January 1, 2012 Losing My Student Ziqi Zhang '15 (The Observer) Alice Yang, assistant director of global education in the Center for Women's Intercultural Leadership (CWIL), wrote a heartfelt opinion piece for the student newspaper about the recent death of sophomore Ziqi Zhang '15. Ziqi was an international student from China majoring in math and working towards an engineering degree at Notre Dame. She was killed when a car struck her bicycle outside the entrance to the College. Alice knew Ziqi well and worked more closely with Ziqi's family than anyone here, in part because she speaks Chinese. January 1, 2012 Belles Ranked Tenth in Region in Preseason List NEW ORLEANS, La. - For the first time in program history, the Saint Mary's cross country team has earned a regional ranking. January 1, 2012 The Hearst Foundations Award Saint Mary’s $60K for Scholarships to R... Saint Mary’s College is proud to announce that the Hearst Foundations have awarded the College $60,000 to provide financial assistance to academically talented but economically disadvantaged students, with emphasis on underrepresented minority students at Saint Mary’s College. The recipients of the scholarships will be known as William Randolph Hearst Scholars or Hearst Scholars. January 1, 2012 Saint Mary's Given $10 Million for Science Hall (various media) Saint Mary's College has received a $9 million private contribution to fund a major renovation of the campus Science Hall. The gift, from philanthropists MaryAnn and Clayton Mathile, is the largest private gift in the college's history. In addition, Jennifer Mathile Prikkel, the Mathile's daughter and a 1995 Saint Marys graduate, has donated $1 million toward the project, resulting in a combined gift of $10 million. We received more than 50 media hits on this story. Below are links to some of the stories. January 1, 2012 Alumna Theresa Borchard '93 on "The Moment I First Knew I Was Depresse... Therese Johnson Borchard ’93 is associate editor of Psych Central, where she contributes regularly to the award-winning blog, “World of Psychology.” She also writes the daily blog, “Beyond Blue,” on Beliefnet.com, which is featured regularly on The Huffington Post and several other websites, and moderates the popular depression support, Beyond Blue, on Beliefnet’s community site. In this article she mentions Saint Mary's College, which she often does. Borchard was the 2011 Commencement Speaker at Saint Mary's. January 1, 2012 Environmental Studies Students "Investigate" Dining Hall (South Bend T... Caitlin Yonto '12 and Kathleen Lay '12, the first students to receive minors in Environmental Studies, conducted an "investigation" in the dining hall last semester. Their mission: Determine how much of the food served at the college is locally produced and comes from fair, ecologically sound, and humane food sources (aka “real food”). Barry Bowles, director of dining services, handed the students the keys to his office, the kitchen, the freezer, and the storage room. January 1, 2012 Broadway's Audra McDonald Coming to Saint Mary's (playbill.com) Playbill posted Broadway star Audra McDonald's January 28 visit to Saint Mary's College on its website. Five students are preparing to perform for her in a master class. What an opportunity! Alumna and Broadway producer Margaret Hill makes these annual visiting artist opportunities possible through her endowment. January 1, 2012 Saint Mary's College Announces $10 Million Combined Gift With gratitude, Saint Mary's College President, Carol Ann Mooney, announced today that Saint Mary’s received the largest single private gift in the College’s 167-year history. January 1, 2012 A Student's Best Friend (South Bend Tribune) Most college dormitory policies clearly state "no pets allowed," but that's no longer the case at Saint Mary's College. In an attempt to attract more seniors to live on campus, the college now allows seniors living in Regina South to keep dogs weighing less than 30 pounds and cats. Students Cassandra Jerkovic '13 and Mara Scott '13 are interviewed for this article, as is Janielle Tchakerian, assistant vice president for Student Affairs and director of Residence Life.