Stephen F Austin State University - Stone Fort Yearbook (Nacogdoches, TX)

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This two-stroy residence, located on Raguet Street next to Raguet Elementary School, became SFA ' s land acquisition Plans for its use included a temporary residence for a prominent visiting professor. Major land acquisition for SFA by Beth Sammons A stately two-story residence nestled among 39 acres of some of Nacogdoches ' most beautiful hardwoods and pines became SFA ' s latest land acquisition. Located on Raquet Street next to Raguet Elementary School, the property adjoins university property to the north. The white two-story brick veneer house covers approximately 3,700 square feet and consists of nine rooms; three bedrooms, three bathrooms and a two-car garage. Although built in the 1930s, it meets present housing standards and has central air and heating and three fireplaces. Also included on the property are a storage building, a small stable and tack room and an outdoor brick roasting pit. The house sits on a wooded tract of land which covers a total area of 38.91 acres. There are no definite plans for its use for the short term, Don Henry, vice president for administrative and fiscal affairs said. Proposals have been considered with the focus being toward a temporary residence for a prominent visiting profes- sor. Referring to the use of the land now and in the future Henry said, The land is being used by the forestry department as an instructional laboratory and will serve the long term expansion needs of the University. The total purchase price for the house and land on Raguet Street was $775,000 with funding provided by Higher Education Assistance Funds appropriated by the state.

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Teaching in the U.S.S.R by Chante ' Mazy Cabbage soup with sour cream, a glass of yogurt to drink and an occasional apple for dessert was his daily evening meal. During the past year a single cold shower per week and an over exposure to bureaucracy and bribery were frequent exper- iences in his life. While teaching both students and faculty, the professo- lived with his wife in a one-room apartment in a 20- story ingh-rise. During his one year scholar exchange to the Soviet Union, Dr. James Speer, asso ciate professor of psychology, and his wife Pat ate absolutely horrible cafeteria food. They could not read most of the newspapers available. There were not any restau- rants. As part of the Fulbright scholarship exchange program, Dr. Speer taught at universites in Tbilisi, Georgia and Yerevan, and Armenia in the Soviet Union. Dr. Speer had several reasons for applying for the communist country. The Soviets have developed a particular psychologi- cal theory I wanted to learn about. They call it Activity Theory, Dr. Speer said. My other reason is the one any westerner would have -- it ' s really a mysterious country to us. There have been relatively few contacts with them, and I was just curious. The Soviets were not sure what to do with Dr. Speer upon his arrival in Yerevan. They were only told days before about the program. Housing and work scheduling had not yet been planned. Once settled into a cramped apartment in Yerevan, the scho- lar learned the university did not even have a psychology de- partment. There were not any psychology majors. They taught a service type, low level introductory course. He gave lectures to the 10 faculty members who made up the college ' s psycholo- gy choir. Tbailisi University, where Dr. Speer taught during the spring semester of his exchange was a different experience. At Tbailisi, which has one of the three most active psychology departments in the country, he taught a class of advanced undergraduates. Twice a month the professor also lectured to faculty on sub- jects such as cognitive American psychology. When not lectur- ing, Speer studied Soviet psychology with the faculty. Dr. Speer and his wife lived in a dormitory for foreign gradu- ate students in Tbailisi. Living in a dormitory, eating in the univer- sity cafeteria and teaching classes gave Dr. Speer a chance to experience many of the college procedures. He was able to observe the university system. Going to a university is fairly unusual in the Soviet Union, Dr. Speer said. I think it ' s about one percent of the student-age population. The basic message Dr. Speer ' s Soviet friends wanted to send home with the American citizen was, You Americans must realize we don ' t want war. Dr. Speer said he and his wife were surprised at how happy they were to be home. They have been welcomed back with much warmth. Dr. lames Speer, shown here lecturing his class, said his curiosity was one of the Pictured above are some of the various artifacts that Dr. Speer brought back: reasons he wanted to teach in the Soviet Union from Russia.

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Jell Manley Parents Day is full of activities and events, including a barbecue dinner in the coliseum. Parents Day a huge success by Deena DeLay Approxmitely 2,000 visitors were on the SFA campus Octo- ber 3, 1987, as Parents Day got off to a giant start. Parents first attended registration, then filed into the Grand Ballroom to attend an official welcome ceremony. Parents were welcomed by Catherine Perkins, Bellaire senior and RHA president, Ron Watson, Houston sophomore and Par- ents Day chairperson, Dr. William Johnson, SFA president and Dr. Baker Patillo, vice-president for university affairs. After the welcome, parents were dismissed to attend a lec- ture of their choice. The lecture topics ranged from historic Nacogdoches to coronary bypass surgery. Lunch began at 11:45 and many parents chose to eat in the school cafeteria while others ate at one of the many restaurants close to campus. For afternoon activities, parents had a variety of choices. They could attend residence hall receptions where entertain- ment was provided and refreshments were served. They could also attend a performance by Tim Settimi in Turn- er Auditorium. He is a singer, songwriter and comedian. Another choice the parents had was to attend religious centers open houses which were held at four centers on East College Street. Some other alternatives parents had were a communication reception, a tour of the early childhood laboratory, a planetar- ium show and a Stone Fort museum tour. As the day turned into night, parents could attend a barbecue dinner. There were approximately 1,700 people at the dinner. After dinner, parents could attend the football game between SFA and Eastern Washington. Even though the football team did not come out on top that night, the parents sure did with a fun- filled day of activities topped off with a dance in front of Steen Hall. The success of Parents Day, though, could not have occurred without the efforts and help of RHA to coordinate the day. Overall, Perkins said she feels the weekend was, a big suc- cess this year and we ' re ready to get working on next year to make it even bigger and better.