Everything Nac

Stephen F. Austin State University interior design students honed their professional skills while collaborating with staff members at the Nacogdoches Treatment Center to create site and floor plans for a proposed assisted living facility for patients with Alzheimer’s disease.

The floor plans feature a community kitchen, family-style dining, private resident rooms with baths, a quiet space, in-house laundry and a multipurpose community/activity area, all housed within a community-oriented, home-like atmosphere.

Dr. Mitzi Perritt, professor in SFA’s School of Human Sciences, explained this project introduces students to designing for special populations.

“The building’s purpose is to house Alzheimer’s patients who can no longer live with their caregivers due to advancement of the disease,” Perritt said.

During the fall semester, five teams of SFA students studied the Texas Accessibility Standards guidelines and researched city and county records for property description, lot size, restrictions and utility placement. Students also reviewed state regulations outlined by the Department of Aging and Disability Services.

Additionally, the students engaged in a Dementia Live simulation to help them understand what it is like to live with dementia, a disease similar to Alzheimer’s disease that affects memory loss.

“This being our first assisted living facility to design, our team researched a great deal and considered many restrictions that apply to this type of facility,” said Remy Follmar, Colmesneil junior interior design major. “This project taught me research is a very important part of design and that gaining knowledge outside of the classroom is equally important. I thoroughly enjoyed this project and the research needed to understand how and why we design a specific way for these patients.”

Students also interviewed Kathy Strong, Nacogdoches Treatment Center executive director, to help understand the center’s needs and desires for their “dream facility.”

“It was interesting to see the concepts the students came up with,” Strong said. “We were amazed at how quickly and efficiently they took our concerns and thoughts and created a design. It’s a great opportunity for us to tap into the knowledge at SFA and working with the students is so important. Nacogdoches is unique in that we are able to work together with the university. It’s a win-win for all of us.”

The Stephen F. Austin State University School of Theatre will present the student-directed, one-act play “Picnic on the Battlefield” by Fernando Arrabal with English translation by Barbara Wright at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 17, and at 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 18, in the Downstage Theatre on the SFA campus.

Center senior Avery Tindol is the director, and he describes “Picnic on the Battlefield” as “a surrealist, absurdist, dark comedy that tells the story of a soldier in the middle of a war zone who is surprised by an unexpected visit from his parents and an enemy soldier.”

The cast includes Mesquite senior Taylor Solice as Zapo; Highlands junior Logan Richard as Monsieur Tepan; Palestine junior Olivia Santone as Madame Tepan; Wichita Falls junior Travis Brasher as Zepo; Los Angeles, California, junior Tyler Canada as First Stretcher Bearer; and Nacogdoches sophomore ToColla Holley as Second Stretcher Bearer.

The production staff includes Hanro Janse van Rensburg, Kempton Park, South Africa, senior, stage manager; Katt Akin, Tyler senior, scenic designer; Danika Pettyjohn, Fort Worth senior, costume designer; Victoria Medrano, Edinburg junior, lighting designer; Lane Davidson, Denton senior, sound designer; Davis Gilmartin, Flower Mound freshman, choreographer; and Gabriel Penaloza-Hernandez, Austin junior, properties master.

Tindol’s SFA Mainstage Series acting credits include the roles of Banquo in “Macbeth” and Carthage Kilbride in “By the Bog of Cats.” He directed Don Nigro’s “Things That Go Bump in the Night.” Tindol will play the role of Mr. Antrobus in the upcoming School of Theatre production of Thornton Wilder’s “The Skin Of Our Teeth” later this semester.

Slade Billew is the faculty production advisor for “Picnic on the Battlefield.”

Tickets are $4. For tickets or more information, call the SFA Fine Arts Box Office at (936) 468-6407 or visit theatre.sfasu.edu. The Downstage Theatre is located in the Griffith Fine Arts Building, 2222 Alumni Drive.