Everything Nac

What do zookeepers, veterinarians, pilots, florists and pharmacists have in common? Mathematics.

Recently, Stephen F. Austin State University students from the James I. Perkins College of Education proved mathematics could be fun through their fourth Mathematics Career Carnival held at Thomas J. Rusk Elementary School.

Through this interactive event, SFA students used 27 educational booths to teach fourth- and fifth-grade students mathematics skills with career-related games. SFA students created their booths and built lesson plans that met the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills mathematics standards.

“The critical component of planning these activities is ensuring SFA education students make realistic connections between the mathematics standards and careers that can be implemented in a short activity that is fun and engaging,” said Dr. Paula Griffin, assistant professor of elementary education at SFA. “We want elementary students to have the opportunity to actively practice mathematics skills while making authentic connections to the real world.”

London Durant, SFA online student studying elementary education from Weatherford, set up a market where students were challenged as personal shoppers and cashiers to purchase and sell three items with a set dollar amount. This activity represented a multistep problem with known and unknown variables.

“There are many different ways to apply the same thing. Finding something kids can interact with can be challenging, but you can make lessons very real-world oriented,” Durant said.

Other games included using algebraic reasoning as a set designer and florist, utilizing the mathematical process with rational numbers and decimals as a travel agent, working with fractions and division as a zookeeper feeding animals, identifying locations on a coordinate plane as a pilot and more. These booths were learning experiences for the elementary students as well as the SFA students.

“The main thing our teacher candidates learn is how to plan something, implement it and adapt it,” Griffin said. “That’s something our students usually don’t get to practice until they are the only one in the classroom. Even during student teaching, they have that safety net. During the carnival, they can’t ask us for help; they have to do it themselves.”

For the first time, SFA students enrolled in face-to-face elementary education courses and secondary education students worked with the online teacher candidates to bring the carnival to life. Secondary education students are required to participate in an elementary education experience, so many worked as supervisors during the career carnival.

Gareth Phipps, Crandall sophomore studying theatre and secondary education, said working the event gave him a different perspective on teaching.

“It was very eye opening and interesting watching the elementary education students talk to kids and see the kind of conversationalists they are,” Phipps said. “It was helpful to see how they pull answers out of students.”

Griffin worked with assistant professors Dr. Mark Montgomery, elementary education, and Dr. Chrissy Cross, secondary education and educational leadership, on this event.

Griffin said 100 percent of the online students enrolled participated in the carnival, and in total, there were approximately 75 SFA education students involved in the event. Griffin and Montgomery plan to continue offering the Mathematics Career Carnival to other elementary schools in the Nacogdoches Independent School District and those in surrounding areas.

For more information on SFA’s education programs, visit sfasu.edu/academics/colleges/education.

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

History and innovation merged in a new project between Stephen F. Austin State University interior design students and members of the Charles and Lois Marie Bright Foundation and City of Nacogdoches.

Since fall 2017, interior design students have been working to create renovation proposals for the historical Mahdeen-Wyatt Building, located on East Pilar Street. German architect Diedrich Rulfs designed this three-story building in 1918, and it was constructed with locally made bricks from the banks of Banita Creek, according to the 2007 national register information from the SFA Center for Regional Heritage Research.

In its heyday, the Mahdeen Company used the building’s basement and third floor to produce hair tonic, while the first and second floors were used as a car dealership, according to research from the SFA Center for Regional Heritage and Research. The Bright Foundation is in the process of purchasing the building.

Students in a course taught by Sally Ann Swearingen, SFA associate professor in the School of Human Sciences, were divided into three teams to research and create proposals to breathe new life into the building. The class worked with city officials, the Nacogdoches Economic Development Corporation, Nacogdoches Main Street program, engineers, and security and information technology professionals.

“Each year, the capstone interior design course takes on a project that would either benefit the community or SFA. This year, I selected a large-scale empty building downtown that would benefit everyone,” Swearingen said.

Teams conducted surveys and site, budget and building analyses. This spring, students devoted their efforts to compiling their research and constructing renderings of their design ideas.

“Students utilized the tools they have learned from all their courses,” Swearingen said. “This project assists students in understanding the entire process an interior design or architectural firm would go through to sell the client on a proposal for a building.”

At the end of the spring semester, teams presented their proposals to Stanley Jones, Greg Williams and Bill Early from the Bright Foundation; Brian Bray and Hanna Andersen from the City of Nacogdoches; and Judy McDonald, former Nacogdoches mayor and former NEDCO director.

“This project has two purposes — to teach or reinforce the design process through a possible real-life project and helping the community with ideas of what could possibly go into the building with evidence-based design,” Swearingen said.

Based on their research, one team suggested turning the first floor of the building into a retail space that includes a shop, restaurant, bar and a facility for painting parties. The team also proposed renovating the second and third floors as luxury apartments.

“We wanted to keep the historical integrity of the building,” said Olivia Bufalini, senior interior design major from Houston. “Our research showed there is a need for more areas to socialize downtown. Our plan seeks to make the building efficient, sustainable and fun for visitors.”

Students visited Georgetown, Texas, which is one of the busiest and most profitable downtown districts in the state, to see what makes them so successful, Swearingen explained. The class also toured Waco’s spice market, and each team chose another downtown area to explore.

For more information about SFA’s interior design program, visit sfasu.edu/hms/103.asp.

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

Daniel Dallmann, an artist from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was selected as having the winning entry in the 2018 Texas National Competition and Exhibition at Stephen F. Austin State University.

Nationally acclaimed art critic and author Jed Perl, who served as juror, chose Dallmann’s “Studio Interior with Empty Chair” for the top honor in this year’s prestigious competition that garnered more than 65 pieces of art by 65 artists from 19 states.

Perl awarded second place to Sassoon Kosian of Cranford, New Jersey, for “Aspiration of the Soul,” and third place went to David Avery of San Francisco, California, for “Running on Empty.”

Honorable mentions were awarded to Deborah Bay of Houston, Lindy Chambers of Bellville, Nathan Taves of Columbia City, Indiana, and Scott Whitworth of Grand Rapids, Michigan.

The School of Art’s annual juried competition and exhibition attracts entrants from across the United States, providing artists an opportunity to have their work juried by highly regarded artists and critics.

Texas National can be viewed through June 10 at The Cole Art Center @ The Old Opera House in downtown Nacogdoches. Gallery hours are 12:30 to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, and 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday.

The Cole Art Center is located at 329 E. Main St. For more information, call (936) 468-1131.