Everything Nac

The Stephen F. Austin State University College of Fine Arts and School of Music will present a performance of the SFA Wind Ensemble at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 8, in W.M. Turner Auditorium on the SFA campus.

“Celebrations,” a concert of band music, will feature guest conductor Kevin “Kit” Thompson, University of Macau, and the world premiere of “Kennecott” by Dr. Stephen Lias, SFA professor of composition.

Thompson will conduct the band in Gordon Jacob’s “Old Wine in New Bottles.”

“Professor Thompson knew Gordon Jacob well in his native England,” said Fred J. Allen, director of bands, “so we are privileged to have this authority conducting our band.”

Before joining the faculty of the University of Macau in Macau, China, Thompson was the director of the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts. Thompson also led two of the United Kingdom’s most progressive performing arts institutions, becoming principal of Birmingham Conservatoire in 1988, and principal of Dartington College in 1993.

Lias’ composition was completed this past February and was the result of a faculty research grant he received through SFA to travel to three national parks in Alaska and compose music about them. The subject of this particular composition is the now-ghost town of Kennecott that was once a thriving copper mining town. In 1938, facing lower ore quality and declining profits, the company closed the factory down, and all the inhabitants were ordered to take the last train out.
“From that day to now, Kennecott has been a ghost town,” Lias said. “This piece of music attempts to capture the industrial age, the spirit of adventure and entrepreneurship, and the incredible labor that made this refinery what it was, and to remember the daily lives, tragedies, and loyalty of the people who worked there long ago.”

The concert will conclude with Allen conducting “Elsa’s Procession to the Cathedral” by Richard Wagner and “Lincolnshire Posy” by Percy Grainger.

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.

El Centro College of the Dallas County Community College District and the School of Human Sciences at Stephen F. Austin State University have agreed to a comprehensive articulation agreement between the institutions’ hospitality programs.

Under the new collaborative agreement, students will be able to transfer up to 66 total credit hours to SFA, including 30 hours from El Centro’s food and hospitality program. They will then be able to transfer and complete remaining requirements for the Bachelor of Science in hospitality administration from SFA.

This articulation agreement represents an example of President Barack Obama’s “Building American Skills Through Community Colleges” initiative to make higher education more accessible, affordable and attainable for all American families, representatives from the two schools said. The agreement also aligns with the state’s “College for All Texans” strategic plan seeking to prepare individuals for a changing economy and workforce.

Representatives from both schools participated in a formal signing ceremony held in early March at El Centro’s downtown campus. This partnership is the second articulation agreement between the two institutions, adding to the 2013 partnership between the schools’ fashion merchandising programs.

El Centro College and SFA have agreed to a comprehensive articulation agreement between the institutions’ hospitality programs. Pictured, from left, are Jessie Yearwood, ECC food and hospitality instructor; Dr. Lynda Martin, director of SFA’s School of Human Sciences; Dr. Chay Runnels, SFA assistant professor of human sciences; Swee Hua-Goh, ECC food and hospitality team leader and instructor; Dr. Carl Pfaffenberg, SFA associate professor of human sciences; Dr. Judith Abbott, dean of SFA’s James I. Perkins College of Education; Howard Finney, ECC dean of business, public service and information technology; Dr. Paul J. McCarthy, ECC president; Dr. Baker Pattillo, SFA president; Karen Stills, ECC coordinator of student services; and Russell Haynes, ECC associate dean of business, public service and information technology. Photo courtesy of Sammie Johnson, EEC

The Stephen F. Austin State University Early Childhood Lab and the Greater East Texas Community Action Program’s Head Start Program invite Nacogdoches residents to come together for children during the Week of the Young Child April 6-12, a national celebration honoring young children and those who make a difference in their lives.

“All young children need and deserve high-quality early learning experiences that will prepare them for life, and Nacogdoches has a great opportunity to do its part to help young children,” said Lori Harkness, director of the Early Childhood Lab. “Week of the Young Child is time to recognize the importance of early learning for all young children and to bring Nacogdoches residents together to help give all young children a great start.”

Young children and their families depend on high-quality education and care, which help children get a great start and bring lasting benefits to Nacogdoches, she said. Week of the Young Child is a time to recognize the importance of early learning and early literacy and to celebrate the teachers and policies that bring early childhood education to young children.

“As a community, we share the responsibility to provide all children with a safe, nurturing, engaging, enjoyable and secure learning environment that will give them the necessary confidence to succeed in the present and to deal with later responsibilities in school and in life,” said Weldon T. Beard, Head Start director of GETCAP Head Start.

A 10th annual Family Fun Day for the entire community will be hosted from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, April 5, in Festival Park in downtown Nacogdoches. The event is free and open to the public, and it will offer many fun-filled activities for children and families to do together. Nacogdoches Mayor Roger Van Horn will be on hand to make a proclamation in recognition of Week of the Young Child.

During the following week, all daycares, schools and organizations working with children in the Nacogdoches area are encouraged to participate in events and activities that focus on children and those who work with them. Themes of each day are as follows:

· Monday, April 7 – Physical Activity Day
· Tuesday, April 8 – Promoting Healthy Children
· Wednesday, April 9 – Safety and Community Helpers
· Thursday, April 10 – Literacy Day
· Friday, April 11 – Art/Music Appreciation Day

Week of the Young Child is sponsored by the National Association for the Education of Young Children. The SFA Early Childhood Lab is an affiliate of NAEYC, the largest organization of early childhood educators and others dedicated to improving the quality of early education programs for children from birth through age 8. Founded in 1926, NAEYC has more than 80,000 members and a national network of more than 300 local, state and regional affiliates.