Thousands flock to South Bend for Commencement Weekend (WSBT) Read More Thousands flock to South Bend for Commencement Weekend (WSBT) January 1, 2012 More than 3,000 students will walk across the stage at Notre Dame and Saint Mary's College this weekend. Thousands more will make the trip to support the students. IU South Bend, Holy Cross, Ivy Tech, Bethel College and Purdue College of Technology have already held graduation ceremonies for this year. It is estimated that more than 44,000 people will visit the area during graduation season, which means an extra boost for local businesses. Saint Mary's graduate Kelly Murphy is interviewed. Pediatric Respite students help medically fragile children (South Bend Tribune) Read More Pediatric Respite students help medically fragile children (South Bend... January 1, 2012 Jayne Kendle, associate professor of nursing, founded the Pediatric Respite program in 1997 in conjunction with her class Child Health Nursing. "The life of a medically fragile child doesn't stop at discharge from the hospital," Kendle says. "I wanted the students to understand what these families go through at home." Students make home visits for at least 16 hours during the semester. Alzheimer's Association Walk to End Alzheimer's Read More Alzheimer's Association Walk to End Alzheimer's January 1, 2012 The annual Alzheimer's Association Walk to End Alzheimer's™ will take place at Saint Mary's College at noon on Saturday, September 15. Registration begins at 11 a.m. You may also register on the Alzheimer's Association website. The walk begins and ends in front of Dalloway's Cafe (also known as the Clubhouse). Click for a campus map. The walk route will wind through the Saint Mary's campus. Losing My Student Ziqi Zhang '15 (The Observer) Read More Losing My Student Ziqi Zhang '15 (The Observer) January 1, 2012 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. Belles Ranked Tenth in Region in Preseason List Read More Belles Ranked Tenth in Region in Preseason List January 1, 2012 NEW ORLEANS, La. - For the first time in program history, the Saint Mary's cross country team has earned a regional ranking. The Hearst Foundations Award Saint Mary’s $60K for Scholarships to Reduce Student Debt Read More The Hearst Foundations Award Saint Mary’s $60K for Scholarships to R... January 1, 2012 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. Saint Mary's Given $10 Million for Science Hall (various media) Read More Saint Mary's Given $10 Million for Science Hall (various media) January 1, 2012 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. Alumna Theresa Borchard '93 on The Moment I First Knew I Was Depressed (Huffington Post) Read More Alumna Theresa Borchard '93 on "The Moment I First Knew I Was Depresse... January 1, 2012 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. Environmental Studies Students Investigate Dining Hall (South Bend Tribune) Read More Environmental Studies Students "Investigate" Dining Hall (South Bend T... January 1, 2012 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.