Everything Nac

Standing in front of their peers inside Stephen F. Austin State University’s film house, four mass communication students take deep breaths and begin their advertising presentation.

“Who is Ocean Spray?” Holly Moore, SFA mass communication student, asks the audience.

Recently, SFA students held a mock presentation to prepare for the annual American Advertising Federation conference and competition, which will take place Saturday, April 14, through Monday, April 16, in Corpus Christi.

Brad Maule, lecturer and instructor in SFA’s School of Theatre and School of Art, stood in as a judge and critiqued the students on their presentation.

Since fall 2017, students from SFA’s Department of Mass Communication, Rusche College of Business and School of Art have collaborated to build an advertising campaign for Ocean Spray Cranberries for the annual AAF competition where they will compete against 16 universities across Texas, Louisiana and Oklahoma.

“Advertising is a hybrid field, and this course leverages the unique skills and knowledge of students and faculty members across mass communication, art and marketing,” said Dr. Seth Bradshaw, assistant professor in the Department of Mass Communication.

Alongside Bradshaw, Dr. Marlene Kahla, professor in the Department of Management and Marketing, and Peter Andrew, professor in the School of Art, also are working with students on this project.

Students were divided into teams and tasked with different responsibilities ranging from research to media planning and presentation. The campaign goal was to increase brand relevance among Millennials between the ages of 24 and 34. Students conducted focus groups, surveys, interviews and secondary data analysis in the fall and translated their research into strategy and creative executions this spring.

“This course facilitates transformative experiences that change students — they are different people after taking this course because so much of the learning takes place outside of the classroom,” Bradshaw said. “One day we are conducting a focus group, another day we’re shooting a commercial, and the next we’re delivering the sales pitch.”

By Kasi Dickerson, senior marketing communications specialist at Stephen F. Austin State University.

A concert by the Swingin’ Axes and Swingin’ Aces jazz bands at Stephen F. Austin State University will feature tunes by jazz greats Chuck Mangione, Pat Metheny and Maynard Ferguson, along with works by guest artist Dennis Dotson, when the student ensembles perform at 7:30 p.m. Friday, April 20, in W.M. Turner Auditorium.

Highlighting the Axes’ program are Dotson’s “Close to Home” and “Civic Duty,” according to Dr. Deb Scott, director of the Swingin’ Axes. Dotson, a trumpet player, will perform these tunes and others with the Axes.

“Dennis grew up in East Texas and is well-respected all over the world for his jazz playing,” Scott said. “His mother recently passed away, but she came to many of the Axes’ and Aces’ concerts over the years.”

A professional trumpeter for more than 50 years, Dotson began his career playing in Houston while attending Sam Houston State University. He has played in house bands in Las Vegas and was a freelance musician in New York City and Houston. He has performed with Woody Herman and Buddy Rich bands as well as the bands of Carl Fontana, Bobby Shew, Tom Harrell and Kenny Wheeler. He is jazz trumpet instructor at The University of Texas at Austin and was formerly on the faculty at Houston Community College and the University of Houston.

Dotson will also perform with the Axes Metheny’s “Always and Forever,” Mangione’s “Legend of the One-Eyed Sailor” and “Give it One” by Maynard Ferguson and Alan Downey.

“The Axes will perform ‘Attack of the Killer Tomatoes,’ which is a piece we will record this semester for the Sound Recording Technology’s School of Music CD,” Scott said. “It’s a really fun arrangement.” John DeBello’s tune is arranged by Gordon Goodwin.

A performance of “My Way” by J. Rebaux and C. Francois, with lyrics by Paul Anka and arrangement by Eric Burger, will feature Barry Martin on vocals.

The Axes will also perform Jay Chattaway’s “Superbone Meets the Badman” and Tom Kubis’ “On Purple Porpoise Parkway.”

The Aces, directed by Dr. J.D. Salas, will perform an up tempo version of “The Song Is You” arranged by Mark Taylor, Sammy Nestico’s “A Warm Breeze,” and John Clayton’s “I be serious ’bout dem blues.”

Scott said she is looking forward to returning to Turner Auditorium for this concert.

“We haven’t been there in a long time, so the students are excited about performing in that venue,” she added.

Turner Auditorium is located in the Griffith Fine Arts Building on the SFA campus.

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.

Stephen F. Austin State University’s dance program will showcase its largest group of senior choreographers during its production of Danceworks: Polysemy, which premieres at 7 p.m. April 19 in the HPE Complex Dance Studio, Room 201, on the university campus.

True to its theme “Polysemy,” which means the coexistence of many possible meanings for a word or phrase, the Danceworks production will feature a variety of dance styles and topics.

Haley Hoss Jameson, associate professor and co-coordinator of the dance program, said “there is a little bit of something for everyone” in this semester’s production.

Danceworks serves as the capstone course for dance seniors. Each of the 13 senior choreographers created a piece based on research topics ranging from domestic violence, espionage and dementia to confidence, social anxiety and more. For example, senior Christine Nafula Wabuge Agali choreographed an African dowry dance of the Luhya tribe that pays homage to her parents while demonstrating the modernization of a traditional dance.

“I wanted to do this topic because it is based off of what my parents had to do to get married. It is part of my culture,” she said.

Contemporary modern, Broadway, jazz, African tribal dance, Egyptian-themed dance and more will be featured in this production.

For the first time in several years, the dancers also collaborated with students in SFA’s School of Music to provide live music during specific pieces. Heather Samuelson, assistant professor and co-coordinator of the dance program, said this joint effort was a bonus learning experience for the students.

“These collaborations have created professional relationships and inventiveness between the students and have added more variety to the Danceworks concert,” Samuelson said.

The performance is appropriate for all audiences. Additional showings are scheduled for 7 p.m. April 20 and 3 p.m. April 21. Tickets cost $5 for students, $8 for faculty, staff and senior citizens, and $10 for general admission and can be purchased at the door.

By Kasi Dickerson, senior marketing communications specialist at Stephen F. Austin State University.

Stephen F. Austin State University students in the hospitality administration program are hosting the Hospitality Shindig fundraising event from 6 to 9 p.m. April 20 at The Fredonia Hotel in Nacogdoches.

This event will feature a five-course Kentucky Derby themed dining experience and silent auction. Prior to dinner, guests will have the opportunity to participate in a one-hour reception, which includes a cash bar.

The shindig will serve as a fundraiser to support student scholarships, field trips, conferences and faculty development activities.

Students enrolled in a special events production course taught by Dr. Gina Fe Causin, assistant professor, and a catering and special functions course taught by Dr. Donna Fickes, clinical instructor, are running the event. Student responsibilities include event planning and implementation, menu planning, marketing, decorating, providing entertainment, selling tickets, recruiting sponsors and more.

“This activity teaches students the ins and outs of event planning and catering,” Causin said. “Students learn by doing hands-on activities. This event illustrates how teamwork and collaboration are huge parts of success in any endeavor.”

Guests are encouraged to wear fancy hats, bow ties and attire in pastel colors. Tickets cost $50 per person or $400 for a table of eight. To purchase tickets online, visit sfasu.edu/give/hmsevent.

For more information, contact Causin at causingf@sfasu.edu.

By Kasi Dickerson, senior marketing communications specialist at Stephen F. Austin State University.

Gathered in an intensive care unit in Stephen F. Austin State University’s DeWitt School of Nursing, Justin Pelham, clinical instructor in the School of Human Sciences, explained medical equipment to a group of senior nutrition and dietetics students as part of a nutrition simulation.

After graduation, seniors in SFA’s food, nutrition and dietetics program begin serving the East Texas community and beyond through dietetic internships. Pelham said this simulation helped students in his medical nutrition therapy II course gain better insight into what they may encounter as dietetic interns.

Tube feedings, parenteral nutrition, various respiratory masks, dialysis and more were discussed as a mannequin lay on the hospital bed simulating a real patient with respiratory issues.

“The objective was providing real-word application and learning in the ICU setting before their dietetic internships,” Pelham said. “Through our discussion and case study, students had to think critically and quickly, like they would as registered dietitians.”

After the group discussion, students completed a case study regarding different disease states they had studied prior to the simulation. Students determined their patients’ total caloric, protein and fluid needs based on the information provided through various calculations and prediction equations.

For more information on SFA’s food, nutrition and dietetics program, visit sfasu.edu/hms/101.asp.

By Kasi Dickerson, senior marketing communications specialist at Stephen F. Austin State University.