Everything Nac

The Trombone Choir at Stephen F. Austin State University will present a variety of works by noted composers when the student ensemble performs at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 2, in Cole Concert Hall on the SFA campus.

According to Dr. Deb Scott, professor of trombone in the School of Music, the trombone choir program will feature the full choir divided into three parts performing “Canzona XIII” by Giovanni Gabrieli and arranged by Steven Frank. It will also perform “Breach of the Peace” by Simon Wills. “It’s a composition that is fun to listen to that has clapping, stomping and lively Scottish melodies,” Scott said.

Adjunct Professor Luke Vacca will conduct a 12-piece trombone group that will perform Flor Peeters’ Suite, Op. 82, as well as a beautiful arrangement of “You’ll Never Walk Alone” by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein, arranged by Bruce Tychinski.

The SFA Trombone Octet, conducted by Scott, will perform new compositions that were featured at the International Trombone Festival Composers Workshop in July 2021. Scott is the director of the workshop. The students will perform “Hellfire” by Randy Stagich and “La Cathédrale” by Madeline A. Lee. The octet is comprised of SFA’s top players, including five seniors, two juniors and one sophomore student.

Several quartets will perform. The Junior Quartet will play “A Portrait” by George Gershwin and arranged by Dennis Armitage. The Lady Bones Quartet will perform Quartet No. 1 by Saskia Apon. The Freshman Quartet will also perform.

The group will perform at the Big 12 Trombone Conference at Texas Tech University in January.

Tickets are $8 for adults, $6 for seniors and $3 for students and youth. To purchase tickets, call the SFA Fine Arts Box Office at (936) 468-6407 or visit finearts.sfasu.edu. For additional information, contact the SFA School of Music at (936) 468-4602.

Interior design and construction management students in the Stephen F. Austin State University School of Human Sciences participated in the Make a Difference Charrette, a service-learning project, to present ideas and projects that could make a difference to those in the SFA community.

Approximately 75 students comprising 18 groups were involved in the project. The groups included interior design and construction management students working together. Five of the groups were named finalists by their peers and presented their projects Friday before a group of judges on the SFA campus.

“I think the charrette made the students think outside the box a little bit and helped them learn how to work with students from other disciplines,” said Sally Swearingen, SFA associate professor of interior design and construction management.

Following an hour of presentations, judges deemed the group that included Andre Gagnon, Halie Gross, Julie Swinney and Maverick Graham as the winner for their project, Balanced Meal — a basket to help those with disabilities transport their meals to their residence hall. Made by using a 3D printer, the basket contains space for a to-go box and cup holder that accommodates different beverage sizes. It easily folds for storage. The group received $200 courtesy of Johnson Furniture.

“The project was important because it gave us the opportunity to help those with disabilities in our community,” Graham said.

The project finalists included:

The Umbrella Holster

The umbrella holster is the brainchild of students Bryce Todd, Kailey Wolf, Kristen Sprott and Victoria Bounds. The mounting bracket holds an umbrella on an outdoor bench or chair to provide shade and help protect those around campus from the sun and rain.

Try Trivia While You Wait

This interactive trivia game idea was created by Adrian Bocanegra, Clayton Eggleston, Sarah Krejci and Hannah Scott. It is designed to reduce boredom for those standing in long lines.

Innovated Stall Hook

The innovated stall hook, by Andrea Rico, Shea Davis, Hunter Rowland and Genesis Trejo, is a redesigned take on the hook often found on the inside of bathroom stall doors. This project involves a notch that will hold a phone, wallet, purse or other personal items, as well as hooks to hang keys or small articles of clothing.

ADA Visibility Kit

The ADA visibility kit was designed by Julian Villegas, Karla Salinas, Julie Duzich, Jasmine Benton and Whitney Collins. It comprises redesigned and colorful stickers, bracelets, placards and decals to assist those with disabilities.

“I was very impressed with the thought the students put into these projects,” said event judge Nathan Wicker, senior editorial specialist in the Division of University Marketing Communications at SFA. “Selecting the winner was difficult because each project had merit and could benefit the SFA community. It was fun to see the students’ excitement during their presentations.”

By Nathan Wicker, senior marketing communications specialist at Stephen F. Austin State University

For the first time since February 2020, Stephen F. Austin State University will host an in-person, on-campus Showcase Saturday event on Nov. 13, offering college-bound students and their families a unique opportunity to experience life as a Lumberjack.

“The vitality of SFA’s university community and beauty of its campus are things you just have to see to believe, which is why I’m ecstatic to once again welcome prospective students and their families in person at SFA’s Showcase Saturday,” said SFA President Dr. Scott Gordon. “Our Office of Admissions team did an amazing job meeting students where they were during the past year and a half, but there’s nothing quite like the excitement of our on-campus, open-house event.”

SFA’s Showcase Saturday provides an opportunity for college-bound students to spend a day experiencing university life firsthand, touring the campus and having all their college questions answered.

Registration and check-in will begin at 11 a.m. in the Baker Pattillo Student Center. Several optional early-bird sessions will be ongoing between check-in and the day’s opening program, which is scheduled for 1 p.m.

Those include a student services fair, campus tours and breakout sessions covering a range of topics, like campus safety, Veterans Affairs and the Hazlewood Act, and being a first-generation college student, among others.

“Our Showcase Saturday guests will learn all about the degree programs SFA has to offer as well as meet current students and tour the campus,” said Erma Nieto Brecht, SFA executive director of enrollment management. “We’re here to prepare students for the next huge and exciting step of pursuing higher education.”

During the opening program, students will attend presentations by college representatives based on their academic major of interest.

Come-and-go events will run from 1:30 to 4 p.m. These include an academic fair from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. in the Student Recreation Center, tours of the residence halls and recreation center from 1:30 to 4 p.m., and a #JacksGetInvolved student organization fair from 2:30 to 4 p.m. in the outdoor student center plaza.

Thirty-minute breakout sessions will run from 2 to 4 p.m. and will cover such topics as financial aid, first-year and transfer admissions, and Residence Life.

In addition to a high-energy Lumberjack experience, participating prospective students will receive a free SFA T-shirt after completing a program evaluation form.

To register for SFA’s Showcase Saturday and for more information, visit sfasu.edu/showcase.

By Christine Broussard, marketing communications coordinator at Stephen F. Austin State University.

The Stephen F. Austin State University School of Theatre will present the student-directed play “Overtones” at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 29, and at 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 30, in Regents Suite A in the Baker Pattillo Student Center on the SFA campus.

Directed by Emily Edwards, Cedar Hill senior, “Overtones” is written by Alice Gerstenberg and is a play about how human nature appears on the surface to the world and how it appears as it becomes dramatized psychologically.

“The word ‘overtone’ is a musical term used when describing the different frequencies of a note,” Edwards explains. “One note rings at one frequency, but for many different reasons, depending on your instrument, one note will have multiple frequencies, usually very close together. The frequencies that are not specific to that note but are still being played by the instrument are called overtones.

“Within this play, however, the note being played is not music, but people,” she said. “And their overtones are not neighboring frequencies of a note, but are less properly named, more emotional characters. This play follows two women and their ‘overtones’ who all have goals and are in competition to see who can accomplish their goal first.”

The cast includes Caitlin McIntire, Baytown senior, as Harriet; Sarah Cook, Brownsboro freshman, as Hetty; Dani Wilson, Denton junior, as Margaret; and Beth Powell, Baytown junior, as Maggie.

The crew includes Houston senior Cynthia Tovar as stage manager; Pasadena senior Juli Flores, fight choreographer; and Plano sophomore Victoria Wilshire, costume designer.

Edwards is a theatre education major at SFA and has directed three plays at the university. “Overtones” is her fourth directing project. Faculty production advisor for “Overtones” is Inga Meier.

Tickets are $4. To purchase tickets, visit the SFA Fine Arts Box Office online at boxoffice.sfasu.edu or call (936) 468-6407. Box office and online sales end at 4 p.m. on Oct. 29. Available tickets may be purchased at the door. For more information about the play, call the School of Theatre at (936) 468-4003 or visit theatre.sfasu.edu.

Stephen F. Austin State University’s horticulture program will host the annual Fall Plant Fair from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 4, at the SFA Plantery, located at 1924 Wilson Drive.

Plants available for purchase include a variety of winter annuals, such as pansies, violas, wallflowers, dianthus, stock, dusty miller and snapdragons. All plants are winter hardy and perform well in East Texas. Plants are $2 per pot or $34 for a tray of 18 plants.

“The students are so excited to show our community what they’ve learned about growing plants,” said Dr. Jared Barnes, associate professor of horticulture and steward of the Plantery. “We welcome people to tour the Plantery and buy some plants, since all proceeds support student learning.”

The Plantery, a program within the SFA Department of Agriculture, allows students to grow and raise plants in the Sprout microfarm, greenhouses and teaching gardens around the Agriculture Building.

The plant sale also is an opportunity to tour the plant-growing operation and view student projects, such as the gravel garden and hydroponic system.

Music, fireside s’mores and games will be provided by the SFA Horticulture Club.

In the event of rainy weather, the Fall Plant Fair will be postponed until Friday, Nov. 5.

For more information, contact Barnes at barnesj@sfasu.edu. The community also may learn more about the horticulture program by visiting www.horticultureisawesome.com/the-plantery or by following @sfahorticulture on Instagram.