When asked their top three favorite things about SFA, most people list “beautiful campus” as one. Bill Bryant, an SFA grounds worker and one of the eight recipients of this year’s President’s Achievement Award, helps ensure that top-three finish year after year.

Not one to toot his own horn, Bryant’s absence was excused by SFA President Dr. Steve Westbrook when the university’s Board of Regents recognized the first four award recipients during their January meeting.

“Bill said, ‘I don’t deserve this award. Give it to somebody else. My greatest reward is coming to work here every day,’” Westbrook said. “I think that exemplifies exactly why Bill Bryant deserves this award.”

The following Department of Education Studies faculty members will present at the American Educational Research Association annual meeting in mid-April in Chicago: Dr. Lauren Burrow, associate professor; Dr. Chrissy Cross, associate professor; Dr. Heeok Jeong, assistant professor; Dr. Kevin Jones, assistant professor; Dr. Heather Olson Beal, professor; Dr. Amber Wagnon, assistant professor; and Dr. Tingting Xu, professor.

Dr. Lauren Brewer, associate professor of psychology; Dr. Brian Church, assistant professor of mathematics and sciences; Dr. Keith Hubbard, professor of mathematics and statistics; Dr. Dennis Gravatt, professor of biology; and educator Lexa Jack will assist them in the presentations.

In addition, Dr. Flóra Faragó, associate professor of human sciences, will serve as a symposium panelist.

Join Office of Admissions staff members as we welcome accepted Lumberjacks and their guests during our Axe'cepted Students Day April 1. Volunteer shifts are available between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. for the following duties:

• Greeting guests

• Giving directions to session locations

• Answering questions about the SFA and Nacogdoches communities

Volunteers should wear the following:

• Purple shirt, jeans and comfortable shoes (dress for the weather)

• Sticker nametag provided at volunteer check-in

Complete the form to sign up today! Volunteer signups will close at 5 p.m. March 28.

For more information, email Megan Kelly at kellyml1@sfasu.edu.

SFA faculty members and professional advisors are invited to the Professional Academic Advising Council meeting from 2 to 3 p.m. today via Zoom.

To be included in the PAAC email list, contact Raquel Skidmore at skidmorerr@sfasu.edu.

The Office of Admissions undergraduate recruitment and data center team reported the Jack Walker program served nearly 1,800 guests via its campus tours and 1,013 students via its school organized tours in fall 2022.  

The Jack Walker program comprises 36 student workers who give campus tours daily at 10 a.m., noon and 2 p.m. Monday through Friday and some Saturdays during the fall, spring and summer. At the conclusion of each campus tour, students and families are asked to complete an evaluation and share their experiences. Of those students who completed evaluations, 71% indicated that they were highly likely to apply to SFA. Additionally, on these surveys, the Jack Walkers were ranked "excellent" on friendliness 99% of the time. 

Jack Walkers come from 30 different hometowns, include 11 transfer students, represent 30 majors from the six academic colleges, hold an average 3.2 GPA and feature members from 90 other student organizations.

If you know students who would be interested in this program, tell them to check out the Jack Walkers on Instagram — @sfajwalkers.

The March edition of the Employee Assistance Program newsletter, which focuses on “connecting with yourself,” is now available. It and all previous monthly editions can be found on the EAP webpage by clicking the “Newsletters” link in the bottom left gray box.

The Center for Career and Professional Development spring Career Fair series features two more opportunities for students to connect with potential employers hiring for full-time jobs or internships. Faculty and staff are encouraged to inform students about the events.

• Tuesday, March 21 - Agriculture Career Fair

• Friday, April 14 - Teacher Career Fair

For more information, contact CCPD at (936) 468-3305 or ccpd@sfasu.edu.

LumberjacksLEAD, a student leadership program facilitated by Student Engagement, is available to all SFA students. The program is designed to engage students in meaningful activities, intentional conversations and learning opportunities for leadership skills. Guided by "The Student Leadership Challenge: Five Practices for Becoming an Exemplary Leader" by Kouzes and Posner, students will learn how to liberate the leader within and become their best selves.

Please encourage your students to participate in this transformative learning experience. No pre-registration is required. Seminars run through April 20. For more information and a full list of meeting dates and times, email getinvolved@sfasu.edu.

SFA’s The Big Event brings student volunteers together for one big day of service to express the university's gratitude for the support of the Nacogdoches community. Small teams of students will fan out across Nacogdoches County March 25 to complete projects for local residents and tell them, “Thank you.” Projects include painting, yardwork, cleaning, trash collecting, window washing and more.

Local residents are encouraged to request a service project for The Big Event each year. This event is for everyone — projects are not accepted based on need or socioeconomic status. Absolutely anyone in Nacogdoches County can apply for a project to be completed by student volunteers. The deadline for requests is Monday, March 20.

SFA's Office of Multicultural Affairs is holding the university’s sixth annual Women’s Empowerment Summit from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. tomorrow in the Baker Pattillo Student Center Twilight Ballroom.

Students, professional staff, community members and faculty from various institutions across Texas will gather to discuss empowering women from various backgrounds through topics including professional development, education, etiquette, health and body image. The summit features a panel discussion during lunch.

“The Women's Empowerment Summit is an excellent opportunity for people of all genders to meet and learn about women's issues,” said Dr. Veronica Beavers, OMA director and deputy chief diversity officer. “We hope to provide an environment for relaxation, refueling and professional growth.”

Registration for summer and fall 2023 classes will begin Wednesday, March 22. Note that registration will begin on the same date for both semesters to enable students to complete their registration with fewer steps and to enhance the overall registration process for students.

Advising

• Students must consult with their academic advisor and have their advising holds (and any other registration holds) cleared prior to registering for classes.

• Registration time tickets will be posted to student accounts on Tuesday, March 21. As a reminder, this is the earliest that time tickets can be posted since registration for Spring II is still underway.

Registration

• Students may register at any time after the date and time listed on their registration time ticket. Students can check their registration time ticket via mySFA. On the "Registration" tab, in the "Steps to Register" section, click "Check Registration Status/Time Ticket."

• Registration will open based on the standard priority schedule.

Schedule of classes

• The summer and fall 2023 schedule of classes is now available through mySFA. On the "Registration" tab, in the "Steps to Register" section, click "View Schedule of Classes."

• Departments may update their class schedule information, so refer to the online class schedule for up-to-date information.

View more information at sfasu.edu/registrar.

Multidisciplinary artist Stacey Allen, who uses dance, history, theater and educational pedagogy to tell stories, is visiting SFA for a three-part event March 29-30 in collaboration with multiple areas across campus.

Allen’s multifaceted presentation, “The Fairytale Project,” is a historically inspired tale for children of a modern-day African American family reconnecting with their East Texas roots through peculiar encounters with the past. Based on the love story of Jim and Winnie Shankle — founders of the Texas Freedom Colony, Shankleville — their descendants reconnect with what's most important in life: family, faith, love and legacy.

Dr. Sarah Straub, associate professor in SFA’s Department of Education Studies, found funding for and organized the event, which includes assistance from employees in the James I. Perkins College of Education, the Micky Elliott College of Fine Arts, the College of Liberal and Applied Arts, and the Office of Multicultural Affairs.

The Organization for Women’s Leadership and Equity Achievement and Advancement Committee will present “Quick Tips for Raising Your Professional Profile to Award-Worthy Levels.” During the session, several SFA female faculty members will share examples of how to transform work successes and scholarly accomplishments into awards and other high-profile recognitions and opportunities.

Join in person from 12:30 to 1:45 p.m. March 31 in the Steen Library Wyatt Room or via Zoom. "Quick talk" topics will include securing grants, earning faculty leave, applying for external fellowships and more. For more information, contact Dr. Lauren Burrow, associate professor of education studies, at burrowle@sfasu.edu.

The fiscal year 2024 Student Service Fee Allocation presentations are planned for 1 to 5 p.m. tomorrow; Monday, March 20; and Wednesday, March 22, in Rusk Building, Room 333.

The SSF Allocation committee recommendations meeting is planned for 1 to 5 p.m. March 29 in McGee Business Building, Room 133.

All presentations are open to the public.

SFA Gardens will host its annual Garden Gala Day Plant Sale from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. April 1 and 2 at the Pineywoods Native Plant Center, located at 2900 Raguet St.

The sale will feature more than 300 varieties of hard-to-find, “Texas-tough” plants, including Texas natives, edibles, tropicals, perennials, shrubs and trees, with an emphasis on pollinator-friendly selections, as well as exclusive SFA introductions. The featured plants are produced by SFA Gardens staff members and volunteers and a full list of available plants will be posted on the SFA Gardens website two weeks before the sale.

Baseball

SFA - 3 vs. The University of Texas at San Antonio - 9

Softball

SFA - 7 vs. Prairie View A&M University - 6

SFA - 9 vs. Prairie View A&M University - 0

The Nacogdoches Symphony Club will host a piano showcase to benefit scholarships for SFA music students and SFA Music Preparatory Division students at 7 p.m. tonight at First Baptist Church.

The concert will feature performances by Mario Ajero, Martha de Luna, James Faucett, Jina Jeong, Minhae Lee, Andrew Parr and Linda Parr. Admission is free with donations accepted.

The School of Music will present “Celleuphoria” at 4 p.m. Sunday, March 19, in Cole Concert Hall.

“Celleuphoria” is a concert featuring the cello in “an intense emotional state viewed from different angles of time through the eyes of highly regarded composers,” according to Dr. Evgeni Raychev, cello instructor. The concert will feature compositions from the Baroque, Romantic and post-Romantic periods, as well as the 20th and 21st centuries.

Raychev will be joined on stage by colleagues Jennifer Dalmas, violin; Minhae Lee, piano; Melissa Nabb, viola; and Brad Mayer, percussion. Some of Raychev’s current and prospective cello students will also perform.

The A Cappella Choir at SFA will present the concert program “The Spark Within Us” at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 21, in Cole Concert Hall.

The program features the music of Johann Sebastian Bach, Moses Hogan, Wolfram Buchenberg, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Heitor Villa-Lobos, Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco, Dan Forrest and more.

Dr. Michael Murphy, director of choral activities, conducts the A Cappella Choir, which will be accompanied by Dr. Ron Petti, collaborative pianist. Guest performer is Dr. Rafael Scarfullery, guitar. The SFA Repertory Dance Company, with choreography by Haley Hoss Jameson and Jessica Thomas, will also perform.

The conducting talents of Oliver Yan, graduate student in the School of Music, will be spotlighted when the Symphony Orchestra performs at 7:30 p.m. March 24 in Cole Concert Hall.

Yan, who is from Hong Kong, is earning a master’s degree in conducting from SFA. The program will include three major works: “Der Freischütz” Overture by Carl Maria von Weber; “Les Preludes” by Franz Liszt; and “L'Arlésienne Suite No. 1” by Georges Bizet.

International violinist Dr. Namjoo Oh will collaborate with Dr. Minhae Lee, assistant professor of piano, in a chamber music recital at 6 p.m. tomorrow in the Music Recital Hall, Wright Music Building.

The concert program will feature Sonata for Piano and Violin No. 21 in E minor, K. 304 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart; Violin Sonata in A major, Op. 100 by Johannes Brahms; and Sonata in A major for Violin and Piano by César Franck.

Dr. James Vilseck, adjunct faculty and percussion instructor in the School of Music, will conclude a concert tour of multiple universities with a performance at 6 p.m. tomorrow in Cole Concert Hall.

Vilseck will be joined by colleague Dr. Samantha Inman, flute, and coordinator of music theory, as they perform two movements of David Gillingham’s “Five Fantasies of Natural Origin” for Marimba and Flute. Other works to be performed include “Koolish Zein” by John Psathas; “Small” by Joan Tower; “Marriage of the Lamb” by Kevin Bobo; “Shred” by Caleb Pickering; “Amethyst” by Andy Akiho; and “An Hour of Change” by Shaun Tilburg.

Chicago-based ~Nois Saxophone Quartet will bring their signature concert experience combining contemporary chamber music and improvisation to Cole Concert Hall at 7:30 p.m. tomorrow.

Their program features “Sun Thrower” by Darian Donovan Thomas; “they can finally breathe” by Kennedy Taylor Dixon; “When Babies Sleep” by Nathan Schram; “To Speak As One” by Bobby Ge; and “Thirteen Changes” by Pauline Oliveros.

Dr. Andrea Denis, assistant professor of horn, will present “New Beginnings,” a recital of works by Paul Basler, Verne Reynolds, Elizabeth Raum, Stephen Lias and John Dickson, at 2:30 p.m. Saturday, March 18, in Cole Concert Hall.

Denis will be accompanied by Dr. Thomas Nixon, collaborative pianist at SFA, with guest performances by Dr. Charles Gavin, retired SFA music faculty member and Denis’ former teacher; Dr. Brad Meyer, director of percussion studies; SFA alumnus John Dickson; and the SFA Horn Octet.

The SFA School of Art and The Cole Art Center @ The Old Opera House will present “Persona,” three solo exhibitions featuring the work of Richie Budd, Kris Pierce and John Rasimus, through March 24 at the Cole Art Center.

“We are excited to host ‘Persona’ and have John Rasimus as a visiting artist,” said Erik Ordaz, gallery coordinator for Cole Art Center. “He will be working on site, and students from the School of Art will assist with the installation. It will be a wonderful opportunity for them to collaborate and learn from a renowned international artist.”

Sometimes real life looks like a video game.

Nearly 100 real-world photos collected by Bored Panda show those times people felt like they might be in a video game.

By the way, did you take the blue or red pill this morning?