Everything Nac

Who: Grammy Award-winning Texas-born singer, composer and actor Lyle Lovett will be the featured guest at the 2014 installment of the Archie McDonald Speaker Series at Stephen F. Austin State University. Lovett has broadened the definition of Americana music in a career that spans 14 albums and more than four million records sold. Coupled with his gift for storytelling, the Texas-based musician fuses elements of country, swing, jazz, folk, gospel and blues in a manner that defies convention and breaks down barriers.

What: SFA’s speaker series was created in spring 2010 by the College of Liberal and Applied Arts to honor and preserve the legacy of Dr. Archie McDonald as a distinguished scholar, educator and community commentator. In the tradition of McDonald’s writings and oral presentations, a prominent national figure is hosted annually at SFA to discuss contemporary cultural issues. The speaker series is sponsored by SFA’s Student Government Association, and the event is free and open to the public. Passes may be obtained at the Involvement Center on the first floor of the Baker Pattillo Student Center or at the Nacogdoches Convention and Visitors Bureau downtown. For more information, call (936) 468-5406.

When: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 10

Where: Grand Ballroom, Baker Pattillo Student Center, SFA campus

Contacts:
University Marketing Communications
(936) 468-2605

The results of a newly formed partnership between the Stephen F. Austin State University School of Theatre and the Thomas J. Rusk Academy of Fine Arts will be showcased in a Fine Arts Gala at 6 p.m. Tuesday, April 15, in the movie theatre in the Baker Pattillo Student Center on the SFA campus.

Developed last fall, the artistic partnership between the Nacogdoches ISD arts school and SFA School of Theatre was the idea of Dr. Fred Hayes, NISD superintendent, who wanted the district’s magnet schools to “reach out into the community and create a partnership of some form to start building relationships that could prosper and continue to grow with these campuses in the future,” according to TJR theatre teacher Heidi Rouse, who is also a graduate of SFA.

Rouse organized a meeting that included Melissa McMillian-Cunningham, lecturer in the School of Theatre, Dr. Sandra Stewart, NISD assistant superintendent, and Roxanne Lathan, TJR principal.

“Dr. Stewart and I had gotten to know each other very well last year during my first year in the district, and as she was aware of my SFA alumna status, she approached me wanting to know if I would be interested in collaborating with the School of Theatre on a performance-based project that would involve students from both SFA and TJR,” Rouse said. “While being honored and excited at being asked, I was grateful for my students to be able to participate in an opportunity that allowed them to work closely with theatre arts students on the collegiate level and truly experience fine arts in education.”

“We developed the idea of my THR 411 (Theatre for Children) students directing Heidi’s students in mini-plays, which would be performed,” Cunningham said. “To that end, three of my students have been on TJR’s campus twice a week for about 45 minutes each day. They have cast their shows, rehearsed and worked with students on their presentation skills.”

SFA theatre students Zundrell Green of Garland, Nick Pinelli of The Woodlands and Katy Rutherford of Richmond have been working with the students.

“Getting to watch my students rehearse with the SFA directors is very similar to watching my own children in class or at baseball practice,” Rouse said. “I feel a sense of pride when they understand the jargon of the stage that their directors use, and I am overjoyed to be able to witness them have such a wonderful time and making amazing memories that will stay with them forever.”

TJR Elementary became a fine arts magnet school for the 2011-12 school year, according to Lathan.

“This change happened as a way to give our community/parents an option for children with multiple talents,” she said. “The community showed great interest, and applications poured in. The fine arts are a vital part of every student’s education. The arts nurture creativity, critical thinking and curiosity. TJR strives to cultivate an understanding and love for the fine arts. Applications are now being accepted for next year. We expect to continue to grow.”

The Fine Arts Gala will include SFA Theatre for Children student-directed scenes performed by a selected group of fifth graders, a dance performance by the Dance Enrichment Group, a presentation from the TJR Choir, a gallery featuring art works by students from kindergarten through fifth grade and other fine arts presentations.

“I would love to see this continue as an annual event that not only our students look forward to, but also the teachers, administration and community, as well,” Rouse said. “I would also love to see it grow each year with more participation so that more students can be touched by this incredible opportunity.”

For additional information about the Fine Arts Gala, call (936) 569-3100. Admission is free.

A team of forestry students from the Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture at Stephen F. Austin State University captured the championship trophy for the second straight year at the 57th annual Southern Forestry Conclave at Claytor Lake State Park in Virginia.

The SFA Sylvans Forestry Club placed first in dendrology, timber estimation, compass and pacing, underhand chop, women’s bow saw, log birling, jack and jill crosscut and pole climbing. Fifteen universities accredited by the Society of American Foresters participated in this year’s event, which was hosted by Virginia Tech.

In order to be successful at the annual competition, teams must do well in both technical and physical events. SFA’s team, originally founded in 1946, has either placed first or second overall in 27 of the 29 yearly competitions. Aside from capturing first place overall, the team also placed first overall in both the technical and physical events.

Additionally, Ryan Assenheimer defeated all other southern region competitors in the Stihl Timbersports Collegiate Southern Qualifier Competition. Assenheimer placed third overall. He was one of only four competitors to finish the standing block event, and his performance will be broadcasted on ESPNU June 27.

The annual contest’s purpose is to promote cooperation and friendly competition among schools, as well as establish and maintain a high standard of ethics among all students and professional foresters.

SFA students participating in the conclave were Assenheimer, Brian Blades, Brant Day, Mike Hartford, Chelsea Lopez, Conor McInnerney, Cade Smith, Courtney Williams, Paul Patterson, Tim Hoffpauir, Garret Lindsey, Barrett Raabe, John Burns, Sean Hoes, Ellart Vreugdenhill, Kirbee Bowman, Bryent Daugherty, Jared Gregory, Zach Ovelgonne, Cheyenne Smith and Jessica Vance.

For more information about the SFA Sylvans and/or the forestry and wildlife programs, visit atcofa.sfasu.edu or call (936) 468-3301.

Stephen F. Austin State University’s Ralph W. Steen Library has opened the Center for Digital Scholarship, which will assist with digital research projects, education and learning programs, scientific data, and digital humanities.

Located on the second floor of Steen Library, the CDS is a service center that offers support and assistance to faculty members, students and community members in the development and creation of digital information.

Services include digitization of documents, photos and maps; multimedia conversion for a variety of analog formats, including audio cassettes, VHS and MiniDV; and collaboration in planning, designing and developing projects.

“I have done more with digital preservation while working with the CDS than anywhere else,” said Mark Musquiz, Department of History graduate student. “It let me apply what I learned in class while gaining experience.”

The CDS is currently completing projects under the direction of the center’s digital archivist, Dillon Wackerman. Several of the completed digital collections are collaborations between the East Texas Research Center and the CDS, including the extensive oral history of Texas Cowboy Churches, created by public administration graduate student Jake McAdams; the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster of 2003, created by Musquiz and the ETRC; and efforts to digitalize the collection of George Foreman’s sermons and boxing artifacts.

Additionally, the ETRC and CDS have completed digitization of SFA’s Stone Fort yearbooks from 1924-2013, a project made possible by donations from the SFA Alumni Association and the Office of Development.

The CDS also has worked extensively with Dr. Robert Selden and the Center for Regional Heritage Research, as well as Dr. Chris Talbot, director of the School of Art, on individualized projects. The collaboration with Selden involved testing and experimenting with 3-D images and viewers on a digitalization of Caddo pottery. Talbot, the CDS and faculty members in the School of Art explored several digital humanity projects, including a photography project documented with the National Park Service on the El Camino Real de los Tejas National Historic Trail.

Quickly adapting to new technologies as they emerge, the center aims to empower and equip the next generation of scholars in order to realize the creation of a more diverse and active digital environment.

“I can envision the CDS engaged in a number of digital research projects and collaborations both statewide and nationally,” said Corrie Marsh, associate director of library information services. “I also believe the laboratory workrooms will be able to support digital media productions by students, all while allowing the CDS to continue developing 3-D scanning and advancing viewer services.”

For more information, call the CDS at (936) 468-1841, email cds@sfasu.edu or contact Wackerman at wackermad@sfasu.edu.