Onyx Anneau Fall 2021

FALL 2021/Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College Magazine

Celebrating 180 Years

Vice President for Enrollment Management and Institutional Technology Brennan Randolph, MBA, presented the Class of 2025 to President Dottie L. King, Ph.D., on Friday, August 14, 2021, during the Opening Celebration, held in the Hamilton Arena of the Knoerle Center. Randolph shared, “We call The Woods, The Woods for obvious reasons, but hidden in this place, in areas some may look past or never notice, are examples of opportunity. We are blessed with an abundance of nature and natural beauty on campus… nature and natural beauty that is ever changing, growing and adapting. As our seasons come and go in the natural process set by God, we can all think of springtime when seeds are sown and new opportunity becomes life. In our Woods this is true for the mighty oak tree as it sheds acorns in hopes of growing new trees. Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College has many traditions tied to our Woods. We recognize the potential and strength of the acorn in our Woods as we recognize the potential and strength of each of you. You have weathered many storms, you have been planted here and we look forward to seeing you grow into a confident, equipped professional for your field of study. Dr. King, I am so pleased to officially hand over this class of students to you as they begin their growing process in our Woods. Within this box is an acorn for each of the new students here today; please watch over them as they grow and develop in the coming years. Dr. King, I present to you the Class of 2025.”

A BRIGHT NEW FUTURE A note from President Dottie King

Excitement! That is the feeling on campus this fall. There are so many reasons for excitement too. Les Bois Hall (pronounced “lay bwa”) or “The Woods” opened in August and it is the first new residence hall on campus since Le Fer Hall opened in 1924. The new building is also home to the Doherty Dining Center, named after our thirteenth president, the late Barbara Doherty, SP, ‘53, Ph.D. With great care, the names of the residence hall and dining room were chosen, and they illuminate the many ways that we carry the legacy of our College into a bright, new future. Even as we celebrate the opening of a new building, we are hard at work to maintain and restore our historic buildings on campus. Six “stacks” or nine bathrooms are in the process of a major update in Le Fer Hall and one community bathroom has been completely remodeled to date along with six student bathrooms! This adds to our overall progress in the update for Le Fer. The main floor has many new updates along with the kitchens, centers and hallways of the student floors. We are actively raising money to facilitate work in the Cecilian Auditorium which will be renamed after our own Marie Brendan Harvey, SP, ’51 . We anticipate beginning this work later this year. With grant funding, our work will continue in Rooney Center to repurpose space no longer needed by the library. There are projects in Guerin Hall, Hulman Hall and even Knoerle Center too. Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College is part of the Saint Mary-of-the-Woods Historic District. The College along with the Sisters of Providence are proud to share our story along with many artifacts with the Swope Art Gallery in Terre Haute this fall as part of a collaborative exhibit. We are sharing our 180 years of innovation with the community in which we grew. This spirit of entrepreneurship and meeting the needs of today’s students was embodied by Saint Mother Theodore Guerin and her companions, the Sisters of Providence, educators and benefactors who maintained and grew SMWC. It is now entrusted to us for the future. May we faithfully and gratefully continue the good work that was planted here. Woods students assisted with the Opening Celebration and orientation during the first weekend of the fall semester. L to R: Team Leader Dallis Davis, Assistant Team Leader Hunter Reed, Team Leader Mikayla Hudgens, Resident Assistant Preston Mitchell, President Dottie King, Orientation Leaders Alexandra Baver, Morgan Boehler, Hannah Ellis and Kelly Herrera and Team Leader Michael Natt.

Dottie L. King, Ph.D. President

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ONYX Anneau FALL ISSUE 2021

Vol. 96

No. 1

Karen Dyer Editor in Chief Vice President for Advancement and Strategic Initiatives BJ Riley ’16 Editorial Director Director of Marketing Marissa Schmitter Managing Editor Content Marketing Specialist Kristy Fry Creative Director Director of Creative Services CONTRIBUTORS Anwyn Payonk ‘21 Catherine Mickey Saunders ‘98 Heather Tighe Sue Weatherwax

Nancy Payonk ’81 , Kymberli Huet Payonk ’86 , Janet Keller ’17 , Anna Madden ’18, ‘20G and Jan Giddens Lorenzano ’84 volunteered their time to SMWC. These dedicated Woods women added beautiful flowers and plants to the Guerin Cross Garden, located next to the Guerin Hall porch, for all to enjoy. The creation of the Guerin Cross Garden was a gift from Nancy and is the new home of the original cross that previously adorned the roof of the building. The new aluminum cross was installed on top of the building in 2017.

CONTENTS

Welcome to ONYX Anneau - Anneau is French for ring.

180 YEARS — OUR JOURNEY 4 THE CAMPUS SPEAKS 10

Please send correspondence to: Office of Advancement PO Box 70 Saint Mary of the Woods, IN 47876-0070 Phone: 812-535-5270 E-mail: alumni@smwc.edu © 2021 by Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College Printed in the U.S.A. All rights reserved. Every effort has been made to ensure that all information contained in this magazine is accurate.

ON THE COVER A page from the 1921 Les Bois yearbook of the Conservatory of Music.

CHANGE MAKERS 20

INSIDE EVERY ISSUE The Woods Today..........................................3 Athletics.........................................................18 Nota Bena......................................................29

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THE WOODS TODAY

As an anxious freshman, I had no idea what my journey at The Woods would entail. After getting moved in, saying goodbye to my parents, and trying to wipe away a few tears, I sat in a ballroom, full of anxious freshmen, in what felt like a crisis. Flash forward four years, after graduating in May of 2021 with a degree in English, I was able to find a career doing what I wanted to — write. Just a year before my graduation, the world was faced with a life- altering global pandemic. This caused me to second-guess my goals of what I wanted to do after college. Inspired to find a path, I contacted a connection from The Woods and began an internship at RJL Solutions, an Indiana government affairs and communications firm headquartered in Terre Haute. It is there I would find my niche among successful Woods alumni. I was given the opportunities to thrive in a professional capacity and expand my skills beyond writing about 20th-century American literature, though I still enjoy it. It was also there I was

able to find the career that I love. Saint Mother Theodore Guerin once said, “It is never too late to begin to do well.” In my own time, guided by The Woods, the anxious wide-eyed freshmen found success after college. So, here I am today, working at a company with Woods alumni; living with one of my best friends, another Woods alumna; visiting my family, some of which are Woods alumni; and making plans with friends; almost all of which are Woods alumni. Even out of college, I am surrounded by the Providence that has helped me succeed professionally, personally and mentally. College will challenge you, harder than many things ever will, especially during a global pandemic, but the spirit of The Woods will prevail and allow you to do well.

Anwyn — Anwyn Payonk ’21

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180 Years - Our Journey By Karen Dyer, Vice President of Advancement and Strategic Initiatives

The history of Saint Mary-of-the- Woods reads like a well-worn, good book. It begins with the story we all know - a journey into the wilderness of Indiana to establish a school - and, from there, it twists and turns throughout the burgeoning history of the state and our evolving nation.

“It’s clear that the College today has a strong connection to its past, its traditions and its founding – our past is treasured and respected. Our students love Mother Theodore and carry her story with them. I also believe that the College today must meet

‘Know Nothings’ who worked against her in the late 1800s even as she was trying to grow the mission and build other schools throughout Indiana. Mother Mary Cleophus Foley made plans for a campus expansion to add Guerin Hall, the Conservatory and Le Fer Hall as part of the newly inaugurated College in 1909. Did you know that a 1920s

master plan lays out the location for a new library to be built between Woodland Inn and the Grotto? Students wrapped bandages and took first aid classes during World War I. They worried about air raids and were ready to retreat to the Conservatory

bomb shelter (the basement underneath the auditorium) in the 1940s. In

the 1960s, they worked to fight against racial injustices. And there is so much more. “Mother Theodore was a pioneering woman, an innovator and a changemaker – called to a new world to bring the light of education to young women who were uneducated. From that time until now, she set a course for The Woods that we honor today with the launch of each new academic program, building and sports team. We are continuing her work and that of all those who have committed themselves to this mission by making sure that we innovate,” she added.

Its chapters are filled with stories we know and cherish, and many others which have been lost to time. Since 1840, students have persevered through the changing world around them - the Civil War, the fight for women’s rights, two World Wars, a changing higher educational landscape and, yes, two pandemics. Our story is one of commitment, innovation, change and persistence.

students where they are, fulfilling their educational needs, and this too is part of respecting our past,” said Dottie L. King, Ph.D., president. In respecting the past, we must understand that change is in our very nature. Our story has grit and tenacity, too. Mother Theodore endured anti-Catholic sentiment from the

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King explained, “As I talk with our alumni throughout the decades at Reunion and when I travel, I am intrigued by the stories of student

life during each of their times. It is so interesting to hear how the student experience has evolved just in the last 50 years from what they were allowed to wear, which sometimes included wearing pajamas under

Page 4: A College ad taken from the Les Bois 1916 yearbook. Page 5 - Above: An ad from the Les Bois 1920 yearbook. Left - A drawing of the front gates from the 1920 yearbook following their recent construction.

“Our Woods past is something to be treasured, studied and built upon. I think that’s the way Mother Theodore would have wanted it,” added King. “I have come to believe that each student has their own version of The Woods that lives on in them no matter how much things change today. It’s this essence of our Woods experience that all students and alumni share connecting them through space and time throughout the entirety of the existence of this place,” she said,

adding, “Even the name of the old yearbook has found a new home.” As this 180th year comes to a close and a new era begins, let us imagine how future opportunities, challenges, changes and innovations will form the basis for so many stories yet to be told at Reunions to come.

their academic gowns to mass, to curfew times and the type of classes that were offered.” As the College works to implement its 2021 master plan, launched this spring, the leadership finds itself melding the past with the present, while planning for the future. The master plan addresses years of deferred building and infrastructure maintenance, and plans for new structures, classrooms and technology to serve the needs of today’s students.

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The

Journey

October 22 Mother Theodore Guerin and her companions arrive at Saint Mary-of- the-Woods, Indiana, and found a school for girls.

Mother Theodore lobbies for the railroad expansion to come through Saint Mary-of-the- Woods and uses her influence to secure a station on community property, allowing the school access to students far and wide.

Anne Thérese Guerin Hall and the Conservatory of Music buildings are opened as the first College buildings. `

1913

1840

1858

Foley Hall is built to replace the original Academy building.

1854

1899

1846 Saint Mary’s Institute, as the school has generally come to be called, is granted the first charter for higher education of women in the State of Indiana.

1856 Mother Theodore Guerin dies.

The College confers its first bachelor of arts degree.

1917 The College instructs students in Red Cross courses and helps raise funds as part of the World War I effort.

1909 An amended charter separates the Academy, a four-year high school, and the College into two independent institutions.

1918 Students shelter in place during the Spanish Flu pandemic safely behind the new campus gates and gatehouse which are installed along St. Mary’s Road.

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Top Left: Early postcard of the Guerin Hall terrace with the Conservatory of Music next door. Top Right: The Victory Team - SMWC’s 1921 Women’s Basketball Team with Captain Dorothy Helm holding the ball. Clockwise L to R: Frances Helm , Esther Pomeroy , Elizabeth Letson , Mary McGinnis and Bee Kennedy . Center icon: Artwork of a woman playing the piano drawn by student Ruth Marcotte ‘22 from the 1922 Les Bois yearbook. Bottom Left: Saint Mother Theodore Guerin Bottom Right: Early postcard of aerial view of Le Fer Hall.

1921

The first intercollegiate women’s basketball game in Indiana was played at The Woods against Indiana Normal School, now Indiana State University. SMWC won 17 to 12.

The College launches the Women’s External Degree (WED) Program – leading the way in distance education as the second in the nation to offer such a degree.

1973

Scholarship athletics program begins with the reinstalled women’s basketball team and paved the way for the inaugural softball team.

The College has its largest enrollment to date with 529 students.

The library, now the Mary and Andrew Rooney Library, opens.

1994

1966

1964

The Academy moves to Indianapolis, becoming

The science building, now Hulman Hall, opens and features full science laboratories and a wing dedicated to home economics.

Ladywood School, living on today through Cathedral High School in Indianapolis. The College continues its tradition of being a pioneer in women’s education. The first in the nation to offer journalism courses, women can also receive professional degrees in secondary education, home economics and secretarial science.

1931

2001 Mari Hulman George School of Equine Studies is expanded.

1924

Le Fer Hall opens with grand amenities including hair salons and flower shops; Guerin Hall is reserved for freshmen.

1969

1984 Coeducational graduate programs begin.

1968

The Sisters of Providence separately incorporate the College from the order and install Jeanne Knoerle, SP, ‘49 as president.

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The College expands its mission to become fully coeducational in all programs, ending 175 years as a women’s college. A nursing program launches with a full cohort, and fundraising goals are met for the first time in nearly a decade.

After the Saint Mary-of-the- Woods Historic District was named to the National Register of Historic Places in 2017, the College expands from a 67-acre campus to 311 acres.

The WED program officially becomes Woods Online.

2018

SMWC opens with in- person classes during the COVID-19 pandemic and continues without incident throughout the year, following strict pandemic protocols.

2015

The Aspire Higher Strategic Plan launches to address enrollment growth, academic program expansion and capital project renovation and building.

2020

2011

The WED Program becomes coeducational, changes name to Woods External Degree Program.

The Jeanne Knoerle Sports and Recreation Center opens and the 8th new sport, women’s volleyball, is added.

SMWC announces highest enrollment since 1966 in the campus program. Les Bois Hall opens as the first new residence and dining hall in nearly 100 years. Men’s basketball is set to begin its inaugural season, making it the 15th new sport.

2016

2005

2014

2021

The patient toilers one by one have passed, Their noble courses run, forsooth, too fast; But one by one the places have been filled All hearts by fond traditions have been thrilled. The old St. Mary’s and the new united, The loved ones gone behold in form delighting; From heavn’ly heights with joyous pride they see The spreading branches of the sturdy tree.

From Les Bois, 1915, “Tribute of Years” in celebration of the institution’s Diamond Jubilee 75th year (1840-1915)

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Rare book finds Providential home in SMWC archives

By Marissa Schmitter, Content Marketing Specialist

L to R: Tom Vachet with President King after Vachet presented the College with a rare book.

What began as a hunt for more family history turned into uncovering another sliver of history related to Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College. Tom Vachet didn’t know much about his family tree, so he began to scour the internet. Through this, he found 17,500 relatives. What he also found was a rare book — only three known copies — that caught his eye. He decided to buy the book. Shipped in a plain USPS envelope from North Carolina, Vachet received the book with a simple stamp that read “Bishop Brute.” Being born and raised in Vincennes in the St. Francis Xavier Grade School, this name stuck out to Vachet. He spent some of his childhood in the Brute Library, named for the first bishop of Vincennes. While working in the library to tidy, Vachet realized, “The world was in front of me. Scrolls. Books. All manner of interesting artifacts.”

Upon receiving the book, Vachet realized the binding was still tight, and that nobody had actually read the text. After reading the first passage, he couldn’t get himself to continue. “I didn’t want to turn anymore pages,” he recounted. “I knew there was something special about this book. This isn’t for me to keep, it’s for me to share.” The other two known copies are in college libraries, so Vachet went searching for a meaningful connection. He connected with Kathryn Todd ’79 , who resides in Vincennes, and she suggested giving the book to her alma mater, which was founded by Saint Mother Theodore Guerin. Brute, who was seeking to expand his Diocese, recruited sisters from

France. Sister Saint Theodore Guerin and her five companions answered the call soon after Brute’s passing in 1839. In 1840 when Guerin arrived in Vincennes, the new bishop said Terre Haute needed their services more — and the rest is history. Dottie L. King, Ph.D., president believes Providence explains the winding road it took for the book to end up at the College — the place with interlocking history between Saint Mother Theodore and Bishop Brute. “Sounds like Providence to me,” King said upon receiving the book as Vachet handed it to her as a donation.

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THE CAMPUS SPEAKS Swope Art Museum exhibit showcases historical elements of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods It’s like stepping back in time. Just thinking about what these objects have been through is enough to raise goosebumps. Some of them have been through two pandemics. Two world wars. The list is vast. As Dottie L. King, Ph.D., president, put it — the campus sends echoes. “You can only imagine how amazing it is to walk through these buildings and really feel some of those echoes of what came before,” King said during the opening of a Saint Mary-of-the-Woods (SMW) Historic District exhibit at the Swope Art Museum in August. “I really believe the echoes keep us moving forward.” And, these echoes reverberate throughout campus. It is in The Avenue sign that welcomed generations of students as they entered the gates of their home away from home. You can see it in the pillar of the Le Fer Lake Bridge, built in 1922, where countless students posed for photos. Mostly noticeably, you really sense the significance of these echoes as you peruse reproductions of architectural drawings by the Bohlen and Sons Architects of Indianapolis. The buildings are ones you know and love including the Conservatory, Guerin Hall, Le Fer Hall and the Church of Immaculate Conception, built between 1884 and 1969. The SMW Historic District, launched in 2017 as the campus was named to the National Register of Historic Places, holds the largest collection of cohesive Bohlen buildings throughout the nation. The Bohlen influence is extensive and includes the original barn and stables, contributing to the equine presence on campus. They also designed many buildings in the downtown Indianapolis area, along with the French Lick Springs Hotel in southern Indiana. “Buildings do have a story to tell — there’s no doubt about that — but that story always leads us to people who made that vision a reality,” Paula Damiano, SP, ’72 , shared during the exhibit opening. The exhibit features blueprints, photo albums and items from the archives along with larger items such as pieces of marble, stained glass windows, historic light fixtures and pieces of buildings and bridges. These items were, in some cases quite literately, dragged from basements and snagged from attics to share. By Marissa Schmitter, Content Marketing Specialist

A chandelier that adorned Le Fer Hall is now on display at the Swope.

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The Sisters of Providence hearse was showcased opening night of the exhibit.

Above: Susan Dolle, director of grants development and chair of the Historic District Committee of SMWC and Sisters of Providence; Alexandra Baver, an SMWC junior and intern at the Swope; and Edward Trover, adjunct faculty member at SMWC.

One item dates back to the beginning of what we all know and love of campus today. “Ego dormio sed cor meum vigilat.” Translated from Latin to English, this means “I am sleeping, but my heart is awake.” This is the engraved lid from Saint Mother Theodore Guerin’s vault, which was inside the crypt located underneath the Big Church where Mother Guerin was reinterred in 1907 as she was relocated from the cemetery along with her companion sisters who traveled together from France. The lid, a hefty concrete block with handles attached for lifting, displays a plaque which reads, “Mother Theodore Anne Therese Guerin. Born October 2, 1798. Died May 14, 1856. Founded St. Mary-of-the-Woods October 22, 1840.” While Mother Guerin was not transported in a hearse in the modern sense, many Sisters still are today. On display outside of the Swope for the exhibit opening was the Sisters of Providence’s 1940 Henney Packard hearse — a gothic-looking vehicle still in use today which was acquired for $1,750 in the late 1940s. Today, it has logged only 67,000 miles. What’s on display is only a sliver of Woods history. “The district changes all the time,” Damiano said. “It’s being changed today. It’s learning. The SMW Historic District was influenced by leaders and architects — but also by the thousands of sisters, faculty, staff and students of Saint Mary- of-the-Woods College who have come through the front gates over these many years and call The Woods their home. Whether it’s for four years or a lifetime.” The walls of the Swope are lined with a cohesive story of campus that intertwines the vision of the College and the Sisters of Providence. You cannot help but to feel inspired. “It looks and feels historic,” King said, “however this history is a stand-alone representation of our long ago past, it is a window into the innovation and the forward-thinking nature of the sisters who were planning and building a future for our Woods. Our history is also a comment on the collective vision of all those who came before to build this great and enduring institution.”

Above: President King speaks to guests at the Opening Reception on Aug. 6, 2021, at the Swope Art Museum.

Above: The lid to Saint Mother Theodore Guerin’s vault, which was inside the crypt located underneath the Church.

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The theme for Reunion 2021 was fitting —We are family! It brought together generations of Woodsies. It brought together families. Top left - L to R: Amy Sonderman Woods ’90 , Julie Woods ’20G and Shannon Sonderman ’18 . Amy is Julie’s mother and Shannon’s aunt. Top right - L to R: Mary Add Wilson Baker ’71 , Gail Baker Zwaska ’01 , Elizabeth Osella Davis ’96, ’00G , Anita Scioldo Osella ’71 , Laura Clayton Juergens ’96 and Mary Helen Walker Clayton ’65 . Mary Add is Gail’s mother. Anita is Elizabeth’s mother. Mary Helen is Laura’s mother. Highlights from Reunion 2021 include many of our beloved alumni and photos from the blessing of the Barbara Doherty Dining Center in the new residence hall and the banquet.

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SMWC opens first residence hall in nearly 100 years

By Marissa Schmitter, Content Marketing Specialist The first thing you see along St.

Currently, the building is undergoing renovations to student rooms and bathrooms so that it may continue as a home for Pomeroys for years to come. Les Bois Hall will house upperclass and graduate students.

“Fitting within the natural environment of the campus, outdoor spaces are integrated within the design of the building,” Teismann explains. “A large plaza with seating and a bike rack is located near the entrance that serves as a gathering point for a campus store, dining center, market and student residence alike.” Also on the plaza are tables for the community to socialize and eat and a Juneberry bush – symbolizing life and renewal while also being part of the Woods culture of sustainability. The space contains a dedicated student dining center. With a 150-person capacity, the dining hall is a hub for the campus community, where students, faculty, staff and beyond will be able to share a meal and conversation. The marketplace gives students grab-and- go options during in-between hours. The SMWC Campus Store, previously known as the bookstore, will move from the lower level of Hulman Hall to a more prominent location in the building later this fall.

Mary’s Road, even before you reach the College gates and arrive on The Avenue, is the new residence and dining hall — Les Bois Hall — and it is beautifully paired with the iconic and historic Le Fer Hall. Together, these buildings are your first glimpse of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College. Pronounced “lay-bwa,” which is French for “The Woods,” this building was carefully planned, designed and executed to fit seamlessly into the campus culture. The name is a tribute to the campus yearbook, published from 1916 through the 80s. “It holds for us a promise for future generations of students who will tell new stories and have new experiences in a new building, while still appreciating everything that came before,” Dottie L. King, Ph.D., president, said during the ribbon cutting ceremony on Aug. 11. Le Fer Hall, opened in 1924, will continue to house underclassmen and be a focal point for the College.

Les Bois (lay•bwa)

The Woods

Built with the needs of today’s students in mind, the 92-bed facility features suites equipped with mini- kitchens, living rooms and bathrooms to give it a luxury apartment feel. Matthew Teismann, principal and director of architecture at MKC Architects of Columbus, Ohio, worked to create a modern building that knits together with the rest of campus. He also carefully designed outdoor spaces to highlight the beauty of The Woods.

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Dining center named for Barbara Doherty

The perfect way to honor the legacy of Barbara Doherty, SP, ’53, Ph.D ., was to name the dining center after her, said Dottie L. King, Ph.D, president. Doherty served as 13th president of SMWC and as chancellor of the College following her retirement until her death in 2020. King knew she wanted to pay tribute to Doherty within the new building in some way, and with Doherty being a well-documented foodie, it was a natural fit. “It didn’t take me very long to realize that her name was going to go on the dining hall,” King said. “I instantly knew I wanted her name to be a part of this building.” Bon Appétit Management Company was selected as the new foodservice provider for the College in May 2021, and now operates the Barbara Doherty Dining Center, The Market in Les Bois Hall and Woods Café in Rooney Center. Bon Appétit is known for its culinary expertise, including small-batch scratch cooking, local sourcing of ingredients and a commitment to socially responsible practices. “Bon Appétit’s sustainable practices and food sourcing practices fit nicely with SMWC’s values of sustainability The “values” of a good meal

The name is Barbara Doherty Dining Center, although King hopes the community will take to calling it Doherty Dining for short. In a special ceremony during Reunion weekend, King, Carmen Piasecki ’70 , former chair of the board of trustees during Doherty’s presidency, and Dawn Tomaszewski, SP, ’74 , general superior of the Sisters of Providence, shared fond memories of Doherty as they blessed the building. “I trust that from whatever heavenly banquet that Barbara is currently partaking, she is cheering us on and blessing our efforts,” said Tomaszewski. and social justice, which just makes this a great partnership all around,” said Jaclyn Walters, vice president for finance and administration. According to Walters, the new provider was chosen following a months-long process which included focus sessions with students and discussions with a number of potential providers. “Their commitment to sustainability coupled with their level of care and concern for students’ needs were among the reasons they were selected. We are thrilled to have Bon Appétit as part of our Woods team,” added Walters.

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Growth is never by mere chance it is the result of forces

working together. — James Cash Penney

Together we can make a difference. Your gift to the Woods Fund together with gifts from fellow alumni, faculty, staff and the community make way for growth and uplift student’s lives by providing scholarships, new technologies, leadership opportunities, updates to facilities and more. Give Today. giving.smwc.edu

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Building a team from the ground

up By BJ Riley ’16, Director of Marketing

Men’s Basketball Head Coach Enzley Mitchell IV, Ph.D.

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This isn’t his first rodeo, says Enzley Mitchell IV, Ph.D., who will launch the inaugural men’s basketball program this fall as head coach. He has done it before. As a matter of fact, he has done it twice. When Coach Mitchell accepted his first college head coaching job at Northern New Mexico College in 2008, he was also named as athletic director and given the task of launching their intercollegiate athletics program. “I had to start an athletic program from scratch and a men’s basketball team,” Mitchell said. In 2010, he was named athletic director for Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) and began to move forward to transition IIT from the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III. To make that transition, in 2012 he announced IIT would add men’s basketball in 2012-13 along with women’s basketball and women’s lacrosse in 2013-14. He again served as the head men’s basketball coach, rebooting a team that had been disbanded a few years before his arrival.

Starting a team from scratch is sort of old hat for Mitchell. With Indiana’s long history with and love for basketball, he jumped at the chance to be the inaugural men’s coach at SMWC — taking the floor in the Hamilton Arena with the first men’s team. “We already had an established athletics program with a lot of history and tradition, and it was just a matter of adding a sport,” he explained. Mitchell admits that recruiting for SMWC was a bit tougher than in his past, but he explained it is partly due to his recruiting style. “I like to recruit above my level and look for talent at higher levels of play,” he said, referring to his recruiting style as “old school.” “I like to get into a gym on a Tuesday or Friday night and watch a varsity game. There is no substitute for that kind of recruiting, especially at a small school like SMWC,” he said. He looks for the same traits in all the student-athletes he recruits — scholarship, talent, coachability and character — and emphasizes that the student part of the student-athlete equation is equally important to

their success in college. He says he is working to build a culture of student achievement, hard work and stellar conduct, both on and off the court. “At the end of the day, it is about being a family,” he said. If starting a men’s basketball team from the ground up is not enough, Mitchell assisted in launching a new sport management major, which begins this fall. “This can help prepare students for a lot of great careers where they can work with kids and make a difference impacting the lives of young people,” he said. As an instructor, Mitchell knows the importance of being a good student and believes this additional major will expose students, athletes and non-athletes, to a segment of sports that they may not have considered before. The men will take the court in their first home game in Hamilton Arena in the Knoerle Sports and Recreation Center on October 30 against Miami University-Hamilton.

ATHLETIC HIGHLIGHTS

• In April, the College announced men’s volleyball would be added as the 15th intercollegiate scholarship sport, taking the court in the spring of 2023. • Ron Prettyman, with a strong history of higher education athletic administration, joined the SMWC athletic department as interim athletic director for academic year 2021-22, to help guide the College through the transition to NAIA. • In late June, President King announced SMWC would add sprint football as the 16th intercollegiate scholarship sport in fall 2022. The College is also a founding member of the Midwest Sprint Football League (MSFL), joining five other founding schools. The MSFL is the second league of its kind along with the Collegiate Sprint Football League (CSFL) established in 1934. Sprint football follows the rules of collegiate football and has a player weight limitation of 178 lbs. • In July, SMWC became part of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), moving from United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA). • As a part of NAIA, SMWC was accepted into the River States Conference (RSC) in July, joining other Institutions in Indiana, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia.

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CHANGE MAKERS AWARDED FOR LEADERSHIP By BJ Riley ’16, Director of Marketing L to R: Claire Thuning-Roberson ’67, Ph.D., poses in a lab, where she spent much of her time for her research. Elizabeth “Betty” Borders McAndrews ’65 at her retirement as a flight stewardess. Constance “Connie” Kramer, SP, ’64 spends time in the church, where she was actively involved in her parish. Frances “Fran” Froehlich ’64 was featured on the cover of the Boston Herald Magazine for her work in social justice throughout the area. Carol Jean Kinghorn-Landry ’61 educated children through her passion for teaching and music. Rachel Leslie ’14G , an active member of Terre Haute, speaks at the SMWC Gala.

Claire

Betty

Sister Connie

“Betty” Borders McAndrews ’65 and the 2021 award to Constance “Connie” Kramer, SP, ’64 . The Saint Mother Theodore Guerin Award recipient for 2020 was Frances “ Fran” Froehlich ’64 and the 2021 award was presented to Carol Jean Kinghorn- Landry ’61 . Rachel Leslie ’14G was the inaugural recipient of the G.O.L.D.E.N. Oak Award. Since 2003, the Distinguished Alumni Award has been present to the most prestigious alumni of SMWC. Thuning-Roberson is noted for her leadership as a woman in science and for her work advancing cancer treatments. Her Woods degree in biology provided strong roots for her more than 50-year career as a leader in research. She has published numerous peer reviewed scientific journals, holds a scientific patent and continues to serve the medical research community as president and chief executive officer of

By looking at the accomplishments of the foundress Saint Mother Theodore Guerin, Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College was built on a foundation of difference making. In a letter dated 1842, she wrote, “We are not called upon to do all the good possible, but only that which we can do.” There have been thousands of alumni who have entered through the gates of SMWC, who would then go into the world to begin doing good. This May, six honorees were celebrated with awards recognizing their accomplishments and their legacy of doing good. The Distinguished Alumni Award was presented during commencement ceremonies to Claire Thuning-Roberson ’67, Ph.D. Two sets of alumni awards were given this year at the Reunion banquet as last year’s event was postponed. The Frances Murphy Rumely Award for 2020 was awarded to Elizabeth

H2Biologics, a biotechnology start-up company that has created a fusion protein as treatment for a number of cancers. The Rumely Award — given in memory of Frances Murphy Rumely, Class of 1935 — is presented annually in recognition of an alum’s outstanding dedication to and leadership within civic, religious or educational organizations. McAndrews has been generous with her time and talents in her parish and the Catholic Daughters of America. She addresses community needs through service with Meals- On-Wheels and the Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity Soup Kitchen. She is committed to education helping countless women gain access through her work with the Philanthropic Education Organization and the establishment of the Borders Sisters Endowed Scholarship at SMWC.

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L to R: Fran, Sister Connie, President King, Carol Jean, Betty and Rachel before the Reunion 2021 banquet.

Fran (right)

Carol Jean

Rachel

Kramer has focus on improving the quality of life for individuals within the Wabash Valley, founding Saint Ann Medical Clinic, Saint Ann Community Outreach Services and Saint Ann Dental Clinic. These clinics now make up the Wabash Valley Health Center and serve thousands, carrying on Kramer’s vision. In addition, she has served as a high school teacher, business manager and development director and SMWC Trustee, remaining active in her parish. The Guerin Award recognizes the value-based education legacy of our foundress, Saint Mother Theodore Guerin. Froehlich has been a tenacious voice for social justice for more than 40 years. She co-founded the Poor People’s United Fund to help support organizations addressing basic social justice needs in Boston. Two years later, she co-founded Community

Works as a source of support for social justice organizations through workplace giving. More than $5 million has been distributed since Community Works’ inception, where she serves today as a consultant. Kinghorn-Landry embodies Guerin’s pioneering spirit, having forged new ground in the education of children by using music to connect them with God. Her vision became HI GOD, a children’s religious educational program. Together with her husband, Carey, they developed HI GOD Teacher’s Manual and the HI GOD Program of Religious Education. The series grew, and she spent 40 years sharing her vision and expertise, eventually incorporating tools to help work with hearing-impaired children, introducing gestures as a part of the series. The G.O.L.D.E.N. Oak Award recognizes a SMWC Graduate of

the Last Decade Engaging Now. The award celebrates professional achievement, continued service and outstanding personal characteristics of a recently graduated alumnus. Leslie has been active in Terre Haute and the Wabash Valley for many years through her work with the Terre Haute Chamber of Commerce and her role in external relations at SMWC. She founded RJL Solutions in 2017 as an advocacy firm in Terre Haute. She works tirelessly on behalf of West Central Indiana and many of its non-profit organization while also serving as president of the National Defense Industrial Association of Greater Indiana and Vice President of the Indiana Defense Network. These difference makers have not given up. May the legacy of their good works inspire others as they become role models for today’s Woods students.

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Thank You! Thanks to the support of more than 2,400 donors, last year was the most successful year of fundraising in the College’s history!

$6,975,958 July 1, 2020 – June 30, 2021

22% Alumni giving (3% increase from FY20) $1,130,349 Raised supporting students through the Woods Fund 2,428 Alumni and Friends gave to SMWC 16 Grants Awarded 795 Donors in one day #WoodsGivingDay As we begin the new academic year, The Woods reflects on its many blessings. The continued and growing support received from alumni and friends is most meaningful. Your eagerness to invest in students and their futures is changing lives. Thank you for making a Woods experience possible with your support.

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Take a Seat!

At Reunion 2021 President King announced plans to renovate the Conservatory’s auditorium as a tribute to Marie Brendan Harvey, SP, ’51 . Alumni from music, theatre, madrigals, choral and more have been invited to help SMWC reach the $500,000 project goal. The response has been inspiring with $396,000 in gifts, pledges and grants secured as of August 2021. Join us as we enhance the student experience by returning the auditorium to its glory! Thanks to a $50,000 Historic Preservation Fund (HPF) grant from the Indiana Department of Natural Resources Division of Historic Preservation and Archeology, initial renovations

2020-2021 HONOR ROLL OF DONORS

Last year’s record-breaking support of The Woods is celebrated in our Honor Roll of Donors. Please visit smwc.edu/ giving/honor-roll-donors to find your name among those who have given so generously. All annual and lifetime giving societies are included, as well as the Legacy Guild, Aspire Higher Society — Le Fer Hall and gifts made in memory or honor of loved ones. Woods Fund Class Gift donors are once again celebrated by class year. NEW IN 2021: Legacy Ring Circle: Donors who have given their Woods Rings to SMWC to be awarded to a current student with financial need. Aspire Higher Society—Conservatory: Donors who joined the Take A Seat initiative supporting the renovation of the Conservatory.

will be underway as early as this fall with masonry rehabilitation at the front entrance. Immediate plans include upgrading the lighting in the entrance corridor to LED as well as revealing the beautiful proscenium front wall. Future renovations will include: • restoring the seats, • installing LED lighting throughout the auditorium, • adding aisle carpet and lighting, • providing ADA accessible seating options, • renovating public restrooms, • and repairing the plaster and paint. Gifts may be made online or by contacting Advancement at 888-769-0013. Take A Seat donors will be recognized at the following levels:

Front Row Donor................$5,000 House Row Donor..............$2,500

4-Seat Donor........................$1,000 Seat Donor. .............................$300

ALUMNI CHALLENGE ELEVATES GUERIN HALL

With its original 108-year-old elevators still in use, the College is in the midst of raising $420,000 to update the freight elevator in Guerin Hall. This upgrade will enable SMWC to better utilize the top three floors of the building by meeting the needs of today’s students, faculty and staff, as well as current ADA standards. An alumna and her husband have graciously stepped forward to offer a challenge match of up to $100,000 if the College can secure gifts totaling $320,000 to complete the project. Donors of $1,000 or more will be recognized and will receive a stone paver along the Guerin Porch.

For more information about Aspire Higher Campaign capital projects such as the Conservatory, Le Fer Hall or the Guerin Elevator visit smwc.edu/giving/aspire-higher-campaign/ . Gifts may be made online or by contacting the Advancement Office at 888-769-0013 to make a gift or get involved.

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C L A S S N O T E S Our apologies to the Classes of 1960, 1962 and 1976. Their notes were accidentally left out of the last issue of Onyx Anneau. Although they were online, we are printing them in this issue. ’60 Barbara Beach Hogan 4119 Fieldbrook Pass Fort Wayne, IN 46815-5580 MBHogan1963@gmail.com There is not a lot of news to report. With the restrictions due to the pandemic, most of us are staying close to home. Mary Kay Schreier, DC has been living in Chicago with her community of Daughters of Charity while acting as POA for health and finances for her brother, who is single. He suffered a massive stroke, is paralyzed and needs 24-7 caregivers. Sister also ministers part time as pastoral associate at the African American Mission Church of St. Peter Claver in Robbins, Ill. This ministry brings much joy as well as challenges during this pandemic. Lois Leinenbach Mootz , Vivian Larkowski Kozak and Patricia “Pat” Vassallo Freebern all live near one another in Southwest Florida. They used to play golf together, but now it’s lunch and dinner. With Covid restrictions, they dine outside. How lucky they are to be in Florida! Recently Pat arranged for dinner with their husbands to celebrate birthdays for Lois and Vivian. Lois and Pete are faithfully following CDC guidelines and have received their first vaccines with the second one scheduled. Jeanne Smith Rielly still lives in Maine and runs the local food pantry. With Covid restrictions, distributions are curbside with some boxes prepared elsewhere. Jeanne’s husband, Edward, is finishing a book on Native American women in leadership roles. This includes the new Secretary of the Interior for President Biden. The grandchildren have adjusted well to virtual and hybrid learning. Birthday celebrations are being held in backyards with heaters and lights. Grandson, Morgan is now in the state legislature. He has a book coming out in August on new immigrants to Maine. Andrea “Andy” Unruh Linde reports that she and Harry staying home except for rare doctors’ and quick trips to the grocery store. They have just received their first Covid vaccination. Andy still holds out hope for Reunion. Ann Browne Martin is happy that she and her husband traveled when they did. Between transportation difficulties and health concerns, travel may be a luxury of the past. Ann hears from Mary Ann Schraffenberg Burger and Elizabeth Vessels Ayers regularly, but has not seen either of them recently. Nancy Kotowicz Williams and her husband arrived back in upstate New York from a trip to New Zealand and Australia days before New York locked down. Certainly, they didn’t have a clue what the following year would bring. They have received their first dose of Pfizer vaccine, but getting an appointment was a real challenge. Nancy misses her usual global travel. Now however there is no excuse not to work on the book she has been

meaning to write. Nancy is amazed (as we all are) that we graduated 61 years ago…..and happy we’re mostly all vertical! Although the past year has presented many challenges, I am blessed! Facetime and Zoom have allowed visits with the grandchildren, but I look forward to being with them in person. Now that I have been fully vaccinated, I am hoping that day will soon be here. ’62 Gail Sitzman Westhoven 401 Highland Ave Neptune, NJ 07753 egwesthoven@mac.com (732) 774-6885 News this year is a combination of news from 2019, 2020 and a little of 2021. As you know, we had no alum news in Onyx Anneau 2020 and although it wasn’t because of COVID-19, it does seem weirdly coincidental that it followed suit with everything else that didn’t happen! Judy Reich Hoyt’s letter reaffirmed that her big family keeps her very busy and very blessed! Pre- COVID, she enjoyed studying the Bible with two groups of friends. That gift of faith helps ease the pain from the loss of their son, Patrick, in 2018, as does having a very large and supportive group of family and friends. I attended a 2019 high school holiday luncheon with Judy, Kathleen “Kathy” Feeser Voigt and Celestine “Cel” Hamant when I was in Indiana for a family wedding. Kathleen “Kathy” Feeser Voigt vacationed in Arizona where she was meeting up with other high school friends. They began 2020 with “big 80” celebrations that continued through winter and into the spring. Kathy keeps in touch with Mary V. Sherman Krebs. Mary V. Sherman Krebs had a mitral valve replaced in January 2020 and a Maze procedure to correct A-fib. Mary V. finished rehab right before the pandemic lockdown. Car rides every afternoon got them out of the house and she kept busy with exercises, knitting, reading, making puzzles plus keeping in touch with family and friends. Steve and Margie Cahill Ban would rather walk on the warm sand in Florida than endure the cold winters of northern Illinois. All their kids live near them so moving south isn’t an option. She and Frances “Fran” Hogan Luby still met for coffee, in their cars parked side by side, windows down. The coffee venue changed when Frances “Fran” Hogan Luby and Joe moved from Tower Lakes to Arlington Heights, Illinois, in February 2020. In August, Fran’s allergic reaction to dental medication hospitalized her with heretofore unsuspected heart problems. By-pass surgery followed. Fran “never had a clue” about her clogged arteries. She’s back to unpacking moving boxes. Fran sent word that Camilla Carbon was having surgery for the removal of a cancerous kidney. Camilla had successful surgery March 24, 2020, and was home recovering five days later and even though up she was up and about, recovery was slow. She’s very appreciative of everyone’s prayers. Judith Anne Smith is still recovering from a surgical procedure in early 2019 and the continuing

long sessions of chemo and radiation. Please continue to keep her in your prayers. She still lives in North Carolina and hopefully missed some of the colder winter weather. Janet Srebalus, MM , wrote from Mwanza, that Tanzania had precautions and testing programs in place trying to prevent Ebola from entering from their neighboring Congo so they were quite proactive with COVID. Schools, closed since March, reopened in July and the village was back to normal. Her ministries of helping those with special needs, retreat accompaniment and seminar facilitation continues. Celestine “Cel” Hamant hoped that 2020 would be better after spending most 2019 trying to resolve identity theft problems. She was sad to sell her Brown County cottage in July, after 50 years of wonderful memories there. Her house of 14 years is getting much-needed maintenance and upgrades. Cel nailed 2020 — “a year with plenty of time get things done but no motivation to do them!” In that vein, Louise Hertsted Musto reported nothing new happened in 2020 except that it was the year she “completed 80 years!” That made it a good year! Madeline Honnigford Roe and her family travelled to San Diego, California, in the spring of 2019 for youngest son Patrick’s marriage. Pat and his bride, Carli, live in Long Beach, California. Madeline sent her news from Sanibel, Florida, where she was vacationed with two widow friends and “enjoyed sand, surf and birding.” Madeline’s 80 birthday celebration, a family cruise, was put on hold. Barbara “Muffet” Curran saw her grandchildren mainly in the driveway of their home – and they had Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners via the iPad! Her daughter Katie started a non-profit FLAG (frontline appreciation group) to provide lunches and dinners to staff at Overlook Hospital in their hometown. They also contracted with local restaurants and businesses to give small businesses support. Muffet arranged a Zoom call in May with Madeline Honnigford Roe, Patricia “Pat” Curran Denato, Barbara “Barb” Millwater Herkner, Judy Reich Hoyt and Margaret “Peggy” Piszczek Kloempken and myself. Everyone was well but not enjoying the isolation! Muffet related that Tracy Johnson Schier’s widower, Wally, had Zoomed with them. Son Joe is married and lives in Taiwan. Daughter Jeanne and family live in New Hampshire. Jeanne’s son is headed to medical school. Patricia “Pat” Curran Denato keeps in touch via the Internet and reported that she and her family remain well. She wrote that it’s great that almost 60 years out of college, we are still embracing new technologies and even though “many of our class communications now involve word of loss or serious illness, I like to think our Woods background and continued ties make us more resilient.” Barbara Millwater Herkner described 2020 as “nothing new beyond wearing masks, doing too much Zoom and playing bridge online!” Her family stayed healthy even though they had an emergency room doctor in the family. During the warmer

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