Texas A&M University-Central Texas to host Fall Focus 2026: Going Analog

By Demetra Paizanis,
Communications Coordinator –

Texas A&M University-Central Texas will host Fall Focus 2026: Going Analog, a one-day program encouraging the university community to use analog tools and participate in hands-on creative activities, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 16, at locations across campus.

Presented by the College of Arts and Sciences, the first Fall Focus will explore how physical tools and practices associated with the past can work alongside newer methods and technologies.

“Technology is not external to humanity. It is made and owned by us and can bring us together, if we want,” said Amber Dunai, associate professor of English and linguistics.

The day will begin with a student-only bookbinding workshop from 9 to 10:30 a.m. in Heritage Hall, Room 203. Materials will be provided for up to 12 students to make small booklets suitable for notetaking, drawing or journaling. Advanced registration is required for the bookbinding workshop, with spaces reserved on a first-come, first-served basis. To register, students must email their name, major and university email address to Amber Dunai at [email protected] and Christine Jones at [email protected].

Robbie Kubala, associate professor of philosophy at the University of Texas at Austin, will present “The Irreplaceable Value of Crosswords (and Other Trivial Pursuits)” from 11 to 11:45 a.m. in the Bernie Beck Lecture Hall in Founders Hall. The lecture will examine the aesthetic value of crosswords, the sense of agency they offer solvers and their use in contemporary art.

From noon to 1 p.m., a student organization mixer on the first floor of Heritage Hall will feature analog-themed table activities and pizza. Concurrent open houses at the university’s maker space and University Archives will highlight hands-on research and creative work. The Fall 2026 Student Maker’s Showcase on the second floor of Heritage Hall will display student-made physical works.

College of Arts and Sciences faculty will conclude the program with a roundtable from 1 to 2 p.m. in the Bernie Beck Lecture Hall. The discussion will consider what analog and digital practices mean in research, teaching and everyday life. Kubala’s lecture and the roundtable will include time for audience questions. Kubala’s lecture and the faculty roundtable will be available virtually through Microsoft Teams at https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/224880905887498?p=WFSVC2cMKnYAcUFo27.

For accessibility questions or additional information, contact Amber Dunai at [email protected] or Christine Jones  at [email protected].