Vol. 23 No. 22 - Feb. 18, 2019

Core Ensemble will perform the chamber music theatre work “Ain’t I a Woman?” at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 18 in the Ophelia Parrish Performance Hall.

“Ain’t I a Woman?” is a joyful exploration of the trials and triumphs of four passionate and accomplished African-American women: renowned novelist and anthropologist Zora Neale Hurston; ex-slave and fiery abolitionist Sojourner Truth; exuberant folk artist Clementine Hunter; and fervent civil rights worker Fannie Lou Hamer. The musical score is drawn from the heartfelt spirituals and blues of the deep south, the urban vitality of the Jazz Age and contemporary concert music by African-Americans. Shinnerrie Jackson portrays multiple characters while interacting with the onstage musical trio of cello, piano and percussion.

Core Ensemble developed Chamber Music Theatre by creating a marriage of theatrical narrative to chamber for music performance. Since 1993, the group has toured in every region of the United States and internationally to Australia, England, Russia, Ukraine and the British Virgin Islands. They have received support from the National Endowment for the Arts, the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs, the Palm Beach County Cultural Council and the Aaron Copland Fund for Music.

This Truman performance was made possible through the generous support of interdisciplinary studies, the Center for Inclusion and Diversity and the Music Department.

This event is free and open to the public. For more information contact Bridget Thomas, director of interdisciplinary studies, at ids@truman.edu.

Clayton B. Ofstad speaker Angela Carter will present “Classrooms in Crisis: Disability, Pedagogy, Feminism and the Trigger Warning Debate” at 6 p.m. Feb. 19 in the Baldwin Hall Little Theatre.

Carter received a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Truman in 2009 and a Master of Arts in feminist studies from the University of Minnesota in 2018. She is currently a Ph.D. candidate in gender, women and sexuality studies at the University of Minnesota. Her dissertation research uses feminist, disability and queer theory lenses to investigate discourses about trauma and PTSD. Other research interests include feminist pedagogies and memoir. Carter is a recent recipient of the Woodrow Wilson Dissertation Grant in women’s studies. In addition to her accomplishments as a scholar, she is an award-winning instructor and has proposed and designed a number of courses at the University of Minnesota.

Due to the generosity and vision of Odessa Ofstad in creating the Clayton B. Ofstad Endowed Chair in English and Linguistics, the Department of English and Linguistics is able to offer a range of intensive seminars, masterclasses and workshops in creative writing, English and linguistics led by guest writers and scholars. Along with these classes the Clayton B. Ofstad Reading Series has become a centerpiece of departmental and campus culture.

Featured speaker Dr. Arun Raha will discuss “What Will the Next Recession Bring? Another Financial Crisis: Not This Time” at 7 p.m. March 4 in the Baldwin Hall Little Theatre.

Raha has a Bachelor of Economics with honors from Hindu College, University of Delhi, India; a Master of Economics from the Delhi School of Economics; and a Ph.D. in economics from Washington State University. He is currently employed at Eaton – a power management company that serves in the electrical, hydraulics, aerospace, commercial truck and automotive industries with 2018 sales in excess of $22 billion. Raha is responsible for domestic and international forecast of economic conditions. In 2007, he won the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago’s top overall forecast prize. He is a two-time winner of the Wall Street Journal’s forecasting award in January 2005 and February 2013.

Presentation Abstract: Every recession is different. The 2007-09 Great Recession came from a financial crisis that caused credit to dry up, similar to what happened during the Great Depression nearly 80 years ago, except this time it was investment banking that failed, not commercial banking. What will he next recession look like?

The Missouri Scholarship and Loan Foundation will offer the Purdy Emerging Leaders Scholarship, named in honor of Allan Walker Purdy.

Purdy was born in 1914 on a farm near Macon and was the first in his family to attend a four-year college. He worked in the University of Missouri’s College of Agriculture before becoming the campus’s first director of scholarships and student financial aid.

The scholarship is designed to provide merit-based scholarships to emerging leaders who are outstanding students and who have a need for additional resources for higher education. The scholarship amount can vary based on an applicant’s circumstances. The general range will be $1,000-$5,000 based on expected family contribution (EFC), unmet need and other factors.

Applicants must be a Missouri resident, typically a 3.0 or higher cumulative GPA, a U.S. Citizen, attending a Missouri public four-year university or the State Technical College of Missouri, and be a sophomore, junior or senior in college. Deadline to apply is June 15, 2019. Applications should be submitted online through Scholarship Central at moslf.org. To access more information about this scholarship, click here, or contact the Financial Aid Office at 660.785.4130.

This conference is focused on developing leadership skills in students who live in residence halls across the Midwest. Members of the Truman community who attended the conference include Jordan Gregory, Gloria Farmer, Carrie Kucharski, Sammy Garret, Cole Keiper, Erin Darr and Megan Swingle.

While at the conference several awards and honors were earned by Truman: Gregory, Farmer, Kucharski and Garrett placed second in the Student Case Study; Swingle placed first in the Advisor Case Study; Kucharski earned the MACURH Distinguished Service Award; Garrett won the NRHH President on the Year; and Gregory and Kucharski were both awarded the Golden Cowbell.

Truman was also selected as the MACURH School of the Year, which is the highest honor that can be bestowed to an institution in the region.

Additionally, three Truman students were selected to serve on the MACURH Regional Board of Directors for the 2019-20 academic year: Keiper was selected as the associate director for administration and finance; Garrett will serve the region as the coordinating officer for recognition and service; and Gregory was selected as the coordinating officer for marketing and publications.

The Center for Student Involvement is now taking nominations for the Leadership Recognition Program. The awards honor the accomplishments of students, advisors and organizations. Nominations can be submitted online at the CSI website until March 20. Questions can be directed to Ray Stewart at csilrp@gmail.com.

Truman’s Theatre Department will perform “The Wolves” at 8 p.m. Feb. 20-23 in the James G. Severns Theatre.

“The Wolves” is a contemporary drama about a girl’s indoor soccer team as they warm up before their weekly games. From the safety of their suburban stretch circle, the team navigates big questions and wages tiny battles with all the vim and vigor of a pack of adolescent warriors. “The Wolves” is a portrayal of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness for nine American girls who just want to score some goals.

This show contains adult content and is not recommended for anyone under the age of 14. Tickets are $5 and can be purchased at the Ophelia Parris Box Office from 11:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Guests from out-of-town may reserve tickets by calling 660.785.4515.

For more information, contact David Goyette or visit the Theatre Department's webpage. 

The Center for International Education Abroad will host the study abroad fair from 11 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Feb. 21 in the Student Union Building Georgian Rooms. Students and program sponsors will be available to talk about study abroad programs and share their experiences. There will be giveaways, refreshments and international candy.

The Friends of the Truman State University Art Gallery will host their 20th annual fundraiser from 6:30-8:30 p.m. March 1 in Ophelia Parrish 1114. 

For two decades the fundraiser has been committed to the belief that art changes lives, documents and reflects experiences and shows people worlds and other perspectives than their own. The fundraising committee wants to continue to “dream on” about the ways in which the Art Gallery can share new experiences with the campus, Kirksville and Northeast Missouri communities for the next 20 years.

Donations to the University Art Gallery help provide financial stability and allow for expanded programming that increases the Gallery’s reach into the community. Previous donations to the University Art Galley have helped fund transportation costs for local students to visit the University Art Gallery, new energy-efficient LED light bulbs for the main gallery, cash prizes for the annual student-juried show and shipping for the loaned Australian Aboriginal Art from the Kluge-Ruhe collection. The suggested donation for the fundraiser is $40 per person. Reservations must be submitted by Feb. 21 to stuckerpotter@truman.edu.

The “Dream On” theme also connects to the current exhibitions. “Dreamwork,” in the main gallery, features the work of four alumni ceramic artists whose art addresses the work the mind undertakes when creating memories, fantasizing, meditating and dreaming. In the side gallery, the exhibition “Aboriginal Desert Paintings” pulls from Australian Aboriginal dreaming –– knowledge, myths and legends that are passed down from generation to generation and define Aboriginal relationships to family, heritage, indigenous country and nature.

For more information about this event contact Amber Johnson at ajohnson@truman.edu.

The Student Activities Board welcomes Grammy-nominated artist Hunter Hayes, with special guest RaeLynn, to perform at 8 p.m. Feb. 23 in Pershing Arena.

Hayes first debuted his self-titled album in 2011, and since then has released popular hits such as “Invincible,” “I Want Crazy,” “Wanted,” “Dear God” and “One Shot.”

RaeLynn was the highest-selling female country artist of last year. She received critical acclaim for her debut album in 2017, which included the songs “Love Triangle” and “Wildhorse.”

Student tickets are available now and can be purchased for $5 at the SAB Office located in the Student Union Building. General admission can be purchased for $20. The SAB Office is open Monday-Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Tickets are nonrefundable and prices will increase $2 on the day of the event. Students must present student ID when purchasing a ticket.

No professional cameras, large bags, outside food or drink, alcohol or illegal substances will be permitted into the show. Any small bags brought are subject to search.

Special accommodations can be made by contacting sab+concerts@truman.edu.

The Society for Sino-American Studies will host a Moon Festival event from 6-8 p.m. Feb. 23 in the Student Union Building Georgian Rooms. This event is free and open to the public. For more information contact the Center for International Students at cisinter01@truman.edu.

6 p.m.
Feb. 25
Student Union Building 3201-3204
Learn the basics of working an expo, appropriate dress and resumes. Refine your 30-second commercial and learn how to find all the registered attendees of the Expos.

Mini Mock Interviews
9:30 a.m.-3 p.m.
Feb. 26
Student Union Building 3201-3204

Etiquette Dinner
5:30-7:30 p.m.
Feb. 26
Student Union Building
Enjoy a three-course meal while learning the do’s and don’ts of a formal/professional dining experience. Register on #HireTruman. ($15 fee for the meal)

Graduate and Professional School Expo
11 a.m.-3 p.m.
Feb. 27
Student Union Building Activities Room
Speak with recruiters from grad schools and learn about opportunities in your field.

Career and Internship Expo
11 a.m.-3 p.m.
Feb. 28
Student Union Building
Speak with recruiters from non-profit, for-profit and governmental agencies to lean about opportunities in your field.

Professional Photo Booth
11 a.m.-2 p.m.
Feb. 28
Student Union Building 3204
Get a free professional photo taken by Tim Barcus, University photographer.

Pre-Selected Employer Interviews
8 a.m.-5 p.m.
March 1
Student Union Building

The Students for a Democratic Society will sponsor featured speaker Marc Becker and his presentation “What’s Up with Venezuela?” at 6 p.m. Feb. 20 in the Baldwin Hall Little Theatre. Becker will discuss the current political and economic climate of Venezuela. This event is free and open to the public. For more information contact Anastasia Barnum at ajb5632@truman.edu.

Truman professor Taner Edis will present “A revolt against expertise: pseudoscience, global right-wing populism, and post-truth politics” at 7 p.m. Feb. 21 in Magruder Hall 2001.

Presentation Abstract: This is a golden age for conspiracy theories, science denial and deep suspicion of claims to expertise. Very often, the political context for this revolt against expertise is provided by increasingly powerful right-wing populist movements. Simple reaffirmations of elite forms of expertise, however, overlook how modern liberal politics too often demand public passivity toward sources of information–submission to technocracy rather than democratic participation. Furthermore, some favored forms of elite knowledge claims, such as popular schools of economics, are self-serving or have questionable legitimacy by academic standards. Our “post-truth” moment is in part due to elite incompetence, rather than just being an eruption of irrationality.

For more information about this event contact Amber Johnson at ajohnson@truman.edu.

Tickets will be available at the following locations.

Magruder Hall
Feb. 27-28
March 1

Violette Hall
March 3-5

The learning technologies team from Truman’s ITS will host a Universal Design for Learning workshop from 3:30-4:30 p.m. Feb. 28 at Pickler Memorial Library 103. The workshop is intended for improving the effectiveness of teaching and learning in face-to-face and online education and will address questions such as: What is Universal Design for Learning? Why do we need it? What are the basic principles of UDL? For more information contact Pearl Xie.

Complete guidelines for the TruScholars application can be found at the Office of Students Research. Applications for funding opportunities are due March 1. Questions can be emailed to osr@truman.edu.

Student Government is seeking a student speaker for the 2019 commencement ceremony. Students who are graduating in May and have a GPA of 3.0 or higher are eligible to apply. Applications can be found at senate.truman.edu/applications. All application material must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. April 5. Questions can be addressed to Katie Alexander at kga5644@truman.edu.

Sodexo will celebrate its 5,000th purchase at Wicked Wings by giving a prize to a lucky customer on Feb. 20.

Adam Brooke Davis, professor of English, wrote the preface to Donna Baier Stein’s “Scenes from the Heartland,” a collection of short stories based on the lithographs of Thomas Hart Benton (Serving House Books).

Truman cross country team was recognized by the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association for their athletic and academic accomplishments this past season. Both men and women’s teams were honored for posting over a 3.0 team grade-point average during the 2018 season. Sophomore Thomas Cormier, junior Carly Garnett, sophomore Emma Harrelson and sophomore Gemma Saathoff won individual All-Academic honors for obtaining a 3.25 cumulative GPA and finishing in the top 30 percent of their respective NCAA regional qualifying race.