Vol. 13, No. 29 - April 21, 2009

The 2009 Barbara Early-Vreeland Lecture will be given by Kenneth Stein, the William E. Schatten professor of contemporary Middle Eastern history, political science and Israeli studies at Emory University, and director of the Emory Institute for the study of modern Israel. The lecture will begin at 7:30 p.m. April 29 in the Student Union Building Activities Room.

Stein’s presentation, “U.S. Policy in the Middle East: Learning from Successes and Failures in Forging an Arab-Israeli Peace,” is co-sponsored by the Office of the Provost and Hillel, the Foundation for Jewish Campus Life.

Stein is the author of numerous books and publications. Among them are Hebrew and English editions of “Heroic Diplomacy: Sadat, Kissinger, Carter, Begin and the Quest for Arab-Israeli Peace,” “Making Peace Among Arabs and Israelis: Lessons from Fifty Years of Negotiating Experience” and “The Land Question in Palestine, 1917-1939.” Additionally, he has written extensively on the modern Arab world, as well as, Palestinian and Israeli history. He served as the first director of the Carter Center from 1983-1986 and as the Middle East Fellow of the Carter Center from 1983-2006.

The lecture will examine the broad history of a vital and problematic aspect of United States foreign policy. Despite many administrations and changes in world events, since the end of World War II, U.S. policy toward the Middle East has showed remarkable stability. U.S. objectives have consistently assured the stability of moderate Arab states, ensured the flow of access to Middle Eastern oil and continued the development of a strategic relationship with Israel. In keeping with these objectives, since the June 1967 Middle East War, Washington has played a significant role in Arab-Israeli peace-seeking, peace-making and peace-keeping.

As the Obama administration considers its role in Arab-Israeli diplomacy, Stein addresses what lessons can be learned from Washington’s engagement from the presidency of Richard Nixon to that of George W. Bush.

In addition to the lecture, Stein will lead a breakfast discussion at 8 a.m. April 30 in the Student Union Building Georgian Room B speaking on “The Benefits and Liabilities of using Oral Interviews in Writing Contemporary History.” To join in the breakfast, RSVP to Daniel Mandell at dmandell@truman.edu.

The Early-Vreeland Lecture was established by Joseph Vreeland through the University Foundation in memory of his wife, who passed away at age 40. A 1973 Truman graduate, Barbara Early-Vreeland graduated magna cum laude with bachelor’s degrees in history and French.

Members of the inaugural class of Tru-Leaders Future Executive Academy will be honored at the School of Business Annual Recognition Banquet April 25.

Supported by the Boeing Company, Tru-Leaders Future Executive Academy is a selective program for students with demonstrated high potential in leadership skills and is designed to provide advanced professional development and personal mentoring for participants.

As part of the Academy, students are expected to be actively involved in a business-related student organization. Members have unique opportunities to visit corporations, receive co-curricular advisement, participate in seminars designed especially for development of leadership and professional attributes, and attend special sessions with business leaders and visiting executives.

The inaugural class was accepted into the Academy in Fall 2008. Members include: Phillip Abernathy of St. Louis, Mo.; Noah Chung of St. Peters, Mo.; Michelle Hines of La Plata, Mo.; Anthony Ringwald of Fenton, Mo.; and Erin Williamson of Kansas City, Mo.

Truman’s School of Business is one of only 167 in the world accredited in both business and accounting by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International), the foremost world-wide accrediting agency for schools and programs of business.

Truman’s chapter of Circle K International will host a rummage sale April 25, to raise money for Kirksville’s Humane Society.

The club asks Truman students, faculty and staff, as well as Kirksville residents, to donate items for the sale. Most items will be accepted, including books, clothing and furniture. Item pick-up and storage services will be available for those who need it.

Proceeds from all sales will go directly to the Kirksville Humane Society.

The sale will take place from 6 a.m.-2 p.m. at Truman’s commuter parking lot, located on Franklin Street, across from Red Barn Park next to Barnett Hall. 

For more information, contact Nicole Flood by e-mail at nmf965@truman.edu or by phone at 660.341.9343.

Circle K International is a sponsored organization of Kiwanis. Circle K’s Mission is to develop college and university students into a global network of responsible citizens and leaders with a lifelong commitment to service. Service is a fundamental element of CKI; collectively, members perform more than one million hours of service on their campuses and in their communities each year.

Truman Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) captured the SIFE Regional Competition, March 27 in Rogers, Ark. With the win, the team advances to compete at the 2009 SIFE USA National Exposition in Philadelphia, May 10-12.

In addition to continued success in competitions, Truman SIFE has launched projects to help educate the campus and the community about finance. State Farm Insurance recently donated $5,000 to Truman SIFE to help fund the organizations projects.


The first project targets the international community at Truman. Every year about 100 international students and 20 exchange students arrive at the University. Many have no prior knowledge of the American banking system. Truman SIFE members will create an informational brochure on bank accounts, credit cards, and buying and selling textbooks. SIFE plans to distribute the brochures to incoming international and exchange students during the 2009 Fall International Orientation.

Truman SIFE is also taking their financial skills outside of the Truman community, to Milan, Mo., a small town with a large number of Spanish-speaking residents. Due to the language barrier, some residents have trouble managing their personal finances. SIFE has teamed up with Hablantes Unidos, a Spanish student association at Truman, to provide education in basic personal finance to members of the Spanish-speaking community. Some topics covered by the course include how to open a bank account, writing and recording checks, balancing a checkbook, debit and credit cards, and instruction of basic financial terminology.

For more information about SIFE and upcoming projects visit their website at http://sife.truman.edu/home/.

Truman received honors at the recent BACCHUS Area 5 Conference, Meeting of the Minds in Kansas City, Mo.

Sleep Awareness Week won the Outstanding Program Award. It was sponsored by University Counseling Services, the Student Public Health Association and the Health 440 class. Events included hammocks on the Quad, sheep on the Quad and a pajama day. All events were focused on providing information and tips about healthy sleep.

Courtney Perrachione a senior health science major from Kirksville, Mo., received the Outstanding Senior Award at the conference. Perrachione was nominated by fellow BACCHUS and GAMMA members for her strong leadership skills and commitment to the organization. Perrachione has been a member of BACCHUS and GAMMA for three years and has served as president, vice president, alcohol awareness week chair and speaker committee co-chair. BACCHUS and GAMMA is a peer education network focused on alcohol abuse prevention and other related student health and safety issues.

The Meeting of the Minds: Networking for Success in Prevention is a regional prevention and health education conference for college and university peer educators, their advisors, administrators, and campus and community law enforcement.

Staged-readings, an advanced theatre course, will be performing “Rebel Voices,” its final act of the semester, at 4 p.m. April 25 in Violette Hall 1000.

“Rebel Voices” is an adaptation by Rob Urbinati of “Voices of the People of the United States,” by Howard Zinn and Anthony Arnove. It is a documentary that looks at the U.S. through the “prism of history.” A history of dissent in America emerges through the voices of the dissenters, such as Frederick Douglass, Susan B. Anthony, Sojourner Truth and Malcolm X.

The theatre class will also sponsor the inaugural Ten-Minute Playwriting Competition. Truman students, faculty and members of the Kirksville Community will perform in Baldwin Auditorium  May 5-6. For more information contact Dana Smith at dasmith@truman.edu.

The Lincoln Bicentennial Celebration will feature the play “Abraham Lincoln & Frederick Douglass: A Friendship Unique,” at 8 p.m. April 22 in the Ophelia Parrish Performance Hall.

Sponsored by the Schwengel Lincoln Fund and the Lincoln Bicentennial Committee, the play is a continuation of events that began in October 2008 and will end in December 2009. Accompanied by the Unique Ensemble Gospel Choir, this drama stars Richard Klein as Abraham Lincoln and Michael Crutcher as Frederick Douglass. 

The action begins in March of 1860 as Douglass remarks how his relationship with Lincoln has changed over the years. He recalls his reaction to Lincoln’s election and first inaugural speech as a feeling of hope.

The Douglass/Lincoln relationship is chronicled throughout the Civil War where the pair struggled with issues such as pay inequalities for Negro regiments. The drama ends March 4, 1865 as the final phrases of Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Speech linger throughout the theatre.

A reception, with music provided by the Truman University Jazz Musicians, will immediately follow the event. Reservations are not required and the performance is free and open to the public.

Abbott & Fenner Business Consultants will be awarding up to $1,000 each year to the winner of this scholarship. To apply students will submit an essay on one of the two topics that appear on the scholarship page of their website at http://www.abbottandfenner.com/scholarships.htm. Further information is available at their website. Application deadline is June 20. 

The BigSun Organization is offering a $500 scholarship to a deserving student athlete, regardless of their respective sport. Please visit http://www.bigsunathletics.com to learn how to apply. Deadline for submission is June 27.

The Scholarship Foundation of St. Louis is a non-profit organization that provides access to higher education to St. Louis area students through interest free loans. The program assists students with financial need. Applicants must have a minimum cumulative 2.0 grade point average, demonstrate good character, and must be a permanent resident of St. Louis City, St. Louis County, the Missouri counties of Franklin, Jefferson, Lincoln, St. Charles or Warren, or the Illinois counties of Clinton, Jersey, Madison, Monroe or St. Clair for at least two years prior to application. Applications are due April 15, 2009. For more information call 314.725.7990, e-mail info@sfstl.org or can pick up an application packet in the Financial Aid Office.

The newly formed Truman Student Success Center is recruiting student scholarship workers for Fall 2009 to help start the program. Positions include tutors, mentors and supplemental instruction leaders. To be eligible for a position, students will need to fill out an application and faculty recommendation form available online at http://successcenter.truman.edu and return them to the Center located at Kirk Building 112. For more information contact Todd Phillips, director of the Student Success Center, at phillips@truman.edu or 785.4264.

The Multicultural Affairs Center is looking for a senior or graduate level student to serve as a Multicultural Affairs Intern. The intern will work 20 hours a week serving multicultural students through programming, recruitment, academic counseling and more. Applications can be found on the MAC website at http://mac.truman.edu under employment and are due by 5 p.m. April 20.

The Women’s Resource Center is now hiring staff members for the Fall 2009 semester. The WRC hires scholarship workers and welcomes volunteers. Return a completed application to the WRC located in the Student Union Building Center for Student Involvement Complex by April 22. Interviews will begin April 27. For more information or to download the application visit http://wrc.truman.edu.

Jon Grant, a senior psychology major from Columbia Mo., and applied psychophysiology research team lab manager, received a student scholarship and presented the research poster, “Sitting Position Influences Heart Rate Variability,” at the Biofeedback Foundation of Europe (BFE) meeting in Eindhoven, Netherlands, Feb. 24-28.
Fred Shaffer, professor of psychology, also delivered an invited address, “Breathing Effort Disrupts Diaphragmatic Breathing,” and taught a workshop with Donald Moss on “Respiratory Training and Heart Rate Variability Biofeedback for Medical and Functional Disorders” at the BFE meeting.

Truman Psychology majors Chris Wally, a sophomore from St. Charles, Mo.; Igor Korenfeld, a sophomore from St. Louis, Mo.; Aaron Truitt, a senior from St. Louis, Mo.; and Michael Urlakis, a senior from Naperville, Ill.; won the Best Student Paper award at the 40th Annual Association for Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback (AAPB) meeting in Albuquerque, N.M., April 1-4. Their winning research paper was entitled “Inhalation-to-Exhalation Ratio Affects Heart Rate Variability Training Success.” Thought Technology Ltd. of Montreal presented Wally, assistant lab manager for professor of psychology Fred Shaffer’s applied psychophysiology research team, with a $3,000 BioGraph Infiniti data acquisition system. This was the second time in three years that Truman students won this prestigious graduate competition. Urlakis also discussed his Psychological Research capstone project, “The Physiological Effects of Kargyraa Throat-Singing: Paradoxical Arousal.”

Rebecca Harrison, professor of classics, presented a paper on “Exercises to Build Predictive Reading Skills,” at the 105th Annual Meeting of the Classical Association of the Middle West and South in Minneapolis, Minn., April 1-4.

Sandy Rempe, instructor in justice systems and manager of the Department of Public Safety Juvenile Justice Program, is the winner of a national award that recognizes excellence in the field of juvenile justice. The Tony Gobar Award recognizes a state juvenile justice specialist who exemplifies service to others, dedication and commitment to improving the juvenile justice system, and compassion and concern for juveniles and their advocates. Rempe has worked as the Department of Public Safety Juvenile Justice Program Manager for 12 years. Under her leadership, the Juvenile Justice Program administers approved four federal grants that provide annual funding to 60 state and local agencies in Missouri to help support juvenile justice and delinquency prevention initiatives. In addition, Rempe serves on numerous advisory groups, committees and commissions. She will receive the award at the annual Coalition for Juvenile Justice National Conference in Washington, D.C. May 4.

Ryan Campbell, a junior French major from Manchester, Mo., was selected for the 2009 Walter Jensen Scholarship for study abroad. In addition to the $1,500 scholarship, Campbell will receive a one-year complimentary membership in the American Association of Teachers of French.

Earth Week festivities continue through April 25. For a complete list of events go to http://earth.truman.edu.

General Honors candidates for May 2009 graduation who have not submitted a General Honors application worksheet should do so ASAP.  The form can be printed off the General Honors website at http://honors.truman.edu or can be obtained from Rebecca Harrison in McClain 321. General Honors candidates who have submitted an application but have not received an e-mail about the May 8 medal ceremony should contact Harrison.

The 17th Annual McNair Program End of the Year Banquet will recognize graduating McNair Scholars at 5:30 p.m. April 29 in the Student Union Building Georgian Room B. RSVP by April 20 to mcnair@truman.edu.

The Women’s Resource Center will sponsor “Women and Substance Abuse” at 7 p.m. April 21 in the Student Union Building Conference Room. Speaker Mary Anne Comstock from Preferred Family Healthcare will speak about the strong connections between women and substance abuse, why it occurs and how to fight it.

The Faculty Weekly Lunch Series will host “Everybody Can Be Great: How Service, Co-Curricular Activity and the Liberal Arts Converge,” a presentation given by Eugenia Siegel, the Service-Learning Coordinator and AmeriCorps VISTA Member in The Center for Teaching and Learning. The Weekly Lunch Series will take place at 12:30 p.m. April 22 in the Student Union Building Spanish Room.

Reslife will sponsor “The Almost Naked Mile” to support the Salvation Army at 6:23 p.m. April 22. Those interested in participating should meet at the fountain to run a mile, almost naked, across campus. Clothes donations will be collected during the event at the fountain.

Roteract Club will sponsor TOMS Shoes from 4-7 p.m. April 23 in the Student Union Building Activities Room for those interested in learning more about the company’s philanthropic mission. For every pair of shoes purchased, a pair is donated to children in a developing country. TOMS traveling interns will be present to answer questions and sell shoes. Supplies to decorate shoes will be available.

The final Observatory Open House of the semester will take place from 8:30-11 p.m. April 23 at the University Farm. It will feature Saturn near its maximum height, a possible viewing of Mercury shortly after sunset, the colorful double Iota Cancri and the interacting spiral galaxy M51.  

Students for a Sensible Drug Policy will sponsor “Know Your Rights” with Dan Viets at 7:30 p.m. April 23 in Baldwin Hall Little Theatre. Attorney Dan Viets will discuss drug policy issues under the Obama administration while informing students of their legal rights in theory and in practice. Viets will speak on his role in the initiative process that decriminalized marijuana in Columbia, Mo. For more information, SSDP will be on the Quad from 11 a.m.-3:30 p.m. April 22 promoting the event and giving information about Viets and the organization. This event is free and open to the public.

Delta Sigma Pi will host “5K Taking Steps to Cure Cystic Fibrosis” at 10:30 a.m. April 25 at the Red Barn Park. The $10 entry fee will benefit the Great Strides Walk of Kirksville. The first 30 to register will receive a free t-shirt. E-mail Molly Bender at mkb880@truman.edu to register.

The Truman Chapter of the AAUP will sponsor a panel discussion and open forum "Honorary Degrees, Commencement Speakers, and the Case of John Ashcroft."  In light of recently released “torture memos” and with current heated politics at the state and national levels, many members of the University have expressed concern that Truman has invited such a controversial figure as John Ashcroft to speak at the upcoming Commencement and, further, to receive one of the first honorary degrees awarded by the University. In the spirit of academic freedom, all members of the University community are invited to this open discussion at 7 p.m. April 27 in Magruder Hall 1000. Jerrold Hirsch, professor or history, will moderate a small panel of students and faculty with the intent to hear all views. For more information contact Marc Becker at marc@truman.edu.

The 35th annual Service Recognition Banquet is scheduled for April 28. Approximately 132 current and retired members of the University will be honored for their commitment to the University. Tickets are available for $10 each in the Human Resources Office located in McClain 106.

Classics Club will sponsor Vergil Vigil at 7 p.m. April 28 at the University Club House. Students, faculty and community members will gather to read Book IV of Vergil’s Aeneid aloud in Latin.