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SHSU Update For Week Of Oct. 13, 2013
- Coffey Speaker To Discuss Mexican Immigration
- Beto Presentation To Share Ideas On Violence, Race, Prison
- Attorney To Discuss Identity Theft At Woodlands Center
- Presentation To Highlight ‘New World’ Migration
- College To Examine SHSU EWCAT Program With Faculty
- Fair To Provide Central Location For ‘Exploring Majors’
- Fourth Annual Ruck March To Be Held Saturday
- Contest Winners To Be Announced At Exhibit Opening
- Workshop To Keep Students’ Wallets, Diets Healthy
- Music To Present ‘Tubaween’ Concerts For ‘OcTUBAfest’
- Fundraiser To Showcase Diversity Of Dance Department
- Polish Delegation Tours Texas Correctional System
- Honors College Newsletter Receives National Recognition
- Submit Update Items Here
Coffey Speaker To Discuss Mexican Immigration
Jose Angel Hernández, a leading scholar on Chicano/a and new borderlands studies, will discuss Mexican American colonization during the 19th century and its implications on modern America on Tuesday (Oct. 15).
“Contemporary Deportation Raids and Social Reform in Mexican American Colonization During the 19th Century,” an SHSU history department Joan Coffey Symposium lecture, will begin at 7 p.m. in the Academic Building IV Olson Auditorium.
Hernández's research addresses the Mexican government's efforts to repatriate the citizens it lost to the United States at the conclusion of the U.S.-Mexico War in 1848.
During his 40-minute presentation, Hernández will discuss the relevance of his research on current issues related to social reform, deportation raids, and the failure of both the U.S. and Mexico in accommodating the millions of undocumented people in the U.S., as well as the millions who have returned to Mexico since the tragic events of Sept. 11, 2001, according to Hernández.
Hernández has taught at The University of Chicago and The University of Massachusetts. His research has been published in several prestigious Chicano/a studies journals, and his current book, Mexican American Colonization During the Nineteenth Century: A History of the US-Mexico Borderlands, has recently won two book awards, including the inaugural “William M. Leo Grande Prize for the Best Book on U.S.-Latin American Relations” (in 2013) and “The Americo Paredes Book Award” (2013).
The Coffey Symposium is dedicated to bringing in excellent scholars in their field, and Hernández “is a star in Chicana/o and New Borderlands History,” according to George Díaz, SHSU assistant professor of history.
“Many issues come and go in the news, but Mexico and the U.S. share a border which Texas is very much a part of. Moreover, Latinos are the largest minority group in the United States,” Díaz said. “Professor Hernández's talk will cover matters directly related to the shared history of these countries and offer insights into current immigration and border policy debates.
“Dr. Hernández is a native Texan and a young and rising scholar. I have seen him speak and I am certain audience members will enjoy his clear, engaging style,” Díaz said. “His talk will serve as an excellent conclusion to our celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month.”
For more information, contact Díaz at gtd001@shsu.edu.
Beto Presentation To Share Ideas On Violence, Race, Prison
David M. Kennedy has spent his career as a “crusader” against violence.
When the John Jay College of Criminal Justice professor visits the SHSU campus on Friday (Oct. 18), he will share what he has learned throughout his career in the fall Beto Lecture presentation “Toward a New Criminal Justice: Race, Violence, Drugs, Prison, and Legitimacy.”
The talk will begin at 9:30 a.m. in the Criminal Justice Center’s Hazel B. Kerper Courtroom.
Kennedy is the director of the Center for Crime Prevention and Control, which focuses on initiatives to combat violent street groups, gun violence and gun trafficking, overt drug markets, and domestic violence by building relationships between the community and law enforcement, strengthening neighborhoods, and reducing arrests and incarceration.
Kennedy previously was the director of Boston’s “Operation Ceasefire,” a coordinated, citywide strategy aimed at deterring juvenile and gang firearms violence, which is credited with reducing firearms violence by more than percent 60 percent. The project has been replicated in cities across the country, resulting in average reduction in violence of 40 to 50 percent.
In addition, for his efforts in developing the High Point (N.C) drug market intervention strategy, Kennedy has received two Webber Seavey Awards from the International Association of Chiefs of Police, two Ford Foundation Innovations in American Government Awards from the Kennedy School of Government, and a Herman Goldstein Problem-Oriented Policing Award. He was awarded the 2011 Hatfield Scholar Award for scholarship in the public interest.
Kennedy serves as the co-chair of the National Network for Safe Communities and is the author of Don’t Shoot, One Man, a Street Fellowship, and the End of Violence in Inner-City America, a chronicle of his decades-long crusade against violence, and Deterrence and Crime Prevention: Reconsidering the Prospect of Sanction, which advocates new deterrence strategies to address some of the most important crime problems in the country. He is also the co-author of Beyond 911: A New Era for Policing, which shows innovative approaches by law enforcement to combat crime and violence.
His vita includes a wide range of articles on gang violence, drug markets, domestic violence, firearms trafficking, deterrence theory, and other public safety issues.
Kennedy received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania.
Attorney To Discuss Identity Theft At Woodlands Center
Harris County assistant district attorney Maria McAnulty will kick off a speaker series at SHSU—The Woodlands Center on Tuesday (Oct. 15), when she will discuss the financial, legal and social implications of identity theft, and how everyone is at risk.
The presentation will be held from 6-7 p.m. in TWC auditorium, followed by a reception.
McAnulty was the chief of the Special Crimes Bureau, the major investigative unit in the Office of the Harris County District Attorney, responsible for the overall operation of the bureau and the supervision of each division within the bureau, including the major fraud, identity theft, major offender, consumer fraud, and asset forfeiture divisions. As the bureau chief, she directed and/or assisted in the investigation of cases handled by any of the divisions within the bureau, including complex financial crimes.
She is now the trial bureau chief, where she supervises the prosecutors and support staff assigned to the 22 district courts, 15 misdemeanor courts, 16 justice of the peace courts and three juvenile courts in Harris County.
These experiences, as well as some personal experience, give McAnulty a unique perspective on identity theft, according to Janet Mullings, executive director of The Woodlands Center.
“Maria will be speaking on the reality of this topic, and that it can happen to anyone,” Mullings said. “Despite all of her work with fraud, Maria was a victim of identity theft herself.”
The Woodlands Center Speaker Series is among several new programs to be launched this year designed to enrich the academic experience at the center, according to Mullings.
"As our numbers grow, more students are not traveling to main campus and are in need of the same environment the students in Huntsville receive," she said. "Having a speaker series at The Woodlands Center allows these students the same opportunities for professional development that are afforded to students in Huntsville."
The presentation is open to the public.
SHSU-The Woodlands Center is located at 3380 College Park Dr. in The Woodlands.
For more information, contact Jordan Story, TWC enrollment management counselor, at 936.202.5000 or jordanstory@shsu.edu.
Presentation To Highlight ‘New World’ Migration
Since 1937, Americans have recognized Christopher Columbus’s arrival to the New World with the federal holiday on Oct. 12 (later changed to the second Monday in October).
But America is not alone in its recognition of Columbus Day; many Spanish-speaking countries also recognize the holiday as Día de la Raza (“day of the race/people”), referring to the first encounters between Europeans and Native Americans resulting from colonization.
SHSU’s foreign languages department will celebrate the Spanish-influenced observance of Columbus Day, on Monday (Oct. 14), when James Fernández, associate professor of Spanish and Portuguese at New York University, will discuss and screen his documentary Dan Albert’s Paella.
“Ni frailes ni conquistadores: Archiving the Spanish Diaspora in the US, 1898-1936,” will begin at 5 p.m. in College of Humanities and Social Sciences Building Room C070.
The hour-long presentation will include a screening of the documentary—a collection of oral history vignettes about the Spanish immigrants' transatlantic attachments and experiences in the U.S.—followed by a discussion.
While Fernández believes the Spanish diaspora (the migration from one country to another) may evoke images of the conquistadors and missionaries who, on behalf of the Spanish Crown, conquered and colonized vast swaths of South, Central and North America from 1492 until about 1880, “few people realize, however, that the number of Spaniards who emigrated from the Iberian Peninsula to the Americas in the half-century between 1880 and 1930 is far greater than the number of those who made the same journey during the previous four centuries,” he said.
“This lesser-known migration was composed largely by workers recruited by American companies to work on the fields, the mines, and factories,” said Montserrat Feu López, assistant professor of Spanish. “The Spanish migration to the United States is one area of research expanding now because it nuances the conventional images of conquistadors and missionaries that might be attached to the historical concept of Día de la Raza.”
For more information, contact Lopez at mmf017@shsu.edu or the foreign languages office at 936.294.1441 or fol_www@shsu.edu.
College To Examine SHSU EWCAT Program With Faculty
The College of Education will spend the afternoon educating faculty, teaching assistants, and even future teachers on the SHSU EWCAT program on Wednesday (Oct. 16).
The Afternoon Research Tea will begin at 3:30 p.m. in the Eleanor and Charles Garrett Teacher Education Center Room 279.
History professor Kenneth Hendrickson, English professor Douglas Krienke and philosophy professor Frank Fair will share their work in designing and implementing EWCAT curriculum in their respective departments and the results that have been derived from an empirical test of efficacy.
The Ethics, Western Civilization, and American Traditions program employs the assignment of complete original texts, class discussion, peer-led team learning, and a focus on the implications of the class material for the ethical and moral challenges confronted by our students.
“It really looks like it’s making a difference in students from the College of Humanities and Social Sciences,” said COE interim dean A. Jerry Bruce. “I’m really excited about it. COE is dedicated to the idea of empirically demonstrating the value of education, and this is what EWCAT does."
Students exposed to classes taught in the EWCAT format wrote better, had fewer absences, showed greater motivation for critical thinking, indicated great applicability of the course material to their lives and careers, and evaluated the classes as superior to traditionally taught control classes, according to Bruce.
The COE Afternoon Research Tea will allow education professors, as well as anyone interested in EWCAT methodology, to get insight from instructors, learn about student feedback and plan for future implementations.
For more information, contact COE events coordinator Sherry Hirsch at 936.294.3304 or edu_slh@shsu.edu.
Fair To Provide Central Location For ‘Exploring Majors’
SHSU’s Career Services and Student Success Initiatives will aid students in need of help making a “major” college decision—selecting a field of study—on Wednesday (Oct. 16).
The Exploring Majors Fair will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Lowman Student Center Ballroom.
The event will allow students seeking a major to speak to representatives from more than 30 academic departments, as well as academic advising staff, about choices of majors, in one central location and in a casual atmosphere, according to Pam Laughlin, director of Career Services.
“The fair provides students an opportunity to be advised, learn more about major and minor choices, and talk with representatives from a variety of student support departments,” Laughlin said.
“Students are encouraged to drop by the LSC Ballroom on a come-and-go basis to gather information, have their questions answered, and to register for some great door prizes to be awarded after the fair,” she said.
For more information, contact Career Services at 936.294.1713.
Fourth Annual Ruck March To Be Held Saturday
Sam Houston State University will join forces with U.S. military servicemen and women this weekend by symbolically “carrying their load” during the fourth annual Military Ruck March on Saturday (Oct. 19).
The competitive, eight-mile march will begin at 8 a.m. at the Huntsville State Park, six miles southwest of Huntsville off Interstate 45 on Park Road 40. Registration will begin at 6 a.m., followed by an opening ceremony.
The foot march began in 2010 as both a fundraising endeavor and a way to commemorate and bring attention to the physical, mental, and emotional “load” that military/veterans and civil service members carry daily, according to Jacob Bullion, recruiting coordinator for SHSU’s Veterans Resource Center.
Participants can enter the event individually or as two- or four-person teams. Prizes will be awarded in eight categories, with divisions for military personnel carrying 45 and 60 pound rucksacks, civilian and individuals.
The cost to participate ranges from $15 for individuals to $100 for a four-person team, with registration costs varying for military service and the weight of the rucksack carried.
All proceeds benefit the Warrior and Family Support Center at the Brooke Army Medical Center, the Walker County Sheriff's Department, and the Huntsville Volunteer Fire Department.
“Participation in the past three years has been pretty consistent at around 400 folks, and we're looking to exceed that this year,” Bullion said.
“The march is a great way to get out in the woods, get some great exercise while testing your endurance, and, most importantly, it is a great way to show support to our military, connect with our community and show some school spirit. It's all about competition and charity,” he said. “The trails out there are really good at the state park and make for a great event; not to mention the scenery is outstanding.”
Participants can pre-register online at shsu.edu/ruckmarch or by stopping by the Veterans Resource Center, in Academic Building III Room 116. Early registration is not required but is encouraged.
For more information contact Bullion at 936.294.4079 or veterans@shsu.edu.
Contest Winners To Be Announced At Exhibit Opening
The Sam Houston Memorial Museum will showcase more than 300 entries in its fourth annual photography contest and announce the winning entries on Monday (Oct. 14).
The Artists’ Reception will open the exhibit from 5:30-7 p.m. in the Katy and E. Don Walker Sr. Education Center Exhibit Gallery. Light refreshments will be served and the awards presentation for the $200 “Best in Show,” “$100 “Reserve Best in Show” and first through third places in each of the eight different categories will begin at 6 p.m., according to Casey Roon, museum exhibits curator.
“We are pleased with the turnout because we announced all new categories this year, and the response was good,” Roon said.
“The photography that is entered is always fun to look at. All levels of amateur photography are represented, there are photos in the show that are really exceptional,” she said. “It is my hope that people that view and study the photos in the show learn more about their own photography and the process and thinking they apply when they take their own photos.
“Some of the work in the show is very inspiring; I know it inspires me to work harder and harder to take better photos.”
During the reception, the museum will have a free raffle for all attendees who sign in with an email address at the front door.
“We are raffling a new Nikon camera that retails for $399,” Roon said. “Participation is open to artists and guests, alike.”
The winner will be announced at the end of the awards presentation and while there is no purchase required to enter, attendees must be present to win.
The Fourth Annual Photography Contest Exhibition will be on display in the gallery through Dec. 22.
For more information, contact Roon at 936.294.3292 or cmr022@shsu.edu or museum marketing coordinator Megan Buro at 936.294.3839 or mlb044@shsu.edu.
Workshop To Keep Students’ Wallets, Diets Healthy
The stereotypical staple of any college student’s diet is Ramen noodles, selected because they’re a cheap meal, averaging less than 25 cents per serving.
But college students can have healthier options than the 380-calorie “instant lunch,” which carries with it 1400-plus milligrams of sodium and 14 grams of fat per package, and the Student Money Management Center intends to show them how.
On Monday (Oct. 14), the SMMC financial coach Samantha McKinley, along with Student Health Center programming coordinator Lisa Clarkson, will provide tips for "Healthy Eating on a Dime,” from 1-2 p.m. on the first floor patio of the Margaret Lea Houston Building. A second presentation will be held on Wednesday (Oct. 16) at the same time and location.
“People often make the excuse that the reason they don’t eat better is because they believe it is too expensive to eat right; however, it is possible to eat right on a budget, as long as you know how to shop and what to eat,” McKinley said. “We will show students that it is possible to have both nutritious and budget-friendly food and discuss how to budget for healthy foods, ways to save money, and the kinds of foods to buy.”
The presentation will be followed by a cooking demonstration, during which students can sample some of those budget-friendly snacks.
“Eating right is an investment in your future health, and students must learn how to balance the benefits versus costs of healthy food,” McKinley said.
For more information about this event, or any of the upcoming SMMC events, visit shsu.edu/~smmc or call 936.294.2600.
Music To Present ‘Tubaween’ Concerts For ‘OcTUBAfest’
The SHSU School of Music will present a series of concerts showcasing the tuba and euphonium during the annual “OcTUBAfest” recitals beginning Sunday (Oct 20).
The series will tune up students from the euphonium and tuba studios, led by professor Henry Howey and instructor Robert Daniel, respectively, performing a wide variety of solo pieces.
The concerts will begin at 6 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. in the Gaertner Performing Arts Center Recital Hall.
On Oct. 23, brass faculty will showcase their talents, accompanied by visiting professor of keyboard studies Brooks Hafey, with a concert of older and newer pieces, beginning at 7:30 p.m. in the GPAC Recital Hall.
The performance will include Howey, playing pieces originally written for euphonium, as well as his own arrangements for euphonium and piano, and Daniel, playing a work for tuba and piano by American composer Robert Spillman, as well as “a wonderful arrangement by Dr. Howey of a work originally for the french horn by Carl Maria Von Weber,” Daniel said.
The two will conclude their recital with a duet of the “beautiful” song, “Softly as I Leave You.”
Finally, the brass section will play out the month with a special “Tubaween” performance on Oct. 30, beginning at 7:30 p.m. in the GPAC Concert Hall.
The SHSU Tuba-Euphonium Ensemble, conducted by Howey and Daniel, will present a program of “special arrangements for the tuba-euphonium ensemble by Dr. Howey,” as well as works for small chamber groups of tubas and euphoniums.
“Since this is the day before Halloween, there will be special programming for the occasion,” Daniel said. “The music will not only be entertaining, it will be scary.”
Admission to all of the concerts is free.
For more information, call the School of Music at 936.294.1360.
Fundraiser To Showcase Diversity Of Dance Department
The Sam Houston State University dance department will show off the variety of styles of dancers all over campus during its semiannual Dances@8 fundraiser concert on Thursday and Friday (Oct. 17-18).
Performances will begin at 8 p.m. on both days in the Performing Arts Center Dance Theater. The Dances@8 fundraising concert is supported by the Chi Tau Epsilon Dance Honor Society.
The fall line-up will include about a dozen pieces choreographed by SHSU dance Bachelor of Fine Arts and Master of Fine Arts candidates, as well as a performance by the Khaos Step Team, a group on campus that is not affiliated with the dance department but performs stepping and dancing works at various school events, according to Katie McAllister, president of Chi Tau Epsilon.
“There will be quite a few modern dance pieces in the show—including groups and solos—jazz pieces, a ballet piece done on pointe, and some hip-hop and step pieces,” McAllister said. “Some students have been working on these pieces since the beginning of the semester; others are using pieces they choreographed for projects last year.”
One of the great aspects of the semiannual concert is that it gives student choreographers with varying levels of experience—from “brand new freshmen to seasoned grad students”— the opportunity to present their works, something undergraduate students don’t often get to do, according to McAllister.
“Because the show is open to dancers and choreographers all over campus, we also get a wider variety of audience members so dancers get to share their works with people who don't necessarily see many of our department performances,” she said. “The works in the show are also considered by the faculty to go to festivals such as American College Dance Festival.”
Tickets are $5.
“It's always a great show for a great price, and all proceeds go to Chi Tau Epsilon to go toward events to better our department and our community,” McAllister said.
For more information, call the dance department at 936.294.1875 or contact McAllister at kem029@shsu.edu.
Polish Delegation Tours Texas Correctional System
The Correctional Management Institute of Texas recently co-hosted a biennial visit by a delegation from the Polish Central Board of Prison Services, who visited Huntsville to learn about state and local correctional facilities in Texas.
“It is an incredible honor to again host and facilitate a delegation of correctional professionals from the Polish Prison Services,” said Doug Dretke, CMIT executive director. “Through our continuing relationship we are able to provide professional development opportunities for prison and jail officials to share best practices from our different systems and to understand and learn new ideas and approaches to similar challenges.”
The 10-day visit, which included programs and facilities at the Texas Department of Criminal Justice and several sheriffs’ offices across the state, featured service dog training, prison-run industries and correctional officer training. The program was co-sponsored by the TDCJ.
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| (Above) The Polish delegation, which recently met with CMIT staff to learn about state and local correctional facilities, includig testing SWAT equipment in Travis County (Below). —Submitted photos |
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The delegation represented Poland’s unified correctional system, under the country’s Minister of Justice, which enforces both custodial sentences and pre-trial detention.
In addition to meeting with top officials from CMIT and TDCJ, the delegation traveled the state to tour the TDCJ’s Crain, Dominquez, Hughes, Huntsville, Ramsey, Terrell and Wynne Units as well as jail facilities operated by the Travis County and the Limestone County Sheriffs’ Offices.
Each program showcased some of their specialties or areas of interest to the delegation, including tours of three TDCJ dog-training programs, as well as its agricultural business and its other manufacturing and logistics operations.
The TDCJ also provided an overview of the training programs available for correctional officers, and the Polish officials sat in on a defensive tactics training class.
Finally, the group visited several counties to learn about programs and operations at the local level, including participating in the “Travis County Vision Summit” and getting a hands-on view of the county’s SWAT equipment; and touring Limestone County’s new county jail facility, which is less than three years old and represents a modern correctional institution.
“The Polish Prison Services has a sharp focus on leadership development of their staff, reentry and reintegration for their offender population, and efficiency and effectiveness in prison and jail operations,” Dretke said. “Much of their visit focused on these critical areas providing them an opportunity to see and learn about the very similar efforts within our prisons and jails in the state of Texas.”
The delegation also was treated to Texas culture, with traditional meals and tours, along with an outing to Fort Parker in Limestone County and a Bearkat football game.
Honors College Newsletter Receives National Recognition
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Every semester, the Elliott T. Bowers Honors College reaches out to its students, alumni, parents and prospective students with its newsletter “The Dialogue,” highlighting the college’s various aspects and activities.
Approximately 1,000 honors programs and colleges around the country do the same, but SHSU’s stands apart. So much so that the National Collegiate Honors Council’s Publications Board recently selected “The Dialogue” as the third best honors-related digital newsletter in the country.
The newsletter’s student editor Melanie Adams and Maria Holmes, EBT honors college assistant director and newsletter adviser, will accept their award during the organization’s national conference on Nov. 9 in New Orleans.
While at the conference, Adams and Holmes will also participate in a panel session on “What Makes a Winning Honors Newsletter,” covering all aspects of newsletter production and share samples of their winning newsletter to audience members.
“We are ecstatic to have received this award because the newsletter is produced completely in our office by our student editor,” Holmes said. “Melanie has devoted many hours to creating our design and formatting the articles. Then Melanie and I edit the articles to provide a wide representation of the unique and special happenings, including seminars, research, courses, students, faculty, and alumni in the Honors College throughout the current semester.
“I think this holistic approach of featuring all aspects of the Honors College, with a focus on telling our story through providing interesting reading about a wide variety of topics, was helpful in making this a winning newsletter,” she said. “In addition, Melanie’s design made ‘The Dialogue’ so appealing! I believe this was the feature that enabled us to place in the top three honors college newsletters nation-wide.”
The NCHC is the national organization of educational institutions, professionals, and students who participate in collegiate honors education around the world.
“I feel that this digital newsletter on the Honors College website is one of our best recruiting tools, so we strive to produce a quality piece that represents very well the Honors College and SHSU as a whole,” Holmes said.
To see the most recent edition of “The Dialogue,” visit http://www.shsu.edu/~honors/documents/DialogueV4-2.pdf.
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
Oct. 11, 2013
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.
