SXU to name new administrative center after Sr. Mary Denis O’Grady, R.S.M., Ph.D.

Sister of Mercy helped found Chicagoland’s first criminal justice program

Chicago (June 30, 2009) Saint Xavier University has announced it will name a new administrative center in honor of former faculty member Sister Mary Denis O’Grady, R.S.M., Ph.D.

Sister Denis served as a Saint Xavier faculty member for nearly 50 years in the Department of History and Political Science. She was a founder and director of the first Criminal Justice program in the Chicago area.

“This is a fitting tribute to Sister Denis, who exemplified our Catholic identity, mission and core values in dedicating her life to higher education,” said Saint Xavier President Judith A. Dwyer, Ph.D.

Formerly a United Methodist Church building located at 11000 S. St. Louis Ave., the Sister Mary Denis O’Grady Center will house Saint Xavier’s offices of advising, records and registration, student accounts and financial aid and the admission communication center.

Sister Denis was known for her untiring dedication to students and academic success, and prepared hundreds of students for careers in law, law enforcement and related careers. The late Dr. Hassan Haddad, a colleague of Sister Denis, wrote the following commendation in 1984: “for her love of service to the college, for her dedication to the welfare of the students, for her concern with the graduates for years after they leave the college, for cementing emotional ties between graduates and their alma mater, and for selfless hard work on behalf of all…”

Born on March 21, 1915, Sister Denis entered the Sisters of Mercy on Sept. 8, 1937. Sister Denis was a 1937 graduate of Saint Xavier College. She earned her masters degree at Loyola University in 1946 and her Ph.D. at the University of Notre Dame in 1950. She died March 29, 2008 at the age of 93.

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SXU to offer additional eco-friendly retail dining options

Ben & Jerry’s Scoop Shop and Scarlet & Gray’s Café will open in August

Chicago (June 29, 2009) Saint Xavier University will offer two new eco-friendly retail dining options featuring soups, wraps, coffee, pastries and ice cream near its Chicago campus, 3700 W. 103rd St.

Ben & Jerry’s Scoop Shop and Scarlet & Gray’s Café will be located at 3660 W. 111th St., at the corner of 111th Street and S. Lawndale Avenue. The stores will open in August.

“We are pleased to expand Saint Xavier’s dining options for our students, faculty and staff, especially with these environmentally friendly stores,” said President Judith A. Dwyer, Ph.D.

Ben & Jerry’s Scoop Shop will offer outdoor patio seating and a wide variety of frozen treats and desserts, including:

• Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, low-fat ice cream, sorbet and no-sugar-added options in cups and cones, including homemade waffle cones.
• Sundaes, shakes and smoothies.
• Ben & Jerry’s chocolates and ice cream cakes

The store will use eco-friendly construction and materials, following the Energy Conservation Code.

Scarlet & Gray’s will feature free Wi-Fi and use eco-friendly cups and paper goods. Menu offerings will include:

• Seattle’s Best coffee, with a full menu of lattes, mochas, cappuccinos, espressos and a selection of drip coffees sourced through socially responsible buying guidelines. Tazo teas, a member of the Ethical Tea Partnership, also will be available.
• Au Bon Pain soups.
• Muffins, bagels and sweet pastries from Labriola Bakery in Alsip.
• Chopped and Wrapped, offering crisp, made-to-order salads and wraps with fresh vegetables, antibiotic-free chicken and local and organic selections whenever possible.

Online ordering will be available, with delivery to all locations affiliated with the 103rd Street campus.

Student employment opportunities will be available.

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SXU service trip builds homes for the needy in Belize

Students, faculty, staff and alumni attended trip

Chicago (June 17, 2009) A Saint Xavier University service trip recently helped build homes for needy people in Belize as part of the Second International Mercy Service Trip.

In accord with the University’s mission and core values of providing service to those in need, 12 students and seven faculty, staff and alumni built two houses during the seven-day service trip. Belize’s Hand in Hand Ministries coordinated the group’s activities and provided them with lodging.

“The most rewarding part of the trip was getting to know the house recipients; hearing their stories, finding out what their lives are like and playing with their beautiful children,” said senior Bridget Mitchell of Oak Lawn.

Additionally, the group toured Mayan ruins and met the Sisters of Mercy at Saint Catherine Academy in Belize City. They also saw a special performance by the Garifuna Dancers, an indigenous group primarily located in Honduras and Belize.

Sister Joy Clough, R.S.M., attended the trip and said it was “a wonderful opportunity for the students.”

“They experienced a new culture with all its gifts and challenges, and they had a unique experience of some of our core values such as service, integrity and learning for life,” said Clough, who is special assistant at Saint Xavier’s Office for University Mission and Heritage.

The following students attended the trip: Christina Arroyo, sophomore, Chicago; Regina Byrnes, senior, Streamwood; Lauren Dentzman, senior, Lemont; Dana Eppley, senior, Palos Heights; Lori Key, sophomore, Dowagiac, Mich.; Cincerlyn Lewis, junior, Chicago; Bridget Mitchell, senior, Oak Lawn; Krista Olenek, sophomore, Algonquin; Kelly Ospina, senior, Oak Lawn; Amanda Phillips, junior, Matteson; Stephanie Rodriguez, senior, Chicago; and Patricia Ann Smith, senior, Markham.

Saint Xavier’s Office for University Mission and Heritage sponsored the trip, which was partially subsidized by the Mercy Challenge Endowment and several corporate and individual donors.

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Join former Chicago Bears for SXU’s 13th Annual Golf Classic on Aug. 4

Fundraiser at Silver Lake Country Club benefits student scholarship program

Chicago (June 17, 2009) Saint Xavier University invites you to support student scholarships by teeing off with former Chicago Bears players at the 13th annual Golf Classic at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 4 at Silver Lake Country Club in Orland Park.

Several retired NFL players will be in attendance, including Chicago Bears Dan Hampton, Bruce Herron, Otis Wilson and Wendell Davis. Registration for individual golfers is $300, which includes greens fee, cart, continental breakfast, lunch, reception, dinner and prizes.
Two different raffles are being offered this year: Pick Your Prize Raffle and Cougar Classic Raffle. Raffle winners need not be present.

PYP tickets are $50 each and purchasers can choose from a Chicago North Side Package, a Chicago South Side Package and a Chicago Downtown Package. Each features five activities or items ranging from White Sox and Cubs tickets, golf at private country clubs, fishing charters, an overnight stay at the Trump International Tower, dinners at fine restaurants, Callaway and Wilson golf clubs and much more.

Cougar Classic tickets are $25 each, or five for $100. Prizes include Southwest Airlines tickets, Nintendo Wii, iPod Nano, Canon Digital Camera, Nike Golf Bag and cart and more. All proceeds from the event support student scholarships.

To make a reservation, learn about sponsorship opportunities or purchase raffle tickets, please contact the Office of Special Events at (773) 298-3311 or specialevents@sxu.edu, or click here.

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SXU participates in Yellow Ribbon Program

Program lets qualified veterans attend SXU tuition-free

Chicago (June 16, 2009) Saint Xavier University is proud to announce its participation in the Yellow Ribbon GI Education Enhancement Program, which allows qualified veterans to attend the University tuition-free starting in the fall 2009 semester.

The program, a provision of the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008, allows private colleges and universities to collaborate with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to cover the difference between the GI Benefit and Saint Xavier’s tuition.

“We are proud to offer this opportunity for our military men and women to pursue their educations as they have served our nation,” said Saint Xavier President Judith A. Dwyer, Ph.D.
The program also provides for other expenses, such as stipends for housing, books and supplies. Saint Xavier will provide scholarships during participants’ entire academic career as long as students maintain satisfactory progress, conduct and attendance.

For more information about the Yellow Ribbon Program at Saint Xavier, please click here or contact Assistant Director of Media Relations Rick Ducat at (773) 298-3325.

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Former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan speaks at SXU Thursday, Sept. 17

Voices & Visions Speaker Series

Chicago (June 16, 2009) Tickets are on sale to see Former United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan as the fourth speaker in the highly successful SXU Voices & Visions Speaker Series at Saint Xavier University in Chicago. Annan will speak at 7 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 17.

Annan will present “The Five Rules of International Diplomacy,” a call for multilateralism and a renewed faith in a global approach to tackling the world’s problems.

General admission tickets are $20 each plus service charge. A limited number of $200 priority tickets are available which include priority seating and admission to an exclusive post-lecture wine and cheese reception with Annan. To purchase tickets, click here or call (866) 468-3401.

Saint Xavier students, faculty and staff may attend for free but must reserve a ticket online. A valid Cougar Card must be presented the night of the lecture with the ticket.

Prior to his lecture, Annan will conduct a special classroom discussion with Saint Xavier students.“We are very pleased that Former Secretary General Annan continues our tradition of bringing the best of international figures to the Chicago area,” said Robert Tenczar, vice president for University Relations. “Mr. Annan is an ideal interpreter for our times and will undoubtedly provide a uniquely informed perspective as America works with other countries to meet the world’s challenges.”

Annan served as United Nations Secretary-General from 1997 to 2006. During his tenure, he made his mark as an advocate for human rights, the rule of law and the revitalization of the United Nations. He has been a key figure in the fight against HIV/AIDS and a leader of the multilateral response to the global terrorist threat.

When elected to the Secretary-Generalship in 1997, Annan became the first Secretary-General to come directly from the United Nations staff, and the first from a black African nation to hold the position.

As Secretary-General, Annan worked to bolster the United Nation’s relationship with businesses and civil society groups, sponsoring a Global Compact initiative to promote corporate social responsibility. He was instrumental in laying out the Millennium Development Goals, a strategy to meet the needs of the world’s poorest by 2015. In 2005, Annan succeeded in persuading the United Nations to establish the Peacebuilding Commission and the Human Rights Council, new intergovernmental bodies dedicated to global peace and welfare. Annan was also a chief proponent of the creation of the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria. On Dec. 10, 2001, Annan and the United Nations received the Nobel Peace Prize.

Since leaving the United Nations, Annan has continued to press for better policies to meet the needs of the poorest and most vulnerable, particularly in Africa. He has also continued to use his experience to mediate and resolve conflict. In Kenya in early 2008, Annan led the AU Panel of Eminent African Personalities to help find a peaceful resolution to the post-election violence. The event is sponsored by the Office for University Relations and in part by the Student Government Association.

For more information about the event, please contact the Office of Special Events at (773) 298-3311 or specialevents@sxu.edu, or visit www.sxu.edu, keyword: voices.

Reporters interested in covering Annan’s lecture or taking advantage of a special media opportunity the day of the lecture should contact Assistant Director of Media Relations Rick Ducat at (773) 298-3325.

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