Vol. 29 No. 12 - November 4, 2024

Based in Austria, the Vienna Boys’ Choir is composed of sopranos and altos between the ages of nine and 14. They perform for nearly 500,000 people each year. The ensemble is a modern-day descendant of the boys’ choirs of the Viennese Court dating back to the late Middle Ages. This performance will include Austrian folk songs, classical masterpieces, Christmas hymns and holiday carols.
 
Tickets are available now and can be picked up downtown at the Kirksville Arts Association. Tickets are also available on campus at three convenient locations: the Union and Involvement Office in the Student Union Building; the Advancement Office in McClain Hall 205; or the Admissions Office in the Ruth W. Towne Museum and Visitors Center.
 
Any remaining tickets will be available the day of the event beginning 30 minutes before the performance.  
 
Tickets for the 2024-25 Kohlenberg Lyceum Series are provided free of charge thanks to the generous support of local sponsors, the Friends of the Lyceum program and the Truman State University Foundation.
 
For more information about the Kohlenberg Lyceum Series, visit lyceum.truman.edu or contact the Advancement Office at 660.785.4133.

Hill is a biotech entrepreneur and currently founder and CEO of NanAby, which is developing new technology to catalyze captured CO2 into permanent and useful products. Previously, she founded and sold an award-winning company, Spot On Sciences, that developed medical devices to allow a blood sample to be taken at home with a finger stick.  

All totaled, Hill has more than 20 years of experience in research and management positions in small and large companies, working on preclinical drug testing and pharmaceutical research. She received a Ph.D. in bio-organic chemistry at Washington University in St. Louis and has published research in protein engineering, liver disease and diabetes. Hill is originally from Palmyra, Missouri, and graduated from Truman with a Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry in 1984.

 
The Truman Theatre season will continue with the quirky, edgy musical, “Ride the Cyclone,” Nov. 7-9 and Nov. 15-17.
 
Six teen chamber choir members meet their fate on a doomed roller coaster ride. In limbo, a mechanical fortune teller offers them a chance to return to life. As they face their fate, each character reveals their dreams, regrets and unique stories through catchy tunes and dark humor. This cult hit blends comedy, tragedy and enchantment, leaving audiences laughing, reflecting and feeling great about life.
 
Music, lyrics and book for “Ride the Cyclone” are by Jacob Richmond and Brooke Maxwell. A fairly new work, the final version of the script was completed in 2023, and the show has developed a cult following on TikTok. Truman’s production is under the direction of student director Regan Bohanan.
 
Performances of “Ride the Cyclone” will take place in the Severns Theatre at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 7-9 and Nov. 15-16, along with a matinee at 2 p.m. Nov. 17. Tickets are $15 and can be purchased at boxoffice.truman.edu or at the theatre prior to each performance. For more information, contact boxoffice@truman.edu.

As part of the Ofstad Visiting Scholar Program, alumna Christine Knapp will present a lecture at 12 p.m. Nov. 15 in the Student Union Building Conference Room 3000.

Knapp is a seasoned linguist and Truman alumna who has applied her expertise in a variety of fields, from public education to tech and human resources. During her time at an HR tech startup, she crafted and implemented natural language processing rules to reduce recruitment bias and increase candidate pool quality in published job descriptions. She also constructed proprietary taxonomies to help data scientists better understand labor market and hiring trends. Before pivoting to the tech industry, Knapp used her linguistics knowledge as a public-school teacher to better serve her K-12 ESOL students.

In her lecture Knapp will explore how linguistic expertise is shaping roles in taxonomy, data science, natural language processing, product management and user experience. She will demystify the linguistic job title in tech and share practical tips for navigating the job market. She will also discuss how to decode job descriptions and apply linguistic skills in today’s evolving tech landscape.

As part of the Global Issues Colloquium, Gokhan Mulayim will present a talk at 7 p.m. Nov. 7 in Violette Hall 1010 and via Zoom.

The past two decades, Turkey’s private security industry has grown into one of the largest in Europe. The emergence of the contractual security market in 2004 coincided with neoliberal reforms that deregulated labor markets, resulting in an increasingly precarious workforce. Many workers turned to the private security sector as a refuge from unstable employment. However, those who entered the sector encountered even deeper forms of precarity.

In his talk, Mulayim will present an ethnographic analysis of the lived experiences of frontline private security guards in Istanbul, focusing on how insecurity arises not only from employment conditions but also from the activities performed on the job. Drawing on two years of fieldwork, he will identify four interlocking forms of precarity – employment, legal, organizational and relational – that generate uncertainties and vulnerabilities for guards. By shifting the focus from work as a static employment relationship to work as a fluid and dynamic activity, this talk offers a new analytical framework for understanding the complexities of precarious labor processes.

Mulayim has a Ph.D. in sociology from Boston University, with research interests in economic and cultural sociology, the sociology of work, and organizations and urban studies. His research explores how extra-economic goods and services are transformed into marketable objects and how such markets operate. His doctoral work, based on ethnographic fieldwork in Istanbul, examines the economization of private security as a political, social and affective service. Mulayim has taught at Boston University, Boston College and Bogaziçi University. He has also served as chief editor of the Accounts newsletter for the American Sociological Association’s Economic Sociology Section for four years. Beyond academia, he has contributed to large-scale research projects with private research firms and NGOs, focusing on political polarization, migration, gender data gaps and women’s poverty in Turkey.

The First-Generation Student Advisory Committee will host a week of events for National First Gen Day Nov 5-8. All students on campus are invited to come and learn more about first-generation students at Truman and celebrate what that means for them and their peers.

Coffee Hour
11 a.m.-1 p.m.
Nov. 5
Pickler Memorial Library Café
Come to the library cafe for a free Starbucks drink and a snack.
 
Tabling
10 a.m.-2 p.m.
Nov. 6
Magruder Hall
Stop by the table for a chance to win a free lunch.

Tabling
10 a.m.-2 p.m.
Nov. 7
Magruder Hall
Stop by the table for a chance to win a free lunch.

First Generation Celebration Dinner
5:30 p.m.
Nov. 8
Student Union Building Down Under
RSVP not required but recommended.

Union & Involvement Services will accept room lottery requests for the spring 2025 semester until 4 p.m. Nov. 8.

Recognized student organizations must be in good standing in order for requests to be processed. Any submissions received after 4 p.m. Nov. 8 will be processed on a first-come, first-served basis once lottery requests have been processed. Forms can be found here. Paper forms will not be accepted.

Contact the Union & Involvement Services Office at union@truman.edu or 660.785.4222 for more information.

The 14th annual Communications Disorders conference will take place from 8:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Nov. 8 in the Student Union Building Georgian Room.

Hosted by the National Student Speech Language Hearing Association (NSSLHA) and the Communication Disorders program, this event is a workshop for speech-language pathologists, general education teachers, special education teachers, reading specialists and anyone interested in learning about phonological processing. This year’s conference will feature Jennifer Brodell as the keynote speaker.

Brodell provides individual and group therapy services to a variety of pediatric clients from birth to young adulthood and serves on the board for the Autism Society of Iowa where she acts as the department’s interprofessional education liaison to the university. Her primary area of clinical focus is pediatric speech and language disorders with an emphasis on autism spectrum disorders. A secondary area of clinical focus is interprofessional practice. She participates in several interdisciplinary diagnostic clinics for autism evaluations and leads an interdisciplinary therapeutic group for parents of young children with autism.

Brodell’s first talk of the day from 8:45-10:15 a.m. will focus on “Models of Effective Outpatient Autism Evaluations.” Her second talk will take place from 10:30 a.m.-12 p.m. on “Applying Interprofessional to Early Intervention Approaches in Autistic Populations.” The conference will end with her discussion on “Supporting Autistic Kids’, Teens’, and Young Adults’ Access and Participation Through Interprofessional Practice Models” from 1-3 p.m.

A registration fee of $75 for professionals, $20 for graduate students and $15 for undergraduate students will be collected at the door. RSVP here.

An information meeting for the May 2025, AFR 300: Conservation and Management of Large African Mammals class will take place from 4-5 p.m. Nov. 10 in Magruder Hall 2034.

This class is led by Stephanie Fore, professor of biology, and is open to all majors that are passionate about wildlife and want to experience conservation in action. The course includes 11 days in South Africa. Students will receive 10 days of hands-on work and instruction with Parawild Safari operating in the Limpopo Province of South Africa. The course will also include a tour of Kruger National Park, one of the largest wildlife reserves in Africa.

An informational session about gifted education will take place from 4-4:30 p.m. Nov. 12 via Zoom. This session will be led by Jeanne Harding, director of graduate studies and advisor for gifted education. She will discuss Truman’s gifted education program as well as teaching certification requirements. The webinar is free and anyone interested can register here.

An informational session about data science and analytic storytelling will take place at 3:30 p.m. Nov. 14 in Baldwin Hall Little Theatre and via Zoom. During this info session, Kaytee Wood, a current graduate student, will share insights about her experience in the data science program and career opportunities. Hyun-Joo Kim, director of data science, will discuss the program and help students decide if it is the right fit for them. Stephanie Wilson, graduate admissions counselor, will provide information regarding the application for admission process. Five-dollar drink coupons for Starbucks or Einstein Bros. Bagels will be distributed to those able to attend the event in person.

 
Students, faculty and staff that have signed up to receive Truman emergency alert text notifications will get a TruAlert text and email message letting them know it is a test. Those that have not signed up for emergency text messaging can do so through TruView.
 
Sign in to TruView and click on the “Everyday Tools” tab. Click the “Update Emergency Text Messaging Information” under “Update and View My Personal Information” (lower right screen). A maximum of three phones can be registered to receive texts. Confirm information in the same manner.
 
In addition to text and email messages, an emergency alert will be displayed on all Truman computer systems (Windows and Mac) where the Alertus software has been installed. This should include nearly all workstations on campus. There will also be alerts sent to digital signs in Violette Hall, Magruder Hall, Ophelia Parrish and Health Sciences, to the Truman channel on the cable TVs in residence halls, and to classrooms with the Truman touch-pad control system installed.

The 34th Annual Philosophy and Religion Conference will take place from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Nov. 16 in Baldwin Hall 114.

At 1:30 p.m., Josh Mund, assistant professor of philosophy and religion, will deliver the keynote address titled, “Speciesism Reconsidered: Do We Have Stronger Moral Obligations to Other Human Beings Because They Are Members of Our Species?” Mund is a new Truman faculty member and an ethicist whose research focuses on human interactions with animals. In recent years, he has written about defenses of humane animal agriculture, especially the view that farm animals would not exist without the practice of animal agriculture. His current projects investigate whether death – if it is free from pain – can be bad for animals, and whether pet owners should be morally troubled by the origin of their pets’ food.

During the conference students from Truman and other universities will present original papers from a variety of topics in philosophy and religion. This event is free and open to the public. Visit phre.truman.edu and select “Philosophy and Religion Conference” for the conference schedule and more information.

Women’s Resource Center is hosting a Transgender Day of Remembrance: Candlelight Vigil at 6 p.m. Nov. 20 on the Kirk Memorial stairs. Tabling for the event will take place from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Nov. 13, 18 and 19 at the Student Union Building.

Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR) is an annual observance on Nov. 20 that honors the memory of the transgender people whose lives were lost in acts of anti-transgender violence. TDOR was started in 1999 by transgender advocate Gwendolyn Ann Smith as a vigil to honor the memory of Rita Hester, a transgender woman who was killed in 1998. The vigil commemorated all the transgender people lost to violence since Hester’s death, and began an important tradition that has become the annual Transgender Day of Remembrance.

The candlelight vigil allows Truman students to participate to honor all those transgender people whose lives were lost to anti-transgender violence that year, and learn about the violence affecting the transgender community. Transgender Awareness Week takes place the week before Transgender Day of Remembrance and brings attention to the transgender community. Transgender people and their allies educate about who transgender people are, share their stories, and advocate about issues of prejudice, discrimination and violence that affect the transgender community.

Students interested in living on campus during the 2025-2026 school year can now make arrangements to do so.

Living on campus provides students with a built-in community of peers, in addition to offering a variety of amenities. All campus residence halls feature furnished rooms, access to laundry facilities and a meal plan. On-campus residents also have all of their utility costs included in the price of their room. More information about applying to live on campus for the 2025-2026 academic year can be found online here.

“Students who live on campus perform better academically because of the close connections to fellow students that develop,” said Jamie Van Boxel, director of residence life. “It is also more convenient to focus on your academics when you are close to your classrooms, study areas, labs and performance spaces. Having an on-campus meal plan makes it easy to eat a well-balanced meal without taking the time to shop for groceries, prepare meals and do the dishes. When you compare housing options side by side, living on campus has value when it comes to the conveniences, flexibilities and supportive environment offered to residents living on campus. Successful students often find that living on campus was part of their success in college.”

There are many on-campus living options to choose from, including single-, double- and triple-occupancy residence hall rooms and single- and double-occupancy apartments available in Campbell. Upperclass students can select deluxe double residence hall rooms or a deluxe double apartment in Campbell. Deluxe double residence hall rooms offer more living space at the same price as a standard double room. Deluxe double apartments allow each roommate to have their own private bedroom in a shared apartment. Deluxe double spaces are limited and upperclass students who apply for housing and follow the room self-selection timeline outlined on the website will have priority in being able to select deluxe accommodations while supplies last.
 
“Returning students living on campus have more options than a first-year student because returning students self-select their room earlier,” Van Boxel said. “Returning students can group up with their friends to take over a section of a residence hall or a group of apartments in Campbell. Returning students also have the opportunity to live in larger rooms or in an on-campus apartment with more space with a roommate of their choosing.”

The housing portal is open now and can be accessed through TruView. Room selection will take place in the spring semester. Questions about the housing process can be directed to Residence Life at 660.785.4227 or reslife@truman.edu.

Residence Life is looking for students who will create welcoming environments, develop connections with on-campus residents and foster a learning-centered community to apply as resident advisors for the 2025-26 school year. Resident advisors will have their room and meal fees fully covered.

Anyone enrolled in classes, who has lived on campus for at least one semester and maintained a 2.75 GPA, is qualified to apply. The application is open now until Jan. 14. Visit reslife.truman.edu or email reslife@truman.edu for more information.

Forensics won first place out of 49 schools competing at the most recent OATS (Online Asynchronous Tournament Series) tournament. Truman earned more points than many programs often ranked among the top 10 teams in the nation, such as the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, the University of Illinois at Chicago and Wayne State University.

“This win comes at a great time for the team as we prepare for some upcoming bigger and more competitive tournaments,” said Ben Davis, director of forensics. “We’ve been working pretty hard and consistently over the start of the season, and it’s definitely showing. We currently have a total of 27 individual slots qualified for nationals across speech and debate combined. Last year, we took 35 slots to nationals, so to know we are already so close to beating our record this early in the season is super exciting.”

The following students earned individual recognition at the OATS tournament:

Alex Peterson was tournament champion and placed first in impromptu speaking, in addition to earning second place in after-dinner speaking (ADS) and prose. Peterson also received first place in individual sweepstakes from earning the most points individually out of all 180 students competing at the tournament.

Briggs Maynor placed second in communication analysis.

Ben Grandstaff earned fifth place in extemporaneous speaking.

Emery McEvoy was fourth overall and the top novice competitor in both impromptu speaking and communication analysis, in addition to winning tournament champion and first place in ADS. McEvoy received the highest ranks above other competitors in his preliminary rounds for ADS and the judging panel for the ADS final round unanimously voted him top of the round. He finished fourth place in individual sweepstakes.

Mikayla Hammer placed second in extemporaneous speaking and fifth in impromptu speaking.

Jack Schroeder earned sixth place in extemporaneous speaking.

The OATS tournament was the team’s fourth tournament of the season. For results of the earlier tournaments, and to keep up-to-date on the team’s successes, follow @Trumanforensicunion or online at forensics.truman.edu.

The forensics team is housed within the newly merged Department of Communication and Theatre Arts, giving students the opportunity to compete in both speech and debate activities across the state of Missouri and throughout the United States. Students interested in joining the Forensics Union should contact Davis at bdavis@truman.edu or Scott Koslow, assistant director, at skoslow@truman.edu.

As winner of the 2024 Missouri Music Teachers Association Composer Commission Competition, Victor E. Marquez-Barrios, associate professor of music was commissioned to write a new work.

In collaboration with Michael Bump, professor of music, Marquez-Barrios wrote a new piece for percussion quintet titled “Chattering Mind/Loving Heart.” This piece will premiere at 7 p.m. Nov. 9 at the University of Missouri’s Sinquefield Music Center in Columbia.

The members of Truman’s Percussion Ensemble in charge of the performance are Brianna Carr, Angel Evans, Archie Gillespie, Turner Petersen and Tyler Nuspl.

Marquez-Barrios and Bump will also travel to Columbia with them for the premiere. In addition, Marquez-Barrios will be in residency at University of Missouri Nov. 8 to speak to members of the composition studio, and for a rehearsal with Mizzou’s New Music Ensemble, who will be playing another one of his compositions at their fall recital.

Sam Pleasant, Bailey Kallenberger and Alex Peterson receive awards at 2024 MACURH Regional Leadership Conference hosted at Iowa State University, Oct. 25-27.Members of Truman’s Residence Hall Association (RHA) and National Residence Hall Honorary (NRHH) represented the University at the 2024 MACURH Regional Leadership Conference hosted at Iowa State University, Oct. 25-27.

This event is a gathering dedicated to enhancing student leadership and fostering community among residence hall associations in the Midwest. The event provided Truman’s delegation with opportunities for personal development, skill-building workshops and networking with fellow leaders across the region. The Truman delegation included RHA President Ceci Stokes, Cooper Spacil, NRHH President Alex Peterson and advisor Katelin Mathis. Hunter King serves on the Regional Board of Directors as the coordinating officer for presidents and education, and was also present.

In addition to participating in a full schedule of conference sessions and board room spaces, the Truman delegation brought home several awards. Top education session, second place in the case study competition and most spirited delegation, highlighting the hard work and dedication of Truman’s student leaders. Individually, Spacil and Peterson both received a Molly Moo Initiative pin to recognize their contributions during boardroom discussions. Peterson was recognized with a Standards pin. Bailey Kallenberger and King were both recognized with their Four-Year Service pin and Sam Pleasant was recognized with a Three-Year Service pin.

Caitlyn Mabry, West Campus Suites community coordinator, was presented with the Silver Diamond pin and was nominated for student staff member of the year. The Silver Diamond pin is the highest award that can be presented to an NRHH member on the regional level.  These recognitions demonstrate the commitment and excellence of Truman’s RHA and NRHH and its commitment to enhancing student life on campus.