Sul Ross State University
A Member of the Texas State University System
| How to Apply | Academics | Student Services | Campus Life | About SRSU | Administration | Alumni | Special Interest |
  |
News Release for April 9, 2008MISS TEXAS 2007 TO SPEAK AT APRIL 16 W.O.W. BANQUET Molly Hazlett, reigning Miss Texas, will be the featured speaker at the annual W.O.W. (We're On Our Way) banquet, Wednesday, April 16 at Sul Ross State University Sponsored by the Sul Ross Student Ambassadors, the freshman honoring event will be held from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. in the Espino Conference Center, University Center. All new Sul Ross freshmen (enrolled from summer 2007 through spring semester 2008) are invited to enjoy a free Italian buffet. Class schedules will be modified to accommodate the banquet. Theme of this year's event is "Hustle for Success!" Outstanding Freshman awards will be presented, along with other special presentations. Hazlett, Centerville, represented Longview in the 2007 Miss Texas pageant. Her platform is drug and alcohol awareness, and during her reign, she will speak to over 100,000 students through the "Texas Cares for Children" Program. She is a mass communication major at Sam Houston State University, Huntsville. Hazlett began dancing at the age of four and has taught dance in her own studio since she was 15. For more information, contact Office of Enrollment Management, (432) 837-8432. MUSIC PERFORMANCES APRIL 11, 13 AT SUL ROSS Polka music and the strains of Bach, Beethoven and Ligeti will be featured during music performances at Sul Ross State University Friday, April 11 and Sunday, April 13. "The Hungry Five" will play polka music during a Bach's Lunch Friday (April 11), starting at noon in the Studio Theatre, Francois Fine Arts Building. There is no admission charge and listeners are encouraged to bring their lunches. On Sunday (April 13) at 3:30 p.m.,cellist Leanne Zacharias will perform Bach, Beethoven and Ligeti in Marshall Auditorium. This concert is also free and open to the public. Dr. Justin Badgerow, assistant professor of Music, will accompany Zacharias on Beethoven's "Cello Sonata, op. 69." TEACHER JOB FAIR APRIL 23 AT SUL ROSS The Sul Ross State University Education Department will host the annual Job Fair for Teachers Wednesday, April 23 in the University Center. Representatives from school districts around the state will be available to meet with Sul Ross students and area teachers from 9 a.m.-noon in the Espino Conference Center. Anyone interested in teaching opportunities is welcome to attend. For more information, contact Dr. Tyra Manning, (432) 837-8170 or tmanning@sulross.edu. GRADUATE EXHIBIT BY JESSICA MORGAN CONTINUES THROUGH APRIL 11 AT SUL ROSS "Bloodlines," a Master of Arts exhibition by Sul Ross State University graduate student Jessica Morgan, Brownsville, will continue through April 11 in the Main Gallery, Francois Fine Arts Building. A closing reception will be held Friday, April 11, 6-8 p.m. There is no admission and the public is invited. "Bloodlines" is a series of graduate-level images which contain cultural myths along with Chicano, both personal and historic, imagery synthesizing two popular creative artistic movements commonly referred to as "Fantasy" and "Realism." The three basic elements of Spirit, History, and Art are incorporated and encompasses these concepts. Over the years, these concepts have been a significant influence upon Morgan's life, and a source of profound inspiration within her artworks. Morgan's subjects are intimate ones, and include self-portraits, her marriage and family, and her friends. She intentionally chose the portable versatility of pastels, the flexibility of oils, and the cleanliness of ink for her works. "Even though black and white is starkly suggestive, the availability of a vast palette of color is truly advantageous," she said. AMERICAN MUSICAL THEATRE REVUE APRIL 10-11 AT SUL ROSS The Sul Ross State University Theatre and Music Programs are proud to present "An American Musical Theatre Revue" Thursday and Friday, April 10 and 11. The revue will begin at 8:15 p.m. in the Studio Theatre, Francois Fine Arts Building. The event is a collaborative effort between both the music and theatre programs at Sul Ross and is open and free to the public. Directed by Erin Lippard, lecturer in Music, the evening will feature selections from "The Pirates of Penzance," "Kiss Me Kate," "Fiddler on the Roof," "Song and Dance," "Guys and Dolls," "The Music Man," "Into the Woods," and "Oklahoma!" For more information, call (432) 837-8218. MUSEUM OF THE BIG BEND RECEIVES FOUR WILDER AWARDS The Museum of the Big Bend continued its success in design competition, winning four Wilder Awards from the Texas Association of Museums (TAM). Lauren Mendias, Sul Ross State University Publication Services coordinator, designed one of the Museum's winning entries -- the Grand Opening poster -- that received a merit award. The Museum received a gold certificate for the Viva Terlingua poster, a silver for the U.S.-Mexican Boundary Survey poster and a merit for the Viva Terlingua invitations. This year's Wilder Design Competition drew 276 entries from museums of all sizes, regions and disciplines throughout Texas. A total of 117 awards were presented, 27 gold, 41 silver and 49 merit certificates. Submitted materials ranged from posters, brochures, newsletters and invitations, as well as web sites and videos. During the past seven years, the Museum of the Big Bend has received 21 Wilder awards -- five gold, four silver and 12 merit. Mendias has won three Wilder awards, including a pair of golds in 2005. "As Mitch Wilder originally taught many of us who have spent our lives in small museums, good design and quality publications are within the grasp of all of us," said Larry Francell, Museum of the Big Bend director. "This is recognition by our peers, and that is always satisfying." Named in honor of Mitchell A. Wilder (1913-1979), founding director of the Amon Carter Museum in Fort Worth, the competition was organized by TAM to recognize achievement in graphic design and media production and to encourage quality in public presentations. For more information, contact Francell, (432) 837-8145. BILINGUAL ADAPTATION OF IBSEN CLASSIC "A DOLL'S HOUSE" APRIL 25-MAY 3 AT SUL ROSS A bilingual adaptation of Henrik Ibsen's classic, "A Doll's House," will be the final production of the 2007-2008 Sul Ross State University theatre season. Performances will be held April 25-May 3 in the Studio Theatre, Francois Fine Arts Building. Liz Castillo, director and playwright, has written a modern, bilingual adaptation of Ibsen's revolutionary 1879 play, "Casa de Muñeca." It is said that Ibsen felt that, rather than merely live together, husband and wife should live as equals, free to become their own human beings, and consequently, Ibsen's critics attacked him for failing to respect the institution of marriage. Castillo's Spanish-English update follows the same theme and how it still remains an issue of conflict in many households today. Castillo's version takes the main idea of Ibsen's play, moves it to a modern, border-town family. In Castillo's play, as in Ibsen's, Nora, a devoted wife and mother, finally realizes that her husband's pride will never allow her to become an equal. Will Nora be able to accept her role as her husband's "muñeca (doll)" and never an equal? Castillo has set her adaptation in a small college/Texas border town and has included both English and Spanish in the script as another step towards establishing bilingual theatre in the Big Bend region. For more information, contact the Fine Arts and Communication Department , (432) 837-8218. AUDITIONS MAY 5-6 THEATRE OF THE BIG BEND'S "COWGIRLS" Auditions for "Cowgirls," Besty Howie's boot-stompin' musical, will be held Monday-Tuesday, May 5-6 at Sul Ross State University and May 10 in Midland. Sul Ross additions will be held at 5 p.m. each day in the Studio Theatre, Francois Fine Arts Building. Mdiland auditions are tentatively scheduled Saturday, May 10, 3 p.m. at Midland College "Cowgirls," opens June 27 as part of the Theatre of the Big Bend's 43rd summer season. Dona W. Roman will direct the performance, with fellow Sul Ross faculty Dr. Justin Badgerow serving as music director Dr. Donald Freed as vocal director. "Cowgirls" is a country versus classical music mash up about a famous country-western saloon in jeopardy of foreclosure. The women of the saloon mistakenly hire a classical music trio in hopes to save the saloon. The misunderstanding leads to laughs, song and dance, and the coming together of two very different groups. The script calls for a cast of 6 women who sing and play instruments. "Cowgirls" will open June 27at the Kokernot Outdoor Theatre in Alpine, Texas, and will run through July 13, 2008 with 8 p.m. shows each Friday and Saturday. For more information on auditions or tickets, contact the Fine Arts and Communication Department, (432) 837-8218. LOUISA MAYFIELD NAMED MUSEUM OF THE BIG BEND CURATOR OF EDUCATION Louisa Mayfield plans to incorporate her elementary teaching experience and enthusiasm as the new curator of education at the Museum of the Big Bend. Mayfield, who began her new duties March 10, is planning Saturday activities and week-long summer arts and crafts camps for children in grades two-six. "The Museum is an underused resource for people of the community and the Big Bend region," said Mayfield. "This (position) is a great opportunity to reach out to the community." She is planning a Saturday schedule that would include an arts and crafts project with a different theme each week. Summer camps (Monday-Friday) will also have different themes that include sculpture, drawing and painting. Museum director Larry Francell said that the addition of Mayfield completes the renovation/relocation campaign begun several years ago. "This has been a three-tiered process: relocating and renovating the building, creating new exhibits and now establishing an education program to get the kids in here. "A museum is not a museum until we have children visiting on a regular basis," he said. "Museums are meant to be fun (places to visit) and this will be the fun part. "This is a way to make Little Lobos into Big Lobos," Francell said. "It gives the community another good look at Sul Ross, and for the children, at a very young age." Mayfield, a native of San Antonio, received a bachelor's degree in elementary education from Southern Methodist University, Dallas. She taught third and fourth grade for eight years, including stops in Rockport and San Antonio, and a year at the Alpine Christian School. She and her husband Jack moved to Alpine four years ago. They have a four-year-old daughter, Emily Grace. For more information, contact Mayfield, (432) 837-8815 or hmayfield@sulross.edu. SUL ROSS AWAITS SACS ACCREDITATION TEAM'S OFFICIAL REPORT Sul Ross State University expects to respond to six recommendations following an on-site visit by a Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) team March 30-April 1. The 11-member group conducted on-campus interviews and made recommendations as part of the process of reaffirmation of accreditation. The SACS group reviewed Sul Ross' Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) also known as Lobo Stars. Rio Grande College was also included in the reaffirmation process with two of the committee members visiting there to review their QEP addressing Oral and Written Communication in route to the campus. A 43-member committee began work on the plan in fall 2006. This 75-page document includes an explanation of the Sul Ross plan to enhance student learning through engagement with their classes with support from university activities. The plan includes three strategies: increasing outdoor learning opportunities, pilot programs to encourage innovation, and a faculty support center. "The SACS visitation team made four recommendations to address Sul Ross' certification compliance, and two recommendations on the QEP," said Dr. David Cockrum, Provost and Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs. "We anticipate no difficulty in complying with these recommendations." Both Cockrum and Sul Ross President R. Vic Morgan noted that the recommendations were preliminary, and that additional details will be released when the official visitation report is received. "We appreciate the commitment of the SACS team toward the accreditation process and we will utilize many of the suggestions we received to strengthen the student learning component of our QEP," Morgan said. Cockrum praised the efforts of the Sul Ross community in the accreditation process, which occurs every 10 years for SACS member institutions. "We thank everyone -- faculty, staff and students -- for their support and assistance in the development and design of the QEP," he said. SUL ROSS STUDENTS WIN AWARDS IN TEXAS INTERCOLLEGIATE PRESS COMPETITION by Jason Hennington, News Writer Sul Ross State University students enjoyed a concert along with a Texas A&M baseball game while attending the Texas Intercollegiate Press Association (TIPA) convention held in College Station April 3-5. Sul Ross students won numerous awards for The Brand yearbook and The Skyline newspaper in their respective divisions, and The Sage literary magazine won third place overall in the magazine division. Students Sara Schultz, Burleson; Madeleine Cantu, Houston, Jonathan Smith, and adviser Jason Hennington, Taylor, attended the convention with over 500 students from other universities. TIPA was chance for students to see publications from other universities and exchange ideas and experiences with other students. "I thought it was fun and interesting," Schultz said. "It was very educational with the onsite contest, and seeing what we could do." This was the first TIPA convention for Cantu and Schultz, and definitely a learning experience. "I'd never been to anything like this before and I didn't really know what to expect," Cantu said. "It was pretty competitive, but it was also a great learning experience. I'd definitely go again next year." This was the second trip to the convention for Smith, who enjoyed the interaction between universities. "It was good. You get to learn new things and see how your paper compares to other schools," Smith said. Hennington has attended TIPA as a student in the past, but this was his first convention as the advisor. "There is definitely a difference in being a student and an adviser," Hennington said. "Students get to compete and advisors get to go to meetings, but its fun and a good experience from both aspects. Cantu competed in print news writing and critical review. Schultz entered the feature photo and sports action photo competition. Smith was one of the many cartoonists in the editorial cartoon competition. Registration began Thursday morning, followed by live contests. Contests lasted all day, and concluded with a concert featuring a local band, where feature stories and critical reviews were written and feature photos were taken. Friday morning began with adviser meetings, followed by breakout sessions and seminars followed by the TIPA Hall of Fame luncheon. Later a job fair was held for students along with a student mixer that evening. Students in the sports writing and sports photo competitions attended the Texas A&M vs. Kansas St. baseball game. The convention closed with brunch, where awards from the onsite contests were presented and a slide show of mail in award winners was given. Under the direction of Barbara Richerson, The Brand yearbook has won numerous awards in the past, and was just as successful this year, receiving honorable mention in overall excellence. "We are delighted that Barbara Richerson's last yearbook before her retirement placed so highly throughout the yearbook competition, garnering many layout and writing awards. Once again, the awards suggest all of Barbara's dedication to the Sul Ross community throughout her storied career. And I know she would want last year's Brand staff honored, as this achievement is also so much theirs," said Dr. Laura Butler, assistant professor of Creative Writing and advisor for the Sage Literary Magazine and The Brand yearbook. The Sage was awarded third place in the overall excellence, and is in the category with other major schools such as the University of Texas and Texas A&M. "The Department of Languages and Literature is especially proud of The Sage's strong finish in the overall excellence category. As a literary magazine, we compete in an open division against schools with much larger staffs and budgets," Butler said. "This placement is a testament to the talents and hard work of all of our student writers and artists, especially Mary Ashley Phelps Gredell, The Sage editor." Student winners from Sul Ross included (HM -- Honorable Mention): Newspaper Division 3:
Yearbook Division 2:
Magazine Division
|