Vol. 26 No. 27 - March 28, 2022

Participants from 2019's Big Event gather for a photo before completing their respective jobs. Students can sign up individually or as part of an organization. Those signing up with an organization will need to sign up in groups of up to six people.

This year’s Big Event will begin at 9 a.m. April 2 on the mall. Students are asked to arrive 30 minutes early. Breakfast will be provided on a first-come, first-served basis.

For more information about the Big Event, check out the SERVE Center’s Q&A website page. They can also be contacted at 660.785.7222, by email at trumanserve@gmail.com or by visiting their office in the Student Union Building Down Under 1106.

The master’s program deadline for both counseling and athletic training is April 1.

Lecaque is an associate professor of history at Grand View University in Des Moines, Iowa. His lecture, “Marching to the Apocalypse: Apocalyptic Performances from the First Crusade to January 6th,” will discuss his research into the history of apocalyptic feelings and religious violence from the Middle Ages to the present day. This event will take a look into a thousand-year span of Christian history, stopping in at three particular moments in time — the First Crusade, the 18th century in the British Colonies of North America and the month-long lead up to the Jan. 6 insurrection in Washington D.C.

The Barbara Early-Vreeland Lecture was established by Joseph Vreeland in memory of his wife, a 1973 Truman graduate. The lecture gives the Truman community the opportunity to hear public lectures by scholars of international reputation.

Senior computer science major and philosophy minor AJ Jahjolli created a platform called Study Friends. This website serves as a resource for students to connect with classmates and study together.

“I realized through my time here at Truman that a lot of people struggle to make friends with people that share the same classes or major as them,” Jahjolli said. “Having these people can be really helpful in terms of studying quality and efficiency. Study Friends helps to fix this problem.”

To use this resource students must first make an account, which takes less than 30 seconds. Students can then create a study session by specifying the class they are studying for and how they wish to interact with their classmates, which can be in person or via Zoom. To specify a class students can type in their own class code, for example ECON 131, and then select a category from the list. Students will be able to search through all of the website’s current live sessions. They will also be able to communicate with users in order to schedule future study sessions.

“This platform is valuable because students will have another resource to use when studying for a class, which will be really helpful,” Jahjolli said. “In addition, it will help them to create stronger connections with other people they see every day around campus and classes.”

Students can email Jahjolli at ajl@truman.edu if they have any issues with the website or have a suggestion.

For the time being, Study Friends is solely for Truman students. After gaining a good adaption rate among the Truman community, Jahjolli hopes to someday extend it to other universities. Eventually he also wants to include a feature where study notes may be viewed online with previous study sessions.

After graduation, Jahjolli will begin working for DotFoods, a company where he interned last year. Study Friends will remain fully operational and will continue to get Jahjolli’s full support even after graduation.

The University Student Conduct Code is undergoing revision and students are invited to be a part of the process.
 
The Student Conduct Code calls for the code to receive major review and any revision necessary every five years. There are various ways to provide feedback, suggestions or thoughts. Students should start by reviewing the current Student Conduct Code, available on the Board of Governors webpage under the Code of Policies link, specifically Chapter 8. Students should note anything they find confusing, or anything that causes questions or concerns, and thoughts for improvement.

For those who wish to participate, there are two ways to provide feedback. Students can send thoughts, suggestions and feedback to occs@truman.edu prior to April 21. When commenting, reference either the page and/or section number of the code to which the comments are referring. Page numbers are at the top of the page and start with “8 –” and then the page number. A section number is formatted as 8.010, 8.020, etc, and will always be on the left edge of the page.
 
All campus community members are also invited to participate in a town hall meeting at 6:30 p.m. April 20-21 in the Baldwin Hall Auditorium. The forum will allow students, faculty and staff to freely express opinions about what they would like to see changed. The meetings will be also be recorded. The town hall meetings are sponsored by the Dean of Student Life Office and the Office of Citizenship and Community Standards.

Your City – the City of Kirksville – knows it cannot improve our community without strong partnerships with the residents we serve. The students of Truman State University are no exception, and with fresh eyes and fresh perspectives, can contribute greatly to identifying potential improvements in our community.

One such partnership occurred this past semester, when the City worked with a group of students enrolled in the Truman Symposium to inventory and assess the condition of sidewalks in an area west of Truman’s campus. I want to express our thanks to those students for working to identify this problem and communicating with the City to ensure this problem is addressed. Even as I write this message, our City staff are inspecting the sidewalks in this area of town to then work with the appropriate property owners to discuss any necessary improvements.

The week will begin with a faith and LGBTQ+ community panel discussion at 5 p.m. March 28 in the Student Union Building Georgian Room C and via Zoom. Refreshments will be provided. At 4 p.m. March 29 there will be an equity recap discussion in the Student Union Building Alumni Room and via Zoom. Students can hear from various campus administrators and leaders about what has been done to promote diversity, equity and inclusion on campus. Refreshments will be provided. Those who would like the Zoom links to these two events can fill out this form.

Student Government will host a film screening of “Rigged: The Voter Suppression Playbook,” at 7 p.m. March 31 in Violette Hall 1000. This film discusses how voter suppression particularly impacts marginalized groups. After the film there will be a discussion and voter registration opportunity. The LGBTQ+ Resource Center will host a housewarming celebration from 12-3 p.m. April 1 on the quad. There will be snacks, music, giveaways and tie-dye. Student Government, SAB and the LGBTQ+ Resource Center advisory board will all be present at this event.

Questions can be emailed to Kennedy Cooper, Student Government diversity and inclusion committee chair, at kkc8132@truman.edu.

GIASR applications are for research and creative scholarship conducted in summer 2022. Grant applications may request up to $750 and can cover student stipends, supplies and travel to conduct research.
 
Conference Travel Scholarships are for students presenting the results of their research or creative scholarship at a conference between July and December 2022. Students must have completed or be currently involved in a faculty-mentored research experience and plan on presenting at the conference. Due COVID-19, the Conference Travel Scholarship will only cover student registration to attend a virtual conference.
 
Complete guidelines for the GIASR and Conference Travel Scholarship applications can be found at the Office of Student Research website. Applications for both opportunities are due by 11:59 p.m. March 28. Questions can be directed to osr@truman.edu.

The Career Center is hosting its first in-person Student Worker Fair from 1-4 p.m. March 31 in the Student Union Georgian Room. At this event students will have the opportunity to meet Truman departments and local organizations that employ or provide scholarship hours. This event is ideal for students who will be looking for employment during the fall 2022 semester. For more information contact the Career Center at careers@truman.edu or call 660.785.4353.

The next Women’s and Gender Studies lecture will feature four student speakers from 5-6 p.m. March 30 via Zoom.

Brenna Larkin’s talk, titled “Women’s Legislative Representation and Corruption,” is a quantitative study analyzing factors that affect women’s legislative representation, such as: corruption, quotas, democracy, electoral system, development and women in the workforce.

Mariam ElKadi will present “Women’s Rights and Representation in Post Conflict Situations,” which explores women’s rights and representation in post-conflict situations by focusing on Rwanda and Egypt.

Shania Montúfar’s work, entitled “Finding One’s Place in America: Gender, Generations, and Latinx Family Heritage,” studies the PEW survey data to assess the role that gender, immigrant generations and family heritage played in their attitudes as they try to find their place in America.

Kimberly Ramos presents “Killing Like a Girl: 'Jennifer’s Body' Through the Lens of Phenomenological Existentialism,” in which they argue that the 2009 film “Jennifer’s Body” appeals to its modern audience in that it accurately portrays the current existential state of being a woman as both empowered and oppressed.

• Joseph Baldwin Academy (June 8-July 3 and/or July 6-31)
• JBA Junior (July 11-15)
• ATSU-Truman Healthcare Academy (June 9-18)

The Institute for Academic Outreach is seeking applications for each academy for programs ranging from one to three weeks during June and July. Stipends vary based in the length of the program and nature of the work.

To be eligible as a preceptor, applicants must be a Truman student or a May 2022 graduate, have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 and not be enrolled in summer classes while working in the program. Individuals hired for these programs will also be required to complete a criminal background check, pre-academy trainings and pre-academy orientations.
 
Applications are currently being accepted and will continue until the positions are filled. Information about each available position can be accessed at tiacademies.truman.edu/employment or by emailing Michelle Wilson at mwwilson@truman.edu.

 
During the month of April students will be able to join Roberta Donahue, professor of health science, for Fresh Start Fridays. This TruSolutions initiative seeks to offer accessible yoga and stretching activities in Pickler Memorial Library to promote a balanced culture of wellness and academic focus. The sessions will occur from 9:30-10:20 a.m. every Friday in April in Pickler Memorial Library 308. Participants are encouraged to bring their own yoga mat: a limited number of mats will be available for those without one. For questions, contact Donahue at rdonahue@truman.edu.

Wisniewski has published more than 100 stories and is the author of a poetry collection and three novels. He also works as a book doctor and freelance editor. Wisniewski has been awarded two University of California Regents’ Fellowships in Fiction, an Isherwood Fellowship in Fiction and first place in competitions for the Kay Cattarula Award for Best Short Story, the Gival Press Short Story Award and the Tobias Wolff Award.

Truman students in Wisniewski’s one-week Ofstad course will also perform a reading in the Baldwin Little Hall Theatre from 7-9 p.m.

Students who are working toward a certificate or degree at a public or private Missouri college or university are eligible to participate. The deadline to apply is April 1.

The selected students will spend a day in Jefferson City participating in a photo and video shoot. Those images and films will then be used to promote the different types of education and training opportunities available across the state.

Past student ambassador photos and stories are listed on the MDHEWD publications page as well as the Journey to College website and social media pages.

Amy Norgard, associate professor of classics, will present “Playing with the Ancient World: Rewriting the Classics through Video Games” at 6 p.m. April 7 via Zoom. All are welcome to attend.

The Faculty Forum was created in 2003 to give faculty the opportunity to present their research and creative work to the Truman community, and to enhance the importance of scholarship and creativity in the culture of the institution. In the spirit of the liberal arts and sciences, the forum is a showcase of Truman faculty’s many creative and intellectual pursuits. The forum offers a variety of formats – public lectures, classroom-style symposia, performances and gallery exhibitions – to best suit different fields of study, as well as different individuals.

The final event in the MAE Professional Development Series will take place at 7 p.m. April 7 via Zoom. It will feature Sharon Slodounik, lecturer in education, who will talk in depth about implementing critical thinking in the classroom. RSVP for the event here. For more information, email ams8285@truman.edu.

TruView Flowers, a student-led floral business through the Agriculture Practicum Capstone class, will conduct a spring sale in April.

They will be selling petunias, succulents and special spring arrangements made out of gerbera daisies and tulips. Petunias will cost $5 and succulents will cost $12. The special spring arrangements will be available in small, medium and large sizes. The small 7 oz. jar will cost $12, the medium 12 oz. will cost $15 and the large 24 oz. will cost $20.
April 13-15
Delivery dates for pre-orders.

April 14-15
Follow @truviewflowers on Facebook and Instagram for updates about new and upcoming sales.

The board term is one year, July 1-June 30, with possible renewal for a second consecutive term. To apply, submit an application along with a current resume to Charles Hunsaker, executive director for University Advancement, at hunsaker@truman.edu. The deadline is 12 p.m. April 8.

For more information contact the Institute for Academic Outreach at 660.785.5384 or visit tiacademies.truman.edu.

Summer students will be housed in West Campus Suites. For preferred eligibility for summer housing, students must either:

•    Be enrolled in a summer course, and in good financial standing with the University AND/OR
•    Be enrolled in a fall course as a continuing student, and in good financial standing with the University.

Students who plan to stay on campus this summer but do not have a fall 2022 housing assignment will need to move out July 31. Students staying in summer housing in August will be moved to their fall 2022 housing assignment on Aug. 8-9.

Summer housing registration is available here. To secure housing, students should sign up online no later than May 2. Visit truman.edu/residence-life for more information.

In honor of the nearly 300 international students studying at Truman, Pickler Memorial Library and the Center for International Students will host an exhibition in the library from now until April 15. Located in the library gallery on the first floor, the exhibit is an opportunity to learn about the clothing, currency and culture of students from around the world. The library also has 47 international flags on display honor the home countries of current international students.

Summer jobs are available for a small contingent of student workers for the spring and/or summer to help with campus grounds. Duties will mainly be outdoors and include weeding, trash removal, trimming and painting. The position can be found on TruPositions. Contact Barb Newcomer in the Business Office at 660.785.4150 with any questions.

Cade McKnight is one of 16 players from across the country to be named a Division II All-American by the National Association of Basketball Coaches. This is McKnight’s second time earning this honor. McKnight was one of the top scorers in the GLVC all season, finishing the year with 19.2 points per game, which was a career high. He shot .574 from the field and .395 from three-point range, as well grabbed 6.4 rebounds per game, all of which set new career highs. With 1,608 career points, McKnight ends his career fourth on the all-time scoring list.

The 12-credit summer program runs June 2 to July 22 and is open to students who have completed Spanish 202 prior to starting the program. All applicants who meet scholarship criteria will be automatically considered for funding. The priority deadline to apply for scholarship consideration is March 18. Scholarships will be awarded on a rolling first-come, first-served basis.

Details about the program are available here. Students can apply through TruView: Tools > Student > Student Tools > Registration > Apply to Study Abroad.

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 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 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 2.5 or higher cumulative GPA, a U.S. citizen, and a sophomore, junior or senior attending a Missouri public four-year university or the State Technical College of Missouri. Applications should be submitted online through Scholarship Central at moslf.org. Contact the Financial Aid Office at 660.785.4130 for more information.