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SFA School of Art experiencing increased enrollment

By
Luis Ruperto
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– At a time when universities across the nation are concerned about declining enrollment in the face of a worldwide pandemic, the School of Art at Stephen F. Austin State University is experiencing its highest enrollment in the school’s history.

With a fall semester enrollment of 318 graduate and undergraduate students combined, the School of Art’s faculty members are encouraged by the climbing numbers. The Office of Institutional Research at SFA reports that previous enrollment in the School of Art spanning the past five years reflects 299 student for the 2020 academic year; 308 in 2019; 300 in 2018; 284 in 2017; and 272 in 2016. Prior to 2016, the highest enrollment had been 309 students in 2012.

“We are excited for the future of the School of Art,” said Chris Talbot, director. “I’ve told the faculty members that it is the quality of instruction and the quality of our programs that have made this possible. They have a lot to be proud of.”

Hands-on instruction and art students’ ability to work on interesting projects immediately upon arriving on campus is a plus, Talbot explained.

“There is strong interest in our programs,” he said. “Filmmaking, graphic design, digital media, art education, painting and photography all have increased student interest. Students are interested in learning both the technical and conceptual aspects of art making, but in particular, they want to learn by doing.”

Faculty members across campus were asked this past summer to reach out to students they were expecting on campus in the fall but who had been slow to enroll in a timely manner, and the School of Art faculty and staff did its share of making those contacts. “The art office staff members followed up with each new student individually to give them orientation and advising for their chosen area of study,” Talbot said. “We also reached out to previous students who were not yet registered for the fall in order to help them get back. Sometimes it was just something simple that was keeping them from re-registering.”

Strong relationships between SFA art faculty members and area high school art programs are key in recruiting students.

“We take recruiting seriously and realize that there would be no growth in our program if we just leave it up to someone else to do it,” Talbot said. “We have longstanding relationships with high school programs that know us and trust us to provide what their students are looking for.”

Jason Neumann, visual arts department chair at Cypress Ranch High School, Cypress Fairbanks ISD, said he tells his students about SFA and the exceptional art education the university is known for among art educators.

“I strongly recommend all my students who would like to earn a higher degree in art to consider SFA,” Neumann said. “I genuinely believe the faculty members care about each student and help them grow their creative endeavors. I have been sending students to college for art for 25 years, and I can honestly say SFA produces artists that strive to do remarkable things with their degree.

“SFA is a place where any student interested in nurturing their passion for a creative life can fulfill their needs and dreams under the tutelage of extremely capable and kind-hearted art faculty members,” he added. “The art faculty members at SFA are some of the most talented in their field, and they are constantly growing the program and keeping it current with the movement of the artworld.”

Neumann said he has personally recruited several graduates of SFA to teach art at his school and within Cypress Fairbanks ISD.

The number of graduate students in the School of Art also is increasing, and because graduate courses are funded at a higher state level, that equates to higher unit funding coming to SFA. Graduate assistantships and new tuition assistance incentives are additional tools for art faculty members in their recruiting efforts.

“Our graduate numbers are up,” Talbot said. “A great opportunity for students has been the Lumberjack Education Assistance Program where tuition costs are greatly reduced while working for the university. This has been a fabulous program that helps students reduce debt and provides us with talented help from graduate students who contribute to our program.”

The talent of the art faculty members is in itself a valuable recruiting tool, Talbot said.

“Our faculty members are recognized in their fields,” he said. “We attract students to our programs when our faculty members exhibit their work and students see what they might be capable of if they studied here with us. We offer a very hands-on approach to art instruction. Many students have told me they decided to come here because of the things that they would get to do early in their studies, even at the foundation level, with us that other programs defer for upper-level studies.”

“The SFA art faculty members have built an amazing space for students to learn and to grow as young men and woman and as artists,” Neumann said. “I will continue to highly recommend the SFA art program to my students.”

For information about the SFA School of Art, call (936) 468-4804 or visit art.sfasu.edu. 

SFA students to host plant fair on campus featuring winter annuals

By
Luis Ruperto
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Stephen F. Austin State University’s horticulture program will host the annual Fall Plant Fair from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 4, at the SFA Plantery, located at 1924 Wilson Drive.  

Plants available for purchase include a variety of winter annuals, such as pansies, violas, wallflowers, dianthus, stock, dusty miller and snapdragons. All plants are winter hardy and perform well in East Texas. Plants are $2 per pot or $34 for a tray of 18 plants. 

“The students are so excited to show our community what they’ve learned about growing plants,” said Dr. Jared Barnes, associate professor of horticulture and steward of the Plantery. “We welcome people to tour the Plantery and buy some plants, since all proceeds support student learning.”   

The Plantery, a program within the SFA Department of Agriculture, allows students to grow and raise plants in the Sprout microfarm, greenhouses and teaching gardens around the Agriculture Building. 
 
The plant sale also is an opportunity to tour the plant-growing operation and view student projects, such as the gravel garden and hydroponic system. 

Music, fireside s’mores and games will be provided by the SFA Horticulture Club.  

In the event of rainy weather, the Fall Plant Fair will be postponed until Friday, Nov. 5.  

For more information, contact Barnes at barnesj@sfasu.edu. The community also may learn more about the horticulture program by visiting www.horticultureisawesome.com/the-plantery or by following @sfahorticulture on Instagram.

Fall chores in the landscape

By
Cary Sims
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While we have been teased by some cool mornings and have the promise of more cool mornings in days to come, are you taking advantage of this time to transition into winter? This time of year is perfect for planning new beds, planting perennials, cleaning tools, closing down 2021’s garden, and gearing up for a great start to spring of 2022.

Cooler weather means working outside is not nearly as draining as working in the heat.  Homeowners have plenty of time to break new ground for a spring garden or build a new raised bed around the house.

Fall is the best time of the year to plant perennials. If you have access to potted trees, shrubs, or other perennials, putting them in the ground now will give them the most amount of time to get their roots established before our next hot, dry summer. Our summers are easily the hardest time of the year and waiting until spring to plant perennials will not give them the maximum amount of time to face the heat and lack of moisture that is a consistent part of our climate.

Metal tools should be cleaned, sharpened, and oiled before you put them up for the winter. Good tools are not cheap and should be cared for to insure a long life. Start by cleaning off any soil or rust that has accumulated. Use steel wool, sandpaper, or a metal wire brush to loosen and remove material. Coat the newly exposed metal with WD-40 or similar product. Mineral oil or vegetable oil are not recommended as they will deteriorate in a month or two and your tools need longer protection.

Next, get a file, whetstone, or other sharpening instrument to put a nice edge on the blade before final oiling and storage.  Everyone will think about sharpening shears, pruners, or loppers, but have you ever sharpened a shovel or hoe? Give it a try and you will find it easier to slice into the soil with those sharpened blades.

If you have wooden handles on your garden tools, take the extra step and apply a coat of boiled linseed oil on them before putting them away from storage. Linseed oil is a natural product that protects wood by repelling water. Raw linseed oil can be used but it is very thick and may take weeks to dry. Boiled linseed oil dries in a couple of days and is the product of choice by seasoned gardeners on their wood handles before winter storage.

You may have already mown your lawn for the last time this year. Once we get an additional rain in the coming weeks, you can then turn off your automatic sprinkler system. Your lawn will need some water in the winter season, but this if often more than supplied with our rainfall.

Be sure to add a pre-emergent herbicide to your lawn in the next month or so to stop those early spring weeds that invade so many lawns. There are several good options on the market. I like any product that contains Atrazine as it serves as a pre- and post-emergent herbicide that is very safe on our tender San Augustine.  There are more chores that other gardeners may chose to do, but if you get a start on these listed above, you’ll wrap up this year’s garden quite nicely and be ready for a great start next growing season

Diboll High School Freshman Selected as a Teen Ambassador

By
Luis Ruperto
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Jaydn Burns, a freshman at Diboll High School, has been selected as a Teen Ambassador by the Texas SayWhat! program. SayWhat! stands for Students, Adults, and Youth Working Hard Against Tobacco. This year there are thirteen “TAs” from across Texas, but each year that number varies.

A SayWhat! Teen Ambassador is instrumental in spreading e-cigarette prevention and tobacco-free messages to youth across the state. In the spring Burns will travel throughout Texas to lead activities and teach about the harms of tobacco and e-cigarettes at different summits.

“We are very excited to have Jaydn on board as a Say What! Teen Ambassador. She brings much-needed excitement and optimism to the Teen Ambassador program as well as the Say What! program” said Kathleen Bates with the Texas School Safety Center at Texas State University. “Jaydn is incredibly passionate about informing her peers and community about the dangers of all tobacco products and the deceitful tactics the industry likes to use to hook so many innocent people. Her personality and passion for creating healthy, tobacco-free communities will be incredibly helpful as she discovers how much of an impact her voice will make in the year to come.”

Burns joins Kadie Beth Wisener, Kellen Kruk and Rozalinn Runnels as the only youth from The Coalition’s service area to serve complete terms as a Teen Ambassador since 2014. Burns began her term as a Teen Ambassador on September 1, 2021 and will end her term on August 31, 2022.

My five cents…

By
Luis Ruperto
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A weekly column from Sen. Robert Nichols Senate District 3

Here are five things happening around your state:

  1. Redistricting maps finalized, sent to the Governor  

The Legislature has finished the third called special session of the year and completed the challenging redistricting process. The state grew substantially over the past decade which forced the ideal district size for State Senate districts to increase to 940,178 people. Due to these changes, Senate District 3 (SD-3) saw some changes in the makeup of the district. Previously, SD-3 comprised of 19 East Texas counties including the northern half of Montgomery County. After the redistricting process, SD-3 will no longer include San Jacinto County or Montgomery County. Instead, the district will now include the greater part of Jefferson County, including Beaumont, Nederland, Port Neches, Groves and part of Port Arthur. I have represented part of Montgomery County and all of San Jacinto County since I took office in 2007, so I will dearly miss all of the friends I have made in those areas. However, I am looking forward to meeting the people of Jefferson County and representing them. I will be running for re-election in the newly drawn district, but I will still represent my current district until the 88th Legislature convenes in 2023 and I am sworn in. It’s been one of the greatest honors of my life to represent East Texans in the Legislature, and I hope to continue doing just that.

  • Property tax relief measures pass both chambers     

In the waning hours of this special session, the Legislature passed Senate Bill 1 and Senate Joint Resolution 2, which puts a constitutional amendment before Texans to lower their property taxes. SJR 2 will increase the homestead exemption from $25,000 in appraised home value to $40,000, equating to a 60 percent increase over existing law. Additionally, school districts will be held harmless which means the money for the property tax cut will come from the state. Both chambers approved the measure unanimously and now it’s up to voters in May 2022 to approve the constitutional amendment.

  • Funding secured for higher education capital projects

After Governor Abbott added higher education improvements to the special session call, the House and Senate worked quickly to put together a proposal for over $3 billion in capital projects for higher education institutions. Every region of the state will see an investment from the state in campus improvements. In Senate District 3, Stephen F. Austin State University received over $44 million for an Interdisciplinary and Applied Science building and Lamar State College – Orange received over $37 million for a new academic building and information technology services. CCAPs are bonds that are secured with tuition and other charges but are paid back out of state funds over a series of years. The Legislature appropriated $325 million in federal American Rescue Plan funds as a down payment for these projects.

  • Bill clarifies eligibility for tuition benefits for dependents of fallen first responders

The House and Senate both passed House Bill 133 this week which clarifies eligibility for higher education tuition benefits for children and dependents of fallen first responders. The law came about after a Fort Bend County deputy was killed by friendly fire in May of 2020. Deputy Caleb Rule was survived by his wife and four children, including his daughter who graduated from high school the day he passed. Because she was already 18 at the time of his death, she did not qualify for tuition survivor benefits. Therefore, the Caleb Rule Act was passed to increase survivor benefits to include college-aged children to receive tuition assistance. The legislation was passed unanimously in both chambers and now heads to the Governor’s desk.

  • WorkForce Solutions Deep East Texas providing services to Texans with barriers to employment  

WorkForce Solutions Deep East Texas is providing vocational rehabilitation services to East Texans over the age of 14 with a disability that presents a barrier to seeking employment. That could be mental health conditions, deafness, alcoholism, learning disabilities, or other impairments. WorkForce Solutions can help connect clients with professionals to verify disabilities, so Texans do not have to come with a diagnosis in hand. Services are catered to each individual and can include professional training, social learning experiences, or even vehicle modifications for those with physical disabilities. To learn more, visit http://twc.texas.gov/jobseekers/vocational-rehabilitation-services.   

SFA’s Salas to present ‘Reflections’ recital

By
Luis Ruperto
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Dr. J.D. Salas, associate professor of tuba and euphonium at Stephen F. Austin State University, will present the program “Reflections” in a recital at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 28, in Cole Concert Hall on the SFA campus.

“I chose the title ‘Reflections’ because almost every piece on the program is depicting a scene or character,” Salas said. The recital is presented in collaboration with Dr. James Pitts, piano.

“Reflections” is part of the SFA School of Music’s annual Octubafest. Throughout the country, tuba-euphonium studios at many universities perform concerts to celebrate the tuba and euphonium as a solo and chamber music instrument. This is the 16th year for Octubafest at SFA.

Among the program works is “Un Dia En La Vida” composed by Jose Flores as part of a consortium commission during the COVID-19 pandemic. Flores composed the work for tuba and pre-recorded track to describe what daily life was like for his family during quarantine, Salas explained. The recorded track includes voices and sounds provided by Flores’ family, including whistling of uncles and the family pets walking around.

“Salve Venere, Salve Marte” by John Stevens is an unaccompanied work for tuba describing a conversation between Mars, the God of War, and Venus, the Goddess of Love. “The challenge for the soloist,” according to Salas, “is to quickly adjust when changing characters from one to the other.”

Michael Daugherty’s “Reflections on The Mississippi” was written in memory of the composer’s father and recalls their many trips together on the Mississippi River. The four-movement work illustrates different aspects of life along the Mississippi: “Mist” for the morning fog; “Fury” for the rolling rapids; “Prayer” for the calmest parts of the river; and “Steamboat” for the industrial history of the mighty Mississippi.

Tickets are $8 for adults, $6 for seniors and $3 for students and youth. To purchase tickets, call the SFA Fine Arts Box Office at (936) 468-6407 or visit finearts.sfasu.edu. For additional information, contact the SFA School of Music at (936) 468-4602.

Stephanie Visscher Named to 2022 Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year Watchlist

By
Luis Ruperto
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Senior guard Stephanie Visscher has been named to the watchlist for the 2022 Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year award, according to a national release this week from HerHoopStats.com. Visscher was one of 25 names on the list and one of just two representatives from the Western Athletic Conference, with Cal Baptist’s Caitlyn Harper being the other. 

Visscher, a native of Lulea, Sweden, posted team-highs of 12.6 points, 3.1 assists and 2.4 steals per game to go along with 4.4 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game. She posted 19 double-digit scoring efforts on the season, and was the only Division I player to shoot 60 percent from the field, 50 percent from beyond the arc and 90 percent at the free throw line during the 2020-21 campaign. 

SFA Gardens’ lecture series to feature horticulture specialist

By
Luis Ruperto
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Stephen F. Austin State University’s SFA Gardens will host the monthly Theresa and Les Reeves Lecture Series at 7 p.m. Nov. 11 in the Brundrett Conservation Education Building at the Pineywoods Native Plant Center.

Carol Reese, a nationally known speaker and retired horticulture specialist with the University of Tennessee’s West Tennessee Research and Education Center, will present “Native Plants: Facts and Fallacies.”

Reese received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in horticulture from Mississippi State University. While there, she taught classes in plant materials and co-taught landscape design for nonmajors. She has written numerous articles for garden magazines, as Q&A columnist for Horticulture Magazine, and wrote a weekly gardening and nature column for the Jackson Sun for two decades.

Reese attributes her love of horticulture to being raised on a farm by generations of plant enthusiasts, including a grandfather who dynamited his garden spot each spring to “break up his hardpan.” She says her personal appreciation of natural lore is at least partially a result of her near-daily treks through the wild areas near her Tennessee home with her motley collection of dogs.

The Theresa and Les Reeves Lecture Series is held the second Thursday of each month and includes a rare plant raffle after the program. The lecture is free and open to the public, but donations to the Theresa and Les Reeves Lecture Series fund are always appreciated. 

Parking is available at the PNPC and Raguet Elementary School, located at 2428 Raguet St.

For more information, visit sfasu.edu/sfagardens, call (936) 468-4129, or email sfagardens@sfasu.edu.

SFA Symphony Orchestra to perform Prokofiev’s ‘Romeo and Juliet’

By
Luis Ruperto
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The Symphony Orchestra at Stephen F. Austin State University will present Sergei Prokofiev’s “Romeo and Juliet” when the student ensemble performs at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 26, in Cole Concert Hall on the SFA campus.

“The Prokofiev is a huge work and exciting for the orchestra and the audience,” said Dr. Gregory Grabowski, director of orchestral activities at SFA and the Symphony Orchestra’s conductor. “Prokofiev’s ‘Romeo and Juliet’ is a hugely popular piece, especially the opening Montagues and Capulets movement, which was even performed by bands like Emerson, Lake and Palmer.”

Prokofiev composed the score for Romeo and Juliet in 1935 for the Leningrad Theatre of Opera and Ballet, but the music became known through concert performances of suites the composer arranged before the first staging of the ballet in Russia.

The Symphony Orchestra will also perform Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Horn Concerto No. 3, which will feature new SFA music faculty member Dr. Andrea Denis on French horn.

Tickets are $8 for adults, $6 for seniors and $3 for students and youth. To purchase tickets, call the SFA Fine Arts Box Office at (936) 468-6407 or visit finearts.sfasu.edu. For additional information, contact the SFA School of Music at (936) 468-4602. The concert will be rebroadcast on the SFA Symphony Orchestra You Tube channel  on Wednesday, Nov. 3.

SFA’s University Police Department receives grant to offer citizens’ police academy

By
Luis Ruperto
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0

Stephen F. Austin State University’s Police Department received a $38,849 grant from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services to create a citizens’ police academy.

The UPD will utilize the funds to enhance the community policing philosophy and provide the SFA campus and surrounding communities with the tools to help make the campus safer for everyone. 

“The purpose of the academy is to provide insight into the responsibilities of a university police department and the measures it takes to help prevent, deter and respond to criminal and non-criminal activities,” said John Fields, chief of SFA’s UPD. “The program is designed to enhance communication and create long-term, meaningful partnerships with students, staff, faculty and supporters of the institution.”

Training sessions will be provided by guest speakers, including personnel from local law enforcement, the fire department and emergency medical services. UPD patrol officers and criminal investigators also will host sessions. The sessions will include information regarding topics such as alcohol and drug awareness, self-defense tactics, gun safety, fire and medical safety and more.

Hands-on training will be provided to allow participants to investigate a mock crime scene, collect evidence, conduct a traffic stop, take part in a shoot/don’t shoot scenario, and other interactive training sessions. These mock scenarios will help participants put themselves in the officer’s shoes and see things from a different viewpoint. 

Open two-way discussions will not only provide a forum for participants to express their thoughts but also give officers an opportunity to explain and discuss the situations.

“Transparency and communication are key when it comes to building a working partnership with the citizens police officers serve,” said Whitney Mask, UPD officer and academy organizer. “Police work is never a routine job, and it can call for split-second decision making. When you open a two-way line of communication and citizens have an opportunity to experience a portion of policing, it can provide great insight into what law enforcement truly entails.”

Each academy will take place one day a week for eight weeks. The first academy is slated to start in mid-to-late January, and others will be offered throughout each semester. At the conclusion of the academy, an awards ceremony will be held to celebrate participants. 

More information about the academy is available at sfasu.edu/upd or by calling (936) 468-2608.

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