SHSU
Update For Week Of March 23
Campus To Open For
Potential Students On Saturday
Prospective students and parents will have the opportunity
to visit the Sam Houston State University campus to see what
the university has to offer on Saturday (March 29).
Saturdays @ Sam, sponsored by the Visitor Center, will begin
with check-in and parent coffee from 8-9 a.m. in the Bernard
G. Johnson Coliseum, followed by a 30-minute opening session
at 9 a.m.
Throughout the day, students and their parents can meet with
academic advisers at the university’s Student Advising
and Mentoring Center, have academic sessions with two different
colleges of potential majors, tour residence halls and the
campus, attend an organizations fair, and get information
from various departments on campus.
Breakfast and lunch items will be available for purchase throughout
the day at the Johnson Coliseum concession stands. Lunch will
also be available from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in Café
Belvin for $5, as well as at the Paw Print.
The next Saturdays @ Sam event will be held on Nov. 22.
Registration forms, online registration, directions to the
university and more information is available online at http://www.shsu.edu/~visitor/saturday.html.
For more information, call 936.294.1844 or e-mail visitsam@shsu.edu.
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‘Excellent’
Staff Members Sought
Nominations for the Staff Excellence Award and Recognition
of Service Program are due April 2.
The annual Staff Excellence Awards “honor three employees
who have demonstrated a commitment to excellence,” including
one exempt and two non-exempt staff employees, according to
the nomination form.
Non-exempt employees are those subject to overtime pay.
Recipients must be full-time, non-temporary staff members
with a minimum of two years service at time of nomination;
demonstrate outstanding abilities, innovative ideas, efficient
operations, high level of motivation; be respected by the
university community; and cannot be a previous recipient.
A list of previous recipients can be found at http://www.shsu.edu/~hrd_www/excellence/past.html.
Recipients also receive a financial stipend.
Any full-time SHSU faculty or staff member can nominate, and
faculty and staff may nominate more than one person. Selections
are made by the university’s eight-member staff excellence
committee.
Forms also may be picked up and returned to the Human Resources
Department, in Estill Building Room 334, or through campus
mail at Box 2356 SHSU.
For more information, or to nominate someone online, visit
http://www.shsu.edu/~hrd_www/excellence/.
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Tunisia Native To Examine
Middle East Relations
Aida Araissi, managing director for the Bilateral US-Arab
Chamber of Commerce, will discuss “Improving US Relations
in the Middle East: Can Commerce Pave the Way?” on Tuesday
(March 25).
The department of management and marketing’s Third Global
Business Lecture will be held from 11 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. in
Smith-Hutson Building Room 186.
Araissi was born in Tunisia and was naturalized a U.S. citizen
when her family immigrated to Houston.
She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism from
the University of Houston.
Araissi is credited as the founding director of the Bilateral
Chamber, a Houston-based organization dedicated to promoting
business, investment and cultural awareness between the U.S.
and the Arab World.
Over the last decade, the Bilateral US-Arab Chamber of Commerce
has become one of the most recognized advocates of US-Arab
relations in the world, according to its Web
site.
Araissi, who has more than 15 years of experience in international
trade advocacy, has organized, managed and advised numerous
inbound and outbound trade delegations on behalf of public
and private organizations and serves on a number of boards
dedicated to international relations.
In addition, her non-profit works include assisting Doctors
Without Borders, with which she coordinated and delivered
via helicopter vital medicine to inaccessible earthquake stricken
villages in Pakistan and Kashmir; and Tanks for Schools, which
recycles weapons of war and donates the proceeds to fund education
programs in Iraq, Ethiopia and Liberia.
For more information, contact Irfan Ahmed, assistant professor
of marketing,
at 936.294.1276 or irfanahmed@shsu.edu.
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Wiley Lecturer To Discuss
Songbird Extinction
Migratory songbirds are disappearing at a frightening rate,
according to Bridget Stutchbury, a world renowned ornithologist,
conservationist and author.
“By some estimates, we may have already lost almost
half the songbirds that filled the skies only 40 years ago,”
she said.
Stutchbury will discuss this issue on Thursday (March 27)
as part of the Sam Houston State Vertebrate Museum’s
4th Biennial Edward O. Wiley Lecture.
“Migratory songbirds: canaries in the coal mine?”
will be held at 7 p.m. in Academic Building IV’s Olson
Auditorium.
Stutchbury, a professor of biology at York University in Toronto,
Canada, is the author of “Silence of the Songbirds,”
in which she follows the birds on their 10,000-kilometer (six-mile)
migratory journey to look at the most threatening factors
in their extinction.
These factors include pesticides, the destruction of vial
habitat, and climate change.
“We may well wake up in the near future and hear no
songbirds singing,” her book synopsis said. “We
won’t only be missing their cheery calls, we’ll
be missing a vital part of our ecosystem.”
A reception and book signing in the atrium of the Lee Drain
Building will follow the seminar.
For more information, call William Lutterschmidt, vertebrate
museum director, at 936.294.1556.
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Writers To Share Their
Fiction
Fiction authors Antonya Nelson and Robert Boswell will read
from and discuss some of their combined 15 books on Thursday
(March 27), at 6:30 p.m. in Evans Building Room 105.
“Not only do they enjoy stellar reputations as practitioners
of the art of creative writing, but they’re also highly
praised as teachers of the craft,” said Scott Kaukonen,
assistant professor of English.
One of the New Yorker’s “20 young fiction writers
for the new millennium," Nelson is the author of eight
fiction books, including three novels and five collections
of stories.
Her works, which have been the New York Times “Notable
Books” on multiple occasions, include “Some Fun,”
“Female Trouble,” “Talking in Bed”
and “Nobody's Girl.”
Boswell, who is publishing two books of nonfiction in 2008,
is the author of seven fiction books including “Century's
Son,” “American Owned Love,” “Living
to Be 100” and “The Geography of Desire.”
In addition, three movies have been made from Robert Boswell's
fiction: “Glissando,” directed by Chip Hourihan,
based on a Boswell short story; “Twelve Mile Road,”
a made-for-television movie based on the novel “Mystery
Ride”; and “Crooked Hearts,” a major motion
picture based on the novel of the same title, which stars
Jennifer Jason Leigh, Juliette Lewis, Noah Wylie, Peter Coyote
and Peter Berg.
Nelson and Boswell, who are married, share the Cullen Chair
in Creative Writing at the University of Houston and also
teach in the Warren Wilson Master of Fine Arts Program at
New Mexico State University.
The event, sponsored by the SHSU English
department, is free and open to the public.
Copies of the couple’s works will be available for purchase.
For more information, contact Kaukonen at 936.294.1407 or
kaukonen@shsu.edu.
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A&M Prof To Share His
Roots
Rogelio Saenz, professor of sociology at Texas A&M University,
will share his experiences and field questions on Wednesday
(March 26).
The lecture, part of the Student Advising and Mentoring Center’s
Grassroots Speaker Series, will be held at 5 p.m. in Academic
Building IV's Olson Auditorium.
Saenz, who earned his doctorate at Iowa State, has more than
two decades of experience as a sociologist at Texas A&M,
specializing in the areas of demography, race, ethic relations
and social inequality.
He also served as chair of Texas A&M’s sociology
department for eight years.
Following the lecture, a meet-and-greet with refreshments
will be held in the SAM Center, located in AB IV Room 210.
The event is sponsored by the academic support programs of
the Student Advising and Mentoring Center; the Elliott T.
Bowers Honors Program; Lambda Theta Alpha Latin Sorority,
Inc.; and the Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement
Program.
For more information, contact Bernice
Strauss, director of academic support programs
for the SAM
Center, at 936.294.4455.
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Dinner To Teach Applicants
Eating Etiquette
Career Services will explain the importance of dinner etiquette
in job interviewing and give students insight on “which
fork to use” during such events with a simulated dinner
on April 3.
Certified Professional Etiquette Speaker Diane Gottsman, from
The Protocol School of Texas, will present on proper etiquette
at the table from 5:30-8 p.m. in the Lowman Student Center
Ballroom.
“Many companies are inviting applicants to interviews
that are had over breakfast, lunch or dinner and that applicant
needs to be prepared,” said Vinessa Mundorff, Career
Services employment specialist. “I think this information
is invaluable for everyone to be aware of and hopefully will
have a lasting impact on the student.”
The event is open to all juniors, seniors, graduate students
and alumni from all academic backgrounds “because they
are the ones who are going on interviews and need to polish
those skills,” Mundorff said.
In order to make the event realistic, business attire is required.
Seating is limited to 70, and the cost of the networking session
is $10, which includes a four-course meal.
The sign-up deadline is Thursday (March 27).
For more information, or to register, call Career
Services at 936.294.1713.
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Canadian ‘Master
Teacher’ To Lead Language Events
Roger Moore, a professor of romance languages at St. Thomas
University in Canada, will visit the SHSU campus on Monday
and Tuesday (March 24-25) to lead a variety of discussions
and read some of his works.
On Monday, from 10-11 a.m., Moore will give students creative
writing strategies in Evans Building Room 251.
From 1-2 p.m., he will share some of his works during a reading
in Evans Building Room 251, and from 3-4 p.m., Moore will
lecture on “Don Quixote and the Chaos Theory”
in Evans Building Room 317.
On Tuesday, Moore will examine women as the victim and violence
against women through literature during two presentations
from 12:30-2 p.m. and from 3:30-4:30 p.m. in Evans Building
Room 320.
Moore has taught at St. Thomas since 1972, and in 2000, he
was recognized as a Canadian 3M, a master teacher.
He earned his bachelor’s degree from Bristol University,
and his master’s and doctorate from the University of
Toronto.
His specialty areas include creativity, Mexican Poetry, Spanish
20th century literature and Spanish golden age literature,
including the poetry of Quevedo, whom Moore is expected to
discuss on during his Tuesday presentations.
For more information, call the foreign
languages department at 936.294.1441.
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Group Hosting Hug-Driven Fundraiser
The Students on a Quest for Unity and Diversity will share
the love with Huntsville’s Good Shepherd Mission by
hugging it out March 31 through April 4 during the organization’s
inaugural Hug Drive.
Through the program, both individuals and student organizations
can collect pledges for monetary donations or select items
such as canned goods or Ziploc bags that will be donated to
the Good Shepherd Mission, according to SQUAD member Jessica
Kong.
At the end of the collection period, which is 5 p.m. on Thursday
(March 27), students will add up the total donations and match
that amount in hugs, Kong said.
“For ever dollar donated, a hug is received,”
she said. “It'll be an entire week dedicated to gathering
as many hugs as possible.”
Participants will receive a hug drive T-shirt.
Pledge and hug documentation forms and rules are available
online at http://www.shsu.edu/~miss_sa/v2/HugDrive2008_OfficialRules.html.
A complete list of accepted donation items, including the
number of corresponding hugs given for each item, is also
available online at http://www.shsu.edu/~miss_sa/v2/HugDrive2008_Donations.html.
SQUAD is a group of student leaders who dedicate their time
to diversity and multiculturalism by educating fellow classmates,
Huntsville residents through interactive presentations and
workshops. The organization is part of the Office of Multicultural
and International Student Services.
For more information, contact the Office
of MISS at 936.294.3588 or diversity@shsu.edu.
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Teacher Job Fair Attracts 143
Schools
Approximately 143 schools and school districts will be talking
to potential employees during the Spring Teacher Job Fair
on Wednesday (March 26).
The fair, open to all students and alumni, will be held from
9 a.m. to noon in the Bernard G. Johnson Coliseum.
Representatives from districts from Texas’ metropolitan
areas, as well as smaller school districts and a few private
schools, will visit with any student or alumnus who may be
interested in a position.
In addition, agencies such as Harris County Department of
Education, the Texas Youth Commission—Crockett State
School, Windham School District and Education Service Center
Regions 3, 4, 6, 7, 10 and 20 will be available to discuss
other employment possibilities.
Students are encouraged to bring copies of resumes and dress
professionally.
Before the fair, students can polish and perfect their résumés
during the Effective Résumé Writing workshop
on Tuesday (March 25), from 3:30-4:30 p.m.
After the fair, students can brush up on “Successful
Interviewing Skills” with a lunchtime workshop on Thursday
(March 27).
The workshop, held from noon to 1 p.m., will cover general
professional etiquette and appropriate dress; describe various
types of interviews; and discuss important interviewing strategies,
how to best prepare for interviews, and how to answer difficult
questions.
Participants are encouraged to bring their lunch.
Both workshops will be held in the Career Services Library.
Seating is limited; therefore, students are encouraged to
sign up early.
For more information, or for a complete list of participating
agencies, call 936.294.1713 or visit http://www.shsu.edu/~ccp_www/resources/teacherjobfair.html.
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Festivals To Tune
Campus In To ‘Best’ In Cello, Jazz
The School of Music will bring musicians from all experience
levels to campus this week for two music festivals, the first
of which will kick off with two masterclasses on Wednesday
and Thursday (March 26-27).
“Distinguished” cellist Carter Enyeart will lead
the chamber music masterclass, where he will listen to musicians
play and then give tips, beginning at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday
in the Recital Hall and a cello masterclass at 7:30 p.m. on
Thursday in Music Building Room 201, according to cello professor
Daniel Saenz.
On Friday, guest artists Yuri Maria Saenz, a soprano, and
Rob Hunt, pianist, will join Saenz on cello for a recital
at 7:30 p.m. in the Recital Hall.
Saturday will conclude the 2008 Cello Festival with three
performances: a cello studio recital at 11 a.m., a guest artist
recital featuring cellists Brian Snow and Louis Marie Fardet
at 3 p.m. and a faculty recital featuring Saenz with guest
pianist Mike Zuraw at 7:30 p.m. All three concerts will be
held in the Recital Hall.
Admission to all of the cello festival events, which are also
open to the public, are free.
Also on Saturday, middle, intermediate and high school students
from across the state will gather in the Lowman Student Center
for the 48th Annual SHSU Jazz Festival.
The competition, which is scheduled to begin at 9:30 a.m.,
brings together “some of the best in the state,”
said percussion methods professor Rodney Cannon.
In addition to the 16 school performances, the SHSU Jazz Lab
Band, under the direction of Marshall Davies, will perform
at noon, while the guest artist Pete BarenBregge will join
the SHSU Jazz Ensemble, under Cannon’s direction, in
its 7:30 p.m. performance.
During the jazz ensemble’s performance, awards will
be presented to the winners of the festival’s competition,
Cannon said.
All concerts associated with the jazz festival are free and
open to the public.
For more information on either event, call the School
of Music at 936.294.1360.
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Orchestra, Tuba, Flute
Concerts To Play Out During Week
The School of Music will present three concerts, including
the orchestra, flute studio and a visiting quartet beginning
Monday (March 24).
The SHSU Chamber Players will perform some of their “favorite
solo encores,” with the help of the orchestra, at 7:30
p.m. in the Recital Hall.
The concert, featuring the students of Lisa Burrell, Daniel
Saenz, Deborah Dunham, Scott Phillips and Carol Smith, will
include chamber music by Gioacchino Rossini, Joseph Haydn,
Antonio Vivaldi and Giacomo Puccini, among many others.
On Tuesday (March 25), the highly-acclaimed, internationally-recognized
Sotto Voce Quartet will perform at 7:30 p.m. in Music Building
Room 202.
Sotto Voce features Demondrae Thurman and Patrick Schulz playing
euphonium and Mike Forbes and Nat McIntosh playing tuba, all
of whom are regularly-demanded performers, composers and clinicians,
according to adjunct professor of tuba Bob Daniel.
Earlier that day, Sotto Voce members will work with tuba and
euphonium students during masterclasses from 2-3:30 p.m. in
Music Building Rooms 218 and 219.
All are free and open to the public.
On Sunday (March 30), undergraduate music education, music
therapy, and music performance majors will provide a “sampling
of just about every style” during the Flute Studio Recital,
said Kathy Daniel, assistant professor of flute.
“You will hear music from the Baroque period composed
by JS Bach, Marcello, and Telemann; from the Classical period
composed by Mozart and Haydn; from the late Romantic period
composed by Chaminade, Perilhou, Faure, Pessard, and Donjon;
and Impressionistic music by Debussy and 20th Century music
by Hindemith,” Daniel said.
The concert, which is free and open to the public, will be
held at 2 p.m. in the Recital Hall.
For more information, call the School
of Music at 936.294.1360.
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Summer, Fall
Registration Begins Friday
Registration by classification for the summer and fall semesters
will open at 5:30 p.m. on Friday (March 28).
Registration begins for honors students on that day, followed
by doctoral, graduate, post baccalaureates, and seniors on
March 31 through April 1; juniors on April 2; sophomores on
April 3; and freshmen on April 4.
Registration will close at 4 p.m. on May 7.
Students subject to mandatory advisement must see an adviser
before they can register for the spring.
Advisement appointments can be made in the Student Advising
and Mentoring Center, located in Academic Building IV Room
210, from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. each school day, as well
as from 5-6:30 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays, by calling
936.294.4444.
Walk-ins will also be accepted during the registration period;
however, waiting times may be longer for walk-ins.
To find the advising location for a particular major, visit
http://www.shsu.edu/~sam_www/advisinglocations.html.
Registration assistance will be available from 8:30 a.m. to
4:30 p.m. in the Registrar' s Computer Lab, located in Estill
Building Room 331.
For more information, call the Registrar's
Office 936.294.1052.
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Dances@8 to Benefit Student
Scholarship
Dance majors and non-majors will display their talents at
the Dances@8 concerts on Tuesday and Wednesday (March 25-26),
at 8 p.m. both days in the Academic Building III Dance Theater.
The performances are produced by Chi Tau Epsilon, the SHSU
dance honor society and are all student choreographed.
"The show includes a variety of dance styles, including
hip hop, ballet, jazz, modern and lyrical," said Chi
Tau Epsilon president Melanie Kendall.
Admission is $5 per person, and all proceeds benefit the Chi
Tau Epsilon fund.
For more information, call the dance
department at 936.294.1875.
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SAM Center Offers Grad School
Advice
The Student Advising and Mentoring Center will help students
prepare for graduate school with an information night on Wednesday
(March 26).
The workshop will discuss the application timeline and hints
regarding letters of recommendation, writing a personal statement
and financial aid. Time will also be reserved for a question
and answer session.
Space is limited, and students must call or stop by the SAM
Center to sign up.
For more information, contact Amanda at aamacker@shsu.edu,
call 936.294.4444 or visit the SAM
Center, located in Academic Building IV Room
210.
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Send Update Items Here
Information for the SHSU Update can be sent to the Office
of Public Relations electronically at Today@Sam.edu
or to any of the media contacts listed below.
Please include the date, location and time of the event,
as well as a brief description and a contact person.
All information for news stories should be sent to the office
at least a week in advance to give the PR staff ample time
to make necessary contacts and write the story.
For electronic access to SHSU news see the Public Relations
Web page Today@Sam.
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- END -
SHSU Media Contacts: Frank
Krystyniak, Julia May,
Jennifer Gauntt
March 21, 2008
Please send comments, corrections, news tips to Today@Sam.edu
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