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Students, faculty and staff are invited to join alumni, parents and friends for a wide variety of activities related to Fall Festival Weekend, Salve Regina’s alumni homecoming and family weekend, which begins Friday, Oct. 21 and wraps up Sunday, Oct. 23.

A highlight of the weekend will be the Seahawk Village, which will be open from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Saturday on the Wakehurst lawn. The village will feature food vendors, games, music and activities for all ages. Food items will include candy apples, cotton candy, popcorn, a Newport Storm beer garden and Maui Wowi hot chocolate and espressos, while activities will include a children’s corner with bouncy houses and coloring station, moon bounces for the adults, and raffles from different organizations on campus.

All events are free of charge unless indicated otherwise. For more information, contact the Office of Alumni/Parent Programs at (800) 821-2343 or alumni@salve.edu. To register for events, visit www.salve.edu/fallfestival.

Friday, Oct. 21

• Kickoff dinner – 5-7 p.m., Miley cafeteria, $10 for adults, $5 for children 5 and under. Kick off Fall Festival weekend with dinner in Miley, featuring an Italian theme and cuisine.
• Murder mystery – 7 p.m., Wakehurst. A fun night for all ages, filled with comedy, crime and capers.
• Hunger Concert – 8 p.m., Ochre Court, $5 for adults, $3 for children 12 and under. Rock out against hunger as you enjoy students’ musical performances while helping to support local soup kitchens.
• Young alumni social – 9 p.m., O’Brien’s Pub, downtown Newport. What better way to get the weekend started than a reception at O’Brien’s? Complimentary appetizers and cash bar.

Saturday, Oct. 22

• 5K Mansion Run and Walk – 8:30 a.m., Rodgers Recreation Center. Lace up your running shoes and sneakers for a fun run or walk through campus and the Ochre Point neighborhood. Registration opens at 7 a.m. Pre-register at salve.edu/run.
• 13 annual Fall Festival Awards Ceremony – 10 a.m., Ochre Court. The ceremony honors and acknowledges academic achievements, community service and those who live the University mission.
• Seahawk Village – 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Wakehurst. Your one-stop shop for activities and Seahawks information.
• Salve Regina Colloquium – Noon to 2 p.m., O’Hare Academic Building. Salve Regina faculty will conduct workshops, lectures and interactive presentations on a variety of topics.
• Pell Honors Program reception – 1-3 p.m., Ochre Court. Dr. Khalil Habib, director of the Pell Honors Program, welcomes Pell alumni, parents and current students to learn more about plans for the 2016-2017 academic year.
• Sigma Phi Sigma induction ceremony – 3 p.m., Our Lady of Mercy Chapel. Alumni are invited to join as current students are inducted into the 2016 Sigma class.
• Athletics Hall of Fame dinner and induction ceremony – 6 p.m., Ochre Court, $55 for adults, free for children 15 and under. The event begins with a reception, followed by dinner and inductions. Guests must pre-register at salve.edu/halloffame.
• Parent reception – 8-10 p.m., Hotel Viking, Newport. Enjoy an evening with fellow Salve Regina parents while learning about opportunities to become more involved with the University. Complimentary appetizers and cash bar.
• Movie night: “Finding Dory” – 8 p.m., DiStefano Lecture Hall. Free popcorn will be served.
• Alumni night – 10 p.m., Newport Blues Cafe, downtown Newport. Alumni and friends are welcome at this local hotspot. No cover, cash bar.

Sunday, Oct. 23

• “Discover Salve” campus tours – 9 a.m. to noon, Miley Hall parking lot, $5. Enjoy the charm of Salve Regina’s historic buildings and restored homes on this narrated trolley tour. Pre-registration is encouraged.
• Mass – 11 a.m., Our Lady of Mercy Chapel. Join President Jane Gerety, RSM for coffee and light refreshments following Mass.

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The Salve Regina community is mourning the loss of Sister Leona Misto, vice president for mission integration and planning, who died Monday, Oct. 17.

As a child, Sister Leona visited Salve Regina many times to see her aunt, a Sister of Mercy, who was assigned to the campus during the summer months. Later she enrolled at the institution and graduated summa cum laude in 1962. In addition to her B.A.in mathematics from Salve Regina, she received an M.A. in religious studies from Providence College, an M.A.T. in mathematics from Rhode Island College, an Ed.D. in higher education from Nova Southeastern University, and a certificate in educational management from Harvard University.

Sister Leona returned to her alma mater in 1980, and during her 36-year tenure she served the Salve Regina community in a number of capacities, including professor of mathematics, chairwoman of the mathematics department, dean of campus ministry and director of graduate extension studies. It was in this capacity that she established one of the first online education programs in the country in 1984. She was named vice president for mission integration and planning in 2001.

“During her 36 years of excellent and generous service to Salve Regina, Sister Leona embodied and made real the University’s mission of mercy,” said President Jane Gerety, RSM. “In a wide variety of positions – from math professor to vice president for mission integration and planning – she cared for students, staff, faculty and the environment, inspiring all to think, to care and act in a spirit of mercy, that attribute of God that shows love in the face of need.”

Sister Leona’s devotion to the mercy mission and her steadfast commitment to incorporating the basic principles of Salve Regina’s mission into the academic curriculum, student life programs and institutional operations inspired students, faculty, staff and alumni to positively influence the intellectual, spiritual and cultural lives of their respective communities.

She worked tirelessly with faculty to understand the connections between the Catholic intellectual tradition and mercy through the faculty collegium, publications and faculty panels relating mercy to specific academic disciplines. She engaged the entire academic community in important and continuing dialogues related to diversity, inclusion and sustainability. The framed mission statement, crucifix and water filling stations found in every campus building, as well as the University’s labyrinth and hydroponic garden, stand as physical reminders of her presence and success as a true steward of God’s creations.

Undaunted in her commitment to and advocacy for economically challenged young people, Sister Leona established the Sophia Endowed Scholarship at Salve Regina to provide need-based assistance to attain a baccalaureate degree. Additionally, she established the University’s mission integration grant program and an aid program to help students purchase textbooks. An adviser to and supporter of both the University’s Sigma Phi Sigma honor society and the Environmental Advisory Group, she worked tirelessly to support all aspects of students’ education.

In her latest publication, a compendium on mission integration, Sister Leona wrote: “The heart and life of Salve Regina University’s community is its mission.” Appropriately, in October 2014, the University celebrated the dedication of the Misto Gatehouse in honor of Sister Leona’s decades of service, generosity and commitment to the core values of Mercy at Salve Regina.

Ever cheerful, and ever encouraging, Sister Leona’s wide smile brought grace, light and a little hint of mischief to those on campus and beyond. Her time and treasures were shared with other organizations and institutions such as Child & Family, Marian Court College and the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities. Wherever she went and wherever she served, Sister Leona wove compassionate attention to both the spiritual and corporal works of mercy into the fabric of her actions, inspiring the alignment of spirit, word and deed with the mercy ideals of community, service and social justice. Largely through her vision, Salve Regina embraced a distinctively mercy identity that will continue to transform its graduates and encourage them to work for a world that is harmonious, just and merciful.

Her funeral Mass will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 22 at St. Mary’s Church in Newport, with a reception to follow in the Young Building. To honor and memorialize Sister Leona’s work, donations may be made to Salve Regina University/Sophia Scholarship Fund, 100 Ochre Point Ave., Newport RI 02840. In addition, condolences may be left below.

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Members of the Salve Regina community are invited to read Dante’s “Divine Comedy” in English on alternate Wednesdays beginning Oct. 19. Sessions will be held from 5-6:30 p.m. in the McKillop Library special collections room.

The reading and discussion series will be led by Karen Abbondanza, an adjunct faculty member at Salve Regina. Participants are encouraged to use the University of California Press edition translated by Allen Mandelbaum, who uses the same rhyme scheme as the poet.

Dante’s “Divine Comedy” relates the allegorical tale of the poet’s journey through the three realms of the dead. Accompanied through the Inferno and Purgatory by the ancient Roman poet Virgil, Dante encounters mythical, historical and contemporaneous figures in their respective afterlives. Relying on classical (pagan) mythology and Christian imagery and theology, Dante imagines diverse vivid and inventive punishments for the various sinners he encounters, which have become part of the Western imagination.

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Faculty, staff and graduate students are encouraged to attend any or all of the dissertation proposal and defense presentations scheduled this semester. In addition, any undergraduate students who may be considering the pursuit of a Ph.D. are welcome to attend.

Those interested may view a copy of the documents in person by making an appointment with Melissa Davis, coordinator of special academic projects and programs. She may be reached at melissa.davis@salve.edu.

Amanda Darling will present her dissertation proposal at 1:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 17 in the McKillop Library special collections room. The proposal is titled “Machiavelli in Modernity: The Prince’s Continued Relevancy as Accentuated by the Disintegration of Nicholas II’s Reign and the Collapse of Imperial Russia.”

Gary Vaspol will present his dissertation proposal at 4 p.m. Monday, Oct. 17 in the O’Hare Academic Building, Room 242. The proposal is titled “Abiding the Postmodern World: An Existential Examination of ‘The Big Lebowski,’ ‘A Serious Man’ and ‘Inherent Vice.'”

Michael Xiarhos will defend his dissertation at 1 p.m. Friday, Oct. 21 in the McKillop Library special collections room. The dissertation is titled “The Connected Pilgrim: The Potential for Transformation in the Social Media Age.”

Karen Hanson will defend her dissertation at 4 p.m. Friday, Oct. 21 in the Young Building boardroom. The dissertation is titled “The Robot as Other: Sartre and Television Portrayals of Humanoid Robots in ‘Almost Human’ and ‘Humans.'”

Donna Gamache-Griffiths will present her dissertation proposal at 5 p.m. Monday, Oct. 24 in the Young Building boardroom. The proposal is titled “Fundamentally Human: An Ethical Approach to Technological Unemployment.”

Lamont Slater will present his dissertation proposal at 3 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 26 in the McKillop Library special collections room. The proposal is titled “The Reclassification and Implications of the Post-Colonial Enslavement Period, From 1807-1865 as Genocide.”

Ashley Bissonnette will defend her dissertation at 3 p.m. Friday, Nov. 11 in the McKillop Library special collections room. The dissertation is titled “Pestilences of New England’s First Wars: An Investigation of Colonial Trauma During the Pequot and King Philip’s Wars.”

David Vanderbilt will defend his dissertation at 5 p.m. Friday, Nov. 11 in the McKillop Library special collections room. The dissertation is titled “Thomas Forsyth Torrance and Scientific Theology: An Analysis and Assessment of His Project.”

Catharine Weiss will defend her dissertation at 2 p.m. Friday, Dec. 2 in the McKillop Library special collections room. The dissertation is titled “Data Mining the Unconscious.”

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Five films produced from a variety of Spanish-speaking countries will be screened Oct. 16-30 as part of the inaugural Festival de Cine, a Hispanic film festival hosted by Salve Regina.

All films will be presented in the DiStefano Lecture Hall. Tickets for individual screenings are $10, while a festival pass for all films may be purchased for $40. Tickets will be available at the door and may also be purchased online. For more information, visit the Festival de Cine website.

The following films will be featured during the festival:

Las Vacas Con Gafas/Cows Wearing Glasses

Sunday, Oct. 16 at 6 p.m.

Directed by one of the most talented emerging filmmakers coming out of the new wave of Puerto Rican cinema, “Cows Wearing Glasses” uses a subtle sense of humor to touch upon issues of aging. Marso, a lonely, eccentric painter and art professor, is losing his sight. As the world as he knows it comes to an end, he is forced to re-examine an existence filled with professional successes but unsatisfying personal relationships. He tries to reestablish a relationship with his only daughter while his thoughts are filled with longing for simpler times. The fear and uncertainty of what lies ahead have left an imprint on his psyche, and maybe even on his morals. With an impeccable performance by Daniel Lugo as Marso, “Cows Wearing Glasses” is a reflexive tale of a man facing the inevitable.

Infancia Clandestina/Clandestine Childhood

Thursday, Oct. 20 at 7 p.m.

Benjamin Avila’s first feature is an earnestly heartfelt cine-memoir based on the director/co-writer’s own tragic early life. In 1979, after years of exile, 12-year-old Juan and his family return to Argentina under fake identities. Juan’s parents and his uncle Beto are members of the Montoneros Organization, which is fighting against the Military Junta that rules the country. Because of their political activities, they are tracked down relentlessly, and the threat of capture, and even death, is constant. However, Juan’s daily life is also full of warmth and humor, and he quickly integrates into his new environment. His friends at school and the girl he has a gigantic crush on, Maria, know him as Ernesto – a name he must not forget, since his family’s survival is at stake. Juan accepts this and follows all of his parents’ rules until one day he is told that they need to move again immediately, and leave his friends and Maria behind without an explanation.

Pequenas Mentiras Piadosas/The Travel Agent

Sunday, Oct. 23 at 6 p.m.

From her tiny office overlooking the U.S. Interests Section, 58-year-old Lourdes counsels thousands of Cubans seeking a U.S. travel visa. She coaches them on answering tricky questions, fine-tuning their stories so they have a better chance of succeeding. They come from every walk of life and from all over Cuba to unveil their own life stories at the “Oficina del amor” (Office of Love), as she’s baptized it. Despite helping others to travel, she has never been able to visit her own mother, son, brothers, grandsons and nephews in Florida. “[I] quench the thirst of others every day, yet there is not a drop of water for me,” she says sadly. After a long wait, Lourdes’ time has finally come: her interview is set. Her dream to visit her dying mother, who emigrated during the 1960s, has never been so close. Will she be able to travel and finally overturn her destiny of forced separation?

El Facilitador/The Facilitator

Thursday, Oct. 27 at 7 p.m.

This political thriller about human rights is one of the most successful films to come out of Ecuador in the last few years. When Miguel, a successful businessman, learns he is ill, he asks his estranged daughter Elena to come back to Ecuador. She agrees but maintains a cold and distant relationship with him, opting to spend most of her time with friends using drugs and alcohol. After a close call with the law, Miguel sends her to spend some time with her grandfather at the family’s estate. In this nostalgic house that bring up so many memories and nightmares, Elena meets her childhood friend Galo, who now promotes water access rights for the indigenous community. Elena is compelled by their way of life and gets involved with the political organization of the community. When her nightmares intensify, Elena starts digging behind the reports of the car accident that supposedly killed her mother. Elena will gradually understand that among family secrets, crimes, corruption and dark perversions, commitment and beauty can emerge.

Un Cuento Chino/Chinese Take-Away

Sunday, Oct. 30 at 6 p.m.

Argentina’s national treasure, Ricardo Darin, is best known for his intense dramatic performances in films such as “Nine Queens,” “The Aura” and the Oscar-winning “The Secret in Their Eyes,” but his brilliant comic timing in this instant classic helped make it the biggest home-grown box office success of 2011 in Argentina. Darin plays Roberto, a gruff, anti-social loner who lords over his tiny hardware shop in Buenos Aires with a meticulous sense of control and routine, barely allowing for the slightest of customer foibles. After a chance encounter with Jun, a Chinese man who has arrived in Argentina looking for his only living relative, Roberto takes him in. Their unusual cohabitation helps Roberto bring an end to his loneliness, but not without revealing to the impassive Jun that destiny’s intersections are many and can even explain the film’s surreal opening sequence: a brindled cow falling from the sky.

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