Everything Nac

Within seconds, she is transported into a human cell much like the characters from the animated “Magic School Bus” series. All around her the smallest unit of life comes into focus.

No, this isn’t a scene from a science fiction movie. It’s a virtual reality simulation at Stephen F. Austin State University’s Steen Library.

This week, the Steen Library officially opened its new Emerging Technologies Lab complete with two HTC Vive virtual reality rooms, four Oculus Rift stationary experiences and two 3-D printers.

“I think this is one of the most exciting things that has happened on campus in a while that was specifically made to benefit students,” said Kreg Mosier, head of library web services.

Mosier and Edward Iglesias, web services librarian, have been the driving forces behind this endeavor.

“It’s a relatively unique thing in higher education to have this technology,” Iglesias said. “You can have VR and 3-D printing in engineering labs or specific departments within a university, but it’s rare to have it in the library where everyone can use it.”

SFA is a pioneer in housing this type of virtual technology in a central environment. Mosier said making the technology available to all students was important and makes SFA stand out from other universities.

“This lab is aligned with our student success initiative. I think of it as a value-added experience,” Mosier said. “We are giving students something they may not otherwise get to experience.”

In this virtual-reality-based makerspace, students can immerse into dozens of different scenarios and places such as the human cell or thousands of leagues under sea — all by slipping on the HTC Vive goggles. The two virtual reality rooms allow users the ability to move around during their virtual reality simulation while the Oculus Rift experience requires users to remain seated.

“We are doing something new and trying to create a compelling experience and toolset for students,” Mosier said. “The thing that makes me the proudest is the small ecosystem that has developed. A student can create something in 3-D on the computer, view it in virtual reality and then print it in 3-D, which is something I thought was science fiction as a kid.”

Users can create items in programs such as Tilt Brush and Oculus Medium and then print their creations in 3-D using the lab’s two 3-D printers. During a class visit and lesson, Emily Schneider, SFA senior advertising major from Dallas, did just that and was enthusiastic about her experience.

“This is an amazing experience for students especially since it’s free,” Schneider said. “I think it’s fun for students because they get to try something that is usually not available to them.”

SFA students, faculty and staff members are welcome to use the lab, which is located behind the circulation desk on the first floor of the library. Mosier and Iglesias said they are willing to work with faculty and staff members to maximize the lab’s academic potential.

For more information, contact Mosier at kmosier@sfasu.edu or Iglesias at igelsiase@sfasu.edu.

Despite strides made throughout the decades to improve women’s rights, gender bias continues to create barriers for many women who still must struggle with equal economic opportunities and gender-based violence.

This ongoing struggle takes center stage when the Stephen F. Austin State University School of Theatre presents Lynn Nottage’s award-winning play “Intimate Apparel” Tuesday through Saturday, Feb. 28 through March 4, in W.M. Turner Auditorium on the SFA campus.

Set in 1905, the play is about Esther, a black seamstress who sews intimate apparel for clients who range from wealthy white patrons to prostitutes. Trapped between high society and its sordid shadow world, her heart is constrained by race, religion and class. Throughout her story’s suspenseful turns, her resilience reflects America’s enduring hopefulness, according to the School of Theatre’s guest director, Jiles R. King II.

Dr. Dianne E. Dentice, associate professor of sociology at SFA, commented on how the timeless intersections of race and gender play out in Nottage’s work.

“During the time of the play (1905), American women still did not have the right to vote,” Dentice said. “African American women in the South were still in bondage, even though slavery had ended back in 1865 with the end of the Civil War. White women, even with higher-class status, were not on equal status with men.”

Although these are just a few examples of gender bias that characterized that time in America’s history, women of color – especially African American women – have always had to deal with “double jeopardy,” Dentice said, ” … gender and race.”

“Although Esther was technically illiterate, she was artistically talented, and her ability to sew spectacular undergarments was in demand,” Dentice said. “Her character was appealing on other levels, as well. She was well liked by her peers and her clients, many of whom were upper class women. She also knew how to navigate the spaces where her work took her – brothels, nice homes of proper ladies, fabric shops.

“Esther and the other African American female characters in the play were survivors who refused to let barriers keep them down,” she said. “They dealt with problems they encountered head on, and they never looked back.”

Working class women of all races and ethnicities are fighting alongside their male counterparts for a living wage. Looking at the Black Lives Matter movement, Dentice believes parallels can be drawn historically between abolitionists and suffragists.

“Black women wanted the right to vote just like their white sisters, but they also understood the impact of racial oppression on the life chances of families of color,” she said. “They were not willing to throw their men under the bus just to make a point. It has always been difficult to tease out gender from race for historically disenfranchised groups like African Americans.

“To say we are living in some interesting times is an understatement,” she continued. “Women of all races and ethnicities and socioeconomic statuses have got to become more active if we are going to promote positive social change that will benefit all Americans.”

Dentice will be among the participants in an interdisciplinary discussion that will take place immediately following the Friday night performance of “Intimate Apparel.” The exchange will be between the director and several SFA faculty members regarding the socio-economic concepts the play has regarding race, gender and class and the roles they play in the story. The discussion will be in Griffith Gallery, located across the hall from Turner Auditorium.

Winner of the 2004 New York Drama Critics Circle and the Outer Critics Circle Awards, “Intimate Apparel” will be presented at 7:30 nightly. Turner Auditorium is located in the Griffith Fine Arts Building. The play is recommended for mature audiences. A content advisory may be viewed at www.theatre.sfasu.edu.

Single tickets are $15 for adult, $10 for senior and $7.50 for student/youth. For tickets or more information, call the SFA Fine Arts Box Office at (936) 468-6407 or visit www.theatre.sfasu.edu.