Everything Nac

By Kasi Dickerson and Danielle Rogers

Leading seems to be second nature for Tristian Harris, who is Stephen F. Austin State University’s Lumberjack Marching Band drum major and Student Government Association president.

Harris’ leadership will be broadcast nationwide as the LMB makes its debut at about 10:06 a.m. CST in this year’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City.

“I am so excited that I have the opportunity to lead the LMB down the streets of New York during the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade this year,” Harris said. “The LMB would like everyone to tune in to the parade to watch us march down the streets of New York City. This is our first appearance in the parade; we want everyone watching.”

During the past year, Harris has become well known across campus as drum major. He has been a member of the LMB since his freshmen year, and he also marched in 2012 in the London New Year’s Day Parade. He is believed to be the first SFA drum major not majoring in music. Harris is a political science major and is involved in various organizations on campus, including the Purple Haze Association, Pre-Law Society, Phi Alpha Delta, Beta Gamma Omega and Tau Beta Sigma.

“I always knew I wanted to be in marching band in college, and ultimately, I knew I would like to be drum major,” Harris said. “Through hard work, dedication and trust from the members of the LMB, I have achieved these goals.”

A native of Hallsville, Texas, Harris is no stranger to SFA. Throughout high school, he visited the campus for band events and knew he would eventually become a Lumberjack.

“My high school is big on school spirit, and I never thought SFA could rival the intensity of it, but that changed when I came to orientation and joined the LMB. When I first heard the LMB play the school song, it was a magical experience because I saw the dedication they have for this school,” Harris said. “The school spirit is so overwhelming that you just drown in it. That’s when I knew SFA was the next level of my education and my home away from home.”

Harris has played baritone for about seven years after volunteering in eighth grade to give up his position as a trumpet player.

“My band director needed more baritone players in a piece of music we were playing in eighth grade. He looked at the trumpet section and said, ‘I need about two or three of you to play baritone.’ Each one of us was thinking, ‘We don’t want to do that,’” Harris said. “So after a long awkward silence, the director said, ‘We don’t have time for this; I’m going to start pointing at people randomly.’ At that moment, I looked at everyone in the section sitting there defiantly, then I raised my hand.”

While this switch was only meant to last a semester, Harris never returned to the trumpet and does not regret volunteering.

“I never thought that raising my hand and not shying away from the road less traveled could have such an impact on my life,” he said.

When Harris is not busy working with hundreds of LMB members, he is acting as SGA president.

Earlier in 2015, Harris decided to run for SGA president with the goal of making sure students’ voices, concerns and ideas were heard.

“Many times people identify a problem or have an idea to make SFA better, but they do not have the determination to work through the red tape. I ran for those people. I ran to lead this organization to make sure that it would grow to be better than it is today and continue to grow after I graduate,” Harris said.

Since he was elected SGA president in April, Harris has hit the ground running to take SGA in a different direction. He wants SGA to be more relevant to students.

“We work for the students, and they are our greatest resource. I always say, ‘In order to do the best work, we need the best resources.’ That resource is the students,” he said.

Some of Harris’ initiatives include using social media more to engage students, creating a board to help students voice their concerns, introducing the True Lumberjack initiative to amplify school spirit, and much more.

To balance both positions, Harris has doubled down on his scheduling and organization. He believes these roles are teaching him lessons he couldn’t learn in the classroom and are helping him apply his knowledge to real-world situations.

“Real-world experience is a great asset to have for any profession. Plus, you may see me running for public offices in the future,” Harris said.

Whether he is leading the band at half time or in a SGA meeting, Harris believes “a good follower makes a good leader.” He said it is essential to listen to everyone, welcome opposing ideologies, compromise, listen to all sides of the story before making statements, follow through with critical decisions, keep the organization’s best interests in mind and meet problems with solutions instead of excuses.

“I’ve realized how far I have come as a person and a leader. I have learned how to articulate my ideas to others, how to respectfully disagree with people, how to compromise with others, how to speak with others, and so much more,” he said. “I still have so much to learn. These leadership roles are refining me to bring out the best.”

While many Stephen F. Austin State University students will spend a relaxing Thanksgiving Day at home celebrating the holiday with family and friends, the members of The Lumberjack Marching Band will be far from home representing SFA in a big way.

In just a few short days, the Lumberjack Marching Band will take the “Boldest Sound from the Oldest Town” to New York City where members will perform in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and show their university pride in the band’s signature spirited style.

The LMB leaves Tuesday to make another appearance on a worldwide stage as one of four bands selected from more than 175 applicants in the 2.5-mile parade route. More than 300 Lumberjack musicians and their directors will travel in two chartered flights from Longview to Atlantic City, New Jersey, and then travel by bus to their hotel in Newark, New Jersey. On Thursday morning, the LMB will take its place as the second band in the full parade line-up behind Macy’s All-American Marching Band.

Under the direction of Dr. David Campo, associate director of bands at SFA and LMB director, and Dr. Tamey Anglley, assistant director of bands, the band has been preparing “diligently” for this performance that will be seen by millions, according to Campo.

“We wrote the drill for our Herald Square performance and have spent the last month teaching it to the band,” he said. “The challenge is that, unlike a football field, there are no lines on the street to help with orientation.”

Macy’s required SFA to provide a video of the band’s planned performance a few weeks ago. Parade officials specified they wanted the video to be filmed on a street and show band members in full uniform. University officials were more than happy to help, Campo said.

“We are blessed to work at a great institution with great people,” he said. “The University Police Department blocked off East College Street, and the Physical Plant provided us with a scissor lift for this production.”

While NBC network and Macy’s officials instructed the band directors not to release information detailing the band’s performance, Campo said the music selection “pays tribute to our university, state and nation.”

“I have watched Dr. Campo and Dr. Anglley work for over a year and half on this project,” said SFA Director of Bands Fred J. Allen, who arranged the piece the band will perform in Herald Square. “They are going to make SFA proud with the outstanding performance the band will give.”

Campo is looking forward to representing SFA on such a grand scale.

“This is an iconic event,” Campo said. “Almost everyone grows up watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. It is truly considered ‘America’s parade,’ and it is a true honor to be selected to represent our university, community and the state of Texas in an event where 3.5 million people will line the streets of New York City to see it and more than 55 million will view it on television. I’m very excited to have the SFA logo seen by that many people!”

SFA Gardens at Stephen F. Austin State University will host the monthly Theresa and Les Reeves Lecture Series at 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 10, in the Ina Brundrett Conservation Education Building at the Pineywoods Native Plant Center, 2900 Raguet St. in Nacogdoches. Dr. Dave Creech, SFA Gardens director, will present “Special Trees of SFA Gardens.”

There are many trees at SFA Gardens that are the largest, the oldest or the only one of their kind, which is a big part of what makes the gardens special to horticulturists across the South. Creech will saunter through a lineup of special trees that are garden worthy, that have stood the test of time, are Texas tough and deserve a bigger place in the landscapes of the South.

The Theresa and Les Reeves Lecture Series is held the second Thursday of each month at the Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture’s SFA 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 appreciated.

Parking is available at the nearby Raguet Elementary School, 2428 Raguet St., with continual shuttle service to the Ina Brundrett Conservation Education Building.

Creech has been at SFA since 1978 and is director and founder of the SFA Mast Arboretum, Ruby Mize Azalea Garden and Gayla Mize Garden. He also co-directs the Pineywoods Native Plant Center. Creech received his bachelor’s and doctoral degrees in horticulture from Texas A&M University and his master’s degree from Colorado State University. His research efforts have focused on blueberry germplasm and production studies, alternative crops and technology, crop nutrition and evaluation of new plant materials for the South. He and his wife, Janet, are both active gardeners and love to travel.

For more information, call Elyce Rodewald, SFA Gardens educational programs coordinator, at (936) 468-1832 or email Greg Grant, research associate at the Pineywoods Native Plant Center, at grantdamon@sfasu.edu.

Looking for a unique holiday gift for a friend or loved one? Tickets to see The 5 Browns when they perform Dec. 18 in W.M. Turner Auditorium on the Stephen F. Austin State University campus just might be the answer to filling your holiday shopping list.

The widely popular sibling pianists will bring their Christmas spirit to Nacogdoches with a program of holiday favorites when they perform as part of the SFA College of Fine Arts’ University Series at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 18, on Turner stage.

“Taking your family or a group of friends to see this exciting show would be a great way to usher in the holiday season,” said Dr. John Goodall, associate dean of the College of Fine Arts. “This University Series event is sure to put everyone in the Christmas spirit.”

And, perfectly timed for winter commencement weekend, the SFA performance gives guests from out of town an exciting way to spend Friday night before Saturday’s graduation ceremonies.

The quintet has garnered extensive coverage from media outlets ranging from “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno,” “Good Morning America,” “Today,” and “The View” to “The Martha Stewart Show,” National Public Radio’s “Performance Today,” as well as The New York Times, Parade, People, the Los Angeles Times, the Sunday London Telegraph and Entertainment Weekly.

The 5 Browns are delivering on their dream to “wake up” classical music by introducing it to the widest, largest and most excited audience they can find. Whether performing individually or together in duos or complex five-piano arrangements, The 5 Browns reveal a deep connection to the intent of their material while bringing a fresh energy and dynamic character to the color and tonal spectrum of their sound, according to Goodall.

This Christmas-themed performance features such holiday classics as “Carol of the Bells,” “Ave Maria,” “Nutcracker Suite,” “Sleigh Ride” and others.

Prior to the performance, Dr. Mario Ajero, associate professor of piano pedagogy at SFA, will present a 7 p.m. informative talk in Griffith Gallery about the artists and their music. The gallery is located across the hall from Turner Auditorium, which is located in the Griffith Fine Arts Building, 2222 Alumni Drive.

The audience is invited back to the gallery for a post-performance reception to meet the performers and to honor the event’s corporate sponsor, Nacogdoches Medical Center.

Single event ticket prices are $25 for adults, $20 for seniors and $10 for students/youth.

For more information on the remaining 2015-2016 University Series, which features L.A. Theatre Works presenting Bram Stokers’ ‘Dracula’ on Feb. 4 and Texas soprano Ava Pine on April 14, visit finearts.sfasu.edu, stop by the Fine Arts Box Office in Room 211 of the Griffith Fine Arts Building, or call (936) 468-6407 or (888) 240-ARTS.

Audience members responded with enthusiastic praise following Tuesday night’s opening of “Macbeth” presented by the Stephen F. Austin State University School of Theatre.

This play by William Shakespeare is often produced because of the theatrical elements that are present: drama, betrayal, love and murder. In SFA’s production of “Macbeth,” all of these components are highlighted with exciting fight sequences, powerful dance choreography and gripping fake bloodshed.

In the weeks leading up to the play’s Nov. 17 opening, hours of research, rehearsal and preparation were put into the show. Kate Shirley, a junior theatre major at SFA and the choreographer of this production, described her process.

“There were so many unpredictable elements, and we often found that the choreography I created didn’t work the way I imagined,” she said. “I had to rethink and reinvent and reteach on a moment’s notice. I was so lucky to have such cooperative, enthusiastic dancers.”

Likewise, it takes hours of sword-fighting practice to perform fight scenes without actually injuring another actor. The swords and daggers seen on stage are real and heavy. However, the experienced actors swing them with ease.

“When doing a show like ‘Macbeth’ that’s heavy on exciting staged sword combat, we want the fights to tell part of the story through believable, captivating and epic means,” explained senior theatre major Chipper Morris, who plays the part of Malcolm in “Macbeth” and functions as the show’s fight captain.

“We slowly work through the technicalities of the fights step by step to ensure that, when performing at full speed, the actors are fully comfortable with their fight partners and the choreography while feeling as safe as they can,” Morris said.

Safety is an important part of every production, but with a play as macabre as “Macbeth,” there has to be blood to make it look authentic.

“Although it’s kind of a mess to clean up, the blood definitely adds a whole new layer to the play,” said Shelby Barrette, a freshman theatre major who works as an assistant stage manager on this production. “Without giving too much away, this aspect of the play is gruesome.”

“Macbeth” runs through Saturday, Nov. 21, at 7:30 nightly in W.M. Turner Auditorium on the SFA campus. A matinee performance is at 10 a.m. Thursday, Nov.19. Tickets are $15 for adults, $10 for seniors and $7.50 for students. For tickets or more information, call the SFA Fine Arts Box Office at 936-468-6407 or visit theatre.sfasu.edu.

The School of Theatre’s Mainstage Series is sponsored in part by Tipton Ford.