SHSU Update for Week of April 8

• Image Survey Under Way
• Huntsville Educator Earns Award
• Musical Theatre Students Selected
• 'Musicale' and Other Concerts
• Student Wins National Scholarship
• Zalaquett to Speak
• All-American Debaters
• Egg Hunt Time

Image Survey Under Way

Groups being surveyed and the number in each include undergraduate students (2,000), graduate students (1,390) faculty (535), staff (250), Huntsville community members (500), alumni (1,000), high school seniors (1,000), prospective transfer students (500), prospective employers (300), high school counselors (300) and deans from other universities (62).

Troy Courville, director of institutional research, said that some results are expected by August and the first round of surveying should be complete by December. Additional surveys will be conducted periodically to determine changes in the university's image.

Courville asked that anyone being contacted to complete a survey do so, because a high return rate is important to the accuracy of such research. He also emphasized that questions are asking for "perceptions" and not factual information, so the questionnaires can be filled out easily by participants.

Those asked to participate may find the survey on the university Web site or by first accessing the institutional research home page. Courville also asked that anyone having problems with the "personal identification number" requested in order to complete the survey contact his office at 936.294.3619.

Huntsville Educator Earns Staggs Award

Wooderson-Perzan studied at the Center for Research and Doctoral Studies in Educational Leadership in the College of Education and Applied Science and earned her doctorate in May 2000. Her research examined the relationship between superintendent leadership styles and student achievement and financial and demographic factors in more than 200 school districts in Texas.

"No other position in the educational system directly influences change more than that of the superintendency," said Wooderson-Perzan. "The data in this study suggests a need for superintendents to understand and act on racial inequities, focus on non-native students and working with a multicultural population, to deal with the consequences of societal problems, especially poverty, and focus on real people and real problems rather than on budgeting, finance, and legal issues."

She said her recommendations for training programs are applicable for inclusion in higher education courses and could provide practical application to aspiring superintendents.

"The demographic data in the study indicated that over half of the superintendents were between 50 and 59 years old, which means that a large number of superintendents will soon retire and will have to be replaced, hopefully with qualified individuals with a strong vision as to what is necessary for the success of the generations of students to come in the 21st century," she said.

Wooderson-Perzan thanked Fred Lunenburg, who chaired her dissertation committee, as well as its members--Jimmy Merchant, Jerry Lowe, Jaime Hebert, and Bobby Lane.

"I appreciate this award very much, especially since it honors Dr. Jack Staggs," said Wooderson-Perzan. "He is a legend at Sam Houston State for his vision and commitment to excellence in education."

Musical Theatre Students Selected

The students are Curtis Howard, Maggie Wilhite, Sara Kendrick, Brent McBeth and Tye Blue.

Auditions for the program were held in Tampa, Chicago, New Orleans, Dallas, New York, and Houston, with about 500 students competing for 150 positions.

Students submitted a photo, r�sum�, and application form, performed a jazz combination and a tap combination dance in groups and a short song and monologue.

Wilhite said the workshop program is basically dance, voice, and acting classes at Florida State University every day from 8 to 5. At the end of three weeks, workshop students will perform a show built around the skills they worked on.

"The faculty there is very impressive," said Wilhite. "Anne Reinking founded 'BTP' several years ago and is presently the artistic director. She is a really big deal where Broadway is concerned, and I am excited to work with her."

Reinking currently is starring in "Fosse," which she produced and choreographed and for which she won several Tony Awards in 1998. The other faculty members are also seasoned performers and award winners, including Gregory Hines, Patti LuPone, Ben Vereen, Brian Stokes Mitchell and others.

'Musicale 2001' and Other Concerts

Long Le's double bass recital is at 7:30 p.m. Sunday (April 8) in the Recital Hall, featuring works by Frideric Handel, Francois Rabbath and Serge Koussevizky. The Sigma Alpha Iota American Musicale 2001 is at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday (April 10) in the Recital Hall.

It is packed with numbers--16 in all--beginning with faculty composer Phillip Schroeder's "Poem" and proceeding to such favorites as Stephen Foster's "Hard Times, Come Again no More," "The Hours Creep on Apace" from "HMS Pinafore," "How Lovely to be a Woman" from "Bye Bye Birdie," George Gershwin's "I Got Rhythm" and Burt Bacharach's "Wishin' and Hopin'."

The concert by violinist Wilson and pianist Swansbourne is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Thursday (April 12) in the Recital Hall.

Wilson has performed extensively across North America as soloist and chamber musician including performances with the Apollo and Sivori String Quartets. He has also been the principal second violin of the Akron Symphony.

He has received many awards including first prizes in the Dallas Symphonic Festival and Tuesday Musical Club Violin Competition. He has been a member of the Aurora Piano Trio, has served as concertmaster of the Victoria Symphony, associate concertmaster with the Corpus Christi Symphony and performed with the Victoria Bach Festival Orchestra.

Swansbourne has toured widely throughout the United States, and has performed to critical acclaim in most of the big cities and almost all the states. He has also performed frequently in Europe (Great Britain, Germany, Belgium, and Switzerland) as well as Canada.

He has gained a reputation for his interpretations of standard repertoire as well as twentieth-century music. His performances have been broadcast on National Public Radio's "Performance Today" and by the BBC in England. He was a major prizewinner at the Maryland International Piano Competition, and in 1989 won the "Concerts Atlantique" International Music Competition.

Student Wins National Scholarship

Edwards will receive the Alfred E. Nolle Scholarship to be awarded in the 2001-02 academic year by Alpha Chi. His selection was announced recently at the society's biennial national convention in Savannah, Ga.

Alpha Chi is composed of undergraduate juniors and seniors from all academic areas who are in the top 10 percent of their classes. The society has chapters at 300 institutions throughout the United States and inducts approximately 11,000 new members each year.

Zalaquett to Speak

The conference is sponsored by Career Counseling, Inc., and will be held at The Houstonian Hotel. Zalaquett is a member of Career Counseling, Inc., board of directors.

Zalaquett has co-edited a book entitled "Evaluating Stress: A Book of Resources" and developed a Web resource called "Help Screens," which offers students information on more than 20 areas which often affect their lives and academic success.

Topics include such areas as test taking, violence in relationships, eating disorders, coping with stress, anger management and violence prevention.

Zalaquett's Help Screens can be accessed from the counseling services Web site.

All-American Debaters

Jason Courville was named an all-American debater and Terri Easley was selected as an academic all-American debater. Both are sophomores. Only 30 individuals were named nationally in each of the two categories.

The team of Courville and Easley was one of 64 that qualified for elimination rounds. In order to advance to these rounds a 5-3 record or better was required.

Courville and Easley finished their preliminary debate rounds with a 5-3 record with wins over Claremont College, Emporia State University, Southern Utah University, Southwest Missouri State University, and the University of Pittsburgh.

Egg Hunt Time

Egg hunters should report to Colony Park, at the corner of Avenue H and Bearkat Boulevard, across from the University Hotel.

For further information, contact Mary Ellen Sims at 936.294.1818.

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SHSU Media Contacts: Frank Krystyniak, Julia May
April 8, 2001
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