Everything Nac

The Lumberjack Marching Band at Stephen F. Austin State University has accepted an invitation to march in the 2021 New Year’s Day Parade in Rome, Italy. The announcement was made to band students Thursday afternoon by Associate Director of Bands and LMB Director Dr. Tamey Anglley.

The band has represented SFA and Nacogdoches in prestigious venues across the nation and around the world, previously marching in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City, the New Year’s Day Parade in London, England, and in the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Dublin, Ireland.

“Getting an invitation to march in the Macy’s Parade makes you one of the best bands in the world,” Anglley said. “So from there we got invitations to march in parades all over the world.

“Well over 50 million people across the world have seen our band,” she said.

These experiences have not only had an impact on the students who participated, but the worldwide exposure has impacted recruiting and branding efforts of the university in a positive way, Anglley said.

In addition to performing in the Rome parade and in other venues, band members and alumni will visit the Colosseum, Roman Forum, the Vatican and Sistine Chapel. They will take a train ride through the hills of Tuscany to Florence for a walking tour of the city and to visit art galleries.

On the day of the parade, the band will march down the main thoroughfare of the city directly into St. Peter’s Square where the students will perform.

“After that, we will hear the Pope give his New Year’s Day blessing,” she said. “This will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience.”

On Jan. 1 each year, tens of thousands gather in St. Peter’s Square, filling the streets with pageantry and music, to celebrate and receive the Pope’s New Year’s Day blessing. A focal point of Rome’s holiday season and the World Day of Peace, the Rome New Year’s Parade celebrates life, cultural diversity and international goodwill.

Because of this observance of peace, the parade is also considered a peace march, Anglley explained. In conjunction with this observance, the Lumberjack Marching Band will participate in a community service project by collecting warm-weather clothing during the months leading up to the trip. The clothing will be shipped to Rome to be distributed by band members to Rome’s homeless shelters.

OPEN MEETING NOTICE

Stephen F. Austin State University

Board of Regents Special Telephone Meeting

Nacogdoches, Texas

April 8, 2019

Meeting 324

Austin Building 307

The Board of Regents of Stephen F. Austin State University will convene a telephone meeting at 4 p.m., April 8, 2019, according to the following agenda:

CALL TO ORDER IN OPEN SESSION

EXECUTIVE SESSION

The board will move to executive session for consideration of the following item:

Deliberations Regarding Negotiated Contracts for Prospective Gifts or Donations (Texas Government Code, Section 551.073)

· Possible Naming Opportunities

Consideration of Individual Personnel Matters Relating to Appointment, Employment, Evaluation, Assignment, Duties, Discipline, or Dismissal of an Officer or Employee, including but not limited to the president (Texas Government Code, Section 551.074)

· Presidential Search

RETURN TO OPEN SESSION

Presentation and Board Action on Agenda Item:

1. Possible Naming Opportunity (Executive Session Item)

ESTIMATED ADJOURNMENT OF BOARD MEETING (approximately 4:40 p.m.)

Where appropriate and permitted by law, Executive Sessions may be held for the above listed subjects (Section 551.071). Possible action may be taken in Open Session on matters considered in Executive Session. Further details regarding the posted agenda are available for public review in the Office of the Board of Regents, Austin Building 308, Telephone (936) 468-4048.

Dr. DawnElla M. Rust, professor in Stephen F. Austin State University’s Department of Kinesiology and Health Science, will present “Finding Happiness — The Science” at the university’s upcoming Regents Lecture.

Rust, the 2018-19 Regents Professor, will deliver the address at 5:30 p.m. April 23 at the Janice A. Pattillo Early Childhood Research Center, Room 212. This event is free and open to the public. A reception with refreshments will follow.

Reserved for exemplary university role models, the title of Regents Professor is the highest honor SFA bestows upon members of the faculty and is held for one academic year.

“I am truly honored to be recognized as the Regents Professor. To me, it means that my passion for the profession and my students was acknowledged,” Rust said. “My dedication to the profession is and has been to make a difference in my students’ lives. I refer to these students as ‘my kids,’ and I truly care about their success.”

Rust’s lecture will demonstrate with science and life stories the role of happiness in health outcome.

An SFA faculty member since 1997, Rust holds a Bachelor of Science in community health and a doctoral degree in health promotion from Oklahoma State University and a Master of Science in physical and health education from Emporia State University.

This is the 14th in a series of lectures delivered by SFA Regents Professors. The SFA Office of the Provost and the University Lecture Series Committee sponsor the series.

By Kasi Dickerson, senior marketing communications specialist at Stephen F. Austin State University.

Creating a positive and safe environment where students can thrive and help their peers succeed is a goal of Dr. Deb Scott, professor of trombone in Stephen F. Austin State University’s School of Music.

While Scott is comfortable performing on stage before crowds, it’s inside the classroom that some of her greatest contributions have been made and greatest rewards have been realized.

“Attending a university means getting a universal education,” she said. “The tradition of learning about all aspects of human knowledge and gaining a greater understanding and appreciation for mankind, nature and culture is a worthy goal. It’s wonderful to see students’ minds expand and grow through their time in college, knowing that gaining more intelligence, independence and skills will enable them to manage their own lives to eventually become contributing members of society.”

An active performer and clinician in both classical and jazz styles, Scott also is the director of SFA’s top jazz band, the Swingin’ Axes. Her solo CD, “Playing Favorites,” was released in 2017 by Navona Records. She is a featured soloist in recitals and concerts with bands and orchestras in Texas.

Most recently, Scott was part of Christopher Bill’s YouTube sensation featuring 28 trombonists from throughout the world performing Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody.” In 2016, she was a featured soloist and faculty member in Santa Fe, Argentina, at Trombonanza. She also is regularly featured in radio broadcasts throughout North America.

As a music educator, Scott’s job is unique in that she works closely with each student during the entire four years of his/her college career.

“To watch them grow from high school graduates into adulthood is my favorite part,” she said. “To see those ‘a ha’ moments and to watch them gain insight into life is so rewarding. I love helping them find their own paths to success and being there for them through their struggles. When they perform their final recital, I am proud of how hard they have worked and how much they have progressed.”

Scott feels a unique responsibility in directing jazz studies at SFA.

“I’ve been conducting and teaching jazz bands for 28 years, and it’s important to me to teach and promote this amazing ‘Made-in-the-USA’ art form,” she said. “The community support at our concerts is fantastic, and I love bringing the joy of music to such an appreciative audience.

“Music really is a universal language with such a rich heritage,” she added. “It can express so many different emotions and feelings. Each culture has its own unique sound. Hearing live music is a way for people to enjoy themselves and briefly be ‘transported’ to another time or place.”

For her continued dedication to the musical field and her students, Scott recently was honored as SFA’s 2019 Teaching Excellence Award recipient for the College of Fine Arts.

The Teaching Excellence Award is based on knowledge of subject matter, quality of lectures and assignments, enthusiasm for teaching, interest in and availability to students, commitment to continuous improvement, and contribution to the quality of teaching at SFA by assisting and encouraging other faculty members.

By Robbie Goodrich, director of arts information for the Stephen F. Austin State University College of Fine Arts.