Everything Nac

A concert by the Swingin’ Axes and Swingin’ Aces jazz bands at Stephen F. Austin State University will feature tunes by jazz greats Chuck Mangione, Pat Metheny and Maynard Ferguson, along with works by guest artist Dennis Dotson, when the student ensembles perform at 7:30 p.m. Friday, April 20, in W.M. Turner Auditorium.

Highlighting the Axes’ program are Dotson’s “Close to Home” and “Civic Duty,” according to Dr. Deb Scott, director of the Swingin’ Axes. Dotson, a trumpet player, will perform these tunes and others with the Axes.

“Dennis grew up in East Texas and is well-respected all over the world for his jazz playing,” Scott said. “His mother recently passed away, but she came to many of the Axes’ and Aces’ concerts over the years.”

A professional trumpeter for more than 50 years, Dotson began his career playing in Houston while attending Sam Houston State University. He has played in house bands in Las Vegas and was a freelance musician in New York City and Houston. He has performed with Woody Herman and Buddy Rich bands as well as the bands of Carl Fontana, Bobby Shew, Tom Harrell and Kenny Wheeler. He is jazz trumpet instructor at The University of Texas at Austin and was formerly on the faculty at Houston Community College and the University of Houston.

Dotson will also perform with the Axes Metheny’s “Always and Forever,” Mangione’s “Legend of the One-Eyed Sailor” and “Give it One” by Maynard Ferguson and Alan Downey.

“The Axes will perform ‘Attack of the Killer Tomatoes,’ which is a piece we will record this semester for the Sound Recording Technology’s School of Music CD,” Scott said. “It’s a really fun arrangement.” John DeBello’s tune is arranged by Gordon Goodwin.

A performance of “My Way” by J. Rebaux and C. Francois, with lyrics by Paul Anka and arrangement by Eric Burger, will feature Barry Martin on vocals.

The Axes will also perform Jay Chattaway’s “Superbone Meets the Badman” and Tom Kubis’ “On Purple Porpoise Parkway.”

The Aces, directed by Dr. J.D. Salas, will perform an up tempo version of “The Song Is You” arranged by Mark Taylor, Sammy Nestico’s “A Warm Breeze,” and John Clayton’s “I be serious ’bout dem blues.”

Scott said she is looking forward to returning to Turner Auditorium for this concert.

“We haven’t been there in a long time, so the students are excited about performing in that venue,” she added.

Turner Auditorium is located in the Griffith Fine Arts Building on the SFA campus.

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.

Stephen F. Austin State University’s dance program will showcase its largest group of senior choreographers during its production of Danceworks: Polysemy, which premieres at 7 p.m. April 19 in the HPE Complex Dance Studio, Room 201, on the university campus.

True to its theme “Polysemy,” which means the coexistence of many possible meanings for a word or phrase, the Danceworks production will feature a variety of dance styles and topics.

Haley Hoss Jameson, associate professor and co-coordinator of the dance program, said “there is a little bit of something for everyone” in this semester’s production.

Danceworks serves as the capstone course for dance seniors. Each of the 13 senior choreographers created a piece based on research topics ranging from domestic violence, espionage and dementia to confidence, social anxiety and more. For example, senior Christine Nafula Wabuge Agali choreographed an African dowry dance of the Luhya tribe that pays homage to her parents while demonstrating the modernization of a traditional dance.

“I wanted to do this topic because it is based off of what my parents had to do to get married. It is part of my culture,” she said.

Contemporary modern, Broadway, jazz, African tribal dance, Egyptian-themed dance and more will be featured in this production.

For the first time in several years, the dancers also collaborated with students in SFA’s School of Music to provide live music during specific pieces. Heather Samuelson, assistant professor and co-coordinator of the dance program, said this joint effort was a bonus learning experience for the students.

“These collaborations have created professional relationships and inventiveness between the students and have added more variety to the Danceworks concert,” Samuelson said.

The performance is appropriate for all audiences. Additional showings are scheduled for 7 p.m. April 20 and 3 p.m. April 21. Tickets cost $5 for students, $8 for faculty, staff and senior citizens, and $10 for general admission and can be purchased at the door.

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

Stephen F. Austin State University students in the hospitality administration program are hosting the Hospitality Shindig fundraising event from 6 to 9 p.m. April 20 at The Fredonia Hotel in Nacogdoches.

This event will feature a five-course Kentucky Derby themed dining experience and silent auction. Prior to dinner, guests will have the opportunity to participate in a one-hour reception, which includes a cash bar.

The shindig will serve as a fundraiser to support student scholarships, field trips, conferences and faculty development activities.

Students enrolled in a special events production course taught by Dr. Gina Fe Causin, assistant professor, and a catering and special functions course taught by Dr. Donna Fickes, clinical instructor, are running the event. Student responsibilities include event planning and implementation, menu planning, marketing, decorating, providing entertainment, selling tickets, recruiting sponsors and more.

“This activity teaches students the ins and outs of event planning and catering,” Causin said. “Students learn by doing hands-on activities. This event illustrates how teamwork and collaboration are huge parts of success in any endeavor.”

Guests are encouraged to wear fancy hats, bow ties and attire in pastel colors. Tickets cost $50 per person or $400 for a table of eight. To purchase tickets online, visit sfasu.edu/give/hmsevent.

For more information, contact Causin at causingf@sfasu.edu.

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

Gathered in an intensive care unit in Stephen F. Austin State University’s DeWitt School of Nursing, Justin Pelham, clinical instructor in the School of Human Sciences, explained medical equipment to a group of senior nutrition and dietetics students as part of a nutrition simulation.

After graduation, seniors in SFA’s food, nutrition and dietetics program begin serving the East Texas community and beyond through dietetic internships. Pelham said this simulation helped students in his medical nutrition therapy II course gain better insight into what they may encounter as dietetic interns.

Tube feedings, parenteral nutrition, various respiratory masks, dialysis and more were discussed as a mannequin lay on the hospital bed simulating a real patient with respiratory issues.

“The objective was providing real-word application and learning in the ICU setting before their dietetic internships,” Pelham said. “Through our discussion and case study, students had to think critically and quickly, like they would as registered dietitians.”

After the group discussion, students completed a case study regarding different disease states they had studied prior to the simulation. Students determined their patients’ total caloric, protein and fluid needs based on the information provided through various calculations and prediction equations.

For more information on SFA’s food, nutrition and dietetics program, visit sfasu.edu/hms/101.asp.

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

Students from Stephen F. Austin State University’s Department of Computer Science recently attended the Women in Cybersecurity conference in Chicago.

Dedicated to bringing together and supporting women in the field, the conference gave students the opportunity to sit in on technical presentations from major companies in the field and participate in mentoring sessions and workshops.

“In the field of computer science and technology, even in 2018, women are still underrepresented,” said Dr. Puntitra Sawadpong, visiting assistant professor in the Department of Computer Science. “When we look at the specialized field of cyber security, women are even more underrepresented.”

The conference provided women in cyber security a place to share knowledge and network, Sawadpong said.

“The ultimate goal of WiCyS, and other conferences for women, is to encourage and welcome even more women into the field, create an opportunity for building connections among female professionals and students and provide a forum to discuss issues that can potentially affect us in the male-dominated work environment,” Sawadpong said.

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

Clayton W. Lowery recently contributed to the C.E. “Charley” Lowery Memorial Scholarship on behalf of his father, John L. Lowery, and his grandfather, O.L. Lowery. His grandfather created the scholarship with the Stephen F. Austin State University Alumni Association in October 1983 honoring his great-grandfather, the late C.E. Lowery of Nacogdoches.

Clayton’s grandfather, O.L., was born in Smyrna and received a teaching certificate from SFA in 1925. O.L.’s father, C.E., began working for SFA in 1924 — just one year after the university opened — as the first campus security officer.

O.L.’s motive for creating the scholarship was simple: his father “was one of the hardest working men you ever saw,” he told newspaper reporter Jill Darling in 1983, and he wanted to honor his memory.

The C.E. “Charley” Lowery Memorial Scholarship is awarded every spring to an employee of SFA’s University Police Department. It has assisted dozens of students in paying for additional expenses incurred when seeking a college education, including books and other supplies not covered by regular financial assistance.

As Clayton explained, the scholarship’s benefits were a two-way street, both assisting SFA students while also bringing his grandfather, O.L., everyday joy.

“My grandfather was last at a retirement home here in Nacogdoches and one of the things he enjoyed the most were the annual visits from the scholarship recipients,” Clayton said. “He had pictures of every student on his wall, so it was very rewarding for him to give the gift and visit with the recipients.”

Clayton is the owner of FRC, recognized nationally by the National Shooting Sports Foundation as a five-star indoor safety training facility and range in Louisiana. FRC now trains security officers, which creates a perfect connection to the C.E. Lowery scholarship. FRC and the Lowery family will continue to support the scholarship and stewardship of future recipients.