Everything Nac

Stephen F. Austin State University’s James I. Perkins College of Education will host Barrio Writers, a free weeklong summer writing program, June 5 through 9 on the SFA campus.

This is the third year SFA is offering the program, which is tailored for students ages 13 through 21 with an interest in reading and writing. This year’s program is the largest with 40 participants from Nacogdoches, Lufkin, Central and Central Heights.

Dr. Heather Olson Beal, SFA associate professor of secondary education, is coordinating the program.

“The program is exciting because it allows participants to write freely and without censure. The only goal is for students to express themselves creatively and to make their voices heard,” Olson Beal said.

The program offers free afternoon workshops in the McKibben Education Building on the SFA campus. SFA faculty and staff members serve as writing advisors who lead the workshops. SFA students 21 or younger also are encouraged to participate in the event, especially education majors, as Olson Beal said the event offers great experience and adds to one’s résumé.

During each session, students read books, poems and song lyrics before discussing them as a group and then free write for 30 minutes. Through discussion, students relate the reading to their personal experiences by answering various questions. Students also can share their writing and receive critiques and constructive feedback.

This year, participants also will undergo a virtual reality experience in SFA’s new Emerging Technologies Lab in the Steen Library on campus, which will extend their experiences beyond the local community.

After the summer program, Barrio Writers founder Sarah Rafael García collects the written work and compiles the pieces into a book to demonstrate the participant’s diverse backgrounds. SFA Press began publishing the yearly Barrio Writers anthologies in 2015.

Along with the workshops, students participate in multicultural field trips during the week. Also, a public reading of the students’ work will be hosted at 5 p.m. Saturday, June 10, at the Nacogdoches Public Library.

For more information, email sfabarriowriters@gmail.com, or visit www.barriowriters.org.

Have you ever seen a lumberjack use chopsticks?

Recently, Stephen F. Austin State University students in the Rusche College of Business traveled more than 8,000 miles to Hong Kong and Shenzhen, China, for an international study abroad experience through the university’s Wall-to-Wall Business travel program.

For 11 days, 25 SFA students enrolled in MGT 470: Hong Kong Business and Culture: Where East Meets West, visited various companies, historical landmarks and dined like the locals.

Drs. Mikhail Kouliavtsev, chair of SFA’s Department of Economics and Finance, and Matt Lindsey, associate professor in the Department of Management, Marketing and International Business, facilitated the trip.

“International experiences are very important for our students. Experiences like this often reshape the student’s view of the world,” Lindsey said.

The group visited many Hong Kong markets where capitalism is on full display such as the Sham Shum Po District Golden Computer Center and electronics markets, clothing markets and many street markets, including Stanley Market and the Temple Street Night Market.

Students also attended a presentation by Dr. Forrest Yang, a marketing professor at the City University of Hong Kong, who highlighted the importance of building relationships to conduct business, as well as the tax-free port and low-tax structure, which made Hong Kong a key business location for multiple companies.

“Going to Hong Kong made it clear the key to doing business in that region is understanding the culture. In our view of the world, laws shape how we do business. In China, the relationships you have with your business partners trump everything,” Lindsey said. “We also realized our world is much larger than the region we grew up in and that it is possible to work internationally in a location like Hong Kong.”

For many SFA students like Johnathan Liker, a senior management major from Center, this was their first time visiting a country outside the United States.

“What surprised me the most was being a foreigner and learning how to navigate in a different country,” Liker said.

Likewise, Samuel Johnson, an SFA graduate student in the Master of Business Administration program, said this trip opened his eyes to new career opportunities.

“It was an eye-opening experience and made me look at my options,” Johnson said. “I feel more comfortable with the idea of working abroad or venturing out to other places I didn’t consider before.”

Students toured the first microbrewery in Hong Kong, Young Master Microbrewery, and witnessed the production process and discussed product marketing. Additionally, students visited the Tse Sui Luen Jewelry factory, where they watched skilled craftsmen construct custom jewelry.

“I learned there was more behind-the-scenes work for a product than what I thought,” said Braxton Berthot, junior general business major from Douglass. “To see the jewelers cleaning and cutting the stones to perfection so they could be sold was very cool.”

In a backstage tour of the Cantonese Opera, students met with the owner and music director who promotes and preserves the ancient art form.

The group also visited Victoria Peak, which has the highest property values in the world, rode the historic Star Ferry, ate a traditional Chinese dinner at the Jumbo floating restaurant in the Aberdeen Harbor, saw Giant Buddha and visited many temples.

“We were exposed to a more diverse culture than we typically would be in East Texas,” Liker said. “Experiencing this diversity and interacting with a variety of people allowed me to understand how this experience could relate in an international business environment. Knowledge of cultural differences will allow me to establish a connection with a client while meeting organizational goals.”

To help gain a firsthand example of a U.S. company adapting to a different market, the students visited Disney Hong Kong.

“It was interesting to see key attractions like the Haunted Mansion rebranded as the Mystic Manor due to cultural issues about ghosts,” Lindsey said. “Other than seeing squid jerky at concession stands and a variety of different foods, it was easy to forget we were in Hong Kong while at the park.”

Another stop during the trip was Macau, a Special Administrative Region like Hong Kong. Here, students went to the top of the 1,109-foot Macau Tower.

“Macau is the Las Vegas of the Far East and caters to the very wealthy in China,” Lindsey said. “It became obvious that even the top 1 percent of a country of 1.3 billion can provide a huge target market.”

Outside Hong Kong, SFA students traveled to Tai O Fishing Village on the Lantau Island, where people live in stilt houses, and then to Shenzhen, China — one of China’s largest cities.

Stephen F. Austin State University’s SFA Gardens will host three Pineywoods Camps this summer for children ages 4 to 15. The camps offer outdoor adventure, exploration and recreation in the scenic forests in and around Nacogdoches.

Wonder Woods campers (ages 4 to 6) explore the woods using songs, games, art projects, hiking and hands-on discovery from 8:30 to 11 a.m. June 12 through 16 at the Pineywoods Native Plant Center. Cost is $85.

Jack Creek campers (ages 7 to 11) expand and improve their outdoor skills, including archery, outdoor cooking, hiking and canoeing. With plenty of time to explore the forest, campers will learn about connections in the natural world through hands-on investigations, games, crafts and presentations from local experts. This camp meets from 9 a.m. to noon at the SFA Experimental Forest. Session 1 will be June 19 through 23 and Session 2 will be June 26 through 30. Cost is $120.

Wilderness Adventures (ages 12 to 15) gives campers an opportunity to take their outdoor know-how to the next level and develop important team-building skills. The camp promises many adventures, including a trip to the SFA Student Recreation Center climbing wall, overnight camping and a canoe trip on the Angelina and Neches Rivers. Campers learn to “think outside” and gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of East Texas nature. This camp meets at different times each day July 10 through 14 at the Pineywoods Native Plant Center. Cost is $250.

Registration forms can be found at sfagardens.sfasu.edu. Click on “LEARN” on the left side of the home page. For more information, contact the SFA Gardens’ Education Office at (936) 468-1832 or sfagardens@sfasu.edu.