The Pine Log

              CMYK
By Nick Wade
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
While colleges and uni-versities
were first to em-brace
the use of technologi-cal
learning—in the form
of online classes, digital
schedules and student email
addresses — institutions of
higher learning have yet to
be fully immersed in elec-tronic
textbooks.
Textbook suppliers, along
with the student body at
SFA, have not taken a defini-tive
stance in favor of or in
opposition to the concept.
Jack Backers owner Pam
Fitch said it is too early to
tell what the overall impact
of eTextbooks will be.
“There are pros and cons
right now,” Fitch said. “It is
going to take time to see
how things pan out. We try
to stay in touch with the
book companies, and on
this issue they have told us
that it is a moving target. It
is garnering a lot of atten-tion,
but they are having to
address problems and work
the bugs out as they go.”
Fitch said her store’s sales
are still composed over-whelmingly
of traditional
textbooks, which leads her
to believe the majority of
students have not bought in
to the eTextbook concept.
“Textbooks still outsell by
far in our store, and look-ing
at the industry sales as
a whole, eTextbooks make
up a single digit percent of
the pie,” Fitch said. “But the
idea is in its infancy, and
that portion of the pie is
growing. One day we could
see eTextbooks dominating
the college landscape, but
for now they are more popu-lar
for leisure reading, not
studying.”
Barnes and Nobles’
SFA manager Kristen
Christopher has the oppos-ing
viewpoint. According to
Christopher, eTextbooks are
the future of the industry.
“It’s better for the envi-ronment,
and it can save stu-dents
money,” Christopher
said. “And if you’re worried
about not liking it or getting
used to it, you can go online
and try a version for free for
one week.”
Senior Micah Powell said
he completely embraces
technology but does not find
electronic text to be practi-cal
for his coursework.
“I want to be able to flip
pages and highlight certain
things quickly,” Powell said.
“And I definitely don’t want
to rely on something that
could overheat or run out of
batteries. To be honest, I’m
not even sure what eText-books
are supposed to be
TODAY
H 91 L TUESDAY
90 L 91 L 70
Visit us online at
www.thepinelog.com
Page 6
Tennis
starts SLC
tournament
today.
Inside
Check out this
semester’s Final
Exam Schedule
Page 5
Letter to the
Editor—The CA
strikes back
Page 5
Baseball beats
UTA for sixth
year in a row
Page 6
Athletic
department
awards
Page 6
Opinions
Page 4
Columns
Zack Meyerson
talks about the
connections
made at
community
college
Volume 92
Issue 16
Next Publication:
Fall of 2012 72
WEDNESDAY
H
College
graduation
means paying
back debts
The Pine Log’s Sudoku
Look for this
addictive number
game on page 3
every Monday
and Thursday
Page 4
E-BOOK CONTINUED ON PAGE 3
Thursday, May 3, 2012
PINE LOG The
The Independent Voice of Stephen F. Austin State University
FINAL SPRING EDITION
By T.K. Nickleberry
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
On Saturday morning, Members of Theta
Chi fraternity will join Habitat for Humanity
to help build a house for an underprivileged
family.
The building site will be located on Ritchie
Street in Nacogdoches. Building time will
begin at 8 a.m.
Theta Chi members will be among other
volunteers who will lend their services to the
project. It will be the first time the fraternity
will be involved with Habitat for Humanity.
“We always try to do as much community
service as we can,” Allan Holder, recruitment
chair for Theta Chi, said. “Being a fraternity
on this campus, it’s important that we try to
extend a helping hand.”
Habitat for Humanity was founded in 1976
by Millard and Linda Fuller.
Habitat for Humanity’s international web-site
states that they are “a nonprofit, ecumeni-cal
Christian housing ministry that has helped
to build over 500,000 decent affordable houses
and served 2.5 million people worldwide.”
Assistance to families is based on their
need, ability to pay a zero percent interest
mortgage, and their willingness to participate
in the building of their home.
There are numerous branches around the
world, including one located in Nacogdoches.
The local branch reportedly builds houses
that cost around $45,000.
The Nacogdoches Habitat for Humanity has
been providing services to families in need
since 1994.
The organization relies on the donations
from citizens, government and their retail
outlet, Restore.
Restore, located at 600 Powers St., sells new,
donated and salvaged building materials to
the public at a reduced price.
Over 300 volunteers help each year in the
activities of Habitat for Humanity such as
fundraising, collecting material and working
on build sites.
There is also a student organization at SFA,
Dream Builders, that partners with Habitat for
Humanity and assists in the general duties of
running a nonprofit organization.
Members of Dream Builders work on site
building houses, volunteer their time at
Restore and provide assistance for picking
up appliances and material to the Restore
Location site.
For more information about the
Nacogdoches Habitat Humanity, go to http://
www.habitatnac.org.
Those interesting in joining the Dream
Builders team are welcomed to request infor-mation
from the involvement center, or con-tact
them through their Facebook page SFA
Dream Builders.
tnickleberry@thepinelog.com
SFA’s new student regent has been selected.
Gov. Rick Perry appointed Jourdan Dukes to the
seat in a press release Tuesday April 24.
“It has been a whirlwind,” Dukes said. “I am
very honored to be in the position that I am.”
Dukes is a business junior. She is set to gradu-ate
in May 2013. She holds offices at many or-ganizations
across campus including academic
chair of SGA and historian of Phi Eta Sigma
National Honor Society.
As a student regent, Dukes will sit on the board
of regents and offer the student perspective. She
will not have voting rights.
Dukes will be sworn in June 1.
“It’s not a big ceremony,” Dukes said. “It’s an
oath process with the secretary of the board.”
Dukes will attend a conference in May at the
capitol. The former and future student regents as
well as the board president and board chair from
each school will attend the conference.
“I’m excited about seeing the University in a
different light,” Dukes said. “I work so much in
student affairs, I would like to see how policy and
budgets work.”
It had been a very long selection process,
Dukes explained. The first application was filled
out in December 2011 for SGA. They chose the top
5 to 10 of those applications.
President Baker Pattillo interviewed the peo-ple
chosen by SGA and selected three students.
The governor appointed the student regent from
the president’s suggestions.
She said they compared notes and were both
really nervous about the interviews.
“I would love for (my friend) to reapply,” Dukes
said. “She has another chance to apply. I’m glad
we have stayed friends.”
Dukes wants to be able to accurately represent
the students. She wants people to be able to con-tact
her with any concerns or suggestions.
“I am always
open to hear what
needs to be heard,”
Dukes said. “I am
very friendly. If you
want to stop and say
hey, you can. That’s
what I’m here for.”
She can be found
in many offices on
campus, includ-ing
the SGA office,
the Omicron Delta
Kappa office and
the theatre depart-ment
office.
“I will have a lot
of responsibility
and I want to be a
beacon for the stu-dents,”
Dukes said.
New student regent to represent student body
By Zack Meyerson
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
SFA’s annual Big Dip ceremony is scheduled
for Friday beginning at noon in the Baker
Pattillo Student Center.
Students who have ordered an SFA ring will
receive the ring at the ceremony and will be
able to dip their hand in purple dye.
According to the SFA Alumni Association
website, the ring is available in two different
styles which are graduate or friend. The gradu-ate
style has the degree the student is receiving
and the graduation date, and the friend style
has alternate emblems that go in place of the
degree and year of graduation. The friend style
was created for people who didn’t get a degree
from SFA but who support the school in many
ways.
Students who qualify can order a ring by
going by the alumni office or calling (936)468-
3407. Students who purchase a ring can par-ticipate
in the Alumni Mentor program that
connects students with alumni who have been
very successful in mentoring relationships.
Katy Crawford, assistant to the alumni direc-tor,
said, “The Big Dip is usually held during
Dead Week. (This year’s ceremony is) the larg-est
Big Dip in the history of the tradition. To be
eligible to order a ring you must have 60 hours
completed.”
PHOTO ILLUSTRATIONS/THE PINE LOG
Devices like the Ipad and the Kindle are replacing textbooks and
becoming a part of our everyday life
Big Dip ceremony
set for this week
Theta Chi members to build house
with local Habitat for Humanity
E-textbooks battle it out with print versions
JENNIFER ROGERS/THE PINE LOG
Art Alliance
battles it out
in kickball
JENNIFER ROGERS/THE PINE LOG
Students from Art Alliance played a
friendly game of kickball this week to
enjoy the sunny weather and relieve
some stress before finals. Players
came from different art programs
and some random students played
to show childhood fun can still exist.
Left: Adam Hamill catches the ball as
a runner heads for home.
Right: Les Butler, adjunct faculty in
the School of Art, kicked the ball in
bottom of the 6th.
72
H
Jourdan Dukes, SFA’s new
student regent.
By Katelynn Marcum
STAFF WRITER