Vol. 22 No. 1 - August 21, 2017

Visitors to the Truman website will notice a new look and enhanced search capabilities.

The main website was recently redesigned to be more streamlined and user friendly. Pages are now more search based, requiring less navigation for users to get the best information.

The plan for the new design includes placing a greater emphasis on images and videos incorporated throughout the website to make it more visual. The updated look and feel of the website gives potential students more of an idea of what makes up the Truman experience. Further design enhancements of the site will be made in the months ahead.

As it was developed in-house by current employees, the new website offers a better understanding of the University while also limiting the cost of a redesign. It was rolled out during the summer in an effort to minimize inconvenience to users while any minor problems were resolved. Users who would like to provide their observations regarding the new website can do so by emailing webmaster@truman.edu.

The 2017-18 academic year is a notable one for Truman. It marks the 150th anniversary of the University’s founding, and the milestone will be celebrated throughout the year.

A lot has happened since Joseph Baldwin opened the doors to the North Missouri Normal School and Commercial College on Sept. 2, 1867. At that time, 12 states had yet to be admitted into the Union, and the University’s eventual namesake would not be born for another 17 years. The institution that would later come to be known as Truman was drastically different. All 144 students came to campus specifically to become teachers. Tuition was $50 per year, and there were no electives, only pre-planned courses in math, science, languages and the humanities, along with 30 hours in professional education.

Over time, academic programs beyond teacher education were added. By the mid-1980s, the Missouri legislature officially designated Truman as the state’s only liberal arts and sciences university.

During the school year, each issue of the Truman Today will include a photo, story or fun fact regarding the University’s history. Details surrounding the sesquicentennial, including upcoming special events, can be found at 150.truman.edu.

During the Aug. 21 eclipse, the Truman campus will experience 98.5 percent obscuration of the sun.

Vayujeet Gokhale, associate professor of physics, and the Truman Stargazers will have telescopes with solar filters set up on campus and in the community for students and area citizens to utilize during the event.

The Robison Planetarium will also be open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The planetarium has the ability to simulate the solar eclipse from anywhere in the path of totality and will be running eclipse simulations through the day, as well as broadcasting NASA’s livestream coverage from across the country. All are welcome at the planetarium at any point through the day, free of charge.

For questions about the Robison Planetarium, any/all of the following are encouraged: email planetarium@truman.edu; visit planetarium.truman.edu; call 660.785.STAR; or follow @TrumanDome on Facebook and Twitter.

The state of Missouri’s eclipse page links to local events planned across Missouri, transportation information and details on viewing areas at Missouri state parks and conservation areas.

Solar Telescope and Solar Binocular Locations
Truman Observatory
University Farm

Outside the Del and Norma Robison Planetarium
University Mall

Moberly Area Community College
2105 E. Normal Ave.

Adair County Public Library
1 Library Lane

The Student Activities Board, Center for Student Involvement and the Sesquicentennial Celebration Committee will host a kick-off event in honor of the University’s 150th year from 4-6 p.m. Aug. 25 on the Quad.

There will be free food for students, faculty and staff, as well as live music courtesy of Deadwood. A brief ceremony with President Sue Thomas and Carter Brooks Templeton, student representative to the Board of Governors, will take place at 5:30 p.m.

Rain site is the Student Union Building. Details surrounding the sesquicentennial, including upcoming special events, can be found at 150.truman.edu.

Sesquicentennial Kick-off Celebration
4-6 p.m.
5:30 p.m. Ceremony
Aug. 25
Quad

Alumna Michaela Hylen spoke at the United Nations during the summer after winning a competitive essay contest.  

A May 2017 graduate and current Master of Arts in Education student, Hylen entered the Many Languages, One World international essay contest and became one of 60 students, out of a pool of more than 2,000 entrants from 170 countries, to be proclaimed a winner. Her essay, written entirely in French, focused on the role multilingual ability can play in fostering global citizenship and cultural understanding.

As part of her winnings, Hylen was provided with an all-expense-paid trip to Boston and New York City where she had the opportunity to speak at the General Assembly of the U.N. She and the other winners presented action plans related to the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

The Many Languages, One World contest challenged students around the globe to write their essays in one of the six official languages of the U.N. that is neither the contestants’ first language nor the medium of instruction in either their primary or secondary education. Entrants were asked to write an essay that reflected their personal, academic, cultural and national context and discussed global citizenship and cultural understanding and the role that multilingual ability can play in fostering these. The official languages of the U.N. are Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish.

Truman is one of the nation’s best institutions for undergraduate education, according to The Princeton Review.

The education services company features Truman in the 2018 edition of its college guide, “The Best 382 Colleges.”

Only about 15 percent of America’s four-year colleges, and two colleges outside the U.S., are profiled in the book, which has been published annually since 1992.

Schools included in “The Best 382 Colleges” are not ranked, but the guidebook does include ratings in the specific categories of academics, admissions selectivity, financial aid, fire safety and green, a measure of school’s commitment to the sustainability and the environment in its policies, practices and education programs.

Profiles for each of the schools included in the book can be found at PrincetonReview.com/best382.

Princeton Review is an education services company known for its tutoring, test-prep courses, books and other student resources.

The octopus sculpture known as “The Quad Kraken” has found a new home.

Created by students in Danielle Yakle’s Introduction to the Visual Arts class, the sculpture spent much of last fall on display near the library and Kirk Memorial. As with other pieces constructed by the class, Yakle and the students work with businesses, agencies and other groups to find permanent locations after their initial campus display.

For the octopus, that new home is Ellis-Porter Park in Jefferson City, Mo., where it is situated next to the Riverside Pool. Yakle and student Brenden Harrison worked with Jefferson City park and landscape planner Andy Carroll on the details, and during the summer the sculpture was transported and installed.

Students with financial needs that may interfere with their ability to continue their education can seek assistance through the Truman State University Foundation Loan Program.

Foundation loans can come in the form of short-term loans, long-term loans, access loans and cultural loans specifically for study abroad trips. Applications go through the Financial Aid Office and are repaid directly to the University. Banks and outside lenders are not involved in the process.

To be eligible for a Foundation loan, students must be enrolled on a full-time basis, have at least 12 credit hours at Truman and be in good academic standing. Students also need to demonstrate an ability to repay the loan in a timely manner. Deferments of up to five years are available for cultural and long-term loans, provided the student is enrolled on a full-time basis.

In addition to scholarship assistance, the loan program is an example of the immediate impact of donations to the Truman State University Foundation. Gifts from alumni and friends allow Truman to provide assistance directly to students as they pursue their education.

For more information on the Foundation loan program, contact the Financial Aid Office at finaid@truman.edu, at 660.785.4130 or in person at McClain Hall 103.

With the re-opening of Baldwin Hall, several offices will be in new locations for the 2017-18 academic year.

Center for International Students
Baldwin Hall 104

Interfaith Center
Baldwin Hall 113

International Admissions
Baldwin Hall 104F

Multicultural Affairs
Baldwin Hall 109

Study Abroad Office
Baldwin Hall 106

Title IX Office
Violette Hall 1308

Upward Bound
Adair Building, Second Floor

Windfall
Baldwin Hall 232



Natalie Alexander
Baldwin Hall 222

Feryal Alghalith
Baldwin Hall 209

Alcidean Arias
Baldwin Hall 106D

Jamie Ball
Violette Hall 1308

Randy Bame
Baldwin Hall 123

Shanon Barton
Baldwin Hall 204

Carol Bennett
Baldwin Hall 109C

Marc Bowen
Baldwin Hall 230

Kathryn Brammall
Baldwin Hall 232A

Heather Cianciola
Baldwin Hall 248

Cameron Clogston
Baldwin Hall 207

Melanee Crist
Baldwin Hall 104E

Jocelyn Cullity
Baldwin Hall 258

Michael Cummings
Baldwin Hall 104D

James D’Agostino
Baldwin Hall 249

Adam Davis
Baldwin Hall 208

Dan Doman
Baldwin Hall 259

Tim Farley
Baldwin Hall 260

Kristen Greif
Baldwin Hall 203

James Hammerstrand
Baldwin Hall 243

Ernst Hintz
Baldwin Hall 253

Ding-hwa Hsieh
Baldwin Hall 217

Nicole Huang
Baldwin Hall 239

Clifton Kreps
Baldwin Hall 210

Joaquin Maldonado-Class
Baldwin Hall 244

Ron Manning
Baldwin Hall 261

Jason McDonald
Baldwin Hall 226

Betty McLane-Iles
McClain Hall 335

Rosa Virginia Mendez
Baldwin Hall 106B

Sarah Mohler
Baldwin Hall 206

Linda Moore
Baldwin Hall 242

Andrea Nate
Baldwin Hall 255

Amy Norgard
Baldwin Hall 236

Ben Ogden
Baldwin Hall 237

Caleb Owen
Baldwin Hall 218

Stephen Pollard
Baldwin Hall 228

Barbara Price
McClain Hall 312

Priscilla Riggle
Baldwin Hall 254

Brittney Robinson
Baldwin Hall 104C

Stephanie Russell
Baldwin Hall 223

Linda Seidel
McClain Hall 336

Oscar Sendon
Baldwin Hall 211

Alex Tetlak
Baldwin Hall 238

Matthew Tornatore
Baldwin Hall 205

Brad Turnbull
Baldwin Hall 109A

Shinya Uchida
Baldwin Hall 235

Torbjorn Wandel
Baldwin Hall 227

Carly Winchell
Baldwin Hall 202

Miriam Young
Baldwin Hall 200

There will be an informational meeting at 3:30 p.m. Aug. 27 in Magruder Hall 2050 for the faculty-led study abroad course “Flavors of India.” Planned for winter interim 2017-18, this course is open to all majors. Applications are now being accepted and all payments are due by Oct. 1.

Students will feast their senses with an immersion into a land with a rich diversity of traditions and cultures. The itinerary will provide students an opportunity to observe the contrasts of ancient and modern India by visiting Agra, Chandannager, Delhi, Jaipur and Kolkata. Excursions will include trips to the Taj Mahal, Ranthambore National Park, service work at Missionary of Charity and much more.

Applications for the Student Activities Board are now open and will close at midnight, Sept. 1. The application can be found at sab.truman.edu/apply.

SAB will host two open houses from 6-7 p.m. Aug. 29 and Aug. 30 in the lower level of the Student Union Building.

The ambassadors are students who have recently studied abroad and are eager to share their experience, wisdom and advice with prospective study abroad students. To view their profiles, visit studyabroad.truman.edu/ambassadors-fall-2017.

The fall study abroad ambassadors, from left: Sydnie Russian, Alissa Holthe, Maggie Wilcox and Kory Ford.

The Student Recreation Center offers personal training sessions for students, faculty, staff, emeriti and retirees. More information is available online or by completing an interest form at the weight room desk in the SRC.

Various Student Activities Board members will be presenting an information session for the organization from 6-7 p.m. Aug. 29-30 in the CSI Complex in the Student Union Building. Applications for SAB are open through Sept. 1 and can be found online at sab.truman.edu/apply.

The Bucket List Challenge is back this year. Complete 16 of 18 recreation-oriented items to win a free t-shirt. Additional information is available at recreation.truman.edu/recreation/fitness-wellness-program/bucket-list-challenge. Registration forms are available at the Member Services Desk in the Student Recreation Center. Only one item can be completed per day.

The 2017 Truman Homecoming Committee will be posting updates, contests and more on various social media outlets. Accounts include a Homecoming Facebook page, a Twitter account with the handle @HomecomingTSU, an Instagram account @trumanstatehomecoming and a website. Homecoming 2017 will take place Oct. 8-14.

Sign-up for free weight room orientation is now available at the weight room desk in the Student Recreation Center. Learn how to use the weight machines and/or the new LifeFitness SYNRGY 360.

The following organizations, students and University employees volunteered during Move-In Day, Aug. 16.

Alpha Gamma Delta
Alpha Gamma Rho
Alpha Kappa Lambda
Alpha Phi Omega
Alpha Sigma Alpha
William Ashcraft
Zen Bagunu
Baptist Student Union
Katie Barthel
Beta Theta Pi
Diane Bloskovich
William Brazeal
Dora Brewington
Bullets Rugby
Bulls Rugby
Megan By
Kayla Carroll-Seuferling
CCF
Melody Chambers
Kelsey Clow
Gina Cracchiola
CRU
Cole Davenport
Delta Chi
Delta Phi Epsilon
Delta Sigma Pi
Delta Zeta
Shari Fieser
Gamma Chi
Jordan Ganter
Bethany Gibson
Billi Gordy
Habitat for Humanity
Blaine Harper
Ali (Nick) Hawach
Kara Jo Humprey
Charles Hunsaker
Kathleen Jasper
Marty Jayne
Sami Lagemann
Lambda Chi Alpha
Becca Leslie
Faith Locke
Allyson Lotz
Dave Lusk
National Pan-Hellenic Council
National Society of Collegiate Scholars
Polly Matteson
Remy McClain
Dustin McClintock
Scott McEachern
Darren Meeker
Travis Miles
Momentum
Tori Nelson
Newman Center
Hanna Oberg
Sherril Pearce
Phi Kappa Tau
Phi Lambda Phi
Phi Mu Alpha
Phi Sigma Kappa
Pi Kappa Phi
Aaron Pile Jr.
Davis Pilloni
Physical Plant
Tessa Prewitt
Julia Price
Residence Hall Association
Residence Life
Deanna Rood
Cristin Selle
Caitlin Selle
Sigma Alpha
Sigma Kappa
Sigma Phi Epsilon
Sigma Sigma Sigma
Sigma Tau Gamma
Ryan Smith
Austin Sopko
Jeri Speak
Ray Stewart
Student Activities Board
Student Affairs
Student Government
Tau Kappa Epsilon
Tau Lambda Sigma
Heidi Templeton
Kayla Thompson
TSUnami
University Swingers
Winston Vanderhoof
Stachia Vorhees
Kelly Walter
West Coast Swing
Teresa Wheeler
Shawn White
Cindy Woods
Brandi Wreidt
Gabriel Yarham

In an effort to provide an outlet toward greater peace at Truman, Rebecca Dierking is offering a vinyasa yoga class this semester on most Tuesdays at 5.15 p.m. Everyone working at Truman is welcome to attend.
 
Vinyasa is a type of yoga which incorporates certain elements of flow (movement), balance and strengthening poses. Yoga has been proven to positively impact practitioners’ health, and certainly the meditation at the end should bring a sense of calm.  
 
Each class should last no more than 60 minutes and will include instructions for alternative postures or other accommodations as needed. This class is entirely free of charge.
 
Those who plan to attend should wear stretchable clothing and, if possible, bring their own mat.

Aug. 29
Student Union Building 3202

Sept. 5
Student Union Building 3203

Sept. 12
Student Union Building 3201

Oct. 3
Student Union Building 3203

Oct. 31
Student Union Building 3203

Nov. 7
Student Union Building 3203

Nov. 13
Student Union Building 3203

Dec. 5
Student Union Building 3203

Dec. 12
Student Union Building 3203

Aug. 21-25
7:30 a.m.-10 p.m.

Aug. 26-27
7:30 a.m.-10 p.m.

Aug. 28-Sept. 1
7:30 a.m.-10 p.m.

Sept. 2-3
Closed

Sept. 4
3 p.m.-10 p.m.

In case of an emergency, call 911. To have an officer dispatched for a non-emergency, call 660.665.5621.

Truman was ranked No. 1 on the College Consensus list of “Best Colleges in Missouri for 2017-2018.” The online resource averaged the latest results from the most respected college ranking systems with thousands of student review scores to produce a unique rating for each school. Of the 10 institutions to make the list, Truman was the only public school in the top five.

Debi Cartwright, professor of business administration, was selected as the recipient of the Professional Fraternity Association’s 2017 Faculty Advisor Award of Excellence. The Central Office of Delta Sigma Pi, a member organization of the PFA, nominated Cartwright. The award “recognizes a current faculty advisor for a campus-affiliated chapter of a Professional Fraternity Association member organization, who has achieved an exemplary relationship with the students.” The award will be presented Sept. 8 at the 2017 PFA Conference in Birmingham, Ala.

Head coach Dan Davis and the Truman baseball team were honored with the Team Academic Excellence Award by the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA). The Bulldogs were one of 34 Division II teams that had a cumulative team grade point average exceeding 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. Truman was the only public school out of the two other Great Lakes Valley Conference teams included on the list and only state school out of the four Missouri programs honored.   

Jeff Lingwall, assistant professor of business administration, had his manuscript, “Educational Gerrymanders: Creating Unequal School Districts in North Carolina,” accepted for publication in the North Carolina Central Law Review.

Daniel Mandell, professor of history, presented “Shaping Republican Children,” a draft chapter of “The Lost Tradition of Economic Equality in America,” at the annual meeting of the Society for Historians of the Early Republic, in Philadelphia. Mandell also assembled the session, “The Public Language of Class in America, 1790-1840,” that included his presentation.

Applications for the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation’s German Chancellor Fellowship are now open. The German Chancellor Fellowship allows recent university graduates to spend one year conducting a project of their design with the host of their choice in Germany. The project can be in any field, but should be research-based and create a positive social impact. Benefits include full financial support, a language course and a study tour culminating with meeting Chancellor Angela Merkel. For more information on the German Chancellor Fellowship and application process, visit humboldt-foundation.de/web/german-chancellor-fellowship.html. Applications are due Sept. 15.

The Gilman Scholarship Program is open to U.S. citizen undergraduate students who are receiving Federal Pell Grant funding at a two-year or four-year college or university to participate in study and intern abroad programs worldwide.

Student Sydnie Russian studied abroad in Russia during the spring 2017 semester with the Gilman Scholarship. She will be available throughout the semester to help interested students learn about and apply for the scholarship.

Gilman Advisor Sessions
12:30-1:30 p.m.
Student Union Building
Aug. 28
Sept. 11
Sept. 25
Oct. 9
Oct. 23
Nov. 6
Nov. 20
Dec. 4
Dec. 18

Sydnie Russian takes a picture outside the Kremlin. She studied abroad on a Gilman Scholarship in the spring. During the fall she will be available to interested students apply for the Scholarship.