Vol. 12 No. 6 - Oct. 2, 2007

The 2007-2008 season of Truman’s Kohlenberg Lyceum Series is proud to present Ballet Gran Folklorico de México. They will perform a spectacular program of folkloric dances and authentic music from several regions of Mexico at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 10 in Baldwin Auditorium.  

Theo Shanab directs the worldwide traveling company of 35 singers, dancers, roper or floreador and musicians. Lino Ortega is the choreographer and Maria Elena Ramos is the coordinator. The traveling company has performed tours throughout Europe, Canada, Japan, Israel, Arabian Gulf, South America, as well as the United States.  

The Ballet Gran Folkorico de México presents a rhythmic, rapid-paced panorama depicting Mexico of the past and present. Swirling dancers, exuberant singers and talented musicians including Mariachi, Marimba and Jarocho (Veracruz) bands explode with energy and rhythm to the amusement of young and old.

Seating is general admission. Admission is free for students, faculty and staff with their University ID. Students may pick up tickets beginning Oct. 3 at the Student Activities Board Office, third floor of the Student Union Building. Faculty and staff may pick up tickets beginning Oct. 3 at the Center for Student Involvement, third floor of the Student Union Building.

The University requests that all patrons be seated five minutes prior to the performance. The University reserves the right to fill all seats, reserved and general admission, five minutes before the time of performance stated on the ticket. No refunds will be given.

Contact the Public Relations Office at 785.4016 for more information

The search committee for the position of associate vice president for enrollment management is pleased to announce the final candidates and their visitation schedules for campus interviews. The schedule for open forums for faculty, staff and students is indicated below. Information about the candidates and the schedule for forums are posted at http://business.truman.edu/facstaff/positions/avpforenrollment.asp.

Oct. 4 - Larry Dale Hoezee
•4-5 p.m. Open forum for faculty and staff
•5-6 p.m. Open forum for students

Oct. 11 - Stuart Tennant
•4-5 p.m. Open forum for faculty and staff
•5-6 p.m. Open forum for students

Oct. 12 - Dennis Trotter - Canceled

Oct. 15 - Regina Morin
•4-5 p.m. Open forum for faculty and staff
•5-6 p.m. Open forum for students

All forums will take place in Violette Hall 1000.

Feedback forms will be available at each of the forums. Additional relevant comments may be forwarded to any of the committee chairs which are as follows:
•Renee Wachter, chair-rwachter@truman.edu
•Melody Chambers-mchamber@truman.edu
•Marty Eisenberg-martye@truman.edu
•Pam Gardner-pgardner@truman.edu
•Bertha Thomas-bthomas@truman.edu
•Jerry Wollmering-jerryw@truman.edu
•Melinda Wood-mwood@truman.edu

The Ronald E. McNair Program was recently notified that it had been refunded by the Federal Department of Education for $255,009 per year for four years (for at total of $1,020,036) from 2007-2011. The federally-funded McNair program prepares undergraduate students from first-generation college and low-income backgrounds, and/or students from ethnic/racial groups underrepresented in higher education, to pursue a graduate degree leading to an academic doctorate. Truman has had the grant since 1992. Since 1992, 244 students have matriculated through the McNair Program and currently 39 are served by the program.

Eighteen McNair alumni have earned a Ph.D. and 19 others have earned other doctoral level degrees. Eighty-two have earned a master’s degree, 32 are currently enrolled in a master’s program and 29 are currently enrolled in Ph.D. programs. This year the grant process was extremely competitive and only 181 McNair program grants were awarded across the country.

The McNair Program was established principally to address the lack of gender, racial, and income-level diversity among the professorate. The program was designed to provide disadvantaged college students with effective preparation for doctoral studies. Although the authorization of the McNair Program dates back to The Higher Education Act of 1965, the first grant competition was not held until 1989. Truman received the McNair grant in 1992 and has since operated an exemplary program.

The success of Truman’s McNair Program lies in the program’s ability to meet the social, academic, and informational needs associated with gaining entry into and completing doctoral programs by first-generation college and low-income students and underrepresented groups in higher education by:
• Involving them in research, mentoring, and other activities;
• Assisting them in graduating from college and enrolling in graduate school;
• Supporting them in the completion of doctoral studies.

McNair Scholars are matched with faculty mentors from Truman State University who supervise research and assist students in achieving their individual post-baccalaureate educational goals. Students participate in pre-research internships during their sophomore year and summer research internships during their junior year. During their senior year, the focus is on graduate school placement.

If you are interested in the program, a McNair Program informational meeting will take place at 6 p.m. Oct. 10 in Violette Hall 1200. For more information please contact the program coordinator, Sarah Hass, at shass@truman.edu.

Debaters from Truman State University’s Forensic Union captured five separate honors the weekend of Sept. 21-23, including a third place finish in debate sweepstakes at the Georgia B. Bowman Invitational Debate Tournament at William Jewell College in Liberty, Mo. Washburn University in Topeka, Kan., and Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green, Ky., finished first and second, respectively. 

Mark Buchheit, a sophomore history major from Carthage, Mo., lead the Truman contingent with a quarterfinal finish in Lincoln-Douglas debate. Teammates reaching the octafinal (“sweet sixteen”) round of the Lincoln-Douglas included Sarah Backhaus, a freshman political science major from Liberty, Mo., and Dylan Clark, a freshman political science major from Maryland Heights, Mo.

Christopher Girouard, a junior communication major from Chesterfield, Mo., and Sara Archer, senior accounting major from Riverside, Mo., completed their weekend with an octafinal finish in open parliamentary debate. They also participated in William Jewell’s Cardinal Classic Round Robin, an invitation-only tournament taking place before the commencement of the Bowman Invitational. The Cardinal Classic involves 10 of the nation’s top debate teams, issued invitations after a bid process. This is the fourth consecutive year Truman has been represented at the event. 

The Admission Office is looking for dedicated and energetic students to organize, facilitate programming and provide guidance to first-year students and their parents for eight summer orientation sessions. 

Orientation leaders will receive a $1,500 stipend, room and board during the course of training, orientation and work sessions, leadership and professional experience, and the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of new Truman students.
 
Informational meetings will take place at 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. Oct. 18 in Student Union Building Room 322 and at 5:30 p.m. Oct. 23 in Student Union Building Room 322.

Applications will be available in the Admission Office, McClain Hall 205, or online at http://ol.truman.edu beginning Oct. 11. The application deadline is Nov. 8.

Please contact JoAnn Jorgovan at 785.4114 or joannj@truman.edu for more information.

Thanks to everyone who has already contributed, Truman’s United Way Campaign is now at 75 percent of the goal. If you have not made a contribution, you may still join in supporting these agencies. By donating only $2 per week (or about $100 per year), you could provide a week’s worth of groceries for a family of three who has been displaced from their home due to storm damage, eight pairs of shoes for children in the shelter, training and resource materials for Girl Scout leaders, or pain medication for a terminally ill cancer patient.

If you have any questions, please contact Teri Heckert at theckert@truman.edu or Brad Chambers at bchamber@truman.edu. 

The Truman State University Foundation is pleased to announce that applications are available for a limited number of Foundation scholarships for the spring 2008 semester. Scholarships are available in the following categories: general, accounting, business administration, classical and modern languages and nursing.

To apply, go to http://www.truman.edu and click on Student Life, Money, Foundation Scholarships or go directly to http://secure.truman.edu/isupport-s/. The deadline is midnight on Nov. 1.

Activity:  Kickball
Division: Open/Org/Greek
Deadline: Oct. 8
*Captains’ Meeting: 4:30 p.m. • Oct. 11
Play Begins: Oct. 22

Activity: Indoor Soccer
Division: Open/Org/Greek
Deadline: Oct. 8
*Captains’ Meeting: 4:30 p.m. • Oct. 11
Play Begins: Oct. 15

Activity: Co-Rec Indoor Soccer
Division: Open
Deadline: Oct. 8
*Captains’ Meeting: 4:30 p.m. • Oct. 11
Play Begins: Oct. 15
                
Entry forms and information sheets may be picked up at the Student Recreation Center (lobby area). Entry forms are to be deposited into the metal box located at the Member Services Desk in the Student Recreation Center. The entry deadline for each sport will be 11 p.m. on the date posted above. Online registration is available. Captains’ Meetings for each sport will take place on the Thursday evening following the entry deadline (unless otherwise noted) at 4:30 p.m. in the conference room of the Student Recreation Center. Official rules for each sport are available online at http://recreation.truman.edu.

Marijke Breuning, associate professor of political science, will have her review of The Politics of Memory in Postwar Europe, edited by Richard Ned Lebow, Wulf Kanesteine, and Claudio Fogu, published in the December issue of Political Psychology.

Taner Edis, associate professor of physics, presented talks on “Science and Religion in Islam” at Ryerson University, Wilfred Laurier University, and the University of Toronto at Mississauga (all in Ontario, Canada), Sept. 27 and 28.

Jerrold Hirsch, professor of history, just had published, “Before Columbia: The FWP and American Oral History Research,” in Oral History Review 34 (2007): 1-16.

Marc Rice, associate professor of music, has had his paper “Selective Memories: When Music Informants Create their Own Historical Realities” accepted for the Hawaii International Conference on Arts and Humanities, to take place in January 2008.

The American Society of Plant Biologists (ASPB) announces Amy Schroeder, a senior biology major from Ballwin, Mo., is one of the recipients of the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship 2007. Fifteen students mentored by members of ASPB were selected to receive the fellowship. The $3,000 fellowship permits each student to devote full-time effort to his or her research project for a 10-week period during the summer. The award also includes $500 to the mentor for lab supplies, a free student membership in ASPB until August 2008, and travel grant assistance to attend the 2008 ASPB Plant Biology meeting. There were 24 Category A (research and doctoral universities) applicants and 10 Category B (master’s universities, baccalaureate colleges, and associate of art colleges) applicants for a total of 34 highly competitive projects. Schroeder received one of the Category A awards for the project titled “Roles of Conserved Serine and Tyrosine Residues in the Active Site of Tyrosine Ammonia-Lyase.” Joseph Jez of the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center in St. Louis will serve as Schroeder’s research mentor.

Missouri Voter Registration forms are now available in Kirk Building 112, at the Cashier Window, in the residence halls, and at the SERVE Center. For more information visit http://conduct.truman.edu and click on the Voter Registration Link.
 
University Counseling Services/SPHA presents Sleep Awareness Week. Sheep on the Quad will take place from 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Oct. 2 on the Quadrangle. Pajama Day will take place Oct. 3. Hammocks on the Quad will take place from 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Oct. 4 on the Quadrangle. Visit http://sleep.truman.edu for more information.

The Fall Luncheon for Phi Kappa Phi members will be from noon to 1 p.m. Oct. 2 in the Student Union Building Alumni Room. Members are encouraged to attend, even if they did not R.S.V.P. They are asked to bring children’s books (new or gently used) to donate to the Book Drive.

The Weekly Lunch Series continues at 12:30 p.m. Oct. 3 in the Student Union Building Alumni Room. This week’s session will be “Faces of Truman” featuring Truman’s new AmeriCorps VISTA Member for Service Learning, Kelsey Aurand. People will be able to find out about the grant that funds her work on campus, and what exactly she can do to support faculty who are interested in service-learning.

Brian Keck, president and chief operating officer of Macy’s Midwest, will speak from 7-8:30 p.m. Oct. 3 in the Baldwin Hall Little Theatre. All students are welcome. Contact Lana Dowell at ldowell@truman.edu for more information.

University Counseling Services is sponsoring National Depression Screening Day from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Oct. 4 in the Student Union Building. An information table will have handouts and pamphlets available on a variety of mood disorders including depression, bipolar disorder, generalized anxiety disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder. Screenings for these mood disorders will occur in Student Union Building Georgian Room A. Students interested in the free screening will complete a short questionnaire (it usually takes less than 10 minutes to complete the screening) and then meet with a University Counseling Services professional to review the results. The counselor will then make recommendations if further treatment is indicated. If you have additional questions, please e-mail ucs@truman.edu.

The General Honors Committee will be having the annual General Honors Informational Reception at 4:45 p.m. Oct. 4 in the Violette Hall Commons. For more information about General Honors, log on to http://honors.truman.edu/.

Eric Patterson, associate professor of chemistry at Truman State University, will present the first Faculty Forum series talk of the academic year at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 4 in Magruder Hall 1000. The title of his presentation is “The Chemistry of Killing: Pest Control and Chemical Warfare.” A reception will follow his presentation. For more information on Patterson’s talk, visit http://forum.truman.edu/html/current.html. The schedule for the 2007-2008 academic year as well as more information about the Forum is available online at http://forum.truman.edu/index.html.

IT Services invites faculty, staff and students to TechBreak at 1:30 p.m. each Friday in the Student Union Building Room 320. This weekly series is an opportunity to share information about new and existing IT Service offerings. There will be snacks and conversation. Additional details and the topic schedule can be found at http://its.truman.edu/techbreak.

The bike co-op will be hosting mobile workshops from 3:30-5:15 p.m. the second and fourth Friday of every month on the Quadrangle, warm weather permitting. Help will be free (donations encouraged). There will be a charge for replacement parts. Tools and parts for most basic repair jobs will be available. Critical Mass rides are the last Friday of every month. Contact Cassie Phillips at cphillip@truman.edu for more information.
 
Experience Ramadan with the Muslim Students Association at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 7 in the Student Union Building Georgian Room B. Learn about the significance of this pillar of Islam by fasting with Muslims, and then joining them for a free ethnic dinner. R.S.V.P.s are required. E-mail Nadia Mozaffar at nadia@truman.edu for more information.

John Ishiyama and Marc Becker will present the Global Issues Colloquium titled “International Election Monitoring - Promises and Pitfalls” at 7 p.m. Oct. 11 in Magruder Hall 2001. International observation of elections has become increasingly common, with the Carter Center, the European Union, the International Republican Institute (IRI), regional organizations such as the Organization of American States (OAS), among others commonly sending observer missions. How successful have these missions been in promoting democracy and transparency? Should we have international observer missions for elections in the United States?