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Sawdust

“I wanted to capture the feeling of dejection, and I saw Robert talking with two seniors. It was a good shot, but it didn’t say much because the players’ backs were to me. Then Rhea turned and stared back down the field, and the look on his face said it all. I heard Robert say, ‘Great season. . .great memories,’ and they headed off the field.” -- University Photographer Hardy Meredith.

SFA Athletic Director Robert Hill talks with Lumberjack football players Aaron Rhea (right) and Duane Brooks after their playoff loss to the University of Montana Dec. 5. Hardy’s Pic

Spring 2010 • Volume 37, No. 1

EXECUTIVE EDITORJeff Davis ’02, Executive Director of Alumni Affairs

EDITORAmy Roquemore ’93, Editorial Coordinator, SFA Public Affairs

ARTISTIC DIRECTORRhonda Crim-Tumelson, Commu-nication Coordinator, SFA Alumni Association

ADVERTISING DIRECTORRhonda Minton ’90 & ’99, Director of Marketing and Membership, SFA Alumni Association

STEPHEN F. AUSTIN STATE UNIVERSITY is a comprehensive institution dedicated to excellence in teaching, research, scholarship, creative work and service. Through the personal attention of our faculty and staff, we engage our students in a learner-centered environment and offer opportunities to prepare for the challenges of living in the global community.

The SFA ALUMNI ASSOCIATION is a non-profit organization dedi-cated to serving the alumni, friends and current students of Stephen F. Austin State University through programs, scholarships and activities that create an attitude of continued loyalty and support.

SAWDUST is a joint publication of the Stephen F. Austin State Univer-sity Alumni Association and Stephen F. Austin State University. It is pub-lished four times a year in the winter, spring, summer and fall. Subscrip-tions are included in SFA Alumni Association memberships.

ON THE COVER film writer and director Phillip Guzman ’05. CENTER SPREAD cinematogra-pher Philip Roy ’06. Photography courtesy of Zach Humphreys ’07.

CAMPUS NEWS 2 Service Learning 3 New Doctoral Program 4 President’s Message 5 New Nursing School 9 Chemistry Research 10 Online Classes 12 Literary Archive 13 SFA Energy Audit 18 Women’s Bowling 19 Vista Viewpoint

Artful ExchangeUniversities mold friendship through ceramics programs

ChampsSFA football championships leave lasting impressions

Silver Screen DreamsCreative partnership leads to criti-cal acclaim for film

Gossip GirlSFA graduate on top of her game with bingo newspaper

Accounting for JusticeBusiness school alumnus travels the globe in government career

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ALUMNI NEWS 23 Upcoming Events 24 From the Association 28 Scholarships 29 Chapters 32 Class Notes 35 In Memoriam 40 All Hail to SFA

FEATURES5 16

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Campus News

LEARNING AT STEPHEN F. Austin State University doesn’t always happen inside

a classroom. Service learning and volunteerism are becoming an in-creasingly integral part of the college experience, and outlets to give back to the community are in high demand. Service learning is designed to enhance the curriculum and allow students to reflect on the impact of their work in the community. The Office of Student Affairs is stead-fastly working to provide opportu-nities for volunteerism and service learning to benefit students academ-ically, increase involvement and im-prove the surrounding community. While researching new ways to increase campus involvement and exploring areas for growth, director Michael Preston and then-graduate student Jennifer Roberts were in-spired by the interests and trends of

teens and 20-somethings outlined in the book Millennials Rising by Strauss and Howe. They learned that the millennial generation is one of the most heavily involved volun-teer generations for which helping others is second nature. This realization became a catalyst for increasing volunteer involvement at SFA, and the trend caught on quickly with students.The desire to give back seems to be in-grained in the nature of new college students, Preston said. “Students are coming into col-lege looking for ways to get in-volved and are asking us for these opportunities.” An increased awareness of op-portunities and resources has made volunteering and service learning initiatives much more accessible, said Jamie Bouldin, assistant direc-tor of Student Life and SFA Volun-

teer Programs coordinator. A newly created Involvement Center in the Baker Pattillo Student Center makes disseminating information and vol-unteer outreach more convenient. “When students inquire about volunteering opportunities, they take a volunteer interest survey, which matches up their interests and skill sets with the needs of organi-zations,” Bouldin said. “When stu-dents enjoy the work they are doing, it becomes a habit.” Through a competitive applica-tion process each semester, the Of-fice of Student Affairs awards grants to faculty or staff members to fund classroom-based service learning projects. Faculty members are encour-aged to seek out projects that benefit the organizations involved and pro-vide a hands-on learning experience to supplement classroom lessons.

SFA students give back to communityAt Your Service By Kayli Steger

“Students are coming into college looking for ways to get involved . . .”

Spring 2010 3

“Our students have had so many great ideas on how to help, but they couldn’t afford to fund the projects on their own,” Preston said. “Because of these grants, students and faculty get to see the projects through fruition and witness the im-pact they have on their community.” Getting students outside of their comfort zones and challenging their perceptions of national prob-lems can motivate students to find the solutions to solve these issues, Preston said. “Our major goal is for students to be fundamentally changed when they leave SFA and to become ac-tive and responsible citizens in their community.” Dr. Steven Galatas, assistant professor of political science at SFA, said this concept is a perfect example of how co-curricular ac-tivities and academic life go togeth-er. “Civic engagement and service learning reinforce the knowledge learned in the classroom and its rel-evance in the real world.”

Student Affairs also hosts large-scale events like Service Saturdays and The BIG Event to engage stu-dents in all-day projects, such as completing yard work for the el-derly or assisting local non-profit organizations. The recent Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service in-volved nearly 200 SFA students, faculty and staff in projects to assist the Nacogdoches school district in beautifying its campuses. The increase in service events has resulted in a mutually beneficial relationship for SFA and the sur-rounding community. Many com-munity organizations contact the SFA Volunteer Program with their needs and are immediately connect-ed with a pool of students eager to help their causes. “Our students have a sense of responsibility as part of the commu-nity they live in to help it and make it stronger,” Preston said. “It’s just their way of paying it forward.” ✯

FOR ONE STUDENT in SFA’s new graduate program in school

and behavioral psychology, earn-ing a doctorate is about more than having initials to place behind her name; it’s about saving lives. “My brother had a horrible experi-ence in the public school system,” said Andrea Goodwin, a White Oak gradu-ate student in the Ph.D. program. “He had learning disabilities that were not fully addressed by the school system and ended up committing suicide in one of his high school classrooms in 2001.” Motivated by her brother’s trag-edy, Goodwin is studying to become a licensed specialist in school psy-chology. “I hope that everything I learn I can apply in my career and help make a difference,” she said. The fully accredited program pre-pares students to become educators, researchers and practitioners in a va-riety of settings, including schools, hospitals and mental health facilities. Students are trained to work with a di-verse special needs population, with a primary focus on children and families. “I really want to be able to make a difference in students’ lives and get them the help they deserve before it’s too late,” Goodwin said. ✯

Making a Difference

By Nicole Hall

A group of volunteers from SFA painted inspirational artwork and quotations for the hallways of Brooks Quinn Jones Elementary School in Nacogdoches as part of the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service organized by Student Affairs.

GOODWIN

THE BEGINNING OF a new semester at Stephen F. Austin State Uni-versity is always exciting, but this spring has proved to be especially so. SFA nursing students began the semester in their new Richard and

Lucille DeWitt School of Nursing facility, and many of them were on hand for our ribbon-cutting ceremony in January. It was easy to see from watch-ing these students demonstrate their new equipment and technology how the School of Nursing earned the prestigious “Center of Educational Excellence” designation from the Laerdal Medical Corporation, which is awarded to edu-cational centers that consistently demonstrate excellence in educational phi-losophy and programs. Another cause for celebration: enrollment rose for the eighth consecu-tive reporting period at SFA, climbing 7.2 percent from 11,226 students in spring 2009 to 12,029 this spring, the largest spring semester enrollment in the university’s history. The highest previous SFA spring enrollment was re-corded in 1984 with a headcount of 11,886. Faculty, staff and administrators across campus are continuing in their efforts to recruit and retain top-quality students, and the result of their hard work is clearly visible. The recent demolition of Garner tower drew crowds of spectators and provided some bittersweet entertainment for area residents. I have heard from many former Garner residents, and they all shared fond memories they have of living on campus and attending SFA. It reminded me, once again, that SFA provides more to its graduates than just a valuable education – the memo-

ries of SFA linger in the hearts of Lumberjacks of all ages. When changes to the campus landscape are mandated by time or technology, those memories strengthen the bonds that we share. Freshman Lumberjacks who will move into our new residence hall in fall 2011 will enjoy building similar SFA memories. If you have not been on campus lately, I hope you will plan a visit to see the exciting changes that are taking place at SFA.

Axe ’em ’Jacks!

BOARD OF REGENTSJames A. Thompson, chair, Sugar LandMelvin R. White, vice chair, PflugervilleJohn R. “Bob” Garrett, secretary, TylerCarlos Z. Amaral, PlanoRichard B. Boyer, The ColonyScott H. Coleman, HoustonJames H. Dickerson, New BraunfelsValerie E. Ertz, DallasSteve D. McCarty, AltoMorgan A. Tomberlain, student regent, Longview

UNIVERSITY ADMINISTRATIONDr. Baker Pattillo, presidentDr. Richard Berry, provost/vice president for academic affairsSteve Westbrook, vice president for university affairsDanny Gallant, vice president for finance and administrationSid Walker, vice president for development

OFFICE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRSBob Wright, executive director of marketing and public affairsShirley Luna, associate director of public affairs/media relationsHardy Meredith, university photographerAmy Roquemore, editorial coordinator

Faculty, staff and administrators across campus are continuing in their efforts to recruit and retain top-quality students, and the result of their hard work is clearly visible.

Baker Pattillo ’65 & ’66President, Stephen F. Austin

State University

President’s Message

Sawdust4

A Facility of the HeartSFA donors help make state-of-the-art

nursing education building a reality

By Amy Roquemore

Sawdust6

THE GROUP OF SFA nursing students stared wide-eyed at the abundance of cutting-

edge technology housed in the new simulation laboratory. The $13 million DeWitt School of Nursing was finally a reality, and they were among the first to tour the state-of-the-art facility. “It’s even better than I was ex-pecting, and I was expecting it to be great,” said Kandice Prescott of Or-ange, a junior nursing major. “The setting here is so realistic. I feel like I’m going to be able to learn so much more and gain a lot of confi-dence training in this lab.” With the January opening of the new building in north Na-cogdoches, SFA’s award-winning nursing program has almost qua-drupled its space to 41,000 square feet, including a 9,000-square-foot simulation laboratory that director Glenda Walker describes as “the heart and soul” of the new facility. The laboratory is designed like a hospital and in-cludes an emergency room with ambulance bay, an intensive-care unit, a pediatric area and a neona-tal intensive care unit. “All of these areas are outfitted with the same modern equipment and technology you would expect to find in any hospital,” Walker said. The simulation laboratory was named in honor of longtime SFA supporters Ed and Gwen Cole of Nacogdoches for their interest in

“The most important

practical lesson that

can be given to nurses

is to teach them what

to observe.”

Florence Nightingale

and passion for nursing education. A private foundation provided the School of Nursing with a grant to equip a 100-student computer class-room within the facility. “It is truly a state-of-the-art fa-cility,” Walker said. “But I also like to think of it as a facility of the heart because it would not have been pos-sible without the support of some very generous friends of the School of Nursing.” The 17-acre site for the new building was donated to SFA in 2006 by Lucille DeWitt of Nacog-doches and her late husband, Rich-ard DeWitt. The site had formerly served as a distribution center for the Kentucky Fried Chicken restau-rants owned by the couple. The fol-lowing year, the Texas Legislature passed House Bill 1775 authorizing the construction of the nursing facil-ity on the donated property. “This wonderful facility is going to benefit not only our SFA nursing students, but the rest of us, as well,” said Lucille DeWitt, a longtime hos-pital and community volunteer and advocate for the nursing profession. “Nurses are important to all of us at some point in our lives, and we all want ourselves and our loved ones to be cared for by nurses with the very best training available.” The simulation laboratory fea-tures five of the most advanced pa-tient mannequins available for nurs-ing education. The computerized Sim Man 3G mannequins can simu-

6

Spring 2010 7

late almost all patient conditions, which are manipulated remotely by instructors in a high-tech control room. A video-monitoring system allows students to be filmed as they treat the “patients,” and the video can be streamed live into class-rooms or recorded for later review. “The biggest advantage this lab poses for our students is that they will have practiced all of these criti-cal skills in a safe environment be-fore they ever have to perform them on a living patient,” said SFA clini-cal nursing instructor Amy Owen. “They are just going to be more prepared to make decisions and take actions once they are in a clinical setting because they will have pro-cessed it all here first.” By opening the new building, SFA is helping to address the grow-ing need for new nurses throughout the state, Walker said. Not only can the university now accommodate many more nursing students each semester, but the simulation labo-ratory also will be available to stu-dents from other area nursing pro-grams, as well as to experienced

nurses required to demonstrate competencies to supervisors before starting new jobs. Francesca Tierno, a post-bacca-laureate nursing student from King-wood, said the new simulation lab will engage her critical-thinking and problem-solving skills while help-ing to build her confidence. “This facility is absolutely phe-nomenal,” she said. “As a nursing student, I could never ask for any-thing more.” ✯

Enrollment in SFA’s nurs-ing program is on the rise. Currently, there are more than 850 SFA students in the nursing program, the second-largest major of-fered at the university.

Spring 2010

Sawdust8

IN THE WAKE of the Garner tower demolition, plans are coming together for a new residence hall at SFA that is designed to meet the unique living and learning needs of freshman Lumberjacks. The four-story building will feature a 5,000-square-foot Freshman Success Center, where first-year students will have access to computers, tutoring and other academic support services. Group study rooms and other community spaces have been incorporated into the design to encourage student interaction and campus involvement. Prospective students who tour SFA are always impressed with new facilities, and the new residence hall is expected to have an immediate impact on recruitment, said Monique Cossich, executive director of enrollment management. “Students today are looking at all aspects of a university environment – academics, student life, where they will live and where they will study,” she said. “This new residence hall will be especially attractive to them because of the unique living/learning environment it offers.” Sam Smith, director of student services, said the new hall is the most visible part of a larger effort to enhance the first-year experience of all SFA students in hopes of retaining more of them beyond the critical first year. The new building’s exterior will resemble the two newest SFA residence halls, Lumberjack Lodge and Lumberjack Village. The rooms will be larger than typical SFA dorm rooms and feature movable furniture, wireless Internet access, suite-style bathrooms and secure card-swipe entry. “In designing this hall, we have focused our efforts primarily on supporting the university’s academic mission, while at the same time offering many of the amenities that our incoming students desire,” Smith said. The yet-to-be-named hall will be erected in the northeast quadrant of campus between East College Cafeteria and Steen Library and is scheduled for completion in summer 2011. Total cost of construction, including an adjacent 1,000-car parking garage, is estimated at $35 million. ✯

A Fresh Look at Housing By Amy Roquemore

Take a Hike By Nicole Hall

SFA’S ARTHUR TEMPLE College of Forestry and Agriculture is sponsoring the development of a new set of hiking and biking trails on 67 wooded acres at the northeast corner of University Drive and Starr Avenue. The trails are expected to be completed by the end of the spring semester. Michael Maningas, assistant di-rector of Campus Recreation—outdoor pursuits and safety, and Dr. Michael Legg, professor emeritus of forestry, developed the idea of nature trails near the campus. “We had land adjacent to the university available, so we looked to see if it was suitable for the project,” Maningas said. Along with 1.25 miles of paved hiking trails, there will be approxi-mately four miles of mountain bike

trails with some features for advanced riders based on guidelines from the In-ternational Mountain Bike Association. “Currently, we have three features (for advanced bikers), including skin-nies, a 30-foot wall ride and a 30-foot drop-in filter at the beginning of the track,” Maningas said. A $105,000 grant from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department is fund-ing a majority of the project. SFA stu-dent and faculty volunteers, local civic organizations and Boy Scout Troop 100 are helping construct the trails. “This is a project that is ongo-ing,” Maningas said. There are plans to build a picnic area that was not included in the grant. “Hopefully we will eventually have pavilions, but that won’t be this time around.” ✯

SFA to open nature trails this spring

Architectural rendering of planned freshman residence hall

Spring 2010 9

TWO SFA CHEMISTRY students recently spent months working alongside their professor to re-search the dangerous effects of common com-

pounds on human DNA. They also had their work pub-lished in a major science journal and received an award for presenting their findings at a regional conference. Amanda Nolan and Matthew Parks researched com-pounds that come from a group called polycyclic aro-matic hydrocarbons, or PAHs. They are found in diesel exhaust, road tar, charcoal-grilled meats, cigarette smoke and power plant emissions.

“The two compounds we researched are found ev-erywhere and are very toxic to the human body,” said Nolan, a junior chemistry major and SFA Alumni Asso-ciation scholarship recipient. “PAHs cause damage to the DNA, which leads to certain cancers and damage to our internal systems, es-pecially the reproductive system. Compounds that have a nitro group attached to them are even more mutagenic than the regular compounds.” Dr. Kefa Onchoke, assistant professor of chemis-try, was in the beginning stages of his research of the compounds 1-nitrotriphenylene and 2-nitrotriphenylene when he asked Nolan and Parks, a 2009 SFA graduate, to assist with his chemical study. “While I’m teaching a class, I’m able to spot a stu-dent who does well in a certain subject area that I’m cur-rently researching,” Onchoke said. “So I’ll approach the student and ask if he or she would consider assisting me with my research.” That’s how Nolan and Parks were enlisted to gather data for this most recent study. “We determined the structures of both nitrotriphe-nylenes that were previously unknown and have only

recently been discovered,” Nolan said. “I synthesized and helped purify 1-NTRP and 2-NTRP from the parent compound TRP.” However, the research-ers were unable to separate the NTRPs from each other, so the study included using density func-tional theory to determine the compounds’ structures. “I have always had a love for

organic chemistry, so I enjoyed synthesizing the com-pounds,” Nolan said. “However, I think what I enjoyed most was presenting our research to the world.” Onchoke, Nolan and Parks presented their research findings at the 2009 Regional Undergraduate Chemistry Symposium held at Rice University in Houston. “I had never been to a scientific symposium quite like that before, and I was surprised to be given ‘Honor-ary Mention’ for the work that I presented,” Nolan said. They also co-authored three manuscripts, one of which was published in a major scientific journal. A sec-ond is scheduled to be published this spring. “While conducting the research, our undergraduate students gain critical thinking skills and are able to add to their résumés that they wrote papers and presented the research data and findings,” Onchoke said. “Because we encourage and train our students to write their research papers according to the American Chemical Society standards, the papers are worthy of being published in national publications.” Nolan said that, although the days are long and tir-ing, there is “nothing quite like making a discovery and knowing that you did your job well.” ✯

NOLAN

“I have always had a love for organic chemistry, so I enjoyed synthesizing the compounds.”

Lab Work By Robin Johnson

Students research damaging toxins

Sawdust10

. . . students are achieving their educational goals while continuing their

everyday lives.

Busy Lifestyles and College Coursework Meet Online

By Kayli Steger

SOMEWHERE BE-TWEEN TEE-BALL practice and taekwon-do lessons, mother of six Rhae Lamb of Colorado City, Texas, finally did something for herself. She recent-

ly earned her Bachelor of Science degree via online courses at SFA and can now fulfill her dream of becom-ing a certified classroom teacher. Lamb is one of a growing num-

ber of SFA students tak-ing advantage of fully online program offer-ings that are changing the way that students experience higher education. The flexibility and ac-cessibility of the

programs allow students to continue their full-time jobs, raise a family or meet any number of other respon-sibilities that may make attending traditional classes impossible. “Online learning allows stu-dents an opportunity to attain their

educational goals rather than postpone or

cancel them,” said Dr. Gail Weath-erly, distance education co-ordinator in SFA’s Office of Instruc-tional Tech-

nology. From the

transition track R.N. to the B.S.N. nursing program to an innovative master’s program in music educa-tion, students are achieving their educational goals while continuing their everyday lives. Nearly 1,000 of SFA’s 12,029 students are enrolled in online-only programs. About 30 faculty mem-bers per year complete a thorough professional development program to prepare themselves to develop and teach online courses, joining the more than 200 professors currently meeting the demand. “There has been a very positive reaction from the faculty, and they are eager to engage in new forms of instruction that allow them to move beyond the traditional classroom,” Weatherly said. A new program that is expected to grow quickly is the national Head Start Degree Completer program, which allows Head Start teachers to obtain their newly mandated bach-elor’s degrees fully online. “This program has tremendous national potential for Head Start teachers and is an attractive option because they are able to continue working,” Weatherly said. The forestry department’s master’s program in resource in-terpretation is the only program of its kind in the nation and came about through an exclusive ar-rangement with the National Park Service. The program attracts stu-dents from across the country, from Yosemite National Park rangers

to resource interpreters at historic U.S. landmarks. Online course offerings that are not program specific also are growing quickly, with more than 30 courses being developed per year. About 25 percent of SFA students were enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2009. That number is expected to rise in the coming years as more core curriculum courses are being offered online. “SFA ONLINE provides stu-dents access to education in a way that fits their lifestyle,” said Dr. Randy McDonald, director of the Office of Instructional Technology. “There has been a pent-up de-mand to access education in this way, and students are flocking to this learner-centered environment.” For more information about SFA’s online courses and programs, visit sfaonline.sfasu.edu. ✯

Spring 2010 11

SEVERAL RESEARCH ASSOCI-ATE grants named in honor of Tex-as educators have recently been created within the SFA Depart-ment of Elementary Education. A fund established by the

James I. Perkins Family Founda-tion will distribute grants each year

in memory of three Perkins family members, all former educators. James I.

Perkins’ sister, Marylyn Perkins Buie, served as assistant dean of women at the University of Houston and taught in the Houston Independent School District. His cousin, Wilma Perkins Jorgensen, was a principal and teacher in the Houston ISD. And his mother, Morinne T. Perkins, was a high school English, speech and drama teacher in Tyler, Waco and Seymour. The first three Perkins Family Foundation grants were distributed last spring to a total of five faculty members who were selected based on an application and description of their planned research. Receiving the Marylyn Perkins Buie grant is elementary education instructor Claudia Whitley. She is studying how the dispositions of teacher candidates are identified and assessed by colleges and universities and how they are impacted in teacher education programs. Instructor Dawn Michelle Williams received the first Wilma Perkins Jorgensen grant. Her research focus-es on teacher empathy, including how it affects students’ perceived level of care, the factors that contribute to the development of empathy and what specific actions occur in classrooms of teachers with high levels of empathy. The Morrine T. Perkins grant was awarded to Drs. Jeanie Gresham, Carolyn Davis and Kimberly Welsh, all

Research associate grant recipients, standing from left, are: Kimberly Welsh, Carolyn Davis, Alan Sowards and Sandra McCune. Seated from left are: Jeanie Gresham, Claudia Whitley, Michelle Williams and Vi Alexander.

assistant professors of elementary education. Their study examines the distinguishing practices leading to exem-plary student performance at the SFA University Char-ter School and a review of lab settings in the College of Education serving early childhood students. Two additional research grants for elementary education faculty members were established last fall in the names of Cheryl Patterson Athey and Jerry Bryce Blackwell. Athey taught children and col-lege labs in the SFA University Kinder-garten and the SFA Early Childhood Lab for a total of 36 years. She shared her pas-sion for teaching young children through professional development workshops for early childhood teachers and caregivers. Blackwell, an SFA alumna, helped develop the Henderson Independent School District’s kindergarten program and served as a teacher and princi-pal for 14 years. She was an expert in the field of special education for young children and was instrumental in developing Henderson’s special-needs program for pre-kindergarten and kindergarten children. The Cheryl Patterson Athey grant was awarded to Dr. Alan Sowards, professor of elementary education, to research wetland adventures. Drs. Sandra McCune and Vi Alexander, also professors of elementary education, were the recipients of the Jerry Bryce Blackwell grant. They are researching the elementary education admis-sions test and its impact on elementary education majors. Anyone interested in funding other research grants within the Early Childhood Research Center is encour-aged to contact the SFA Office of Development. ✯

New Grants Fund Education ResearchBy Amy Roquemore

Sawdust12

FORMER TEXAS POET Lau-reate Larry D. Thomas has donated his archives to Steen

Library, providing SFA creative writing students and other research-ers a unique opportunity to study the development of a working profes-sional writer. The collection includes all of Thomas’ poems to date – 2,753 to be exact – along with notes and drafts, correspondence with edi-tors, videos of his poetry readings, and hundreds of literary journals in which his work has been published. The materials will be stored in the East Texas Research Center on the second floor of the library. “This will be a real treasure trove for our students, graduate stu-dents in particular,” said Dr. John McDermott, assistant professor of creative writing at SFA. “We really appreciate Larry’s generosity, and since he still has much of his career ahead of him, the value of this col-lection will only increase over time.” In April 2007, Thomas was named the 2008 Texas Poet Laure-ate by the state legislature. He was inducted into the Texas Institute of Letters in April 2009. “Like all writers, I have had my creative highs and lows,” the award-winning poet said recently. “I have been a pretty prolific poet, but many of my poems are just writing exer-cises at best – very rudimentary. But

I thought even those may help the students of literature and creative writing trace my career over time and perhaps help their own develop-ment in the process.” McDermott agreed, saying part of the value of the collection lies in the evidence of hard work that doesn’t always pay off right away. “A lot of students think suc-cessful writers are just inspired by a muse or a lightning bolt strikes, and – boom – this wonderful work ap-pears,” he said. “From Larry’s col-lection, they will see that some of his poems literally took years to write.” Thomas said he had been con-sidering where to place his papers for some time, but ultimately decided to make the gift to SFA, in part because of his appreciation for its award-winning literary magazine, REAL: Regarding Arts & Letters, to which he has been a longtime contributor. “I’ve long admired SFA and what it has done in the areas of fine arts and with literature,” Thomas said. “My papers have just been col-lecting dust here in the safe and in the attic, so I thought why not put them to some better use? “Hopefully SFA students will now be able to learn a lot from por-ing over this stuff. And if my work serves to inspire more students to write, well, that’s what it’s all about for me.” ✯

Award-winning poet’s archives now available for student research

THOMAS

Poetic GestureBy Amy Roquemore

Library student assistant Natalie Abel of Alvin displays some of Larry Thomas’ papers before archiving them in the East Texas Research Center.

Phot

o by

Leo

Wal

tz

A reception marking the official opening of the Larry Thomas collection is scheduled for 4 to 6 p.m. Thursday, April 15, at the ETRC on the second floor of Steen Library. A reading and book signing will follow at 7 p.m. at the Cole Art Center @ The Old Opera House in downtown Nacogdoches.

Sawdust

Spring 2010 13

SFA’s Center for a Livable World will sponsor an executive workshop on sustainability, titled “Toward a Livable World,” June 1-3 in the state capitol building in Austin. Co-sponsors for the event include the global information company IHS Inc. and Frost Bank. High-profile participants from around the world will create a set of recommendations about the road-map to a livable future. A dinner will be held the evening of June 2, and the preliminary recommenda-tions will be revealed. The Center for a Livable World is part of SFA’s College of Liberal & Applied Arts, and the college’s fac-ulty will guide discussions at the workshop. To reserve a seat or corpo-rate table, contact Dixie Groll at (936) 468-2803. More information about the executive workshop can be found on the event’s Web site: laa.sfasu.edu/livableworld/work-shop.html.

ECENTLY, AN UNFAMILIAR visitor entered Steen Library, but he wasn’t there to study or check out a book.

Instead, he went from floor to floor, staring at the overhead fixtures, jotting notes on a clipboard and taking light readings on a hand-held meter. Across campus, another curious guest was spotted in a restroom, flushing all the toilets and turning on all the sinks. The visitors were engineers from Siemens, a leading company in envi-ronmental services and technology, who were on campus to conduct a de-tailed energy audit of SFA. The Board of Regents hired the company to iden-tify opportunities for greater environ-mental sustainability, energy conserva-tion and savings, and to help establish SFA as one of the leading Texas univer-sities in creating a “greener” campus. “It’s more than saving money on energy; it’s a new mindset on operat-ing an institution,” said Bob Garrett of Tyler, chairman of the building and grounds committee of the Board of Regents. “According to The Princeton Review, 60 percent of students consider campuses’ environmental initiatives when selecting which college to attend. The whole country is moving in this di-rection, and it’s the right thing to do.” The energy audit by Siemens in-volved a team of engineers, all special-ists in their fields, working on campus for several weeks. Engineers who spe-cialize in lighting walked through ev-ery building, making note of each light fixture and measuring its output and ef-ficiency on a light meter.

Other engineers examined the air conditioning, while water engineers evaluated the sinks, toilets and sprin-

kler systems. Each group de-signed replacements and rec-

SFA takes big step toward higher energy efficiency

ommended upgrades that would make the university more energy efficient. “The university’s staff helped us understand how the buildings needed to operate and where problems were, and they came up with some great sug-gestions,” said Chad Nobles, an energy and environmental solutions account executive for Siemens. One of the best ideas came from SFA employees, who suggested adding a small second boiler to operate when one of the larger boil-ers isn’t needed. “We found SFA to be about av-erage for an institution of its size and age,” Nobles said. The next step will be to imple-ment the changes, which are as simple as converting to more energy efficient light bulbs and as complicated as up-grading the university’s heating and cooling equipment. The university has applied for low-interest loans through the Texas State Comptroller’s Office to fund the project. “The university will utilize the en-ergy savings, reallocate the funds paid to a utility company, and use them to pay off the loans used for the study and for all the infra-structure upgrades,” he said. Once the university has the loans, it will take about a year for the entire project to be completed. Siemens will continue to monitor the energy effi-ciency of SFA and report its findings to the uni-versity and to the state’s energy office. “We want to make sure all this is working, that SFA is saving energy and money, and that the university re-mains a leader in sustainabil-ity,” Nobles said. ✯

By Bob Wright

Sawdust14

&

Artful EXCHANGEUniversities mold friendship through ceramics programs

By Amy Roquemore

Spring 2010 15

A VISIT SIX YEARS ago to the state university in Chihua-hua City, Mexico, by SFA ceramics professor Piero Fenci has led to a robust artistic and cultural exchange between

the two institutions and fostered a burgeoning contemporary artist scene now spreading throughout northern Mexico. Fenci originally traveled to la Universidad Autonoma de Chihuahua in 2004 to serve for a month as a guest lecturer. Once he arrived, he found there was no ceramics program at the university, so he rolled up his sleeves and went to work building one from scratch. It was to be the first program of its kind in the state of Chihuahua. “I have had the amazing privilege of building a ceramics program here at SFA since 1975, and to get the opportunity to do the same thing in a developing country has truly been one of the highlights of my professional life,” the professor said. Two Mexican art students were so inspired by Fenci and his work that they followed the professor back to SFA. Adan Saenz graduated in spring 2008 with a Master of Fine Arts and has since returned to the university in Chihuahua as the head of the ceramics program Fenci started. Last year, Saenz re-ceived the Chihuahua Prize, an award given every three years to the most promising young sculptor in the state. Another student, Kira Enriquez, earned her M.F.A. at SFA last year and is now completing a post-graduate fellowship at SFA, teaching ceramics full time. Fenci has returned to work and teach in Mexico several times, most recently in November to oversee the construction of a new kiln he designed for the ceramics program there. It is the only high-fire, down-draft kiln located in northern Mexico and will be “revolutionary” to the program, he said. “Before Piero came here, we had no ceramics program whatsoever,” Saenz said. “But with his help and some very good grants we have been able to earn the last couple of years, the program is now flourishing, and our students are very ex-cited about the changes that are taking place.” According to Enriquez, the artistic landscape of northern Mexico is also undergoing a significant change due to the in-fluence of Fenci and his students. Until recently, ceramic art in the area has been mostly limited to the reiteration of tradi-tional, indigenous pottery.

“The idea of contemporary ceramic art is something new in the area, and it is very exciting to be a part of this cultural change,” she said. In recognition of his influence in the region, Fenci will have a solo exhibition this summer at Museo Casa Chihuahua, the state museum located in Chihuahua City. The museum is charged by the Mexican constitution with the conservation and promulgation of the cultural patrimony of northern Mexico. “Since the beginning of my program, students there have begun showing work that can be cat-egorized as contemporary, addressing issues deal-ing with life in the present, not in the past,” Fenci said. “According to the director of the museum in Chihuahua, my exhibition will symbolize this new vision of ceramic art that is coming to fruition.” Fenci was granted a faculty leave in fall 2009 so that he could create a body of work to display in the museum. About 20 of his ceramic pieces will be exhibited, along with some of his drawings based on the three-dimensional works. Both Fenci and Saenz, his counterpart at la UACH, say they are looking forward to expanding the student exchange between the two universities. There are plans for SFA to send students to study ceramics in Mexico, as well as to host additional art students from Mexico. “The most exciting part of this whole story is the fact that students from our two countries are now learning from each other and spreading that knowledge among their peers, which can only en-rich them all both as artists and as human beings,” Fenci said. “For me to have played a part in that is rewarding beyond any measure.” ✯

left Fenci at home in Appleby

right Art brushes and an owl sculpture adorn Fenci’s studio.

opposite page Fenci creates a sculpture for exhibition.

Sawdust16

IN 23 YEARS as a Southland Con-ference member, the Lumberjack football team has won three cham-pionships in three different decades: 1989, 1999 and 2009. With such a long wait between titles, those who witnessed all three were left with unique impressions of the seasons and their impact on the university and community. By all accounts, the 1989 cam-paign, despite marking SFA’s first-ever Southland Conference title, was the least surprising champion-ship season. The Lumberjacks were coming off a record-setting 1988 season that saw them reach the

quarterfinals of the NCAA Division I-AA playoffs. “There was some incredible tal-ent on that football team,” SFA Ath-letic Director Robert Hill said. Hill was the sports information director during the first champion-ship season. The 1989 season was the first under head coach Lynn Graves, and SFA had completely changed its offense during the off-season. “That team was way ahead of the curve,” Hill said. “We spread it out and threw the ball like crazy.” The result was a high-scoring unit that set multiple school records on the way to a Southland champi-

onship and a playoff run that went all the way to the national title game. As the yards and wins piled up, the ’Jacks and their wide-open offense began getting attention, both locally and in the state and national media. The demand for access was so high, Hill had to expand the media seating area in the press box that season. Among the writers jockey-ing for position was the young sports editor of the The Daily Sentinel, Kevin Gore. “The backing of the team was unbelievable,” he said. “The atmo-sphere in the community was great.” Vice President for University

By Brian Ross

sfa football championships leave lasting impressions

Spring 2010 17

Affairs Steve Westbrook was direc-tor of student activities at the time and had a hand in building student support for the ’89 team. To help students root on the ’Jacks without breaking the bank, a bus trip to the national title game against Georgia Southern was organized. The bus went straight to Statesboro, Ga., and straight back after the game, stop-ping only for fuel and food. “We called it the ‘48-Hour, No-Shower Special,’” Westbrook said. “The bus was full, and we had a waiting list of people hoping others wouldn’t show up.” The ’Jacks lost the title game but were welcomed back like heroes with a crowd turning out to greet the team buses with a rally. “At the time, we were rolling, and everybody around here felt like there was no reason we couldn’t do this every year,” Hill said. The following season SFA went 1-10. The team didn’t post a winning record again until 1993 and didn’t return to the playoffs until earn-ing an at-large bid in 1995. While the Lumberjacks were competitive in the Southland Conference in the late ’90s, that second league title re-mained elusive until the 1999 season. That year, SFA was coming off a 3-8 record and had just hired head coach Mike Santiago. The ’Jacks shocked everyone with an improbable turnaround, going 8-3 and tying for the Southland title. The celebration

was muted since, due to league tie-breaker policy, SFA was not given the conference’s automatic playoff bid and failed to earn an at-large berth. “That was a team that was un-der the radar,” Gore said. “Nobody expected them to win it just because they were a team with a new coach going in a new direction.” Hill remembers the ’99 squad as “more of a blue-collar team.” “We lost some games up front, but we came together late. We had some talented kids, but nothing like that ’89 team,” he said. The buzz generated by the ’99 team was likewise toned down from that of the squad of a decade earlier. “Toward the end of the year, it became obvious that [winning the conference] was a possibility,” Westbrook said. “We kind of snuck up on a championship, and it was a little anti-climactic because nothing happened afterward with us getting left out of the playoffs.” SFA would be left out for the next 10 years. Despite several strong starts, the ’Jacks were unable to fin-ish off a conference title run or earn a playoff berth. After the second coaching change in two years, the ’Jacks hit rock bottom in 2007 with a winless 0-11 campaign in J.C. Harp-er’s first season as head coach. The team rebounded slightly with a 4-8 record the following year, but that performance didn’t pre-pare anyone for what was to come

in 2009. The Southland preseason polls projected a fifth-place finish for the ’Jacks. “I know the team had high ex-pectations for this year, but my opti-mism was kind of tempered,” Gore said. “I guess I had to see it to be-lieve it.” The ’Jacks turned plenty of doubters into believers in 2009. They went 10-3 and earned a share of the league title with a 6-1 confer-ence record. The Lumberjacks took the Southland’s automatic playoff bid and won their first playoff game in 14 years. “This year was the most sur-prising run of the three,” Hill said. “We came in with four wins in two years, but we had a coach with a vi-sion who believed in the system and stuck with it.” The ’Jacks finished the sea-son ranked among the top 10 in all four major national FCS polls, led the nation in passing yardage and touchdown passes, and boasted 12 All-America selections. With that kind of a record, it’s a safe bet that SFA fans won’t have to wait another 10 years for a football title. Some SFA traditions are made to be broken. ✯

opposite page The 2009 Lumberjack football team celebrates the Southland Conference championship with the Chief Caddo trophy.

above 1999 players relish their conference victory.

left The 1989 Lumberjack football team

The ’Jacks turned plenty of doubters into believers in 2009.

Sawdust18

that they are just freshmen, and that there will be times when they look like they cannot be beaten and then times when the concen-tration and intensity is lacking,” Cramer said. “But the consistency of bringing out those characteristics will come with time and maturity.”

Cramer learned those winning characteristics during her days as an SFA Ladyjack volleyball play-er from 2003 to 2006. She was named the Southland Conference Player of the Year in 2005 and helped the Ladyjacks to three con-secutive league titles and the pro-gram’s first-ever win in the NCAA Tournament in 2006. “Coach (Debbie) Humphreys taught me everything,” Cra-mer said. “She is one of the most successful coaches in the Southland Conference, and it is a plus to be able to learn from someone like that and use her as a reference when needed.” ✯

WHEN LAURA CRAMER was hired as SFA’s first

women’s bowling coach and asked to build the program from the ground up, instant success was an afterthought rather than an as-sumed reality. Today you will find the La-

dyjacks knocking on the door of the National Tenpins Coaches As-sociation national ranking after knocking off a number of national-ly ranked teams in their first three months of existence. “It’s been fun so far,” Cramer said. “We are obviously still a long way from where we want to be, but we have made some serious strides in a short time. We have

picked up some wins over some big names, which has given us a lot of confidence to not be intimi-dated whenever we see the ‘Ne-braska’ or ‘Vanderbilt’ or someone like that on an opponent’s shirt.” So far, the Ladyjacks have managed to pick up a pair of wins

over reigning national-champion Nebraska, while racking up near-ly a dozen victories over teams ranked in the top 10 in the national poll. Even more impressive is that SFA has picked up those wins with a roster of seven true freshmen who were bowling while taking high school classes just a year ago. “The girls are growing up, but I have to remind myself every day

Spring 2010 19

THE AUTHOR ROBERT C. Gallagher wrote, “Change is inevitable – except from a vending ma-

chine.” Nowhere is this statement more true (sadly, on both accounts) than on a college campus. Colleges and universities have always had a paradoxical relationship with change. We owe much of our lore and storied tradi-tions to the past, and yet institutions of higher education are often on the forefront of dramatic technological and social change. Perhaps our romance for the past is driven by how often we are living in the future. Colleges are in the business of change. Students en-roll at a university because they desire to be changed, al-though many will not recognize this until later. The differ-ence between the uncertainty and timidity of a freshman at summer orientation versus the confident senior who strides across the dais with an SFA diploma in hand is monumental. When alumni come back to visit campus for home-coming or other events, the change in the university is usually apparent. New buildings stand where others used to be, busy streets become attractive plazas and the signs of changes yet to come are present everywhere. But how often do we stop to think about how much we have changed since we roamed the hallways of SFA as a learner? We are changing in the same way the university is. Yesterday’s curiosities become tomorrow’s masteries. Our dreams and goals become our practical ambitions. We grow in ways that our former selves could not even have imagined. Helping today’s SFA students recognize the enor-mousness of the change that is occurring within them is an essential element in their learning and an important

part of our educational mission. Each year in April, my department hosts a “Week of Reflection,” which encour-ages students to think about all they have learned in the previous year and how it has changed them. We ask stu-dents questions like, “How did you make a difference with what you learned this year?” and, “Can you think of a time when something you learned explained or clarified something you did not previously understand?” These are big questions, but our students are up to the challenge. As they tackle these and other questions like them, they often find that the purpose of their education goes beyond the diploma they earn at the end, and that it is the process of education that is most beneficial. George Bernard Shaw once wrote that the only wise man he knew was his tailor because “…he takes my mea-surements anew each time he sees me. The rest go on with their old measurements and expect me to fit them.” Like the opening quote in this article, this may resonate with the reader in more than one way. Growth around the waistline will tend to accumu-late with age at a rate some-times faster than wisdom. But no matter how long ago those days were, when we look back to pictures of ourselves in our younger days when all the world seemed new, we can consider how much those days have contributed to the measure of the person we have become. ✯

Vista Viewpoint

Dr. Adam Peckdean of student affairs

By Dr. Adam Peck

The Changing Nature of Higher Education

Sawdust20

IT WAS THE fall of 2002 when, in a stroke of fate, or luck, or genius, SFA cinematography professor Bill Arscott paired Phillip Guzman ’05 and Philip Roy ’06 together for the first as-signment – shooting a short black-and-white film with no sound. Looking back on that initial endeavor, Roy said he and Guzman didn’t immediately click. “However, despite all of our opposites and through our really, really, raw talents, we ended up working well together.”

Spring 2010 21

Sawdust22

The men continued the partnership through their college careers, de-veloping their individual strengths in filmmaking – Guzman as writ-

er/director and Roy as cinematog-rapher. Their efforts were rewarded with Guzman’s senior thesis film, The Gulf, being named a finalist in the 2005 International Student Film Festival in Hollywood. In 2009, their independent film Desdémona: A Love Story received three major awards at the Boston Film Festival – Best Actor (Jorge A. Jimenez), Best Cinematography and Best Feature Film. It was also named Best Feature Film at the Na-ples International Film Festival. The captivating and tragic story follows a Mexican immigrant (played by Jimenez) as he reflects on his kidnapping of a past love for money to bury his American father figure. Guzman and Roy are currently negotiating with several compa-nies about a limited theatrical run for Desdémona and for distribution through DVDs. In addition, they’re working to get a different film into distribution while another is being edited, and two or three more are in preproduction.

“It’s nice to know where we came from and to see where we are right now,” Guzman said. “We’re getting offers for multi-million dol-lar projects now.” Both men applaud the training they received at SFA, particularly the number of assignments they were required to complete. “Unlike at UT, where it’s two years before you even pick up a cam-era, at SFA the first thing we did was start shooting a short film,” Roy said. Guzman added that Arscott, di-rector of SFA’s cinematography pro-gram, does a great job of preparing his students to endure the toughness of the film industry. “Like an NCAA football coach who readies his play-ers for the NFL, Arscott prepared us to be in Hollywood, to be with the sharks out there. I understand now why he was so hard on us, why he’d tell us, ‘Not good enough. . . . If this is all you’ve got, you’re not going to make it. . . . Do it again . . . Do it again.’” In turn, Arscott said Guzman and Roy’s willingness to promote their work, to make connections and to take risks is an integral part of their success. Even before they left SFA, the men knew they’d be taking the risky route to begin their career. As Roy said, “Instead of playing it safe and trying to work our way up the lad-der in Hollywood (which could take years), we’d run and gun and make our own movie.” Sure enough, after graduat-ing, they made Lawless, financing it completely on their own with a budget of just under $7,000. It was accepted into a Hollywood film fes-tival and seen by producer James LaMarr. He liked what he saw so much that he produced Desdémona. At the same festival, the film-makers met Mick Rossi, who later starred in and co-wrote with Guz-man both 2:22 and A Kiss and a Promise.

Guzman and Roy’s story is full of similar domino effects. Contacts they make while shooting or pro-moting one film lead to an opportu-nity for another film, another con-tact, and so on. That doesn’t mean that success has come easily for the two men. As owners of their own small film com-pany, they each perform a multitude of jobs, and their limited budgets and equipment packages require them to be creative problem solvers. Guzman and Roy share the les-sons they’ve learned with SFA film students whenever they find them-selves back in Nacogdoches. They answer questions, share helpful pro-duction hints and techniques, and

stress the rough road ahead to the aspiring filmmakers. “We let them know that it will be rough, but you can make it,” Roy said. “It’s just not going to be a pret-ty ride; it never is.” While Guzman and Roy haven’t completely “made it” themselves yet, they’re thriving on the challenge of doing so. They acknowledge that with each film, they are becoming better filmmak-ers and feel that they’re definitely on track toward having their work on the silver screen. ✯

“It’s just not going to be a pretty ride; it never is.”

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Spring 2010 23

Alumni NewsGOLF

UpcomingEvents

CHAPTERSCAMPUS

APRIL10 TKE Alumni Scholarship Tourna-

ment, Woodland Hills Golf Club, Nacogdoches

MAY7 Coach Maco Stewart Reunion

and Golf Tournament, Alpine Golf Course, Longview

21 Houston Alumni Golf Tourna-ment, Wildcat Golf Club, Houston

27 SFA Band Scholarship Golf Tournament, Eagles Bluff Golf Course, Bullard

JUNE4 Lettermen’s Association Golf

Tournament, location TBA

7 Tyler Alumni Golf Tournament, Holly Tree Golf Club, Tyler

26 Cally Belcher Memorial Golf Tournament, Blake Tree Golf Course, Montgomery

AUGUST6 Longview Chapter/East Texas

Exes Golf Tournament, Wood Hollow Golf Club, Longview

APRIL30 African American Chapter

Reunion, Nacogdoches

MAY1 African American Chapter

Reunion, Nacogdoches

JUNE5 San Antonio Chapter at Missions

baseball game, San Antonio

AUGUST7 San Antonio Chapter Freshman

Send-Off Party, University Bowl, San Antonio

10 Longview Chapter Freshman Send-Off Party, Papacita’s, Longview

15 Dallas Alumni Chapter Fresh-man Send-off Party, Dallas

15 Houston Chapter Freshman Send-Off Party, Home of Sean and Katy Guerre, Houston

APRIL23 Alumni Association Board of

Directors meeting, Pearman Alumni Center

24 SFA Football Spring Scrimmage

24 Student Foundation Mud Bugs & Mud Balls

MAY3 Senior Send-Off, Sports Shack,

Nacogdoches

7 Big Dip Mentor Ring Ceremony, Grand Ballroom

15 SFA Graduation, Johnson Coli-seum

JUNE1 Alumni Awards deadline for

Distinguished Professor, Out-standing Young Alumnus and Distinguished Alumnus

JULY30 SFA Alumni Coaches Luncheon,

Nacogdoches

AUGUST31 Welcome Week Cookout, Pear-

man Alumni Center

SaturdaySeptember 4, 2010

SaturdayOctober 23, 2010

@Texas A&M @Reliant Stadiumvs vs

LumberjackFootballSAVE THE DATES

*Times and dates are subject to change. Visit www. sfaalumni.com for the most recent information.

Sawdust24

FELLOW LUMBERJACKS, I hope you and your family are having a great spring and that 2010 has already

brought you many blessings from above. You are sure to enjoy the new style of Sawdust magazine as we partner with the university to keep you up to date with all the activities and accomplishments taking place at SFA. With all the new building projects such as our state-of-the-art Richard and Lucille DeWitt School of Nursing, which opened in January, our university continues to be at the forefront of higher education. We enjoyed another re-cord enrollment with 12,029 students this spring – the highest spring enrollment in the school’s history. The value of an SFA degree is at an all-time high! Your SFA Alumni Association is here to serve you and to encourage you to pro-mote SFA in your community. We want you to come back to campus and see for yourself what is going on so you can be an informed ambassador for your alma mater. A great time

to visit campus and see why we are all so proud to be Lumberjacks would be Home-coming, Oct. 29-30. At the association, we talk about “the power of one” because we believe one person can make a difference. Are you that one? Get involved with your local SFA alumni chapter, promote an SFA event, play in an SFA golf tourna-ment, help start a scholarship, talk to a student about YOUR alma mater or just wear purple! The alumni staff is always available to discuss the best way for you to be reunited with your university as a valuable member of our association. In addition to Homecoming on the 30th, please mark your calendar for Saturday, Sept. 4, when your Lumberjacks take on Texas A&M in College Station. On Satur-day, Oct. 23, we will conquer the Bearkats at Reliant Stadium in the Battle of the Piney Woods! I will be happy to help you and your family any way I can, so do not hesitate to contact me.

Here to serve my fellow Lumberjacks, Chuck Tomberlain ’84 903.445.2943

From the Association

Your SFA Alumni Association is here to serve you and to encourage you to promote SFA in your community.

Chuck Tomberlain ’84President, SFA Alumni

Association

SFA ALUMNI ASSOCIATIONOFFICERS

Chuck Tomberlain ’84 - presidentCurtis Sparks ’85 - president-electMike Harbordt ’63 - past president

ASSOCIATION BOARDWendy Buchanan ’85

Don Cox ’71 & ’76Robin Dawley ’77Ryan Emmons ’03

Karen Gantt ’95Doris Havard

Ron Hunt ’91 & ’94Kent Hutchison ’92

Don Keasler ’61Katie Nelms ’05

Susan Roberds ’75Roger Robinson ’92Phillip Scherrer ’99Steve Whitbeck ’75

Chris Woelfel ’95Student Government Association

Courtney Harvey ’10Student Foundation Association

Cole Tomberlain ’11

SFA ALUMNI FOUNDATION GOVERNORS

Mike Harbordt ’63 - ChairmanBrad Bays ’91

Lewie Byers ’68Ford Cartwright ’69

Shirley Crawford ’58 & ’70James Hamilton ’77

Andy Mills ’91Bill Roberds ’75

Chuck Tomberlain ’84

SFA ALUMNI ASSOCIATION STAFFJeff Davis ’02

executive director of alumni affairs(Fundraising)

Rhonda Minton ’90 & ’99director of marketing & membership(Legislative Affairs & Public Relations)

Mitzi Blackburndirector of alumni activities

(Activities & Events)

Katy Crawfordassistant to the executive director

of alumni affairs(Operations)

Rhonda Crim-Tumelsoncommunication coordinator

Emily Payne ’99 & ’01chapter coordinator

Beverly Smith ’96accountant

(Finance)

Alicia Roland Chatmangifts & records specialist

Mo Davis ’09scholarship coordinator

Spring 2010 25

SFA graduate on top of her game

with bingo newspaper

ByAmy Roquemore

Sawdust26

“HOW ARE YOU doing tonight? Would you like a paper?” Kemp asks as she passes out the latest issue of Bingo Gossip to players settling in at the tables to wait for the games to start. “Good luck to y’all.” The spiky-haired 2005 gradu-ate is the publisher, editor, reporter, ad sales representative and circula-tion manager of the monthly tabloid newspaper for bingo enthusiasts she founded shortly after earning her communication degree. The free publication, which Kemp dubbed “The Voice of Texas Bingo,” in-cludes player features, horoscopes, jokes, guest columns, recipes, word puzzles and ads for bingo halls across the state. “It’s designed to be lightheart-ed, uplifting – and, yes, a little bit nosey – offering a peek into the

P layers start to trickle in as the sun sets behind

the retro arch and lighted sign at Town East Bingo in Mesquite, and 28-year-old SFA alumna Missy Mouser Kemp is already inside working the room.

lives of some of the wonderful and unique people who play bingo in Texas,” the Mesquite native said of her newspaper. “A lot of people my age aren’t reading anymore, which is sad. But my target market does not use the Internet as much and is still inter-ested in jokes and gossip columns and stuff like that. They also spend a lot of time in bingo halls, so they have time to do a crossword puzzle or read a horoscope. They just eat this stuff up, especially the jokes.” Kemp said she had dreamed of starting her own newspaper since she was a little girl. As she ap-proached SFA graduation, a friend who had once been a bingo caller suggested creating a publication that catered to the bingo crowd. While she was skeptical at first, the mar-

Spring 2010 27

The game of Bingo can be traced back to 1530, to an Italian lottery called “Lo Giuoco del Lotto D’Italia,” which is still played every Saturday in Italy.

keting research Kemp conducted in East Texas bingo halls soon con-vinced her that the idea had merit. “I really just played a lot of bingo to get the feel for the environ-ment and the kind of people who play the game and what things they are interested in reading about,” she recalled. “I talked to the operators and learned how the games work. Everyone I met was very friendly and welcoming, and I decided to give it a go.” Three thousand copies of the first issue of Bingo Gossip were printed in December 2005. Kemp personally delivered them and subsequent editions to bingo halls and other businesses throughout East Texas, racking up thousands of miles in her Ford Focus. That first issue contained 12 pages and just one ad, which Kemp sweet-talked out of the benevolent owner of a Longview bin-go hall for a discounted rate. The next month’s issue contained three ads, and Bingo Gossip was off and running. “It generated a buzz, and people were talking about it to their friends and sending them to their relatives. Pretty soon, people were sending me their jokes, and the advertisers were returning my calls.” Bingo Gossip’s circulation has since grown to more than 20,000, with separate editions serving Cen-tral and South Texas and the Dallas-Fort Worth area. “Bingo haulin’,” which is how Kemp refers to the long-distance deliveries, is now done in a second-hand van that can handle the growing payload. While on the road, Kemp makes time to call on potential advertisers and vis-

it with readers like 86-year-old Eve Brice, a regular at Town East Bingo. “I love reading Bingo Gos-sip because it’s a happy paper,” said Brice, still all smiles at having won the jackpot the previous night. “There are no accidents or murders in there like you see on TV, just a lot of things to make you smile.” Kemp says her SFA classes and her experience working on the staff of the student newspaper, The Pine Log, gave her both the skills and the confidence to embark on the venture

fresh out of college. “Missy really

dug in and learned the publishing business

while she worked as an advertising representat ive, and eventually advertising man-ager, for The Pine Log,” said Pat Spence, di-rector of student

publications at SFA. “After gradu-

ation, she made her own breaks and found a

niche where she could put her skills and talents to use do-

ing something she loved. That’s ex-actly what we hope all our students will do – use their education at SFA to do something they truly enjoy.” While Kemp is thrilled with the early success of Bingo Gossip, she is already thinking of the next chal-lenge. “Eventually, I want to franchise Bingo Gossip – maybe have a Geor-gia Bingo Gossip or a Florida Bingo Gossip or a Casino Gossip or a Golf Gossip or a Women’s Gossip – I have plenty of ideas. I would love for it to become a household name, and I hope I’m still doing this 40 years from now.” ✯

Sawdust28

The Bill Davis and Shirley Crawford Nursing Scholarship

The Bill Davis and Shirley Crawford Nursing Scholarship benefits a junior or senior nursing major. It was created in honor of Crawford ’58 & ’70, Davis’ constant companion, for her dedication and many years of service to SFA. Crawford is past-president of the SFA Alumni Association and the SFA Alumni Founda-tion. She has served on the boards since 1992 and still serves as a member of the Foundation Board. Bill Davis of Henderson was born in Grand Saline in 1925. He faithfully served his country in the U.S. Army during World War II. For more than 50 years, he served the Henderson area as a funeral director for Crawford-Crim Funeral Home. Davis’ service to his community and his church were well known. He was a member of First Christian Church of Henderson where he served as deacon, worked to keep the garden area beautiful and delivered Meals on Wheels. Davis was active in the Henderson Lions Club, the Masonic Lodge and the Shrine. He was known for his dependability, humble spirit and abiding presence.

The Donald Wayne Barnett Memorial Scholarship

The Donald Wayne Barnett Memorial Scholarship benefits a resident or native of select Texas cities and counties or a student with financial need. The scholarship honors a man who felt deep gratitude for his SFA education and wanted others to have the chances he did. His family and friends established the scholarship to benefit people like him. Don Barnett ’62 & ’64 was born on a farm on the blackland prairie of North Central Texas in 1935 and graduated from Kerens High School, where he excelled in football. He began dating Patricia Ander-son in 1956. The Barnetts marked their 52nd wedding anniversary in 2009. Don worked as a roughneck before taking more regular work in Nacogdoches to support his growing family. He earned a B.A and M.A. from SFA while working full time. He managed cafeterias at SFA until retiring in 1997. Don en-joyed spending time with his children and grandchildren, visiting old friends in Kerens and Corsicana, and finding lost treasures.

The Colvert Family Music Scholarship

The Colvert Family Music Scholarship benefits a music major or minor and is named for the family of Carroll Colvert ’51 of Dallas, who was a student conductor of the SFA band. He attended SFA on a mu-sic scholarship. While completing his master’s degree at SFA, Colvert became the school band director at Center ISD, where he remained for four years. He then worked at Pine Tree ISD until 1963. In his teaching career, his bands won 38 first-division competitions in marching and concert contests. In 1963, Colvert and his wife, Juanita “Tommie” Thomas ’45, moved the family to Dallas and opened Colvert Music Company, a music store. After retiring in 1981, the couple joined the Brook Mays Music Company and worked there until their final retirement years. For the remainder of their lives, music educa-tion remained in their hearts. In 1993, Colvert was given the Founders Award from the Alpha chapter of Phi Beta Mu for outstanding contributions to bands. Many members of the family also called SFA home, includ-ing their daughter, Jan ’71, and Merideth ’01, daughter of son Chris.

Make the decision to help secure educational opportunities for generations of future SFA students.Contact us to find out how to start creating your legacy today.

Stephen F. Austin State University Alumni Association P.O. Box 6096, SFA Station Nacogdoches, TX 75962-6096

Phone: 936.468.3407 Toll Free: 800.765.1534 Fax: 936.468.1007E-mail: alumni@sfasu.edu Web site: www.sfaalumni.com

Spring 2010 29

Alumni Chapters

REGIONAL CHAPTERS

SPECIAL INTEREST CHAPTERSAfrican American NursingAgriculture ROTCInterior Design RugbyTau Kappa Epsilon To find your local SFA chapter, visit www.sfaalumni.com and click on chapters, or contact Em-ily Payne, chapter coordinator, at emilypayne816@yahoo.com or call (800) 765-1534.

Many of your fellow alumni are already connecting with SFA and supporting the SFA Alumni Association by joining local alumni chapters. Alumni and friends have come together through these chapters across the state and beyond in the spirit of SFA. Exciting social, fundraising and networking opportunities are available to chapter members. Simply put, local chapters provide SFA alumni, friends and parents the opportunity to play a positive role in the future of SFA and the SFA Alumni Association.

Stay connected. Get involved.

Have fun.Join a chapter!

Happy HoursNetworkingTailgating

Freshman Send-OffsService Projects

LuncheonsFamily Picnics

Golf Tournaments

Visit our Web siteto find chapter events.www.sfaalumni.com

Austin Coastal BendDallas DenverHoustonLongview NacogdochesOhio

Oklahoma OregonSan Antonio SE TexasTarrant County Tyler Victoria

Sawdust30

WHEN JOHN PROVAN graduated from SFA in 1996, he thought he knew where his account-

ing degree would lead him. And for several years after graduation he was happy working as an accountant for a small corporation. However, in 2004 he joined the U.S. Department of Justice and embarked on a career that would take him around the world, delving into the records of government agencies such as the FBI and the Drug Enforcement Administration. “As a kid from Nacogdoches, I would never have thought an accounting degree would send me to Af-ghanistan during a war to evaluate U.S. counternar-cotics aid, to Colombia to evaluate DEA operations, or to a variety of interesting U.S. locations doing federal audits,” Provan said.

JUSTICEAccounting

by Shirley Luna

for

PROVAN

Spring 2010 31

As a Certified Public Accoun-tant in the Chicago Office of the Inspector General, Provan conducts inspections and audits of DOJ pro-grams to promote efficiency and effectiveness in areas ranging from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to the in-house pharmacies that deliver medi-cines to prison inmates.

“The work we do ensures that American taxpayers are receiving value for their investment,” he said. In 2007, Provan was a member of the team that received an award of excellence from the President’s Council on Integrity & Efficiency for work conducted on the DEA International Operations Audit. He was given the 2008 Inspector Gen-eral’s Award of Merit for work he did with Afghan law enforcement officials regarding their handling of U.S. funds in the war on terror and efforts to establish democracy in that country. Provan received an Inspector General’s Honor Award in March for work on the FBI’s Terrorist Watch List Nomination Practices. The audit included operation prac-tices of the Terrorist Screening Cen-ter and its procedures to maintain terrorist watch lists. “If these watch lists contain in-formation that is incomplete, inac-curate or obsolete, it can have enor-mous consequences,” Provan said. “There are always new ways that the United States can be attacked by terrorists, but I feel our audits have improved security for all Ameri-cans. It definitely makes me feel that my work is worthwhile.” A strong work ethic was born of necessity and instilled in Provan at a young age. His father passed away when Provan was in elementary school, and the following year, his mother died in a car accident. Bob

Provan, John’s elder brother by 23 years, became his legal guardian. “Bob was serving as SFA’s gen-eral counsel, so I grew up attending events with SFA administrators and regents,” Provan recalled. “SFA was a great place to be and a great part of my childhood. Even though I lost my parents at a young age, I had an environment rich with role models,

including the late Howard Page and Dr. Jasper Adams, current SFA Vice President Danny Gallant, and histo-ry department faculty members Dr. Bobby Johnson and Dr. Archie Mc-Donald. I am grateful to all of these men for the example they gave me, which was basically, ‘Watch; this is how to live your life.’” Provan’s ties to SFA proved par-ticularly valuable when he was in-jured playing baseball in fourth grade. “I was hit in the head and had to have brain surgery and missed more than half of that year in school. Bob Sitton, who at that time was director of the Alumni Association, raised the money to pay for my surgery.” Provan bounced back from his injury and enrolled at SFA in 1986. In 1989, he joined the U.S. Army and served with the Airborne Rang-ers and 9th Infantry Division. “Service to country runs strong in my family. My brother Phil fought in the Vietnam War, and my brother David was career Navy during both the Vietnam War and Operation Desert Storm. My dad fought in World War II as a navi-gator for a B-24 bomber, and my granddad fought in World War I,” Provan explained. “When I ran out of money for school, I wanted to follow in their footsteps, so I joined the Army.” Despite the positive role mod-els Provan had at SFA, he claims his first years as an SFA student were not stellar.

“I was undisciplined and lazy,” he said. “The Ranger motto is ‘Rang-ers Lead the Way,’ which means in every way: dress, drilling, educa-tion, battle, etc. My first sergeant in the Rangers drilled their motto in my head, and when I returned to SFA, I easily excelled because I was dedicated, focused and determined to finish what I had started. ”

Provan returned to SFA in 1994 and completed his degree. He later received an M.B.A. from Bene-dictine University in Illinois and earned accreditation as both a Certi-fied Fraud Examiner and a Certified Government Auditing Professional. While his work takes him around the world, Provan still has

ties that bring him back to Nacog-doches. He is engaged to Adrienne Spurlin, another Nacogdoches High School graduate and SFA College of Business alumna. Provan said he is happy to have a reason to return to the SFA campus. “The professors I had at SFA provided me with a quality educa-tion, and with that solid accounting background, I have been able to grow in the profession,” he said. “I hope they take heart in my achievements, because I know I couldn’t have done it without the dedication each of them put into their work at SFA.” ✯

A strong work ethic was born of necessity and instilled in Provan at a young age.

Sawdust32

1940Theo C. “Cotton” Miles ’48 of Wills Point will be inducted into the Texas High School Football Hall of Fame on May 8 in Waco.

1960 Larry Bailey ’63 has re-tired to Chocowinity, N. C., after a 27-year career as a Navy SEAL. He has worked in various civilian positions in the Washing-ton, D.C., area. He is cur-rently chairman of Gather-ing of Eagles, a Boy Scout troop-support organization.

Jim ’68 and Kitty Kyle ’69 a r e t h e owners of E x p r e s s E m p l o y -

ment Professionals with offices in Houston and Bellaire.

1970 Allen Miller ’72 & ’75 of Longview has been

Class Notesnamed the 2009 Adminis-tration/Supervision Edu-cator of the Year by the Longview ISD.

Melba Pahal ’76 of San Augustine, is a teacher at San Augustine Elemen-tary School.

C i n d y T a y e m ’78 of Ter-rell is on the board of direc-tors of the

Terrell Chamber of Com-merce and will serve this year as vice chairman of economic development.

1980 Don Fallin ’80 of Center has been named 2009 Te-naha Citizen of the Year by the Tenaha Business Men’s Club.

S t e v e n P. Linda- mood ’80 of Houston i s boa rd ce r t i f i ed in family

law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and has been named a “Texas Super Lawyer” by Texas Monthly from 2003 through 2009.

Sally Warren ’80 of Lindale is the dietitian leader for East Texas Medical Center.

Steve Murray ’81 of Bastrop is superintendent of Little Elm ISD.

Jana K. Broussard ’82 of Longview is an officer and shareholder of Henry & Peters PC.

L a u r a C o r b e t t ’82 of Tyler is a real estate agent.

Kim D. Garrett ’84 of Dallas is the CRM mar-keting manager at Infor, a software company.

Dr. Rick Krustchinsky ‘74 of Houston is a professor of education at the University of St. Thomas in Houston. He received the 2009 St. Thomas Aquinas Award for Excellence in Teaching and is chair of the Undergraduate Teacher Education Program. He also co-authored a science education book, Incredible Edible Science, published in January 2010.

DR. RICK KRUSTCHINSKY ’74

KYLE

LINDAMOOD

Thomas “Tom” C. Alex ‘78 of Terlingua is the archeologist for Big Bend National Park. His book, Big Bend National Park and Vicinity, is a collection of stories and photos of the area he has lived and worked in for almost 30 years. Images found in this volume were provided by families who settled the area, the National Park Service and visitors who found the enchantment of the Big Bend irresistible. Alex and wife Betty, the park botanist, live in a straw-bale house – and off the grid with the help of a solar array, a windmill and a composting operation.

Thomas C. Alex ’78

CORBETT

TAYEM

Spring 2010 33

Lee Reynolds ‘79 & ‘83 of Longview received the 2009 Trainer of the Year Award from the Texas High School Coaches Association. Reynolds, head trainer for Longview High School, showed his skill and heroics during a spring practice when a player suffered a spinal-cord injury after taking a helmet-to-helmet hit. When the player quit breathing, Reynolds administered CPR, handling the chest compressions and breathing parts of the procedure himself. After being hospitalized for a month, the player has recovered and walks normally. Reynolds has worked at Longview High School since 2000 and has been an athletic trainer for 30 years. He worked at Pine Tree High School from 1980 to 1989. He then worked with two therapy and sports medicine centers from 1989 to 2000, in which he worked with other area schools. Reynolds also had an internship with the United States Olympic Committee training facility in San Diego in 1996. Reflecting on the day he came to the aid of an injured player, Reynolds said he didn’t do anything any other trainer would not have done. “I just happened to be in a bad situation that day, and God helped me through it. In hindsight, one can always see their mistakes and what might have been a better way of doing something. Tell them nothing ever goes exactly as planned, so keep your cool, let your training and God lead you and, hopefully, everything will turn out well in the end,” he said.

Gary Lamar ’84 coached his Point Hope, Alaska, football team to the statechampionship.

Barry Bowman ’89 of Daingerfield led the Daingerfield High School Tigers to their second Division II, 2-A state championship. Bowman was assisted by Thomas Hightower ’03 and Jim-my Irvin ’87, both of Daingerfield.

C h e s t e r Jourdan ’89 of Co-l u m b u s , Ohio, is the executive director of

the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission.

Rebecca Welch ’89 of Nacogdoches is the owner of Macy May, a boutique.

1990 Craig McAndrews ’90 of Houston is the vice president of merchandis-ing for Mattress Firm.

Jeff Traylor ’90 & ’02 of Gilmer led the Gilmer High School Buckeyes to an undefeated season and a Division I, 3-A state championship. He was as-sisted by Keith Tate ’99 of Gilmer.

Jerry Mullins ’92 & ’08 of Crockett was advanced to Petty Officer First Class (E-6) in the U.S. Navy Reserves. Mullins is an educational diagnosti-cian with Houston-Trinity County Special Education Shared Services.

Kerrie Forrester ’91 of Henderson is the com-munications officer and executive director of the Henderson ISD Educa-tion Foundation.

Trevor White ’97 of Rosenberg is to be the first campus athletic di-rector/head football coach for George Ranch High School.

Brandon T. Winn ’97 of Gilmer passed the Texas Bar Examination.

Tony Both ’98 of Hous-ton has been named direc-tor of financial reporting for Integrated Electrical Services, Inc.

Dr. Tara Newman ’98 & ’07 of Nacog-doches has r ece ived honor rec-

ognition as an academic professional in family science from the National Council on Family Rela-tions.

Greg Branch ’99 of Pal-estine is teaching and coaching at Cayuga Inde-pendent School District.

Chris Cromwell ’99 of Houston is a senior ac-count executive for Aero-tek Scientific.

2000Noel and Kathryn Dur-ham Siegling ’00 of Houston announce the Nov. 5 birth of son Wil-liam Seth.

LEE REYNOLDS ’79 & ’83

NEWMAN

JOURDAN

Sawdust34

7582 – Steven B. Morgan ’05, BS PSCI, Bridge City

7583 – William Clay Keith ’08, BSN NURS, Henderson

7584 – Paul B. Beran ’78, BA ENG / ’80 MA ENG, Ft. Smith, Ark.

7585 – Tammy S. Lee ’06, BSIS INST, Nacogdoches

7586 – Gregory Allen Talley ’09, BBA BUS ADMIN, Houston

HARDY MEREDITH ’04

Former Mr. SFA Hardy Meredith ’04 of Austin recently was named an MVP of Time Warner Cable’s Local News Division. Meredith, a producer for News 8 in Austin, is one of only five of the company’s local news employees nationwide to receive the award. The MVP award stands for Mission & Values Performance and is the highest honor a Time Warner Cable employee can receive. As part of his prize, Meredith and his wife, Carley ’08, will take a trip to Puerto Rico this spring.

LIFE MEMBERSThe SFA Alumni Association would like to thank the following alumni who recently became life members. We appreciate your support.

Heather Ross ‘96 of Beaumont is the regional director for the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. Region 10 monitors air and water regulations for 15 counties.

HEATHER ROSS ’96

Rebecca Field ’05 of Tuscon, Ariz., is a project m a n a g e r and an en-

vironmental planner for SAGE Landscape Archi-tecture & Environmental Inc.

Jana Patton ’01 of Cen-ter has received the Jack Harvey Fellowship Award for Exemplary Teachers.

Bryan ’01 & ’03 and Jaime Stephens ’04 of Killeen announce the July 15 birth of son Jamison Alexander.

FIELD

Karrie and Craig Yager ’01 of Houston announce the Nov. 5 birth of daugh-ter Raegan McKenzie.

Brandi Gehrels ’03 of Nacogdoches is the di-rector of Pinecrest Chil-dren’s Academy.

Sherri Bostik ’06 of Tyler is a teacher at San Augustine Intermediate School.

Kimberly Frangesh ’07 of Castroville is market-ing coordinator for the Castroville Chamber of Commerce.

Share your good news in Sawdust Class Notes! Information and pho-tos may be submitted online at www.sfaalumni.com or through e-mail at alumni@sfasu.edu.

Spring 2010 35

In Memoriam

Dr. Neal Bryan Houston, retired pro-fessor of English and former regents professor, died Dec. 31. Houston was born on Aug. 7, 1928, in Dallas. He at-tended Woodrow Wilson High School and received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas. After serving in the U.S. Army during the Korean War, Houston studied at the University of California Los Angeles, Southern Methodist University and the Univer-

sity of Texas where he earned two master’s degrees. He received his doctorate in English from Texas Tech University and taught at SFA from 1966 until he retired in 1992.

Abraham I. Aleman ’67 of Sherman, Jan 9.

William Dwight Biggar ’85 of Lusby, Md., Dec. 26.

Bruce E. Braden ’77 of Wasilla, Alaska, Dec. 21.

Bruce Bradshaw ’58 & ’68 of New London, Jan. 17.

Michael W. Brassell ’69 of Hurst, Jan. 13.

Delton Ray Carrell Sr. ’69 of Nacogdoches, Jan. 31.

Cecile Cone ’55 & ’58 of Jacksonville, Jan 9.

Charles E. English ’54 & ’56 of Nacogdoches, Dec. 28.

Mildred J. Grogan ’67 of Nacogdoches, Dec. 11.

Terri L. Hinson ’94 of Broaddus, Jan. 21.

Donna-Jean Hunt of Nacogdoches, Jan. 20.

Bob Huffman ’65 of Tyler, Dec. 8.

John H. McGilvra ’59 & ’72 of Diboll, Dec. 1.

Glennadene B. McKibben of Lufkin, Jan. 31.

Bessie Lou Price Mason ’40 of Tyler, Dec. 2.

Deborah Sue Griffin Milham ’73 & ’80 of Nacogdoches, Jan. 25.

Bobby N. Morrow ’59 & ’62 of Freeport, Dec. 22.

Charles Truett Parrish Jr. ’83 of Livingston, Jan. 7.

Jerry O. Pitts of Nacogdoches, Jan. 11.

Sandra H. Raney of Nacogdoches, Nov. 2.

Alonzo A. Salinas ’68 of Edinburg, Nov. 4.

Mary Mohea Jarry Savage ’49 of Nacogdoches, Jan. 17.

Betty B. Smith ’69 of Tyler, Nov. 30.

John Streetman ’71 of Victoria, Nov. 29.

Marcus D. Strickland ’66 of Fort Worth, Dec. 19.

Inez Ward Roe ’67 of Marshall, Jan 1.

Deborah S. Milham ’73 & ’80 of Nacogdoches, Jan 25.

Lucille Spurgeon ’43 of Baytown, Jan. 11.

Dr. Norman Lee Stewart of Jacksonville, Nov. 21.

Irene Welch ’49 of Crockett, Jan. 9.

Ruth Williamson ’41 of Nacogdoches, Sept. 29.

Otis Bigham Floyd ’29 of Nacogdo-ches died Feb. 4. Floyd was a member of the first class of SFA in 1923. During those years he was teaching and also helping brick masons lay the original brick on the main streets of Nacogdo-ches. He taught school for 50 years and retired at 70 from the Dallas Indepen-dent School District. Math was his first love, but he also taught vocational agri-culture for 20 years.

Floyd was a Master Mason and received his 75-year pin in 2007. He found great pleasure in this activity and served in almost all capacities of several lodges. First and foremost, Floyd was a teacher, both in the classroom and out. He loved God, his family and life abundantly.

Frank Hood Goldsberry Jr. ’58 of Shreveport, La., died Jan. 29. A gradu-ate of Nacogdoches High School, he received a degree in accounting from SFA and was later chosen as the Dis-tinguished Alumnus in 1998. While at SFA, he was a member of the Sawyers, served as vice president of the Student Congress and was voted class favorite. He served for two years in the U.S. Air Force. Goldsberry endowed a scholarship

through the SFA Alumni Association, the Frank and Eva Hood Golds-berry Memorial Geology Scholarship, in honor of his grandparents. An independent oil and gas producer since the late 1950s, he owned several drilling and production companies. Goldsberry dis-covered many significant oil and gas fields, notably St. Mary’s field in Arkansas and East Oldenberg field in Mississippi. He was a past president of the Shreveport Petroleum Club and a member of the Wildcatters Association, Eastridge Country Club, Southern Trace Country Club, Pierremont Oaks Tennis Club and the University Club of Shreveport.

Sawdust36

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Spring 2010 37

SFA’s Only Alumni Owned Bookstore2301 North Street • www.jackbackers.com • 936-462-7328

Eric Class of ’12

We Backthe ’Jacks!

As alumni, we are committed to supporting SFA and its students.

So much so that a portion of all sales are re-invested into university programs and

scholarships. We are particularly proud of the scholarship part.

Shop online 24/7 atwww.jackbackers.comand support the next

generation of SFA alumni.

Sawdust38

Spring 2010 39

SFA Alumni AssociationPO Box 6096, SFA StationNacogdoches, TX 759621-800-765-1534 • (936) 468-3407Fax (936) 468-1007 • alumni@sfasu.edu

ONE Scholarship

ONE New Member

ONE Donation

ONE Proud Family of Lumberjacks

Join the SFA Alumni Association today and make a difference in the life of an SFA student! Are you the one?Power of ONE

The Stephen F. Austin State University Alumni Association understands how the power of one can make a difference at SFA.

Association Membership• $25 Current Student Annual• $25 First-Year Grad Annual• $50 Annual Member• $75 Joint Annual (Husband/Wife)• $400 Student Life Membership (for students & first-year grads)• $750 Life Membership• $1,000 Joint Life (Husband/Wife)• $500 Senior Life (65 years+)• $750 Joint Senior Life Membership

Visit www.sfaalumni.com for the list membership advantages

ADVERTISEIN SAWDUST

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caps | gifts | drinkware | tote bagsclothing | auto accessories | and more!

GET YOURSFA GEAR!

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A portion of the proceeds from ShopSFA goes to support the SFA Alumni Association

Sawdust40

Sawdust would like to know

more about this SFA photo. If

you can help, please contact:

alumni@sfasu.edu

800.765.1534

All Hail to SFA

Spring 2010 41

WHAT STARTED IN 1985 as a small garden project for SFA agri-culture students has blossomed into a living laboratory and recreational resource encompassing more than 60 acres. The Mast Arboretum, Ruby M. Mize Azalea Garden and Pineywoods Native Plant Center, collectively known as the SFA Gar-dens, attract thousands of visitors each year. “This particular garden has suc-ceeded because people have such en-thusiasm for the garden, and that has sustained our growth,” said Dr. Da-vid Creech, professor emeritus of ag-riculture and associate director of the SFA Gardens. “Endowments, which are part of that enthusiasm, also have helped us get to where we are.” The educational programs of-fered through the Gardens empha-size the importance of conservation while also highlighting rare and endangered plants that are native to East Texas. The hands-on, field-based experience provided by these programs gives visitors a unique perspective that cannot be achieved

in a classroom setting. “I suspect the most important part of SFA Gardens is the envi-ronmental education program, es-pecially the part directed at about 12,000 children each year,” Creech said. “Connecting kids to the natural world and the joys of gardening is no easy chore these days, but when it’s done in the right setting, with the right people and good program-ming, it works.” Ironically, Mother Nature sometimes puts a damper on the Gardens’ efforts to connect peo-ple with the environment. Pro-grams are not available during the coldest winter months and the hottest summer months, and rainy days mean that visiting groups have to reschedule in hopes of fairer weather. In an effort to provide yearlong environmental education program-ming, a campaign is under way to build a $1.5 million Conservation Education Center next to the Piney-woods Native Plant Center that could accommodate visitors year-

round, rain or shine. “We want the building to be an education in itself, and we want it to be a destination point so people will come to Nacogdoches just to see it,” said Elyce Rodewald, education co-ordinator for the SFA Gardens. Featuring a green roof pavilion with a plaza, the LEED (Leader-ship in Energy and Environmental Design) certified facility would em-body the environmental and conser-vation lessons taught through the Gardens’ educational programs. Its design would serve to not only edu-cate, but also inspire. Creech said that funding for the project will come from outside of the university, and he suspects it will be a few more years before the $1.5 million goal is met. In the mean-time, the Gardens will continue to educate, entertain and enlighten. “There’s not a lot of difference between planting a seed in a pot and planting an idea in a student’s head,” said Creech. “Both involve encouraging and training. It’s all about nurturing.” ✯

SFA GARDENS CULTIVATE LEARNINGSFA GARDENS CULTIVATE LEARNINGBy Sarah Cutler

Non-Profit Org.US Postage

PAIDStephen F. AustinState University

Stephen F. Austin State UniversityAlumni Association P.O. Box 6096, SFA StationNacogdoches, Texas 75962

Change Service Requested

Dr. Archie McDonald, longtime SFA professor of his-tory, will sit down for a chat with the legendary boxer and businessman beginning at 7:30 p.m. in the Grand Ballroom. Limited premier reservations are available for $50, which includes dinner with Foreman at 6 p.m.

Reserved seats are $15, and general admission is $10. SFA students will be admitted free of charge. To reserve your seat or get more information about the speaker series, visit www.sfasu.edu/archie or call (936) 468-2605.

Mark your calendar for the first event in the new Archie McDonald Speaker Series, “A Conversa-tion with Mr. George Foreman,” Thursday, April

29, in the Baker Pattillo Student Center.

GEORGE FOREMAN