Latest news with #StephenF.AustinStateUniversity
USA Today
02-08-2025
- Politics
- USA Today
Judge rules against Stephen F. Austin in Title IX case: What are national implications?
A gender discrimination lawsuit against Stephen F. Austin State University could have national implications after Judge Michael J. Truncale issued his decision in the Eastern District of Texas Friday evening. Six Stephen F. Austin State University (SFA) athletes from the women's bowling and beach volleyball teams filed a class action lawsuit against their school this summer claiming Title IX discrimination after the university announced it would be cutting those two programs and men's and women's golf. 'The decision was based on sustained departmental budget deficits and the anticipated financial impact of upcoming revenue-sharing requirements with Division I athletes' SFA athletics said in a press release. The plaintiffs sought to keep the school from axing these programs. SFA argued that the plaintiffs' case is based "exclusively on a three-part test contained in guidance and interpretation documents,' rather than the Title IX statute itself. Defendant lawyers urged the court to disregard the policy interpretation handed down by the U.S. Department of Education 46 years ago, citing a 2024 Supreme Court case between Loper Bright Enterprises and Raimondo. If the court declined, however, defendant lawyers claimed SFA still complies with Title IX under the 1979 guidance. After two days in court, spanning 17 hours and 14 witnesses, Judge Truncale issued a written ruling in favor of the plaintiffs. SFA has been ordered to reinstate all three women's teams. Truncale affirmed that the Loper Bright case cannot be applied to Title IX in what plaintiff attorney John Clune called an "incredibly important" win for gender equity in sports. "If a court were to find that Loper Bright meant that the Department of Education was not allowed to rely on policy interpretations of their own regulations, the entire framework for compliance with gender equity in sports would be thrown out the window," Clune told USA TODAY. "You'd still be required to have gender equity in sports, but what that means and how you decided would no longer exist. "... Really happy about the ruling, but we're not surprised by the ruling. If you follow the law, this is what the outcome should be." SFA has 30 days to file an appeal to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, according to federal rules of appellate procedure. Spokespersons for the athletic department and university did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Should SFA file an appeal, it would likely seek expedited or emergency treatment of this appeal, as fall classes begin Aug. 25. What is the three-part test? Under the Department of Education's three-part test, a school can be in compliance with the participation aspects of Title IX in any one of the following ways: The plaintiffs in this case argued that SFA violated all three prongs. The plaintiffs filed a report by former chief executive officer of the Women's Sports Foundation, expert witness Donna Lopiano, Ph.D., to prove such. Using EADA data and annual NCAA participation reports, Lopiano wrote that women made up 62.8% of SFA's enrollment during the 2023-24 academic year but less than 35% of SFA's varsity athletes. SFA cited a 2024 Supreme Court ruling between Loper Bright Enterprises and Raimondo in an effort to have the three-part test thrown out. The Supreme Court's decision made in favor of Loper Bright overturned a 40-year precedent known as 'the Chevron doctrine' directing courts to defer to government agency interpretations of "ambiguous" laws. But Judge Truncale wrote in his decision that Loper Bright is about an agency's interpretation of a statute, not an agency's interpretation of its own regulation. He also wrote that Loper Bright does not overturn any case law that previously interpreted policy. Thus, it does not apply to Title IX's 1979 policy interpretation. Breaking down the Title IX lawsuit against Stephen F. Austin State University Sophia Myers, Kara Kay, Ryann Allison, Elaina Amador, Berklee Andrews and Meagan Ledbetter filed a class action lawsuit on June 30 against Stephen F. Austin State University (SFA) after it announced the elimination of women's beach volleyball, women's bowling and men's and women's golf on May 22. The six plaintiffs, represented by renowned Title IX attorneys Clune and Arthur Bryant, are current athletes on the women's beach volleyball and bowling teams. They argued that the university violated Title IX by depriving them of equal opportunity in intercollegiate athletics and sought an emergency preliminary injunction to preserve the three women's programs 'and all other women's teams at SFA, until this case is resolved.' "Title IX mandates that schools provide equal participation opportunities for men and women to compete in intercollegiate sports," the initial complaint read. "Nonetheless, SFA has a long history of depriving female athletes of an equal opportunity to participate. Consistent with that history, SFA opted to further discriminate against women in violation of Title IX by eliminating three successful women's teams: beach volleyball, bowling, and golf. SFA's decision undercuts Plaintiffs' civil rights and, if permitted to move forward, will irreparably harm their academic and athletic careers." SFA, represented by Marlayna Marie Ellis and Sheaffer Kristine Fennessey of the attorney general's office, argued that the plaintiff's case is based "exclusively on a three-part test contained in guidance and interpretation documents, rather than the statute or 1975 implementing regulation.' Defendant lawyers urged the court to disregard the three-part test but affirmed that SFA is Title IX compliant regardless, citing the test's first and third prongs. The first prong requires 'the number of male and female athletes is substantially proportionate to their respective enrollments.' The third requires 'the institution is fully and effectively accommodating the interests and abilities of the underrepresented sex.' Defendant lawyers claimed there is 'no strict rule' defining "substantially proportionate,' and that SFA 'effectively accommodates the interest and abilities of women, despite the discontinuation of the women's beach volleyball, bowling, and golf teams.' Financial pressure from House settlement not valid defense for cutting women's sports SFA opted into the House settlement, where schools are able to pay athletes directly starting this athletic year with a $20.5 million cap per institution. These new financial pressures are why athletic director Michael McBroom said the decision to cut teams was made. The athletic department reported a $1 million surplus during the 2024 fiscal year, with about $24 million in institutional support out of $28.8 million in total operating revenue. In FY2023, SFA reported a $61,000 deficit, with $19.4 million in institutional support. And in FY2022, SFA reported a $275,000 deficit, with $17.7 million institutional support. Plaintiffs argued, successfully, that "budgetary constraints are not a legitimate defense to Title IX." "The funding of those revenue-sharing payments for football players and men's basketball absolutely cannot come at the expense of women's sports," Clune said. "So this is a huge message to schools across the country. Whatever you have to do to figure out how you're going to fund your revenue-sharing payments, it's not going to come at the expense of women's opportunities to participate in sports. That's a big deal." Reach USA Today Network sports reporter Payton Titus at ptitus@ and follow her on X @petitus25.
Straits Times
08-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Straits Times
How Pocahontas' 1995 theme song Colors Of The Wind has become a generational rallying cry
NEW YORK – In January, Ms Lanie Pritchett expressed her displeasure with the second inauguration of US President Donald Trump by passionately lip-syncing a 30-year-old Disney song. 'I had this rage in me,' the 22-year-old theatre major at Stephen F. Austin State University in Texas said in an interview. 'It was a rough day for a lot of people. I thought, I can't do much, but I can share my thoughts.' Her thoughts were encapsulated in a few lines from Colors Of The Wind, the power ballad from Disney's 1995 animated film Pocahontas. Specifically, 'You think the only people who are people are the people who look and think like you / But if you walk the footsteps of a stranger, you'll learn things you never knew you never knew'. She uploaded a TikTok video with the overlay, 'me arguing with magas for the next four years' – and a caption explaining that her progressive views partly stem from Pocahontas being her 'favourite princess movie growing up'. It quickly racked up more than 500,000 views. Ms Pritchett, was raised in a conservative household in East Texas, where she and her sister would give living-room performances of Colors Of The Wind while the Pocahontas DVD played in the background. She now views the song as an important commentary on queer inclusivity, cross-cultural understanding and environmentalism. 'Obviously, that movie has its problems,' she said, 'but the music was really good.' In fact, 30 years after Disney released Pocahontas in theatres in June 1995, the film's Oscar- and Grammy-winning track has broken out as a beloved entity with millennial and Gen Z fans. On TikTok, people like Ms Pritchett have reinterpreted the Colors Of The Wind lyrics to comment on an array of contemporary topics they feel strongly about, including immigration, the Middle East, Trump and Elon Musk, Black Lives Matter and oil drilling. They play acoustic versions on guitar, set audio snippets to nature montages and animatedly mouth the lyrics. Even British singer Ellie Goulding posted an a cappella rendition with the caption 'Colors Of The Wind radicalised me'. The song's popularity is especially impressive, given that Pocahontas has not aged well, and the film is not often discussed in a nostalgic light. Instead, Colors Of The Wind seems on track to one day join When You Wish Upon A Star (originally from the 1940 film Pinocchio) as the rare Disney anthem that is almost completely divorced from its parent property. Colors Of The Wind was written in 1992, when veteran Disney composer Alan Menken and Broadway scribe Stephen Schwartz convened at Menken's home studio in Katonah, New York, to craft the ballad that would anchor Disney's still-scriptless animated musical about Pocahontas. A scene from the 1995 film Pocahontas, where Irene Bedard voiced the titular character and Judy Kuhn provided the singing voice. Mel Gibson voiced Pocahontas' love interest John Smith (right). PHOTO: THE WALT DISNEY CO In the film, the track served to convey Pocahontas' dismay at John Smith and other English settlers who had arrived in the 1600s with little regard for the Powhatan people and the natural surroundings they encountered. ('You think you own whatever land you land on.') As the song unfolds, Pocahontas educates Smith on respecting Earth and one another, 'whether we are white or copper skinned'. Schwartz has said his lyrics were inspired by the words of Chief Seattle from the 1800s, although the recorded accuracy of Seattle's speeches and a purported letter from Seattle to President Franklin Pierce that Schwartz referenced have been much debated. The songwriters were also aware that they would be speaking to contemporary audiences. 'We had a conscious desire to have the overarching theme be about protecting the environment,' Menken said in an interview. 'It's one of the vital issues of our time.' The composers next approached Broadway performer Judy Kuhn to record a more formal demo of the track. Although Kuhn, who is Jewish, was told that Disney hoped to ultimately hire a Native American woman to sing for Pocahontas, in the end, Kuhn performed on the soundtrack too. (Pocahontas' speaking voice was provided by Native American actress Irene Bedard.) Earlier in 2025, Kuhn's version of Colors Of The Wind was certified multi-platinum, after selling more than two million copies. 'I really look forward to the day that this song seems quaint and irrelevant,' Kuhn said. 'It just feels, sadly, more meaningful all the time.' Keeping with tradition, Disney released a radio-friendly pop version, sung by American actress-singer Vanessa Williams, which peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100. Although there have been popular comic takes, such as American actress Melissa McCarthy's 2016 lip-synced performance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, the overwhelming sentiment among fans and the songwriters is that Colors Of The Wind holds a serious urgency that is as relevant today as it was 30 years ago. 'There are obviously important themes in it that made a difference, and that's a wonderful thing,' Menken said. 'Frankly, when I look at the world, I wish it had made more of a difference, but we'll take what we can get.' NYTIMES
Yahoo
03-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Dr. Neal Weaver becomes 11th president of Stephen F. Austin University
NACOGDOCHES, Texas (KETK) — Stephen F. Austin State University celebrated their new President Dr. Neal Weaver at Thursday's Presidential Investiture Ceremony. SFA Ladyjacks Tennis headed back to NCAA tournament 'The Presidential Investiture Ceremony is a significant milestone in the history of our university, offering a distinguished occasion to formally recognize and celebrate the selection of Dr. Neal Weaver as our 11th president,' executive vice president of SFA Dr. Judy Abbott said. Weaver was vested with his presidential powers during the ceremony, marking the formal start of his tenure as SFA's 11th president. 'This historic ceremony reflects our collective confidence in the vision of the University of Texas Board of Regents, the Chancellor and SFA's shared commitment to advancing the university's mission under Dr. Weaver's leadership,' Abbott said. SFA receives $5M for agricultural engineering and technology building Dr. Weaver managed new university strategic and campus master plans and also created the Lumberjack Transfer Alliance as a way to help rebuild relationships with East Texas community colleges. He has a doctorate in philosophy from the University of Oklahoma, a master of business administration from Southeastern Oklahoma State University and a bachelor's degree from Oklahoma Panhandle State University. This week also saw Weaver attend several other events like SFA's Big Dip ring ceremony, a presidential bricklaying ceremony, the inaugural endowed faculty recognition ceremony and Waffles with The Weavers. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
31-01-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Male Amazon river dolphins pee into the air, confusing scientists
Researchers say they have made a startling discovery in the Amazon River. But their evidence wasn't collected from the water—it could be seen from shore. After around 219 hours of observations, they can confirm that male Amazon river dolphins (Inia geoffrensis), also known as botos, often roll onto their backs and urinate over three feet into the air. It isn't random. The male botos appear to be peeing with a purpose. Over four years, a team from Canada's CetAsia Research Group traveled to the Amazon river, where they then closely watched river dolphin social interactions. Researchers documented a total of 36 separate instances of male botos deciding to pee while floating in the unconventional position. The findings, presented in a recent study published in the journal Behavioural Processes, support rare, anecdotal stories of past boto behavior. 'Aerial urination starts with a boto slowly positioning itself upside down, exposing its penis above water, and ejecting a stream of urine into the air,' the team explained in their study. What's more, another male dolphin was swimming nearby about two-thirds of the time, and often approached the urine stream as it landed in the water about three feet away. They sometimes waited in place, but in other instances, they even pursued the pee trajectory using their snout, or rostrum.'We were really shocked, as it was something we had never seen before,' study author Claryana Araújo-Wan recounted to New Scientist on January 31st. Urine is a common communication tool used by many terrestrial animals such as dogs, bears, and cats. It's seen far less frequently in aquatic environments, but Araújo-Wan and their colleagues offered a few examples in their study. Dominant male African cichlid fish (Astatotilapia burtoni) interpret urine pulses for both reproductive and territorial information. The narrow-clawed crayfish (Astacus leptodactylus), meanwhile, urinates as a sign of aggression. In both of these cases, however, it's more about the act of peeing than what is actually in the pee itself. This makes the boto behavior all the more interesting, according to researchers. Dolphins lack a strong sense of both smell and taste, so it's still somewhat unclear how they are interpreting the urine streams. The study's authors hypothesized that the male Amazon river dolphins may rely on their rostrum bristles to interpret their fellow boto's urine composition, such as hormonal content indicating physical health and social position. A previous study from a team at Stephen F. Austin State University in Texas confirmed bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncates) use their tongues to identify other cetaceans through the taste of their urine. Knowing this, it's also possible that botos in the Amazon may engage in similar activities. But all that still doesn't explain why the botos are firing pee streams into the air. Researchers conceded that 'aerial urination likely serves a social function beyond waste elimination,' but stopped short of landing on any definitive reason beyond possible 'social or communicative functions.' Given their heightened ability to sense acoustical signals, it may be that the aerial urine alerts dolphins to check it out as it hits the water. Regardless of the actual reason, confirming the unique behavior among Amazon river dolphins now opens up the possibility for future study. With more time—and more pee—researchers may eventually learn much more about the aquatic mammal's complex social dynamics.
Yahoo
27-01-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
SFA student wins first ever Texas Music Educators Association scholarship
NACOGDOCHES, Texas (KETK) – A Stephen F. Austin State University music student has won the first ever Robert Floyd Scholarship for Music Education. Award-winning television series to feature Stephen F. Austin State University SFA students and staff gathered at the Micky Elliott College of Fine Arts last week to surprise student Olivia Smith with the $16,000 scholarship from the Texas Music Educators Association. 'Recognizing the great work and achievements of our students is one of the most rewarding parts of my job,' said Dr. Gary Wurtz, dean of the Micky Elliott College of Fine Arts. 'Today, we spotlight Olivia Smith, an SFA student who has earned statewide recognition as the first recipient of the Robert Floyd Scholarship for Music Education, a tribute to Robert Floyd's profound impact on music education.' The scholarship was started in 2024 and is only awarded to one talented music education student throughout all of Texas. Smith will get $4,000 every year for the entire four years of her degree. Nearly 100 applicants applied to the scholarship but only Smith was selected because of her exceptional musical and educational achievements. 'Olivia's exceptional academic and musical achievements, combined with her dedication to music education, made her stand out as the inaugural recipient,' said Dr. JD Salas, interim director of the School of Music. To learn more, visit SFA's School of Music online. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
