SFA University
Stephen F. Austin State University students received top honors at the American Advertising Federation-Houston Student Conference held Nov. 3 and 4. Students from SFA’s School of Art, Department of Management and Marketing, and Department of Mass Communication competed during the conference.
November 17, 2017 Nacogdoches — Six Stephen F. Austin State University students received top honors at the American Advertising Federation-Houston Student Conference held Nov. 3 and 4.
The federation comprises professionals from advertising, marketing and communications disciplines.
Students from SFA’s School of Art, Department of Management and Marketing, and Department of Mass Communication competed during the conference.
SFA students Victor Henson, Houston junior, and Kourtney Williams, San Antonio senior, placed first. Joshua Robertson, Austin junior, placed second. Third-place finishers were seniors Amanda Campbell from Frisco and Jocelyn Paz from Houston, and junior Deon Egenti from Houston.
Three faculty advisors from SFA accompanied the students: Dr. Seth Bradshaw, assistant professor in SFA’s Department of Mass Communication; Peter Andrew, professor in the School of Art; and Dr. Marlene Kahla, professor in the Department of Management and Marketing.
San Jacinto College was this year’s competition sponsor, and students were tasked with developing advertising campaigns designed to increase enrollment among 22 to 34 year olds.
Dozens of students from 13 universities competed and were divided into 12 teams. Each team was allotted eight hours to create a campaign, which included creative aspects, research, marketing and media plans, and a presentation.
Bradshaw said the conference provided students with real-world application of materials discussed in class, as well as connected them to industry professionals.
“The broader goals of the competition and conference included connecting students to industry professionals and local media organizations,” Bradshaw said. “Activities for attendees included a panel discussion from recent college graduates about how to break into the advertising industry, and professionals offered one-on-one feedback to students regarding portfolios and résumés.”
Kahla agrees the conference “enables business students to better understand the roles of marketing, communications and art when working on a project.”
The conference served as a district-level advertising competition and a precursor for students who plan to compete in the national competition in spring 2018.
By Kasi Dickerson, senior marketing communications specialist at Stephen F. Austin State University.
November 10, 2017 - The Stephen F. Austin State University School of Art and the SFA Galleries will host the exhibition “The Patriotic Art of World War I in France” Oct. 31 through Dec. 30 in The Cole Art Center at The Old Opera House in downtown Nacogdoches.
The exhibition features French WWI posters from the extensive collection of Dr. Jere Jackson, Regent’s Professor of History at SFA and director of the Center for East Texas Studies. Topics of the lithographed posters made during WWI address issues concerning the war, and the exhibition includes some posters that focus on children during the war.
In “An Introduction to the Patriotic School of Paris: French Poster Artists of the Great War,” Jackson writes: “It is difficult, even after 100 years, to comprehend the magnitude and the importance of the First World War. It was the Great War of 1914-1918, and not World War II, that presaged the grim horrors which we now associate with the 20th Century wars: machine guns, trenches, tanks, chemical weapons and gas masks, aerial warfare, civilian bombardment, submarine attacks, starvation blockades, concentration camps, atrocities, deportations, vicious propaganda attacks, etc. Yet, on the eve of this war, almost no one foresaw the terrible path that coming events would take.
“Everyone expected the war to be over ‘before the leaves fall’ or ‘by Christmas,’” he continues. “In military matters, for this reason, everyone worshiped the offensive. In non-military matters, on the other hand, most governments including the French believed only in the defensive. The French had the best censor in the world! The government controlled the posting of bills, the flow of paper to the major presses, and the major channels of distribution. Had the war been short as anticipated, victory might have made any positive methods of propaganda unnecessary. After the stalemate in the fall of 1914, however, the new war of wills necessitated the encouragement of morale, patriotism, sacrifice, conservation of resources, and duty; in short, a complete mobilization of French society and resources. Since radio and television were yet to be invented, the main tools available were the products of the printing press – newspapers, magazines, reviews, journals, leaflets, postcards, and most importantly posters. The French Government, however, did not come to a positive use of these potential weapons until very late. Outside the press organs it controlled, the official attitude toward the press and artists was antagonistic.”
The exhibition was planned to coincide with next year’s 100th anniversary of the end of WWI.
Jackson will speak at a reception at 3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 11, Veteran’s Day. Coffee and cake will be served. The event is sponsored by SFA Friends of the Visual Arts, the Nacogdoches Junior Forum and The Flower Shop. Admission is free. The annual Downtown Art Walk takes place that evening.
The Cole Art Center is located at 329 E. Main St. For more information, call (936) 468-1131.
November 1, 2017 Nacogdoches – The Stone Fort Wind Quintet at Stephen F. Austin State University will perform at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, November 7, in Cole Concert Hall as part of the School of Music’s Calliope Concert Series.
The quintet includes SFA music faculty members Christina Guenther, flute; Kerry Hughes, oboe; Christopher Ayer, clarinet; Charles Gavin, horn; and Lee Goodhew, bassoon.
The program opens with “Pastorale” by Amy Beach.
“This lovely little piece by American pianist-composer Amy Beach features interesting harmonies as the melody floats through the ensemble,” Guenther said.
Composer-conductor-mezzo soprano Jenni Brandon’s “Five Frogs,” a fun piece in six movements depicting various events in the life of frogs, is also on the program.
Each movement features one of the five quintet instruments, Guenther explained. “Leaping” features the clarinet actively jumping in eighth notes; “On the Lily Pad” features the oboe in improvisational melismas; “Swimming” features the horn, melodically, while the rest of the ensemble accompanies; “Bullfrog” features the bassoon as the bullfrog; “Catching Bugs” features the piccolo as the frog (and the horn mouthpiece as the bug); and “Epilogue” closes the work with some returning material from earlier in the piece.
Cuban composer Paquito D’Rivera’s “Wapango,” also on the program, is a short, lively and rhythmic work with a fun Latino flair, according to Guenther.
“‘Wapango’ is a Mexican folk dance and music style, part of the style ‘son huasteco,’” she explained. “The word may be a corruption of the Nahuatl word ‘cuauhpanco’ that literally means ‘on top of the wood,’ alluding to a wooden platform on which dancers can make zapateado dance steps.”
A five-movement piece by American composer Daniel Dorff, “Cape May Breezes” depicts different events in Cape May, such as the autumn monarch migration, dusk at Sunset Beach and night breezes on the boardwalk.
The final work on the program is a short, fun piece by American hornist-composer Lowell “Spike” Shaw. “Dear Tessiel” is a jazz-inspired quintet, Guenther said.
“The title does not refer to an individual, but rather was an exclamation that came into use (and then faded quickly) about the time Shaw first put the tune to paper,” she explained. “It started out as a piano sketch, later surfaced as a ‘chart’ for big dance band, and then was put into quintet form as a concert closer.”
Tickets are $8 for adults, $6 for seniors and $3 for students and youth. For tickets or more information, call the SFA Fine Arts Box Office at (936) 468-6407 or visit www.finearts.sfasu.edu.
October 27, 2017 Nacogdoches – The Madrigal Singers at Stephen F. Austin State University will present a choral program, “Sacred and Profane,” at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, November 2, in Cole Concert Hall on the SFA campus.
The concert will explore themes of love, nature, the divine and exotic fairy tales, according to Dr. Michael Murphy, director of choral activities at SFA.
The program includes “Trois Chansons,’ or “Three Chansons,” by Maurice Ravel.
These three French songs give an interesting twist to the fairy tale of Red Riding Hood, a song of merciless conflict and a fantasy about forest creatures, Murphy explained.
Also on the program is A Set of Chinese Folk Songs by Chen Yi, who was the first woman in China to receive a Master of Arts in Musical Composition. During the Chinese Cultural Revolution in 1969, Chen was sent to the work camps for forced labor. Even though she was unable to practice her violin for many years, she developed a love for folk songs that she would regularly hear in the countryside.
The SFA Madrigal Singers will perform three of her folk song arrangements. “Diu Diu Deng” has the choir portraying a steam locomotive. “Mayila” is a song about a young girl singing songs and playing the dongbula. And, “Riding on a Mule” exhibits vocal percussive sounds and pentatonic melodies. Now a professor of composition at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, Chen weaves western and eastern influences into her musical compositions.
The ensemble will also perform Igor Stravinsky’s setting of T.S. Eliot’s “The dove descending breaks in the air,” which is composed as a serial or twelve-tone composition.
“The descending dove signals the entrance of the Holy Spirit into the world in order to cleanse humanity,” Murphy explained.
Tickets are $8 for adults, $6 for seniors and $3 for students and youth. For tickets or more information, call the SFA Fine Arts Box Office at (936) 468-6407 or visit www.finearts.sfasu.edu.
October 26, 2017 Nacogdoches — Future college students will have the opportunity to experience a taste of campus life during a free, action-packed open-house Saturday, November 11, at Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches.
Prospective students will have the opportunity to visit with university faculty and staff members, tour the campus and residence halls, and preview academic programs during the SFA Showcase Saturday event.
"There is no better time than Showcase Saturday to visit the beautiful SFA campus and witness firsthand what it's like to be a Lumberjack," said Jessica Maynard, assistant director of SFA's Office of Admissions.
"Guests are encouraged to visit one-on-one with our faculty members to learn more about our quality, personalized academic programs, and our staff members will be available to answer questions about everything from admission requirements to financial aid to residence life," Maynard added.
SFA is a comprehensive, residential university located in the heart of Texas Forest Country. Approximately 13,000 students attend SFA, which is within a few hours' drive of Texas' major metropolitan areas.
Showcase Saturday event registration will begin at 11 a.m. on the first floor of the Baker Pattillo Student Center and will remain open until 12:45 p.m. Each person who registers will receive an information packet. The opening program begins at 12:30 p.m. and will provide an overview of the day's events.
Guests will then be able to visit with representatives of the academic departments until 4 p.m. at the Academic Fair in the Student Recreation Center. A Student Services Fair will be held from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. on the first floor of the Baker Pattillo Student Center.
Campus and residence hall tours will begin at 1 p.m. and continue until 5 p.m. Campus tours will take students on a guided walk of the SFA campus, while the self-guided residence hall tours will showcase several halls on both the north and south ends of campus.
Admissions counselors will be available to discuss admission procedures and requirements from 1 to 5 p.m. in the Rusk Building, Room 206, and at several freshman and transfer admissions sessions held throughout the day.
Financial aid information sessions will be held at 2, 3 and 4 p.m. in the Baker Pattillo Student Center Regents’ Suite A. Residence Life information sessions will be held at 2, 3 and 4 p.m. in the Baker Pattillo Student Center Theater on the second floor.
Participating prospective students will receive a free SFA T-shirt after completing an evaluation form in the tent located in the courtyard area of the Rusk Building.
For more information about SFA's Showcase Saturday, contact the SFA Office of Admissions at (936) 468-2504, or email admissions@sfasu.edu.
October 20, 2017 - A new book by Dr. Jim Towns, Stephen F. Austin State University professor of communications, examines selected speeches from 1956 to 2002 of W.A. Criswell, who was a pastor, author and two-term elected president of the Southern Baptist Convention.
In the book, “The Legacy of W.A. Criswell,” Towns discusses Criswell’s influence on Christianity, specifically within the Baptist denomination and analyzes Criswell’s conservative impact on the Southern Baptist Convention and Christianity as a whole.
Criswell was named pastor of the First Baptist Church in Dallas in 1944. He spent the remainder of his life at First Baptist, preaching more than 4,000 sermons from its pulpit.
During Criswell’s tenure, church membership grew from 7,800 to 26,000 with weekly Sunday school attendance in excess of 5,000. Under his leadership, the church expanded to include multiple buildings on five blocks in downtown Dallas, eventually becoming the largest Southern Baptist church in the world.
Criswell was an early pioneer of the modern megachurch phenomenon, and he introduced a number of innovations that became a model for growing churches throughout the country.
He was awarded eight honorary doctoral degrees and published 54 books. Many of his sermons were televised nationally. He died in 2002.
Towns said he was prompted to write the book to detail Criswell’s 50-year influence on churches and Christian teaching.
“No one has ever written about the social or spiritual impact Criswell left behind,” Towns said. “His legacy has been deeply burned into the brand of Texas and Baptist churches around the nation and the world. It is a legacy that will not ride quietly into the sunset.”
In addition to his influence from the pulpit and through his writings, Criswell was a mentor to many prominent pastors, including evangelist Billy Graham.
Towns, who has taught at SFA for 52 years, has published 14 books. “The Legacy of W.A. Criswell” is available in paperback for purchase on tamupress.com. Use code 3B to receive a 30% discount.
By Emily Brown, marketing communications specialist at Stephen F. Austin State University.
October 20, 2017 - A limited number of tickets are still available to attend the Nov. 16 and 17 performances of Moscow Ballet’s “Great Russian Nutcracker” at Stephen F. Austin State University.
An Encore Event presented by the SFA College of Fine Arts, “The Great Russian Nutcracker” will be presented at 7:30 each night in W.M. Turner Auditorium.
All ages will want to celebrate Christmas with the Moscow Ballet’s company of nearly 40 ballerinas and other dancers on its 25th Anniversary Tour of North America.
Known for its award-winning, technically supreme performers, lavish costumes and magnificent backdrops, this ballet ensemble performed at SFA in 2009 before a sold-out Turner Auditorium crowd.
“Good seats are still available for both performances,” said Scott Shattuck, associate dean of the College of Fine Arts and director of the University Series. “But sales are unusually brisk, especially for the Friday performance, so it’s important to order tickets early to avoid disappointment. We feel sure we’ll sell out both of these shows!”
A separate event apart from the University Series, Nutcracker adult tickets are $45 for Section A seating, $36 for Section B seating and $20 for Section C seating. Discounts are available for seniors, students, children, SFA faculty and staff members. Some student/youth tickets are available for as little as $8 each.
Both performances are sponsored in part by Lehmann Eye Center.
As an “informance” prior to the Thursday night performance, Haley Hoss-Jameson, associate professor and co-coordinator of dance in the SFA Department of Kinesiology and Health Science, will present an informative talk at 7 p.m. in Griffith Gallery.
The gallery is located across the hall from Turner Auditorium, which is inside the Griffith Fine Arts Building, 2222 Alumni Drive. The audience is invited back to the gallery for a post-performance reception Thursday to meet the dancers and to honor the event’s corporate sponsor.
For more information, visit finearts.sfasu.edu, stop by the Box Office in Room 211 of the Griffith Fine Arts Building, or call (936) 468-6407 or (888) 240-ARTS.
October 17, 2017 Nacogdoches — Stephen F. Austin State University will host its fourth-annual Purple Premium Cattle Sale beginning at 10 a.m. Saturday, November 11, at the Walter C. Todd Agricultural Research Center.
The sale is planned and executed by SFA students enrolled in Dr. Erin Brown's advanced beef science class.
Brown, professor of animal science in SFA’s Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture, said students are instrumental in all aspects of the sale, from obtaining cattle consignments to sale marketing and setup.
This year, the sale will offer 30 purebred lots of Beefmaster, Angus, Charolais, Horned and Polled Hereford, Red Angus, and Simbrah cattle, as well as more than 200 head of commercial females. While a number of the lots are consigned by cattle owners from Texas and the Southern U.S., cattle from SFA's herd also is included.
In addition to cattle being auctioned, attendees may bid on semen from high-quality bulls donated by several cattle breeders. A Nacogdoches get-away package that includes a one-night stay at The Fredonia Hotel with food and recreation accommodations also will be offered for bid.
Interested buyers may view the cattle from 2 to 6 p.m. Friday, Nov. 10, or beginning at 8 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 11. The SFA Beef Farm is located at the Walter C. Todd Agricultural Research Center on County Road 123 off of Highway 259 in Nacogdoches.
To learn more about the sale, visit the SFA Purple Premium Sale Facebook page, Instagram, or email Dr. Erin Brown at browneg@sfasu.edu.
October 16, 2017 Nacogdoches — Stephen F. Austin State University is home to the only undergraduate orientation and mobility program in the country.
Since the program began in 1972, faculty and staff members have trained hundreds of students to assist people with visual impairments or who are blind.
“Even though there is a small percentage of the population who needs these services, it is a growing need, especially since the likelihood of having a visual impairment increases with age,” said Michael Munro, director of SFA’s orientation and mobility program.
As the program’s name suggests, orientation means knowing where one is in relation to the environment, and mobility is knowing how to get from point A to point B in a safe and efficient manner. Students are taught the difference between being visually impaired and blind as well as the different visual impairments and eye conditions and how these impairments affect people.
Assessment is key in this field as no person with a visual impairment is the same as another. Students in the program learn how to travel under blindfold so they can show other people who do not have full vision how to use a cane and allow them to become confident in their walking and travel skills in a variety of environments. Students also learn to become more in tune with their non-visual skills such as learning to interpret what they hear and feel to help them to know where they are.
Jennifer Perry, clinical instructor in the orientation and mobility program, helps debunk some of the program’s misconceptions.
“The students in our program are not training people to become blind, as some people who see us may think. Our students are learning to become highly trained specialists who will assist individuals and families if vision loss occurs in their lives,” Perry said. “This a growing field that many people do not consider as a career choice because many people either do not know someone who is blind, or they are unaware that the name of this training specialty is called orientation and mobility.”
A key component of the program is its cane training where students learn to use a cane and navigate an area while blindfolded to simulate complete blindness. Students in training often are observed around campus using canes while blindfolded.
“Being under a blindfold helps students train others and learn what it’s like not to rely on sight and puts the skills we have taught them into practice. It really is a transformational-learning experience,” Munro said. “It’s incredible to see the students grow from when they first come here to when they leave. They do things they never thought they could such as crossing a street blindfolded and navigating a bus without being able to see.”
At SFA, students can receive a Bachelor of Science in rehabilitation services with a concentration in orientation and mobility or a master’s degree in special education with a specialization in orientation and mobility.
Students who complete training at either the undergraduate or graduate level are eligible to become nationally certified by the Academy for Certification of Vision Rehabilitation and Education Professionals. Students engage in 120 observation hours and 350 internship hours at both the undergraduate and graduate levels.
For more information, contact Munro at (936) 468-1036 or munromicha@sfasu.edu
By Kasi Dickerson, senior marketing communications specialist at Stephen F. Austin State University.
October 12, 2017 Nacogdoches — The annual Stephen F. Austin State University Homecoming celebration begins Friday, October 20, and runs through Sunday, October 22. This year’s theme is “Unmasque Your Spirit.”
The weekend festivities start at 11 a.m. Friday with the 44th annual SFA Alumni Golf Tournament at the Piney Woods Country Club. The individual entry fee is $150 and includes tournament play, golf cart, refreshments, box lunch and post-tournament hors d’oeuvres. Team entries also are available. This is a four-player scramble.
The annual Homecoming online auction begins Thursday, October 12, and runs through Sunday, October 22. Visit www.biddingforgood.com/sfahomecoming to view and bid on your favorite items. Some items up for bids include a purple Michael Kors watch, custom axe handle, Alumni Drive naming opportunity, purple Sig Sauer pistol, destination getaways and travel packages, artwork, jewelry, unique SFA items, sports tickets, autographed sports memorabilia and more.
Friday evening’s Homecoming festivities begin with a Back In Nac Social starting at 4 p.m. at the Nine Flags Bar in The Fredonia Hotel. Jack Madness will kick-off festivities in the Johnson Coliseum on campus at 7 p.m. with a first look at SFA’s men’s and women’s basketball teams. The teams will host a small scrimmage, dunk contest and give away lots of prizes. The Torchlight Parade follows at 8:30 p.m. beginning at the SFA Ag Pond and concludes at the intramural fields where the bonfire, pep rally, fireworks and a special guest concert will be held. SFA’s Alumni Association staff members will distribute free 3-D fireworks glasses, sponsored by Nacogdoches Eye Associates, from the alumni tent.
The Homecoming Jack Track shuttle bus is free for Lumberjacks and guests to travel between the coliseum, bonfire and The Fredonia Hotel. The shuttle will run from 6:30 to 10:30 p.m. between locations.
The fun continues Saturday morning with the Flap “Jack” Breakfast prepared from 8 to 10 a.m. at The Fredonia Hotel. Children can decorate their flapjacks with special toppings, receive coloring books and have their photo taken with the SFA Lumberjack and Ladyjack mascots and other members of the SFA spirit teams from 8 to 9 a.m. Flapjacks are free for those participating in the Homecoming 5K. The cost is $10 per person for those not participating in the run.
The eighth-annual Lumberjack Homecoming Certified 5K begins at 8 a.m. in downtown Nacogdoches. Pre-registration is available online at www.active.com.
The Homecoming Parade begins at 10 a.m. in downtown Nacogdoches where onlookers will line the streets to watch colorful-themed floats and pageantry, and listen to music. The Mardi Gras theme of “Unmasque Your Spirit” should bring lots of purple, yellow and green to the parade.
After the parade, the action moves to Alumni Corner (junction of Hayter and Raguet streets) beginning at noon for pregame tailgating. Admission to Alumni Corner is free for Alumni Association members, $15 for non-members, children ages 10 and under accompanied by an adult are $5, and children 5 years old and younger are free.
Alumni Corner will again feature the Suddenlink “Bundle U” Viewing Lounge, live entertainment, Mardi-Gras-themed tailgate food, games and the third annual Fall Fest where children can enjoy a bounce house, petting zoo, face stickers, Kona premium shaved ice, balloon animals and other fun festivities for free. The first 100 children to attend the Fall Fest will receive a “Future SFA Alumni” T-shirt. The Fall Fest is sponsored by Nacogdoches Pediatric Dentistry.
At 1 p.m. hundreds of yellow rubber ducks will race for more than $1,750 in prizes at the Ag Pond during the annual Duck Dash. Proceeds from the Duck Dash benefit SFA Alumni Association programs and scholarships. Ducks may be sponsored for $5 each or six ducks for $25. The deadline for sponsoring ducks is Friday, Oct. 20.
The highlight of Homecoming weekend is set to begin at 3 p.m. at Homer Bryce Stadium when the SFA Lumberjacks take on the Huskies of Houston Baptist University. Tickets start at $12 and are available by calling (936) 468-JACK, online at www.sfajacks.com or at the gate on game day.
End your evening at Fredonia Fest at the all-new Fredonia Brewery downtown. Live entertainment, food trucks serving German food and a special Fredoniafest beer will be featured from 2 to 10 p.m.
The Homecoming weekend continues Sunday with Second Story Tours from 1 to 4 p.m. Enjoy a self-guided tour through some of the beautiful downtown lofts and buildings while experiencing the breathtaking architecture and history downtown has to offer. Tickets are $25 each and are available at The Fredonia Hotel and the Charles Bright Visitor’s Center downtown. Many downtown stores will be open to shop for one-of-a-kind finds from the oldest town in Texas.
Thank you to the following SFA Alumni Homecoming event sponsors:
Liberty Mutual, The Fredonia Hotel, Barnes & Noble College Bookstore, University Rental, Suddenlink, First Bank & Trust East Texas, XETX Business Solutions, Lettermen’s Association, Nacogdoches Pediatric Dentistry, Simpson Real Estate, Olivia King-Realtor and Nacogdoches Eye Associates.
For more information about Homecoming events, contact the SFA Alumni Association at (936) 468-3407, or visit www.sfaalumni.com/events. You also can visit the Tracie D. Pearman Alumni Center on the SFA campus Monday through Friday.
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