SHSU Update for Week of October 22

• Homecoming 2000 Promises 'Blast from the Past'
• Merchant Honored
• Music Events Offer Relief
• Children in the Barnyard
• Student Wins Research Award
• The Lounge Covers Hot Topics
• All Treat, No Trick

Homecoming 2000 Promises 'Blast from the Past'

It is a milestone year as the institution that was a Sam Houston Normal Institute at the beginning of this century, with only a three-year teacher-training curriculum, now offers 170 bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees.

Events begin Thursday (Oct. 26) with the Gold and Silver Reunion Luncheon honoring the Class of 1950 and Class of 1975. Marking their 50th year, the Class of 1950 will be inducted into the Golden Circle Club during the program.

On Thursday evening, the Department of Student Activities will sponsor the Homecoming Parade led by SHSU's Distinguished Alumni for 2000. The parade will travel down Bearkat Boulevard to Avenue H, past the University Theatre and Library, ending at the intramural fields for the student spirit rally known as Kat Kall.

The nationally-ranked Bearkat football team along with the Homecoming king and queen candidates will be on hand for the pep rally. Also, making an appearance will be the Bearkat Marching Band and Orange Pride Dance Team.

Friday's big event will be the evening presentation of Distinguished Alumni Awards to Arnold A. Allemang, the late Joe M. MacKenzie, Clemon Montgomery, Linda Quick, and Wayne Scott.

Saturday's events include the traditional brunch at Austin Hall from 8-10 a.m., Athletic Hall of Honor induction of Bruce Faulk, Herbert Muckleroy, Larry Lewis and Gary Moss, and a Cajun-theme tailgate party at Bowers Stadium prior to the 2 p.m. Sam Houston State-McNeese State football game.

Theresa Bledsoe, director of alumni relations, said that tickets for the events will be available at the door, but asked that reservations be made by calling the alumni office at 936.294.1841 by Wednesday (Oct. 25). A complete list of activities is available on the Alumni Association website.

Merchant Honored

The award was presented at the group's annual fall conference in Houston, for his "performance of instructional, supervisory, and curricular duties and responsibilities consistent with the purpose of the organization in an exemplary manner."

Genevieve Brown, who chairs the educational leadership and counseling department, said the award indicates the high regard in which Merchant and Sam Houston State University is held because it usually goes to a public school educator.

Merchant has that background as well, serving as a teacher and principal for 12 years in schools at Edna, Texarkana, and Sherman before coming to Sam Houston State in 1969. He earned bachelor's, master's, and education doctoral degrees at East Texas State.

In addition to his service to the national and state supervision and curriculum development associations, Merchant has had a number of other key statewide and national assignments.

He has chaired the task force to develop the initial set of proficiencies for elementary and middle school teachers in Texas, co-chaired the task force to develop the first administrator competencies in Texas, and is on the board of examiners of the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education.

He has also served on accreditation visits to universities in Montana, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Florida, Oregon, North Carolina, Virginia, Kansas, Illinois and Indiana.

Music Events Offer Relief

The Musicale is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Tuesday in the Recital Hall, 17th and Ave. J. The Chorale, under the direction of new music faculty member Allen Hightower (right), performs at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at First Baptist Church.

A sampling of the happy-sounding titles for the Musicale include "My Heart is Like A Singing Bird," "Mr. Sandman," "Music is Our Call," and "I Want to be Where the Music Is." There is even a piano piece by Chopin.

Hightower returns to Sam Houston State, from which he was graduated in 1989 with a Bachelor of Music degree in music education. He earned his Master of Music degree from the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York.

From 1992 through 1996, he taught high school music at Klein High School in Spring and then at Odessa Permian High School in Odessa. He returned to graduate school, earning a second Master of Music degree in orchestral conducting at Baylor University.

From 1997 through the summer of 2000, he studied at UCLA, where he earned the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in conducting.

During his three-year stay in southern California, Hightower served as assistant conductor of the Angeles Chorale, conductor intern of the Los Angeles Master Chorale, and co-conductor of the USC Community Orchestra. He was also a member of the faculty of California State University, Long Beach.

Thursday's Chorale program will be all-Bach, in continuing tribute to the composer in the 250th year after his death. It will include a cantata, a motet, and a cantata excerpt performed by the Women of the Chorale under the direction of Kristin Hightower, guest conductor.

Children in the Barnyard

There will be two days of activities, Wednesday (Oct. 25) and Thursday (Oct. 26) from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day, in the Agriculture Center Indoor Arena.

"Our focus is to give children the opportunity to experience agriculture up-close and personal," said Brandon Gregson, senior animal science major from Conroe. "We will have a variety of animals for them to see and touch.

"However, since agriculture is not limited to livestock, we will also have popcorn and real live plants for the children to take back with them. This area of the barnyard is to give them some understanding of horticulture as well."

Gregson said that invitations were sent to elementary schools, day care facilities and special programs in Huntsville and surrounding areas.

Stanley Kelley, adviser to the Block and Bridle Organization, said that this year's will be the largest gathering of 3-year-old through kindergarten-aged students since the program was begun six years ago.

Bobby Lane, who chairs the agriculture department, said that the event now known as "Children's Barnyard" may be called "Agriculture Discovery Days" in the future in keeping with its expanded scope.

Student Wins Research Award

The Donald W. Fogarty International Student Paper Competition was sponsored by the American Production and Inventory Control Society (APICS) Educational and Research Foundation, Inc.

Grant's paper had previously won first place and a $250 cash award at the local chapter level and first place and another $250 award in the region level of the competition. At the international level, her paper was in competition with other award winners from the 13 APICS regions covering the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

Grant's paper, "Using Manufacturing Techniques to Improve Scheduling and Resource Allocation for Repetitive Projects," resulted from research she conducted as part of a directed study in project management.

Working under the direction of Vic Sower, associate professor of management, Grant examined ways that organizations such as building and playground contractors can utilize tools and techniques taken from the repetitive manufacturing area to improve the management of repetitive projects.

The Lounge Covers Hot Topics

This new issue has a story on how Tiger Woods changed the face of golf, about domestic abuse and volunteering at the Huntsville SAAFE House, a piece on prayer in school, a piece on rape, a story on procrastination, an opinion piece on smoking and a piece on the popularity of professional wrestling.

The magazine was created in the spring semester when journalism instructor Ruth Pate decided that the school needed an online magazine.

"I decided to make it the project for students in the advanced desktop publishing class," she said. "I felt we needed the magazine so last spring I had the students pick out a name and a layout that everyone liked and we set it up."

Plans include three different issues this fall, with a new issue approximately every month.

All Treat, No Trick

Children are invited to dress in their Halloween costumes and meet in the parking lot across from Academic Building 3 at the corner of Avenue J and 20th Street. SHSU students in costumes will lead children around campus to residence halls and houses where they will receive candy and treats from students.

For information, call 936.294.1945, 936.294.4225 or 936.294.1818.

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SHSU Media Contacts: Frank Krystyniak, Julia May
Oct. 22, 2000
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