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Youssef to premier film at Henderson
Film director Susan Youssef will return to Henderson State University April 17 to present the Arkansas premier of her latest film, Marjoun and the Flying Headscarf.
Youssef first visited the campus in 2012 and premiered her film Habibi. She has since been recognized globally as one of 25 Women Directors and is a directing fellow in Fox Studios’ Global Directors Initiative.
The film will begin at 7 p.m. in the Garrison Center Lecture Hall, with doors opening at 6:30 p.m. There is no reserved seating, but attendees must obtain a ticket at bit.ly/2WMGgSt . The public is invited.
Marjoun and the Flying Headscarf is set in 2006 in the aftermath of 9/11, the Second Intifada, and Iraq War. It captures the shifts in Arab and Muslim lives through three women in Marjoun’s household at a time when young Muslim women are choosing the hijab independently of their familial traditions to find meaning and strength in the own choices.
For more information about the event, contact Dr. Malcolm Rigsby at rigsbym@hsu.edu or 870-230-5143.
Learn more about Marjoun and Youssef at facebook.com/marjounandtheflyingheadscarf.
Alumni Profile: Thelma Forte’
1. When did you attend Henderson and in what activities did you participate?
I attended HSU in 1990 and graduated in 1994, in 1999-2001, and again in 2006-2008 for the Educational Leadership Program. I was involved in CBS, SGA, RHA, the Angelic Voices for Christ, and I joined Arkansas Education Association.
2. What was your major? What prompted you to pursue your particular degree?
In 1990, I entered the Educational Preparation Program which was formally known as the Teacher’s College and received a BA in Elementary Education and a Minor in Social Studies. I received my Educational Leadership/Administrative Degree followed by obtaining a degree as an Educational Specialist. I have a long legacy of educators who influenced me to become an educator. My Aunt Kaye Person is a retired K-12 Music teacher with 40 years of experience. My Aunt Thelma Nancy Runion is a special education teacher at Newport High School, and this is her 46th year in the profession. She is still teaching! My dad retired after 38 years in the education profession. My mother completed 40 years as an elementary and middle school teacher. My younger sister, Lea Metcalf McDonald, is completing her 20th year and is the Federal Programs Director in Texarkana, Arkansas. My younger sister, Skye Metcalf Do, is completing her 10th year as a kindergarten teacher. My husband, Tracy Forte’, is completing his 29th year as a teacher, coach, and administrator. Everyone in my family was or is a teacher in the public school system. It is a part or our legacy. I watched my parents and my family shape the future one child at a time, and I decided I wanted to become an educator to give something back to my community.
[Read more…] about Alumni Profile: Thelma Forte’Johnson’s senior art exhibit April 1-13
A senior art exhibition by Henderson State University senior Haley Johnson of Bauxite will be on display April 1-13 on the second floor of Huie Library. A closing reception is planned April 10 from 1-2:30 p.m.
Johnson said the art show, entitled Heavier and featuring her digital artwork, “promises to be intriguing, thought-provoking, and emotional. The pieces on display will create a cohesive body of work that stimulates thought within the viewer.”
The show is open to the public during library hours.
All senior-level art majors pursuing a bachelor’s degree are required to assemble a fully-professional gallery exhibition. The students spend months conceptualizing, producing art, and finalizing the preparations for their exhibition.
It’s spring break at Henderson State
Henderson State University students are enjoying a well-deserved break from their studies as the university observes spring break.
University offices are open through March 21, but will be closed March 22.
Students will return and offices will reopen on March 25.
Webb to lead Sorority and Fraternity Life
Robert Webb has joined Henderson State University as assistant director of Sorority and Fraternity Life (SFL).
Webb will oversee sorority and fraternity activities at Henderson, ensuring the support, growth, and development of all chapters. He will be a key member of campus-wide initiatives, such as Welcome Week, homecoming, and Battle of the Ravine.
Webb previously served as an education specialist for TRIO/Talent Search at Texarkana College. He has also served as a graduate assistant and tutor/residential counselor at the University of Arkansas-Monticello (UAM).
After earning his bachelor’s degree in general studies from UAM in 2013, Webb received his master’s degree in college student personnel from Arkansas Tech University in 2016.
Webb has served as chapter advisor for Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity at Southern Arkansas University, and intake coordinator for Kappa Gamma Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. in Texarkana.
Severinsen to perform at Henderson April 6
Legendary trumpeter Doc Severinsen will perform at Henderson State University at 7:30 p.m. April 6.
Severinsen was bandleader for The Tonight Show joining Johnny Carson and Ed McMahon on late-night television for 30 years.
“Doc Severinsen has been thrilling audiences around the world for decades, and now he’s coming to Henderson,” said Dr. Jim Buckner, professor of trumpet at Henderson. “Without a doubt, Doc is the most famous trumpet player alive today, and quite possibly of all time. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see him perform live.”
A Grammy award winner, Severinsen has made more than 30 albums – from big band to jazz-fusion to classical. Two critically acclaimed Telarc CDs with the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra showcase his multifaceted talents from Bach to ballads.
The Very Best of Doc Severinsen reprises 15 of Doc’s signature pieces. His other recordings include Unforgettably Doc with the Cincinnati Pops on Telarc, and the Grammy nominated Once More With Feeling on Amherst.
He received a Grammy Award for “Best Jazz instrumental Performance – Big Band” for his recording of Doc Severinsen and The Tonight Show Band-Volume I.
Today, Severinsen has not lost his flair for the outrageous fashion statement or his trademark wit. But his gregarious nature has never interfered with the fact that he has been one of the greatest trumpeters and musicians of the last 70 years, respected in the worlds of classical music, jazz, big band, and now even world music.
Severinsen can still blow hard with his horn, and hit the high notes, a result of his continued commitment to the practice studio and the refinement of his craft.
Severinsen’s performance at Henderson will be backed up by the 17-piece Arkansas All-Star Big Band, which includes many of the finest jazz musicians in the state.
Tickets can be purchased online at https://doc-at-hsu.eventbrite.com. “Early Bird” tickets purchased before March 26 are $25. After that date, tickets purchased online are $35, and $40 at the door. The purchase receipt is required for admission.
Doors to Arkansas Hall will open at 6:30 p.m. and there is no reserved seating. Arkansas Hall is located at 1118 Henderson Street in Arkadelphia.
Severinsen will have CDs available for purchase at the concert for $20 (cash only).
The concert is sponsored by the International Trumpet Guild, The Band House, Little Rock Piano, Henderson State student organizations, the Henderson State Student Government Association, and the Henderson State Reddie Trumpet Guild.
For more information, contact Buckner at bucknej@hsu.edu or 870-230-5410.
To learn more about Severinsen, go to docseverinsen.com.
Boswell’s book co-winner of Carpenter Award
A book about the history of women in Texas by Dr. Angela Boswell, dean of the Ellis College of Arts and Sciences at Henderson State University, was named the co-winner of the Liz Carpenter Award at a recent meeting of the Texas State Historical Association meeting.
The Carpenter award is given in recognition of the best book in Texas women’s history published the preceding year.
The book, Women in Texas History, had also received the Robert A. Calvert Prize, an award created to honor the author of one of the most authoritative textbooks in Texas history.
Women in Texas History is the first book to narrate the entire span of Texas women’s history and marks a major achievement in telling the full story of the Lone Star State. Historians and general readers alike will find this book an informative and enjoyable read for anyone interested in the history of Texas or the history of women, according to Texas A&M Press.Boswell is also the author of Her Act and Deed: Women’s Public Lives in a Rural Southern County, 1837–1873, winner of the Liz Carpenter Award for Best Book on the History of Women.
Food bazaar has international flavor
Henderson State University’s International Student Association (HISA) and International Programs recently hosted the 22nd Annual International Food Bazaar in the Garrison Center Grand Ballroom. Some international students prepared and served dishes from their home countries and presented cultural performances.
A portion of the proceeds went to Heifer International.
Estate endows counselor ed scholarship
Henderson State University has received nearly $190,000 from an estate gift to establish a scholarship endowment for students pursuing a master’s degree in the counselor education program.
The Luther and Hazel Brown Memorial Scholarship Endowment was established from a bequest left by Dr. Linda English who earned her bachelor’s degree from Henderson in 1976 and then completed her master’s in counselor education in 1987. English, who passed away in June of 2016, worked in Teacher’s College, Henderson and had achieved the rank of professor of counselor education in 2012.
English established the scholarship to honor the memory of her parents, Luther and Hazel Brown. The couple owned and operated Brown’s Grocery and Gas Station in Prescott while raising their daughter.
“I watched my mother practice the art of counseling under the guise of store keeper and clerk; daddy was the storyteller and entertainer,” English wrote in a tribute when she first sought to establish the scholarship. “I tell my students today, I do my mother’s work in my daddy’s way … I have searched for many years for a way to honor them now and in the future; I trust this memorial scholarship will do just that.”
“We are eternally grateful to Dr. English for recognizing the power of a higher education and for remembering her parents through this legacy gift,” said Jennifer Boyett, vice president for university advancement. “Dr. English loved teaching and was beloved by her students. Her investment in the program where she first learned and later taught counselor education will provide critical support to generations of Reddies who seek to follow in her footsteps.”
The Luther and Hazel Brown Memorial Scholarship will provide $8,000 per year in scholarship support to an Arkansas native with a 3.0 GPA and financial need while pursuing a master’s degree in counselor education. The first scholarship will be awarded this fall. The deadline to apply is March 15.
“If you ever met Dr. English, you never forgot her,” said Dr. Celya Taylor, dean of Teachers College. “She was truly passionate about Henderson, her students, her writing, and the counseling profession; she showed it every day. With this tribute to her parents, she continued their legacy and created a ‘living fountain’ that reflects her own legacy of love and liveliness she exhibited for her alma mater, Henderson.”