Everything Nac

“Shining Light and Joy in our Community,” a service project by the Beta Upsilon chapter of the Phi Upsilon Omicron national honor society for family and consumer sciences at Stephen F. Austin State University, received the 2020 National Professional Project Award from Phi Upsilon Omicron’s national council.

The award, which includes a plaque, a certificate and $150, recognizes projects that promote academic excellence while enhancing the leadership skills and professional knowledge needed to serve individuals, families and the community.

One of 53 active Phi Upsilon Omicron collegiate chapters nationally, the Beta Upsilon chapter was established at SFA in 1973 and has approximately 50 members who are students in SFA’s School of Human Sciences.

For their annual service project, members conducted activities to raise awareness about the number of Nacogdoches children living in poverty.

These activities included a nap mat donation to elementary schools in the Nacogdoches Independent School District, an underwear and sock drive for school-age children and a resource fair with the theme “A Roadshow to a Brighter Future.”

The service project involved collaboration with NISD social workers, City of Nacogdoches officials, the Nacogdoches Farmer’s Market and local businesses and churches. Working with these different groups across the community helps prepare SFA human sciences students for their careers.

“It took an enormous amount of time and effort to take this project from planning to implementation to evaluation, so the feeling of our hard work paying off and recognition on a national level is indescribable,” said Tracie Estepp, a graduate student in human sciences from Georgetown who was vice president of the Beta Upsilon chapter during the service project. “This is validation that we made a positive impact on the community.”

Sierra Smith of McKinney, who recently graduated from SFA with a bachelor’s degree in hospitality administration, was chapter president during the service project.

“I’m overjoyed we won first place at nationals, but to me, we won every time we were able to help our community,” Smith said. “In my eyes, that was the greatest achievement we could have accomplished — knowing I was able to help the community that took me in with open arms four years ago.”

With help from Walmart, the Beta Upsilon chapter was able to donate 30 nap mats to NISD elementary schools. Lumberjack Harley-Davidson, M&S Pharmacy and Tipton Ford, along with several departments on the SFA campus, helped the honor society collect 813 pairs of socks and 588 pairs of underwear for NISD children in need. And local businesses and churches helped the chapter raise $1,105 in Walmart gift cards, which social workers use to help families on an individual, case-by-case basis when other community, nonfinancial resources have been exhausted.

“We are so lucky SFA is part of such a fantastic community full of businesses and organizations willing to form partnerships with student organizations,” Estepp said. “That allowed us to gain invaluable experience; we could not have done this without them. I cannot wait to see the plaque hanging at SFA!”

Like other student organizations, the chapter faced some challenges to completing its service project when COVID-19 hit in the spring, but Phi Upsilon Omicron members “were able to turn around and make the most of something during this pandemic,” Smith said.

Originally, members were planning to make “Take What You Need” boards that provided words of encouragement to students attending NISD middle and elementary schools. When schools shut down, the encouraging notes were delivered at NISD meal pickups and went to any school-age child attending NISD schools. NISD’s National Honor Society and SFA student organizations assisted the Beta Upsilon chapter in writing nearly 900 notecards.

“I can’t express how proud I am of our members,” Smith said. “I’m proud I was able to be part of this wonderful organization and part of this amazing project.”

In 2019, the Beta Upsilon chapter’s service project earned second place at the national level, said Dr. Jennifer Newquist, assistant professor in SFA’s School of Human Sciences and a faculty advisor for the chapter. That project involved assisting the Family Crisis Center of East Texas, Nacogdoches’ Helping Other People Eat food pantry and Godtel Ministries.

“Winning first place with our professional project shows how hard the members of our honor society work year after year to serve the community that helps them prepare for their future careers,” Newquist said.

Dr. Donna Fickes, clinical instructor in SFA’s School of Human Sciences and another faculty advisor for the chapter, also is grateful for the recognition.

“I am so excited to see our SFA human sciences students recognized for the positive influences they have on individuals, families and the community,” Fickes said. “These students are truly transforming their learning experience in preparation for bright futures ahead.”

For more information on the Beta Upsilon chapter of the Phi Upsilon Omicron national honor society for family and consumer sciences, contact Newquist at newquistjl@sfasu.edu.

By Jo Gilmore, marketing communications specialist at Stephen F. Austin State University.

A traveling exhibition of local photographer Richard Orton’s images of the Upshaw family of Nacogdoches County, currently showing in The Cole Art Center @ The Old Opera House, will be on display through Saturday, Aug. 22.

The photographs, which have been featured in an exhibition that’s been traveling across Texas for the past three years, are the focus of Orton’s book, “The Upshaws of County Line: An American Family,” which is a documentation of the County Line community’s history through photographs and oral histories of the families who lived there.

“The Upshaws of County Line: An American Family” is the winner of Ottis Locke Best Coffee Table Book Award from the East Texas Historical Association. The more than 50 duotone photographs and text convey the contemporary experience of growing up in a “freedom colony.”

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Cole Art Center patrons will be required to wear a mask, practice social distancing, comply with designated entrance and exit routes and follow all other CDC guidelines, including maximum capacity restrictions. Larger groups can be accommodated by appointment.

The Cole Art Center is located at 329 E. Main St. in downtown Nacogdoches. Gallery hours are 12:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday.

For information, call the art center at (936) 468-6557.

Stephen F. Austin State University student Chris Moore is certain of one thing going into his first semester as Student Government Association president – the semester is unprecedented.

A senior sports business major from Carrollton, Moore has a track record of excelling during uncertain times. He successfully completed a full load of classes during the spring semester after making the transition from face-to-face to online classes. Now, he will balance his senior year of college, a global pandemic and his duties as student body president.

“I really just want to make sure that not only am I keeping myself safe but also keeping others safe as well,” Moore said. “For SGA, it’s definitely going to be trying. Nobody’s ever experienced this, so we’ve already had to adjust and really just make sure that everything we do is for our organization and also for the students.”

Though Moore was accustomed to city life growing up in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, he fell in love with the beauty of Nacogdoches and the campus the summer before his freshman year.

“It really opened my eyes to how beautiful the campus is and just the community itself,” Moore said.

Pledging Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity as a sophomore, he further cultivated his leadership skills and gained a desire to make a positive impact on the campus community. He soon became involved with SGA, elected as civil affairs committee chair after his first semester. As committee chair, Moore concentrated his efforts on getting students involved in community service projects. After only a year with SGA, Moore decided to try his hand at running for president.

“I witnessed an underrepresented population go unheard, which made my decision easier running for student body president,” he said. “I wanted to make sure that any misrepresentation is heard loud and clear, and effective manners to structurally adapt from those flaws are in place.”

As president, Moore is turning his focus to inclusivity, striving to provide a platform for all students.

“We want to make sure that every student has a voice heard because some students like the LGBTQ community or the Black community might not get the same voice as another student,” Moore said. “We want to make sure that voice is apparent and just as loud.”

Moving into a semester characterized by a global pandemic might be daunting for some, but Dr. Adam Peck, assistant vice president for university affairs and dean of student affairs, said Moore is the perfect student to lead the student body during the current time.

“They say that sometimes the right leader comes along at the right time, and in so many ways, Chris Moore is the right leader for SGA right now,” Peck said. “His passion, energy and intelligence will serve our students so well.”

For those apprehensive about the upcoming school year, Moore advises students to take necessary precautions, but he is optimistic about the outcome.

“SFA has given us an opportunity to have a choice on how to take our classes before returning to campus,” Moore said. “As long as you stay safe, wear a mask, and just follow the protocols and guidelines, there shouldn’t be any problems with returning to campus.”

By Joanna Armstrong, marketing communications specialist for Stephen F. Austin State University.