Today@Sam Article
SHSU Update For Week Of Oct. 16
Oct. 16, 2016
SHSU Media Contact: Teddi Cliett
- Publisher To Shine Light On Writing, Editing Fields
- New Leadership Minor Announced At Showcase
- Veterans Alliance Network Training Scheduled For Oct. 18
- Center To Coach Students On Post-Graduation Loans
- Rec Sports To Keep Students Active Through New Incentives
- SHSU Music Professors Devote Day To Oboists, Bassoonists
- Sessions To Offer Information On Undergraduate Research Symposium
- Leadership Over Lunch To Take On ‘Philosophy Of Life’
- Chemistry Professor Receives International Award
- Submit Experts, Story Ideas Here
Publisher To Shine Light On Writing, Editing Fields
Lucy Chambers, publisher at Bright Sky Press in Houston, will discuss writing and book publishing on Tuesday (Oct. 18) during a talk hosted by the Priority One student public relations course and the Sam Houston State University Department of English.
The event will begin at 2 p.m. in Evans Complex Room 212.
A former editor at Doubleday, Chambers worked with authors such as John Grisham, Nolan Ryan and David Crosby during her five years in New York City.
Her love of books and experience came together in 2008 when she started Bright Sky Press in Houston.
"This is a fantastic opportunity for students and faculty alike to have their burning questions answered by a wonderfully knowledgeable publishing insider,” said Amanda Nowlin-O’Banion, clinical assistant professor of creative writing in the SHSU Department of English.
The event is free of charge and open to the public.
Priority One is a "hands-on" public relations course within the SHSU Department of Mass Communication that provides students with the experience of working directly with clients, creating communications plans and promoting and producing special events.
For more information, contact Priority One member Savannah Sailer at sxs100@shsu.edu.
New Leadership Minor Announced At Showcase
The Sam Houston State University Center for Community Engagement celebrated the fourth anniversary of its establishment with a showcase featuring courses taught within the College of Humanities and Social Sciences that incorporate service-learning and academic community engagement.
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| Joyce McCauley, executive director of the Center for Community Engagement, talks about ACE programs at SHSU. —Photo by Michael Ray |
The program, which took place in the Lowman Student Center on Oct. 7, included an introduction by Joyce McCauley, executive director of the Center for Community Engagement; a display of posters about the courses; and comments from former Huntsville Mayor Mac Woodward.
The event also marked the launch of a new cross-disciplinary minor in community leadership, announced by CHSS Dean Abbey Zink. The minor is housed jointly within the Department of Sociology and the Center for Community Engagement.
Zink, along with McCauley and other faculty members who share a passion for community engagement, approached local entities directly last year and asked them what attributes they were looking for in community leaders.
“They wanted individuals with good communication skills who could think critically and work well with others,” she said.
The deans across campus then worked collaboratively to build a curriculum around the expectations.
“The community leadership minor is great to pair with a liberal arts degree because it gives our students some applied skills, and they can also make a difference in their communities,” Zink said.
Veterans Alliance Training Scheduled For Oct. 18
To help Sam Houston State University’s approximately 800 veteran students in dealing with issues associated with transitioning back to civilian life, the Veterans Resource Center will deploy a new program this fall for faculty and staff.
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| Assistant professor of history Jeremiah Dancy discusses the veteran experience on campus using his own experiences as a U.S. Marine during an August VAN training session. —Photo by Brian Black |
The Veterans Alliance Network will include an hour-and-a-half training that raises awareness of veteran statistics and experiences in an effort to provide students with an encouraging, structured environment on campus. The first session is scheduled for Tuesday (Oct. 18), from 2-3:30 p.m. in Lowman Student Center Room 320.
VAN presentations will explore veterans’ experiences from several perspectives, including defining the different roles military personnel play, examining frustrations that can accompany veterans returning to school, and introducing the resources offered on campus through the VetSuccess on Campus program.
Presentations will be led by Fernando Chavez, Veterans Resource Center director and U.S. Navy Veteran; Drew Miller, assistant vice president for Student Services and executive director for SHSU's Counseling and Health Services; Jeremiah Dancy, assistant professor of history and U.S. Marine Corps veteran; Roberta Ardoin, VetSuccess on Campus counselor; and Pablo Sanchez, an SHSU student and retired U.S. Army veteran.
A major portion of the presentation is devoted to understanding the mental effects of military life on both combat and non-combat veterans, issues related to transitioning back, and how the SHSU community can best support that transition.
“The purpose of the VAN sessions is to help the Bearkat community consider their own biases and assumptions and then think about these issues from the perspective of those who experience them, the brave men and women who have chosen SHSU for their educations,” Chavez said.
The final fall VAN session is scheduled for Nov. 8.
Participants earn Talent Management credit and receive a sticker that can be placed outside their offices to denote that they’ve been through the training.
For more information, contact the Veterans Resource Center at 936.294.1046.
Center To Coach Students On Post-Graduation Loans
In 2016, graduating with student debt is almost inevitable.
The Sam Houston State University Student Money Management Center hopes to make understanding and attacking that debt a little easier with their informational session, “How to Pay Your Student Loans,” on Wednesday (Oct. 19) from 6-7 p.m. in the Lowman Student Center Theater.
SMMC director Patsy Collins said that while students are aware of their loans, they’re not necessarily prepared to pay them back.
“I think there is a planning and assessment process that needs to take place,” Collins said. “After processing the required loan exit counseling, a graduating student needs to make an in-depth assessment of their current and projected financial situation to discern the next steps necessary to develop a loan payment plan.”
At the session, students will learn about potential tuition rebates and loan forgiveness, like those available for education, criminal justice and library science majors.
“Many of our graduating student teachers are potentially eligible for loan forgiveness of $5,500 at the end of their fifth year of teaching,” Collins said.
For more information, contact the SMMC at 936.294.2600.
New Incentives To Keep Students Active
Students are halfway through the fall semester, which means for many the excitement and motivation has expired and the exhaustion has set in.
Sam Houston State University’s Recreational Sports is looking to keep Bearkats active and healthy through the mid-term slump by hosting the 21-Day Fitness Challenge, Kat Fit 2.0 and Hammock Hangout throughout the month.
The 21-Day Fitness Challenge starts on Monday (Oct. 17) and runs through Nov. 14. If a participant completes 15 group fitness classes during those 21 days, he or she will receive a Camelback water bottle. Tracking sheets will be available in all classes from Oct. 17-23.
“It’s a form of motivation for participants,” said Sean Matthews, marketing and promotions graduate assistant for Rec Sports. “It is extremely important for students to establish some sort of schedule or habit of working out and being active. It relieves stress and helps boost your mood. In addition, many studies have actually shown that working out and staying active have a direct correlation to better GPAs.”
One of the classes coming to the schedule is Kat Fit 2.0, an intensified version of the original Kat Fit class.
“Kat Fit 2.0 is a high-intensity, circuit training class,” Matthews said. “Participants can expect to sweat. There’s hardly any stopping during this 45-minute workout, so be ready to work hard in a judgment-free environment.”
Matthews suggests starting with Kat Fit before moving to Kat Fit 2.0 if a participant is new to working out or wants to ease into a fitness regimen. However, there are no restrictions on who can join the class.
To help unwind, Rec Sports also encourages students to bring their hammocks to the official Hammock Hangout on Tuesday (Oct. 18) from 3-6 p.m. in front of the Recreational Sports Center. Gift cards will be given away as prizes, courtesy of co-sponsor Adidas Outdoors.
The Hammock Hangout is free for students and $7 for non-students.
For more information, contact Matthews at smathews@shsu.edu.
Professors Devote Day To Oboists, Bassoonists
The Sam Houston State University School of Music will host Double Reed Day as a way to encourage repertoire expansion and prepare audition pieces for oboists and bassoonists on Sunday (Oct. 16) from noon to 6 p.m. in the James and Nancy Gaertner Performing Arts Center.
The event will be presented by SHSU double reed faculty Season Summers and Nathan Koch and will also include master classes with Arizona State University’s Martin Schuring on oboe and Albie Micklich on bassoon. In addition, Houston-based practitioner Andrea Fedele will host Alexander Technique sessions.
The day will end with a final concert from 7:30-8:30 p.m. in the James and Nancy Gaertner Performing Arts Center Recital Hall.
“The master classes will feature performances by both high school and college double reed players as they receive instruction from our guest artists,” Koch said. “The brief final concert will feature a performance of large double reed ensemble pieces played by all attendees of the day. They are incredibly fun arrangements for this unique ensemble and may include Bizet's ‘Overture to the opera Carmen,’ Wagner's ‘Ride of the Valkyries’ and Soler's ‘Royal Fanfare.’”
Several prominent double reed vendors from around the country will have booths, allowing area musicians to stock up on necessary supplies. Some vendors will have instruments for sale, providing a variety of oboe and bassoon models.
Double Reed Day is free and open to all ability levels, but preregistration through the School of Music’s website is encouraged.
For more information, contact Koch at 936.294.1373.
Sessions To Offer Info On Research Symposium
Every year, the Sam Houston State University Elliott T. Bowers Honors College Ambassadors host the undergraduate research symposium on campus as a way for students to present their current, ongoing or completed research.
While the registration deadline isn’t until March, there will be two informational sessions regarding the symposium on Tuesday (Oct. 25) and Wednesday (Oct. 26) from 4-5 p.m. in Lowman Student Center Room 110.
Students interested in presenting their research are encouraged to attend and ask questions about the symposium, which welcomes undergraduate research in all disciplines, as well as interdisciplinary research. Participants may present in individual or panel oral-media sessions, or in individual or group research poster sessions.
Associate professor of English Tracy Bilsing said the benefits of attending the URS include the opportunity for students to earn scholarships, experience in presenting and working with faculty in a professional environment, feedback on research, résumé experience, and more.
Participants are required to have a faculty sponsor, write an abstract and to register through the Honors College website by March 15. The URS is on April 29.
Interested students need only to attend one of the offered informational sessions.
For more information, contact Bilsing at 936.294.1996.
Leadership Over Lunch To Take On ‘Philosophy Of Life’
Sam Houston State University Dean of Graduate Studies Kenneth Hendrickson will ask students if they’re actually experiencing their education or simply going through the motions at the Department of Leadership Initiatives’ “Leadership Over Lunch: Philosophy of Life” on Wednesday (Oct. 19) from 11 a.m. to noon in Lowman Student Center Room 315.
“This workshop will focus on the difference between experiencing education as mere compliance or as personal transformation,” said Max Walling, associate director of Leadership Initiatives. “This topic, while having emphasis on academia, is relevant to all aspects of life−school, work, personal relationships, and so on, as we all have to make a choice to either fully invest in an experience or to simply ‘get through it.’”
The “Leadership Over Lunch” series is designed to bring insightful and intellectual discussions to students in order to shape not only their college experience, but also their perception and approach to society.
“My hope is that attendees will gain insight on how they experience the world around them,” Walling said. “I think that individuals can disengage from experiences or education that they are not initially interested in. By disengaging from these activities, however, individuals may miss out on potentially life changing insights, opportunities and knowledge.”
Lunch will be served on a first-come, first-served basis.
For more information, contact the Department of Leadership Initiatives at 936.294.3000 or leadership@shsu.edu.
Chemistry Professor Receives International Award
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| Chemistry professor Rick White recently accepted the Deutscher Akademischer Austasch Dienst Alumni Association’s Award for International Exchange in New York City. —Photo by Brian Blalock |
Rick White, professor of chemistry at Sam Houston State University, recently received the Deutscher Akademischer Austasch Dienst Alumni Association’s Award for International Exchange, during the organization’s meeting at Carnegie Hall in New York City.
DAAD is the German Academic Exchange Service, a national office within Germany that oversees academic exchange programs.
“It’s unusual for the organization to give the award to a chemist,” White said. “Most of the exchange programs are in music and the arts.”
White was instrumental in establishing SHSU’s academic exchange program in chemistry with the University of Seigen.
In the past, he has led study abroad trips for chemistry and science students, during which he traveled with students and discussed the lives of prominent sciences, the historical times they lived, the importance of their efforts, and how their contributions affect us today.
“I’m very passionate about DAAD and sharing what they do for students,” said White. “I’ve been lucky to be able to give numerous seminars in Texas and other states on scholarships available from the DAAD to carry out scholarly work in Germany.”
White was named a research ambassador for the organization in 2009 and has served as a member of the board of directors for the past four years.
Submit Experts, Story Ideas Here
Are you an expert in a topic might be of interest to reporters? Or even a unique topic? Would you like to have your research interests highlighted or discuss your expertise with reporters seeking interviewees?
The university Communications Office is collecting information and story ideas for its ongoing projects, including the online SHSU Experts Guide, the SHSU home page and Today@Sam.
The SHSU Experts Guide was established as a resource for the media, who turn to university experts lists for potential interviewees for news stories. Faculty who are interested in being a part of the university's database of experts can submit their biographical and personal information, as well as their areas of expertise, through the Experts Guide Submission Form available online at shsu.edu/dept/marketing/experts/submit-info.html.
Other story ideas, both news and features on faculty or student research and accomplishments can be sent to today@sam.edu or jenniferg@shsu.edu. For news stories, please include the date, location and time of the event, as well as a brief description and a contact person.
All information, including news story ideas and update items for Today@Sam, should be sent a minimum of a week in advance of the event in order to make necessary contacts and write a story. Feature story ideas for the SHSU home page ("sliders") should be sent a minimum of two months in advance.
To see a full list of the Today@Sam submission guidelines, or to access submission forms for news and feature stories or hometown releases, visit shsu.edu/~pin_www/guidelines.html.
For more information, call 936.294.1836.
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