January 1, 2013 Madeleva Lecturer, Catherine E. Clifford, to speak April 18 The Saint Mary’s College Center for Spirituality is proud to announce that the 28th Annual Madeleva Lecture speaker is Catherine E. Clifford, vice dean and professor of systematic and historical theology and director at the Research Centre on Vatican II and 21st Century Catholicism at Saint Paul University in Ottawa, Ontario. Clifford’s lecture is entitled “Decoding Vatican II: Ecclesial Self-identity, Dialogue, and Reform” and will be held at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 18 in Carroll Auditorium of Madeleva Hall. The event is free and open to the public. January 1, 2013 Students in Rome Celebrate New Pontiff (The Observer) When Pope Francis revealed himself as the new leader of the Catholic Church on Wednesday, several Saint Mary’s students waiting in St. Peter’s Square witnessed this historic moment. Among them was Tori Wilbraham '15 who is participating in the College’s study abroad semester in Rome. The excitement began when they attended the opening conclave Mass on March 12. Wilbraham, a religious studies major, said the atmosphere felt electric. “Knowing I was in the room with the future pope at that Mass was very exciting. You could really start to feel an atmosphere of uncertainty and excitement after the Mass finished and the cardinals proceeded to start the conclave.” January 1, 2013 Opera Singer/Alumna to Host Campaign Launch Presentation (The Observer... As a freshman Lindsey Anderson '07 came to Saint Mary’s College believing she would earn a biology degree on her way to becoming a neurosurgeon. Instead, she earned a music degree and is now a mezzo-soprano opera singer. The dramatic change in course occurred after she tried out for the Women's Choir and caught the attention of music professor Nancy Menk. Tonight she will serve as storyteller for the public launch event for the Faith Always, Action Now campaign for Saint Mary's College. January 1, 2013 Center for Spirituality Fall Lectures Announced The Center for Spirituality (CFS) at Saint Mary’s College proudly announces the Fall 2013 Fall Lecture Series titled Justice and Its Many Facets. Every year CFS invites prominent scholars to Saint Mary’s College to share their wisdom on contemporary religious issues, and to address broader issues of how faith and reason interact. The Saint Mary’s College Annual Endowed Lecture Series Fund sponsors the upcoming lectures, which are free and open to the public. January 1, 2013 Rome Students Eagerly Await Election of New Pope (CNN) What a time to be studying in Rome! The Saint Mary's students who are part of the Rome Program this semester have been interviewed by The Washington Post, CBS, CNN...the list goes on and on. They are the faces of young adult American Catholics eagerly anticipating the election of the new pope. Here's a CNN interview with Tori Wilbraham '15 and Nora Clougherty '15. January 1, 2013 Holy Cross Harvest Food Drive to Benefit Local Pantries While farmers ended their harvest a couple months ago, another “harvest” is about to get underway. The Holy Cross institutions of Saint Mary's College, Holy Cross College, and the University of Notre Dame will hold their third Holy Cross Harvest, “harvesting” food and monetary donations for various food pantries. Notre Dame and Saint Mary’s will hold their drives January 28 to February 15 while Holy Cross College will hold its harvest drive the entire month of February. The public is encouraged to participate. January 1, 2013 Fellowship Offered in Memory of Ziqi Zhang '15 (The Observer) When Saint Mary’s then-freshman Ziqi Zhang entered electrical engineering professor Alan Seabaugh’s office at Notre Dame last year to discuss her application for a summer NDnano Undergraduate Research Fellowship (NURF), Seabaugh could see she was a special student. Zhang spent the summer of 2012 doing research in a Notre Dame nanoscience lab. Just months after completing the fellowship, the sophomore from China died in a bike accident near the entrance of Saint Mary’s. One of this year’s NURF fellowships will be dedicated to Zhang. January 1, 2013 “SPARKlers” Graduate with High Hopes for New Businesses Eight local women hope to SPARK their entrepreneurial businesses in the New Year. Participants in the SPARK program’s third session will graduate at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, December 19 in Carroll Auditorium of Madeleva Hall at Saint Mary's College. January 1, 2013 Audra McDonald Talks about Master Class with Students (Palm Beach Post... Tony- and Grammy-award winning actress Audra McDonald performed in Florida over the weekend. In a Palm Beach newspaper feature about her career and achievements, McDonald talked about the master class she held with Saint Mary's students in January as the Margaret Hill Endowed Visiting Artist. She said the students weren’t the only ones getting a lesson. “You learn so much about yourself as a teacher. It forces you to take a look at your own work.”