Everything Nac

The Stephen F. Austin State University College of Fine Arts and School of Music have announced the SFA A Cappella Choir will travel to Italy next May for an 11-day performance tour that includes special invitations to sing at the Vatican and St. Mark’s Basilica.

“SFA has grand tradition in choral singing and vocal pedagogy, and our talented singers deserve a place on the world’s stage,” said Dr. Manny Brand, director of the SFA School of Music. “This performance tour will highlight to European audiences our students’ artistry and SFA’s musical excellence.”

Family, friends and music patrons are invited to accompany the 52-member A Cappella Choir and support faculty on the trip from May 22 through June 2, according to Tim King, director of choral activities at SFA.

“We take a triennial European trip to visit musically historic places that our music students read about in their studies,” King said. “Many past travelers have gone and continue to go with us. Perhaps it is the music, or the sights, or the energy of the students. Whatever the reason, we have many faithful travelers, and we want to include all who are interested.”

SFA has a strong history of providing valuable opportunities for students outside the classroom, and this trip is another illustration of the university’s commitment to student success.

“The A Cappella Choir’s upcoming trip to perform in Italy is an excellent example of how SFA continuously provides our students with educational and personal growth experiences that reach far beyond our campus,” said Dr. Baker Pattillo, university president. “This truly will be a once-in-a-lifetime adventure for these students and faculty, and those who are lucky enough to be on hand at the Vatican, St. Mark’s Basilica and the other famed Italian venues for the choir’s performances are in for a special treat, as well.”

The tour is traditionally for 10 days, but, this year, an additional day in Rome was added, King said. This year’s trip also has an added bonus of featuring requested performances in some of the world’s most historically significant locations.

“This year, the tour has received a special invitation to sing for Sunday mass in the Vatican, and also at St. Mark’s Basilica in Venice, as well as at concert venues in Marostica, Santa Croce Basilica in Florence, which is the final resting place of Michelangelo, Galileo, Machiavelli and Rossini,” King said. “We will also perform at All Saints Church in Rome.”

Those who travel with the choir may follow the itinerary or include anything they would like to see or do, King said. “There is flexibility in the trip.”

A deposit of $1,000 will secure a place in the entourage with checks payable to SFASU. The cost of the trip is about $4,100. Deposits should be sent to King. The trip is coordinated through American Classic Tours and Music Festivals and is limited to 120 passengers. It includes round-trip airfare, accommodations in the Venice area, Florence and Rome, several group dinners, guided excursions, transportation and 24-hour travel support, among other amenities. An organizational meeting with Rick Dillard with American Classic Tours is scheduled for 7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 23, in Cole Concert Hall where he will outline the tour in detail and answer questions.

For those who are unable to make the trip but would like to support the students, donations are needed, King said.

“Some students are able to fund their own trip, while others need help,” he said. “All donations are tax deductible and are funneled through the SFA Office of Development.”

For additional information, contact King at tking@sfasu.edu or (936) 468-1181.

The Stephen F. Austin State University School of Theatre will present the student-directed “I Never Saw Another Butterfly” at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 26, and at 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 27, in the Downstage Theatre on the SFA campus.

Senior Katy Rutherford of Richmond directs the one-act play by Celeste Raspanti. It focuses on the childhood of Raja Englanderova as she fights for survival in a concentration camp. According to Rutherford, the audience and Raja venture through her memories together, digging into the past and meeting extraordinary characters.

“Slowly, Raja gains a sense of identity and begins the fight for self-preservation,” she said. “Through Raja’s eyes, the audience is given a portrayal of the brutality and beauty mankind is capable of.”

The cast includes Palestine junior Greg Albright as the Loudspeaker; Frisco freshman Rani Solomon as Raja Englanderova; Katy senior Lauren Bowler as Irene Synkova; Plano sophomore Cecily Maucieri as Child I; Dallas junior Celeste Galey as Child II; Brenham senior Bianca Stein as Child III; Houston freshman Tevia Dominguez-Loeser as Child IV; and Richmond sophomore Keenan Chiasson as Honza Kosek.

The technical staff includes Pedro Dominguez, McAllen sophomore, scenic designer; T.J. Davis, Beaumont sophomore, costume designer; Daniel Miller, Sugar Land senior, lighting designer; Devin Bruton, Nacogdoches sophomore, sound designer; Caitlin Parker, Groves sophomore, projections; Shelby Gilliland, Frisco junior, props manager; and Eric Gibson, Fairfield senior, hair/makeup designer.

Rutherford is a theatre major with a minor in education. While at SFA, she has directed “Now We’re Really Getting Somewhere,” “Taming of the Shrew,” “English Made Simple” and scenes from “Medea.” As an actor, she has appeared in Mainstage productions of “Southern Belle Primer,” “Stage Door,” “Steel Magnolias” and “Three Sisters.” She has performed in the student-directed “W;t,” “Miracle at Blaise” and “The Second Beam.” She is a member of Alpha Psi Omega and Sigma Phi Lambda and is a representative on the Student Production Advisory Committee. She will serve as assistant director for the upcoming SFA production of the musical “Spamalot” and plans a career as a theatre educator.

Tickets are $4. For tickets or more information, call the SFA Fine Arts Box Office at (936) 468-6407 or visit www.finearts.sfasu.edu. “I Never Saw Another Butterfly” is recommended for mature audiences (teens or older).

Stephen F. Austin State University has recorded a fall enrollment of 12,801 students, up 0.2 percent from one year ago. The slight gain marks the first overall increase since stricter admission standards were implemented at the university beginning with the fall 2012 freshman class.

“As expected, we had a dip in enrollment last fall, due in large part to the higher admission standards for the freshman class,” said Monique Cossich, executive director of enrollment management. “We are very pleased that enrollment is rebounding quicker than expected, and we hope to continue to see steady, incremental growth going forward.”

Cossich credited efforts of the entire university community to recruit and retain students for the increase. “It is now understood at SFA that this is part of everyone’s role – regardless of their position at the university,” she said. These practices have helped attract and keep enough quality SFA students to compensate for the increased admission standards combined with recent record-breaking graduations.

“There is an incredible amount of technology and media at universities’ disposal now, and we continue to stay the course with a high-tech, high-touch approach to recruitment,” Cossich said. “But, overall, I think that our personal touch is what sets us apart from our competitors.

“We continually hear from parents and students that we have found the right formula in terms of when and how often we communicate with prospects, as well as getting across the message that SFA is fully invested in helping them achieve success in college and in life.”

Especially encouraging to SFA officials is a stark increase in the retention rate of first-time, full-time undergraduate students, another predicted outcome of the higher admission standards and increased student-engagement and success activities, said Dr. Richard Berry, SFA provost and vice president for academic affairs. That figure represents a 6.6 percentage-point increase in the rate since standards were increased. At 70 percent, the current SFA retention rate is the highest ever recorded at the university.

Efforts across the university to support current students and connect them to available resources also have contributed to higher retention, he said. More efficient student advising practices, increased student engagement opportunities, a vibrant SFA 101 freshman seminar program and expanded academic support offerings through SFA’s award-winning Academic Assistance and Resource Center all have played a role in helping more SFA students persist to graduation.

“We are extremely pleased with the increase in the freshman retention rate, something we have been working on very diligently,” Berry said.

The university reported the following fall enrollments by college: Nelson Rusche College of Business, 1,718; James I. Perkins College of Education, 4,250; College of Fine Arts, 915; Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture, 712; College of Liberal and Applied Arts, 2,736; and College of Sciences and Mathematics, 2,470.

SFA also experienced higher summer enrollment in 2014, which totaled 8,801 students. Included in that figure were 862 students who attended Maymester classes, an increase of 13 percent from Maymester 2013. Summer I enrollment increased 1.9 percent to 4,093 students, and Summer II enrollment was up 2.3 percent with 3,846 students attending classes.