October 2024

The varsity Alpine Runnin’ Bucks cross-country teams took the top two spots at the district meet last Wednesday in Presidio. Likewise, the middle school crosscountry runners did well themselves.

This year, my eldest and most expensive daughter embarked on her senior year at Texas A&M University, and my wife and I embarked on another year of wondering whether credit cards can actually implode from overuse.

Sun, moon, and starry sky early summer evenings, when the first stars come out, the warm glow of sunset still stains the rim of the western sky. Sometimes, the moon is also visible, a pale white slice, while the sun tarries. Just think -- all the celestial lights are present at the same time! These are moments of wonder -- see them and remember.

The La Frontera Research Initiative for STEM at Sul Ross State University awarded nearly $118,000 in Noyce Scholarships at a ceremony earlier in September. LFRI is charged with conducting education research and implementing the best teaching and learning practices to improve STEM literacy through culturally responsive teaching and learning with technology. The Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program provides funding to institutions of higher education for scholarships, stipends, and programmatic support to recruit and prepare STEM majors and professionals to become K-12 teachers. Alpine’s Madeline Haas, a mathematics major and member of the Math Club, was awarded $12,978 by the LFRI.

The Sul Ross State University Theatre Program will perform “Art,” a Tony Award-winning comedy, on weekends from October 11-27. Written by awardwinning playwright Yasmina Reza, “Art” is about the breakdown of a 15-year friendship between three middle-aged men. Serge spends a small fortune on a white painting, a simple act that enrages Marc and leads to a seismic shift in their friendship. Yvan, who is about to be married, is stuck in the middle of his two warring best friends. “Art” premiered at the Wyndhams Theatre in London in 1996 and starred Albert Finney, Tom Courtena, and Ken Stott. In 1998, “Art” was produced on Broadway at the Royale Theatre starring Alan Alda, Victor Garber, and Alfred Molina, and won the Tony Award for Best Play that year. “‘Art’ is both a comedy and tragedy,” said Director and Associate Professor of Communication and Theatre Marjorie Scott. “The dialogue is witty and incisive and the ideas the play explores are profound. We choose our friends and sometimes we choose them for reasons that keep us stuck in an identity that no longer facilitates our growth and happiness. Are we friends with someone because of who they need us to be? Or because of a mutual desire to support one another through the inevitable changes life brings? What happens when friends prevent each other from being who they really are? Does it cease to be a friendship? These are important questions, and ‘Art’ manages to ask them in a highly entertaining way.” “Art” opened Friday, October 11, at the Fine Arts Studio Theatre on the Sul Ross campus in Alpine. Performances run Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. through October 27. Tickets are $15 for general admission and seniors 65 and older. Veterans and SRSU students, faculty, and staff receive free admission. To purchase tickets, visit www.bit.ly/sulross-theatre. This play contains mature themes, some profanity, and brief depictions of violence and is recommended for audiences ages 14 and over.

The Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities announced that Julie Vega, a lecturer of Languages and Literature at Sul Ross State University, has been chosen for the second cohort of its Enlace Mid-level Leadership Program. She is amongst 54 participants across the U.S. who have been selected to begin the program this fall. The six-month leadership development program for mid-level college and university professionals is designed to increase the number, variety, and quality of Latino/ talent in leadership positions at Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI) and in higher education overall. SRSU was designated as an HSI by the Department of Education in 1999. Selectees will participate in programming covering academic and student affairs management, regional institutional accreditation, and higher education advocacy issues. Participants will also interact with a professional search firm. The sessions will be delivered through a series of online meetings and also in-person sessions that will take place in November at HACU’s Annual Conference in Aurora, Colorado, and at the National Capitol Forum in Washington, D.C., in April 2025. The program will conclude with a graduation ceremony. For more information, email julie.vega@sulross.edu.

Tomorrow at 7:30 p.m., the Sul Ross State University homecoming parade will begin at the Alpine Civic Center and travel east down Holland Avenue, ending at Jackson Field. Marfa Athletic Director Linda Ojeda, a Del Rio High School graduate, moved to Alpine in 2001 to pursue her undergraduate studies at SRSU.

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Officers with the Alpine Police Department and Brewster County Sheriff’s Office in cooperation with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), will participate in the DEA’s bi-annual National Prescription Drug Take Back Day on Saturday, October 26.

WEEK Meet Slate, the charming sibling of last week’s Pet of the Week, Onyx, and Beetle. Slate, like his siblings, was discovered as a stray in the City of Alpine. He’s a social butterfly, getting along famously with other dogs and adoring new people. His leash manners are impeccable, and he’s diligent about keeping his kennel tidy. As a young pup, he’s still learning the ropes and could benefit from some training.