Vol. 29 No. 23 - February 24, 2025

 
The open course list for summer can now be viewed online.
 
Registration for summer classes begins March 18. Courses are available in a variety of options, including online, hybrid and in-person delivery methods. The flexibility of summer courses provides students the opportunity to have a job, take a vacation or socialize with friends back home.
 
Summer is a great time for students to focus their attention on a challenging class, or work on boosting their GPA for scholarship renewal or graduate school applications. It is also an opportunity to make a lot of progress toward an additional major or minor without falling behind.

With six separate terms throughout the summer, students have multiple options to fit their needs. Interim classes run May 10-24. The first round of five-week courses, as well as 10-week courses, begin May 27, while the second round of five-week courses begins June 30. An eight-week session begins June 2. The August interim runs from July 26-Aug. 9. For more information visit summer.truman.edu.

The team’s performances earned them first place in the speech/individual events (IE) category, claiming an impressive 327 points and winning against the second-place team from the University of Central Missouri by a close 1% margin. They also secured second place in debate. These combined efforts helped them to win an overall first place victory against 14 competing schools from Missouri, Illinois, Iowa and Nebraska.

The team secured multiple qualifications for the National Forensics Association (NFA) and American Forensics Association (AFA) for the upcoming national’s season in March and April.

The team brought home a total of 17 state championship titles.

Team Sweeps
•    First place state champions in the Bob R. Derryberry open overall sweepstakes (IE and debate combined)
•    First place state champions in open IE sweepstakes
•    Second in debate sweepstakes
•    Quality award state champions

Individual Sweeps
•    Alex Peterson, first state champion
•    Briggs Maynor, third

Speech
After-Dinner Speaking
•    Alex Peterson, first state champion
•    Briggs Maynor, fourth (NFA)
•    Emery McEvoy, fifth top novice

Communication Analysis
•    Mikayla Hammer, first top novice state champion (AFA)
•    Alex Peterson, third
Drama
•    Briggs Maynor, second
•    Zoe Walker, sixth (NFA)

Duo
•    Briggs Maynor/Peterson, fourth (NFA)

Extemp
•    Cooper Spacil, fourth

Impromptu
•    Hammer, first top novice state champion
•    Peterson, third

Informative
•    Lauren Weiss, second top novice state champion
•    Rashed Sohan, sixth

Persuasive
•    Hammer, first top novice state champion (AFA)
•    Ashton Mullen, third (AFA)
•    Peterson, fourth

Poetry
•    Jessie Philips, fifth (NFA)

Program Oral Interp
•    Lauren Weiss, third top novice

Prose
•    Maynor, first state champion
•    Peterson, second
•    Jessie Philips, third (NFA)
•    Weiss, sixth top novice

Debate
Novice IPDA
•    Ben Grandstaff, first place and first speaker state champion

Open IPDA
•    Cooper Spacil, quarterfinalist
•    Ashton Mullen, octafinalist

Novice LD
•    Sawyer Partney and Ryan Franklin, first co-state champions
•    Sawyer Partney, first speaker state champion
•    Ryan Franklin, second speaker

Open LD
•    Payten Luaders, second place state champion and third speaker state champion

Novice TIPDA
•    McEvoy, third speaker
•    Hammer, fifth speaker

Open TIPDA
•    Luaders, fifth speaker

Students interested in joining the Forensics Union should contact Ben Davis at bdavis@truman.edu or visit forensics.truman.edu/joinus. Applications are due March 17 for those wanting to join for the fall semester. Scholarships and course credit are available.

 
This spring, Truman is offering an introductory ceramics course open to community members.
 
“Ceramics Handbuilding” begins March 17 with weekly class meetings from 6-8 p.m. Mondays. The eight-week course will conclude May 5. Cost of the class is $375, which includes instruction and materials. Participants will keep all the works they create.
 
As an introductory course, “Ceramics Handbuilding” will teach students proper use of ceramic tools, handbuilding techniques, basic glazing and surface decorating methods, and rudimentary knowledge of kiln firings.
 
“There’s something special about getting your hands in clay – shaping, experimenting and bringing ideas to life,” said William McKinney, assistant professor of art. “It’s not just about making pottery, it’s about building community, finding joy in the process and discovering the excitement of creating something from the earth with your own hands.”
 
“Ceramics Handbuilding” is under the direction of Truman’s Institute for Academic Outreach as part of its professional development and enrichment mission.
 
“The goal is to make a sampling of our courses widely available so people in the area can experience some of the fun things Truman has to offer,” said Tyana Lange, vice president of student engagement, enrollment and marketing.
 
Last fall, Truman offered a condensed version of the popular “Serial Killers and Psychopaths” course taught for decades by Sal Costa. The course reached full capacity. Other courses, to be determined, may be offered in the future.
 
More information about “Ceramics Handbuilding” can be found online at institute.truman.edu. Registration is open to community members and Truman employees. This is a one-credit, pass/fail course. It is not available to degree-seeking Truman students.
 
Registration can be completed online. Because space is limited, spots will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis. Registration does not guarantee a spot in the class. There is no charge to register, and payment is not due until a spot in the class has been confirmed by the University. Once registrations are processed, an email will be sent with information on how to pay online. Payment in full is due by March 5. Additionally, payment may be made at the cashiers’ window in McClain Hall, Monday through Friday, 10 a.m.-12 p.m. or 1-3 p.m. Any questions about the course can be directed to the Institute for Academic Outreach at 660.785.5384 or institute@truman.edu.

Deulen’s poetry collection, “Desire Museum,” was published with BOA Editions in fall 2023 and won a 2024 Lambda Literary Award. Her previous books include “Lovely Asunder,” “Our Emotions Get Carried Away Beyond Us” and a memoir, “The Riots.” Her honors include a Pushcart Prize, an Oregon Literary Fellowship, the GLCA New Writers Award, the Utah Book Award, an Ohio Arts Council Individual Excellence Award and a Jay C. and Ruth Halls Poetry Fellowship from the Wisconsin Institute for Creative Writing.

Deulen is the co-creator and host of “Lit from the Basement,” a poetry podcast, and teaches for the graduate creative writing program at Georgia State University in Atlanta. More information about her can be found at danielledeulen.net.

The spring Career and Graduate School Expo will take place Feb. 24-27.

The expo is open to students of all majors and academic levels. This event gives students the opportunity to participate in a variety of professional development activities. The week will begin Feb. 24 with the chance for students to have their professional documents critiqued from 5-6 p.m. in the Student Union Building Conference Room


To learn more, or to register for these events, go to hiretruman.truman.edu then to “student/alumni login” followed by “events,” “career fairs” and select career fair of choice. Click on “attend” in the upper right corner of the page to formally sign up for events. With any questions regarding times or function of the event, go to career.truman.edu/career-grad-school-week/schedule-of-events or email the Career Center at ucc3@truman.edu. These events will be accessed from #HireTruman.

More information about the TruScholars program is available on the Office of Student Research website. Applications are due by Feb. 25. Any additional questions about TruScholars can be directed to osr@truman.edu.

Matt Wilson’s Good Trouble will take the stage at 6 p.m. March 1 in Baldwin Auditorium for the next installment of the Kohlenberg Lyceum Series.

A New York-based drummer, Wilson combines buoyant zeal, idiosyncratic style, infectious humor, joyous swing and an indomitable spirit of surprise, making him one of the most in-demand players and educators in jazz today. He has appeared on more than 500 albums and has released 20 acclaimed recordings as a leader. He was named 2018 Musician of the Year by the Jazz Journalists Association, and his album “Honey and Salt” won 2018 Album of the Year.

Also a renowned educator, Wilson is passionate about bringing jazz to new audiences and inspiring students to be as individualistic and imaginative as possible. He has led workshops and masterclasses at colleges and universities, jazz festivals and conferences around the world. In addition, he is a faculty member at the New School, San Francisco Conservatory, LIU Post Sarah Lawrence College and the Prins Claus Conservatory in Gronigen, Holland.

Wilson’s March 1 concert is sponsored in conjunction with the annual Phi Mu Alpha JazzFest. Invited high school students will participate in jazz festival activities during the day.

Tickets are available now and can be picked up downtown at the Kirksville Arts Association. Tickets are also available on campus at three convenient locations: the Union and Involvement Office in the Student Union Building; the Advancement Office in McClain Hall 205; or the Admissions Office in the Ruth W. Towne Museum and Visitors Center. Any remaining tickets will be available the day of the event beginning 30 minutes before the performance.  
 
Tickets for the 2024-25 Kohlenberg Lyceum Series are provided free of charge thanks to the generous support of local sponsors, the Friends of the Lyceum program and the Truman State University Foundation.

For more information about the Kohlenberg Lyceum Series, visit lyceum.truman.edu or contact the Advancement Office at 660.785.4133.

Truman is sponsoring a free community-wide book club in preparation for an on-campus presentation by the author in March.  
 
Anthony Ray Hinton was wrongfully convicted of murder in 1985 and spent nearly 30 years on death row in Alabama. With the assistance of the Equal Justice Initiative, led by attorney Bryan Stevenson, Hinton finally won his release in 2015. Since his conviction was overturned by the United States Supreme Court, he has become a sought-after speaker and author of “The Sun Does Shine: How I Found Life and Freedom on Death Row,” which was selected for Oprah’s Book Club and is a New York Times bestseller.
 
Hinton will be at Truman at 6 p.m. March 26 as part of the University’s Holman Family Distinguished Speaker Series. In anticipation of his presentation, the Criminal Justice Studies program is offering free copies of “The Sun Does Shine” as part of a community book club.
 
“‘The Sun Does Shine’ is Hinton’s story from the perspective of someone who faced an unimaginable ordeal being sentenced to die for a crime he didn’t commit. Yet through it all, his message of hope, faith and justice is resounding,” said Elizabeth Wiles, director of interdisciplinary studies and chair of legal studies and pre-law programming at Truman. “It is a powerful memoir, and this event is sure to be a transformative experience for anyone from any background.”
 
Hinton may be familiar to audiences from his inclusion in Stevenson’s book “Just Mercy,” later adapted into a movie of the same name. At the time “Just Mercy” was originally published, Hinton had yet to be exonerated. “The Sun Does Shine” gives readers the firsthand account of his redemptive journey.
 
The book club is open to all members of the community. Copies of “The Sun Does Shine” will be provided free of charge. Small groups of book club members will be organized for weekly meetings in March leading up to Hinton’s presentation. Each group will meet at a set day and time for three weeks. Participants will be able to sign up for the day and time that works with their schedule. Most times are after 5 p.m., with two lunch time slots also available. Each small group will be led by Truman students. Wiles will offer a virtual option for alumni and participants from outside of the area.
 
Those interested in participating in the book club can sign up online at truman.edu/events/the-sun-does-shine. Copies of the book can be picked up in Truman’s Social Sciences and Human Inquiry Department located in McClain Hall 213. To inquire about getting a delivered copy of the book, call 660.785.7201, or email Wiles at ewiles@truman.edu. “The Sun Does Shine” is also available online or at the Adair County Public Library.  
 
Hinton’s presentation will take place at 6 p.m. March 26 at a location to be announced. The book club and presentation are sponsored by the Holman Family Distinguished Speaker Series and the Criminal Justice Studies and Interdisciplinary Studies programs, in collaboration with the Equal Justice Initiative.

Clients who come to VITA should bring: social security cards for spouses and dependents; bank routing numbers and bank account numbers for direct deposit; wage and earnings statements such as W-2, 1098T and 1099; and a copy of last year’s federal and state tax returns if available. VITA services will be completed by IRS-certified volunteers and will also offer free electronic filing to receive a faster return.

Appointments are required. Truman students can make appointments online. Truman staff and community members should call 660.785.6064 to schedule an appointment. For more information, visit bap.truman.edu/vita.

The next installment of the Chuck and Sherri Woods TRU-Biz Forum will take place at 3:30 p.m. March 3 in Violette Hall 1000.

At this event two distinguished alumni and one current student will share their expertise and insights. They will draw on their personal experiences to discuss how to prepare for job searches, job fairs, getting to the interview, landing the role and the ways Truman Career Center can help.

As a successful sales/business professional Rod Cooper (’88) retired at the age of 49 to manage his real estate holdings and help others achieve their dreams. He is now the owner of RKCC Real Estate Holdings. Prior to retiring in 2015, Cooper was managing director for a national accounting and business consulting firm. He was responsible for new client development, growing the firm’s public awareness, and sales consulting with companies on top-line growth and management-related issues. Cooper’s business roles have included president/owner, entrepreneur, managing director, vice president of sales, vice president of operations, director of sales and branch manager. He was named to the Top 100 People to Know in St. Louis Small Business Monthly in 2011 and was the 2008 Truman State University Business Alumnus of the Year as well as the recipient of the 2024 Truman State University Distinguished Service Award.

Haley (Meissen) Macarthy (’19) is a business operations analyst at Turnberry Solutions in Des Moines, Iowa. She leads a women’s employee resource group at Turnberry Solutions and also volunteers as a pastoral council member at her church. Macarthy served two years on the Young Professionals Connection of Des Moines’ Board and was recognized as the 2023-2024 board member of the year. While at Truman, she was actively involved with Delta Sigma Pi and worked as a human resources intern, mock interviewer and career advisor with the Career Center.

Anna Kuhnert (’26) is a communication major and education minor at Truman and serves as the human resources intern at the Career Center.

All students, faculty, staff, and community members are welcome for inspiration and learning with renowned speakers. Networking will follow the forum.

The TRU-Biz Forum is made possible by the Chuck and Sherri Woods Endowment for Business Excellence at Truman. The fund was established by alumni Charles H. “Chuck” and Sherri Woods as part of generous support of Truman.

The Chinese Language and Cultural Association for Lunar New Year Gala won Outstanding Overall Program for the 2024 LRP awards.
Nominations are currently being accepted for this year’s Leadership Recognition Program.

The LRP is designed to honor Truman students, organizations and advisors for their dedication to their peers, organizations, campus and the Kirksville community through various leadership roles during the academic year. Students, faculty and staff are encouraged to nominate exceptional student leaders, advisors, organizations and events on campus.

Submissions for the LRP are taken online only. A link to the nomination form can be found at involvement.truman.edu/leadership-recognition-program. Multiple nominations for individuals or organizations are welcome. Details about all of the awards can be found in the nomination packet available here. Nominations will close at 5 p.m. March 3.

Questions about the LRP can be directed to the program coordinator at lrp@truman.edu or orgs@truman.edu. Union & Involvement services will host the Leadership Recognition Program ceremony April 8.

The 24th annual Big Event is set to take place from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. March 29.

The Big Event gives Truman students, faculty, staff and alumni the opportunity to show appreciation for all of the support the Kirksville community has offered to them. Hundreds of Truman volunteers will provide services to the residents of the community by raking leaves, washing windows, painting and more.  

Volunteers can sign-up here. Local Kirksville residents hoping for volunteers to help them with projects can sign-up here. All sign-ups are due by March 21. For more information visit serve.truman.edu.

Students interested in living on campus during the 2025-26 school year can now make arrangements to do so.

Living on campus provides students with a built-in community of peers, in addition to offering a variety of amenities. All campus residence halls feature furnished rooms, access to laundry facilities and a meal plan. On-campus residents also have all of their utility costs included in the price of their room.

Residence Life has several options for students who want to live on campus including single residence hall rooms, apartments and suites for up to four roommates.

Students that have completed a housing application but have not found a roommate and/or self-selected a space by March 20 will be manually assigned to a room with a roommate by the Residence Life team.

The housing portal is open now and can be accessed through TruView. Questions about the housing process can be directed to Residence Life at 660.785.4227 or reslife@truman.edu.

Student Government is seeking a student speaker for the May 10 commencement ceremony. Applications are available here. For more information, contact oph5838@truman.edu.

Applicants will be asked to respond to one of the following two prompts:

“Reflecting on your experiences here at Truman what are some key takeaways you have from your college experience and how have they impacted you and how will they guide you in the future?”

“Do your best history will do the rest” - Harry S. Truman. Reflecting on your time here at Truman, how has this philosophy guided your decisions now and in the future?

Students are encouraged to complete their Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) as soon as possible for the 2025-2026 school year.

In celebration of Financial Aid Awareness Month, the Financial Aid Office in McClain Hall 103 will have free candy available. Students are encouraged to visit the office and discuss any questions they may have about financial aid. Along with processing the FAFSA to determine federal, state and some University funds, the office provides information about scholarship service and renewal for returning students. They can also help with private scholarship check processing, funding for study abroad or summer school, budgeting, financial literacy or loan counseling.

For more information, visit the Financial Aid Office website, call 660.785.4130 or email finaid@truman.edu.

The Institute for Academic Outreach is seeking applications for JBA Jr. and ATSU-Truman Healthcare Academy.

JBA Jr. is hiring a full-time day position that functions as a traditional summer day camp experience in July for students that have completed fourth, fifth or sixth grade. Preceptor preference is given to Truman education majors or other students that have experience with children but are not education majors.

ATSU-Truman Healthcare Academy hires full-time overnight positions spanning approximately seven days in June. Preceptor preference is given to students in a pre-health profession, biology major or to students who have significant experience in health topics by virtue of some co-curricular activities. After those students have been considered, preference then goes to education majors.

Applications are currently being accepted and will continue until the positions are filled. Information about each available position can be accessed at tiacademies.truman.edu/employment or by emailing Michelle Wilson at mwwilson@truman.edu.

Applications should be well thought out and as detailed as possible, however the committee will help to refine submissions. Proposals can be completed using this form. The deadline for proposal submission is 12 a.m. March 16. For more details about the application process and guidelines, visit senate.truman.edu/archives/officialdocuments, or reach out to Willow Reese, committee chair, at sb85256@truman.edu.

Truman’s Upward Bound program is currently looking for juniors, seniors or graduate students to serve as residential mentors for summer academy.

Upward Bound is a college preparatory program for income-eligible area high school students, many of whom will be the first in their families to attend college.

Dates for this position are May 30-July 2, which includes training and a trip with students. Residential mentor positions are paid, full time, offer weekends off and include room and board.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until all positions have been filled with qualified candidates. For more information, or to access an online application, visit the Upward Bound website.

The University Learning Technologies & Instructional Design Team invites everyone to the online conference “Embracing Artificial Intelligence in Online Learning” from 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Feb. 28 on Zoom. This free event is the Quality Matters Missouri System’s third annual conference. There will be presenters from across Missouri, as well as keynote speaker Megan VanBuskirk of John Hopkins School of Education. To sign up, or learn more about the schedule and presenters, click here.

The best way to showcase Truman is by sharing examples of success stories from its students, employees and alumni. These examples can take the form of short blurbs in print pieces and on University webpages, to longform stories in newsletters, magazines or video projects. Truman is always interested in highlighting the people and projects that make the University special.
 
If you are a Truman employee or student and would like to suggest a person for possible inclusion in upcoming University promotional materials, please use this form. Noteworthy suggestions might include: students who have participated in research, study abroad or other transformational experiences; alumni who have demonstrated excellence in their field after graduation; or out-of-the-ordinary stories that include students and/or employees that others would find interesting.
 
All submissions will be reviewed by the Public Relations Office. Submitting a recommendation is not a guarantee the person will be included in any Truman promotional materials. Stories will be pursued on a variety of factors including how and where they may best serve the needs of the University.

Associate professors of exercise science, Julene Ensign and Nancy Daley-Moore are recruiting faculty and staff to participate in the post-test survey of their IRB-approved research study exploring faculty and staff perceptions of wellness on Truman’s campus. They are hoping that the information provided in this post-test survey could be used to figure out better faculty and staff wellness programming.

Those eligible to participate must be a current full-time faculty or staff member. Any questions about the research project can be emailed to jensign@truman.edu or ndmoore@truman.edu.

Last summer, Truman’s ensemble was selected from a competitive statewide application process to appear at this year’s conference The annual conference typically attracts more than 1,700 music educators, students, professional performers and composers from Missouri and beyond. In addition to select performances, the four-day event presents numerous pedagogical clinics, workshops and exhibits. It is also the host of Missouri’s high school all-state bands, orchestra, jazz ensemble and choir event, representing many of Missouri’s finest high school musicians.

The Truman State University Foundation fall 2025 Foundation Scholarship applications are now available.

Recipients must be enrolled full-time during the term of the scholarship to receive the full amount. Applications can be submitted and revised at any time prior to the March 16 deadline. To apply, log in to TruView, go to the Student Tab, Scholarships, Financial Aid & Loans then Foundation Scholarship Application.

When starting the online application process, students will automatically be considered for all Foundation scholarships for which they qualify. While some scholarships are limited by major, many general awards exist.

These scholarships are available thanks to the private gifts of alumni and friends of the University.

This program supports candidates who demonstrate leadership, character and academic performance. It is open to students who started higher education right after high school, as well as adult learners who are now pursuing or returning to complete a degree. Additionally, these students have a vision, are eager to make their contribution to the world and have the work ethic to bring their dreams to fruition.

The scholarship application period runs through April 1. More information, including details on how to apply, can be found here. The scholarship amount can vary based on an applicant’s circumstances. The general range will be $2,000-$5,000 based on expected family contribution (EFC), unmet need and other factors.

Applicants must: be a Missouri resident; be an undergraduate second-, third- or fourth-year student for the 2025-26 academic year; enrolled full-time and making satisfactory academic progress; and have a cumulative college GPA of 2.5 or higher. Recommendation from an instructor, counselor, advisor, current or recent supervisor, community leader or other similarly qualified individual is required.