NACOGDOCHES, Texas – Joshua Chavira, Houston graduate vocal performance student at Stephen F. Austin State University, traveled extensively this past summer to study Baroque singing at a prestigious and historic early music program in Urbino, Italy.

The program, Musica Antica, housed more than 400 participants, including dancers, instrumentalists and singers. Participants traveled from Japan, Russia, Jerusalem, France, Spain, Australia, Belgium, Germany, Switzerland and Italy to take part in the acclaimed program. Chavira was one of only four Americans to participate.

NACOGDOCHES, Texas — The Stephen F. Austin State University Office of Multicultural Affairs encourages the campus and Nacogdoches communities to submit community work projects for the eighth annual MLK Day of Service scheduled for Jan. 15.

The deadline to submit a project is Friday, Dec. 15. Volunteers are needed and can sign up to work now through the morning of the event.

NACOGDOCHES, Texas – The choirs at Stephen F. Austin State University, along with the Festival Orchestra, will present SFA’s traditional holiday concert at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 8, in W.M. Turner Auditorium on the university campus.

The highly anticipated “Christmas Celebration” concert will feature “Magnificat in D” by Johann Sebastian Bach and other seasonal favorites, according to Dr. Michael Murphy, director of choral activities for the SFA School of Music.

NACOGDOCHES, Texas – The Percussion Studio at Stephen F. Austin State University and its director, Dr. Brad Meyer, will coordinate an interactive community performance of Phil Kline’s “Unsilent Night” starting at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 9, outside the Wright Music Building at 2210 Alumni Drive.

Participants will enjoy a 45-minute walk through the picturesque SFA campus while listening to a recording of “Unsilent Night” that has been downloaded to play over a smart device connected to portable speakers or to a CD played over a boom box.

NACOGDOCHES, Texas – A special free one-night screening of “Christmas With the Dead” is planned for 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 8, in The Cole Art Center @ The Old Opera House, the downtown Nacogdoches art gallery owned by Stephen F. Austin State University.

Directed by T.L. Lankford, “Christmas With the Dead” is a zombie apocalypse film based on a short story by the same name written by Nacogdoches author Joe R. Lansdale. Lansdale’s son, Keith, wrote the screenplay.

NACOGDOCHES, Texas — Although summer has come to a close, it is the perfect time for Stephen F. Austin State University students to begin planning an adventure for the summer 2018 semester.

For students in SFA’s Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture, these summer experiences, more often than not, include collecting valuable data that will inevitably be used to guide future land management practices domestically and abroad.

NACOGDOCHES, Texas — Stephen F. Austin State University’s SFA Gardens will host the monthly Theresa and Les Reeves Lecture Series at 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 14, in the Brundrett Conservation Education Building at the Pineywoods Native Plant Center, located at 2900 Raguet St. Dr. David Creech, director of SFA Gardens, will present “The Year in Review: Surviving a Career in Academia with No Permanent Injuries.”

NACOGDOCHES, Texas — Stephen F. Austin State University will honor several prominent donors during the 29th annual SFA Gala Saturday, Dec. 9, in the Baker Pattillo Student Center Grand Ballroom.

Honorees this year include Susan and Sam Calomino and Alfred and Madeline Danheim.

NACOGDOCHES, Texas — Stephen F. Austin State University has received rankings on the national and state levels for its online education and affordable programs.

Nationally, Best Colleges Online ranked SFA fourth for the most affordable online master’s degree in educational leadership. Best Colleges Online “provides expert insights into the best-accredited online universities across the United States,” according to bestcollegesonline.org.

NACOGDOCHES, Texas — It’s a simple necklace, nothing too fancy. The triangular shape and blue stone may go unnoticed by most, but for Dr. Nina Ellis-Hervey, director of Stephen F. Austin State University’s School Psychology Assessment Center and associate professor, it’s a reminder of what she stands for: strength, confidence and power.

While she admits she doesn’t wear the necklace every day, Ellis-Hervey always tries to include blue in her wardrobe.

“Blue is a color often associated with males, but for me, it’s a symbol of confidence and power,” Ellis-Hervey said.