Today@Sam Article

SHSU Update For Week Of Sept. 11

Sept. 11, 2016
SHSU Media Contact: Jennifer Gauntt, Teddi Cliett

 

Discussion To Reveal History Behind Women Ranchers

Sam Houston State University Professor Emeritus of History Caroline Crimm will unfold the history behind Texas women ranchers in the 1700 and 1800s in a free, public presentation as part of the Sam Houston Memorial Museum’s Comparative Cultures program.

WomenRanchersThe presentation will be on Thursday (Sept. 15) at 6:30 p.m. at the Katy & E. Don Walker Sr. Education Center Auditorium.

“Students and faculty attending the session will learn about the fascinating and 

frustrating lives of women on Texas ranches,” Crimm said.

In addition, because September is Hispanic Heritage Month, Crimm will discuss the differences between Anglo women and Hispanic women during that time period.

“We’ve all seen those pictures of the pathetic women out on the range in mud houses alone or with only their children gathered around them,” Crimm said. “Was that what it was like for Hispanic women ranchers, as well?”

Crimm’s presentation will explore what happened to Hispanic ranch women when Anglos arrived, how those women survived the changes in society, and government and if they were able to keep their lands in the face of a new population.


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Presentation To Examine Female Plantation Owner History

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Tanya Shields

Typically, the title “plantation owner” is accompanied by a depiction of a white male.

However, Tanya Shields, associate professor of women’s and gender studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, will repaint that picture in her discussion “Annie’s Brew: Representations of Female Plantation Ownership in the Caribbean.”

The talk, presented by the Department of English, will begin at 4 p.m. on Thursday (Sept. 15) in Evans Complex Room 212.

“Men were typically the owners of plantations, thus Dr. Shields’s focus on women as plantation owners offers students a broader understanding of how race and gender intersected on the plantation,” said April Shemak, associate professor of English at Sam Houston State University.

Shields will address some of her research from the Rose Hall Plantation in Jamaica and the stories that surround it, including the claims that the 1820 Rose Hall owner Annie Palmer still lurks through the hallways.

Currently, Shields is the director of undergraduate studies in the UNC Department of Women’s and Gender Studies, where she teaches classes on Caribbean women, the arts of activism and the influence of plantation politics.

The event is free and open to the public.


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Festivities To Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month

The Lowman Student Center Mall Area will be full of Latin flair on Friday (Sept. 16) in celebration and recognition of September as National Hispanic Heritage Month.

 The kick-off event, sponsored by the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, will feature the SHSU Ballet Folklorico Dancers at 1:30 p.m., followed by a presentation with Lupe San Miguel on “Mexican American Activism and School Reform Since the 1960’s” at 2 p.m. in College of Humanities and Social Sciences Building Room 110.

“The planned events will be fun and academically engaging,” Spanish professor Feu Lopez said. “The observation of National Hispanic Heritage Month at Sam Houston not only highlights the culture and history of Latinos, but the celebration also introduces SHSU and Huntsville to the research and topics concerning Latinos.”

Even though the entire month is dedicated to Hispanic heritage, Sept. 15 is significant because it is the anniversary of independence for Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. Mexico and Chile celebrate their independence days around Sept. 16 and Sept. 18, respectively.

The academic events, however, will extend into the month of October. College of Criminal Justice Dean Phillip Lyons will present “Myths About Immigration” on Oct. 5 as a part of the Latino Immigration Round Table.

On Oct. 13, University of California, Santa Barbara, Professor Emeritus Victor Fuentes will present a talk on his latest book, “Cesar Chavez y La Union: Una historia victoria de los de abajo,” a biography featuring less-documented aspects of the life of César Chávez. That same day, a discussion will be held in The Woodlands about the Spanish Civil War.

All presentations are free and open to the public.

For more information, contact CHSS community relations coordinator Deanna Briones at dmb007@shsu.edu or 936.294.2205.


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Program Accepting Applications For Legislative Interns

Sam Houston State University students interested in the political process and working with the 85th Texas Legislature can apply for SHSU’s Austin Internship Program through Oct. 1.

The program allows students to live and work in Austin from January through June 1, while performing such duties as assisting lawmakers in interacting with constituents and lobbyists, researching policy issues, and learning about the legislative process.

AustinInternsBIG
SHSU student interns from the 84th Legislative Session, who worked in Austin in 2015. The Texas Legislature meets biennially. 

The competitive program places six to 10 of SHSU’s top students from all academic majors with a legislator, with whom the student will work full-time while the legislature is in session. Students can earn six to 12 hours of academic credit while receiving hands-on learning and exploring high-level occupations in the state capital.

“Sam Houston is looking for top students to be part of this program,” said program coordinator Mike Yawn. “The legislature wants students with a strong mix of academic and professional skills. In turn, the students have an amazing opportunity to expand their professional networks, apply and enrich their academic learning, and observe the political world up close.”

The program is open to students of all majors, and interns will be selected based on academic performance, responsibility and professionalism; the internship’s connection to the student’s career goals; and the student’s fit with specific legislative offices.

“This is a wonderful opportunity for our students, and the university is committed to working with the interns to provide resources necessary to their success,” Yawn said. “We want this to be a winning experience for the students and the legislative offices.”

Participants will receive scholarships from SHSU, which cover most or all of the students’ basic living expenses, according to Yawn.

SHSU also will sponsor an orientation on campus with officials in human resources, financial aid and career development, so students can understand the issues they would face in the business world; an orientation session in Austin will also be hosted to familiarize the interns with “the lay of the land” and meet with SHSU alumni who live or work in the Austin area who could share tips about services available.

Interested students should contact Yawn at mike.yawn@shsu.edu or 936.294.1456 for an application or more information. Applications and additional information are available at shsu.edu/austin-internship-program.


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Organizations To Showcase Area Volunteer Opportunities

volunteerfairBearkats will have the opportunity to meet and mingle with representatives from area organizations in order to highlight ways they can get involved in community service during the Volunteer Opportunities Fair on Monday (Sept. 12).

The event will be from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Lowman Student Center Mall Area.

“First and foremost, we provide this opportunity to connect with community agencies because of the SHSU motto, ‘The measure of a Life is its Service,’” Max Walling, Sam Houston State University associate director of leadership initiatives said. “We want our students and our campus to be connected to and integrated with the local community so that both may continue to thrive.”

Because students who are involved in Greek Life, the Elliott T. Bowers Honors College, University 1301 and ACE courses, and other organizations are required to obtain community service hours, the fair is a one-stop-shop destination to find the right fit, according to Walling.

“While our office provides a number of service opportunities throughout the year for students to take advantage of, we are unable to provide enough opportunities to fully cover this massive requirement,” Walling said. “For that reason, we strive to connect students to agencies that are in constant need of volunteers so everyone mutually benefits.”

For more information, contact Walling at 936.294.3467 or max.l.walling@shsu.edu.


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Rec Sports Event To Crown Board Games Champion

The Sam Houston State University Recreational Sports Intramural Program will help Kats de-stress from the first few weeks of class by hosting a free board game night Wednesday (Sept. 14) at 6 p.m. in the Kat Klub.

“We will offer a few different games that students can partake in, like checkers, bingo, dominoes and cards,” Courtney Godfrey, intramural and club sports coordinator, said. “At the end of the night, we crown the game night champion, and they receive a free intramural champion shirt, as well as get their picture taken, which we put up in the HKC hallway.”

Godfrey said the intramural program aims to help students get out and meet new people, make new friends and learn new things all year long.

Other upcoming events this month include flag football, 3v3 basketball tournament, KatFit Games and Extreme Dodgeball.

For event information, visit the SHSU Rec Sports webpage; to participate in any intramural event, register online at imleagues.com.


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Center To Explore Politics At Tribune Festival

A group of Bearkats is headed to Austin for the Texas Tribune Festival, courtesy of the Global Center for Journalism and Democracy at Sam Houston State University.

The festival, which will be held Sept. 23-25, brings together the biggest names in politics to explore the state’s and the nation’s most important issues.

“We think it is vitally important for students to hear from those in power who impact their daily lives,” said Kelli Arena, GCJD executive director.

Students from across campus are taking advantage of the opportunity, and they aren’t just political science majors; students studying English, criminal justice, history, psychology, pre-law and digital media, and mass communication are also part of the group.

"I'm looking forward to attending because since I've been in college, I've realized how incredibly important it is to be civically engaged,” said junior mass communication major Teddi Cliett. “I also never want to stop learning, and the Texas Tribune Festival is the perfect place to combine those two interests of mine.

“We're in the middle of probably the most interesting election season to date, so I think someone of my age should do everything possible to learn as much as they can before November,” she said.

To cut costs, the GCJD is teaming up with the Center for Civic Engagement at Lone Star College to transport students to the event. 

GCJD has worked with journalists from the Texas Tribune on a variety of projects, including a conference on non-profit journalism in Germany.

Also in September, Arena and associate professor of mass communication Robin Johnson will head to the Global Fund for Media Development World Forum in Indonesia, where Johnson will participate on a panel and Arena will moderate a panel.

The forum brings together media experts from around the globe, including academics, practitioners and executives.


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Today@Sam Seeks Experts, Story Ideas

Are you an expert in a topic might be of interest to reporters? Or even a unique topic? Would you like to have your research interests highlighted or discuss your expertise with reporters seeking interviewees?

The university Communications Office is collecting information and story ideas for its ongoing projects, including the online SHSU Experts Guide, the SHSU home page and Today@Sam. 

The SHSU Experts Guide was established as a resource for the media, who turn to university experts lists for potential interviewees for news stories. Faculty who are interested in being a part of the university's database of experts can submit their biographical and personal information, as well as their areas of expertise, through the Experts Guide Submission Form available online at shsu.edu/dept/marketing/experts/submit-info.html.

Other story ideas, both news and features on faculty or student research and accomplishments can be sent to today@sam.edu or jenniferg@shsu.edu. For news stories, please include the date, location and time of the event, as well as a brief description and a contact person.

All information, including news story ideas and update items for Today@Sam, should be sent a minimum of a week in advance of the event in order to make necessary contacts and write a story. Feature story ideas for the SHSU home page ("sliders") should be sent a minimum of two months in advance.

To see a full list of the Today@Sam submission guidelines, or to access submission forms for news and feature stories or hometown releases, visit shsu.edu/~pin_www/guidelines.html.

For more information, call 936.294.1836.

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