SFA University
July 1, 2016 - NACOGDOCHES, Texas – Entering its 50th year, the High School Summer Theatre Workshop at Stephen F. Austin State University is the oldest program of its kind in Texas.
Two weeks of concentrated instruction in acting, voice and movement, or scenery, costumes, make-up, sound, lighting and stage management await sophomore, junior and senior high school students. Many workshop participants return to SFA in subsequent years to major in various aspects of theatre.
Offered in its long-standing busy format, the workshop is headed by secondary educator and longtime SFA School of Theatre faculty member Dr. Shari Ellsworth. This year’s workshop gets underway July 17.
“High School Workshop gives us an opportunity to expose our wonderful school and program to high schools all over Texas,” Ellsworth said. “Not only do the students who attend have a higher chance of returning to SFA for college, but their friends and family who come to see the final shows also share their experience with others.
We’ve always had five students or more that were campers become students at SFA per year. There are so many SFAers who have stated that camp was the reason they chose SFA, all the way back to the 1960s. This summer, we hope we will see many of those campers and former students attend this year’s 50th celebration.”
Dr. Ken Waters started the workshop in 1967 and was the director for 24 years. He established the program to help college students practice working with high school students before they began student teaching. It was also created to introduce high school students as to what college theatre is like. Allen Oster took the program over in 1991 and was the director for 20 years. In 2011, Ellsworth became the director and revised the program into what it is today.
Students live in residence halls and study at the Griffith Fine Arts Building on the beautiful SFA campus. Recreational activities such as movie night, theme parties and dances are held during the workshop.
Advanced SFA theatre majors serve as counselors, teaching high school students in all areas of theatre. SFA theatre tech students teach design skills, while acting students direct the different shows and conduct various workshops.
SFA graduate Benn May is well versed in all aspects of the workshop. May attended as a high school student then came to SFA to major in theatre. He served as a counselor for several summers. May earned a degree in theatre performance.
“I first learned about the workshop after asking my high school teacher about opportunities for camps, and she happened to have a brochure,” he said.
Attending the workshop for three years in high school greatly influenced May’s decision to enroll at SFA.
“Attending the workshop made me comfortable with SFA, its students, and the work that was done here, so it was a huge factor for me,” he said.
May said his involvement in summer theatre workshop helped him to develop organizational and leadership skills.
“The biggest test of your leadership skills is to put you in a room full of 50 high school students and say GO!” he said. “I had more prep than that going into it, but, ultimately, we are pushed to really lead our students as directors and counselors. Many of the tools I gained during that time, I still use in my professional work.”
May just recently completed a directing and dramaturgy internship at Portland Stage Company in Portland, Maine. He is currently working for The Theater at Monmouth in Monmouth, Maine, as a box office and special events assistant, and he is directing the "green shows," which are the opening acts for each of the main performances.
“My time at SFA helped to give me a well-rounded education that truly prepared me for any role in the theatre,” he said.
The 50th year of high school workshop will be celebrated during the annual awards ceremony on July 30, and the ceremony will honor the memory of the late Professor Oster “and his amazing contribution to the program,” Ellsworth said.
“All former campers and counselors have been invited to attend this event, especially those students and campers who attended workshop under Oster’s direction,” she said.
Visit theatre.sfasu.edu or call (936) 468-4003 for additional information.
June 20, 2016 - Stephen F. Austin State University recently welcomed hundreds of prospective university students and their parents to the campus for orientation. Summer orientation serves as an opportunity to introduce future students to SFA and their respective colleges and also gives parents insight into their son or daughter’s home for the next few years.
During the event, Dr. Janet Tareilo, associate dean of SFA’s James I. Perkins College of Education and Office of Student Services and Advising, met with attendees and discussed how to be a successful college student and where to go if help is needed. She also highlighted the registration process and university policies.
“Orientation is our first opportunity to introduce SFA and the Perkins College of Education to future students,” Tareilo said. “It is a wonderful time to meet the next generation of Lumberjacks and help prepare them for their college journey by answering questions.”
SFA offers several freshman and transfer orientation sessions throughout the summer.
June 14, 2016 - NACOGDOCHES, Texas – The Stephen F. Austin State University School of Art and the Friends of the Visual Arts will present a free, one-night screening of “This Ain’t No Mouse Music!” at 7 p.m. Friday, July 1, in The Cole Art Center at The Old Opera House in downtown Nacogdoches.
“This Ain’t No Mouse Music!” tells the story of Chris Strachwitz and Arhoolie Records. In the documentary, filmmakers Chris Simon and Maureen Gosling take a hip-shaking stroll from New Orleans to Appalachia, chronicling Strachwitz’s journey to plantations and prisons, roadhouses and whorehouses, churches and bayou juke joints, to return with recordings that would revolutionize the sound of popular music, according to thisaintnomousemusic.com.
The film runs one hour, 32 minutes.
This screening is part of the School of Art’s monthly Friday Film Series and is sponsored in part by the Nacogdoches Film Festival, William Arscott, Nacogdoches Junior Forum, Karon Gillespie, Mike Mollot, Main Street Nacogdoches, David Kulhavy, John and Kristen Heath, Brad Maule, Galleria Z, Jill Carrington, Jean Stephens and Jim and Mary Neal.
The Cole Art Center is located at 329 E. Main St. For more information, call (936) 468-1131.
June 9, 2016 NACOGDOCHES, Texas — The second phase of a significant Texas Department of Transportation grant was awarded recently to Stephen F. Austin State University faculty members in the Department of Geology to support their work identifying existing geologic hazards along a roadway in Culberson County, Texas, just south of Carlsbad, New Mexico.
“It is an honor to have been asked by TxDOT to conduct research that will assist them in developing better practices for road stability within an area that is prone to significant failure,” said Dr. Kevin Stafford, project director and SFA associate professor of geology. “As oilfield activity expands throughout Culberson County, the heavy truck traffic is having a significant impact on infrastructure that was originally only intended for light/ranch traffic. As the only person who has significantly worked on the gypsum karst in this area, I have been fortunate to have been contracted by TxDOT to assess the karst phenomena associated with road failure and help them develop engineering solutions.”
The first phase of the contract was awarded to Stafford from the University of Texas – El Paso for just more than $60,000. Dr. Wesley Brown, chair of SFA’s Department of Geology, is serving as the project’s co-investigator.
“The first round of funding was an initial assessment of causes of road failure within Culberson County, which proved to be more complicated than originally suspected,” Stafford said. “The causes of failure are numerous and range from initial road construction a half century ago to variable karst manifestations. The first round of funding was very successful in that it identified the types of geohazards in the area. The second round of funding will focus on classifying and delineating the physical extent of each geohazard associated with RM652 in Culberson County.”
Upon successful completion of the project’s first phase, the second round was awarded totaling more than $705,000. The project, Stafford said, is designed to characterize and map out geologically hazardous areas along a 34-mile stretch of road in Culberson County.
“We will be utilizing various techniques to accomplish this, including geophysical surveys, remote sensing, karst surveys and traditional geologic field assessment,” he added. “Geophysical surveys include: high-resolution imaging to depths of 10 meters for sites that have continuously required road repairs; collection of continuous resistivity profiles along the entire stretch of road; and interpretation of shallow ground-penetrating radar throughout the study area for characterization of road-base conditions.
“Karst surveys and geologic field assessment will be carried out in the field with traverse-based field mapping adjacent to RM652, while caves discovered within 100 meters of the right-of-way will be entered and mapped to delineate their spatial extent and determine if they cross beneath RM652.”
Five SFA geology graduate students will be hired for the project this summer. An additional two to three undergraduates will be hired in the latter part of the summer to assist with field mapping and cave exploration. Stafford expects several undergraduate research projects and master’s theses will evolve from the TxDOT grant project.
“Effectively, this contracted research evolved from previous research I conducted prior to joining SFA and has turned out to be a great opportunity to continue work in the region,” Stafford said, “while providing funding to enable students to work in an area and environment that has been cost-prohibitive in previous years because of the distance away from Nacogdoches.”
June 8, 2016 - NACOGDOCHES, Texas — A limited number of students can still enroll in a weeklong science, technology, engineering and mathematics camp hosted by Stephen F. Austin State University’s STEM Research and Learning Center aimed at engaging East Texas students entering the seventh or eighth grade in hands-on STEM activities.
“The goal is to expose students to STEM disciplines in a way that excites them about the many possibilities in math and science,” said Dr. Jana Redfield, assistant director of the SFA STEM Research and Learning Center, which is part of the College of Sciences and Mathematics. “Each module is about two hours and 45 minutes of hands-on learning, allowing students to not only be exposed to math and science concepts, but to create a spark of interest in a possible future STEM career.”
What math concepts go into the construction of a rollercoaster? Who is the criminal behind a messy crime scene? Investigations in Math and Science, or iMAS, Academy answers these and similar questions during the course of five days. The camp consists of modules that cover chemistry, biology, nursing, engineering, mathematics and physics basics.
In one module, students engage in a crime scene investigation lab designed to simulate activities that take place in a forensic laboratory setting, including DNA glass fragment and chemical analyses. In another, students are exposed to the high-energy bustle of a hospital emergency room and learn four of many skills—blood loss estimation, aseptic techniques, cardiovascular and respiratory assessments, and virtual intravenous infusion. Students also will investigate effects of acid on eggshells using flat and carbonated root beer during the “Acid Attacks!” activity.
“So much goes in to the development of the curriculum for iMAS. The iMAS modules are designed to be student centered, hands-on and fun. They are initially written by STEM faculty members and area master teachers,” Redfield said. “Once written, modules are reviewed for accuracy and science/math appropriateness for the grade level, then piloted during the school year to insure student engagement. Several of the modules created for this year’s iMAS are brand new, such as the 3-D printing/engineering and rollercoasters. Others have been proven successful in past summer iMAS Academies.”
New to iMAS camp is a rollercoaster module inviting participants to explore mathematical concepts as they design and build paper rollercoasters from cardstock. The science of motion and the financial literacy component of budgeting and cost analysis also will be explored.
A second new module will utilize state-of-the-art 3D printers acquired by the College of Sciences and Mathematics. In the module, students will create and build a pair of interlocking rings using a computer-aided design program.
The 2016 iMAS Academy will be held from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. Monday through Friday, June 20-24, on the SFA campus. The cost is $100 per attendee and includes the price of materials, snacks, prizes and a T-shirt. Visit cosm.sfasu.edu/stem/imas-academy to register.
June 7, 2016 - The following student(s) has/have been named to the President's List at Stephen F. Austin State University for the spring semester.
To be eligible for this honor, a student must be enrolled in 12 or more semester hours and maintain a grade-point average of 4.0.
HOMETOWN, STATE; NAME, MAJOR, DEPARTMENT
Center, TX
Lesley Cockrell, Interdisciplinary Studies, Elementary Education
Erika Figueroa-Franco, Pre-Nursing, School of Nursing
Whitney Haddox, Communication Disorders, Human Services
Aaron Liker, Accounting, Accounting
Jessica Massey, Art, School of Art
Chelsea McDaniel, Music, School of Music
Carsen McFarland, Social Work, School of Social Work
Julie McSwain, Undecided, Special Advising
Lindsey Snell, Interdisciplinary Studies, Elementary Education
Joaquin, TX
Bailee McSwain, Interdisciplinary Studies, Elementary Education
Shelbyville, TX
Tiffanee Vaughn, Interdisciplinary Studies, Elementary Education
Timpson, TX
Ian Angelo, Kinesiology, Kinesiology & Health Science
Kaela Hudman, Pre-Nursing, School of Nursing
Madilyn Sanford, Communication Disorders, Human Services
June 7, 2016 - The following student(s) has/have been named to the Dean's List at Stephen F. Austin State University for the spring semester.
To be eligible for this honor, a student must be enrolled in 12 or more semester hours and maintain a grade-point average of 3.5.
HOMETOWN, STATE; NAME, MAJOR, DEPARTMENT
Center, TX
Brianna Evans, Interdisciplinary Studies, Elementary Education
Jannie Garcia, Social Work, School of Social Work
Yvette Garcia, Mathematics, Mathematics & Statistics
Celia Gonzalez, Interdisciplinary Studies, Elementary Education
Harlie Hagler, Kinesiology, Kinesiology & Health Science
Alisha Horton, Communication Disorders, Human Services
Darby Hudspeth, Interdisciplinary Studies, Elementary Education
Taylor Hudspeth, Interdisciplinary Studies, Elementary Education
Kristin Peace, Professional Accountancy, Accounting
Emily Rodriguez, Communication Disorders, Human Services
Kaleth Salazar, Pre-Nursing, School of Nursing
Haley Shofner, Interdisciplinary Studies, Elementary Education
Taylor Tanner, Creative Writing, English & Creative Writing
Joaquin, TX
Nicholas Cheatwood, Biochemistry, Chemistry
Megan McGee, Pre-Social Work, School of Social Work
Tionnee Turner, Health Science, Kinesiology & Health Science
Shelbyville, TX
Morgan Jernigan, Interdisciplinary Studies, Elementary Education
Tenaha, TX
Kelsi Hooker, Chemistry, Chemistry
Jordan Latrache, Kinesiology, Kinesiology & Health Science
Timpson, TX
Katie Bush, Biology, Biology
Margo Hooper, Agriculture Development Prod, Agriculture
June 6, 2016 - The following students received degrees from Stephen F. Austin State University during May commencement exercises:
Center, TX
75935, Josue Arcibar, Bachelor of Arts, Psychology, College of Liberal and Applied Arts
75935, Clifton Boniol, Bachelor of Arts, Art, College of Fine Arts
75935, Frances Bridges, Master of Social Work, Social Work, College of Liberal and Applied Arts
75935, Linda Choate, Bachelor of Science, Hospitality Administration, James I. Perkins College of Education
75935, Burval Holt, Bachelor of Science in Agriculture, Agricultural Engineering Technology, Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture
75935, Maddison Myers, Bachelor of Arts, Theatre, College of Fine Arts
Joaquin, TX
75954, Promise Lonsford, Bachelor of Science, Kinesiology, James I. Perkins College of Education
75954, Johnathan Watson, Bachelor of Science, Spatial Science, Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture
75954, Kain Yates, Bachelor of Business Administration, General Business, Nelson Rusche College of Business
Shelbyville, TX
75973, Yetzemanit Sanchez, Bachelor of Business Administration, Management, Nelson Rusche College of Business
75973, Feleshia Thompson, Bachelor of Science, Health Science, James I. Perkins College of Education
Tenaha, TX
75974, Victor Flores, Bachelor of Business Administration, Professional Accountancy, Nelson Rusche College of Business
75974, Victor Flores, Master of Professional Accountancy, Professional Accountancy, Nelson Rusche College of Business
Timpson, TX
75975, Ian Angelo, Bachelor of Science, Kinesiology, James I. Perkins College of Education
75975, Allison Burns, Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Nursing, College of Sciences and Mathematics
June 6, 2016 - NACOGDOCHES, Texas — Stephen F. Austin State University’s SFA Gardens will host the monthly Theresa and Les Reeves Lecture Series at 7 p.m. Thursday, June 9, in the Ina Brundrett Conservation Education Building at the Pineywoods Native Plant Center, 2900 Raguet St. Greg Grant, research associate with the SFA Gardens’ Pineywoods Native Plant Center, will present “Show Me Your Garden and I Shall Tell You What You Are: Twenty Years Creating One View.”
Grant, who is an award-winning horticulturist, writer, conservationist and seventh-generation Texan, will relate two decades of planning the landscape in front of his restored family home during his lecture. He lives in his grandparents’ restored dogtrot farmhouse, where he tends a small cottage garden, his Rebel Eloy Emanis Pine Savanna and Bird Sanctuary, a flock of laying hens, and terriers Acer, Lizzie, Mollie and Sonny.
He is author of “In Greg’s Garden: A Pineywoods Perspective on Gardening, Nature, and Family” and “Texas Fruit and Vegetable Gardening,” and is co-author of “Heirloom Gardening in the South,” “Texas Home Landscaping” and “The Southern Heirloom Garden.” He is currently finishing “The Rose Rustlers” with William C. Welch and Texas A&M Press. He also writes the popular “In Greg’s Garden” column for Texas Gardener magazine and writes “Greg’s Ramblings,” a monthly blog at arborgate.com.
Grant has degrees in floriculture and horticulture both from Texas A&M University, and he has attended post-graduate classes at Louisiana State University, North Carolina State University and SFA. His garden, farm and plant introductions have been featured in many magazines and newspapers, including Southern Living, Woman’s Day, Texas Gardener, Neil Sperry’s Gardens, The Dallas Morning News, The Houston Chronicle, The Los Angeles Times and The San Antonio Express News.
The Theresa and Les Reeves Lecture Series is held the second Thursday of each month at SFA’s Pineywoods Native Plant Center. A rare plant raffle will be held after the program. The lecture is free and open to the public but donations to the Theresa and Les Reeves Lecture Series fund are always appreciated.
Parking is available at the nearby Raguet Elementary School, 2428 Raguet St., with continual shuttle service to the Ina Brundrett Conservation Education Building.
For more information, call (936) 468-1832 or email grantdamon@sfasu.edu.
June 6, 2016 - Students in the Stephen F. Austin State University School of Theatre will promote the SummerStage Festival’s children’s show at the Texas Blueberry Festival June 11 in downtown Nacogdoches.
Theatre students will appear in costumes portraying popular characters from fairy tales and children’s stories. Children (and adults) will have the opportunity to talk with the students and take photos with them, according to Angela Bacarisse, professor of design and arts management at SFA. The School of Theatre’s trademark dragon character, Schlaftnicht, from the children’s show “Trudi and the Minstrel,” performed the summer of 2005, will make his annual Blueberry Festival appearance.
“We have a lot of fun just dressing up and seeing how excited the kids are when they see us and get to talk to their favorite characters,” Bacarisse said.
Students will be promoting the upcoming SFA SummerStage Festival, which kicks off Friday, June 24, and runs through July 16. The family friendly festival will feature the children’s favorite "A Year With Frog and Toad" by Robert and Willie Reale. Also in the festival lineup is something for the adults, "Picasso at the Lapin Agile," a witty comedy by actor, screenwriter and stand-up comic Steve Martin.
Bacarisse, the director of the smash hit "Spamalot" and the summer kids' favorites "The Emperor's New Clothes: The Musical" and "How I Became a Pirate," directs "A Year With Frog and Toad,” which is based on the books by Arnold Lobel. The musical follows the story of the beloved suburban amphibians who leap to tuneful life with irresistibly upbeat Frog lifting the spirits of his worrywart neighbor Toad.
The students perform at the Blueberry Festival each year to “let the community know that the SFA School of Theatre offers good quality family entertainment at affordable prices to our neighbors in Nacogdoches,” according to Bacarisse. Discount coupons for the SummerStage Festival will be distributed that day.
The costumed characters can be seen in front of The Cole Art Center @ The Old Opera House at 329 E. Main St. Theatre students will be selling crafts and doing face painting as a fundraiser.
For performance times and ticketing information for the SummerStage Festival, visit theatre.sfasu.edu or call (936) 468-6407 or (888) 240-ARTS. All performances are in W.M. Turner Auditorium in the Griffith Fine Arts Building on the SFA campus.
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