Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College will honor its foundress, Saint Mother Theodore Guerin, when it produces its fall play, “I Sleep, But My Heart Watches,” Oct. 16-19.

The production, which includes music, comedy, tragedy and farce, features four young students exploring ways to celebrate Guerin’s canonization. As the ideas flow, Guerin and her companions come to life on stage.

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Local state legislators will visit Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College (SMWC) on Oct. 7 to share information about their responsibilities as legislators and discuss the local election process. Senator Tim Skinner, Indiana Senate District 38, and Representative Clyde Kersey, Indiana House District 43, are scheduled to attend, and others may be in attendance. The presentation, which is free and open to the public, will begin at 6:30 p.m. in Hayes Auditorium, which is located in Hulman Hall at SMWC.

The presentation is being sponsored by Indiana Legal Assistants at the Woods (InLAW). InLAW is a student club at SMWC, which provides a forum for people interested in law to meet and interact with others in the community who impact the legal profession.

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Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College students, alumnae/i, faculty, staff and friends gathered on Saturday, Sept. 27, 2008, for the College's first-ever Homecoming event. Activities included a horse show, alumnae soccer match, beer and brat tent, softball game and President's Reception. Those in attendance also had opportunities to tour the campus, and visit the bookstore and art gallery.

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Those interested in learning more about the Woods External Degree program at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College (SMWC) are invited to attend SMWC’s Open House event on Tuesday, Oct. 7. The event will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. in the Presidents’ Room of the Rooney Library at SMWC.

The Open House event will include an introduction to SMWC’s Woods External Degree Program (WED), an overview of credit options, and career planning and financial aid information. Those in attendance will also have the opportunity to explore available majors and meet faculty members, and those who bring their transcripts can receive an unofficial credit evaluation.

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On Oct. 7, Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College will welcome the acclaimed period music trio Ensemble Chaconne, joined by mezzo-soprano Pamela Dellal, who will present a concert of music associated with Shakespeare's works. The performance, titled “Measure for Measure: The Music of Shakespeare's Plays,” will begin at 7:30 p.m. in the Little Theatre, located in Guerin Hall at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College (SMWC). The concert is free and open to the public.

Though no scores are included in his published works, William Shakespeare frequently employed music in his plays, writing poems for new songs and adopting existing ballads. Numerous characters allude to then-popular tunes while composers such as Thomas Morley and Robert Johnson also contributed original compositions.

During “Measure for Measure: The Music of Shakespeare's Plays,” Ensemble Chaconne -- which consists of Peter H. Bloom, Renaissance flute; Carol Lewis, viola da gamba; and Olav Chris Henriksen, Renaissance lute — and mezzo-soprano Pamela Dellal offer a rare and compelling view of the music Shakespeare's audiences would have heard, written by the leading composers of his day. Dellal displays versatility and dramatic flair in love songs, comic antics, madness and tragedy. Selections are tied directly to the plays and include music from “As You Like It,” “Twelfth Night,” “Henry V,” “The Winter’s Tale,” “The Tempest, Hamlet,” “Othello,” “Macbeth” and other plays.

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Deanna Bradley, athletic director at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College (SMWC) has announced that Danelle Readinger of Terre Haute has been hired to serve as the head coach for the College’s new cross-country team.

"Danelle is a tremendous addition to our coaching staff,” Bradley said. “She brings unlimited expertise to the cross-country program and continues to be an elite runner herself. She is well known on the local, regional and national levels, and she is the head coach for a local running club, the Terre Haute Tigers.”

Readinger said that she is thrilled to be coaching at SMWC, but she admits she was hesitant when she was first introduced to the opportunity.

“Running is a passion and love, and coaching is a dream that has come true for me. The position at SMWC fits perfect,” Readinger said. “Many people called me about the position opening, but I was hesitant at first. To be honest, I prayed that God would give me a sign that this was the next step for me. What can I say, I am here and excited to do what I love!”

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Jean Fuqua, SP, assistant director of the White Violet Center, has notified the College that a new alpaca cria, born on Wednesday, Sept. 24, has been named Providence Sue's Madrigal in memory of Sue Pietrus, SP. Sister Sue was a graduate of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College (SMWC) and had served as a faculty member at SMWC from 1980 until her death on Saturday, Sept. 13. She was beloved as a faculty member and well known as the director of the SMWC Madrigals and the Chorale.

A Woods student may be calling you soon to talk to you about your Woods experience, life beyond the gates, and how you can make a difference in the lives of our current SMWC students. We'll also bring you up to date on campus life, local and regional events, and ways that you can stay connected to SMWC.

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By John Shaughnessy

SAINT MARY-OF-THE-WOODS—For cousins Jena Thralls and Ashley Vermillion, it’s just a short walk from their college dorm room to the site of their family’s special place in American Catholic history.

At night on the campus of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College west of Terre Haute, Jena and Ashley sometimes walk to the rock that memorializes a historic October moment from 168 years ago—the moment in 1840 when St. Theodora Guérin ended a three-month journey from France and arrived in the Indiana wilderness with a dream.

Standing by that rock, the two freshmen have sometimes imagined what it must have been like in that moment for St. Theodora and the five other sisters who traveled with her from France. Even more, the 18-year-old cousins have tried to imagine what it was like for their great-great-great-great-grandparents as they welcomed into their home the woman who in 2006 would be just the eighth person from America to become a saint. Read more...

The Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College (SMWC) equestrian team is pleased to announce that it will host the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA) Zone 9, Region I “Kick-Off” competition Sept. 27-28, and Bob Cacchione, founder and executive director of the IHSA will be in attendance as the College’s special guest.

Western competition will begin at 9 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 27, and English competition will begin at 9 a.m. on Sunday, Sept. 28. The competitions, which are free and open to the public, will be held at the Mari Hulman George School of Equine Studies at SMWC, and the community is encouraged to attend.

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The Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College (SMWC) Student Senate will host a voter registration event today (Wednesday, Sept. 24) from noon to 1 p.m. and Thursday, Sept. 25, from 11:15 to 1 p.m. The voter registration events will take place in O'Shaughnessy Dining Hall, which is located in the Providence Center on the Saint Mary-of-the-Woods Campus. The public is invited to participate.

In order to vote in Indiana, individuals must: be a citizen of the United States; be at least 18 years of age on Election Day; have lived in their precinct for at least 30 days before the election (except for certain military voters); not currently be imprisoned after being convicted of a crime.

Individuals are required to provide their Indiana driver’s license number in the “Voter’s Identification Number” blank on the voter registration form. If they do not have an Indiana driver’s license, the last four digits of their social security number should be provided. Voter registration forms must be postmarked by October 6th.

For more information about the voter registration event at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College, contact Lauren Schueler at 812-535-6289 or lschueler@smwc.edu.

Brad Huffey, Ph.D., associate professor of psychology at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College, gave two poster presentations at the American Psychological Association's 116th Annual Convention, which was held in Boston, Mass., Aug. 14-17.

Huffey presented “Performing intercultural research in developing countries: Challenges and ethical choices” with Enrique G. Covarrubias from Indiana State University and “Self-monitoring in a prison setting: Proposed applications for psychologists” with Enrique Covarrubias and Ginger Faulkner, both from Indiana State University.

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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 Oct. 18.

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.

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(Left to right) Gerald Jakubowski, president of Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, Daniel Bradley, president of Indiana State University, David Behrs, president of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College, and Jeff Pittman, chancellor of Ivy Tech-Wabash Valley Region, met for dinner at Stables Steakhouse on Monday, Sept. 15. The group is working together to develop a new alliance that will promote higher education in the Wabash Valley.

Photo courtesy of Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology.

The Saint Mary of the Woods College (SMWC) Art Gallery will host an artists' reception for the Art Faculty Exhibition on Wednesday, Sept. 24, from 5 to 7 p.m. The Art Faculty Exhibition will be on display until Oct. 8 and features the work of SMWC art faculty members, including Kathy Gotshall, director of Master of Arts in Art Therapy, Pat Jancosek, associate professor of graphic design, Rebecca Mollenhauer, assistant professor of graphic design, and Tom Swopes, associate professor of art.

The SMWC Art Gallery is located in Hulman Hall, room 132. Admission is free and open to the public. Regular Gallery hours are Monday through Friday, noon to 4 p.m. For more information, contact Rebecca Mollenhauer, Gallery Director, by phone at 812-535-5265 or by email at rmollenhauer@smwc.edu.

Applications are being accepted now for the Master of Leadership Development program at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College (SMWC). The program is open to women and men, and the accelerated format allows students to complete the program in one year while continuing to work full time.

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On Sept. 18, the Honorable Jean M. Wilkowski, a retired U.S. diplomat and the first woman to be appointed U.S. Ambassador to Africa, visited Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College. Wilkowski, a 1941 graduate of SMWC, kicked off the College’s 2008-2009 Four-Star Series with a talk entitled “From The Woods to the World, a 35-year Diplomatic Career in the US Foreign Service.” Several members of the community joined SMWC students, faculty and staff for Wilkowski's presentation.

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Intercessions written by Sister Ellen Cunningham, SP, and Sister Rosemary Nudd, SP, read during the Funeral Liturgy for Sister Susan Pietrus, SP, on Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2008.

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Written by Sister Dawn Tomaszewski; given by Sister Denise Wilkinson

A reading from the Journals and Letters of Saint Mother Theodore Guerin:

“They teach the various sciences scarcely known in our French schools, but they excel in music, which is an indispensable thing in this country, even for the poor.  No piano, no pupils.”

You will NOT be surprised to know that this was Sue’s favorite quote from Mother Theodore.

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Sister Denise Wilkinson, SP, General Superior of the Sisters of Providence, announced that Sister Sue Pietrus, SP, went to God on Saturday, Sept., 13 ,at 3:45 p.m. Friends and family were with her.

The wake will be held in the Church of the Immaculate Conception, which will be open to the public beginning at 3 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 16.  The wake service will follow at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, with visitation also available Wednesday morning.  Funeral liturgy and burial, both open to the public, will begin at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 17, in the Church of the Immaculate Conception, followed immediately by the grave side service in the cemetery on the Motherhouse grounds.

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By Danya Long

With some new faces on the roster and on the coaching staff, the Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College (SMWC) soccer team is ready for a successful season.

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For the Honorable Jean M. Wilkowski, a retired U.S. diplomat and the first woman to be appointed U.S. Ambassador to Africa, travel and learning have been a way of life. She has lived in eight different countries on four continents; she has broadened her horizons, and explored different languages, cultures and countries; and she has had many opportunities to enrich her global understanding.

On Sept. 18, she hopes to enrich the global understanding of others as she kicks off Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College’s 2008-2009 Four-Star Series with a talk entitled “From The Woods to the World, a 35-year Diplomatic Career in the US Foreign Service.” Wilkowski’s presentation, which is free and open to the public, will begin at 7 p.m. in the Cecilian Auditorium of the SMWC Conservatory of Music.

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By Arthur E. Foulkes

TERRE HAUTE — Ron Moore, an adjunct professor of political science at St. Mary-of-the-Woods College, has more vivid memories of 9/11 than most Americans.

Moore was a civilian employee working at the Pentagon when one of the jets hijacked by terrorists crashed into the building on Sept. 11, 2001.

For several hours after the attacks, Moore could not reach his wife, Sharon Ammen, who was teaching at St. Mary-of-the-Woods in Terre Haute, to let her know he was OK.

Misinformation flying around that morning had Ammen “pretty much convinced that I was a goner,” Moore said. “It was pretty brutal.”

Still, for American voters, the influence and memories of the 9/11 attacks may be fading, local political scientists and election observers say. Read more...

The Porch Dance, an annual event for campus students and their off-campus friends, was held on Sept. 9 on the front steps of Le Fer Hall. New this year was the 10 o'clock Dance Off. As the music boomed off the bricks of Le Fer, Woodsies and guests danced until 11 p.m.

The Brazil Times

“Music for you and your baby: a seminar for expectant mothers,” a free six-week seminar series, is being offered through the Maple Center, Inc., in collaboration with the Maternal Health Clinic.

Sharon R. Boyle, MT-BC, and Associate Professor of Music Therapy at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College, is facilitating the series with help from Julia Lopez-Kaley, a junior Music Therapy major. Read more...

Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College (SMWC) has announced that it has created a new honors program for the College. Scheduled to launch with the start of the Fall 2009 semester, the honors program will begin accepting applications later this year for the College’s undergraduate campus-based 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 Sept. 20.

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