Health Care at the age of 75.

A De La Salle Christian Brother for 57 years, Brother Jerome had a great impact on the Saint Mary’s University community.

Brother Jerome received his Bachelor of Arts from Saint Mary’s College in 1958. He returned to Saint Mary’s from 1965 to 1969 and again in 1974 until his retirement in 2008.

Brother Jerome spent the majority of his 40 years of teaching in the Physics Department. Nevertheless, he was also one of the first people to teach computer science at SMU.

In addition to teaching, Brother Jerome also impacted the SMU community by sharing his love for the outdoors. He and Brother John Grover, FSC ’65, founded SMU’s trail system, which is used for skiing, running, hiking and playing disc golf.

For years, Brother Jerome groomed the trails himself with his homemade grooming machinery, and this continued involvement with the trails earned him the Heffron Service Award in 2002 from SMU.

Many members of the SMU community attended Brother Jerome’s funeral arrangements, including visitation and Mass of Christian Burial, which were held at SMU on Feb. 20.

Everyone is invited to share personal photos, memories and messages about Brother Jerome on a community Facebook page “In Memory of Brother Jerome.”

Senior class gift all about giving back

By Kassondra Burtis

News Editor

As the Saint Mary’s University Class of 2012 prepares to graduate this May, it hopes to leave a great example of what will begin a long tradition of giving back.

This year for their class gift, the senior class will be pledging money to the university that has given them great education and opportunities. Pledges will be designated through the Saint Mary’s Fund to any of four different areas: Unrestricted (the money will be applied wherever it is most needed), Financial Aid, Athletics, or Friend of the School of the Arts.

“The Saint Mary's Fund is the annual giving vehicle that enables alumni, parents and friends of the university to support the mission-driven, supportive and dedicated education we provide,” said Nicole Schroeder ‘08 who is supervising the Senior Class Gift Committee and the director of Saint Mary’s Fund.

“The Class of 2012 has an opportunity through the Senior Class gift to focus on raising unrestricted funds that ensure the next 100 years of learning remain vibrant and strong,” Schroeder said. “[It also ensures] that every student experiences the relationships built in their freshman residence hall, favorite professor(s) continue to teach and the one-on-one attention remains, because at the heart of your and my Saint Mary’s education is the connection and dedication of those who want to see you succeed.”

Senior Emily Munns, co-chair of the Senior Class Gift Committee, is a third generation Cardinal and applied to co-lead the committee because she wants to help give future students the same opportunities that she has had, if not more.

“My father and grandfather are both alumni of Saint Mary’s University,” Munns said. “My father has donated money to SMU’s annual fund for as long as I can remember. I joined the committee to help inform and raise awareness to the senior class of how important our benefactors and alumni are to the university’s operation and also for the future education of SMU students.

“I am excited and honored to work with Rachel Gates-Vickery, also a co-chair, in addition to the talented committee members in order to make a difference in the future of Saint Mary's University,” Munns said.

Saint Mary’s to hold Easter egg hunt

By Aaron Henry

Cardinal Staff

As the Saint Mary’s University community enters the Lenten season and looks forward to Easter, a new tradition may arise.

For the first time in its history, SMU will host an Easter egg hunt for children of the Winona community on Palm Sunday, April 1, in Mary’s Hall Park or the Gostomski Fieldhouse if it rains. The event will begin with games at 1 p.m. while the Easter Egg Hunt itself starts at 2 p.m.

Inspired by the annual Halloween event that takes place every fall, a few students and Residence Life staff members decided to extend the tradition of community outreach and plan an event for the spring. Juniors Julianne Bartosz, Riley Sinn and Meghan Campbell are working with Nikki Hodous, the director of residence life, and Marc Hartmann, hall director in Benilde, Yon’s and Gilmore residence halls, to make the event a success.

Every year for more than 10 years, the Office of Residence Life at SMU has welcomed families of staff and faculty members and the families in the surrounding community to the campus to partake in an annual Halloween event. The participants play games and go trick-or-treating in residence halls.

“It is always a huge success and a great way to encourage community involvement at the university,” said Bartosz.

She said she hopes that the Easter egg hunt will be equally well-attended.

“I am a little surprised that Saint Mary’s has never had an Easter egg hunt for the community before,” she said. “But I am very excited to have the opportunity to help organize it. I believe that this has the potential to become a great new tradition here at Saint Mary’s.”

The Easter event is still in the planning process and help is needed. Because this is a large community event, the planning committee is looking for anyone who can volunteer time or donate candy or money. Those interested in helping should contact Julianne Bartosz at jmbart09@smumn.edu.

Dance team holds annual show

By Kassondra Burtis

News Editor

The Saint Mary’s University dance team performed for the last time this semester during their second annual dance show Sun., Feb. 26.

The dance team, led by captains Allison Johnson and Kaitlyn Bryant, performed two routines. Other SMU groups that participated in the show included Ballroom Club, cheerleaders and two students who performed an Irish dance.

Dance team manager Emily Munns, a senior who has been with the team for three years, sees the dance show as a great opportunity not only for the team, but also for the other groups who come to participate.

“The dance show is put on by the team to invite studios, colleges and high schools and to showcase the different groups on campus including the dance team,” Munns said. “It is a fun opportunity to let others perform their routines in front of an audience as well.”

The show also allows many groups to be able to perform for free, said Johnson.

“The dance show is a great way for us to perform on campus,” she said. “It allows the audience to experience various styles of dance. [The] main goal is to share the love of dance.”

There were two community dance studios that participated in the show, including Jane Taylor’s Academy of Dance and Nicole’s School of Dance. Both studios performed multiple routines that included solos, duets and group dances.

The money raised from the dance show goes to the dance team budget, helping the team purchase costumes for their routines. It is also used for travel expenses to competitions. This year’s dance show helped raise over $400 for the team.

The show marked the dance team’s final performance this year. Munns looked back on her three years spent with the team and the many great experiences and memories she has shared with them.

“I have thoroughly enjoyed my time as a member and manager for the SMU dance team over the past three years,” she said. “The team is my second family, as I have had the opportunity to spend so much time with them from practices to performing at school to competitions. I will miss everyone next year but would like to wish the team the best of luck in the years to come.”

LCT class goes paperless

By Jake Schild

Cardinal Staff

An LCT class that focuses on sustainability “practiced what it preached” last spring when it did not produce any paper throughout the duration of the semester, said its professor Dr. Scott Sorvaag.

Sorvaag, dean of education at Saint Mary’s University, taught “Sustainability, Leadership, and the Human Spirit” completely electronically, using resources predominantly found on the Internet.

“We generated no paper – at all,” Sorvaag said. “We didn’t have a textbook. All of it was electronic-based text. The syllabus was never printed and was completely linked. It was a networked syllabus, which means you could link to all the readings from the syllabus. There were a lot of really good video resources we used that were in the public domain that were also linked on the syllabus.”

Students in Sorvaag’s class used the free website polleverywhere.com, which invites feedback from anyone and can gather information via text messaging, web, or Twitter. The website allowed student comments during lectures and while watching movies.

Meg Beerling, a student in the course, liked this way of communicating ideas.

“It gave students a chance to be honest and not have to share those feelings in class,” Beerling said. “It really provided for a lot of honesty and helped with that sense of community. With the open-ended questions, I thought the anonymity really helped.”

Students also did homework and shared ideas on blogs outside of class that could be read by all students. Sorvaag explained that this method allowed for both him and his students to get a broader sense of what was being accomplished by looking at collective ideas from the group rather than focusing on one or two at a time.

“Oftentimes, professors get a stack of papers and we get the advantage of reading all of them,” Sorvaag said. “So we get to take a look at the complexity of all of these ideas, and it’s a very rewarding intellectual experience. One of the things that was designed into this course was to use appropriate tools, so everybody had that experience. You can see kind of how everybody’s thinking about this. That really places you in a different place as far as your ability to

synthesize and evaluate ideas. That’s something that I think was a very positive outcome.”

Students in Sorvaag’s class didn’t know until the first day of class that they would be conducting this paperless experiment. However, Sorvaag said that students responded well to the idea and made it work.

“I think, for the most part, people were open about it,” he said. “When I mentioned the challenge of going paperless, they embraced it. There was some enthusiasm there that I really, really appreciated. I really enjoyed the course. When I see people that were in the class, I get a really positive feeling about what we were able to do together.”

New, popular products offered at Cardinal Corner

By Kassondra Burtis

News Editor

New items at the student-run Cardinal Corner are giving students a great opportunity to show their Cardinal pride.

This semester, there are two brand-new items occupying the store’s shelves, as well as two more products that have been popular items in recent semesters.

One of the new featured products is a red blanket with the words “Cardinal Pride” embossed into the fabric. The other new product is a t-shirt featuring Campus Safety’s Don Nelson.

Back by popular demand are the white Father Fabian “The Legend” shirts, as well as the navy blue Andy Warhol-inspired shirts with Brother Stephen’s face on the front.

The Cardinal Corner is a student-run store operated by the Entrepreneurship class instructed by Jana Craft.

“The students in the MG315 class are broken up into four groups of four to five people, and they are tasked with deciding on a product to sell in the store,” Craft said. “They have to market it, track the inventory, report on the financials, strategy for selling, etc.

“Mainly, though, it gives them the opportunity to see that it’s not easy to control everything about a business. Not everyone flocks to your store the moment you open the doors.”

Each semester, the profits from the Cardinal Corner are donated to a charity of the class’s choosing, including all profits “from new items as well as existing items from previous semesters that do not belong to club, sports or teams,” said Craft. This semester, the proceeds will go to the Taylor Richmond Benefit Dance recipient, Josh Misiewicz, a former SMU student and U.S. soldier who was wounded in Afghanistan.

Andrea Moore, a student in Craft’s Entrepreneurship class, said that the students in the class aim to provide products that people can’t buy anywhere else.

“[We] wanted a product that would sell and was unique,” Moore said. “The Father Fabian and Brother Stephen t-shirts are hot sellers so we are piggy-backing off the popularity of honoring a faculty with our ‘Security…Don!’ t-shirts.”

Moore believes that the experience of running the store gives students a first look into what really goes into running a business.

“Not everyone has previous experience selling or working on things that go on behind the scenes before a product reaches the store,” Moore said. “I think running the Cardinal Corner lets us see that there is a lot of work that does happen before anyone realizes any profit.”

3rd Annual Cardinal Plunge

Hosted by Future Alumni Committee (FAC) this year’s Cardinal Plunge was yet another success. Raising money for the Student Emergency Fund, different clubs and individuals took the leap into the icy water on Saturday, Feb. 25, at the Michael LaCanne Park in Goodview, Minn.

Peace and Justice promotes social justice on campus

By Julianne Bartosz

Editor-in-chief

Peace and Justice (P&J) is a club at Saint Mary’s University that aims to educate the SMU community on issues of social justice through constantly recognizing and promoting direct service as a tool for social change, said P&J Co-Advisor Marc Hartmann.

P&J hosts Fair Trade Fridays every week in Mary’s Hall, where they offer fresh fair trade coffee, tea, cocoa and pieces of chocolate.

“We offer products for free to promote awareness of fair trade practices,” said Meghan Campbell, co-president of P&J.

Even though the products are free, donations may be given to help P&J buy more products and fund additional events that the group promotes on campus.

This semester, P&J will be holding an event called Common Threads during which they will collect donated clothes and then sell them.

“Common Threads is our way of promoting sustainability,” said Campbell. “We wanted to give people an opportunity to reuse things and hopefully encourage them to donate their clothes more often.”

They will be accepting clothes donations from April 2-11. Then, the clothes will be sold to the community and campus in the Hall of Fame room April 12-14. Remaining clothes after the sale will be donated to Winona Volunteer Services.

Recently, P&J wrote a proposal to receive a grant for Reverend Green’s Fresh Start of Winona Organization. They were one of 16 groups to receive a grant from the Brother James Miller Social Justice Fund of the Christian Brothers of the Midwest District.

Fresh Start is an organization that helps people who were recently released from jail find a job and a place to live. “We chose to help Fresh Start because they promote fairness and equality for individuals in society regardless of their circumstances,” said Campbell.

Hartmann said that the money from the grant will be used to provide for the everyday living expenses needed to house up to 20 residents at a time.

Last semester, the club held a human trafficking awareness week, planned a Fair Trade Sale and attended a peace vigil at the School of the America’s (SOA) in Fort Benning, Ga.

To get involved with P&J, contact Meghan Campbell at mecamp09@smumn.edu.

SOS begins “green” initiative

By Emma Stenzel

Managing & Advertising Editor

Students Organizing Sustainability (SOS) is the new student-led organization committed to promoting sustainable practices at Saint Mary’s University and increasing awareness of current environmental issues.

SOS was founded in January by a group of environmentally minded students at SMU who hoped to improve the school’s sustainable efforts and advocate alternative solutions. They work to create new opportunities at SMU that will help preserve resources, reduce waste and encourage productive dialogue about environmentalism.

Tina Swanberg, founder and president of SOS, initiated the club after observing a number of areas where SMU could develop its sustainability.

“I noticed there was a lot of waste at our school, so I wanted to start with small projects and see if people were interested,” said Swanberg. “I just think that higher educated students should have a better understanding of sustainability and make the effort to actually practice it.”

Swanberg said she has several goals she would like SOS to accomplish before she graduates in May. She said among the club’s main priorities are to educate the campus about SMU’s recycling programs and to draw attention to the everyday actions that students can change in their own lives, such as avoiding disposables and plastic bottles, consuming less, saving electricity and not driving to campus from residence halls.

“We’ve all heard so many times, ‘Every effort counts!’” said Swanberg. “But really, every small thing does matter. So turn off the lights and recycle because it will go a long way.”

Club members are also interested in seeing SOS sustain itself as a campus organization, which will require the active and consistent participation from SMU students who are dedicated to improving the school’s carbon footprint.

SOS encourages all students to attend its weekly meetings held on Thursdays at 6:30 p.m. in Toner Room B. Students can also connect with the club by “Liking” its Facebook page or reading its blog at sosustain.blogspot.com.

TRBD committee approaches its big event

By Julianne Bartosz

Editor-in-chief

The Taylor Richmond Benefit Dance (TRBD) committee, a group of about twenty Saint Mary’s University students, continues to work hard as the benefit dance draws closer.

The TRBD committee began its planning for the 12th annual TRBD early first semester with monthly meetings. As the March 24 dance approaches, the committee has been meeting every week to ensure that all details are covered.

“We have a group that is dedicated and willing to help out,” said Committee Co-Chair Kelsi Addabbo.

The committee is responsible for planning a silent auction to fundraise for the dance, advertising the event, choosing the beneficiary, sending invitations, decorating the dance site and planning a dinner for the beneficiary’s family and friends prior to the event.

This year, the committee chose to honor Josh Misiewicz after applications and nominations were reviewed. Misiewicz is a former SMU student and military veteran who was wounded while serving his country this past summer.

“It is hard to choose a beneficiary because everyone is really deserving,” said Addabbo.

Addabbo said that the dance is changing this year in two ways. It will be held in SMU’s gymnasium so that more students can attend, and it will also have a hockey or “miracle on ice” theme because Misiewicz played hockey.

“[The biggest reward] is seeing everything come together, how much money we can raise and how much it can impact someone’s life,” said Addabbo.

BSA seeks success in first year as club

By Julianne Bartosz

Editor-in-chief

Black Students and Allies is a club dedicated to raising cultural awareness for African American students and diversity issues at Saint Mary’s University. Within their first semester as a club, BSA has developed into a successful and well-known group on campus.

“We were around last year, but sort of as an unofficial club,” said BSA Treasurer Miles Dunna.

This year, as an official club on campus, BSA has hosted multiple events for the SMU community. During the first semester, the club organized Beauty Week to emphasize the significance of inner beauty. It also held Africa Night, one of their more successful events, to celebrate African culture. SMU students were joined by Winona State students to dance, watch African performances and enjoy ethnic food that members of the club prepared.

More recently, BSA hosted three successful members of the African American community who spoke on Feb. 15 as a celebration of Black History Month. The speakers were Minnesota State Rep. Booby Joe Champion, Star Tribune Managing Editor for Operations Duchesne Drew, and SMU alumnus and Winona State University’s Interim Assistant Director of Housing Xavier Wilson.

The speakers discussed the struggles and achievements of their professional career as a member of the minority. Dunna said the event emphasized that everyone “can make a path for themselves regardless of skin color.”

“This was a ground-breaking event for me,” said Dunna. “It was a professional panel with diversity, yet I could relate. It reminded me to make an opportunity to make dreams come true.”

BSA started planning this event early during first semester. The event was recognized in the Winona community, earning a front-page story in The Winona Daily newspaper.

The group is currently compiled of about 15 SMU students from diverse backgrounds. Their meetings and events are open to the SMU community.

“Our events are open to the Winona-Goodview area,” Dunna said. “Getting people from the area is another way to network.”

Information about BSA events is distributed through email and posters displayed around campus.

Second Page, Simply Fun

By Amalia Santos

Cardinal Staff

Second Page is widely known as the improvisation show that occurs once every semester. Few people know that it was originally created as an improv comedy club that welcomes any students at Saint Mary’s University who are interested in improv.

The club is planning this semester’s Second Page show, which will be held in Figiulo Hall on Friday, March 23, at 7 and 10 p.m., performed by members Maggie Allexsaht, Annie Ivansek, Jake Rivet, Meg Beerling, Mary Doctor, Alex Green, Molly Nocera and Annie Garrigan.

Seniors Maggie Allexsaht and Annie Ivansek (known to fellow club members as “the Queen” and “the Prime Minister”) are this year’s Second Page co-presidents and have been members of the club since the beginning of their freshman year at SMU.

As the club’s leaders, Allexsaht and Ivansek are responsible for holding auditions and casting the Second Page show that is put on once a semester. The casted members proceed to meet every week and discuss skits and themes for the upcoming show.

During the show, audience members are invited to choose what games will be played and give skit ideas to the Second Page performers. Allexsaht said that they encourage students to arrive early to get a seat because the show has become very popular campus event.

Allexsaht said that they use most of the topics that are suggested during the show, but sometimes she and Ivansek need to interject. She said, “Comedy is usually offensive, so people kind of expect that.”

Any student interested in Second Page or improv comedy is welcome to join the club during their weekly meetings on Wednesdays at 10 p.m.

Z-Club comes to Saint Mary’s

By Mary Nordick

Cardinal Staff

Z-Club is a new club at Saint Mary's University that helps students in shape through Zumba® dances on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday nights from 8:30-9:30 p.m. in the Gostomski Fieldhouse’s dance studio.

The hour-long sessions include an assortment of cardio-enhanced dances, which incorporate fast-paced music paired with various Latin dance moves that help tone the body.

Freshman Tessa Neibauer is an active participant in Z-Club and enjoys the sessions.

“I always look forward to Zumba®,” said Neibauer. “It’s a lot of fun and you get a great workout at the same time.”

Zumba® enthusiast Mara Keyes agreed, saying, “It’s a fun way to meet people, work out, and learn some amazing dance moves!”

Multicultural showcase is a success

By Marc Hartmann

Guest writer

Saint Mary’s University held its third annual Multicultural Showcase on Feb. 18, where a variety of acts performed different dances and songs that represented the diverse cultures of SMU students.

Over 140 students attended the show to watch performances and eat an assortment of food from different cultures around the globe. Several campus clubs came together to help organize the event, including the International Club, Black Students and Allies (BSA), Peace and Justice (P&J), and the Intercultural Awareness Association of America (ICAA).

Lance Thompson, who led the planning of the event, said that the goal of the event is important to campus and remains the same every year.

“The event is at SMU to truly showcase different cultures around campus,” said Thompson. “It gives people an opportunity to perform at a comfortable venue that maybe normally wouldn’t be presented.”

Thompson believes that this showcase distinguishes itself from other shows on campus.

“While shows like Gaslight and Blue Angel are great, they mostly focus on American Pop Music,” said Thompson. “What this showcase does is bring a whole new dimension to what many of us envision as common music or dance.”

The Multicultural Showcase, previously called the International Showcase, featured 13 acts, seven of which were dances.

One of the performers, Yupeng Li, impressed the audience with a rarely seen martial arts routine. Li performed his skills with glow-in-the-dark, custom made nunchucks.

Thompson said that performers like Li will continue to show off their talents for the SMU for years to come. “As long as this kind of interest keeps up, the event will be around for a long time.”

Sigma Alpha Iota presents Fireside 2012

By Trisha Stachowski

Arts & Entertainment Editor

The annual Fireside music variety show hosted by the sisters of Saint Mary’s University’s music sorority Sigma Alpha Iota (SAI) put on three crowd-pleasing performances on Feb. 10 and 11 for the SMU community.

Emcees John Fitzpatrick and Niki Ciulla began the night by welcoming the audience and promising to keep the corny jokes to a minimum. Balloon animals, jokes from the audience and dressing as shrubbery were still fair game throughout the night, however.

Ciulla said, “Fireside was started several years ago by the sisters of SAI, and originally the only performers in the show were sisters.” This eventually changed, when all students were invited to audition for the show.

The first act of the night, performed by Courtney Lee and Bill Van Wagner, instantly electrified the crowd with their cover of The Civil Wars’ “Barton Hollow.”

The coffee-house atmosphere continued with Sam Schepers and Joe Richards performing an acoustic version of Outkast’s “Hey Ya.”

Ciulla said, “Blue Angel and Gaslight both bolster a more ‘rock show’ or ‘concert’ type of vibe, and so the decision to make a ‘coffee-house’ style show seems appropriate to reach different types of performers and audience members.”

Katie Keck, Jessica Ingvalson and Matt Polum won over the crowd with smooth vocals and perfect harmony while performing Kina Grannis’s “Heart and Mind.” The first of two sets closed with Keotta House and Josh Rumppe’s heartfelt performance of Carrie Underwood’s “I Know You Won’t.” Then it was time for the traditional intermission pie break.

The second set began with an interesting “bromance” between Tyler Kircher and Mike Ostman, along with pianist Megan Hellmann, performing “Man or Muppet” from the film The Muppets. Ciulla joined her SAI sisters and roommates Jamie Jones and Katie Keck, along with Augustine Esterhammer-Fic, to harmonize to Mountain Man’s “Animal Tracks.” Cuilla also joined Andy Bauer, Paul Schmitt, Alex Bush, Mitch Lawler, Kalinn Bangasser, Ethan Thompson and Tyler Ringeisen, to get the crowd up and dancing for the last act of the night, performing Edward Sharp and the Magnetic Zeros’ “Home” to finish the show.

Although Fireside included wonderful performances and seamless transitions from one act to another, the show is only possible each year because of all the hard work leading up to the event.

SAI sister and Fireside performer Katie Keck said, “We start the planning process in the fall and begin to work out the basic details such as dates and times, and then we move on to fundraising through advertisements, decorations and more.”

Club sports may see big change this spring

By Nick Bravos

Sports Editor

Nearly a month ago I heard through the grapevine about some surprising rumors that left club sports as a whole sizzling with frustration—rumors which ended up being true.

Sometime this spring a decision will be made as to whether or not club sports, including Hellfish, Blue Jays, MUTs, Polo Bears, and so on, will take on the Cardinal name instead.

After asking around , the answers I got from members of Student Senate and faculty were almost insultingly obvious. Because the athletic clubs are becoming a larger presence on campus and in the region, when they travel and compete against other schools and clubs they are representing Saint Mary’s University and, therefore, reflect it, so the next logical step is these players should be seen as Cardinals.

It’s simple, straight forward and makes perfect sense, right? If teams that represent SMU travel and compete, they should use the traditional aesthetics to make sure people know who they are, and there should be unification on all fronts so we all look alike.

Except there’s a problem, and a big one: if these clubs make some kind of change to their identities—some of which have been student-run, competitive clubs for nearly 15 years—what will happen to the way they are conducted? Will these clubs now have varsity benefits? Will these clubs have an equal opportunity for the Gostomski Fieldhouse or field time with varsity sports? Will these clubs finally have access to the athletic trainer? My point is, this is a complex process that requires many—not one—complex solutions—one that requires input from the student body, and not just the ideologies from Strategic Planning or the Student Life office.

After talking with Chris Kendall, who initially brought up the idea, he made it a point that the safety of all the students involved will be the first priority. One solution he came up with is to add a supervisory person of some kind that will travel and accompany the team for safety and liability reasons. This idea flared up when he heard of three separate incidents where students received severe concussions this fall semester—one of which I was a witness to.

The concussion that I saw left my friend in total cognitive shutdown for one week, which meant no class, no TV, no reading, no computer usage, and even daily conversations should be kept to a limit. For most of that week, he was in a dark bedroom either staring up at the ceiling of his Old Village suite or sleeping. While this example, as well as the other two, is tragic, the one I witnessed could not have been prevented in any way by having an advisory person present. These are rough sports that, let me assure you, people will get hurt in, but I agree with Kendall that some sort of safety measure should be implemented.

What’s also legitimately important in the future discussions is that, there must be a level of transparency involved in order for both faculty and the student bodies representing club sports to be completely aware of what acceptable changes will be made. Ultimately, the decision is left to the administration as to what will happen, which may end in a hammer-swing, but I believe things won’t end that way. I think there will be a concluding decision that is fully representative of our student body’s beliefs.

I think people identify the word “club” to have—in my mind—a negative connotation that reflects that these sports aren’t taken as seriously as a varsity sport, which a) is an impressively common fallacy and b) is a shame because the club sports I mentioned earlier have some of the best athletes on campus. In fact, I know a handful of students that were recruited for a varsity sport but were persuaded otherwise to play club.

I write this not as a threat or as an insult to the efficacy of this university’s administration, but more so as a deterrent to avoid some sort of Pyrrhic Victory that will break the orderly link between a sub-culture (club sports) and its larger, unifying culture (SMU). Instead, this is to show that the students here are listening very intently to the changes that may take place, changes that I hope will leave the relationship of both cultures in good light with the other; one that I hope doesn’t leave a loathsome taste in mouths of the other.

Speak up at the Day at the Capitol

By Kevin Halpin

Guest Writer

What’s helping 19 percent of students at Saint Mary’s make it through the year? No, it’s not Mugby Junction or any other coffee shop in Winona. Something else is making a difference for many students: a grant from the state of Minnesota.

In Minnesota, it is called the State Grant program, which is a powerful tool that helps keep college affordable. This year the average annual grant is $3,076 for 388 SMU students, and it aids students based on their financial needs.

The impact of the program stretches far beyond SMU. Among the state’s private nonprofit colleges, more than 12,000 students receive the grant. Students at public institutions such as Southeast Technical and Winona State University actually receive the bulk of the program’s grants. Altogether, more than 88,000 college students in Minnesota receive these grants, which is about one in four students.

Since this investment impacts us right here at SMU, now is the time for us to reach out to policymakers. We need to make sure they understand just how important these grants are if we want to protect them from possible cuts.

This year students receiving State Grants are benefiting from good decisions that were made during the last legislative session—decisions that we students encouraged. Despite budget shortfalls, legislators and Gov. Mark Dayton agreed to give the program $21 million in additional funding. That means the awards could be larger this year than they were last year.

But we can’t be complacent. Looking ahead, forecasts show that state budget deficits will return larger than ever. Because of this, it is likely that the State Grant program will see cuts in its funding. The program is too important for students at SMU and other Minnesota schools for us to let that happen.

Also, Minnesota’s investment in the program has not been keeping pace with financial need. The value of the average award has been decreasing, even though the need among college students for this kind of support has been increasing.

Consider helping us reach out to legislators to educate them about the impact of this program. Working with students from Minnesota’s Private Colleges, we’ll be going up to the Capitol in St. Paul to make our case in small group meetings with legislators on March 22. If you want to hear more about this, stop by the Student Activities Office or contact us at senate@smumn.edu. Sign up at www.mnprivatecolleges.org/policy/get-involved.

SMU is a unique place, and for many of us, the State Grant awards allow us to be here and to minimize borrowing and future debt. So let’s speak up and ensure that all students have the opportunity for higher education.

SMU to practice lockdown drill

By Regina Barbosa

Cardinal Staff

Saint Mary’s University is looking to schedule a practice campus-wide lockdown drill on an upcoming school day this spring.

A lockdown drill is a procedure implemented to ensure the safety of the entire SMU community during an emergency. The drill may be initiated through the use of the speakers within campus buildings and through emails and text messages from Blackboard Connect.

“A lockdown means something has happened on campus where everyone needs to stop what they are doing, close or barricade the door, stay quiet, stay away from windows and wait for further instructions or an ‘all clear,’” said Vice President for Student Life Chris Kendall.

SMU already has emergency response and crisis communications plans in place.

“The drill is meant to better prepare SMU in the event of emergency situations,” said Kendall. He added that the date of the drill has not yet been determined.

Kendall and Director of Campus Safety Phil Gaddis both said that national events, like the Virginia Tech and Columbine shootings, quickened the process for the drill but did not initiate it. Gaddis added that SMU will be receiving outside help from the Winona County Emergency Response Director for the procedure.

In anticipation of the drill, it is important for SMU community members to update their personal emergency contact information on WebTools.

Questions or concerns can be addressed to Chris Kendall via email at ckendall@smumn.edu or his office phone 507-457-1781.

SMU to offer 2012 online summer courses

By Samantha Borawski

Cardinal Staff

Saint Mary’s University will be offering a selection of undergraduate courses online for its students this summer.

Based on a survey given to students by the Office of Academic Affairs, 128 respondents (88 percent) said they were interested in taking a course online through SMU during the summer. Nothing has been finalized as of now and meetings are taking place to determine specific details.

At this point, approximately 12 courses may be offered mainly focusing in the business core and general education. The courses will be fit into an eight-week time period, starting soon after spring semester classes finish in May. The cost and registration days are yet to be determined.

In the first two weeks back at school from Christmas Recess, students were asked to provide feedback by filling out an online survey about classes they would be interested in taking if they were offered. The purpose of the survey was to have an informal, non-mandatory questionnaire to see which classes students have an interest in taking.

“We knew which courses the faculty were interested in, but it was important to have the point of view from the students as well,” said Jason Spartz, director of instructional technology.

Spartz and Dr. Donna Aronson, vice president for academic affairs, have been working closely to choose the online classes as well as try to offer some blended classes, which consist of both online and face-to-face learning.

This will not be the first time online summer courses will be offered at SMU. Last summer, three business core courses were offered to students as a preliminary test. The idea for online classes began after a two-day workshop presented by the UW-Milwaukee Learning Technologies Center, which over 40 teachers of the SMU community attended, according to

Spartz.

Though the online courses are in their first stages of development, teachers are excited about the opportunity for students to take courses online over the summer. This is especially true of the business department, which has many courses ready to be turned into online summer courses.

“The courses will help students who want to graduate in four years accomplish it,” said Spartz. “[Online] is a new medium to provide learning that I do not see going away in the future.”

Student Senate hosts MAPCS

By Amalia Santos

Cardinal Staff

For the first time ever, Saint Mary’s University is hosting the main overnight event for all Student Senate members of the Minnesota Association of Private College Students (MAPCS) on Feb. 24 and 25.

MAPCS is an organization that attempts to get students in campus governments at private colleges involved in real government issues. MAPCS tries to create connections between Student Senate members and elected government officials. It also organizes the “Day at the Capitol” event every year. All 16 private colleges in Minnesota are a part of MAPCS. Four main events, including two overnights, are held every year at various colleges.

SMU Student President Bob Rousseau believes that an event like this will have a great impact on SMU’s Student Senate.

“It means a lot to us because we’ve never hosted any retreat here before,” Rousseau said. “MAPCS is really important at other colleges, but not many students know what it is at Saint Mary’s. This retreat is an opportunity to show SMU that we can bring important advocates to our school. It allows us to bring more awareness of the student Senate and MAPCS to other students. And it lets other schools take us more seriously in the MAPCS community.”

The event will be a big step for Saint Mary’s, as past SMU senates have boycotted MAPCS because the organization was overcharging association fees as a result of the numerous graduate students on campus. Since MAPCS is only an undergraduate organization, they saw this as an unfair charge. Only in the past two years has SMU’s Student Senate begun to get more involved in MAPCS.

“Being able to host this event has allowed us to rebuild our relationship with MAPCS,” Rousseau said.

Roussaeu will be working with MAPCS President Amanda Skorich to plan the event at SMU. Skorich is from St. Catherine’s University and was elected by her peers.

The retreat schedule has not been completely set, but Rousseau has a general idea of how the event will be planned. On Friday, other colleges’ Senate members will arrive on campus and will attend a dinner, ice breakers and an event that night. On Saturday, student government members will discuss their plans for the “Day at the Capitol” event and a pre-chosen topic of interest. The topic will either be sustainability, diversity on campus, or their schools’ relationships with the communities that surround them. Most events will be held in Salvi Lecture Hall with food supplied by Chartwells.

The MAPCS retreat is intended for Student Senate members and their advisors, but SMU faculty are welcomed to attend. Non-government students may also attend general information sessions and lower level sessions that will be held on Saturday.

“I think it will be really fun and a great experience for our Senate members,” Rousseau said. “It will allow them to build ideas for the future. I’m really excited because this will allow other colleges to form and strengthen their bonds with each other and give them a chance to visit Saint Mary’s. I just hope everyone enjoys it.”

WinterFest 2012: a freezing good time

By Marc Hartmann

Guest Writer

This year Saint Mary’s University hopes to host its first WinterFest, a weeklong event held by the Intramural Department.

The week will consist of daily events that students have the opportunity to participate in, including human bowling, tug-of-war, tray sled racing, snowshoe races and broomball.

Andrea Moore, newly appointed assistant intramural director, said that the goal of WinterFest is simply to have fun.

“It provides an opportunity to introduce more students to intramurals and will naturally increase the amount of participation here at SMU,” said Moore

The events were supposed to start on Sunday, Feb. 5 with a kick-off, followed by the anticipated debut of outdoor broomball. Howver, the events have been postponed due to unseasonably warm weather.

While many students may have played broomball in the ice arena, this will be the first time SMU will be creating an outdoor ice rink to host the activity. It will be formed in the area located between the baseball and softball fields.

The concept of WinterFest has been in planning for quite some time and looks to bring back an atmosphere once seen at the annual Winter Carnival days of many years past. Teams will get both t-shirts and participation points at the events throughout the week.

Moore said that “being in Minnesota, you should never be afraid to be outside. If you are, you’re missing a lot. Plus you have the opportunity to be part of the start of what will hopefully be a yearly tradition here at SMU.”

Besides these team events, the week will also focus on school pride. Cardinal Pride events will be held to support SMU teams during the week, such as the week’s scheduledathletic events. At such games, both individuals and teams will have opportunities to win prizes for showing their Cardinal Pride.

To participate in WinterFest, students can either sign up with a team online by using their intramural pin number or by showing up prior to an event. Look for updates on WinterFest to stay informed of the week’s events and how to get involved at www.saintmaryssports.com.

C.L. Lindsay speaks about online safety

By Julianne Bartosz

Editor in chief

The Executive Director of the Coalition for Student and Academic Rights (CO-STAR) emphasized online safety in a presentation Jan. 19 at Saint Mary’s University’s Page Theatre.

Speaking to more than 200 students, Attorney C.L. Lindsay used a slideshow featuring action figures to depict the importance of online safety, specifically regarding plagiarism, sexting and social media.

“If you wouldn’t do it offline, don’t do it online,” said Lindsay, explaining that the same laws and social standards apply to life both on and off the Internet.

Smart choices online go beyond life on campus, said Lindsay. He said, 44 percent of employers check social networks before hiring.

“You have to assume that anything you put up there is forever,” said Lindsay.

To be safe, Lindsay recommended keeping privacy settings at the highest possible levels. Also, he advised students to double-check settings when a website updates its privacy policy because it may reset them to default settings.

Lindsay said that his biggest challenge is getting this helpful information out to students. He added, “Teaching students to stay out of trouble is a lot more fun than helping them out of trouble.”

Lindsay established CO-STAR in 1998 to help college students and professors with “day-to-day legal challenges” at no charge. It is currently a network of over 500 attorneys throughout the nation who donate their time to help. More information about CO-STAR is available online at www.studentrights.org.

Lindsay has also authored the book The College Student’s Guide to the Law: Get a Grade Changed, Keep Your Stuff Private, Throw a Police-Free Party, and More!, available for purchase online through SMU’s bookstore partner, Barnes & Noble.

Student Advertising Summit March 2

By Emma Stenzel

Managing & Advertising Editor

The 2012 Student Advertising Summit (SAS) is fast approaching and will give college students from across the Midwest the opportunity to gain valuable insight about the professional world of advertising.

This all-day event will be held at the McNamara Alumni Center in Minneapolis on March 2, the Friday before Spring Recess begins at Saint Mary’s University.

SAS is an annual event that is designed to help prepare students for their careers in advertising, marketing and public relations, according to the Summit’s website. Throughout the day, attendants will be able to network with professionals and other students, learn from keynote speakers, show their portfolios and tour advertising agencies in the Twin Cities area.

After attending last year’s Summit, Bob Rousseau, senior and SAS Brand Ambassador at SMU, agrees that the event presents a unique and exciting learning experience for college students of any age.

“For underclassmen, they can use the Summit to get their feet wet and get a better understanding of the world of advertising,” said Rousseau. “If you don’t know what you want to do after college, this is a great chance to get to know all of the different facets of the field.

“Upperclassmen get to know people, make connections and get their foot in the door for new career opportunities.”

Rousseau added that it is important that students who plan to attend the Summit take the necessary steps to prepare themselves. He recommends researching the companies that will be there, creating a resume and portfolio for professionals to review, developing questions beforehand and dressing professionally.

“Even though this is a professional event, it isn’t intimidating,” said Rousseau. “It’s meant for young people, so it’s very engaging and energetic, and the people there want to meet you and help you succeed.”

SAS is presented by the Advertising Federation of Minnesota and AD2, an affiliate of the American Advertising Federation created for young advertising professionals.

For more information or to register, visit the SAS website at www.ad2sas.org.

5 tips from C.L. Lindsay

• Do not post your physical address online.

• Be careful posting pictures from smart phones because your geographic coordinates are encoded in the data.

• Limit your personal information online.

• Avoid standing out as a target in profile pictures by using distanced photos so only friends can identify you.

• Act quickly if you think you have gotten into trouble.

Students to go on T.E.C. retreat

By Laura Nolte

Cardinal Staff

Saint Mary’s University will be holding a three-day Together Encountering Christ (T.E.C.) retreat open to college-age students Feb. 3-5 at Alverna Church in downtown Winona.

Many of SMU’s students and staff will be going on the retreat or helping out. Lynn Streefland, a member of SMU’s Office of Campus Ministry, is one of the retreat leaders..

On the retreat, students will “have opportunities to hear talks given by peers,” Streefland said. “They spend time in small groups. They play games, listen to music. They have an opportunity to spend time in prayer. In addition, there are many fun surprises that happen throughout the weekend.”

Sometimes the surprises can make people wary of going on the retreat. For others, they make the retreat more enjoyable.

“The secrets sometimes make me sad because [T.E.C.] is not meant to be exclusive,” Streefland said. “Rather, I prefer to think of [the secrets] as surprises where if you found out about the surprises, it wouldn’t ruin it. But the surprises bring delight and excitement on the weekend.”

Streefland said that T.E.C. is a great opportunity for students to connect with their faith.

It’s another way to “notice the many ways that God speaks to us,” Streefland said. “I like the fact that it’s open to anywhere you are on your faith journey. Some people are just starting to engage in their faith; some have been practicing for years. On T.E.C., both have a common faith experience that grows in faith together.”

New Medieval and Renaissance Studies minor offered at SMU

By Marissa Johnson

Cardinal Staff

Saint Mary’s University has recently added the Medieval and Renaissance Studies minor to its undergraduate curriculum.

The new minor marks SMU’s first multidisciplinary minor. This means that it combines courses in philosophy, literature and history, culminating in a well-rounded understanding of the time period which stretches from the late Antiquity period to the middle of the 17th century.

The minor was introduced to SMU by John Kerr, Ph.D., and Richard Tristano, Ph.D., who wanted to cultivate their interests in this unique time period and later decided to share their findings with students. According to Kerr, the Medieval and Renaissance Studies minor is a “rigorous intellectual experience” which offers students the chance to develop a concentration in a historical period not normally covered in much detail.

Students enrolled in the Medieval and Renaissance Studies minor also have opportunities for professional experience outside of the classroom. The minor requires students to attend at least three faculty-led seminars and write a seminar essay, which will illustrate their understanding of the history, philosophy and literature from this era. All students are able to attend these seminars as well.

More information about the Medieval and Renaissance Studies minor and its course requirements can be found on the SMU webpage www.smumn.edu.

Kids go crazy for Koo Koo Kanga Roo

By Meg Beerling

Feature Editor

SMU alumni Bryan Atchison ’08 and Neil Olstad ’08 have come a long way with their two-man band Koo Koo Kanga Roo since their graduation four years ago.

Atchison, who graduated with a Secondary Social Science Education degree, and Olstad, who graduated with a Music Business degree, started their band for the 2007 SMU Battle of the Bands.

Originally, the band was known as Birthdae Parrtii, but SMU Professor Wes Miller informed them that there was already a band with that name, said Atchison. The duo then changed their name to Koo Koo Kanga Roo.

The idea for the band came from wanting something different, said Atchison. “The Koo Koo that preformed at the Battle of the Bands is a totally different band now,” said Atchison. It was born out of the idea that they wanted to break the fourth wall between performers and audience, he said. “We now focus on 100 percent interaction,” said Atchison.

Atchison said the pair walks a thin line between bar act and kids group. Their “goofy, fun and weird” songs make the band different than others that are out there, Atchison said. “We write the chorus in our brains and then pair it with some hot beats,” he said. They always test their songs live to see if they work or not, according to Atchison.

The duo has been growing in fame since its inception. They have played some pretty big shows and gone on several tours. “Because we are always looking to the future, we think we can accomplish so much more,” said Atchison. He said that they also take pride in the fact that they have gotten this far all on their own, he said.

As far as the future goes, Atchison said the duo often has long meetings about the direction the band wants to take. They each have strong opinions about what to do next, and it takes a while for them both to agree, he said. The ultimate goal would be to make it to a top 40 headlining arenas act, Atchison said. And, according to Atchison, that’s just where the group is headed.

So to the rest of the Saint Mary’s University population, Atchison gives some advice: “Be in a band, but have a back-up plan. It always comes in handy.”

SMU alum publishes Twins trivia book

By Kelsey Hulbert

Cardinal Staff

SMU alumnus Jim Hoey ’74 has recently published two books, including Minnesota Twins Trivia, which highlights all of the memorable moments in the history of Twins baseball.

Hoey said as a kid he always wanted to write, was a big history and sports fan and had a good memory for detail. Plus, Hoey said, he was just about to retire from a 34-year teaching career in secondary social studies. He added that writing a trivia book seemed like a great opportunity to celebrate the 50th anniversary and the opening of the Target Field. “It was a great way to hopefully start a new career,” he said.

Hoey said he always had a knack for trivia and pulled the book together in about eight months of just “horsing around.”

Hoey has also published Puck Heaven: Puck Heaven: Minnesota State Boys' Hockey Tournament Trivia, which focuses on trivia of the Minnesota state hockey tournament in a personal perspective. Hoey said he was lucky enough to play in three state tournaments in high school, and his love of hockey continued through college and coaching for 15 years at Farmington and Shakopee. “I [always] wanted to write about my own experiences in the tournament,” Hokey said. “I like storytelling.”

He focuses on connecting facts with personal experiences in addition to adding variety and detail, said Hoey. For example, during his honeymoon in Boston, the Twin’s pulled off two triple plays in one game for the first time ever, he said.

The most challenging thing was making sure all of the facts and answers were correct, he said. However, Hoey said the most rewarding thing was writing for the fans. “I like talking to people, and I thought they would enjoy [the book],” he said.

His book has received a lot of positive feedback. The president of the Minnesota Twins Baseball Club Dave St. Peter said, “[The] book is a must-have for fans across Twins Territory. The depth of the questions, creative concepts and attention to detail span the team’s 50 seasons in Minnesota. This book will challenge even the most passionate Twins fan.”

For the future, Hoey said he hopes to write one book every year. He is currently working on a book on anecdotes for teaching.

'11 grad teaches English in Namibia, Africa

By Jenna Capelle

Cardinal Staff

Recent English Education graduate Joanna Pace has been volunteering as an English teacher in Namibia, Africa.

Last spring, Pace said she discovered a few things about herself. She knew she wanted to learn about a different culture, to experience something new and to step out of her comfort zone. She decided she wanted to volunteer after graduation, and a Google search lead her to the WorldTeach program.

“WorldTeach is a non-profit, non-governmental organization based at Harvard University that provides opportunities for volunteers to make meaningful contributions to education in developing countries,” said Pace.

Pace started making a list of everything that she’s learned from her time in Namibia, and it’s already pages long. She said that this experience, without a doubt, has made an impact on her life. For one, she’s learned how to relate and connect with the children in the schools.

“I’ve learned that, no matter where you go, people are people and kids are kids,” said Pace. “The same things that make kids laugh in the states make kids laugh here. And the same things that make people cry at home bring tears in Africa.”

Pace has figured out how to conduct herself in a classroom that’s not structured like those in the United States. The classrooms are less formal and her patience is continuously tested by “African Time,” which can be a good or bad thing, said Pace. She’s learned that electricity is not a necessity, whereas water is. Nonetheless, she’s gained a new perspective on the relationship between happiness and money, and they’re loosely tied.

Once Pace returns home in April, she aspires to land an English teching position in a Minnesota or Wisconsin high school. However, she doesn’t regret her decision to volunteer in Namibia.

“If you’re considering it, I would definitely say just do it,” said Pace. “Volunteering in a developing country can change your life.”

For more information about the WorldTeach program, which offers volunteer opportunities in other countries such as Bangladesh, Chile, China, Panama, Tanzania and Thailand, visit www.worldteach.org.

Of 'Guys and Dolls'

By Ashley Von Arx

Cardinal Staff

What do Frank Sinatra, Marlon Brando, rough New York underground gambling rings and Winona, Minn., all have in common? Saint Mary’s 2012 production of the musical “Guys and Dolls,” of course!

Students at SMU are preparing their performance of “Guys and Dolls” directed by Gary Diomandes, Ph.D., scheduled to perform Feb. 23-26 in the Page Theatre.

“Guys and Dolls,” first staged in 1950, has been acclaimed as the perfect musical comedy, spanning an impressive 1,200 productions at its debut. The play traces the stories of a couple of shady, two-bit gamblers “trying to reconcile their desire for money with a desire for human companionship,” said Alex Green, sophomore theatre major playing Nathan Detroit. Though extremely devoted to his fiancée of 14 years, Adelaide, played by sophomore Allie Kriz, Detroit is torn between his commitment to this burlesque beauty and his love for the game. Caught similarly in the tide of love for a woman and his passion for taking risks is Sky Masterson, played by senior Bryan Moore.

“A heavy influx of new theatre majors encouraged the department to go for an old-fashioned, classic, big show like ‘Guys and Dolls,’” explains Diomandes. “It just fit the department.”

Though there is a lot of material to learn barley a month and a half, Diomandes is confident that the production is right on schedule. He said he is delighted to report that the music for the production was learned in only four rehearsals.

Adult tickets are $10 and student and senior tickets are $5. Tickets are available at the Page Theatre Box office.

Faculty art show in the Lillian Davis Hogan Gallery

By Morgan Stock

Cardinal Staff

The Lillian Davis Hogan Gallery on the Saint Mary’s University campus is currently displaying the SMU faculty art show.

Various faculty members from the SMU Art Department are participating in the show. The artists include Tony Calabrese, Charlie Campbell, Preston Lawing, Rob McColl, Brother Roderick Robertson, Lisa Truax and John Whelan.

Chair of the Art Department Preston Lawing said, “The faculty art show has been in existence for 30-40 years and is a biennial show, which is a show ever other year.”

Any piece of art can be put in the show, such as ceramics, paintings, drawings, sculpture and photographs. This year the show mostly consists of pieces that each faculty member considers to be his or her best work.

“Getting to see what other members of the faculty have been working [on] is something really special. Since we are such a small group we are very close, but we don’t always get to see what each other are working on because of what we are doing for class,” said Lawing.

He said seeing different kinds of work inspires them and allows them to learn from each other.

Lawing said, “By trade I call myself a printmaker even though I like other art mediums. I love being able to go to work and have a creative outlet doing the things that I love to do.”

Lisa Truax, who has recently joined the Art Department as a new professor, said, “My favorite medium to work with is ceramics because I love being able to create anything with it.”

May to show mosaic art in Las Vegas

Trisha Stachowski

Arts & Entertainment Editor

Monta May, part of Saint Mary’s University’s Marketing and Communication staff, will be showing her mosaic artwork in a Las Vegas art gallery from May 31 through June 29.

“My inspiration is basically the world around me, anything and everything that catches my eye,” said May. She said the emotions experienced each day can be a fantastic source of inspiration. “Imagery often triggers an emotional response. I try to find a way to communicate that emotion and the general idea,” said May.

In order to create her mosaic masterpieces, May uses the hammer and hardie technique to cut each piece of glass or stone. The hammer and hardie technique has been used for mosaic art for many years, according to May.

May said she has been a visual artist all of her life. When she was visiting Loyola University in Chicago, May viewed a mosaic piece about the physical sciences on a campus building. According to May, that was when she decided that she was going to try creating mosaic pieces of her own. In the beginning, May said she taught her self, but she eventually studied at the Chicago Mosaic School. May returned to study three more times at the school, and she will participate in another master-level class in April. In these classes, students are instructed by world-renowned artists that the school brings in.

Recently, May has been working on pieces revolving around water and the absence of water. Her pieces are influenced by the general idea of water and how all life depends on it in one way or another. Two of her pieces focus on a desert landscape and the results of the lack of water.

May will show 10 to 12 never-before-seen pieces on the SMU campus before they are displayed in Las Vegas. From there, May’s artwork will be shown in the LaChica Art & Music gallery in Las Vegas. May’s Las Vegas showing will likely include water-inspired pieces, in addition to a more broad influence of the natural world and sustainability. According to May, she tries to create the “interaction of our human activity and the world around us.”

May’s recent artwork will be on display in the Ben Miller Lobby in the Page Theatre from April 11 to May 11 with a reception on April 26 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Yuval Ron a dizzying experience

By Paul Schmitt

Cardinal Staff

The Yuval Ron Ensemble presented a short lecture along with a few musical selections at the Winona County Historical Society on Monday, Jan. 25, as a prelude to their main performance at the Page Theatre at Saint Mary’s University on Jan. 31.

The Yuval Ron Ensemble is a Middle-Eastern music and dance group with a message of religious tolerance and cooperation. Their performance at SMU was mainly music-centered, and also featured one thing that Monday’s lecture lacked: Aziz, The Whirling Dervish.

Clad in white garb, Aziz danced to two selections in a traditional Sufi style, which involves rapid spinning in a small area. While this type of motion is typically dizzying to the average person, Aziz appeared to be unfazed by his movements and maintained his balance after the dances were finished.

The lecture at the Historical Society concentrated more on the history of the Middle Eastern instrument called the oud, which is a cousin to the lute. The oud moved from Baghdad to Cordoba, Spain, where it was involved in the “creation of the best arts and music [made] by Christians, Muslims and Jews in the ninth to 15th centuries,” according to Yuval Ron. Ron stressed the importance of such cooperation between religions and pointed out the relevance of the matter even in modern society.

Also prominent in Yuval Ron’s message is the idea of human expression and spirit. Ron said, “There is no way to suppress human expression.” Reflecting that concept, audience participation in the form of dancing, clapping and singing was greatly encouraged by the ensemble during many of the songs throughout the night.

CAC Student-Athlete Olympics

By Nick Bravos

Sports Editor

For the second time, Saint Mary’s University held the Cardinal Student-Athlete Olympics on Sunday, Jan. 22, to create a better sense of community between SMU athletes.

Run by the Cardinal Athletic Council (CAC), a group comprised of student-athlete representatives from each varsity sport, the Olympics was an event where all Cardinal student-athletes went head-to-head against each other in a three-hour, nine-station competition.

Junior CAC members Paige Carter and Hayley Ohl selected student-athletes from each varsity sport and divided them up into 16 co-ed teams. “Most teams did not have doubles of the same sport,” said senior and CAC Vice President Bobby Gas. “So, technically, a men's soccer player could be with a women's basketball player, men's hockey player, and a women's tennis player.”

The nine stations making up the Olympics were communicative-based games that focus on utilizing teamwork, such as, speed bag-toss for eight minutes (most points wins), hockey puck find in the pool (teammates would help direct from the balcony above), handball, blind dodge ball and human battleship.

“No athlete there wanted to lose, especially to one another, so people definitely got into it,” said Gas. “But, I’d say team handball was probably one of the most intense games that people got into. After people left that station they were dripping sweat.”

The two teams that achieved the highest sum of points from victories would go to war, literally, in a culminating tug-of-war event.

“We won’t do [the Olympics] every year,” said Head Hockey Coach and CAC Co-Advisor Bill Moore. “We try to come up with other ways to establish the same sense of community and communication; we want things to stay fresh.” The last Olympics occurred four years ago.

In years to come, though, events may change based on a four year cycle, according to Moore. “Year one would have games that would be different from the others, and after the fourth year we’d start over.”

Cardinal women's basketball hits mid-season point

By Mary Nordick

Cardinal Staff

The Saint Mary’s women’s basketball team came to the mid-season point with a conference record of 9-5 and an overall record of 9-8. The lady Cardinals have been working hard this first half of the season and plan to continue doing so throughout the rest of the year.

“The team has been doing great. We’re really young, but we have a lot of really solid leaders in our older players who help lead our younger players,” said Head Coach Mandy Pearson. “These girls are good people, and they get along well on and off the court.”

There is strong chemistry between teammates, according sophomore Courtney Euerle. “We all get along really well,” said Euerle. “We do a lot of stuff off the court which I think helps a lot to keep the team chemistry building.”

“We’ve always had good chemistry on our basketball team,” said Pearson. “There’s just something a little different about the leadership and how the team has been getting along this year.”

According to Euerle, one game that stood out was the comeback game against Bethel University on Jan. 11. “That was a great win for us,” she said.

Looking ahead to the rest of the season, Pearson said, “I don’t even think about playoffs. We are just taking it one game at a time. It’s pretty intense, pretty crazy and pretty competitive. It doesn’t matter whether you’re number one or number 12. Every game is a battle, and you have to take it one game at a time so you can have as much success as possible.”

Tennis season preview

By Joey Petrich

Cardinal Staff

The 2012 Saint Mary’s University tennis teams have begun preparing for their first matches of the season.

The women serve up their dual-meet season opener competing in “Think Pink Day” on Feb. 3 against Winona State at 3 p.m. and Northwestern College at 6 p.m. The men will also start their season with a dual-meet on Feb. 4 against the Milwaukee School of Engineering at noon and Luther College at 6 p.m. Both events will be held in Winona at the indoor tennis center.

Cardinal tennis will not have an easy time in conference play this year, according to Head Coach Jeff Halberg. He said it is the deepest team he has ever seen in his tenure as a coach at Saint Mary’s.

“The MIAC is one of, if not the toughest, tennis conference in the nation,” said Halberg. “Most top players in the MIAC are players who could have played division one but chose to play division three.”

After last season, the women’s team lost a couple of players, but added five new freshmen to their squad, including the addition of McKennah Edwards from Fond Du Lac, Wis. Edwards was the runner-up at the United States Tennis Association’s Intercollegiate Tennis Association Midwest Regional Championships this fall.

She has joined her two older sisters, junior Killian and senior Bailey Edwards on the women’s team. Halberg said the Edwards sisters will play a pivotal role for the women’s team this year. SMU has never had three siblings playing on the same team.

The men’s team didn’t lose many players from last season. They don’t have any new freshmen recruits, but their players now are experienced and seasoned. Juniors Sam Puff and Mike Lunka are coming into their third season with the team. However, the team lost sophomore Tim Wolford because of a knee injury, but they are hopeful that he will return mid-season.

One of the things the tennis teams would love to change is student attendance at their matches. “We’re a little bit of a secret on campus,” Halberg said. The tennis team plays in downtown Winona at the Indoor tennis center located at 360 Vila Street and all matches are free for students to attend.

Bright spots for men's hockey

By Keotta House

Cardinal Staff

Despite being eight games under .500, the Saint Mary’s University men’s hockey team has still had a rewarding season.

The team is already doing statistically better this season, and they have a couple of big wins to prove it.

The team opened up the season with a six-game losing streak. However, in four of the six games SMU found themselves losing by only one goal—a trend which happened two more times.

“The biggest thing is whether we get big goals at the right time, and we are looking for someone to step up and make the big goals,” said Head Coach Bill Moore.

The Cardinals have stepped up big time on occasion this season when playing big opponents. SMU thrilled fans when they defeated the defending national champions, Saint Norbert College, in a 3-2 victory. Another notable game includes the 2-1 overtime victory against the Milwaukee School of Engineering.

“Let’s keep doing what we are doing,” said Moore. “We have beaten four nationally ranked teams, and we’ve been competitive keeping up with these good teams.”

The SMU men’s hockey team may not be achieving all of their season’s goals, but they have kept up with some objectives that Moore also finds most important.

“So far our academic goals have been good; we didn’t have quite as many people on the academic Dean’s list but overall we were a 3.0 [GPA],” said Moore. “The team is going out and performing a lot of community service too.”