Vol. 30 No. 5 - September 15, 2025

Family Day is a University tradition that welcomes parents, siblings and other family members to Kirksville for a weekend of special on-campus activities, as well as the annual Red Barn Arts and Crafts Festival.

The weekend will kick off Sept. 26 with a men’s soccer game at 12 p.m. followed by women’s soccer at 2:30 p.m. versus Lewis at Stokes Stadium. The Statesmen Marching Band will perform at 4:30 p.m. on the quad. Volleyball will play against Maryville University at 6 p.m. in Pershing Arena. Stargazing will take place from 7-9 p.m. at the Thousand Hills State Park point shelter. The Del and Norma Robison Planetarium is hosting the Manhattan Short Film Festival and will begin screenings of all 10 films at 7 p.m. The jazz ensemble will perform a concert at 7:30 p.m. in Baldwin Hall Auditorium.

The annual Red Barn Arts and Crafts Festival will take place from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Sept. 27 in downtown Kirksville. Exhibitors and food vendors will be located throughout the festival area, which begins at Franklin Street in front of the Sue Ross Arts Center and extends north to the courthouse and around the square. Artists and crafters come from throughout the Midwest and showcase a wide variety of work including ceramics, jewelry, photography, woodworking, candle making and more.

From 10 a.m.-2 p.m. there will be a welcome tent set up on the quad where families can receive a free mug and purchase $5 Truman spirit shirts. Younger siblings can get free Future Bulldog t-shirts and tie-dye them at a booth from 10 a.m.-12 p.m. on the quad while supplies last. Free temporary tattoos will also be available from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Pickler Memorial Library will host an open house from 10 a.m.-12 p.m. for a chance to tour the library, view a variety of historical items in the Special Collections Department and show off creativity in the design lab.

Residents and families are invited to take part in several residence hall events throughout the day. From 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m., Ryle Hall will host a tailgate and note-writing activity in the courtyard. At the same time, West Campus residents can stop by the main lobby from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. for custom door decorations and magnet crafts. Missouri Hall will offer S’MO cones and friendship bracelet making from 12-2 p.m. in the lobby, while Blanton-Nason-Brewer Hall invites families to create pet-themed door decs and assemble goodie bags from 12-3 p.m. in the courtyard.

The University Art Gallery will be open from 12-4:30 p.m. in Ophelia Parrish, featuring “How Space Happens” by Aaron Fine and “Popol Vuh: The Sacred Book of the Quiche Through Illustration.” Various planetarium shows will take place at 1p.m., 2 p.m., 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. in the Del and Norma Robison Planetarium. Admission is $8 per person, available online or at the door. 

Football will face University of Indianapolis at 1:30 p.m. at Stokes Stadium. Tickets are required and can be purchased at the gate or online here. Men’s and women’s swimming will also compete against Quincy in Pershing Natatorium with the time to be determined.

Evening events include women’s volleyball versus Missouri S&T at 6 p.m. in Pershing Arena. The planetarium will again screen all 10 movies from the Manhattan Short Film Festival from 7-9:30 p.m. National Ghost Hunting Day will be recognized with a campus tour beginning at 7 p.m. in Baldwin Hall Little Theatre. The Symphony Orchestra will close the evening with a 7:30 p.m. performance in Ophelia Parrish Performance Hall.

Events continue Sept. 28 with a men’s soccer against Upper Iowa at 12 p.m. followed by women’s soccer at 2:30 p.m. at Stokes Stadium. Wind Symphony I and II will perform in between at 2 p.m. in the Baldwin Hall Auditorium.

The schedule will continue to be updated. Visit truman.edu/parents-families/family-day for more information.

The Missouri Government Internship Program is open to all majors and provides students with the opportunity to gain meaningful experience in the fast-paced world of state politics. Selected interns will work as full-time staff assistants with a legislator or state public official. By interning at the Missouri Capitol, students will expand their knowledge of state government, build a diversified professional network and establish a basis for future professional positions.

Many former interns have gone on to serve as legislative directors, chiefs of staff, judicial clerks, policy analysts, lobbyists and public officials as a direct result of what they learned and the connections they made as interns. The varying daily tasks throughout each office could include attending public hearings, completing legislative research, writing and editing published materials, constituent relations or assisting with basic office work.

Interns will receive a monthly stipend to help pay expenses and 15 hours of Truman credit. Interested students can click here for more information. Additional information will be presented at an informational meeting to be scheduled soon.

This year’s fall Career and Graduate Expo will take place Sept. 24-25.

The expo is open to students of all majors and academic levels. This event is hosted by the Career Center twice a year as a way to help students prepare for graduate school, internships and job searches. The expo provides a chance for students to meet with a large number of representatives from businesses, non-profits, government, and graduate and professional schools.

From 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Sept. 24 the Graduate School Expo will take place. This is an opportunity for students thinking of pursing graduate studies to connect with their future school. The Career and Internship Expo will take place from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Sept. 25. There students will get to talk to several employers visiting campus from across the United States. Both expo events will take place in the Student Union Building Georgian Rooms. 

To learn more, or to register for these events, go to hiretruman.truman.edu then to Student/Alumni Login followed by events, career fairs and select career fair of choice. Click on “Attend” in the upper right corner of the page to formally register. For questions regarding times or function of the event, go to career.truman.edu/career-grad-school-week/schedule-of-events or email the Career Center at ucc3@truman.edu. These events will be accessed from #HireTruman.

The Del and Norma Robison Planetarium will participate in a global short-film festival that will allow attendees to vote for their favorite picture.

Manhattan Short 2025 will run simultaneously across the world from Sept. 25-Oct. 5. The planetarium is one of more than 500 locations around the world to participate in the screenings. The 10 films range in running time from seven to 18 minutes. There will be four opportunities to watch, with the planetarium hosting screenings at 7 p.m. Sept. 26-27 and Oct. 3-4. There is no cost to attend the festival.

All 10 films will be screened at every showing, and attendees will be allowed to vote for Best Film and Best Actor. By virtue of their selection by Manhattan Short each film is automatically Oscar-qualified.

“Em & Selma Go Griffin Hunting” 
United States of America
Mothers and daughters and the fantastical beasts they hunt.

“Al Fresco”
Spain
Dream apartment. Large space. Unbeatable location. Ready to move in. Plenty of light.

“Chasing the Party”
United States of America
Two teens fantasize about becoming New York celebrities but get a reality check.

“Paradise Man”
United States of America
Tragedy makes a golfer realize there’s more to life than a hole in one.

“We Have Sinned Before You”
Israel
A silly game reveals secrets and tensions that could rip a family apart.

“I Have My Reasons”
United Kingdom
Amanda is just 8 years old when a singular incident shapes the rest of her life.

“Ovary-Acting”
Norway, United Kingdom, Sweden
A 30-something woman must suddenly decide whether or not she wants to have children.

“Beyond Silence”
The Netherlands
Two women, two generations, one trauma. One retreats into silence. The other breaks it.

“Zodiac”
The Netherlands
Two old friends on a fishing trip encounter drifting refugees in distress at sea.

“Passarinho”
Mexico
Teenage girls scheme to meet their favorite soccer player but gets one red card.

Truman students have the opportunity to earn one credit hour by teaching English to elementary and middle school students in Taiwan through Zoom.
 
The course, “CML 200: Taiwan Connect” (CRN: 6224), is a service-learning experience that begins in the second block of the semester. Classes will take place every Tuesday evening in Baldwin Hall 309, starting Oct. 14. Before Nov. 2, the class will meet from 6-7:30 p.m., and after Nov. 2, the time will change to 5-6:30 p.m. The only requirement for participation is that students must be native English speakers.
 
Students enrolled in 12-16 credit hours can take CML 200 at no additional cost. For more information or an override to enroll in this course, contact Zhijun “David” Wen, assistant professor of Chinese, at zwen@truman.edu or in McClain Hall 313. 

The Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement Program helps first-generation and Pell-eligible students interested in graduate study learn about, apply for and get accepted into graduate school – usually with funding.  

The program organizes seminars describing graduate school, how to pay for it and how to apply. Students also receive paid summer research internships opportunities, funds for graduate school visits and conferences, and general academic counseling. These are just a few of the many benefits McNair has to offer. 

Applications are open now with reviews beginning in early November. Check eligibility here. For more information, visit mcnair.truman.edu or email Charlotte Klimovich at charlottek@truman.edu. 

Starting in late September, the McNair program will have open house events in the Adair Building located at 210 E. Patterson Street. Students can learn more about the program or get help filling out an application. 

Upcoming Open Houses
Sept. 24
2-5 p.m.

Sept. 25
1-4 p.m.

Oct. 8
2-5 p.m.

Oct. 9
1-4 p.m.

Oct. 22
2-5 p.m.

Oct. 23
1-4 p.m.

Nov. 5
2-5 p.m.

Nov. 6
1-4 p.m. 

Truman will celebrate National Play-Doh Day from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Sept. 16 in the Student Union Building Down Under.

Students are invited to drop in and make their own creations. Free samples will also be available to take home.

Playing with Play-Doh has been proven to promote wellness. The therapeutic benefits apply to all ages and include stress release, mindfulness, a sense of grounding and nostalgia. 

National Play-Doh Day is celebrated every year on Sept. 16 to recognize the classic modeling clay and encourage hands-on creativity and fine motor skill development in children and adults. The day also commemorates Play-Doh’s history, which began as a wallpaper cleaner in the 1930s before being repurposed as a toy in the 1950s.

The United States Constitution was signed in Philadelphia, Sept. 17, 1787. Each year on this date, colleges and universities around the nation celebrate this occasion with different events and festivities. The theme for this year’s celebration at Truman is “Intersecting with the Constitution.”

Staff with Citizenship and Conduct will set up an event outside the east (fountain side) entrance of the Student Union from 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Sept. 17. The first 225 students, faculty and staff can pick up Truman-branded pocket editions of the United States Constitution. 

Participants will be asked to write down a part of the Constitution important to them and how it intersects with their life. Intersections might include benefits or challenges in their lives because of that section, what responsibilities they have to ensure that section applies to all people, or how their academic work supports American democracy as laid out in the Constitution. These notes will be on display outside the Student Union during the event and outside the Student Engagement Office, Student Union 3100, throughout the semester.

The Robert L. Gould Scholastic Award is an opportunity for students of all majors to submit a research paper for the chance to win up to $10,000.

For more than 30 years, SS&C Technologies, a financial technology company, has sponsored the award to recognize outstanding university students who produce academic papers on topics related to investment management strategies, theories and trends. 

The topic for this year is financial services at a generational crossroads. Financial services providers face a unique challenge: adapting their offerings to engage Gen Z and Gen Alpha – two digitally native, value-driven generations – while maintaining trust and loyalty with older clients. As Gen Z establishes financial independence and Gen Alpha develops its economic behaviors, providers must innovate to meet diverse expectations. The prompt is to develop a comprehensive strategy addressing three key areas: generational values and priorities, actionable strategies and cross-generational application.

First place will receive $10,000, second place will receive $7,500 and third place will receive $5,000. To apply for the Gould Scholastic Award, students must be a university junior or senior. Graduate students are not eligible to participate. Group projects are eligible, but if the group wins, the winning dollars are split equally among the members of the group. 

Interested students should contact Yung-hwal Park, associate professor of business administration, at yhpark@truman.edu by Sept. 19.

The Office of Citizenship and Conduct is recruiting students, faculty and staff members to join the University Conduct Board. 

Serving on the conduct board is an excellent opportunity to build professional skills and uphold shared University values as outlined in the Student Conduct Code. Members of this board are trained to serve primarily on conduct hearing panels to review allegations of actions from students and student organizations that are more serious in nature and/or risk more serious outcomes if found responsible.

University community members wishing to serve should complete the short application available online at conduct.truman.edu by Sept. 17. If selected, board members will receive training and will be available through Dec. 31, 2027 for assignment to conduct hearing panels as situations arise, which is infrequent at Truman.

Questions can be directed to Zac Burden, director of citizenship and conduct, at zburden@truman.edu and 660.785.4141.