By Shelly Williams/managing editor

Gloves will come off and scalpels and syringes will sit by the wayside as students, faculty, friends and alumni celebrate the 40th anniversary of the NE Campus surgical technology program.

The social will be held from 2 to 6 p.m. on Sept. 25 in NSTU Center Corner. Cake and punch will be served.

The surgical technology program helps students face the operating room, preparing them for a surgical procedure, passing needed instruments and equipment to the surgeon during the procedure.

Students can then start their careers after the 11-month certification.

Invitations and e-mails were sent to former and current students, surgical technology instructor Cindy Mask said. The public is welcome as well, she said.

“I’m even telling my classes that if you know somebody, give them my name and number,” she said. “Anybody that’s interested can come. It’s just to kind of see what people are doing and kind of get together and see what they’ve done in their careers. I’m kind of interested to see whether this was the beginning, or did they do other things with it [the program].”

Assistant surgical technology professor Donnie Braziel, a student of the program in 1970, said he was looking forward to the program’s further success.

“I have a wonderful group of faculty that truly cares about each student we have,” he said. “They are great examples of technical ability, caring and professionalism to our students.

“I enjoy teaching and love to be there when the light goes on for my students.”

Mask said that since the nursing program will move to the Trinity River Campus in about 18 months, it had to do something to celebrate where the program started — NE Campus.

“I am looking forward to it. It’s like planning a wedding. You hope everything goes off without a hitch,” she said. “But it doesn’t really matter how it goes off because it’ll be fun just seeing old friends and faces.”