“The Velveteen Rabbit,” adapted and with lyrics by Sharon Ammen, associate professor of theatre at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College, and with music by John Berst, will be revived September 10-12 at 7:30 p.m. in the New Theatre at Indiana State University. Whitney Kos, a senior at SMWC who is majoring in English education, will be featured in the show.

By turns witty and poignant, “The Velveteen Rabbit” is one of the most beloved children's stories of all time. Written in 1922 by Margery Williams, this classic tells the tale of a toy rabbit and the little boy who loves him. Follow the quest of the rabbit to become “real” as he meets the wise Skin Horse, the arrogant Mechanical Toys, and a very beautiful flower fairy.

SMWC students may attend ISU's presentation of “The Velveteen Rabbit” for free with an ID. Adults will be admitted for $7 and children will be admitted for $4. For ticket info, email troloff@isugw.indstate.edu or call 812-237-3333.

The Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College (SMWC) Art Gallery’s first exhibition of the academic year will feature the work of artist Bill Wolfe. The exhibition, “Security in Art… the works of Bill Wolfe,” will be on display from Sept. 2nd through Sept. 25. An opening reception will take place on Wednesday, Sept. 2, from 5 to 7 p.m.

Wolfe, who resides in West Terre Haute, Ind., is an accomplished artist in the mediums of both two and three-dimensional art. Having studied art at Indiana State University, he has work located throughout the United States. Wolfe’s main focus is life-size monuments, though he has recently restored a mural in ISU’s University Hall and will soon begin painting murals in the Vigo County Courthouse. Wolfe is also a part of the SMWC community, serving as a part-time security guard since 2002.

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 artgallery@smwc.edu.

The Terre Haute Alumnae Club of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College (SMWC) will host the 10th SMWC Scholarship Scramble at Geneva Hills Golf Club in Clinton on Sept. 12. 

Homemade Italian beef will highlight the lunch menu for the event, which is open to both men and women. Entry fee per person includes lunch, green fees and cart. Cost is $65 per person, and all are guaranteed a prize. Donated gifts in the past have included items from the Indianapolis Speedway, hotel stays, restaurant gift certificates and theater tickets.

Registration and lunch will begin at 11 a.m. A shotgun start is scheduled for noon. Prizes will be awarded to the first-place teams for men's, women's and mixed foursomes. Other contests will include longest drive, closest to the pin and longest holed putt. Sponsors this year include Bunch of Ladies, Marion Manufacturing and First Financial Bank. Proceeds from the benefit will provide scholarships to support Wabash Valley women pursuing degrees at SMWC.

Registrations may be sent to Mary Add Baker, 2710 Wilson Dr., Terre Haute, Ind., 47803. To receive a registration form or for more information, call 812-239-3050 or 812-466-4682. The entry deadline is Sept. 6.

Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College is one of the best colleges and universities in the Midwest according to The Princeton Review. The education services company selected the school as one of 158 institutions it profiles in its “Best in the Midwest” section of its website feature 2010 Best Colleges: Region by Region that posted July 27, 2009.

“We chose Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College and the other terrific schools we recommend as our 'regional best' colleges primarily for their excellent academic programs,” said Robert Franek, Princeton Review's V.P., Publishing. “We also work to have our roster of 'regional best' colleges feature a range of institutions by size, selectivity, character and locale. We choose the schools based on institutional data we collect from several hundred schools in each region, our visits to schools over the years, and the opinions of independent and high school-based college advisors whose recommendations we invite. We also take into account what each school’s customers – their students – report to us about their campus experiences at them on our 80-question student survey.”

The profile on Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College (SMWC) at www.PrincetonReview.com states that SMWC upholds “a great reputation for making students well-rounded in every subject with core classes,” and professors at The Woods are “passionate about the subject[s] that they teach, and it is clear that they have the excitement that is needed to ignite the passion for knowledge within each student.”

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In the 2010 edition of America’s Best Colleges by U.S.News & World Report, Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College is recognized as one of the best institutions of higher learning in the nation. The exclusive rankings, which include more than 1,400 schools nationwide, are available at www.usnews.com/colleges. Highlights of the college rankings will be published in the September 2009 issue of U.S.News & World Report, available for newsstand purchase Monday, August 24. The 2010 America's Best Colleges guidebook will be available as of Tuesday, August 25.

SMWC is ranked in the top tier of the Best Baccalaureate Colleges — Midwest category in the publication's compilation of the nation's top colleges and universities. SMWC is ranked 20th (tied) in the category, up from 24th last year.  Among the 45 top-ranked Midwest colleges, SMWC was recognized for having the highest percentage of classes under 20; 93 percent of classes at SMWC have fewer than 20 students. SMWC is also proud to be the only institution in the Best Baccalaureate Colleges — Midwest category where 100 percent of faculty members have full-time status.

“Year after year, SMWC is recognized as one of the top baccalaureate colleges in the Midwest, and that’s something to be proud of,” said David G. Behrs, Ph.D., president of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College. “I’m especially proud of our excellent students, faculty and staff because they are the people who make this place what it is – an institution of academic excellence where students engage in leadership and service; stretch their minds through activities in and out of the classroom; and seek for the ways to effect positive changes in our global society.”

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Dramatic talent seems to run in the Murray family. Adrian Dominican Sister Nancy Murray, OP, whose brother Bill Murray has achieved fame as both a comedian and an actor, is getting rave reviews from audiences across the country and throughout the world for her portrayal of Dominican saint Catherine of Siena. And on Sept. 17, she will bring her one-woman show “Catherine of Siena, A Woman For Our Times,” to Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College to help the College kick off its Four-Star Series. The performance, which will begin at 7 p.m. in the Cecilian Auditorium of the SMWC Conservatory of Music Building, is free and open to the public.

With simple props and an abundance of imagination, Sister Nancy Murray portrays Catherine as the colorful, strong, passionate and enthusiastic personality that she was. Thanks to Murray’s gift of transforming herself into this 14th century saint and patroness of the Dominican Order, numerous churches, schools and organizations have become acquainted with Catherine's fierce devotion to and love for God.

Originally named Caterina Benincasa, Catherine of Siena was the 24th child born into her family in Siena, Italy, in 1347. She later became a lay member of the Dominican Order. Catherine cared for terminally ill patients, ministered to those on death row, and provided spiritual direction to men and women in search of God. Though she lacked formal education, she is known for her many letters sent to men and women of all walks of life. The letters, filled with wisdom and spiritual guidance, were the fruit of her own relationship with God. Catherine is best remembered for “The Dialogue,” which contains the intimate conversations or prayers that she and God shared with each other.

“If you believe how much God loves you, you can change many things,” Murray says in her press kit. “Catherine’s voice is needed more than ever today. The Church is in a time of struggle. The flock has been scattered and people are confused and in doubt. God is purifying us in a way that calls us to new life.”

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Girls in sixth through eighth grades are invited to explore science, technology, engineering and math during the Expanding Your Horizons career conference at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College (SMWC) on Sept. 19. Registration will be available online at eyh.smwc.edu beginning Aug. 21, and the registration deadline is Sept. 12.

Expanding Your Horizons (EYH) is a career conference for girls in sixth through eighth grades, and it is designed to highlight the wonderful and interesting career possibilities that are available in science, technology, engineering and math. Numerous EYH conferences are held throughout the United States each year, and this is the only conference in the Wabash Valley area.

The conference, which will run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., will feature Deidre Adams as the Keynote Speaker. Adams is an eighth grade science and math teacher at West Vigo Middle School who has spent the past year at NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C. She will share some NASA innovations that affect our daily lives and interesting careers she encountered while working there.

The conference will also include hands-on workshops led by professional women who are working in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math. Girls who attend will get the chance to participate in two of the following workshops:

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Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College (SMWC) has announced that it will provide $250,000 in institutional aid to assist students affected by recent cuts in state grants.

The College’s announcement is in response to the July 17 decision by the State Student Assistance Commission of Indiana (SSACI) to reduce the maximum SSACI grant by 31 percent, creating a shortfall in students’ financial aid for the 2009-2010 year.

“Families are already feeling stretched due to the current economic conditions, so when we learned of SSACI’s decision, the President’s Cabinet immediately began discussing ways to help shoulder the burden,” said SMWC President David G. Behrs, Ph.D. “We want every student to have the chance to complete their college education, so we are committed to finding additional institutional funds, and we will work with each student and family to help them through this."

The College estimates that 150 students in the campus-based program and 250 students in the Woods External Degree (WED) program are affected by the cuts in SSACI grants.

Gordon Afdahl, Vice President for Finance and Administration, said that he expects the cut in grants will mean an average shortfall of approximately $1,500 per student, and the College will be looking at all options to help students and families make up the difference.

“Due to its size, SMWC is able to work with individual students and their families on a case-by-case basis,” Afdahl said. “This will mean looking at several options to help them meet the expected shortfall. Options include work-study opportunities, alternative loans and limited institutional grants.”

Afdahl indicated that the $250,000 in institutional aid will come from special gifts and cost-cutting measures. SMWC will use these funds to help cover the shortfall in SSACI grants for all new and returning students, including students who have not yet applied for admission.

SMWC students affected by the shortfall will receive email and mail notifications that will indicate their shortfall and explain the College’s process to help them make up the difference. Students will then receive an updated financial award letter and an updated billing statement.

Keeping the grounds and historic campus buildings well-maintained is an ongoing priority for Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College, and within the last year, the College has invested approximately $300,000 on these efforts, and $8 million has been invested over the last eight years.

Gordon Afdahl, vice president for finance and administration, said that some recent improvements would be obvious to students when they return to campus, but other improvements, while virtually invisible to most, are just as significant.

“Some projects, including window replacements in Le Fer Hall, are highly visible,” said Gordon Afdahl, vice president for financial affairs. ”Other projects, like replacing sewer pipes in the basement of Guerin Hall, practically no one outside of maintenance staff would see, but are critical to the daily operation of the campus.”

For the last five summers, the College has been working to replace windows in Le Fer Hall. To date, all windows have been replaced on the first floor, including the Le Fer Ballroom and the Sullivan Parlor. At the same time the patio doors and railings in the “Tower” rooms in the front of the building have been upgraded using a huge crane to reach the upper floors. The new windows and doors will help with energy efficiency, and they will enhance temperature control and comfort levels in these areas.

Bill Zink, director of facilities, is a new addition to the College staff and has been overseeing many of the College’s campus improvement projects. Zink, who started at SMWC on May 4, said the College hired several students to serve as painters this summer. Other summer projects were focused in the College’s Conservatory of Music building.

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