Everything Nac

Through a partnership between Stephen F. Austin State University’s Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture, the School of Human Sciences’ Hospitality Administration program and Älvdalen Educational Center, a forestry and hospitality post-secondary technical college in Älvdalen, Sweden, 15 Swedish students and two faculty members from the educational center completed a two-week exploration of East Texas.

Robert Nilsson and Matthew Tunn, instructors at Älvdalen’s Educational Center, said the partnership greatly benefits the participating students, many of whom have never traveled abroad.

During their stay, students toured sights throughout the region that were focused on their particular area of study.

Dr. Hans Williams, associate dean of SFA’s Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture, and Dr. Chay Runnels, associate professor and hospitality administration program coordinator at SFA, organized the visit, which included trips to state parks, historic sites and the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center, as well as logging operations.

The machines used in U.S. logging operations are very different from those used in Sweden, said Daniel Karlsson. Karlsson, who will graduate from Älvdalen’s forestry program next year, added that seeing the difference in forest operations has helped him grow as a student.

While the partnership places great focus on the vocational pursuits of the students involved, Williams said perhaps the most important aspect is the personal growth that results from experiencing a different culture.

The broadening of horizons led to the partnership between SFA and Älvdalen’s Educational Center more than three years ago. Since that time, five SFA students also have visited Älvdalen’s Educational Center for similar cross-cultural immersion.

“It’s more than just learning forestry, it’s about seeing a whole different culture,” Williams said.

Emma Sandgren, a nature and adventure tourism student at Älvdalen’s Educational Center, said while she thought the Texas weather would be warmer, it did not detract from her enjoyment of the local cuisine and people.

The students’ visit culminated in a barbecue and tour of SFA’s Walter C. Todd Agricultural Research Center. Prior to their departure home, the SFA Horseman’s Association demonstrated a range of versatility and skill-based events before facilitating horse rides for the students.

“The welcome we had, the hospitality and the friendliness, has just been overwhelming,” said Tunn.

This May, Runnels and Dr. Mary Olle, assistant professor of human sciences at SFA, will lead a Maymester course titled “Connecting People with Nature in Sweden.” The class will provide participants with the opportunity to explore the confluence of ecology, history and culture through visits to forest, recreation and hospitality resources in the Älvdalen region.

Stephen F. Austin State University’s Percussion Ensemble will perform with guest artist Dr. Joshua Knight at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 8, in Cole Concert Hall on the SFA campus.

Under the direction of Dr. Brad Meyer, director of percussion studies for the SFA School of Music, the ensemble will perform the music of Dwayne Rice and Nathan Daughtrey, among others.

Meyer and Knight, who is director of percussion studies at McMurry University, will collaborate to perform Blake Tyson’s “Vertical River,” a duet for marimba and vibraphone that reflects the good times Tyson and co-composer John Parks enjoyed during a rafting trip on the Boise River.

Knight will also perform the solo marimba part with a quartet of SFA percussionists on Daughtrey’s “Halcyon Days.” The composer researched the mythological origins of the phrase “halcyon,” which refers to a period of peace and tranquility, to gather more inspiration for the piece, according to Meyer.

The program also features Rice’s “Marimba Quartet No. 1” in two movements – “Nocturne” and “Presto.”

Knight has performed with the Oklahoma City Philharmonic Orchestra, Lawton Philharmonic Orchestra, Conway Symphony Orchestra, Pine Bluff Symphony Orchestra and the Fort Smith Symphony Orchestra and currently performs with the River Valley Community Band and the Abilene Philharmonic Orchestra. He is active in commissioning and premiering new works for percussion.

Tickets for the concert, which is a presentation of the SFA College of Fine Arts and School of Music, 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.