The Faculty Senate will meet at 2:30 p.m. tomorrow in McGee Business Building, Room 133.

This is the last scheduled Faculty Senate meeting of 2022. While it’s likely that the discussions with Interim President Dr. Steve Westbrook and Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Lorenzo Smith will follow up on today’s board of regents meeting, several additional topics will be discussed, including goals and objectives for the annual budget cycle this spring.

Members of the SFA community are welcome to attend the public portion of the session either in person or via Zoom. Per senate rules, only invited speakers and Faculty Senate members are permitted to speak during the session. Therefore, you may forward questions in advance to your faculty senators for consideration.

The Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture is hosting its annual Undergraduate Research Showcase from 1 to 5 p.m. tomorrow with an awards reception to follow until 6 p.m. Open to the SFA community, the event will take place in the Forestry Building, Room 117.

Presentations by individual and group undergraduate researchers include diverse topics from agriculture, forestry, environmental science, and geospatial science disciplines.

The charter for the SFA Charter School was recently renewed for another 10 years by the Texas Education Agency. The renewal term — the result of a painstaking process by the school’s staff members and meticulous review by the SFA Charter School board and Office of the General Counsel — begins July 31 and runs through July 31, 2033.

“We have such a deep passion for SFA, our charter school, and the thousands of children we have been honored to educate and love over the past 15 years,” said Lysa Hagan, CEO and principal of the school. “We are delighted that it can continue to support families and that we can maintain our teacher candidate training site for another 10 years.”

Dr. Bailey Thompson, assistant professor of advertising and public relations in SFA’s Department of Mass Communication, was selected as a 2022-23 scholar for the Timothy J. Piazza Center for Fraternity and Sorority Research and Reform.

Part of Pennsylvania State University’s Student Affairs unit, the Piazza Center’s scholar program was established to develop new research initiatives and expand on research for professional practice in an effort to transform fraternities and sororities, according to its website. The program comprises current practitioners, post-doctoral scholars and doctoral candidates representing a variety of institutions and research backgrounds. Scholars conduct research focusing on Greek-life organizations, including hazing prevention strategies, student learning, leadership and community engagement.

Emily Parker, a prominent tax attorney and SFA alumna, will deliver the commencement address during all three of the university’s graduation ceremonies Dec. 9 and 10.

With the exception of a short stint as acting chief counsel and deputy chief counsel for the IRS from 2002 to 2004, Parker spent her entire career at super firm Thompson & Knight LLP, now Holland & Knight. She was the first female lawyer hired by the firm and later became the firm’s first female partner. She served as managing partner at the firm from 2012 to 2016 and retired in 2019.

The Texas Rural Travel and Small Business Social Media Summit, co-sponsored by SFA’s School of Human Sciences, will be held from 9 a.m. to noon tomorrow via Zoom.

This free event will feature a session by Spencer Zamora, a graduate of SFA’s hospitality administration program, who is now with the state’s Travel Texas office. Zamora will focus on the importance of travel and tourism in the rural communities of Texas. Additional sessions will be led by tourism officials who will speak to the importance of tourism in the central and deep east parts of the state.

To register for the event, visit gosfa.com/3V43qBB.

As the university prepares for the fall 2023 launch of the SFA Makerspace, faculty and staff are invited to visit the space in its temporary location –– the LINC classroom in Steen Library –– for a holiday maker event from 1 to 3 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 6.

This come-and-go event will showcase 3D printers, laser cutters and other maker technologies currently available in the space and will provide attendees with the opportunity to select or make their own holiday ornament, while supplies last. Light refreshments will be served.

The Office of Multicultural Affairs plans to offer the Diversity and Inclusion Certification Program for faculty and staff again next semester. The program continues to have a tremendous positive response, so OMA is expanding it by adding more facilitators.

OMA offers a variety of sessions for faculty and staff to choose from in order to enhance their understanding of diversity, inclusion and social justice. Facilitators are asked to present on a topic that aligns with OMA’s mission and vision, and is beneficial to faculty and staff.

If you're interested in being a workshop facilitator, complete the form by Dec. 9.

The Organization for Women’s Leadership and Equity will meet for lunch from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. Dec. 9 on the fourth-floor terrace of the Cole STEM Building.

Bring a lunch or grab a snack at The Market on the first floor.

In the event of inclement weather, the group will meet on the first floor of the STEM building.

Email owle@sfasu.edu with questions.

SFA Gardens will host its annual Deck the Halls: Using Evergreens to Decorate for the Holidays seminar from 9 a.m. to noon, Saturday, Dec. 3, at the Brundrett Conservation Education Building in the Pineywoods Native Plant Center, located at 2900 Raguet St.

Guests will join Dawn Stover, study leader with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s East Texas Plant Materials Center, to create elegant wreaths, garlands and centerpieces using materials from nature. Participants will take home several creations. In addition to the traditional wreaths and garlands, Stover will introduce crafts using natural items from the garden. All materials will be provided.

The Lumberjacks defeated Abilene Christian University 24-21 to capture the 2022 WAC Football regular season championship. It's the program's sixth conference championship, first conference championship since 2010, and inaugural conference championship as members of the Western Athletic Conference.

The Ladyjacks beat Utah Valley University 3-1 in the WAC Tournament championship match Saturday night. The win also granted the Ladyjacks WAC's automatic bid into the NCAA tournament where they will play No. 4 seed Baylor University in the first round at 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 1, in Waco.

Football

SFA - 24 vs. Abilene Christian University - 21

Men’s Basketball

SFA - 93 vs. South Dakota State University - 82

SFA - 44 vs. Quinnipiac University - 58

SFA - 63 vs. Middle Tennessee State University - 75

SFA - 75 vs. University of North Carolina Greensboro - 58

Women’s Basketball

SFA - 60 vs. Morgan State University - 36

SFA - 67 vs. Boston College - 53

Volleyball

SFA - 3 vs. California Baptist University - 0

SFA - 3 vs. Grand Canyon University - 1

SFA - 3 vs. Utah Valley University - 1

The School of Theatre and Dance’s production of “Lord of the Flies” is being considered by the Region 6 Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival to receive an invitation for a performance at the regional festival next year.

Directed by Cleo House Jr., director of the School of Theatre and Dance, “Lord of the Flies” was presented Nov. 3 through 6 as part of SFA’s MainStage Series. Its nomination follows a tradition of SFA plays earning nominations for festival inclusion. Last year’s SFA production of “Bootycandy,” also directed by House, was one of only six plays selected from throughout a five-state area to be presented at the festival. This year, “Lord of the Flies” also tied for Director’s Choice and Respondent’s Choice honors.

The Symphony Orchestra at SFA will showcase the 2022 SFA Concerto/Aria Competition winners in a concert at 7:30 p.m. tonight in Cole Concert Hall.

This year’s winning “Stars of Tomorrow” are Oliver Yan, Hong Kong graduate student, conductor; Logan Dooley, Texarkana senior, baritone; Özge Serceler, Eskişehir, Turkey, graduate student, cello; Quentin Fisher, Roanoke, Virginia, senior, French horn; and Peyton Joffre, Carrollton junior, saxophone. Winners are given an opportunity to perform a solo work with the SFA Symphony Orchestra, according to Dr. Gregory Grabowski, director of orchestral activities at SFA.

The Electric Guitar Ensemble at SFA will perform at 6 p.m. Friday, Dec. 2, in the Music Recital Hall in the Wright Music Building.

Directed by Larry Greer, the ensemble will present a program of jazz standards mixed with Christmas favorites. Admission is free. For additional information, contact the SFA School of Music at (936) 468-4602.

The choirs of SFA will ring in the holidays with a "Seasonal Celebration," a program of beloved Christmas carols and classics, in a concert at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 3, in Cole Concert Hall.

Presenting the choirs in SFA's holiday tradition are Dr. Michael Murphy, director of choral activities, and Dr. Tod Fish, associate director, conductors; Martha De Luna of Las Caobas, Dominican Republic, and Ryan Herriage of Sulphur Springs, graduate student conductors; Dr. Ron Petti, Dr. Thomas Nixon and Professor Maggie Hinchliffe, collaborative pianists; and Hyo Jeong Ham of Seoul, South Korea, graduate collaborative pianist. Faculty guest artists include Dr. Nathan Nabb, director of the School of Music, saxophone; and Dr. Gary Wurtz, dean of the Micky Elliott College of Fine Arts, trumpet.

Cats are comedians. They certainly don’t realize it, but they are constantly doing things that make us laugh.

Check out these 30 funny cat photos candidly captured on the streets of Japan. For more fun articles, visit My Modern Met.