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SHSU Update For Week Of Feb. 5
- U.S. Attorney To Discuss Prosecuting Major Offenders
- Class To Help Immigrants Through Citizenship Process
- Official Ring Order Days To Begin Feb. 14
- Thesis Concert Explores Race For ‘Monologues’
- Kat Klub, Program Council To ‘Throwdown’ For Bowl
- Conference To Provide Development For SHSU Staff
- Professors To Show Children The ‘Heart Of A Book’
- Fair To Set Students Up With Summer Jobs
- Workshop To Aid In Math Education
- CMIT, MINT Provide ‘Motivating Change’ Training
- Press Standouts Featured In ‘World’ Newsletter
- Submit Update Items Here
U.S. Attorney To Discuss Prosecuting Major Offenders
As deputy chief of the major offenders division for Texas’s southern district at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Edward F. Gallagher oversees the investigation and prosecution of alien smugglers, human traffickers, civil rights cases and international organized crime gangs and groups.
This career path will be among the things Gallagher will discuss when he visits SHSU for the College of Criminal Justice’s “Real Talk w/CJ” series on Wednesday (Feb. 8), at 3 p.m. in CJava Café.
“The Southern District of Texas is a very active office and has one of the highest case loads in the country,” Gallagher said. “We are the sixth largest office in the county, with just under 200 prosecutors, almost half that number spread among our border offices in Laredo, McAllen, Brownsville, and Corpus Christi.
“We are one of four judicial districts in the state, and we cover 43 counties in Texas,” he said. “A lot of our cases are drug and immigration related.”
Gallagher began his criminal justice career as a seasonal police officer in Ocean City, Md.
Upon graduating from law school, Gallagher worked for the FBI as a special agent and legal counsel for five years before joining the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
He received the “Director’s Award” from Attorney General John Ashcroft in 2002 for his successful prosecutions of three international human smuggling groups and again in 2009 from Attorney General Eric Holder for coordinating the Human Trafficking Rescue Alliance in its training and prosecution efforts.
Gallagher was named coordinator for the Human Trafficking Rescue Alliance in 2004. The task force comprises federal and local law enforcement agencies working with non-governmental organizations to combat human trafficking.
He is currently an adjunct professor at the University of Houston Law Center where he teaches national security law.
For more information on the “Real Talk w/CJ” lecture, contact Beth Kuhles, criminal justice publications officer, at 936.294.4425.
Class To Help Immigrants Through Citizenship Process
The Political Science Junior Fellows are partnering with the Huntsville Public Library for the fifth year to host its “Citizenship Preparatory Class” beginning Feb. 13.
The free course is offered to local immigrants who would like help gaining their citizenship and will cover materials on the Naturalization Exam as well as other steps in the citizenship process, according to Junior Fellows adviser Mike Yawn, who leads the class.
Classes will be offered on Monday nights through March 5, from 6-8 p.m. at the Walker County Annex.
In the first four years of the program, more than 80 immigrants have signed up for the course, and approximately 20 of them have gone on to earn their citizenship. In all, immigrants from approximately 25 separate countries have participated.
“It’s wonderful to see immigrants from around the world come together in their desire to be United States citizens,” Yawn said. “We’ve partnered with the Huntsville Public Library on this program for four years, and the response from the immigrants has been encouraging.
“They work hard, and they are sincere in their desire to help themselves and their families by earning the privileges of citizenship,” he said. “It’s a great reminder to all of us who were fortunate enough to have our citizenship granted at birth.”
The classes, which typically include approximately 20 immigrants and are assisted by 10 volunteers, alternate between presentations by Yawn, who teaches at Sam Houston State University, and small group discussions.
“The small group discussions allow the immigrants to seek out individualized help and to work one-on-one if needed,” Yawn said.
Registration will continue through the first class day, provided that space is available. Seats will be given on a first-come, first-served basis.
For more information, or to sign up, contact Yawn at 936.294.1456 or mike.yawn@shsu.edu.
Official Ring Order Days To Begin Feb. 14
Students with more than 75 credit hours completed will have the opportunity to order their official class rings during SHSU Ring Days, Tuesday through Thursday (Feb. 14-16) in the Lowman Student Center Atrium.
Orders can be placed from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily, and those students who order rings by Feb. 16 will be eligible to participate in the ninth annual Ring Ceremony on April 4.
The popularity of SHSU class rings has increased since the creation of the official ring in 2003 and the inception of the ring ceremony in 2004, according to Charlie Vienne, director for Alumni Relations, adding that more than 450 students participated in last spring’s ceremony.
“The ring ceremony is an important milestone and achievement in a student's educational career,” said Charlie Vienne, director of Alumni Relations.
“It is a short-term goal in reaching their ultimate long-term goal, a college diploma. The ring is a reminder throughout the rest of your life of the good times and friends met during your brief stay on the Sam Houston campus,” he said.
For more information, call 936.294.1841 or visit http://alumni.shsu.edu.
Thesis Concert Explores Race For ‘Monologues’
Graduate student LaNita Joseph will pay homage to Black History Month through her full-length thesis concert “The Monologues of My Nappy Hair,” a performance that challenges society’s standards of beauty and exposes racial oppression from slavery until now.
The concert will be presented on Thursday and Friday (Feb. 9-10), at 8 p.m. each evening in the Gaertner Performing Arts Center Dance Theater.
“The event is a stunning multi-character drama told through monologues overlapping a plot and dance,” Joseph said. “It focuses on the issue of identity for black women as they deal with the trials and tribulations of their hair that has historically been used as a mode of objectification and exploitation.”
y Hair” was inspired by Joseph’s personal trials and tribulations, as well as the stories of others, in an effort to find beauty in the darker side of the human experience.
“I wanted to acknowledge the pain black women may or may not know they are going through and challenge the notions of white supremacy in hopes to gain solidarity not only in the black experience, but the human experience,” she said.
Joseph has been a self-supporting artist in Chicago as an independent producer, director, choreographer, dancer and filmmaker for the past five years.
Her work has been shown to audiences of thousands on stages such as the Regal Theater, Harold Washington Cultural Center and Chicago Park District. In addition to her own company, she has worked with several prestigious companies such as River North Dance Chicago and Joel Hall Dancers.
Admission to the MFA thesis concert is free.
For more information, contact the dance program at 936.294.1875.
Kat Klub, Program Council To ‘Throwdown’ For Bowl
As the New York Giants and New England Patriots faceoff on Sunday (Feb. 5) for Super Bowl XLVI, Sam Houston State University’s Program Council and Kat Klub will celebrate the occasion with free food, games and seven 50” plasma-screen TVs.
The Touchdown Throwdown Super Bowl party will kick off at 4 p.m. in the Kat Klub, on the first floor of the Lowman Student Center.
“This is the fifth year the Kat Klub has hosted a party to celebrate the NFL championship, and teaming up with PC, the largest on-campus programing team, has had a positive impact on the event, making it bigger and better than previous years,” said Rueben Pena, LSC operations supervisor.
The event will include free food and games, and the PC will offer prizes to be given away to students throughout the event, including a Nintendo Wii, Xbox 360, Playstation 3, and the chance to win NFL tickets to experience a game live.
“In addition the free giveaways for the big game, students attending Touchdown Throwdown will have some of the best seats for the game on the best HD screens in town,” Pena said. “All seven 50” plasmas, 10’ LCD video wall, and 13’ projector will be streaming the game on Sunday giving everyone a clear view to not miss any of the action.
“Program Council and the Kat Klub look forward to bringing this event to campus, and we are excited to bring students together on campus for such a terrific event,” he said.
For more information, contact the PC at 936.294.1763 or the Kat Klub at 936.294.1722.
Conference To Provide Development For SHSU Staff
Registration for the SHSU Staff Council’s one-day on-campus conference targeting staff professional development opportunities will open on Monday (Feb. 6).
The conference, comprising educational and breakout sessions on March 13 in the Lowman Student Center, will address work-related issues such as conflict management, effective communication, customer service, effective meetings, project management, supervisory basics, generational work issues, and effective reading strategies.
“In surveying staff council members for the past two years, one main topic repeatedly mentioned has been more staff training opportunities,” said Wally Barnes, Staff Council chair
“Some staff, especially in smaller offices, may not normally have training budgets or the ability to take time away from the office. This one-day conference has been planned with them in mind.”
A continental breakfast will be available in the morning, and a keynote presentation on "Positive Self-Management in Challenging Times" will be offered during a luncheon.
“We have tapped into our very own faculty experts to present on some of the topics, and we are bringing in speakers from the community as well,” said staff development committee chair Kristy Vienne.
“We know professional development is valued by the staff. We’ve scheduled a variety of sessions with expert speakers, and we’ve designed it in such a way to allow staff with limited time away from the office to attend,” she said. “Twelve separate topics will be offered in the morning and then repeated in the afternoon for those who need to alternate for office coverage.”
Seating is limited for the luncheon; therefore, reservations will be required. Reservations for the various sessions will also be included as part of the registration process.
For more information, contact Barnes at wbb001@shsu.edu or 936.294.3110 or Vienne at klv002@shsu.edu or 936.294.2274. Information on registration can also be found online at http://www.shsu.edu/~staffcouncil/meetings.html.
Professors To Show Children The ‘Heart Of A Book’
Sam Houston State University library science professors will introduce and discuss new books available for children of all ages on Wednesday (Feb. 8).
The inaugural “Let the Heart of a Book Touch the Heart of a Child!” Book Review will be from 2-3:30 p.m. in Eleanor and Charles Garrett Teacher Education Center Room 279.
Led by library science department professors Rosemary Chance and Teri Lesesne, who are both national reviewers for the Association for Library Service to Children’s “Notable Children’s Books” list, the event will navigate attendees through 50 award-winning books from all genres published in 2011 for children, tweens, and teens.
Because the review is open to participants of all ages, groups will be formed for those ages 2 through second grade to explore picture books and for other youth to hear about displayed chapter books and novels.
“The goal is simply to make participants aware of the new children’s, tweens, and young adult books that have been awarded by prestigious agencies such as Caldecott and Newbery Medal,” said Marsha Harman, director for the Professional and Academic Center for Excellence.
“Additionally, it increases awareness of the process of book selection—approximately 2,000 are reviewed annually—the awards for youth books, and the importance of knowing literature of interest to our youth,” she said.
Attendees will receive a free children’s book from those reviewed. No books will be for sale.
The deadline for registration is 5 p.m. on Feb. 7. Those who register will also receive a certificate of attendance that will be e-mailed within a few days of the event.
The book review is sponsored by PACE, the College of Education, and the library science department.
Reservations can be made through SHSU’s Professional and Academic Center for Excellence, at 936.294.2688 or pace@shsu.edu. For more information, contact Harman at 936.294.2689 or harman@shsu.edu.
Fair To Set Students Up With Summer Jobs
Students looking ahead to the summer for jobs or internships will have the opportunity to discuss openings with 11 entities on Wednesday (Feb. 8) during Career Services’ Summer Camp and Job Fair.
The fair will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Lowman Student Center Mall Area.
Part-time positions and internships will be available at such organizations as Camp Olympia, the Boy Scouts’ Circle Ten Council, Riverbend Retreat Center, Trinity Pines Conference Center, and University Directories, an advertising, marketing and communications company.
Students who are registered on Jobs 4 Kats can view a complete list of anticipated attendees at https://www.myinterfase.com/shsu/student/. There, students can also access a list of position descriptions being sought and websites for the companies.
All Career Services events are open to SHSU students and alumni.
For more information, contact Career Services at 936.294.1713 or careerservices@shsu.edu.
Workshop To Aid In Math Education
The Sam Houston Association for the Education of Young Children will discuss with both students and professionals how children learn mathematic process skills through hands-on learning on Wednesday (Feb. 8).
The spring “Math Centers for Young Children” workshop will be from 5-7 p.m. in Eleanor and Charles Garrett Teacher Education Center Room 153.
During the workshop, participants can observe and try out 25 activities designed and presented by SHAEYC adviser Diana Nabors, an associate professor of early childhood education.
These activities and materials are designed to help attendees understand how young children develop mathematical processing skills, she said.
“I will highlight the ‘whys’ behind each activity and how children develop the mathematical processing skills as they ‘play’ and explore using the materials,” Nabors said. “The participants will become aware of the major math processes—problem solving, reasoning, communication, connections and representations and how these processes ‘look’ and develop in young children who cognitively think differently from adults.”
Early childhood education students and childcare and preschool teachers and administrators can earn two hours of professional development credit and will receive a certificate for their participation.
The SHAEYC will hold future workshops on March 21 and April 11, at the same time and location. The group also sponsors free “lab evenings,” during which individuals are invited to create materials for their classrooms.
For more information, contact Nabors at 936.294.3950 or lls_dkn@shsu.edu.
CMIT, MINT Provide ‘Motivating Change’ Training
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| MINT members presenting officer training included (l to r) Mark Asteris, Susan Orendac, and Greg Sumpter |
The Correctional Management Institute of Texas recently began a three-phased training program aimed to teach juvenile and adult probation officers a new way of dealing with offenders, in an effort to bring about long-term changes in their lives and to reduce recidivism.
“Motivational interviewing will improve the outcomes of the kids we work with because it encourages them to take responsibility for making changes rather than placing the responsibility on the officer,” said Matt Smith, from Williamson County Juvenile Services, which handles about 1,400 juvenile cases a year ranging from runaways to aggravated sexual assault.
For years, probation officers would advise and direct offenders, giving them information on what to do and how to do it.
“We would attempt to fix, solve, or cure their problems for them,” said Susan Orendac, a member of the Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers, a MITA trainer, and Harris County Community Supervision and Corrections Department probation officer. “Motivational interviewing seeks to illicit a plan for change by honoring choices and autonomy.”
Under Motivational Interviewing, the offender is put in the driver’s seat to develop a plan to change targeted issues or behaviors. Research has found it is the most effective method to bring about long-term change and to reduce recidivism.
“It is strengthening the personal motivation and commitment to special goals by listening and exploring a person’s own reasons for change within an atmosphere of acceptance and compassion,” said Mark Asteris, a member of MINT, a MITA trainer and an adult probation officer in Jefferson County.
The technique has been adopted in many disciplines, including the health care, mental health, AIDs and HIV, diabetic management and effective classroom management. In criminal justice, it has been used for mental health medication management, sex offender compliance, intimate partner violence and adolescents and young adults, Asteris said.
The Motivational Interviewing Training Academy, hosted by CMIT, was developed by members of MINT. Over the next eight months, participants will attend three classroom sessions at CMIT and will receive remote skill coding and coaching between sessions.
The Motivational Interviewing Training Academy is designed to develop and build an agency’s internal capacity in the use, implementation and sustainment of Motivational Interviewing.
Press Standouts Featured In ‘World’ Newsletter
Two Texas Review Press authors have been featured in the Industrial Worker, the newsletter of Industrial Workers of the World with a “tremendous distribution worldwide,” according to TRP founder and director Paul Ruffin.
Anis Shivani discussed his writings in an interview conducted with William Hastings for the newsletter.
His Against the Workshop: Provocations, Polemics, Controversies was published by the TRP in October.
In addition, Eric Williamson’s Two-Up, released by the TRP in 2006, was excerpted and reviewed in the newsletter, which stated that “Williamson shows that fiction is one of our best resources to look into labor, its problems and its effects on man.”
To see the full interview and review, visit http://www.iwwbookreview.com/anis-shivani-interview.htm.
Submit Update Items Here
In order to assist members of the Sam Houston State University community in publicizing events, the SHSU Communications Office (Today@Sam) is now requesting that students, faculty and staff submit information about events, accomplishments or ideas for feature stories online.
Submission criteria and guidelines, including deadlines, have now been placed online, at /guidelines.html. This information is also accessible through the “Submissions” link in the right-hand navigation on Today@Sam.
From there, those submitting ideas can access forms that will allow them to provide detailed information about their idea, as well as attach event calendars, vitas/resumes or photos, depending on the type of submission.
Ideas submitted to the SHSU Communications Office are directly utilized in several ways: as news stories, “slider” or SHSU home page stories, hometown releases, and on the Today@Sam calendar.
If your submission qualifies for distribution, we will either contact you for more detailed information, or we will edit the information using SHSU/journalistic style and forward the final release to the appropriate media.
All information is verified before release, so please provide complete, accurate and timely information. Please type all responses in appropriate upper and lower cases.
For more information, contact the Communications Office at 936.294.1836 or today@sam.edu.
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SHSU Media Contacts: Julia May, Jennifer Gauntt
Feb. 3, 2012
Please send comments, corrections, news tips to Today@Sam.edu
This page maintained by SHSU's Communications Office
Associate Director: Julia May
Manager: Jennifer Gauntt
Located in the 115 Administration Building
Telephone: 936.294.1836; Fax: 936.294.1834
Please send comments, corrections, news tips to Today@Sam.edu.
