Vol. 14, No. 30 - April 27, 2010

The May Commencement Ceremony at Truman State University will also be a homecoming of sorts as long-time president, and architect of the school’s liberal arts mission, Charles J. McClain will return to address the graduates and receive an honorary degree.

McClain has been called a higher-education legend in the state of Missouri. His presidency spanned nearly 20 years, from 1970 to 1989, and his vision and leadership helped the school refocus its mission, transforming it into Missouri’s only highly selective, public liberal arts and sciences university.

While president, McClain established a value-added program to track the strengths and weaknesses of Truman students. As a result of his leadership, the University received national recognition for its academic excellence and assessment programs, including the G. Theodore Mitau Award for Innovation and Change in Higher Education, the highest award from the American Association of State Colleges and Universities. The University was also ranked one of the five most innovative colleges and universities in the country in a U.S. News & World Report survey of college and university presidents.  

While his accomplishments related to Truman alone are impressive, what McClain achieved as an educator away from the University is just as remarkable.

His career began at the age of 16 when he accepted a teaching position in a one-room school near Sullivan, Mo. In 1963, he founded Jefferson College in Hillsboro, Mo., where he served as president for seven years. McClain has also occupied various roles in education in the capacity of assistant professor, school superintendent, elementary school principal and elementary teacher, as well as assistant professor and assistant dean for the College of Education at the University of Missouri-Columbia.

In 1989, McClain was selected by the Coordinating Board for Higher Education to serve as Missouri’s commissioner of higher education, and he later worked as a consultant for the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo. In 2003, McClain received the Des Lee Distinguished Professorship at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. The following year, he was selected as a member of the Missouri Academy of Squires, an organization limited to 100 Missourians of achievement.

If that were not enough, in 2008, at the age of 77, McClain became the interim president of Fairmont State University in West Virginia.

Over the years, McClain has remained a strong supporter of Truman. In the year following his retirement, the University’s administrative building was re-named in his honor. In 1999 he initiated a matching gift campaign to raise funds for the Pershing Scholarship program at Truman. Initiated under his presidency, the Pershing Scholarship is the most prestigious scholarship awarded to incoming freshmen, providing tuition and room and board, as well as a $4,000 stipend for study abroad.

McClain earned his undergraduate degree from Missouri State University in 1954 and his advanced degrees from the University of Missouri-Columbia. His achievements have been recognized by both his undergraduate and graduate universities by his designation as a distinguished alumnus and his membership in Phi Beta Kappa.

He and his wife, Judge Ann Covington, reside in Columbia, Mo. McClain’s two daughters, Anita and Melanie, are both Truman graduates.

In addition to delivering the commencement address, McClain will be honored with a Doctor of Humane Letters degree.

The Truman State University Board of Governors voted in 2009 to award honorary degrees to recognize individuals for outstanding achievement in a field and demonstrated commitment to the University’s mission and values.

McClain is among the first honorary degree recipients, both for his lifelong commitment to education and for his crucial role in transforming the University into the state’s only public liberal arts and sciences university.

Truman’s Commencement Ceremony will take place at 2 p.m., May 8 at Stokes Stadium. In the event of rain, ceremonies will be moved to Pershing Arena. For more information, call 785.4105.

The 2009-2010 academic year has been one of the most successful ever for Truman students in regards to competitive fellowships and scholarships.

Eleven students applied for Fulbright Grants, Truman’s highest number ever. Seven finalists were selected: Katie Gettinger, Kelly Merritt, Grant Berry, Jillian Lopez, Abigail Temple, Jennifer Jalack and Stephen Barnes.


Established in 1946 under Congressional legislation introduced by the late Senator J. William Fulbright of Arkansas, the program is designed “to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and people of other countries.”

Gettinger applied to Slovenia; Merritt to Germany; Berry to Argentina; Lopez to Venezuela; Temple to Russia; Jalack to Indonesia; and Barnes applied to Thailand.

David Atkinson and Ashley Adams have both been selected for a U.S. Department of State 2010 Critical Language Scholarship. They are among approximately 575 U.S. undergraduate and graduate students selected from nearly 5,300 applicants to spend seven to 10 weeks in intensive language institutes this summer in 15 countries. Recipients will also support their language acquisition through cultural immersion activities. CLS Program participants are expected to continue their language study beyond the scholarship and apply their critical language skills in their future professional careers. Atkinson will study Arabic and Adams will study Korean.

Truman will celebrate the life’s work of Arnold Preussner and the official launching of his book, “Replaying the Renaissance: Essays in Shakespeare, Jonson, and Others,” at a reception from 2:30-4 p.m. April 30 at the University Art Gallery in Ophelia Parrish.

Preussner, a professor of English at Truman, is retiring after 21 years of service, during which he taught Shakespeare and Renaissance literature and introduced literary analysis to more than one thousand students. Recognizing the breadth of students’ interests, and the way in which the field of English evolves, he has taught courses on sports literature and been an active proponent of film as literature. “Renaissance” means rebirth, he argues, and it’s always happening.

At the reception, Preussner will be available to sign copies of his book, a collection of essays on diverse works of English Renaissance literature. In 40 essays, some previously published, others developed out of conference presentations, “Replaying the Renaissance” offers insight into how a genuine Renaissance man views his world.

Though Shakespeare and Ben Jonson are featured in about half of the essays, others explore comic practices from the Greek playwright Aristophanes through film directors Woody Allen and Nora Ephron. The breadth of Preussner’s interests comes out in essays highlighting beast fables, marriage conventions, gender coding and even political wisdom. They cover 35 years’ worth of reflections on human art and human nature.

“Replaying the Renaissance” is dedicated to Preussner’s wife, fellow Truman professor Alanna Preussner, and to their daughter Amy. It is published by Neal Delmonico’s Naciketas Press, with cover design by Rusty Nelson, chair of the Truman Art Department.

The retirement reception and book launch are sponsored by the School of Arts and Letters, the Department of English and Linguistics.

After eight weeks in Panama, a group of Truman students have returned to Kirksville, ready to share presentations about their experiences with faculty, students, administrators and staff.

The students will be sharing the results of their service-learning experiences and disciplinary research projects in public forums April 26-27.

Group presentations about service-learning will take place from 12:30-2:15 p.m. April 26 in Violette Hall 1010.

Individual research projects will be presented from 1-5 p.m. April 27 in Magruder Hall 1098.

“Latin American Experience: History and Conservation Biology of Panama,” is a 15-credit hour course, funded by an Innovative Academic Initiative grant.

The course combines campus lecture and discussion with community immersion and service-learning.

Areas of study with the course include conservation biology, government policy, languages, cultural studies, economics, agriculture, geography, environmental studies and health.

The field experience component of the course included work in the Omar Torrijos National Park near the town of El Cope, Panama.

Truman students also assisted local children in community classrooms as English instructors and tutors.

The faculty members administering the course are Chad Montgomery, assistant professor of biology, and Marc Becker, associate professor of history.

On April 11, the Truman Equestrian Team accomplished something no other team in the 15 plus year history of the program has ever accomplished, by qualifying a whole team of riders for nationals.

The team first qualified for zones competition by beating out the 15 other hunt seat teams in the region over the course of the season to win the Zone 9 Region 2 championship.

At zones competition, Truman scored 44 points, finishing second behind St. Mary of the Woods College with 48 points and ahead of University of Minnesota-Crookston with 36 points.

The team will also be represented at nationals by individual riders Corinne Smith and Elizabeth Bramon who won their individual classes at zones to advance.

IHSA Nationals will take place May 6-9 at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Ky. IHSA is made up of more than 350 teams and 8,500 riders from throughout the United States and parts of Canada and was founded as a way to give collegiate equestrian athletes of all experience levels the opportunity to compete.  

Bertha Thomas, assistant dean of multicultural affairs, was recently awarded a Still Spirit Award during a ceremony April 15.

Recognized for her leadership in the community, Thomas was one of five recipients of the Still Spirit Award, given by A. T. Still University.

During her time at Truman, Thomas has brought programs such as Native American Storytellers and Dancers, the Black Repertory Touring Company and the Unique Ensemble Gospel Choir. She also established the Martin Luther King Read-in Event in Kirksville.

Thomas serves as an adviser for several student organizations and often can be found working evenings, weekends and during the one month of the year for which she is not contracted.

Supporters say Thomas, a wife of 29 years and mother of two sons, demonstrates how to manage both her personal and professional lives.

Other recipients of the 2010 Still Spirit Award include Gary Cunningham, G. E. “Shag” Grossnickle, Mariette Jayne, and John and Martha Rowe. More than 30 people were nominated for the award, now in its sixth year.

The Truman Chapter of the American Marketing Association (AMA) recently participated in the 32nd Annual International Collegiate Conference, which took place in New Orleans, April 8-10.

Approximately 1,500 students and their faculty advisers attended the conference for three days of learning, networking and fun. Students learned about potential career paths within the marketing field from representatives of some of the top marketing-oriented companies. They also celebrated the accomplishments of AMA chapters through conference traditions such as the collegiate chapter t-shirt exchange and exhibit hall. Students also exchanged successful chapter management techniques.

At the conference, Truman won awards for Outstanding Membership Activities, Outstanding Community Service and an Honorable Mention for this year’s Case Competition, which focused on developing an Integrated Marketing Communications Plan for the UNICEF Tap Project. This showing placed the Truman Case team among the top 20 schools that competed internationally.

The chapter completed 11 community service projects this year, including projects for ROTC, the Career Center, Blink of an Eye and Kirksville Child Development Center. These projects provide the members with marketing experience and the clients with free marketing expertise.  

Any organization or business interested in proposing a project for next year can contact Hannah Siekerman at hes075@truman.edu.

The William M. Reiss Foundation is offering scholarships to graduates of publicly supported high schools located within the city limits of Belleville, Ill. Official college transcripts are required and a copy of the Student Aid Report from the FASFA is recommended. Stop by the Financial Aid Office at McClain Hall 103 for more information on how to apply for this scholarship. Deadline to apply is May 1.

The John Gyles Education Awards are available each year to students in both Canada and the United States. They are the result of a private, benevolent endeavor established in 1990. Full Canadian or American citizenship is a requirement. Awards are available to both male and female students for all areas of post secondary study. A minimum GPA of 3.0 is required. Criteria other than strictly academic ability and financial need are considered in the selection process. Selected students will receive up to $3,000. The filing date for mailing applications is May 1. Applications are available online at http://www.johngyleseducationcenter.com.

The BigSun Organization is proud to be able to continue to help young athletes succeed in their academic pursuits by offering a $500 scholarship. All student athletes are eligible for this award, regardless of the sport. Deadline for submission is June 24. Visit http://www.bigsunathletics.com to learn how to apply.

AES Engineers is providing $500 scholarships to students, regardless of courses being studied, who meet certain criteria. Scholarships are intended for future leaders across a wide spectrum of fields of study. This award is available to high school seniors and all students attending a post secondary educational facility. Students are not required to be taking engineering courses to be eligible. Students must submit an essay of no more than 1,000 words in answer to one of the two questions posted online at http://www.aesengineers.com/scholarships.htm. Deadline for entry is Oct. 8.

Starting April 27, the City of Kirksville and Adair County Rural Water will be changing the water disinfectant used at the Water Treatment Plant from chloramines to chlorine, while maintenance is done to the ground storage tank at the facility.

After this maintenance is completed in mid-June, the City will return from chlorine to chloramines. There will be an additional notification of that change prior to its implementation.

This change will not affect the safety or quality of the water provided by the Water Treatment Plant. However, during the transition periods some customers may experience water odor problems. This is a temporary problem that should not last more than a day or so.

Some customers will need to take precautions. These changes can affect kidney dialysis and be toxic to fish in aquaria. The City will coordinate with dialysis treatment centers and also address the concerns of fish owners to ensure a safe conversion process.

If you have any additional questions please feel free to contact the Jack Schuster, deputy director of Public Works at 660.627.1291.

The US-UK Fulbright Commission is offering five-week summer institutes at Newcastle University and Roehampton University in London. Meet people from all over the world, make friends and experience life as a real student in the UK while visiting museums, galleries, theatres, cities and historical sites. The Summer Institute will cover the majority of the participant costs including round-trip airfare, tuition, and room and board. Application deadlines are fast approaching. The Roehampton University deadline is May 3 and the Newcastle University deadline is May 14.

 

For more information, visit http://fulbright.co.uk/fulbright-awards/for-us-citizens/special-programmes. 

 

J. Richard Freese, a graduate music composition major, recently became the third consecutive Truman masters of art student to receive first place in the Missouri Music Teachers Association Composition Competition at the young artists level. Freese also received second place in the West-Central Division of the Music Teachers National Association Composition Competition. Freese had a work selected for performance at the 2010 University of Nebraska-Kearney New Music Festival and has received commissions for musical compositions this past year from several schools, churches and colleges. He was a recipient of the 2010 Bruce Bernward Student Honorarium for outstanding collegiate theory and composition students.

Kelsey Kline, a senior music major, received the 2010 Paul Revitt Memorial Award for Best Student Paper, presented at the College Music Society’s Regional Conference at Emporia State University on March 28. The other finalist was a doctoral student, and Kline received special recognition as the only undergraduate student invited to present at the conference. A condensed version of her paper recently was published in the Spring 2010 Edition of Metamorphosis, the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges (COPLAC) journal. Kline’s research mentor is Shirley McKamie, lecturer in music, and the study focuses on the influence of American jazz on early twentieth-century artists such as Piet Mondrian and Henri Matisse.

Julia DeLancey, associate professor of art, joined three Truman art history alumni in attending the 2010 Renaissance Society of America’s annual meeting in Venice, Italy. Dr. John Garton (Bachelor of Arts, art history and studio art; assistant professor of art history, Clark University) presented a paper entitled “The Siege Ladders of Leonardo da Vinci,” in a session honoring his doctoral supervisor, Colin Eisler (New York University). Jasmine Cloud (Bachelor of Arts, art history; Ph.D. candidate, art history, Temple University), was selected to give a paper entitled “A Shifting Sense of the Past: The Early Modern Interpretation of the Façade of San Marco,” in a session honoring the historian of Venetian art, Dr. Patricia Fortini Brown. Leslie Contarini (Bachelor of Arts, art history) helped organize and host a session, sponsored by the restoration organization Save Venice, entitled “Recent Restorations in Venice: Titian, Tintoretto, Veronese.” DeLancey was invited to give a paper entitled “‘L’importantissima mercanzie’: mapping color sellers and visual environments in Renaissance Venice.”

The Physics Department is hosting a Physics Colloquium at 4:30 p.m. April 28 in Magruder Hall 1096. The presentation topic is “The Solar Corona,” given by Steve Spangler of the department of physics and astronomy at the University of Iowa. For more information, visit http://physics.truman.edu/colloquia/mainstage.asp.

Ekklesia and the Kirksville Church of Christ will sponsor speaker Willie Franklin at a special midweek service at 7 p.m. April 28 in the Student Union Building Georgian Room. Franklin played professional football for the Rams and Colts. His presentation is “Give Me the Heart of a Servant.” The Truman football team will also be fulfilling community service projects on the same day.

The Theatre Department will present the Spring Directors’ Showcase: One Act Plays at 8 p.m. April 28-30 in Ophelia Parrish Severns Theatre.

The Marine Corps Fitness Challenge will take place at 3 p.m. April 29 on the Student Union Building Mall. Stop by the Career Center Spring Training End-of-the-year party to register for the Fitness Challenge.

SAB presents the Bonnaroo College Comedy Tour at 7 p.m. April 29 in Baldwin Auditorium. This performance could feature explicit content.

True Men will host their Spring Concert at 7:30 p.m. April 30 in Baldwin Hall Auditorium. Come celebrate the release of True Men’s new CD, “TrueMentertainment,” which will be on sale for $10. Admission is free.

Delta Sigma Pi is hosting a Moonlight 5K Run/Walk at 8 p.m. April 30 starting in the parking lot next to the Student Union Building. Each runner will receive glow stick bracelets to wear during the race. There will be prizes for the top three runners and free t-shirts for the first 10 people to register. Registration is the day of the event. The cost is $10 and proceeds go to cystic fibrosis research.

Alpha Phi Omega is hosting a head shaving event for St. Baldrick’s Foundation at 11 a.m. May 1 in the Student Union Building Georgian Rooms. Anyone interested in shaving their head for children’s cancer research can register that day.

Minor Detail will host a Spring Concert at 6 p.m. May 1 in the Student Union Building Down Under. Celebrate the last weekend of school with Minor Detail.

The Independent Performing Arts Coalition (IPAC) presents “Greater Tuna” at 8 p.m. May 4 in Baldwin Auditorium. In this hilarious send-up of small town morals and mores, they are all among the upstanding citizens of Tuna, Texas’ third smallest town. The long-running hit features four actors creating the entire population of Tuna. Admission is free, but donations will be accepted to cover the cost of the show.

The Honors Scholar Award Ceremony will take place at 3:30 p.m. May 7 in the Sunken Garden. The Ceremony will recognize those students who have completed the Honors Scholar Program and are graduating with High Distinction in the Liberal Arts and Sciences. Rain site is the Student Union Building Alumni Room.

The McNair Spring 2010 newsletter is now available online at http://trumantoday.truman.edu/pdf/McNairSpring2010.pdf.