Vol. 16, No. 20 - Feb. 7, 2012

Innovative ideas often emerge from the things we enjoy doing most. For Jennifer Hurst, professor of health and exercise science, that idea emerged from her love of America’s national parks. This summer, Hurst will translate that love of parks into TruAdventure, a travel education program sponsored by the Truman Institute.

“I really enjoy the outdoors, but there’s something extra special about our national parks,” said Hurst, who has been on the faculty at Truman for six years. “Many people do not realize that America was the first nation to create the concept of a ‘national park.’ We have set aside these special places of beauty and recreation not just for some, but for all.”

On campus, Hurst’s passion for national parks has translated into courses and student excursions at Yellowstone, the Grant Tetons and the parks surrounding Moab, Utah – Arches and Canyonlands. In early 2011, Hurst approached Kevin Minch, Truman Institute director, about the idea of translating a popular student trip she co-lead with colleagues in the Health and Exercise Sciences Department, into an exciting program for adult learners.

“It seemed like a wonderful idea,” Minch said. “What we liked most about it was that it had an appeal beyond students and alumni. It was something we thought anyone interested in wilderness and activity could get excited about.”

The June 9-16, 2012, adventure begins when participants converge on Denver, Colo., for a Saturday night stay and Sunday morning departure by motor coach to Moab, Utah, where they spend two days and three nights visiting the sites surrounding Arches and Canyonlands national parks. On Wednesday, participants arrive in the Cortez, Colo., area where they explore the Anasazi Heritage Center, the Lowry Pueblo Ruins, and the Howenweep National Monument. Thursday, the tour continues to the Ute Mountain Tribal Park before transitioning to Salida, Colo. Friday morning adventurers arrive in Buena Vista, Colo., for a refreshing whitewater rafting adventure on the Arkansas River. The journey concludes in Denver. Unlike traditional tours, however, the buses only get participants to the parks, the rest is on foot.

“This is an active vacation, which will involve hiking to learn and experience these parks and ruins in a hands-on fashion,” Hurst said. “This trip is about more than just seeing great vistas and historic sites. It’s also about well-being, activity, learning and greater self-awareness.”

The trip will be of added interest to those who love geology and history. Arches National Park, known for its more than 2,000 natural sandstone arches, represents one of the most intriguing examples of the forces of nature at work on a landscape. Canyonlands, whose name only partially conveys its character, is home to impressive buttes, deep canyons and bizarre needle-like formations. At Anasazi Heritage Center, Howenweep National Monument and Ute Mountain Tribal Park, visitors step into the distant past and explore the dwellings of Puebloan culture much as they were hundreds of years ago.

For those who like a refreshing dip in the water, the trip is capped-off with an exhilarating whitewater ride down the Arkansas River.

“We like to think of this as a vacation that’s ‘a little off the beaten path,’” Minch said. “Our hope is that Dr. Hurst’s work will blaze a trail for future educational travel programs through the University.”

Participation in the program is limited to those aged 21 and over. All overnight accommodations are in local hotels. Daytime meals are provided. The package cost of the program is $1,500, double-occupancy, for those registering before March 1, 2012. Single-occupancy rates are available. For more information, participants can visit the program website at institute.truman.edu and select the TruAdventure link, or call 785.5406 to request a brochure.

Jennifer Hurst, professor of health and exercise science, will host an informational meeting about this year’s summer excursion course to Yellowstone and Grand Tetons nationals parks at 7 p.m. Feb. 7 in Pershing Building 3102.


Offered last summer for the first time, Physical Activity and the National Parks has been modified and expanded this summer to an eight-week hybrid course for summer 2012. A combination of online learning for the first five weeks and a longer 14-day excursion trip will give students an opportunity to learn and explore two of the most unique environments on earth. Students will learn about the national park system, as well as the unique biology, geology, history and conservation issues connected to both Yellowstone and Grand Tetons national parks through different physical activities. Through hiking, wildlife observation, whitewater rafting and one day of beginning rock-climbing instruction, students will get hands-on learning about the parks’ fascinating features.

Questions may be directed to Hurst at jhurst@truman.edu or call 785.4464.

Anyone is eligible to enroll in the course.

Michael J. Bushur, a sophomore psychology and economics double major from Lee’s Summit, Mo., was appointed as the student representative to the Truman Board of Governors by Gov. Jay Nixon Jan. 3. His appointment was confirmed by the Missouri Senate on Feb. 1.

Bushur is a member of Phi Sigma Pi Honor Fraternity, the University Conduct Board and the Funds Allotment Council.

Registration is now open for the University Conference taking place Feb. 16.

The day is devoted to the personal and professional growth and enrichment of all members of the Truman community, including students. Attendees will find a wide variety of topics including, but not limited to: navigating the hidden job market; strategies for studying smarter; how to build a strong team in student organizations; and quitting smoking.

Visit provost.truman.edu/University_Conference/conference_agenda.asp to register and view the complete schedule of sessions. To help facilitators prepare, it is required for interested attendees to register for each session they plan to attend.

Over the lunch hour, the new TruView prototype and new mobile computing applications will be unveiled. Those interested must register for lunch as well.

Truman, in partnership with Rave Wireless, now offers an emergency email and text messaging service to students, faculty and staff.

This service will only be used in the event of an on-campus emergency, an unscheduled University closing or a delay or cancellation of classes due to, for example, severe inclement weather.

The new Rave Wireless system is an improvement over the previous Truman system with additional features and services. Rave supports more carriers and provides better email options, as well as faster text messaging services.

Students, faculty and staff who are previously signed up for the Emergency Notification System are automatically transferred into the new system.
 
Those not previously signed up may add the new service. There is no charge for signing up, but standard text messaging rates apply.

To sign up, log into TruView and enter/update emergency text messaging information on the “My Personal Information” channel.

Detours Magazine, Truman’s student-produced travel magazine, will be hosting its biannual photo contest, themed “Show Your Spirit.” The contest is free and open to all amateur photographers.

All entries must be submitted by Feb. 10 with location of the photo, the photographer’s name and contact information and a short caption.

Two contest winners will be featured in the Summer 2012 issue; one selected by the magazine’s editors and one by Detour Magazine’s Facebook fans. There will also be at least four honorable mentions.

Detours Magazine is a biannual travel magazine produced by Truman students. It focuses on the tri-state area of Missouri, Iowa and Illinois. In March 2010, the magazine received the Apple Award for best general interest magazine by the College Media Advisers.

To see the full rules and regulations, visit www.detoursmagazine.com. Submit photos to photo@detoursmagazine.com or mail to Detours Magazine, 100 E. Normal, Kirksville, MO 32501. The winners will be notified in February.

The “Ready, Set, Click!” workshop will be under way Feb. 13-March 30 to provide information and practice on the strategies for successful online teaching and learning.
 
This workshop, presented by the Learning Technologies Team, will be helpful in identifying those issues that make the online classroom different and how to address them in ways to set up both professors and students for a successful Truman experience. It will serve as a great tool if instructors are preparing to teach a fully online course, or just wishing to “blend” or “hybridize” a traditional course.

“Ready, Set, Click!” is one of three options that meet the provost’s requirement for online certification, which must be met in order to teach a fully online course.

The workshop will be taught exclusively online, but there will be open hours for Blackboard training from 9:30-11:30 a.m. the first Wednesday and Thursday of each month in McClain Hall 215.

Sign up for the workshop at eventmanager.truman.edu/register.asp?classid=800&sectionid=1764. For questions about the workshop, contact the Learning Technologies Team at ltt@truman.edu. Questions about the online certification process can be presented to the Office of the Provost at provost@truman.edu.

During each week, the workshop will have some elements of asynchronous, but interactive, collaborative activities which will involve the whole workshop cohort. Other than these collaborative activities, participants will be able to proceed through the materials at their own pace. Unlike previous iterations of this workshop, there will not be built-in time to build or redesign an actual course during the course of the workshop.

It is Career Week this week! Check out the great events taking place all week or go to career.truman.edu for more information. To see a full list of employers and grad schools coming to campus, go to truman.experience.com.

Feb. 6
Resumania
10 a.m.-2 p.m.
Student Union Building

“Careers in Publishing”
presented by Loren Kreher (‘08) with Denver Publishing Institute
6 p.m.
Student Union Building Alumni Room

“Making it BIG in Non-Profit Healthcare”
presented by Mike Schwend with Preferred Family Healthcare
8 p.m.
Student Union Building Alumni Room


Feb. 7
Etiquette Dinner
5-7 p.m.
Student Union Building Alumni Room
Cost $10

“How to Turn an Internship into a Career”
presented by Fleishman-Hillard
7:15 p.m.
Student Union Building Activities Room

Cerner Info Session
8 p.m.
Student Union Building 3202

“Aim High! Landing Your Dream Job”
presented by Sarah Cutler with the Career Center
8 p.m.
Student Union Building 3201

Save-A-Lot Info Session
8 p.m.
Student Union Building 3203


Feb. 8
Career and Grad School Expo
12-4 p.m.
Student Union Building

Non-Profit Poster Display
12-4 p.m.
Student Union Building HUB


Feb. 9
Interview Day
8 a.m.-5 p.m.
Student Union Building

Non-Profit Conference
* Volunteer Fair, 10 a.m.-12 p.m. Student Union Building Hub

* Non-Profit Poster Display, 12-4 p.m. Student Union Building Hub

* “From Liberal Arts to CEO” presented by Kathy Nelson with KC Sport Commission, 4:45 p.m. Student Union Building Georgian Room A

* Reception (by faculty or staff nomination only) 5:30-7 p.m. Student Union Building Georgian Room B

* Peace Corps Info Session, 7:15 p.m. Student Union Building Georgian Room A
 

Truman students can nominate an outstanding full-time faculty advisor for the William O’Donnell Lee Advising Award.

To nominate a faculty member, complete the online nomination form at newstudents.truman.edu/web/form_builder2/form_builder.asp?testId=356.

Nominations are due by 5 p.m. April 8. Academic Advisors are not eligible for the award.

Contact Marty Eisenberg at martye@truman.edu with questions.

Nominations for the Leadership Recognition Program are open now through March 14. The Center for Student Involvement is sponsoring this program to honor Truman students, advisors and organizations for their dedication to their peers, campus and Kirksville community through various leadership roles during the year. Nomination information can be obtained online at csi.truman.edu/lrp/. For more information on this event, contact the CSI by phone at 785.4222 or by email at csilrp@gmail.com.

The Volunteer Fair, an effort to connect student volunteers and community agencies, will take place from 10 a.m.-12 p.m. Feb. 9 in the Student Union Building Hub. The fair, sponsored by the SERVE Center, the Career Center and SOAN 265, will be an opportunity for Truman students to learn more about the needs and services in the Kirksville area, and for community agencies to recruit volunteers to improve or enhance their service efforts.

Tru-Positions provides a comprehensive database of scholarship, institutional and work-study positions, including job descriptions and transferable work skills. This is an important advancement over the current process of requiring students to independently locate a student employment or service position. Tru-Positions will be updated as positions become available.

Tru-Positions can be found online at trupositions.truman.edu. Instructions for viewing and applying for a position can be found under the student information section. Any questions or feedback can be directed to Financial Aid at finaid@truman.edu.

Truman State University Foundation Scholarship applications are now available. Approximately $250,000 is being advertised and will be awarded to current Truman students for the 2012-2013 academic year.

Applications are available online and are due by midnight March 14. To learn more, go to truman.edu and click on Student Life / Money / Foundation Scholarships or visit secure.truman.edu/isupport-s/.

Telecounselors call prospective students Monday through Thursday evenings to inform them about the Truman experience and answer questions about the admission process.

Scholarship, institutional, volunteer and work-study positions are available for the 2012-2013 school year.

Applications are available online at telecounseling.truman.edu, by emailing a request to Kara Humphrey at karah@truman.edu or by picking up a paper copy at the front desk in the Office of Admission (Ruth W. Towne Museum & Visitors Center on the corner of Franklin St. and Normal Ave.).

Applications are due at 5 p.m. Feb. 24.

Truman Recycling currently accepts:
•  Number 1 and 2 plastic (usually bottles and Hy-Vee plastic bags, no Walmart bags)
•  Aluminum cans
•  Tin cans
•  Paper (must be in appropriate bin)

They do not accept:
•  All other forms of plastic
•  Glass

All containers should be emptied and washed out.

U.S. undergraduates have the opportunity to follow a three to six week summer program at a world-class United Kingdom university or cultural institution. Each Summer Institute provides an immersive academic, cultural and social experience for freshmen or sophomore American students who wish to deepen their knowledge of the U.K. The 2012 U.K. Summer Institutes will take place at eight different British universities. The application deadline is March 16. For more information and details on how to apply, visit www.fulbright.co.uk/fulbright-awards/for-us-citizens/summer-institutes or email programmes@fulbringht.co.uk.

An exhibit featuring the 44 presidents of the United States is currently on display in the Library Gallery. The exhibit includes Lincoln items that are part of the Lincoln Schwengel Collection and past winners of the annual Lincoln contest. The display will be available until the end of February.

The Truman Institute is sponsoring a video contest promoting summer school at the University. First prize in an HD Flip Cam. For complete contest rules and guidelines visit summer.truman.edu/contest.asp.

Click here to see the most interesting student in the world.

Activity: Badminton-Singles
Division: Open
Deadline: Feb. 16
Captains’ Meeting: N/A
Play Begins: Feb. 18

Activity: Badminton-Doubles
Division: Open
Deadline: Feb. 23
Captains’ Meeting: N/A
Play Begins: Feb. 25

Activity: Volleyball
Division: Open/Org/Greek
Deadline: March 5
Captains’ Meeting: Feb. 29
Play Begins: March 12

Activity: Co-Rec Volleyball
Division: Open/Org/Greek
Deadline: March 5
Captains’ Meeting: Feb. 29
Play Begins: March 12

Activity: Outdoor Soccer
Division: Open/Org/Greek
Deadline: March 5
Captains’ Meeting: Feb. 29
Play Begins: March 12

Activity: Co-Rec Outdoor Soccer
Division: Open
Deadline: March 5
Captains’ Meeting: Feb. 29
Play Begins: March 12

Activity: NCAA March Madness
Division: Open
Deadline: March 14
Captains’ Meeting: N/A
Play Begins: March 15

Activity: Swim Meet
Division: Open/Org/Greek
Deadline: March 29
Captains’ Meeting: N/A
Play Begins: April 5

Activity: Co-Rec Ultimate Frisbee
Division: Open
Deadline: April 2
Captains’ Meeting: N/A
Play Begins: April 14-15

Activity: Golf Scramble
Division: Open/Greek/Org
Deadline: April 10
Captains’ Meeting: N/A
Play Begins: April 17

Activity: Punt Pass & Kick
Division: Open/Greek/Org
Deadline: April 10
Captains’ Meeting: N/A
Play Begins: April 17

Activity: Track Meet
Division: Open/Greek/Org
Deadline: April 12
Captains’ Meeting: N/A
Play Begins: April 19

All information, rules and registration requirements are online at recreation.truman.edu/intramuralrec.asp, or contact the Intramural Office at 785.4467. Captains’ Meeting is at 4:30 p.m. in the SRC Conference Room.

For information about off-campus events, click on the Kirksville tab in TruView or the Kirksville Events tab located on the top of the Master Calendar at calendar.truman.edu.

Tom Capuano, professor of foreign language, published his edition and study of a 15th century Aragonese manuscript on arboriculture in Mediaevistik: International Journal of Interdisciplinary Medieval Research. His piece is titled “The Romance Translations of Geoffrey of Franconia’s Pelzbuch.”

Taner Edis, professor of physics, will present “Creation v. Evolution: The Muslim Debate” Feb. 9 at Trinity University as part of that school’s Darwin Week.

Marie Orton, professor of Italian, recently had two articles accepted for publication. “Telling Uneasiness: Second-generation Migrant Writers in Italy,” came out in January in Italian Cultural Studies (University of Bristol) and “Writing the Nation” will be published in March in Italian Culture.

Truman’s Art of Living Club will once again offer the Art of Living course Feb. 10-Feb. 13. Anyone interested may attend an informational meeting at 7 p.m. Feb. 7 or Feb. 8 in Baldwin 349. Contact Lloyd Pflueger at lloyd@truman.edu with questions.

The Spring Career Expo will be 12-4 p.m. Feb. 8 in the Student Union Building. This is part of Career Week, sponsored by the Career Center.

A Peace Corps information session will take place at 7:15 p.m. Feb. 8 in the Student Union Building Georgian Room A.

Truman will be conducting a public auction of surplus equipment and furniture at 9 a.m. Feb. 11 at the Dulaney-Baldwin Building.

The Habitat for Humanity Dodgeball Tournament will be take place from 6-9 p.m. Feb. 12 in the Pershing Small Gym.

“Brighton Beach Memoirs” will run at 8 p.m. Feb. 15-18 in the James G. Severns Theatre.

The Student Research Conference abstract deadline is Feb. 17. All abstracts can be submitted online at src.truman.edu.

The observatory will host an open house from 7-9 p.m. Feb. 21 at the University Farm.

Registration for the Big Event is open now through March 2. The Big Event will take place March 17. Register online at serve.truman.edu/bigevent.