Vol. 30 No. 2 - August 25, 2025

Truman will celebrate Homecoming on campus Oct. 18.

The day will begin with the Homecoming parade at 9 a.m. on Franklin Street, running from downtown Kirksville and through campus. Student organizations, marching bands and local groups will participate in the parade. Tailgating will take place starting at 11 a.m. on the southwest corner of Patterson and Franklin St. The event will include food, music, games and activities, and is open to students, alumni, employees and community members. Football will face Quincy University at 1:30 p.m. at Stokes Stadium. During halftime the Homecoming honorees will be recognized and the philanthropy check will be presented.

This year’s Homecoming Philanthropy partners are CAPNEMO and the Kirksville R-III School District. Several events and donation drives will happen throughout Homecoming week to benefit local families and students.

For information as it becomes available, follow @trumanstatehomecoming on Instagram or visit homecoming.truman.edu and truman.edu/alumni-donors/events/homecoming.

The Shakespeare comedy “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” will kick off this year’s Kohlenberg Lyceum Series at 7 p.m. Sept. 6 in Baldwin Auditorium. 
 
Performed by St. Louis Shakespeare Festival, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” is one of William Shakespeare’s most popular plays. This comedy revolves around the romantic entanglements of four young Athenians and the magical interventions of fairies in a moonlit forest. Through a series of comedic mishaps and magical transformations, the play explores themes of love, illusion and the power of dreams. 
 
St. Louis Shakespeare was founded in 1984 to professionally produce and perform the plays of Shakespeare and other dramatic classics for the Greater St. Louis Area. The company is one of only seven nationwide to have performed the entirety of Shakespeare’s canon. 
 
Tickets are available now and can be picked up at any of three convenient campus 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. Tickets are also available off campus at the Kirksville Arts Association in downtown Kirksville. Any remaining tickets will be available at the ticket window in Baldwin Hall beginning 30 minutes before the performance.  
 
Tickets for the 2025-26 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.

Handshake, an all in-one career development platform designed to connect students and alumni with employers, internships, jobs and career events, has officially launched and is already buzzing with activity.

This new platform provides access to thousands of employers at the local, national and global levels that are actively seeking to recruit Truman students and graduates. In addition to job and internship postings, Handshake offers personalized recommendations based on user profiles and career interests.

Students and alumni will be able to take advantage of additional features, including convenient scheduling of appointments with Career Center advisors and notifications regarding workshops, events and professional development opportunities. Those interested can also download a mobile application that allows users to browse postings, register for events and submit applications from any location.

All Truman students have been preloaded into Handshake and just need to activate their accounts using their Truman login credentials. Official invites were sent out Aug. 15. Alumni can create a free account by selecting “Truman State University” as their school and registering with a personal email. These accounts are verified and approved by career center staff to ensure the alumni community stays connected.

During the summer, a number of fraternities and sororities received awards from their national organizations.






Individually, Evelyn Durkee of Delta Zeta won the Florence Hood Miner Award, a national honor given to only one-two girls per region. The award is presented to Delta Zeta members that during their junior year have made the most significant contributions to their college, chapter and the sorority through exceptional leadership, while maintaining a good academic record.

Students have until Aug. 27 to opt out of receiving their books and course materials through the First Day Complete program. 
 
First Day Complete uses course schedules, faculty feedback and registration data to predetermine quantities of course materials needed. Students are automatically enrolled in the program and can receive all their textbooks and other course materials at the current rate of $22 per credit hour.
 
All enrolled students should have received an email regarding their course materials for the fall semester. From the email, students are prompted to go to the Barnes & Noble College website where they will either select their delivery method through Students logging in should use their Truman username and password.
 
The University Bookstore is operated by Barnes & Noble College, a network of more than 1,400 school stores. Barnes & Noble College estimates the First Day Complete program saves students on average between 35-50% each semester.
 
Non-degree seeking students – typically high school students participating in dual enrollment or those enrolled in community courses – are not eligible for the program. Students participating in study abroad are also not eligible for the program in the semesters they are away from campus.  
 
More information about First Day complete, including an FAQ section, can be found at truman.edu/student-life/university-bookstore.

Minor Detail, the all treble acappella group on campus, is hosting auditions from 6-8 p.m. Sept. 9-10 in Student Union Building 3203. Those interested will need to sing 30-60 seconds of a song of their choice. Audition forms can be found here.

Truman’s Upward Bound program is currently accepting applications for fall employment. 

Upward Bound is a grant-funded college preparation program for income-eligible area students that hires Truman students to assist high school juniors and seniors with tutoring, workshops and the overall college application processes.  

Students are compensated for all hours spent training, preparing, traveling and working with students. This position is good experience for those interested in education, social work or related fields. 

Positions require regular weekly availability, one to three days per week between 1:30-6:45 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. Applicants must be juniors, seniors or graduate students. Applications are available online and review of applications begins immediately.

Xin Gao, associate professor of saxophone, participated in the 20th World Saxophone Congress, the world’s largest and most prestigious gathering of saxophonists, July 26-31, in Harbin, China. 

Founded in 1969, the Congress convenes once every three years in different locations around the world. This year’s edition was hosted at the Harbin Conservatory of Music, providing an inspiring setting for performances and masterclasses. It attracts leading performers, composers and educators from across the globe and serves as a hub for artistic exchange, the presentation of new works and the celebration of the saxophone’s evolving role in classical, jazz and contemporary music. Selection to perform is highly competitive, with hundreds of proposals reviewed internationally.

In addition to the Congress, Gao’s earlier summer engagements included performing a recital with pianist Cecila Ratna at the Singapore Raffles Music College. He also gave a lecture on music career development, conducted a masterclass and participated in a filmed interview. Gao also led a full-day masterclass with students and reconnected with colleagues to share new works at the Wuan Conservatory of Music.