Everything Nac

Stephen F. Austin State University’s Nelson Rusche College of Business recently implemented the Student Success Passport Program to help students develop their professional skills.

The Passport Program, which launched in early October, aims to help students hone their professional skills while competing for scholarships. Dr. Ann Wilson, interim associate dean for the Rusche College of Business, said the program received a gift that will allow the college to annually award $130,000 in scholarships.

For the 2015-16 year, the Rusche College plans to award $50,000 in competitive scholarships to the top participants in the Passport Program. The top scholar in each classification: freshmen, sophomore, junior and senior, will be awarded $2,500 and 10 runner-ups will be awarded $1,000 per classification, with a total of 44 competitive scholarships being awarded in one year. Furthermore, $80,000 will be used to support program participants in experiential learning and career development activities such as study abroad or student competitions.

“The program encourages students to complete experiences outside the classroom curriculum for personal and professional enrichment,” Wilson said. “The scholarship gives students a tangible incentive.”

This program is designed to provide a formalized strategy for leadership development and career launch. Students will develop a personal portfolio of activities in D2L that will help prepare them to successfully launch their careers after graduation. Students are automatically enrolled in the Passport Program, and can choose if they want to participate.

Dr. Timothy Bisping, dean of the Nelson Rusche College of Business, notes that helping students launch into successful careers is central to the mission of the college.

“The Passport Program aligns perfectly with our mission, and it will serve as the foundation for future career success initiatives in the college,” Bisping said. “We are proud of the exceptional academic programs, faculty and staff members and students in our college, and the Passport Program is a great way to leverage this excellence in order to ensure that our students go on to be successful leaders in their chosen careers.”

The program works on a point system similar to other SFA courses. Program activities are designed to help develop students in personal and professional branding, experiential learning, leadership development, and engage in college activities and events. Assignments include developing a personal mission statement, attending an etiquette presentation, completing an internship and more.

“I start the program with the statement ‘Begin with the end in mind.’ We are trying to get our students to self assess. We want them to know their strengths, choose a major to get ready for a career they will be good at and take classes that will target their career goals,” Wilson said. “This program provides students with experiential learning activities that go above and beyond the classroom.”

The college also will be providing workshops within the Passport Program with faculty and staff members and industry professionals educating students. Wilson said she is coordinating with SFA’s Career Services and Involvement Center to direct students to resources already available at the university.

Currently, there are about 1,200 students involved in the Passport Program.

Stephen F. Austin State University’s SFA Gardens will host “Gifts from the Garden,” a soap-making workshop from 9 a.m. until noon Saturday, Nov. 14, in the Ina Brundrett Conservation Education Building, Room 101 at the Pineywoods Native Plant Center, 2900 Raguet St. in Nacogdoches.

Participants will create a variety of herbal soaps while learning recipes and techniques used in the art of soap making. Workshop attendees also will leave with samples of their own luxurious soap creations.

“The soap will be made from coconut and palm kernel oil, lye, essential oils and dried herbs,” said Elyce Rodewald, SFA Gardens’ education coordinator. “Participants will learn the step-by-step process of soap making, so they have the skills to make soap at home on their own.

“Once you use the new soap, you’ll never go back to store-bought,” Rodewald added. “The workshop is fun and educational. Participants will be surrounded by wonderful fragrances, like a special gift from the garden!”

Cost is $25 for SFA Gardens members and $30 for non-members. For more information or to register, contact the SFA Gardens’ Education Office at (936) 468-1832 or email sfagardens@sfasu.edu.

Stephen F. Austin State University’s SFA Gardens will host the monthly Theresa and Les Reeves Lecture Series at 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 12, in the Ina Brundrett Conservation Education Building at the Pineywoods Native Plant Center, 2900 Raguet St. in Nacogdoches.

Houston-based horticulturist Heath Lowery will present “Pollinator Update Plus Know What’s Bugging You.”

The regional sales manager for Olympic Horticultural Products, a leading supplier of pest control solutions in the production ornamentals market, received his Bachelor of Science from Texas A&M University and Master of Science in horticulture from SFA.

Prior to his employment with OHP, Lowery was a regional sales manager for the Valent/Nufarm Corporation, responsible for its greenhouse and nursery business in Texas and surrounding states. In addition, Lowery previously served as a propagation supervisor for Greenleaf Nursery in El Campo.

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.

All students of the Stephen F. Austin State University Music Preparatory Division who auditioned last month for the Region 4 and Region 21 middle school and high school orchestras were selected as orchestra members.

Auditions were held at the new Three Lakes Middle School in Tyler. Concerts for the middle school and high school orchestras will be held Saturday, Dec. 5, in Tyler.

High school students selected to all-region orchestra included: Catherine Meisenheimer, Isaiah Bertke and Annaleigh Andrews, Violin I; and Jake Hill, Grace DeKerlegand, Kyla Alders, Sheetal Bapu and Andria Sowell, Violin II.

Middle school students selected to all-region orchestra included: Chloe Cook and Ashlynn McBroom, Violin I; and Megan Petti, Mattie Chauvin, Haley McBroom and Rachel Wilder, Violin II.

For information about the Music Preparatory Division of the SFA School of Music, contact Pat Barnett, Music Prep director, at pbarnett@sfasu.edu or (936) 468-1291, or visit the website at www.music.sfasu.edu/prep

The Music Preparatory Division is a member of the National Guild for Community Arts Education. The Music Prep House is located at 3028 Raguet St. on the SFA campus.

The new Contemporary Guitar Ensemble at Stephen F. Austin State University will present its first concert at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 14, in Cole Concert Hall in the Wright Music Building on the SFA campus.

“Led Zeppelin: Mastering Cross Genres with Bold Originality” features performances of “Kashmir,” “Going to California,” “When the Levy Breaks,” and other Zeppelin favorites.

The Contemporary Guitar Ensemble is made up of students in the SFA School of Music’s Sound Recording Technology program. The ensemble’s purpose is to allow guitar students to “experience the many different functions of their instruments,” according to Andrew J. Sperandeo, SRT instructor and director/arranger of the ensemble.

“Many of the parts are written in horn section format similar to a big band where they play harmonized melodies, solis, etc.,” Sperandeo said. “Students are also required to utilize different effects throughout the arrangements painting a certain sonic landscape.”

In choosing the Zeppelin-themed program, Sperandeo said he wanted to “expose students to the great music written by Led Zeppelin that crosses many boundaries of style and has, in one way or another, influenced much of the modern rock we hear today.”

The concert will consist of all Zeppelin music arranged for guitar quartet accompanied by a rhythm section consisting of drums, bass and piano and fronted by two vocalists.

“Kashmir” defines Zeppelin’s “epic sound,” Sperandeo said, “with its asymmetrical rhythmic phrasing, worldly musical influence and powerful and solid yet simple backbeat.”

In “Going to California,” Zeppelin shows the ability to write in the psychedelic folk genre as well as rock and blues, he said.

Originally recorded in 1929 by Kansas Joe McCoy and Memphis Minnie, “When the Levy Breaks” was rewritten and recorded by Zeppelin in 1971.

“It’s a true good ‘ole grit blues written in reaction to the upheaval caused by the great Mississippi Flood of 1927,” Sperandeo explained.

The Contemporary Guitar Ensemble includes SFA students Gavan Maners of Rockwall, Nelson Privette of Winnsboro, Wesley Cortaius of Friendswood and Chance Forrest of Anna on guitars; Austin Gehring of Missouri City on bass; Matthew Coronado of Cypress on drums; and Alex Ballard of Bastrop on vocals. Guest artists for this concert are Robert Killingsworth of Seabrook, piano, and Chris Moore of Highlands, vocals.

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.