Road trips, beachside vacations and general relaxation often take precedence when students contemplate summer plans. Backbreaking manual labor, 16-hour workdays and life-threatening situations rarely top a to-do list following completion of an academic year, but Stephen F. Austin State University students Cade Hickman and David Peterson are not typical summer-break revelers.

This summer, Hickman and Peterson, both senior fire management majors in SFA's Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture, served three months on the Alaska Fire Service's North Star Fire Crew.

NACOGDOCHES, Texas - The Stephen F. Austin State University College of Fine Arts and School of Music will present a guest flute and guitar recital featuring Julee Kim Walker and Alejandro Montiel at 6 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 29, in Cole Concert Hall on the SFA campus.

Walker, who is assistant professor of flute at Texas A&M University-Commerce, and Montiel, who leads two full-time guitar studios at both Sam Houston State University and Lone Star College-Montgomery, will present their 2016 fall recital tour program, "Dance, Dance, Revolution."

NACOGDOCHES, Texas - The Hachidori Duo at Stephen F. Austin State University will present "Songs and Dances" when the ensemble performs at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 29, in Cole Concert Hall in the Wright Music Building on the SFA campus.

The Hachidori Duo includes husband-and-wife musicians Dr. Jennifer Dalmas, associate professor of violin and viola in the SFA School of Music, and Dr. Evgeni Raychev, cello instructor. Their recital is a feature of the School of Music's Cole Performing Arts Series.

NACOGDOCHES, Texas - The McGee Business Building, Room 133, was almost at full capacity as dozens of Stephen F. Austin State University Rusche College of Business students listened to Citizens National Bank President and CEO Brad Tidwell and his executive team discuss the current and future state of the banking industry during a recent Evening with Executives event.

NACOGDOCHES, Texas - Alongside Nacogdoches' celebration of its 300th anniversary and Stephen F. Austin State University's preparation for its 100th, the Stone Fort Museum on the SFA campus will honor 80 years of service to the university and community during a celebration slated for Oct. 15.

NACOGDOCHES, Texas - Nathaniel Briggs always knew he wanted to help people; he just didn't know how to achieve his goal. When Briggs first entered college, he was a music education major; however, Briggs, now a Stephen F. Austin State University graduate student in the counseling program, soon realized he "loved people more than music" and changed his major.

Intrigued by the way people think, Briggs of Saginaw, Texas, serves as a counselor-in-training in SFA's Counseling Clinic, which is provided by the university's Department of Human Services' counselor education program.

NACOGDOCHES, Texas - Mary Frances Mays Kane, better known as "The Story Lady," has donated her collection of more than 10,000 books and story props for children to her alma mater, Stephen F. Austin State University.

The collection includes Golden Books, first editions, textbooks, fiction, non-fiction and more. Most of the materials will be available for teacher candidates and Early Childhood Lab and Charter School teachers to check out for instruction.