Everything Nac

The Contemporary Ensemble at Stephen F. Austin State University will present its first “Live From the Studio” event at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 3, on the School of Music YouTube channel.

In collaboration with SFA’s fine arts video and lighting production teams, the Contemporary Ensemble will perform music by Chau, Kiltro, FJK and Tom Misch and Palmas.

With James Adams, director, and Zach Moore, graduate teaching assistant and assistant director, the ensemble performs music by living composers and songwriters. Currently, the ensemble is comprised of SFA’s sound recording technology majors.

The diverse set of works to be performed includes FJK and Tom Misch’s popular song “Losing My Way,” Chau’s Spanish song “No Te Va Gustar,” Kiltro’s Spanish-English hybrid song “Curico” and Palmas’ “Bad Dreams.”

“Viewers will be treated to pristine audio quality in real-time,” Adams said. “The audience will hear exactly what the studio control room is hearing, giving listeners and viewers a special seat in the studio. We encourage our viewers to use headphones or capable playback systems to maximize their listening experience.”

Access https://music.sfasu.edu/youtube to view the event.

A proclamation event will be held at 10 a.m. Tuesday, March 1, at Stephen F. Austin State University’s School of Social Work Building to kick off a number of events honoring Social Work Month.

Nacogdoches County Commissioner Robin Dawley will deliver the proclamation to the SFA School of Social Work’s leadership team, with social work students, faculty, field instructors and staff in attendance.

“Social workers are committed to enhancing the well-being of their communities. There is an increasing need for social workers across the world,” Oliphant said. “This event will officially proclaim March as social work month in Nacogdoches County and honor all our professional and student social workers do to assist the health of our East Texas community.”

The school’s leadership team includes Dr. Freddie Avant, associate dean of social work and interim dean of the Office of Research and Graduate Studies; Dr. Steve Cooper, interim Bachelor of Social Work coordinator and professor; Wilma Córdova, interim Master of Social Work coordinator and professor; Dr. Emmerentie Oliphant, interim chair; Linda Harris, field director and clinical instructor; Diane Sizemore, Child Welfare Professional Development Project director; Dr. Carrie Butler, Lone Star College liaison and professor; and Christy Collins, Tyler Junior College liaison and professor.

Themed, “The Time is Right for Social Work,” this installment marks the 38th year since the United States government officially recognized March as Social Work Month in 1984 under President Ronald Regan. The month is a chance to inform the public about the services social workers provide in an array of sectors, including hospitals, mental health centers, schools, social service agencies, community centers and politics.

The school also will host the “March in March” event where faculty members, social work students and social workers from Nacogdoches Independent School District will march to bring awareness to the social work field. The event will begin at 10 a.m. Wednesday, March 2, in front of the SFA Social Work Building and continue to North Street.

The school will host several celebratory activities throughout the month with guest speakers who will discuss the importance of social work in today’s world. Other celebrations include Social Work Advocacy Day on March 4 and World Social Work Day on March 16.

For more information about the SFA School of Social Work, visit sfasu.edu/socialwork.

By Nathan Wicker, marketing communications specialist at Stephen F. Austin State University.

Stephen F. Austin State University hospitality program students will host the Kentucky Derby fundraising event at 6 p.m. April 1 at the Fredonia Hotel.

Themed “The Winner’s Circle,” the event will feature a four-course dining experience inspired by traditional Kentucky Derby dishes. A cocktail reception with a cash bar will open an hour prior to the meal, and silent and live auctions will take place throughout the evening.

The event benefits the School of Human Sciences through student scholarships, student travel funds to conferences and industry events, and faculty development programs.

Students enrolled in the special events production course — along with help from students in the Introduction to Hospitality course — will plan and execute the event. The students’ responsibilities include deciding the theme, menu, décor and other aspects of the event.

“This event is significant because it raises funds to enhance student learning, all of which is done while providing a transformative learning experience for the students in the class,” said Carlie Allen, adjunct professor in the School of Human Sciences. “Students are able to show their knowledge of event management, catering, customer service and culinary arts. This opportunity is vital for students to understand all the components of event planning. For many, this is the first hands-on experience they will have in their chosen career.”

Guests are encouraged to wear traditional derby attire, which include big hats, bow ties and colorful dresses. Tickets are $60 per person and $100 per couple, or $400 for a table of eight. Tickets need to be purchased in advance at sfasu.edu/give/hmsevent.

For more information, contact Allen at carlie.allen@sfasu.edu.

By Nathan Wicker, marketing communication specialist at Stephen F. Austin State University.

Stephen F. Austin State University’s Campus Recreation recently hosted the regional basketball tournament featuring 12 total teams in both men’s and women’s competitions.

The National Intramural and Recreational Sports Association’s South Division had its Club Basketball Conference Tournament at the Student Recreation Center on Feb. 19 and 20. The event brought as many as 150 student-athletes to town.

Based on the “round robin” format, teams vied for as many wins as possible. They will compete in another tournament in March at Texas A&M University. The wins from both competitions will determine the conference champions and a free entry into the national tournament in April at Wichita State University in Kansas.

This was the first ever NIRSA conference tournament hosted at SFA. Jasmine Randolph and Jacie Klose, competitive sports and camps coordinators for SFA’s Campus Rec, organized the event.

“Throughout my graduate studies here at SFA, I was provided an experiential education. My goal was to reflect those same opportunities through our programs at Campus Rec,” said Randolph. “I look forward to working collaboratively with students, faculty and staff to create a holistic experience for all students.”

Klose shared in that sentiment, adding that she looks forward to making students’ college experiences more memorable through that collaboration.

SFA teams played in both the men’s and women’s sides of the NIRSA tournament. The women finished with a 3-2 record while the men finished with a record of 1-4.

On the men’s side, the six-team field included Louisiana State University, Texas A&M University and the University of North Texas. On the women’s side, the six-team field included Sam Houston State University and Texas Christian University.

While NIRSA contains the word intramural, the teams competing in the tournament are actually sport clubs, Randolph said. The key difference is that intramural teams compete on their given campuses, whereas sport clubs compete against teams from other universities.

Randolph is working on an upcoming women’s soccer tournament at SFA in April and is currently in the process of getting a racquetball club established. There are 17 sport clubs on campus, including rodeo, fishing, ultimate frisbee, volleyball, rugby, tennis and jiujitsu.

By Richard Massey, marketing communications senior specialist at Stephen F. Austin State University.

Theatre patrons have through Saturday, Feb. 26, to attend a performance of Thornton’s Wilder’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play “Our Town” at 7:30 nightly in Kennedy Auditorium on the campus of Stephen F. Austin State University. Presented by the SFA School of Theatre, “Our Town” tells the story of the fictional American community of Grover’s Corners in the early 1900s through the everyday lives of its townspeople. General ticket prices are: $15, adult; $10, senior (62+); $7.50, SFA faculty/staff; $7.50, youth; $5, student. Purchase tickets at boxoffice.sfasu.edu or call (936) 468-6407. For questions about the play, contact the School of Theatre at (936) 468-4003.