College of Humanities, Social Sciences & Arts Newsletter
THE UPDATE
Summer 2013
MAGICAL PRODUCTIONS DAZZLE
Q&A WITH DR. SHAQ
ART FACULTY AWARDS
STUDENT WRITING CELEBRATION
THE UPDATE
College of Humanities, Social Sciences & Arts Newsletter Summer 2013
CONTENTS FEATURES
4
MAGICAL PRODUCTIONS DAZZLE COVER
3 BUILDING A STAGE FOR JUSTICE
4 PLAYHOUSE PRODUCTIONS A SUCCESS
5 LEOCON: THE GATHERING
8 FACULTY AWARDS
9 SUMMER FLUTE SYMPOSIUM
12 MAYO REVIEW LAUNCH
NOTEWORTHY
6
6 DR. SHAQUILLE
11 LIONS AFTER DARK
EVENTS 15 HUMOR RESEARCH CONFERENCE 15 HONORS DAY LUNCHEON COVERS A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM
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THEATRE AND SOCIOLOGY & CRIMINAL JUSTICE
BUILDING A STAGE FOR JUSTICE by Roberta Vassallo
A portable courtroom. That was the request from Assistant Professor Elvira White-Lewis. Her idea was to have a “real court” feel for her students wherever they needed it. Equal to the task, Assistant Professor of Design and Technology, Michael Knight, produced what is sure to be the model and/or envy of criminology programs around the state. The courtroom will serve as the stage for mock trials. Students will be able to get the lay of the land of a real courtroom without the hassle of trying to reserve a time in a local courtroom. Unlike a real courtroom where a mock trial might become a spectacle to passersby, the stage/classroom setting allows students the freedom to prosecute (or defend) with only an audience of their sympathetic peers.
$40,000 Scholarship Award
G
raduate student Julie Bouchard received fantastic news going into summer—expenses for the next semester are going to be a bit lighter. The grant from the place she calls home, Quebec, will allow the research assistant to focus on her dissertation in Applied Linguistics.
THEATRE
PLAYHOUSE PRODUCTIONS A SUCCESS “We try to offer as much diversity in style, genre, and period in our seasons as possible,” Carrie Klypchak tells The Update. “This allows us to provide the widest variety of education and training to our students to prepare them for their success after graduation.” The university’s range in theatrical productions is apparent when you consider two major productions of the 2012-2013 season, A Wrinkle in Time (presented Fall 2012) and Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream (presented Spring 2013). A Wrinkle in Time, a stage adaptation of the classic children’s novel by Madeleine L’Engle, was written by James Sie. Our university was the first college or university to acquire rights to present the adaptation which was first performed at Lincoln Center. It was an outstanding success, playing to sold out audiences for its entire run. For the spring production of Shakespeare’s classic, director Jim AlShamma says, “I started with the idea of carnival because the world of the forest
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is one in which the normal rules do not apply. In our interpretation, the people of the court are also the people of the forest, in disguise, so that the nighttime dream world is a fantastical reflection of the daytime world.” Costume designers, Samantha Grace and Stephanie Goudy, came up with a dazzling motley ensemble for the cast; the Bard never looked so good. Commenting on the popularity of the spring production, Klypchak said, “Producing Midsummer this year offered us the opportunity to share the magic of Shakespeare’s work with our University Playhouse audiences. It was a fabulous experience--audience members from the university as well as the community turned out in droves to share in the beauty of the Bard’s work.”
A Midsummer’s Night Dream
LITERATURE & LANGUAGES
LEOCON: THE GATHERING
This year’s theme was “Anime, Manga, Graphic Novels,” and guests included Dr. Kukhee Choo of Tulane University, Mr. Hall Hood of Bioware, Dr. Matt Barton of St. Cloud State University and Mr. Brian Brinlee. Syphers or Sigma Phi Pi, the university’s science-fiction, fantasy, and game play student organization, hosted the second annual LEOCON (a nod to similar genre conventions like ComicCon) on April 13th. The one day convention for fans of comics, gaming and anime offered attendees presentations and workshops on game criticism, the social psychology of fandom, anime, role playing games and just a good time with like-minded fans and friends. This year’s theme was “Anime, Manga, Graphic Novels,” and guests included Dr. Kukhee Choo of Tulane University, Mr. Hall Hood of Bioware, Dr. Matt Barton of St. Cloud State University and Mr. Brian Brinlee. The second annual LEOCON, the science fiction/fantasy con hosted by Sigma Phi Phi (Syphers), took over the Hall of Languages at Texas A&M University-Commerce, on April 13, 2013. The main events were speeches by Guests of Honor Dr. Kukhee Choo, Tulane University, and Mr. Hall Hood, but talks by Special Guests Mr. Brian Brinlee and Dr. Matt Barton, as well as a workshops, games, and presentations, filled out the day. The event ended with a costume contest and a dance in the lobby of the McFarland Science Building. At least 150 students, faculty, staff, and Commerce residents made the con a success. The theme for the 2014 LEOCON is “Aliens, Androids, and Animals,” and Syphers has already begun planning next year’s event! Texas A&M University-Commerce www.tamuc.edu | 5
LITERATURE & LANGUAGES
DR. SHAQUILLE O’NEAL NETHRC 2013 KEYNOTE SPEAKER
The university hosted the 3rd annual North East Texas Humor Research Conference, a collaboration with Southern Methodist University. The conference, which included forty papers by international speakers, was organized by Dr. Christian Hempelmann (Literature and Langauges) and Dr. Owen Lynch (Communication, SMU). This year there were smiles all around for the celebrity guest speaker, Doctor of Education, Shaquille O’Neal—or, as most folks know him, “Shaq.” Dr. O’Neal’s dissertation focused on humor in sports leadership and, rather than giving a speech, he decided to open the floor to a question and answer session. Dean of the College of Humanities, Social Sciences and Arts, Sal Attardo, acted as moderator.
Dean Attardo said Shaq was a friendly and warm guy, adding, “Id go have a beer with him.” HISTORY
Dr. Bill Allison Gives Talk on 1968
Dr. Bill Allison
Earlier this year, alum and distinguished historian, William “Bill” Allison, presented a talk on the events which unfolded in a year that marked a turning point in American history which happens to be the subject of his current book project On Nostalgia’s Altar: America 1968, to be published by the University Press of Kansas.
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Bill Allison is Professor of History at Georgia Southern University. He earned his Ph.D. in history at Bowling Green State University in 1995, after taking his B.A. and M.A. in history at East Texas State University, now A&M-Commerce, in 1989 and 1991.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE
LIBERAL STUDIES
COLLIN COUNTY UNDERGRADUATE CONFERENCE University students were well received at the Collin College Undergraduate Interdisciplinary Student Research Conference. Dr. Elvira White-Lewis served as panel moderator for the topic: Issues in Juvenile Justice for the 21st Century. The presenters and topics included: • Kathryn Chapman and Kristen Stephens, “Adolescent Suicide” •
Wynter Miller, “Prosecuting Juveniles as Adults: Reduction in Crime?”
•
Jennifer Garrison, “Disposing of Our Children: Life without Parole”
•
Christi Summers, “Juveniles- School Rights”
White-Lewis says, “Stephens used her uncle as an example of adolescent suicide, which was the most moving part of our presentation. The room was extremely quiet as she began and ended the presentation with his photo.” Not one to rest, White-Lewis has already identified three conferences for the next academic year and is encouraging students to begin their preparations now. FILM STUDIES
Film at Pop Culture in Albuquerque
Dr. Gerald Duchovnay and Andrew Spencer
Every year the university sends a cadre of students and faculty to the Southwest Texas Popular Culture and American Culture Association Conference–known to most attendees as “Pop Culture Conference.” Dr. Gerald Duchovnay and a dozen undergraduate and graduate film studies students presented on cult classics like “Zardoz” (1974) and little known dystopian gems like “A Boy and His Dog” (1975).
CRIMINAL JUSTICE
MS Applied Criminology: First Class
Five students graduated, but only two were able to attend the commencement ceremonies: Justin Bowen and Karen Shivers, pictured left of Dean Attardo, President Jones, and Dr. Melinda Schlager, program director. The other three were on duty. The same asychronous online nature of MSAC that makes it easy for law enforcement personnel to “attend” the online classes, makes it hard for them to attend commencement.
Winter Flair for Sam Rayburn Spirit Days on campus give students and faculty an opportunity to share their “lion pride” by wearing items of gold and blue. On February 26th, a new tradition was initiated with the “Spirit of Sam Rayburn.” On spirit days and other noteworthy events, the Sam Rayburn Statue in front of the Sam Rayburn Student Center will don a blue and gold scarf crafted by the Department of Liberal Studies’ own Dr. Donna Dunbar-Odom. Texas A&M University-Commerce www.tamuc.edu | 7
ART
BARBARA FREY RECEIVES NCECA AWARD Frey was one of only two recipients for the prestigious National Council for Education of the Ceramic Arts’ 2013 Excellence in Teaching Award. Frey has been recognized for the contribution she has made to her field and the impact she has had on her students. Frey said that she “had no idea” that she had been nominated, and credited the tight-lipped alums who wrote letters of support for keeping the whole thing a secret. Joe Daun, head of the Department of Art, says Frey is “now part of a very rarefied few who have defined ceramics education.” Frey received the award at the NCECA Conference, held March 22, 2013.
Barbara Frey
“This is a big deal,” an elated Frey tells The Update, “in fact, it’s about as big as it gets!”
LEE WHITMARSH RECEIVES GOLDEN ORCHARD AWARD Originally reported by Sydni Walker at sites.tamuc.edu/news
A&M-Commerce’s Director of Visual Communications, Lee Whitmarsh, recently received a Golden Orchard Award for teaching. This is only the sixth time this award has ever been given. The Dallas Society of Visual Communications bestows the Golden Orchard to college professors who have strengthened the Visual Communications profession and raised the bar by nurturing classes of outstanding communicators. They are recognized for a career’s worth of cultivating a Golden Orchard of consistent, significant and enduring impact on the design community through the contributions and creativity of their students. “I thank the DSVC for this great honor and appreciate their recognition of the importance of education in the visual communication industry,” said Whitmarsh. “I consider it a privilege to play a part in the education of the next generation of conceptual thinkers and design problem solvers. After over twenty years of teaching, 8 | College of Humanities, Social Sciences, & Arts Newsletter
I still get excited about walking into that classroom because I am continually awed by my students. I hope they know how much they enrich my life.” Josh Ege, an adjunct in the Visual Communications program for six years, presented Whitmarsh the award at the ceremony on June 1, 2013. “Over Lee’s twenty-six year career, she has affected thousands of students’ lives and helped them start their careers,” said Ege. “She has developed a great program that continues to grow and deliver students into the career of visual communications that are prepared and ready to offer meaningful contributions to their employers. I know I am a better educator because of the example she leads by.” For more information on the DSVC go to www.dsvc.org. For more information about the Visual Communications program at A&M-Commerce, contact Lee Whitmarsh at Lee.Whitmarsh@tamuc.edu. Lee Whitmarsh and Casey McGarr
MUSIC
TEXAS SUMMER FLUTE SYMPOSIUM The 3rd Annual Texas Summer Flute Symposium, directed by Julee Kim Walker, Instructor of Flute, A&MCommerce was held on the campus of A&M-Commerce, June 9th-14th, 2013
2013 Guest Artists: • John Thorne (Northwestern University) • Terri Sundberg (University of North Texas) • Conor Nelson (Bowling Green State University) • Areon Flutes (California) • Gabriel Sanchez (Collaborative Pianist)
Julie Kim Walker
Areon Flutes
Terri Sundberg
John Thorne
Conor Nelson
Believe It Anyway Paul Bryan, Creative Director of the Marketing Communications Department, and Music Education major, Chris Ramos, presented a fascinating collaborative project at the Finney Concert Hall called Believe It Anyway!
This was the first university project to join both film, created by Bryan, and live music, provided by Ramos. Bryan says the project is “an audio/visual feast” which looks at modern faith and “how it relates to some very troubling stories from the Old Testament.” Ramos adds, “Through our work, Paul and I have wrestled with some of life’s toughest questions.”
For more information about Believe It Anyway!, contact Paul Bryan at Paul.Bryan@tamuc.edu. You can still view the trailer at: believeitanyway.com Thanks to Marketing Communications student, Sydni Walker, whose original reporting was adapted for The Update.
Texas A&M University-Commerce www.tamuc.edu | 9
POLITICAL SCIENCE
MODEL ARAB LEAGUE
A&M-Commerce welcomed the Southwest University Model Arab League from April 11th through the 13th. The guest speaker for the event was Dr. David Lesch, Professor of Middle East History at Trinity University, San Antonio. Dr. Lesch has over 100 publications, and is the author or editor of 12 books, including the recently released Syria: The Fall of the House of Assad (Yale University Press, 2012); The Arab-Israeli Conflict: A History (Oxford University Press, 2008); The New Lion of Damascus: Bashar al-Asad and Modern Syria
Dr. Lesch
(Yale University Press, 2005), 1979: The Year That Shaped the Modern Middle East(Westview Press, 2001); and The Middle East and the United States: History, Politics and Ideologies, now in its 5th edition (2011) from Westview Press. He is also co-editor of The Arab Spring:
Change and Resistance in the Middle East coming (Westview Press, 2012). Students and faculty were able to spend time with Dr. Lesch at the Heritage House after his presentation. Check him out on Facebook: facebook.com/ mainstreamphotos.
LITERATURE & LANGUAGES
Student Writing Celebration Bigger Than Ever Each semester students from English 1302 classes present their ethnographic research projects at the Celebration of Student Writing. Tabetha Adkins, Director of First-Year Writing reports, “This was our biggest Celebration yet--we had an estimated 420 students presenting.” Adkins added, “Approximately 500 people were in the Field House for the Celebration. We had more visitors than ever this year. Many of these visitors commented on how impressive the projects were
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and how enthusiastic students were about their work. That is a credit to the excellent teaching going on in this program.” In case you missed it, Adkins mentioned the Field House. This event, which was once held in a conference room in the Sam Rayburn Student Center, now takes up an entire gym. Thanks to Dustin James Blade for the panoramic shot! To see more of Dustin’s work, check him out on Facebook: facebook. com/mainstreamphotos
MASS MEDIA
LITERATURE & LANGUAGES
RADIO BY STUDENTS FOR STUDENTS
Hunter Hayes Keynote
LIONS AFTER DARK
Lions After Dark host, Chris Mangual
“Our program is radio show by students and for students of A&M-Commerce.” Lions After Dark host, Chris Mangual tells The Update that the idea for Lions After Dark started with a conversation he had with Dr. Dempsey, Professor of Radio and Television. The goal was to create a program students would enjoy and, of course, to get students on the air. “Me, Heather (Hutchens), and Dr. Dempsey all agreed the show would be a Top 40 music format show, with topics that interested students.” Even though the show had to start in the late night slot, Mangual reasons, “It was
actually a pretty good slot since a lot of students are at home or in their dorms so it was a good time for them to tune in to the radio while doing homework or winding down from a long day.” Mangual calls the show “the little piece of me I left behind at Commerce.” Lions After Dark comes on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday nights from 9–11 p.m. on 88.9 FM KETR or you can listen live via internet through ketr.org. Also, Lions At Lunch airs every Friday afternoon from 11am to 1pm, live from the Sam Rayburn Student Center.
Roehampton University invited the Literature and Languages Department Head to speak at the “Will Self and the Art of the Contemporary” Hunter Hayes conference held at the Museum of London, March 23, 2013. Dr. Hayes published Understanding Will Self (University of South Carolina Press, 2007) and is one of the foremost critics of his work. Will Self is the author of several books of fiction and non-fiction including The Book of Dave, Psychogeography, Walking in Hollywood, Dorian, and his most recent novel, Umbrella. To find out more about Will Self and his work, visit: will-self.com LIBERAL STUDIES
Liberal Studies Shines Each semester graduating students are asked their opinion of their programs-a way to to measure “felt trust” or the confidence they have in their experience. This spring Liberal Studies showed exceptional performance in felt trust, receiving high marks that place it in the top three departments of the university. Liberal Studies came in second for the question “Would you recommend this program to another student?” For most, it seems the answer is a resounding YES.
HISTORY
Dr. Jessica Brannon-Wranosky Elected to Historical Association Board According to their website, the TSHA was founded as a private, nonprofit educational organization on March 2, 1897, the 61st anniversary of the Texas Declaration of Independence. TSHA has long been regarded as the nation’s most dynamic regional history organization. Reinforced by more than one hundred years of scholarship and educational programs, its mission is to further the appreciation, understanding, and teaching of the rich and unique history of Texas through research, writing, and publication of related historical material. Texas A&M University-Commerce www.tamuc.edu | 11
LITERATURE & LANGUAGES
POETS LAUNCH THE MAYO REVIEW Creative Writing Workshops To Start in Fall Poets Irena Praitis, professor of Literature and Creative Writing at California State University, Fullerton, and Julie Kane, Louisiana Poet Laureate and Northwestern State University professor, helped to launch the 2013 issue of the university’s literary journal, The Mayo Review, and a brand new series of creative writing workshops to begin Fall 2013 in the Hall of Languages writing center. Praitis and Kane both hosted afternoon writing workshops and joined
student readers for the traditional launch party reading. “Our university is one of fewer and fewer campuses supporting a print literary journal. The Mayo Review has grown significantly from a humble local journal-featuring mostly solicited work from students and faculty--to a nationally and internationally respected publication drawing submissions from all over the world. This year’s submissions numbered
Julie Kane reads at Mayo Review Launch Party
J.D. Isip
Andrew Spencer takes over for J.D. Isip as Editor of The Mayo Review for 2013-2014
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over 700 individual pieces,” boasts the 2013 Editor-in-Chief, J.D. Isip. “Many of our contributors are Pushcart winners and widely published professional writers, but we have just as many beginning and first-time writers; it all comes down to the quality of the work... and we have been blessed with riches. Our past contributors include Bruce Bond, Taylor Mali, and Shane Seely. This year’s issue includes Dan Beachy-Quick, a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Award for Poetry, and Sean Singer, winner of the 2001 Yale Younger Poets Prize.” Isip hands over Editor duties for the 2014 issue to Literature and Languages graduate student, Andrew Spencer. Spencer will also be in charge of the new creative writing workshops
Irena Praitis reads at Mayo Review Launch Party
CHSSA Hosts Annual Honors Day Luncheon
Texas A&M University-Commerce www.tamuc.edu | 13
ART
STUDENTS EXHIBIT IN NEW YORK For the third year in a row, the students of the A&M-Commerce Visual Communications program were invited to participate in the One Club’s 18th International Student Exhibition which took place on May 7th – 10th, 2012 in New York City. Twenty-seven select schools from 13 cities and five countries exhibited their top work. The exhibition was part of Creative Week which also features one of the most acclaimed advertising, interactive and student design competitions, the annual One Show Young Ones Competition. This year’s competition received nearly 1,500 entries from 93 colleges, representing 14 countries worldwide. 123 students were recognized, two A&M-Commerce VisCom seniors received merits: Nick Thomas and Lucy Giron.
WHO’S WHO
New Faculty Member Dr. Christopher Gonzalez received his M.A. in English from A&M-Commerce and his Ph.D. from The Ohio State University, where he specialized in 20th- and 21st-century literatures of the United States. His scholarship employs the tools of cognitive narratology in order to better understand Latino/a literary and cultural production. He is currently at work on two book projects.
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JOURNALISM
New Look for East Texan Campus newspaper, The East Texan, recently received a redesign at the hands of student, Jessica Martin. “It was such an honor for Mr. Stewart to ask me to redesign this newspaper,” Martin tells The Update. “I knew that this was my chance to leave a legacy with this university. I wanted to give the newspaper a clean, fresh new look. I wanted to give it a more modern look and make it something so different that it would force people to pick up this publication.” Martin’s redesigns of both The Special and The East Texan have received high praise from journalism instructor Fred Stewart who also asked Martin to design the program for the 2013 Texas Intercollegiate Press Association (TIPA) Convention. “The program was totally developed and designed by Jessica,” Stewart points out. “The cover (pictured) is Jessica’s concept and design.” “I feel very proud of my design of The East Texan. I think that it’s really revived this paper, and I have high hopes for us as we continue to strengthen our design and our news, Martin says. “I knew it was my chance to prove myself in publication design. It’s what I want to do with my life and I love it.”
BEHIND THE UPDATE
Pictured left to right: Dean Sal Attardo, Myranda Staten, Leigh-Ann Spates, Associate Dean Melinda Schlager, and Editor and Reporter for The Update, J. D. Isip.
UPCOMING EVENTS SPRING 2014
LEOCON
The 3rd annual sci-fi and fantasy convention hosted by Syphers (Sigma Phi Phi) returns. The 2014 theme is “Aliens, Androids, and Animals.� Find out more at leoconn.wordpress.com.
FEBRUARY 21-23, 2014
North East Texas Humor Research Conference
Co-Hosted by the College of Humanities, Social Sciences, and Art (A&M-Commerce) and the Division of Communication Studies (Southern Methodist University), the humor research conference returns for its fourth year. The 2014 theme is Intercultural and Cross-Cultural Humor.
WWW.TAMUC.EDU/THESEASON
MARCH 26, 2014
Honors Day Luncheon
This is an awards banquet for students that have received scholarships/awards throughout the year. It will be held on April 24th at 12pm at The Billboard House. The Billboard House is in Cumby TX. (200 NW Interstate 30 Service Rd Cumby, TX 75433). This is our 2nd annual Honors Day Luncheon as being the College of Humanities, Social Sciences, and Arts.
APRIL 3-5, 2014
Southwest University Model Arab League
The Model Arab League (MAL) offers students an opportunity to learn about the politics and history of the Arab world, and the arts of diplomacy and public speech. A&MCommerce will once again host the southwest regional conference.
Texas A&M University-Commerce www.tamuc.edu | 15
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THE UPDATE
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