The next SFA faculty and staff happy hour is scheduled from 4 to 7 p.m. Friday, July 26, at The Fredonia Hotel and Convention Center in downtown Nacogdoches.

Meet up with colleagues for end-of-the-week socializing, networking and fun at Nine Flags Bar and Grill. You also may bring a plus one.

The SFA social events team is charged with planning various events to help foster a culture of engagement within our campus community.

To stay informed about future SFA social events, “like” the SFA Faculty/Staff Lounge Facebook.

Human Resources is offering TexFlex participants information about enrolling or reenrolling.

If you currently participate in TexFlex, contributions will remain the same in the new plan year unless you make changes during summer enrollment. Reenrollment at the same contribution level is automatic.

The Internal Revenue Service set a new maximum contribution limit of $2,700 for health care and limited Flexible Spending Accounts. Participants who want to pledge the maximum should elect to increase their contributions. The Employees Retirement System of Texas will not automatically increase the amount.

Health care and limited FSA participants can carry over up to $500 in unspent account funds into Plan Year 2020. The deadline to submit claims for eligible expenses incurred through Aug. 31 is Dec. 31. Dependent care FSA participants can use Plan Year 2019 funds on eligible expenses incurred through Nov. 15 and can submit claims until Dec. 31.

Employees continuing or considering TexFlex enrollment should keep in mind that only certain expenses are eligible for reimbursement. TexFlex health care, limited and dependent care account participants should review elections carefully and confirm if they will have eligible expenses in Plan Year 2020.

The SFA Alumni Association will host the Lumberjack Glow Party and Dive-In Movie from 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. Aug. 10 at Splash Kingdom Timber Falls.

The family-friendly movie “Moana” will play during the private Lumberjack party. Glow items and SFA swag will be provided.

Event tickets are $10 per person or $30 for a family of three or more. Parking is free.

The deadline to register is Aug. 9. For the special rate, tickets must be purchased through the alumni association website.

The Division of University Affairs invites you to “Be Our Guest” while it hosts Danny Snow, director of marketing of Snow and Associates — one of the top customer service speaking and training companies in the world. The event is scheduled for 11 a.m. Aug. 7 in the Baker Pattillo Student Center Theater.

Snow will provide information curated from his career of more than 20 years at Walt Disney World. He will share business principles to improve skills in customer service, employee development and leadership.

Faculty, staff and students are encouraged to attend. No RSVP is necessary, but seating is limited.

SFA departments, programs and organizations are invited to advertise in The Pine Log's upcoming 2019 welcome edition.

The special edition of the student newspaper will be mailed to the home of every incoming first-year and transfer student in early August.

This is an excellent opportunity to share important information with this specific group of students and their parents.

For information about ad rates and deadlines, click here, call (936) 468-4703, or email pinelogads@sfasu.edu.

SFA’s Early Childhood Laboratory is holding a fundraiser now through July 31 to raise money for a flagpole in honor of Dr. Baker Pattillo, former SFA president. For more information and to donate, click here.

SFA’s School of Theatre will present a community preview of the original play “Tales of Neverland," which students will perform next month at the prestigious Edinburgh Festival Fringe in Edinburgh, Scotland. The performance is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Friday, July 26, in the HPE Complex Dance Studio, Room 201. The event is a fundraiser to offset travel costs of the trip.

Preview performance admission is $5 per person at the door. Additional donations to help with student costs to attend the festival also will be accepted.

The School of Theatre continues to seek out people who may want to help sponsor students and pay for trip expenses. For more information on supporting the students, contact Angela Bacarisse, professor of theatre, at (936) 468-1126 or abacarisse@sfasu.edu. Tax-exempt donations can be made at sfasu.edu/giving by writing “Scotland trip” for special instructions.

The 35th Watercolor East Texas juried exhibition will open with a reception from 6 to 8 p.m. Saturday, July 27, in The Cole Art Center @ The Old Opera House in downtown Nacogdoches.

This year’s juror is Houston artist Carla Gauthier, who is a signature member of the National Watercolor Society. She has degrees in fine art, art history and education. She also is a member of Canadian Society of Painters and Watercolor Art Society-Houston. She works in both watercolor and oils, and she has received numerous awards on regional, national and international levels. The exhibition runs through Aug. 25.

For more information, contact Carol Athey, Watercolor East Texas member, at atheycj@sfasu.edu, or call the art center at (936) 468-1131.

SFA’s School of Art and the Friends of the Visual Arts will present a free, one-night screening of the documentary “Free Solo” at 7 p.m. Aug. 2 in The Cole Art Center @ The Old Opera House in downtown Nacogdoches.

From award-winning documentary filmmaker E. Chai Vasarhelyi and world-renowned photographer and mountaineer Jimmy Chin comes “Free Solo,” a stunning, intimate and unflinching portrait of free soloist climber Alex Honnold, as he prepares to achieve his lifelong dream: climbing the face of the world’s most famous rock – the 3,200-foot El Capitan in Yosemite National Park – without a rope. Celebrated as one of the greatest athletic feats of any kind, Honnold’s climb set the ultimate standard: perfection or death.

For more information, call (936) 468-1131.

The Music Preparatory Division of SFA’s School of Music is accepting scholarship applications for its fall and spring classes for the 2019-20 academic year.

The music program features the study of a variety of musical instruments and choral techniques. Upper-level musicians as well as SFA faculty and students teach classes and private lessons.

Partial scholarships are awarded to music students based on need, according to Pat Barnett, Music Prep director. Application forms and information about the various programs offered are available on the Music Prep website at music.sfasu.edu/prep. Deadline to apply for scholarships is Aug. 1.

A Music Prep open house will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Aug. 10 at 3028 Raguet St.

“New and returning students and their parents are invited to attend the open house at the Music Prep House to speak with faculty members and to register for private and group lessons,” Barnett said. “Piney Woods Youth Orchestra auditions are on the same day of the open house, and auditions begin at 10 a.m.”

Music Prep offers private music lessons in piano, harp, violin, Suzuki violin, flute, cello, trumpet, trombone, voice, percussion and more.

For additional information, call (936) 468-1291 or email musicprep@sfasu.edu.

Registration is ongoing for Junior Jacks Theatre Camp. The two-week School of Theatre camp is designed for children entering third through ninth grades. This year’s camp is scheduled for July 29 through Aug. 10.

Junior Jacks was designed as a day-camp version of the highly successful High School Summer Theatre Workshop at SFA, according to Carolyn Conn, associate professor of theatre. The fun and exciting summer camp, offered in two age groups, fills quickly. Conn suggests parents register their children early.

Play performances are scheduled for Aug. 10.

Registration cost is $75 per student and $50 for each additional sibling within a single family. Needs-based scholarships may be available. More information and a registration form can be found at theatre.sfasu.edu, or contact Conn at (936) 468-1031 or conncs@sfasu.edu.

Artist Adam Hillman creates unique art using food as his medium.

The result is colorful, geometric and possibly mouth-watering pieces.

To see more, click here.