Jeanne White-Ginder, mother of Ryan White and national advocate for people living with HIV and AIDS, will speak at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College (SMWC) in Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Ind., on Thursday, Feb. 12, 2009, as part of the College’s Four-Star Series. The time and location of the speech will be announced at a later date. The event is being co-sponsored by the SMWC Student Senate, which is coordinating Health Awareness Week at SMWC Feb. 9-12.

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As a service learning project for one of her classes at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College (SMWC), Andrea Lynch, a junior digital media communications major with a minor in film studies and creative writing, is making and collecting cards that will be distributed to people who are hospitalized during the holiday season.

Lynch, who is originally from Greenfield, Ind., but now lives in Chula Vista, Calif., is a member of an international online artist community called deviantART, and she received a news notice on her account that the community was holding a card drive.

The purpose of the deviantART Holiday Card Project is to create holiday cards for people who are hospitalized during the holiday season. The idea behind the project is to simply try and bring a little cheer to those who are undergoing hospital stay.

“I wanted to get involved in this project because I think that the winter holidays are a unique time of year,” Lynch said. “They can be warm, loving, and bring out the best in some people. They can also be sad and hard for those who have lost loved ones and are ill. I like to spread holiday cheer and make arts and crafts, so this is really the perfect event for me.”

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On Monday, Dec. 1, 2008, Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College faculty, staff and students gathered in the rotunda of Guerin Hall for the President's Tree, Wreath and Crib Lighting. The event included prayers, ritual and song.

The Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College (SMWC) Chorale and Madrigals will present their annual Christmas choral concert at 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 6, in the Church of the Immaculate Conception on the Saint Mary-of-the-Woods campus. The concert is free and open to the public.

The concert will feature the SMWC Chorale and Madrigals, who, under the direction of R. Ryan Endris, visiting assistant professor of music, will perform works by Benjamin Britten, Ralph Vaughan Williams, John Rutter, Eleanor Daley and others. The concert will also feature guest artist Natasha Sexton, professor of music at Franklin College, as well as choirs from Terre Haute North Vigo and Terre Haute South Vigo high schools.

Please note, another event will be taking place in O'Shaughnessy Dining Room before the start of the concert, so limited parking will be available near the Church of the Immaculate Conception. The College will offer parking and shuttle service from the large parking lot behind Hulman Hall. Please plan to enter the College through the first set of gates near the Woods Daycare Center. Thank you!

For more information about the Christmas Concert, call the SMWC Music and Theatre Information Line at 812-535-6211.

The Music and Theatre Department at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College offers a variety of music and theatre degrees, including the bachelor of arts degree in music and the bachelor of arts in women and theatre. It also offers the bachelor of science in music therapy and the bachelor of arts in music education (all-level, all-area). The College also offers a master’s degree program in music therapy. The music programs at SMWC are fully accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music. The music therapy programs are approved by the American Music Therapy Association, and the music education program is approved by the Indiana Department of Education.

To learn more about the Department of Music and Theatre at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College, e-mail John McIntyre at music@smwc.edu or contact the SMWC Office of Admission by email at smwcadms@smwc.edu or by phone at 812-535-5106 or 1-800-926-SMWC.

Lilly Endowment Inc. has awarded a $280,000 Sustaining Grant to Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College (SMWC) for the Initiative to Promote Opportunities through Educational Collaboration, an effort that was launched in 2004. SMWC has also committed more than $300,000 to continue the initiative, which is focused on cultivating relationships with Indiana employers to increase employment and internship opportunities for students and alumnae/i and educating students and alumnae/i about Indiana employment opportunities.

“We are extremely grateful to Lilly Endowment for supporting Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College and other institutions of higher education as we work to promote employment opportunities right here in Indiana,” said SMWC President David G. Behrs, Ph.D. “Guided by the data we collected in the first four and a half years of this initiative, SMWC is excited that we will be able to continue the successful efforts of the past while exploring new opportunities to match our students and alumnae/i with employers throughout the state.”

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Those interested in learning more about Teach For America are invited to join Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College (SMWC) alumna Christy Wessel Powell '04 as she discusses her experiences with the program during a presentation on Monday, Dec. 1. The presentation will take place at SMWC from 12:10 to 12:50 p.m. in Jazzman’s Café, which is located in the College’s Mary and Andrew Rooney Library. Lunch is available for purchase from Jazzman’s Café.

Teach For America (TFA) aims to end educational inequity, and the organization envisions a day when all children in this nation will have the opportunity to attain an excellent education. Through TFA, outstanding recent college graduates commit two years to teach in urban and rural public schools and become lifelong leaders in expanding educational opportunity. Today, 6,200 corps members are teaching in more than 1,600 schools in 29 regions across the country, while more than 14,000 Teach For America alumni continue working from inside and outside the field of education for the fundamental changes necessary to ensure educational excellence and equity.

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The Saint Mary of the Woods College (SMWC) Art Gallery will host its Annual Art Market Dec. 2-8. Visit the Art Gallery to purchase arts and crafts created by SMWC faculty, staff, students and alumnae/i. The art gallery is located in Hulman Hall, Room 132. Regular Gallery hours are Monday through Friday, noon to 4 p.m. For more information, call 812-535-5265, email artgallery@smwc.edu, or stop by during regular Gallery hours.

In June 2008, Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College announced that it has been selected as a recipient of a 2008 HP Technology for Teaching grant. The grant, which was designed to transform teaching and improve learning in the classroom through innovative uses of technology, included an award package of HP products and faculty cash award valued at more than $77,000.

On Monday, Nov. 24, SMWC faculty, staff, students and friends had the opportunity to see how the Tablet PCs are being used at the College during the HP Open House. Jim Vanides, program manager of worldwide education strategy for HP Global Social Investment, addressed those in attendance via webcast from his office in Palo Alto, Calif, and SMWC President David G. Behrs, Ph.D., was also in attendance to express words of appreciation to HP for awarding this Technology Grant to the College.

For more information about SMWC's use of Tablet PCs, contact Jennie Mitchell at jmitchel@smwc.edu or 812-535-5279 or Bellampalli Ramachandran at brama@smwc.edu or 812-535-5268. More information about the impact of the HP grant can be found online at http://www.smwc.edu/grants/hp_tablet/.

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Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College (SMWC) will host a Graduate Studies Open House on Wednesday, Dec. 3, from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Independent Colleges of Indiana building, 3135 N. Meridian, Indianapolis, Ind. During the Open House, prospective students can learn more about the graduate programs at SMWC and scholarship and financial aid opportunities.

SMWC currently offers six graduate programs in art therapy, earth literacy, education, leadership development, music therapy and pastoral theology. All of the graduate programs at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College are open to women and men, and they are delivered through distance education, which means that students spend minimal time on campus.

In addition to offering students quality graduate education in a convenient distance format, Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College is committed to making higher education affordable. Each year SMWC awards six $6,000 scholarships and six $3,000 scholarships to graduate students who demonstrate financial need as assessed by the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) results. SMWC has also partnered with several businesses to provide their employees with a 10 percent tuition discount when they enroll in one of SMWC’s graduate programs or the College’s Woods External Degree (WED) program.

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Female high school juniors and seniors who are interested in learning more about Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College (SMWC) are invited to the SMWC Campus Visit Day on Dec. 6.

SMWC’s Campus Visit Day is a great opportunity to see and experience The Woods. Prospective students and their families will have the chance to meet faculty, staff, coaches, and current students; learn about SMWC’s athletic and academic programs; ask questions about college planning and financial aid; and tour campus.

During the Campus Visit Day, students will also get the chance to compete for the Woods Writing Achievement Award. The Woods Writing Achievement Award is a first-year award valued at up to $1500. To compete, students will submit essays, which will be evaluated by SMWC’s English faculty members.

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