Everything Nac

Stephen F. Austin State University’s Office of Multicultural Affairs will host its inaugural celebration of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month in May on the SFA campus.

In partnership with SFA’s Asian Culture Club, the OMA welcomes the SFA and Nacogdoches communities to join in activities and traditions that embrace Asian and Pacific Islander cultures.

“The month of May has been recognized as National Asian Pacific American Heritage Month by the U.S. Congress. It originally started as a small celebration for a select few days in 1977 and later became a full month celebration in 1992,” said Jalon Berry, OMA assistant director. “The OMA aims to embrace more cultures and traditions so that every Lumberjack feels included at SFA. We look forward to seeing everyone come out to celebrate the OMA inauguration of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month.”

According to the Asian Pacific American Heritage Month website, the month of May was chosen to commemorate the immigration of the first Japanese to the United States on May 7, 1843, and to mark the anniversary of the completion of the transcontinental railroad on May 10, 1869. The majority of the workers who laid the tracks were Chinese immigrants.

The Asian Pacific American Heritage Month celebration will take place at noon Wednesday, May 1, in the Baker Pattillo Student Center Plaza. The event is free and open to the public.

By Christine Broussard, senior marketing communications specialist at Stephen F. Austin State University

When Dr. Matthew Beauregard was offered a position as a professor in Stephen F. Austin State University’s Department of Mathematics and Statistics, he initially wasn’t sure the university was the right fit for him.

A native of upstate New York, Beauregard was working for another institution when SFA sought him out. Although hesitant at first, the relationships formed during his interview with Dr. Deborah Pace, then the dean of SFA’s mathematics department, helped Beauregard realize the university was exactly what he was looking for. Soon after, he packed his bags and headed to Nacogdoches.

“I came to SFA, and I loved it,” Beauregard said. “It felt like a family before I even got here.”

During his five years with the university, Beauregard has taught a variety of math classes but prefers following a student cohort’s progress from their first through upper-level courses. In each class, he strives to teach students not only the course material, but also about putting study skills into practice throughout their college career.

“I love being part of our students’ lives as they move through their degree plan year after year, moving closer and closer to reaching their long-term goals and maturing info professionals,” he said. “The mentorship is by far my favorite thing.”

As an applied mathematician, Beauregard sees math as a toolbox capable of solving real-world problems. Currently, he uses this toolbox for several research endeavors in various fields, including with the United States Geological Survey Lab to study control methods for invasive species. Applied mathematics also gives him the opportunity to study areas not traditionally associated with the math, like linguistics. He is currently working with a linguist to study the efficacy of different controls to promote stable bilingualism.

“I’m not an engineer, physicist or biologist by trade, but I’m a handyman that comes in and can most likely get the job done,” he said.

For his work, Beauregard was recently recognized with the SFA Teaching Excellence Award for the College of Sciences and Mathematics. This award is given annually and is based on knowledge of subject matter, quality of lectures and assignments, enthusiasm for teaching, interest in and availability to students, commitment to continuous improvement, and contribution to the quality of teaching at SFA by assisting and encouraging other faculty members.

“Dr. Beauregard is student-centered in all aspects of his career,” said Dr. Lesa Beverly, chair of the Department of Mathematics and Statistics. “He is always looking for opportunities to improve his teaching, involve students in his research and be a part of recruitment efforts. He is truly transforming the life of his students, one Lumberjack at a time.”

By Joanna Armstrong, marketing communications specialist at Stephen F. Austin State University

The Stone Fort Museum on the campus of Stephen F. Austin State University will host its third pop-up concert featuring members of the SFA Tuba-Euphonium Ensemble from 1 to 2 p.m. Friday, May 10.

The concert will feature traditional Texas tunes performed by the ensemble, which is led by Dr. J.D. Salas, SFA associate professor of music.

“When people think of a group of tubas playing together, thoughts of massed pachyderms may immediately spring to mind,” Salas said. “However, the euphonium, which is similar to a tuba but about half the size, has a higher and lighter sound and performs most of the melodies. Together, the two instruments create an ensemble that possesses remarkably sonorous timbre and a wide dynamic range.”

This concert is the continuation of the Stone Fort Museum’s Inside-Out project; intended to reduce barriers to collections and their stories through outside displays and events that engage new audiences.

“Hosting the inside-outside events is a way to attract members of the SFA and Nacogdoches communities to come to events outside the Stone Fort and then encourage them to step inside and continue the experience,” Carolyn Spears, director of the Stone Fort Museum, said.

The Stone Fort’s current exhibit is “Pocket, Purse and Pack: Digging into Everyday Carry.” The exhibit examines not only the various tools and objects that were considered necessities of daily life for past generations but also looks at why they were necessary.

According to Spears, the things we carry may be directly tied to common needs, as is the case with a pocket watch. They also may reflect our habits, interests or beliefs, as with snuff boxes, pocket binoculars or religious icons.

“What we carry in our pockets changes as society changes, “Spears said. “Highlights of the exhibit include a pocket-dump station where guests can take a picture of the baubles and knick-knacks they can’t leave home without.”

The concert is free and open to the public. Guests will be able to snack on old-fashioned picnic fare. For more information about the Stone Fort, its exhibits or the Inside-Out series, contact Spears at cspears@sfasu.edu.

The Swingin’ Axes and Swingin’ Aces jazz bands at Stephen F. Austin State University will present their final concert of the year at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 25, in Cole Concert Hall on the SFA campus.

The Swingin’ Axes, directed by Dr. Deb Scott, will showcase performances by some of its longtime players who will graduate at the end of the semester. Those include Winter Springs, Florida, senior Alec Bartlett on saxophone; Houston senior Dawson Dowdy on piano; Purcellville, Virginia, graduate student Luke Vacca on trombone; along with Weatherford graduate assistant Max Muciño on trumpet.

The Axes will perform two original compositions by Maria Schneider – “Bird Count” and “Arbiters of Evolution.” Also on the program is the Sammy Nestico arrangement of “Day In, Day Out” by Rube Bloom and Johnny Mercer.

“‘Round Midnight,” composed by Thelonious Monk and Cootie Williams and arranged by Mike Tomaro, will feature the Axes’ new lead alto saxophonist, Lufkin graduate student Felipe Hernandez.

Other graduates performing on the concert are graduate student Sam Lana, alto sax from Cincinnati, Ohio; graduate student Sara Crider, tenor sax from Purvis, Mississippi; and senior Kyle Manuel, trombone from Cypress.

The Swingin’ Aces, directed by Dr. J.D. Salas, will perform “Two Seconds to Midnight” by Alan Baylock; “Flight of the Foo Birds” by Neal Hefti and recorded by Count Basie Orchestra; and “Kingfish” by Bill Holman and recorded by The Stan Kenton Orchestra.

The Aces will also feature a brand-new arrangement by Sammy Nestico of Johnny Mercer’s “Tangerine” from Nestico’s recent album “A Portrait of Sammy.”

The concert is a presentation of the SFA College of Fine Arts and School of Music.

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.

A new version of the award-winning film “Bohemian Rhapsody” is coming to The Cole Art Center @ The Old Opera House.

A new sing-along edition of the movie will be shown in a free, one-night screening, hosted by the Friends of the Visual Arts at Stephen F. Austin State University, at 7 p.m. Friday, April 26, in SFA’s historic downtown art center.

In this version of the movie, lyrics appear on the screen to help moviegoers add their own voices to Queen’s performances of favorite songs like “We Will Rock You” and “Bohemian Rhapsody.”

“We’re bringing this film to the gallery at the request of our students and some regular patrons,” said Alisa Steed, events coordinator for SFA art galleries. “We hope everyone comes ready to sing!”

“Bohemian Rhapsody” celebrates the music of legendary rock band Queen and their extraordinary lead singer, Freddie Mercury, as portrayed by actor Rami Malek. The film, which was directed by Bryan Singer, received 16 major nominations in 2019 and won nine awards, among them Academy Awards for Best Picture and for Actor in a Leading Role for Malek; Screen Actors Guild performance awards to Malik and the entire cast; and Golden Globe Awards to Malik and for Best Motion Picture.

The film is rated Rated PG-13 for thematic elements, suggestive material, drug content and language. Run time is 134 minutes.

This special screening is sponsored in part by William Arscott, Nacogdoches Film Festival, Karon Gillespie, Mike Mollot, David Kulhavy, John and Kristen Heath, Galleria Z, Jill Carrington, Jean Stephens, Jim and Mary Neal, Richard Orton, Nacogdoches Junior Forum and Main Street Nacogdoches.

The Cole Art Center is located at 329 E. Main St. For more information, call (936) 468-1131.

Visitors to Stephen F. Austin State University’s swine center won’t find Dr. John Mehaffey behind the desk of a typical professorial office space. More likely than not, they will have to pass through multiple doors following the intermingled sounds of student voices and contented pig grunts to locate him.

Although Mehaffey, associate professor of agriculture in SFA’s Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture, didn’t initially plan to pursue a career in academia, it seems, as the adage goes, he has taken to it like a pig to mud.

“My favorite part of teaching is the students,” Mehaffey said. “You get to see a lot of different perspectives on life, and each student has something to offer to our program, to me as an individual and to my family.”

Mehaffey joined SFA in 2012 following a career in research and development in the meat industry. He believes this experience in the private sector provides him with valuable insight to share with students.

Students in Mehaffey’s classes obtain direct and extensive experience in swine, goat and sheep production — from reproduction and health to sales.

“I almost see my classroom as an experiment,” he said. “The swine center is a constantly evolving process.”

Mehaffey explained that because there is not a large market for commercial swine in Texas, the center focuses its efforts on providing quality livestock for 4-H and FFA students to show across the state.

In addition to managing the sheep, goat and swine centers, Mehaffey serves as the faculty advisor for the Alpha Gamma Rho fraternity and the SFA Livestock Judging Team.

Mehaffey’s dedication to students, as well as the hands-on nature of his classes, earned him a 2019 Teaching Excellence Award. The award, given out annually to one faculty member in each of SFA’s six colleges and a seventh Faculty Senate awardee, is based on knowledge of subject matter, quality of lectures and assignments, and enthusiasm for teaching.

The award also recognizes faculty members’ commitment to continuous improvement, contribution to the quality of teaching at SFA by assisting and encouraging other faculty members, and interest in and availability to students.

By Sarah Fuller, outreach coordinator for Stephen F. Austin State University’s Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture