Vol. 22 No. 27 - April 3, 2018

Truman has again earned recognition for being one of the best public colleges in the nation.

In rankings recently released by Business First, the University comes in at No. 61 overall and No. 15 in the Midwest. In order to be considered, schools needed to grant bachelor’s degrees and have full-time enrollments larger than 1,000. A total of 485 schools were rated with the University of Michigan taking the top spot, followed by North Carolina, California-Berkeley, Virginia and UCLA rounding out the top five.

The annual rankings are based on a 22-part formula that analyzes the latest data from the National Center for Education Statistics and the U.S. Census Bureau. It gives the highest marks to schools with highly selective admissions processes, strong retention and graduation rates, impressive earnings by alumni, generous resources, affordable tuitions and housing costs, diverse faculties and student bodies, and economically robust communities.

To see the full list, click here.

Dawn Sardella-Ayres will present “Girls’ Literature as Genre and the Importance of Girlhood” at 6:30 p.m. April 4 as a part of the Clayton B. Ofstad Reading series.

The girls’ bildungsroman is one in which the heroine or heroines learn their place in society as a woman. This encompasses her physical, psychological and moral coming of age. By examining the ways in which girls and girlhood have been presented, defined and performed in popular and enduring works of literature, it is possible to raise new questions about what it means to be a girl today.

Sardella-Ayres will discuss how classic works of American and Canadian girls’ texts can be grouped together as a distinct genre, the North American girls’ bildungsroman, through which unique ideologies of space, place, heritage, gender and social structures can be explored. Girls’ bildungsroman is a text or series of texts in which the heroine is portrayed constructing and developing, or engaging in acts which construct and develop, a gendered identity within her social and domestic environment.

Sponsored by the Department of English and Linguistics, the presentation is free and open to the public.

Due to the generosity and vision of Odessa Ofstad in creating the Clayton B. Ofstad Endowed Chair in English and Linguistics, the Department of English and Linguistics is able to offer a range of intensive seminars, master classes and workshops in creative writing, English and linguistics led by guest writers and scholars. Along with these classes, the Clayton B. Ofstad Reading Series, which features these guests, has become a centerpiece of departmental and campus culture.

The Truman State University Children’s Literature Festival will take place from 9 a.m.-2:15 p.m. April 20 in the Student Union Building for more than 1,500 fourth-, fifth- and sixth-grade students.    
                            
Visiting authors and illustrators include Dianna Hutts Aston, Jennifer Chambliss Bertman, Elise Broach, Henry Cole, Dan Gemeinhart, Varian Johnson, Lita Judge, Dana Alison Levy, Jenny Lundquist, Beth McMullen and Roland Smith.

Students will participate in 30-minute sessions with the guest authors and illustrators. All children attending must be pre-registered. University faculty, staff, students and other interested adults are welcome at any of the sessions. Contact Daisy Rearick or call 660.785.4048 to register.

Anyone interested is welcome to attend an informal meeting and book signing with the authors and illustrators from 3-4 p.m. in the Student Union Building Conference Room. Refreshments will be served.

The festival will conclude with a dinner at 6 p.m. in the Student Union Building Activities Room. The dinner is limited to pre-registered adults and children accompanied by an adult. The cost of the dinner is $13. To register, contact Rearick or call 660.785.4048. At 7 p.m. author and illustrator Henry Cole will give a presentation. Those interested in attending the dinner should register by April 13.

The Children’s Literature Festival was an annual event for 21 years. Due to severe budget cuts, the festival was discontinued in 2004. A Children’s Literature Festival Fund was started in 2007 in an effort to revive the event, and the festival returned in 2009. For more information about the fund, contact the Office of Advancement at 660.785.4133.

The festival is sponsored by Pickler Memorial Library with financial support from the Freeman Foundation, Follett Higher Education Group--Truman State University Bookstore and the Truman State University Foundation. Additional information may be obtained from Sharon Hackney at 660.785.7366 or shackney@truman.edu as well as the Children’s Literature Festival webpage, library.truman.edu/Children’sLiteratureFestival.htm.

The authors’ books are available at the Truman State University Bookstore.

Applications are now available for summer internships at the Harry S. Truman Library and Museum in Independence, Mo.

The summer internship provides an opportunity to work at an establishment belonging to the network of 14 presidential libraries administered by the National Archives and Records Administration. Its collection contains materials relating to the many world-changing developments that occurred within the presidency of Missouri-born Harry S. Truman, including the dawn of the nuclear age, the commencement of the Cold War, the reconstruction of a Europe devastated by World War II and the recognition of the newly-created State of Israel. As well as housing many documents that would have crossed the president’s desk, the library and museum’s collection contains materials relating to Truman’s life before and after his tenure at the White House.
 
This is an eight-week 40-hour-a-week internship coinciding with the University’s eight-week summer session. Interns earn academic credit, and the internship comes with an in-state tuition scholarship thanks to the generosity of Fred and Ethel Schwengel, who graduated from Truman in the 1930s and established an endowment to support students who share their passion for history.
 
The summer internships are open to all students, but they are especially relevant for those considering careers in archives, museums, teaching and law. For more information on how to apply, contact Jason McDonald, 660.785.7575, or click here.

Students were honored with seven awards in the Missouri Broadcast Educators Association 2018 Media Contest. The annual MBEA competition features multiple audio, video and online contest categories. The entries must have been produced through student media operations and/or coursework. Students from two Communication Department areas participated: the Truman Media Network and a 2017 department special topics film course.

The list of winners include:

Matt Ragsdale (TMN/KTRM-FM)
First Place, Audio Air Check

Matt Ragsdale (TMN/KTRM-FM)
First Place, Audio Station Promo

Michael Menkhus (TMN/KTRM-FM)
Honorable Mention, Audio Station Promo

Michael Menkhus and John Heuer (TMN/KTRM-FM)
First Place, Audio Play-By-Play

Allyson Lotz and Ben Cook (TMN/Website)
First Place, Multi-Media/Website

Sarah Hicks (COMM312: Special Topics, Digital Film)
First Place, Video/Documentary Film

Jack Derbak and Spencer Foust (COMM312: Special Topics, Digital Film)
Honorable Mention, Scriptwriting/Dramatic

Students competed against more than a dozen other public and private MBEA-member universities in Missouri. Only one other Missouri university, Missouri State, collected more awards than Truman. First place and honorable mention winners will receive certificates from the MBEA.

Truman is known for its academics, but the University does have an interesting, albeit fleeting, history with America’s pastime. A total of nine Bulldogs were either drafted by Major League Baseball teams or signed as free agents, and four alumni have played at the sport’s highest level.
 
Al Nipper is the name most Bulldog baseball fans might remember best. His seven-year career was spent mostly with the Boston Red Sox. He played in the famed 1986 World Series against the New York Mets, starting game four and taking the loss after giving up three runs on seven hits.
 
The ’86 series nearly saw a pair of Bulldogs take the field. Alumnus Bruce Berenyi started that season with the Mets but made his final MLB appearance in July. It was the last of his seven years in the majors. The Cincinnati Reds selected Berenyi in the first round of the 1976 MLB draft, and he was the third selection overall. That is the same spot the San Diego Padres took fellow pitcher and alumnus Dave Wehrmeister in the 1973 draft.
 
Guy Curtright was the first University alumnus to make it to the show. He played for the Chicago White Sox from 1943-46 logging a career batting average of .276 with nine home runs and 108 RBIs.

Daymond John from ABC’s Emmy Award-winning television series “Shark Tank” will give the Holman Family Distinguished Speakers Series presentation at 7:30 p.m. April 13 in Baldwin Hall Auditorium.  
 
In addition to his successful role on “Shark Tank,” John is a two-time New York Times best-selling author who also was named a Presidential Ambassador for Global Entrepreneurship under the Obama Administration for his relentless commitment to promoting and supporting entrepreneurs.
 
From the streets of Hollis, Queens, John started a global movement from the basement of his mother’s house by capitalizing on the then fledgling hip-hop culture. He initially made his mark as the entrepreneur and branding expert behind the groundbreaking lifestyle brand FUBU, which eclipsed more than $6 billion in global retail sales. Today, the streetwear market that FUBU pioneered is a $20 billion industry.
 
John recently wrapped up his ninth season of the iconic business show, “Shark Tank,” where he continues to be a fan favorite and earned the affectionate nickname “The People’s Shark.”
 
Earlier this year, John released his fourth book, “Rise and Grind,” which became an instant New York Times bestseller. The book takes an up-close look at the hard-charging routines and winning secrets of individuals who have risen to the challenges in their lives and grinded their way to the very tops of their fields. An accomplished author, his previous book “The Power of Broke” also landed on the New York Times bestsellers list and won the 2017 NAACP Image Award for “Outstanding Literary Work – Instructional.”
 
John continues to take pride in his ongoing fight against dyslexia. He has worked with the Yale Center for Dyslexia, and he currently sits on the advisory board of Understood.org. He has embraced his affliction, allowing it to be a catalyst for his career as a highly sought after public speaker and author.
 
The presentation is free, and no ticket is required. The Holman Family Speaker Series was created in honor of Squire Paul and Meeda (Daniel) Holman by their children to honor their parents’ long association with Truman. It is funded through an endowment with the Truman State University Foundation. For more information, email pr@truman.edu or call 660.785.4016.

The Public Health Fair will take place 9:30 a.m.-3 p.m. April 4 on the Mall. The fair is an educational event coordinated by Student Public Health Association in collaboration with the Nursing Students Association, Women’s Resource Center, Take Root Café, Student Health Advocacy Group, GlobeMed, MoDOT Arrive Alive and the Truman Sustainability Office.

Elijah Farrales was awarded the highly competitive CIEE Gilman Go Global Grant.

The $1,000 grant was awarded to Farrales for his commitment to studying abroad. He became eligible for the grant by applying for the Benjamin A. Gilman Scholarship and is still in the running to win the Gilman Scholarship as well. This coming summer, Farrales plans to study in Seoul, South Korea, as a part of the CIEE Summer Korean Studies program. This specific grant can be used to help offset the cost of the host university’s housing.

For information on the Benjamin A. Gilman Scholarship, eligibility requirements and how to apply, visit gilmanscholarship.org. For information on studying abroad or other study abroad scholarship opportunities, visit studyabroad.truman.edu or the Center for International Education Abroad, Baldwin Hall 106.

A concert featuring two short choral-orchestral masterworks, J.S. Bach’s “Magnificat” and John Rutter’s “Requiem,” will occur at 8 p.m. April 7 in Ophelia Parrish Performance Hall.

English composer and conductor Rutter is known for his work with the Cambridge Singers and for writing approachable music. “Requiem,” written in 1985 and dedicated to the composer’s father, melds mystery with beauty, lush choral writing with a chamber orchestra and a touch of intensity with peacefulness. Soprano Lindsey Lang joins the choir and orchestra for this piece.

Bach’s “Magnificat,” a well-known and celebrated Christmas piece, sets the “Song of Mary” text, when Mary praises God upon learning that she will bear His son. As the trumpets, timpani, flutes, oboes and strings resound a joyous introduction, the “Magnificat” pulls the listener immediately into Bach’s world of grandeur. The following 11 concise movements alternate soloists with the choir and very fast music with more contemplative movements. One of the most significant short works from the choral-orchestral repertoire, “Magnificat” is an uplifting celebration of the mystery of life.

Sponsored by the University Orchestra and Cantoria, the concert will include: faculty soloists Elaine AuBuchon, Jacqueline Collett and Jeffrey Seppala; guest soloist Lang; alumni soloists Lisa Blake and Frank Fleschner; and conductor Mark Jennings.

As admission, a suggested donation of $5 for general admission and $3 for students and youth is encouraged.

The Center for Academic Excellence is hiring tutors for math, sciences, economics, foreign languages and other areas. Tutors will receive on-the-job training. Apply at excellence.truman.edu/tutoring. For more information, contact Marcy Graham.

International Dinner
7-9 p.m.
April 8
Student Union Building Georgian Rooms

Event Description: Come aboard International Air, where we will be taking you to festivals around the world. Our flight service comes with world class in-flight entertainment as well as 15 amazing international dishes prepared by chefs from all corners of the world. Don’t miss out on this once in a lifetime experience.

The dress for the occasion is formal. Tickets are $10 and are available for purchase from 12-4 p.m. April 3-5 in the main level of the Student Union Building. For more information, email tsu.iclub@gmail.com.

The Philosophy and Religion Department is hosting senior capstone presentations April 9-17 in Baldwin Hall 101. All sessions are open to the public. The schedule of speakers and topics is available here.

Blue Key and Cardinal Key will host a blood drive from 11 a.m.-6 p.m. April 10-11 in the Student Union Building. To schedule an appointment, call Shana Engel at 660.785.4222, or visit redcrossblood.org and enter in the sponsor code TrumanState.

Students can study abroad in Israel this summer at the Hebrew University’s Rothberg International School (RIS) or through the Coexistence in the Middle East program.

RIS offers students currently studying sciences, engineering and medicine the opportunity to study and gain hands-on research experience in Israel. RIS recently designed two new introductory courses in life sciences, in human physiology and cell biology or genetics. The courses are designed to fit U.S. pre-medicine syllabi, enabling American undergraduate students to study abroad while completing medical school requirements.

Internships are also available through the RIS summer science internship program. Participating students will earn academic credit and gain hands-on experience by spending 40 hours a week conducting research in Israel’s state-of-the-art laboratories. Internships are offered in 22 fields of study, including molecular biology, physics, psychology, ecology and bioengineering. For more information, click here.

The Coexistence in the Middle East program, a summer or winter interim opportunity, allows students to gain a deeper understanding of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and potential solutions from a wide array of perspectives. Students will get the opportunity to explore historical and biblical sites, such as Temple Mount and Church of the Holy Sepulcher, and safely observe sites of conflict, like the security fence at the West Bank and the borders with Lebanon and Syria. This gives students the opportunity to engage with people in the midst of the conflict. There will also be meetings with religious leaders, peace activists and government officials, from Israeli diplomats to a former Palestinian minister. For more information, click here.

For other study abroad opportunities, visit studyabroad.truman.edu. For more information about studying abroad, contact the Center for International Education/Study Abroad, Baldwin Hall 106, 660.785.4076, ciea@truman.edu.

Students Supporting the Exceptional Community is looking for volunteers to help with Special Olympics from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. April 21. For more information or to sign up to be a volunteer, click here. Questions can be directed to tsu.ssec@gmail.com.

An Arbor Day tree-planting event will take place at 12:30 p.m. April 27 on the Quad.

Following the planting, there will be a guided tree walk. Speakers will include representatives from the City of Kirksville, Truman administration, ECO at Truman, Tree Advisory Committee and the local Missouri Department of Conservation forester.

More information can be found on the event's Facebook page. Questions can be directed to Lori Shook, campus planning, at lshook@truman.edu or 660.785.7226.

Lavender Graduation will occur from 4-6 p.m. May 6 in the Student Union building Activities Room.

Lavender Graduations take place on college and university campuses across the country and serve as a space for LGBTQ+ students to celebrate their academic accomplishments with friends and family, as well as present and dress as they like. This is especially meaningful for students who are transgender or gender non-conforming that cannot be themselves with their family. For this reason, these events will take place the weekend before traditional graduation ceremonies. All LGBTQ+ students, undergraduate and graduate, who will graduate this academic year are welcome to participate in the ceremony. Friends, family, faculty, staff and allies are welcome to attend in support of the graduates.
 
For more information and to RSVP visit mac.truman.edu/lavgrad. Attendance is free.

Amanda Langendoerfer, associate dean of libraries for special collections and museums, will attend “Textual Mobilities: Works, Books & Reading Across Early Modern Europe,” June 10-15 in Philadelphia. The one-week course is the final class Langendoerfer needs to obtain a certificate of proficiency from the University of Virginia’s Rare Book School. The competitive program offers professional development for librarians, curators, collectors and anyone interested in the field of rare books. During the past four years, Langendoerfer has participated in four additional courses toward the completion of her certification.

Nine students attended the first annual MoLSAMP Undergraduate Research Symposium in St. Louis March 23-25. The students are current scholars in the Missouri Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation Program. Devin Hudson, junior computer science major, presented his group’s research on Virtual Learning Environments for children with autism. Scholars were also able to meet Dwyane Smith, alumnus and first director of the Multicultural Affairs Center on Truman’s campus. While at the conference, scholars participated in professional development sessions, networking activities and a graduate school fair. Underrepresented students in the following majors are encouraged to join the MoLSAMP Program: agricultural sciences, biology, chemistry, computer science, mathematics, physics and statistics. Participants receive STEM-specific advising and academic tutoring, opportunities to conduct paid summer research, 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. Participation in the program is free. To learn more, stop by STEP Office in Magruder Hall 3101 or email molsamp@truman.edu.