As an institution with a history spanning more than 160 years, Saint Mary's is deeply rooted in tradition. This week, students will be able to explore and relive the College's past through the events of the first-ever Heritage Week.
Starting today and running through Friday evening, Heritage Week was an idea created by student body president Kellye Mitros and vice president Susan McIlduff during last year's student body presidential campaign.
Students are already looking forward to the idea of Heritage Week.
"I think that it's going to be a good time," freshman Clare Heintz said.
College President Carol Ann Mooney will start the week with a lecture in Carroll Auditorium at 7 p.m. tonight. She will speak about the time she spent in Le Mans, France; the city from which the Sisters of the Holy Cross emigrated.
"This should be really interesting for students to see the roots of Saint Mary's and the history of Sisters of the Holy Cross," Mitros said.
There will be a scavenger hunt held from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday. Teams of two to six people will run all over campus to search for the answers to 20 questions that pertain to Saint Mary's history.
"The scavenger hunt will give students the chance to see a lot of places on campus that they wouldn't usually see," Mitros said.
At noon on Wednesday, Humanistic Studies professor Gail Mandell will give a lecture on the life of Sister Madeleva Wolff in the West Wing of the Noble Family Dining Hall. Mandell is the author of several books on Madeleva.
On Thursday evening, there will be a field hockey demonstration in the Angela Athletic Facility. This demonstration will enlighten the audience into the sport and reflect on the athletic accomplishments of women.
Student-led tours of Reidinger House will begin at 4 p.m. on Friday. The building at the center of campus contains many artifacts from the early years of the College.
The crowning event of the week will be the Heritage Dinner on Friday at 7:30 p.m. in Stapleton Lounge.
The dinner will allow students to dine family-style, similar to how students did years ago when Reignbeaux Lounge was the location of the dining hall.
"The dinner will be reminiscent of how dinner used to be served at Saint Mary's," McIlduff said.
Several Sisters of the Holy Cross will be on hand to share their experiences at the College over the years and 2004 graduate Kym Dunlap will be reading excerpts from her book "Memories Down The Avenue."
Tickets for the dinner are available to students today and are free.
"I think that the dinner, and all of the activities, will be a fun way to bring the whole College community together," freshman Kristen Anderson said.
