Vol. 22 No. 10 - October 23, 2017

Workers install the University’s first computer system in Violette Hall in September 1966. This photo originally appeared in the Index and is courtesy of the Pickler Memorial Library Special Collections Department.

With more than 900 computers across campus available for general student use, it can be difficult to imagine a time before the prominence of technology. A seminal moment in the University history of embracing technology came in 1966 with the installation of an IBM computer on campus.  

According to the Index, the IBM 1440 computer was intended to be used “to facilitate the administration of the College and to supplement instruction in certain academic areas.” The Data Processing Center, located in Violette Hall 200, had staff available “to assist in the administration of the College and to facilitate academic use of the computer.” Several math and business education courses made use of the machine.

Among the features of the IBM 1440 was its processing unit which could “add 4,000 five-digit numbers in one second and can store 8,000 alphabetic and numeric characters in its core store unit.” The machine also had two disk-storage drives, and the Index article noted “Disk packs can be interchanged on these drives and removed easily thus providing unlimited storage. Each disk pack holds nearly 3 million characters of data that can be read and completely written in approximately three minutes. Information from disk storage is accessible in milliseconds.”

The next event in the For·Words series, sponsored by the Department of English, will take place at 5 p.m. Oct. 26 in Baldwin Hall Little Theatre and feature Jocelyn Cullity and her debut novel “Amah and the Silk-Winged Pigeons.”

“Amah and the Silk-Winged Pigeon” begins in Lucknow, India, prior to 1857, the year it was engulfed by tragic historical conflict. The cosmopolitan city of Lucknow thrived on open-mindedness, great prosperity and pride. It was a magnet for musicians, poets, painters and chefs, drawing the finest cultural talent from other parts of India and the wider world. It proved too tempting a prize for the English East India Company not to attempt a takeover of the Kingdom of Awadh with its capital city, Lucknow. The devastation and disaster that came to be known as “the Red Year” was a turning point in the history of Indian colonialism. It gave birth to the self-conscious, anti-colonial nationalism that would define the next 90 years, eventually leading to Gandhi’s nonviolent measures to oust the British from India once and for all.

For five generations, Cullity’s English family lived in India. When she was 14, she transcribed her great-great-great aunt’s diary about being held hostage for five months during the 1857 “Indian Mutiny” in the city of Lucknow, and the event stuck with her. Based on a true story of colonial events in Lucknow, “Amah and the Silk-Winged Pigeons” illustrates for the first time the lost history of the Afro-Indian, Muslim women who fought against the English hoping to save the city they loved.

Among the many journals to publish Cullity’s short stories and nonfiction are The Writer’s Chronicle, Blackbird, Hayden’s Ferry Review, Everywhere Stories: Short Fiction from a Small Planet and Minerva Rising. Her documentary film about young women in China, “Going to the Sea,” aired on The Women’s Television Network, The Knowledge Network and won the Lester B. Pearson Award for International Development at the REEL Women’s Film Festival in Canada. She was born in Australia, grew up north of Toronto, Canada, and has lived for periods of time in both India and England.

Cullity is currently the director of the Bachelor of Fine Arts in creative writing program at Truman.

The For·Words reading is free and open to the public.

Underrepresented students in majors related to science, technology, engineering and mathematics are encouraged to join the Missouri Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation in STEM programs.

The MoLSAMP Program prepares underrepresented students to succeed in their STEM major while at Truman. Participants receive STEM-specific advising and academic tutoring, as well as the opportunity to enroll in classes designed to help prepare for undergraduate research and learn the important interconnectedness of the STEM fields.

As a member of a statewide program, students are invited to participate in programs at other campuses that bring together the entire cohort of MoLSAMP students for seminars, classes and research conferences to help develop their professional network and increase the skills needed to succeed in STEM. Students will have access to paid summer research programs and internships in St. Louis and Columbia that are only available to members of a MoLSAMP program.

Participation in the program is free. To learn more, attend one of the upcoming information sessions, stop by STEP Office in Magruder Hall 3101 or email step@truman.edu.

Information Sessions
Oct. 25
11:30 a.m.
Magruder Hall 1096

Oct. 25
12:30 p.m.
Magruder Hall 1096

Oct. 26
12:30 p.m.
Magruder Hall 2090

Oct. 26
1:30 p.m.
Magruder Hall 2090

The Sesquicentennial Plaza project gives alumni, parents, faculty, staff and friends the opportunity to be a part of the 150th celebration while providing resources to continue the renovation of this well-trafficked space.

Personalized 4”x8” bricks are available with a gift of $150, and are customizable with up to three lines of text. Bricks can honor a grad year, celebrate the accomplishments of a friend or loved one, memorialize a mentor or acknowledge the contributions of a student organization. Greek letters are also available to be included on the bricks. In addition to the bricks, 8”x8” pavers are also available for $500 and can be personalized with up to six lines of text.

Faculty and staff can utilize payroll deduction to donate toward the project and personalize a brick. To set up a payroll deduction donation or to modify an existing donation schedule, go online or contact Stacy Tucker-Potter.

More information regarding the Sesquicentennial Plaza project can be found online at 150plaza.truman.edu. Questions regarding donations and naming opportunities can be directed to Tucker-Potter.

Bear Creek Clean-up
3-5 p.m.
Oct. 23
Anyone interested in participating can email Hyerin Kim or Raven Eisenberger.

Plant an Herb Tabling
12:30-3:30 p.m.
Oct. 24
Student Union Building

Local Foods Day
11 a.m.-3 p.m.
Oct. 25
Mall

Population Growth Tabling
10 a.m.-2 p.m.
Oct. 26
Student Union Building

“An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power”
Oct. 26
Ophelia Parrish 2210
Screening at 3:45 p.m. followed by a nationwide live webinar with Al Gore at 5:45 p.m. Space is limited. Free tickets are available in Violette Hall 1130.

Water Workshop Tabling
12:30-3:30 p.m.
Oct. 27
Student Union Building

Recycling Drive at the Sustainability Office
11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
Violette Hall 1310

Homecoming 2017 apparel can still be ordered online at homecoming.truman.edu/shop. All shipping options are now available.

This is the last chance to get Homecoming 2017 apparel. Items will be ordered according to the purchases received, so there will be no extra stock on hand. The store will close Oct. 29.

Any questions can be sent to homecoming@truman.edu.

Antony Davies, professor of economics at Duquesne University, will present “Income Inequality – Myths and Facts” at 7 p.m. Oct. 24 in Baldwin Hall 114.

Concerns with income inequality range from the well-founded to mere envy dressed up in moral clothing. To better identify well-founded concerns requires dispelling commonly held myths about inequality and about economics itself. Davies conducts research on the economic effects of government policy and regularly lectures for staff members at the House of Representatives. He studied economics and minored in mathematics and philosophy as an undergraduate at St. Vincent College. He received the Distinguished Dissertation Award from the University of Albany in New York for his thesis involving multi-dimensional panel data in econometrics.

Davies has authored and produced more than 50 professional publications and presentations, 200 op-eds and 200 educational videos on public policy topics. He has also appeared in more than 100 radio and television programs and received a NASA grant for developing statistical techniques for data mining using supercomputers. He is a long-time faculty member at the Institute for Humane Studies and the Foundation for Economic Education. Davies also recently worked as an associate producer for the Moving Picture Institute’s new video series, “FI$H: How an Economy Grows,” a free resource for K-12 education on economics.

Davies’ presentation is sponsored by the Department of Economics.

The next Faculty Forum event will take place at 7 p.m. Oct. 24 in Baldwin Hall 102
 
“Dialogues on Color” will be a presentation of Aaron Fine’s work on color theory resulting in a book of that title. This book, an inter-genre mixture of creative nonfiction, fiction and coloring book pages, is available to read free online, or purchase at cost, at www.arenotbooks.com.

Providing an intellectual history of Western attitudes towards color, the organizing aim of the book is to reveal the ways cultural context shapes our theories of color, not excluding those we link to Newton’s work with the prism and think of as objective and universally true.

For this presentation, Fine proposes to host a mixture of activities, mingling his own lecture style with staged readings done by theatre or debate club students in the voices of Newton, Goethe, Tom Sawyer and others. There will also be opportunities for the audience to color in their own color theory coloring book pages and to win a drawing for one of five complimentary copies of the book “Dialogues on Color.”

The Truman Master of Athletic Training program will host an informational meeting from 5-6 p.m. Oct. 25 in Pershing Building 232. Come find out about the program and application process. Classes begin in July. For more information or questions, contact Brandy Schneider at bschneider@truman.edu.

3-6 p.m.
Oct. 25
Student Union Building Georgian Room C
Sponsored by the Disabilities Studies Minor Capstone Project

By attending this training meeting individuals will be able to be coaches for Special Olympics bowling, basketball and track & field.

The annual Sigma Alpha Haunted Corn Maze will take place at the University Farm on the following dates.

Oct. 26
7-10 p.m.

Oct. 27
8 p.m.-12 a.m.

Oct. 28
8 p.m.-12 a.m.

Oct. 29 (Kids Day)
1-3 p.m.

Let’s Talk About It: A Conversation About Race
7:30 p.m.
Oct. 26
Violette Hall 1000
Sponsored by the Association of Black Collegians

This will be a panel discussion about race relations in America. The panel will consist of students from Truman’s cultural and political organizations with the conversation moderated by Chandrika Collins of the Communication Department.

In addition to Truman’s sesquicentennial, A.T. Still University is honoring 125 years, and the city of Kirkville is marking 175 years. A limited number of T-shirts commemorating the anniversaries are available for purchase in McClain Hall 202. Cost is $6 for XL, $8 for 2XL and 3XL. Cash or check transactions only.

The Department of Music and Sigma Alpha Iota will host the 2017 North Star Music Festival Oct. 27-28.

The first concert of the festival begins at 8 p.m. Oct. 27 in the Ophelia Parrish Performance Hall and features Eli Lara, cello, and Julia Bentley, mezzo-soprano, performing modern works for cello and voice.  

BetaMax, a collective of composers from Kansas City, will perform a concert of composed and improvised music at 8:30 p.m. Oct. 27 in the Ophelia Parrish Performance Hall.

The final concert Oct. 27 will take place in the Del & Norma Planetarium at 10 p.m. and will feature improvised compositions by Truman jazz musicians lead by Tim AuBuchon and accompanied by Chicago laptop artist and Truman alumnus Theodore Moore.

The festival will resume at 2:45 p.m. Oct. 28 in Ophelia Parrish 2340 with a concert of electronic soundscapes created and performed by Moore.

At 4 p.m. in Ophelia Parrish 2350, Uncommon Practice, led by Victor Marquez, will perform a variety of contemporary works for acoustic instruments.

Guest artist Vinicio Meza’s compositions will be performed at the sixth concert of the North Star Music Festival and will feature modern works for acoustic instruments. The sixth concert will begin at 6:45 p.m. in the Ophelia Parrish Performance Hall.

The final concert of the festival, including the premiere of “Fantasía Sobre Tres Canciones Costarricenses,” newly composed by Meza for the Truman State University Symphony Orchestra, will begin at 8 p.m. in the Ophelia Parrish Performance Hall.

The festival is free of charge and open to the public. For more information, visit nsmf.truman.edu.

Truman, in partnership with the University of Duesto, offers a unique student exchange program for study in Spain. The University of Deusto is the oldest private university in Spain with campus in San Sebastián. From the small mountains and cliffs at Igueldo and Monpas, to the delightful urban beaches, San Sebastian provides an abundance of relaxing vantage points fit for quiet contemplation as well as the conveniences of a bustling urban center with transportation to Madrid, Paris and Lisbon. Students can get involved with volunteer opportunities and cultural activities, as well as arts and sports.

Deusto Business School offers many courses in English including: business management, communication skills, international marketing, leadership and team development, and many more. Classes offered in Spanish include: tourism, business and administration, social work, and fall semester regular Spanish courses, as well as introduction to Basque language and an intensive Spanish course (prior to the semester). To learn more about the classes available and Deusto University, click here.

Because this program is an exchange program, students who plan on participating will pay Truman tuition directly to Truman. This makes payments easy and affordable.

Students have three options for housing: furnished self-catering apartments sponsored by the university and shared by fellow students; student hostels, which include full board; and a limited number of home stays, are also available upon request. Students are responsible for arranging and paying Deusto University for all housing costs.

To apply, fill out a Truman application and send a statement of purpose, official transcripts, a copy of passport and two letters of recommendation to the Study Abroad Office in Baldwin Hall 106.

Application deadline for Spring (early February-mid June)
Nov 15

Application deadline for Fall (late August-late January)
June 15

For more information and to apply, contact the Center for International Education/Study Abroad, Baldwin Hall 106, 660.785.4076, ciea@truman.edu.

Professor Lisa Hooper and students will lead a tree walk Oct. 27. Come learn about Missouri native trees growing on the quad. Meet at 5 p.m. at the north entrance to the quad (on Normal St.). All are welcome. Participants can come and go as they please.

The third annual Multicultural Affairs Student Diversity Retreat will take place from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Oct. 28 in the Student Union Building Activities Room. This will be a day of learning, growing and getting to know your Truman family. Register for the retreat at mac.truman.edu/diversity-retreat. For further information, email Carol Bennett.

The Student Union Reservation Office will accept spring 2018 event and meeting reservation requests Oct. 30 through Nov. 3 at 12 p.m. The Student Union Reservation Office is open from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday. The Reservation Office will only accept paper requests.
 
Packets will be available in student organization mailboxes located in the Center for Student Involvement Complex. Additional lottery forms can be found at sub.truman.edu/lottery.
 
Confirmations will be mailed to campus offices and delivered to student organizations mailboxes in the lower level of the Student Union Building during finals week. Please note that they will not be emailed.
 
Any submissions received by the Reservation Office after Nov. 3 at 12 p.m. will be processed on a first-come, first-served basis once lottery requests have been processed.

The Study Abroad Office is hosting a photo/video/blog contest. Students who studied abroad last fall, spring or summer and are currently enrolled are eligible.

Photo Contest
The categories are: “The Artistic Eye,” “Abroad Selfie” and “The World as Your Classroom.” Participants may enter a maximum of three photos for every category.

Video Contest
Videos should be one to three minutes in length. Students can use videos taken while abroad or a new one documenting their experience in retrospect.

Blog Contest
Students can send in their blog links to share their personal abroad stories with everyone.

Entries can be emailed to ciea@truman.edu and should include name, semester and country where the student studied abroad. Submissions will be accepted through Oct. 31. Prizes are $15-40 Truman gift cards. For more information about the contest, email ciea@truman.edu or stop by the Study Abroad Office located in Baldwin Hall 106.

The Student Health Center will be providing walk-in STI testing for chlamydia, gonorrhea and trichomonas from 8 a.m.-12 p.m. Nov. 3 at the Health Center. Testing is done through a urine sample. The CDC recently reported new cases of sexually transmitted infections reaching record highs in 2016 with 20 million new cases reported annually. Additionally, they report 50 percent are in adolescents and young adults aged 15-24. Students will be charged the significantly reduced rate of $30 on their student account for all three tests and will have access to a HIPAA-compliant, secure website to review their results. Individuals testing positive may seek services for treatment at the Health Center or at a provider’s office of their choice.

The Truman Communication Disorders Department will host a Graduate Student Open House from 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Nov. 4 in the Health Sciences Building 2203. All prospective students interested in pursuing a master’s degree in communication disorders from Truman are invited to attend. Information regarding the CMDS graduate program, the profession, employment opportunities and funding for graduate school will be provided along with the opportunity to meet faculty, alumni and students of the program. RSVP to Connie Ikerd.

The Mount Vernon Leadership Fellows program is a highly selective six-week summer institute for rising college juniors offering unparalleled learning and networking opportunities at the home of America’s first president located just outside of Washington, D.C. It is all-inclusive, providing housing, transportation, meals and a $3,000 stipend.
 
The Mount Vernon Leadership Fellows program offers a dynamic and stimulating leadership curriculum that encourages students to examine their personal strengths, identify areas for growth and ultimately take action as a leader. In that spirit, these leadership lessons are taught within a framework emphasizing the inspirational leadership model of George Washington. Students are also afforded the opportunity of meeting with and learning from current leaders of national prominence in the government, journalism, business and nonprofits sectors.
 
A highlight of the experience is learning how to take a personal passion and turn it into a blueprint for action in the form of a capstone project. Leadership fellows spend some of their time working on their individual capstones while at Mount Vernon, culminating in a final presentation at the conclusion of the program.
 
Students who meet the following criteria are encouraged to apply:
•        Currently enrolled college sophomore in good standing
•        Proven leadership ability and involvement
•        All majors welcome
•        Demonstrated interest in proposed capstone project
•        Cumulative GPA of 3.4 or higher
•        Current U.S. Citizen
 
For more information about the program, visit mountvernon.org/leadershipfellows.

Austin Petersen, a Republican candidate for the United States Senate, will speak at 5 p.m. Nov. 8 in the Student Union Building Down Under. He will discuss his senate race, his position on issues and his vision for the United States that he would pursue in office. Petersen’s visit is sponsored by the College Republicans.

Suzanne Scholte from the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation will present “The Battle for Human Rights in North Korea: Is There Hope for Peaceful Change?” at 7 p.m. Nov. 14 in the Student Union Building Activities Room. Sponsored by the College Republicans.

Truman, in partnership with Hosei University in Tokyo, offers a unique student exchange program for study in Japan. Located in the bustling metropolis of Tokyo, Hosei University offers students Japanese language courses for all levels. They also offer many English-taught courses in history, finance, literature, journalism, management, economics and more. Programs in interdisciplinary studies, business and sustainability co-creation are also offered at Hosei. This program also allows students to participate in activities like Tokyo Big 6 Baseball League Tour, Tea ceremony experience, Japanese traditional musical instruments experience, Japanese chess lesson, Japanese traditional theater Tour, Edo-Tokyo Museum Tour and a Japanese speech contest.

Dormitories are located in the heart of Tokyo, about 40 minutes by train from the University. Housing fees will be paid directly to Hosei University, at their cost. Being an exchange program, students pay Truman tuition directly to Truman.

To apply, fill out the Hosei University online application AND a Truman online application and send a statement of purpose, official transcripts, a copy of passport and two letters of recommendation to the Study Abroad Office in Baldwin Hall 106, 100 E. Normal St., Kirksville, MO, 63501.

Applications for spring semester (April-August) are due Nov. 30. For more information and to apply, contact: Center for International Education/Study Abroad, Baldwin Hall 106, 660.785.4076, ciea@truman.edu.

For more than 20 years, DST Systems, Inc., has administered the annual Gould Scholastic Award in honor of former CEO Robert Gould. This award recognizes outstanding university students who compose exceptional academic papers on topics related to investment management strategies, theories and trends. The award represents Gould’s legacy of effective utilization of operations management and information technology to advance the financial services industry. Student winners are awarded grants in the amounts of $10,000, $7,500 and $5,000 for first, second and third place, respectively, and are celebrated at a special ceremony in Kansas City.  More information about DST can be found at www.dstsystems.com.
 
Eligible participants are: junior, senior or honors program students. Graduate students are not eligible to participate. Group projects are eligible. Each university may submit up to three student papers for consideration of the award.

Student papers should be submitted to the School of Business office by email at sbdean@truman.edu by Dec. 15.

Barry Poyner, professor of communication, and junior communication major Ashleigh McDonald attended and presented papers at the Midwest Popular Culture and American Culture Association Conference in St. Louis, Oct. 18-21. These papers were a product of last spring’s COMM 385 Rhetorical Traditions class which focused on Midwestern oratory. Poyner’s paper is titled “A Proto-Theory for Understanding and Appreciating American Midwestern Public Address,” a version of which was recently published in the Journal of the Speech and Theatre Association of Missouri. McDonald’s paper is titled “Pawnee and the Mythical Midwest.” The class will be offered again in the spring semester and is a required class in the communication studies emphasis.

The Truman State University Foundation Spring 2018 Foundation Scholarship applications are now available. To apply, log in to TruView, go to the Student Tab, Student Finances, Foundation Scholarship Application. Students can submit and revise their application online at any time prior to the deadline of Nov. 3. This is a smaller application period for Foundation scholarships that have not yet been awarded for 2017-18. The main application period will begin in February for the 2018-19 scholarships. These scholarships are available thanks to the private gifts of alumni and friends of Truman State University.

The Rainbow Scholarship will be awarded to a deserving LGBTQI student who aims to participate in a high-quality, rigorous education abroad program. This scholarship is made possible by the generous support of a group of international education professionals who are committed to advocating on behalf of LGBTQI students.

Being a scholarship promoted by the Fund for Education Abroad (FEA), students who plan to study abroad for a full academic year (2018-19) could receive up to $10,000; $5,000 for students who plan to study abroad during the fall (2018) or spring (2019) semester; and awards that are prorated by number of weeks in-country (with a minimum of $1,250) for students studying abroad during summer 2018.

Requirements for this Scholarship include:
•    The Rainbow Scholarship recipient must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident
•    Currently enrolled as an undergraduate at a college or university in the U.S. (graduate students are not eligible)
•    Study abroad program must be eligible for academic credit at the student’s home institution
•    Study abroad program must include at least four weeks (28 days) in country/countries

Application components:
•    Online application form (includes an unofficial transcript)
•    Financial aid form (to be filled out by financial aid office)
•    Recommendation letter (submitted by a professor or advisor, maximum of one)

Scholarship Application Deadlines:
Opens- Nov. 15
Closes- Jan. 10

For more information on the Rainbow Scholarship, and others sponsored by the Fund for Education Abroad, visit fundforeducationabroad.org/rainbow-scholarship. To look at the different study abroad programs offered at Truman visit studyabroad.truman.edu/choosing-a-program/study-abroad-exchange-summerinterim.

For more information and to apply to a study abroad program, contact the Center for International Education Abroad, Baldwin Hall 106, 660.785.4076, ciea@truman.edu.