Everything Nac

Crowds filled the south side of the Nacogdoches downtown square Monday night for an event organized by members of the Stephen F. Austin State University chapter of Psi Chi, an international psychology honor society, and Pride Nac, the LGBT organization at SFA, in remembrance of the 49 people killed in the recent shooting at an Orlando, Florida, nightclub.

“The mood was somber and reflective with a focus on coming together as a community in solidarity with Orlando,” said Dr. Lauren Brewer, SFA assistant professor of psychology. “The event was a huge success in that the community of Nacogdoches rallied around the Orlando community from almost 1,000 miles away.”

Kris Nichols, Psi Chi president, served as the event’s emcee and was co-organizer of the vigil along with Libby Peavy, co-president of Pride Nac.

“I think the vigil definitely accomplished the goal we had in mind to” stand in support of Orlando victims and their families, said Logan Watson, Pride Nac member and SFA mass communication senior. “I was a little worried I would be very somber and sad standing there, but it felt more positive, feeling a sense of community and letting people know people care about the LGBTQ+ community, the victims and their families. There are people here that care about the tragedy and want to come together in support.”

Several Nacogdoches community members and SFA students and employees contributed to the event. The School of Theatre provided sound equipment and Dr. Adam Peck, dean of Student Affairs, provided tables and chairs.

“Grant Howarth, a local music therapist and musician, played several songs, including one he wrote,” Brewer said. “The Rev. Kyle Childress, pastor of Austin Heights Baptist Church, offered a few words followed by an opening prayer. Carolyne Moore from the Nacogdoches Quilters Guild presented a quilt her team made. Each attendee was asked to tie a knot, finishing the quilt. While tying a knot, each attendee was asked to say a prayer or blessing.

“Stephen Wright, a teacher at McMichael Middle School, spoke about the importance of taking action to promote love, and Holli Harrison, Pride Nac co-president, offered a message of love and support to those in the LGBT community.”

Though a windy night, attendees lit candles toward the end of the event as members of the SFA Greek Multicultural Club read each of the 49 victims’ names aloud. Both the quilt and donations collected throughout the evening will be donated to families of the victims.

John Calahan, coordinator for space utilization and scheduling at Stephen F. Austin State University, has been appointed to serve a three-year term on Ad Astra Information Systems Client Advisory Board.

Ad Astra, a Kansas-based company specializing in higher education software services, offers data-informed software solutions and professional services to help campus leaders effectively allocate space and faculty resources, forecast student demand for courses and accelerate student program completions.

As a board member, Calahan represents the needs and concerns of Ad Astra’s clients and plays a valuable role in defining the company’s strategic direction and solutions. The company’s teams work with board members to explore trends and opportunities in academic leadership, scheduling, resource allocation and event management.

Eugene Mitchell Weatherly, a 1970 graduate of Stephen F. Austin State University, was inducted into the U.S. Army Cadet Command Reserve Officer Training Hall of Fame, which recognizes overall excellence and accomplishment in leadership, this month in Fort Knox, Kentucky.

Weatherly, who retired in 2007 as the executive vice president of store operations for Pier 1 Imports, is one of only a handful of cadets to receive this honor. He is a Nacogdoches County native and current resident of Kerrville.

“I am both immensely honored and humbled to be inducted into the U.S. Army ROTC Hall of Fame,” Weatherly said. “Throughout the past 100 years, 600,000 cadets have been commissioned through ROTC and only 323 chosen for the Hall of Fame—a sitting Supreme Court justice, a Medal of Honor recipient, hundreds of distinguished Army generals and a few business leaders like me. One could not help but feel greatly honored and humbled.”

According to information provided by Lt. Col. Paul Pfeiffer, chair of the SFA Department of Military Science, Weatherly was a member of the SFA Lumberjack Cadet Battalion. He graduated as a distinguished military graduate from SFA’s historic first commissioning class of 1970.

Upon being commissioned as an infantry officer, Weatherly received flight commander training and became a helicopter pilot. He served for one year in Vietnam in 1971 where he was assigned to an assault helicopter company in Can Tho, Vietnam, and flew missions in the Mekong River Delta region of Vietnam and Cambodia. He was on active duty in the Army for a total of three years—one in various military schools, one year in Vietnam and one year as a member of the 1st Calvary Division at Fort Hood, Texas.

Weatherly was ultimately inducted into the ROTC Hall of Fame for his exceptional accomplishment as a leader in business, Pfeiffer said. As executive vice president for Pier 1 Imports, he oversaw operations of all 1,200 Pier 1 Import stores in the U.S. and Canada, which employed more than 20,000 employees.

“SFA gave me a view of the world and what could be if I applied myself,” Weatherly said. “My SFA education was the foundation of the success I achieved. The basic economic principles I learned in my economic major combined with the leadership training I received from ROTC set the stage for my military and business success.”

After opening their composition notebooks, several students dive into their imaginations as they begin to respond to the free-writing prompt, “Why or when is it important for your voice to be heard?”

In only its second year, Barrio Writers, a free weeklong summer writing program held at Stephen F. Austin State University, has doubled its attendance with 22 students ranging in age from 13 to 21 participating.

“It’s been fun to have this group of young people voluntarily spend a week of their summer involved in creative writing,” said Dr. Heather Olson Beal, SFA associate professor of secondary education and Barrio Writers coordinator. “It was a successful week, and I’m so pleased with the work the students produced.”

The program involved afternoon creative writing workshops that culminated with a public reading of the students’ works. During each session, students read books, poems and song lyrics before discussing them as a group and then wrote for 30 minutes. Through discussion, students related the reading to their personal experiences by answering questions. They also shared their writing and received critiques and constructive feedback. Along with the workshops, students participated in multicultural field trips throughout the week.

SFA faculty and staff members Olson Beal, Dr. Lauren Burrow, assistant professor of elementary education, Dr. Chrissy Cross, assistant professor of secondary education and educational leadership, and Alicia De La Rosa-Millard, secretary in SFA’s Office of Multicultural Affairs, led the workshops and served as writing advisers.

“As a child, I didn’t have a writing mentor to encourage me, and that is one of the reasons I decided to help this year,” De La Rosa-Millard said. “Sometimes, young adults don’t fully realize the great voice they have and writing talent they possess. I wanted to help them find their voices.”

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.