Everything Nac

Stephen F. Austin State University’s Schlief School of Accountancy in the Rusche College of Business held an informational session Oct. 13 for approximately 100 Nacogdoches High School students interested in the accounting profession. In addition to careers in accounting, presenters discussed SFA’s accounting degrees, scholarships, internships and other opportunities. Presenters included, from left, Alicia Howatt, recruiter for Axley & Rode; Zachary Wilson, accounting senior from Crosby and president of SFA’s chapter of the Beta Alpha Psi professional and honorary accounting fraternity; Dr. Kelly Noe, accounting professor and director of the Schlief School of Accountancy; Marie Kelly, accounting lecturer; and Deborah Crenshaw, a teacher in the NHS Career and Technical Education program. “Student response was overwhelmingly positive, and we foresee continuing this partnership in the years to come,” Kelly said. For more information, visit sfasu.edu/cob.

No matter how you feel politically about President Joe Biden’s plan to forgive up to $10,000 of student debt, you need to consider the economic realities of it, said Dr. Mikhail Kouliavtsev, chair of the Department of Economics and Finance in Stephen F. Austin State University’s Rusche College of Business.

“Most economists appear to agree that this is, overall, bad economic policy, if nothing else,” said Kouliavtsev, who also directs SFA’s Center for Business and Economic Research. “It creates perverse incentives, sets a bad precedent, ignores and fails to address the underlying problem (and may even make it worse in the future), and is poorly timed.”

In CBER’s quarterly newsletter, Kouliavtsev reviews how the Biden plan not only cancels $10,000 loan balances ($20,000 loan balances for those who received Pell Grants) but also expands borrower eligibility for the income-based repayment program.

“This is a comprehensive debt relief program, not simply debt forgiveness,” he said.

The Congressional Budget Office estimate of the program, which was released after the policy decision was made, is $400 billion over 30 years.

In the CBER newsletter, Kouliavtsev addresses the reasons behind developing the debt relief policy, its inconsistent impacts geographically (sometimes in good ways), and its goal to increase disposable income for families, which will increase the demand for goods and services.

“But this tends to put upward pressure on prices,” Kouliavtsev said. “We don’t need that during a period when we’re battling historic inflation. This boost to the economy was needed in 2020 or early 2021, when we were in a deep pandemic-induced recession.”

Debt forgiveness also may give higher education institutions incentive to raise tuition. And current and future borrowers may expect similar debt forgiveness policies to be implemented in the future.

“Because the underlying problem of financing higher education remains unsolved, we are all but assured that the debt crisis will repeat itself,” Kouliavtsev said.

To learn more, visit sfasu.edu/cber or contact the center at (936) 468-4301.

About CBER
CBER is one of several entities launched recently by SFA’s College of Business to help bolster local businesses. Others include Business and Community Services; the Greg Arnold Center for Entrepreneurship, or ACE; and the Small Business Resource Hub, which is housed in ACE.

Brandon Nance, a Stephen F. Austin State University junior forestry major within the Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture, recently participated in Honor Flight San Diego, escorting military veterans to Washington, D.C., to tour memorials honoring their service.

Honor Flight San Diego is a nonprofit branch of the nationwide Honor Flight Network, which provides veterans who served during World War II through the Vietnam War with an all-expenses-paid trip to tour the nation’s war memorials.

The most recent veteran cohort comprised members of the Helicopter Attack Squadron Light 3, known as the HAL-3 Seawolves. This all-volunteer squadron within the U.S. Navy supported critical special warfare operations during the Vietnam War.

Nance’s family maintains a rich military history across multiple branches of service. Although an asthma diagnosis prevented Nance from formal military enrollment, he continues to serve and support veterans through advocacy and volunteerism, including building relationships within SFA’s Veterans Resource Center.

“I try to do everything I can do to help veterans,” Nance said. “They deserve everything, but there are a lot of things they don’t get when they return.”

Nance said that in addition to combat-related injuries, many veterans struggle with mental health and housing insecurity, among other concerns.

“You never know what someone is going through,” Nance said. “Sometimes it’s important to reach out and just listen to them.”

This is the second time Nance has participated in an Honor Flight. While in high school, Nance won an essay contest that provided him with the opportunity to accompany veterans visiting the National WWII Museum in New Orleans.

“It is an honor and a privilege to meet these gentlemen and hear their stories,” Nance said.

For more information on resources available to veterans and dependents of veterans attending SFA, visit the SFA Veterans Resource Center at sfasu.edu/vrc.

The story about a group of young boys, trapped on a desert island, who discover the darkness of human nature will come to life on stage when the Stephen F. Austin State University School of Theatre and Dance present “Lord of the Flies” Nov. 3 through 6 in Kennedy Auditorium on the SFA campus.

The 1954 novel by Nobel Prize-winning British author William Golding, “Lord of the Flies” has been a staple on high school reading lists for decades. Even those who have not read the novel are well acquainted with its title and storyline, giving it what School of Theatre and Dance Director Cleo House Jr. describes as “iconic” status.

“It’s a big show, with characters who do larger-than-life things,” said House, who is the play’s director. “Even though there’s plenty of drama, the comedy in the show is very present. We picked this show because it gives students an opportunity to do something very different from a traditional play.”

Evacuated from a war-torn world and marooned on a deserted island when their plane crashes, a group of teenage British boys find themselves battling for survival with no adults to help them. Struggling with inner demons and external fears, and driven by a primitive blood-lust, their childish “games” lead to tragic consequence.

“The play asks the question: what happens when people are left to their own devices without the bounds of societal norms?” House asks. “It also explores what happens when we stop seeing each other as people. When I spoke initially with the cast, I told them the play is rooted in illusion: What is real? Is it the societal norms? Is it the freedom of the jungle, or the fear of the jungle? My approach with the play is to explore all of these questions.”

With a cast of mostly first-timers in an SFA Mainstage Series show, including a freshman lead character, House is looking forward to guiding students in building three-dimensional characters in the play, adapted for the stage by Nigel Williams.

“In a show like this, you have to give a lot of energy and emotion,” he said. “The show is also very, very physical. The actors are running, crawling, fighting, laughing, crying, dancing. It has been a journey. The actors are constantly working to build their stamina. And, characters are speaking in British accents, which is always a challenge.

“The setting for the show is quite large with many different locations,” he added. “In rehearsals, we had to get creative about how we used the space.”

House considers this presentation of “Lord of the Flies” a PG-13 play, “but anyone from 12 years old and up can find joy in the ‘adventure’ the play offers,” he added.

“And, I hope everyone will come to see how amazing our students are,” he said. “The actors in the show have brought such a high level of energy and excitement. They have been pushing each other to be better in and out of rehearsal. They started memorizing their lines well before the due date, and they are always asking questions and seeking ways to be better. They are simply incredibly hard workers. Yes, they are talented, but it is their commitment to each other and the process that makes them great artists.”

Performances are at 7:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, Nov. 3 through 5, and at 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 5 and 6. General ticket prices are: adult, $15; senior (62+), $10; youth (high school and younger), $8; SFA faculty/staff, $8; non-SFA student, $8; and SFA student, $5. For ticketing information or to purchase tickets, call the Fine Arts Box Office at (936) 468-6407 or (888) 240-ARTS, or visit boxoffice.sfasu.edu.

The A Cappella Choir at Stephen F. Austin State University will present Maurice Duruflé’s Requiem when the choir performs at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 21, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Nacogdoches.

The A Cappella Choir is conducted by Dr. Michael Murphy, director of choral activities at SFA. Also performing on Requiem are music faculty members Weston Jennings, organ, and Dr. Scott LaGraff, baritone.

Dr. Nathan Nabb, director of the School of Music and professor of saxophone, will perform on English composer Patrick Hawes’ “Quanta Qualia.” Also on the program is Gabriel Fauré’s “Cantique de Jean Racine” featuring Martha De Luna, graduate conducting student from Las Caobas, Dominican Republic. Music by Frank Martin will also be performed.

The concert is free and open to the public. Donations will be accepted for the A Cappella Choir’s Italy tour of Venice, Florence and Rome. Sacred Heart Catholic Church is located at 2508 Appleby Sand Road. For more information about the concert, contact the School of Music at (936) 468-4602.