John Handy has had his saxophone with him since the late 1940s when he played in the McClymonds High School jazz band in Oakland. In the 1950s, he spent the wee hours of the night playing local clubs before heading to SF State for classes. On Nov. 1, Handy, now 76 years old, performed at the San Francisco Jazz Festival upon earning its Beacon Award.

Check out the November 2009 edition of the Creative Arts E-Lert, the official e-mail newsletter of the SF State College of Creative Arts. This issue highlights upcoming events including a free Morrison Artists Series concert with the Kavafian-Schub-Shifrin Trio, a production of Shakespeare’s beloved comedy “Twelfth Night” and the 20th annual Stillwell student exhibition. The newsletter also includes news on a student who won a Jacob K. Javits Fellowship, a new nine-CD set by the Alexander String Quartet and SF State’s student-produced television and radio broadcasts.

The College of Creative Arts mourns the recent loss of two members of its community: Professor Emeritus of Music Roger Nixon and former Dean August Coppola.

SF State’s student-run television news broadcasts and radio station give you the scoop and the tunes in more ways than ever. A simple online stream is old news, as “State of Events” and KSFS radio utilize Twitter, iTunes and more.

Student Crescent Diamond has won a Jacob K. Javits Fellowship from the U.S. Department of Education. The $30,000 award helps fund her graduate studies at SF State.