Festivities begin at 5 p.m. with the Magnolia Christmas Parade and continue at 6 p.m. with greetings and caroling and the RHA Celebration of Lights at Overstreet Hall. This segment of the evening will include a special lighting of 100 trees on the lawn of Overstreet Hall. Each section of trees will represent the different periods of SAU’s history including its history as the Third District Agricultural School from 1909-1925; Agricultural and Mechanical College from 1925-1951; Southern State College from 1951 to 1976 and Southern Arkansas University since 1976. Holiday cookies, hot apple cider and hot chocolate will be served to get everyone in the Christmas spirit.

At 6:20 p.m., a program including ringing of hand bells will be provided by Central Baptist Church and Christmas entertainment will be provided by Miss SAU Kristen Mosley will take place in the Donald W. Reynolds Campus and Community Center plaza. Christmas parade winners will be announced and the lighting of the Bell Tower will take place. Cheese and crackers, mixed nuts, English toffee cappuccino and hot cider will be served.

The entertaining night will continue with a special appearance from a visitor traveling all the way from the North Pole. Children are welcome to visit with Santa Claus, provide him with their Christmas wishes and have their photo made with him.

The evening concludes with a seasonal feast including pork loin and herbed rotisserie roasted chicken, wild rice and apple dressing, roasted garlic sweet potatoes, green bean almondine, fresh baked rolls, tea or coffee and assorted holiday desserts. The dinner will be served from 6:30 to 8 p.m. in the Grand Hall of the Reynolds Center. Piano music will be provided by Magnolia resident Walter Hale. SAU students will eat free as will children under six-years-old. Tickets for children six through 12-years-old are $3.75 and tickets for adults are $7 per person. Tickets may be purchased in advance at Farmers Bank and Trust, BancorpSouth, Peoples Bank and the SAU Communications Center. Tickets will also be sold at the door on the night of the event.

For more information, call (870) 235-4028

Activities relating to International Education Week will take place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Tuesday, November 18 in Grand Hall of the Donald W. Reynolds Campus and Community Center. At noon, Dr. Charles Keller, associate professor of history, will present a slide show and lecture about his experiences while visiting China. There will be a panel available for a question and answer session after the presentation.

Other highlights of the day will include exhibits from many different countries around the world to view, snacks from around the world to sample, and entertainment and international music to enjoy. In past years, countries such as Russia, Nepal and Sri Lanka have been focused on during International Education Week. Nationally, the week is a joint initiative of the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Education and allows for the opportunity to celebrate the benefits of international education and exchange worldwide.

Also next week, Keller will have a poster exhibit in the Brinson Fine Arts Building. The goal of the exhibition is to pass on the reality of the atomic bombings on to as many people as possible and to raise awareness for peace. The cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the first cities to experience the horror of nuclear weapons, loan exhibit posters to various groups for educational and non-profit purposes. The exhibition is co-sponsored by the SAU Art Department, the Asian Studies Minor program, and the Chinese Club.

The public is invited to attend any and all events on campus next week. For more information, call Claudia “Penny” Lyons, director of International Student Services at (870) 235-4082.

The presentation will include: an overview of the Arkansas State Crime Laboratory; a discussion of drug trends in Arkansas (with specific local data); prescription drug abuse information; and other current topics.

The public is welcome to attend. For more information, call (870) 235-4322.

In this provocative, part historical–part autobiographical presentation on religion and African American culture, professor Dixie will explore how memories and impressions of a rural South in which he never lived, impacted and shaped African American religious experiences in the urban North.

Dixie holds a bachelor of arts in urban policy from James Madison College at Michigan State University, a master of arts in religious studies, and a doctorate in church history from Union Theological Seminary in New York City. His research interests include the African American religious experience, religion and the civil rights movement, African American Baptist history, and hip-hop and spirituality.

A native Hoosier, Dr. Dixie spent six years (1997-2003) serving on the faculty of the religious studies department at Indiana University, Bloomington, where he taught a wide range of courses on religion in North America. In fall 2003, he returned home to Fort Wayne to develop a program in religious studies at Indiana University-Purdue Fort Wayne. He is the co-editor with Cornel West of “The Courage to Hope: From Black Suffering to Human Redemption,” and the co-author with Juan Williams of “This Far by Faith: Stories from the African American Religious Experience.” Dixie is also and editor of the four-volume publication, “The Papers of Howard Thurman, 1899-1981,” due out in 2009. In addition, he has co-authored “Witness!: The Bicentennial History of Abyssinian Baptist Church in the City of New York, 1808-2008” (2009).

The lecture is free and open to the public. For further information, contact Dr. Linda Tucker, assistant professor of English at (870) 235-4210.

Registered organizations at SAU may compete to see who has the best chili and the best decorated table. There will also be a People’s Choice award for the organization receiving the most overall votes. Winners will receive monetary prizes.
For more information, call (870) 235-4925.

The workshop, co-sponsored by the Golden Triangle Economic Development Council of South Arkansas and SAU, provides a forum for south Arkansas constituents to meet and discuss with our legislative delegation important issues impacting our region during the upcoming legislative session. Senator Percy Malone and Representative Bruce Maloch will serve as moderators of the workshop which costs nothing to attend. Lunch will also be provided for all participants.

Deborah Lewis, coordinator of the GTEDC, which includes Camden, El Dorado, Magnolia, Hampton and Smackover, said issues such as local government, highways, education and Arkansas economic development will be discussed. She said it is a great opportunity to share perspectives with government and professional leaders from Arkansas who are in positions to make a difference.

To register call Deborah Lewis at (870) 235-4924 or email her at gtedc@saumag.edu. The agenda for Monday’s workshop is available at www.gtedc.org.

Miss Southern Arkansas University is a scholarship pageant that takes place annually during the fall semester, and is a preliminary to the Miss Arkansas Pageant. There are four categories in which the contestants are judged: interview, talent, evening gown, and lifestyle & fitness. Each contestant must complete a critical issue statement which is intended to give each contestant a platform involving an issue that affects society in general or women in particular. Contestants will be interviewed about their chosen issue and will be asked a related question on stage during the evening gown competition. The Miss America Program requires each preliminary contestant to make a $100 donation to Children’s Miracle Network, Miss America’s national platform. Scholarship awards will be given to Miss SAU 2009, 1st Runner-Up, 2nd Runner-Up and Talent winner. The amounts are as listed:
Miss SAU 2009 – 2 Full Semesters Tuition
1st Runner-Up – 1 Full Semester Tuition
2nd Runner-Up – $400 Scholarship
Talent Winner – $400 Scholarship
For more information contact Anne Sharp, director of the Reynolds Center, at 235-5260.

The $2,500 grant proposal was written by Christensen and psychology major Keri Humphries, of Camden, during the summer.

“Keri was the logical choice to coordinate this grant as she contributed creative ideas for student service-learning options,” said Christensen. “We hope to teach students that one person can make a positive impact, especially related to our grant theme, hunger.”

One project incorporated into the grant is a campus wide food drive, “We Can Canned Food Drive,” open to all student organizations. The drive began October 1 and concludes on October 30. All donations will benefit the Stew Pot of Magnolia, a community organization which serves hot meals daily and is celebrating their 25th anniversary. Students involved in this project have been volunteering about five hours weekly throughout October.

Sixteen student organizations have signed-up to participate in the contest. Additionally, the psychology and criminal justice departments will contribute 1707 cans to the student organization can auction held on the “We Can” Facebook page from noon to 6 p.m. Monday, October 27.
The student organization that collects the most cans wins a $500 prize. Those who would like more information can join the Facebook group, “We Can Food Drive,” or contact Student Affairs at (870)235-4925. Student Affairs, as well as Brookshire’s, have played partnership roles in this project.

An education day will be held November 4 with students from development psychology presenting their research about the impact of hunger through a lifetime, explained Christensen. The students will use slam poetry, skits, public service announcements and other creative media. Also on November 4, Heifer International, a non-profit organization whose goal is to help end world hunger and poverty through self-reliance and sustainability, will provide the keynote for the event. The winner of the $500 cash prize for the most cans collected will be announced as well.

For more information about the project, contact Christensen at (870) 235-4934.

The groundbreaking will include brief comments from SAU President, Dr. David Rankin, Jasper Lewis, associate vice president for facilities, Dr. James Rasmussen, chair of the biology department and Kara J. Way, a senior pre-med biology student. Refreshments and light hors d’oeuvres will be served.

The University Science Center is planned to be completed within the next year, a timeframe that will coincide with the University’s Centennial Celebration.

“This is going to be a tremendous facility with state-of-the-art technology that will serve students who are beginning our next centennial of success at Southern Arkansas University,” said SAU President Dr. David Rankin.

The cost of the 64,000-square-foot project is estimated to be $16,747, 986, which includes the main building, district cooling system upgrade, parking, landscaping, furniture, audiovisual equipment and design fees. The general contractor for the project is CDI Contractors of Little Rock and the architects are WER and Associates of Little Rock.

The new facility will house the departments of biology, chemistry, and physics within the College of Science and Technology. Planning for the Center began in 2003 when the Arkansas General Assembly appropriated $240,000 to SAU to prepare a proposal for a science and technology building. During the next two bienniums, the University received additional funding, and in 2006, Governor Mike Huckabee awarded $601,747 to the project. Governor Mike Beebe followed with a $1 million award in 2007.
As a result of a special election and the passage of the Higher Education Technology and Facility Improvement Act, SAU will receive $1,432,980 for the project. The University has also issued bonds in the amount of $14 million.

“The Southern Arkansas University Science Center will be the type of facility that will ensure that students who use the facility will be exceptionally well prepared for work or further education when they receive their degrees,” Rankin said. “Classes are currently held in five different buildings, and this center will help centralize many of the programs.”

The SAU Foundation is continuing to seek gifts for the completion of this project. Naming opportunities are available for many of the classrooms and offices. Please contact the SAU Foundation at 870-235-4078 for more information.

Students learn basic baseball skills; get paired up with collegiate athletes they can look up to (literally); and, most importantly, have fun on the field and learn a love of baseball.

WHAT: SAU Baseball Big Brother Youth Mentoring Program
WHEN: 4 – 6 p.m., Friday, October 24, 2008 and continuing on Fridays at the same time, unless told otherwise
WHERE: SAU Baseball Field
COST: FREE!