Vol. 23 No. 24 - March 4, 2019

Alumna and Emmy-nominated actress Jenna Fischer will return to Truman in April for the Holman Family Distinguished Speaker Series.

Since graduating from the University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in theatre in 1995, Fischer’s career includes more than 50 credits as an actor and producer. She is best known for her role as Pam on the hit NBC comedy “The Office,” and she currently stars on the ABC series “Splitting Up Together.” Among the feature films in her body of work are roles in “Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story,” “Blades of Glory” and director Clint Eastwood’s 2018 picture “The 15:17 to Paris.” After completing “The Office,” she starred in the off-Broadway production of Neil LaBute’s play “Reasons to be Happy.”

Fischer’s career in Hollywood goes beyond her acting duties. She starred in, and produced, the movie “The Giant Mechanical Man,” and she is currently producing and developing the comedy television series “National Parker” for Freeform. In 2017, she wrote “The Actor’s Life: A Survival Guide,” which documents her path to becoming a professional actor.

As part of the Holman Family Distinguished Speaker Series, Fischer will speak at 7:30 p.m. April 5 in Baldwin Hall Auditorium. The event is free, but a ticket is required. Tickets can be reserved online and picked up the night of the event. They also will be available at various locations on campus and at several Kirksville businesses, with details to be announced soon.

Fischer will sign copies of her book for a limited time following the presentation. Copies of “The Actor’s Life: A Survival Guide” can be purchased in advance through the University Bookstore. Attendees must have a copy of the book for access to the book signing. No other materials or memorabilia will be signed and there will be no photography or video allowed during the talk or book signing.  

The Holman Family Distinguished 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.

Havana Cuba All-Stars will end this year’s Kohlenberg Lyceum Series at 7:30 p.m. March 21 in Baldwin Hall Auditorium.

This tour brings together some of Cuba’s greatest musicians, as well as three of the country’s finest dancing couples. With rhythms and melodies from the cha cha to the rumba, from “Son Cubano” style to the salsa, the All-Stars will showcase a wide variety of Cuban beats. The group is inspired and dedicated to promoting the entire tapestry of Cuban music through a fresh, contemporary lens. With the greatest dancers and musicians of Cuba working in tandem, the American encore of the Havana Cuban All-Stars’ tour will be a spirited spectacle of song and dance, exemplifying Cuba’s greatest musical traditions.

Tickets for Havana Cuba All-Stars are $10 each, including tax, and they can be purchased at the Truman cashier window in McClain Hall, at Edna Campbells in downtown Kirksville or online at lyceum.truman.edu. If tickets are still available on the day of the performance, they can be purchased at Baldwin Hall Auditorium 30 minutes before the start of the show.

For more information email pr@truman.edu or call 660.785.4016.

Emma Devens and Will Storm are new advisors in the Center for International Education, and they are available to assist students interested in studying abroad.

Devens hails from Milwaukee, Wis. She earned a history degree at DePaul University and a master’s degree in international education from Concordia University. Prior to working at Truman, she taught English abroad in Russia and China. Devens also worked at an organization that was responsible for helping international students study at private high schools in the Milwaukee area.

Storm studied abroad in Rome while earning a degree in classics from the University of Iowa. Following a career as a legal assistant for the Senate Finance Committee in Washington, D.C., he returned to school and completed a Master of Divinity from the University of Chicago. In his work as a pastor, he added to his international experience with trips to Germany, Greece and Turkey.

Truman offers a wide variety of study abroad opportunities, with programs of varying lengths, academic emphasis and location. As advisors, Devens and Storm help students make informed decisions about where to study abroad. They can guide students through the application, orientation and pre-departure process. Click here to make an appointment.

Truman forensics union closed its regular season, Feb. 23, with several state championships at the Missouri Association of Forensics Activities (MAFA) Championship Tournament, hosted by Webster University in St. Louis.

The team earned 14 state championships, including first place in Harold Lawson Debate Sweepstakes for the third year in a row and the MAFA Director’s Award recognizing cumulative points earned. Forensics also placed second in Missouri overall, demonstrating comprehensive excellence in speech and debate.

In debate, senior Tyler Behymer, senior Johnathan Christy, sophomore Peyton Gilbert and sophomore Maguire Radosevic each won their quarterfinal round of Lincoln-Douglas debate. The result being these four students are MAFA 2019 state champions in open LD. First-year Macy Cecil advanced to novice LD finals and won, making her the state champion. Cecil also was named top speaker in novice LD, her second state championship of the night. Sophomore Cami Smith was named state champion speaker in open LD as well as open parliamentary debate. In the novice division of parliamentary debate, first-year Jackson Elder was named state champion speaker and took home a second state championship with first-year Michael Garrett by winning the final round.
 
Individual events speech also picked up three state championships. Sophomore Audrey Baker earned two state championships, one in afterdinner speaking and one in duo interpretation, which she shared with junior Austin Sopko. Baker placed fifth in pentathalon, recognizing highly competitive students entered in at least five events at the state tournament. Sopko joined Baker with his own third-place finish in pentathalon. Additionally, junior Rebecca Walker was named state champion in communication analysis. Each of these are state championships Truman has not won in recent history.
 
The success of Truman forensics was not made up solely of state championships, however. The team as a whole performed exceptionally well, earning a variety of other awards. They will now turn their attention to nationals, which will be hosted by the city of Santa Ana, Calif., in mid-April.
 
For more information about forensic union, contact Chris Outzen, director of forensics, or Craig Hennigan, assistant director of forensics.

Classes can be taken both online and on campus. Online classes allow students to study from the comfort of their home while taking courses to boost their GPA for scholarship reinstatement. On-campus classes provide plenty of opportunities for students to get face-to-face interactions with professors and experience Kirksville recreation during the summer. Both allow students to add coursework to a major or minor without delaying graduation, while saving time and money.

Inside Truman’s wellness website, students are able to gain more information on how to remain physically healthy. The body page offers different fitness workouts and healthy habits that students can adopt to suit their lifestyle and level of fitness. The site includes short video workouts, full-body workouts, weight room information, Sodexo food options and nutrition information and more.

Featured speaker Dr. Arun Raha will discuss “What Will the Next Recession Bring? Another Financial Crisis: Not This Time” at 7 p.m. March 4 in the Baldwin Hall Little Theatre.

Raha has a Bachelor of Economics with honors from Hindu College, University of Delhi, India; a Master of Economics from the Delhi School of Economics; and a Ph.D. in economics from Washington State University. He is currently employed at Eaton – a power management company that serves in the electrical, hydraulics, aerospace, commercial truck and automotive industries with 2018 sales in excess of $22 billion. Raha is responsible for domestic and international forecast of economic conditions. In 2007, he won the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago’s top overall forecast prize. He is a two-time winner of the Wall Street Journal’s forecasting award in January 2005 and February 2013.

Presentation Abstract: Every recession is different. The 2007-09 Great Recession came from a financial crisis that caused credit to dry up, similar to what happened during the Great Depression nearly 80 years ago, except this time it was investment banking that failed, not commercial banking. What will he next recession look like?

Doug Villhard, entrepreneur and sponsor of the Bulldog B.I.T.E. competition, will provide insight on creating a business from 6-8 p.m. March 5 in the Violette Hall 1000. Villhard will include in his discussion how to get a new business funded and answer any questions about entrepreneurship. Refreshments will be provided.

Sigma Delta Pi will be hosting their first cultural presentation entitled “Arte mudéjar” at 7:30 p.m. March 5 in Magruder Hall 2090.

Antonio Scuderi will present “Lovers In Hell: Canto V of Dante’s Inferno” at 7 p.m. March 5 in Magruder Hall 2001.

Presentation abstract: Dante’s "Divine Comedy" – an imaginary journey through the Christian afterlife – is one of the most important epic poems in western literature. “The Inferno,” the first book, tells of Dante’s adventures through Christian hell. In the fifth book, “Canto of the Inferno,” Dante meets two lovers who are destined to be together for eternity. Their story is based on true events that would have been forgotten in time. But by weaving it into his poem, Dante immortalized the names of Paolo and Francesca whose story throughout the centuries has inspired innumerable works of art, music and theatre.

SAB will host poet William Nu’utupu Giles at 6:30 p.m. March 5 in the Student Union Building Hub.

Giles is an afakasi Samoan writer and arts educator from Honolulu, Hawaii. He was featured in the HBO documentary “Russel Simmons Presents: Brave New Voices,” where he helped the Hawaii team win its first International Poetry Slam Championship. Giles is also the first Pacific Islander to win the National Underground Poetry Individual Competition.  

The event will begin with performances from TruPoets, and Giles will perform from 7-8 p.m. After the performance, he will host a workshop exploring the writing process, finding inspiration and developing a voice as a writer.

This event is free to the public and refreshments will be provided.

The United States Marine Band from San Diego will perform their Brass Quintet (with added percussion) at 8 p.m. March 5 in Ophelia Parrish Performance Hall. The concert is free and open to the public.

The application period for the Institute for Academic Outreach positions is now open.

The summer positions are available for:

Videographer: Joseph Baldwin Academy
Preceptor: ATSU-Truman Healthcare Academy
Night Monitor: ATSU-Truman Healthcare Academy
Preceptor: Taiwan at Truman
Night Monitor: Taiwan at Truman

Preferred applicants for ATSU-Truman Healthcare Academy are currently students majoring in a health-related field.

Taiwan at Truman is in search of only female preceptors, specifically those with an interest or experience in foreign language, linguistics or ESL, as the academy will only have female Taiwanese students in Summer 2019.

Preceptors are expected to be supportive of the University goals, responsible, enjoy working with high-ability teenage students and be high-energy individuals.

 In order to apply for a preceptor position, students must:
1) currently be a full-time student at Truman
2) have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 at the time of application
 
Applicants should prepare a letter of interest which should include the skills they possess that will assist them when working with high-ability teenage students, related work experiences, and why they are interested in the summer academy for which they apply. Applicants will also need to complete the online application, provide a current resume and list a reference.

Job applications can be submitted through the job application form.

The Wind Symphony II and the Concert Band will provide music for the Song and Dance event at 8 p.m. March 6 in Ophelia Parrish Performance Hall. The concert features work by Bernstein, Chance, Reed, Holsinger, Grainger and will feature Wind Symphony concerto winner Alanna Benoit (clarinet). The concert is free and open to the public.

Truman's Band Invitational concert will take place at 8 p.m. March 7 in the Ophelia Parrish Performance Hall. The concert will feature Kirksville High School Symphonic Band and Truman State University’s Wind Symphony I. The bands will be performing works by Hazo, Dahl, Beethoven and Maslanka. The concert will also feature Wind Symphony concerto winner, Micheal Rucker Jr. (alto saxophone). This event is free and open to public.

The Truman Public Relations Office is now accepting applications for the fall 2019 internship.

Interns work approximately 32 hours per week and can choose to receive six to nine credit hours. To maintain full-time student status, interns take two three-credit classes in addition to the internship credit hours. A small stipend is also included.

Primary responsibilities of the intern include assisting with the production of the University’s online weekly newsletter, as well as contributing to the Truman Review alumni magazine. The intern also will help with special events throughout the semester, write press releases and fulfill other office tasks.

Applicants should have a strong background in writing and editing. Communication majors are encouraged to apply, with special consideration given to candidates with knowledge of Associated Press Style. Applicants must have the flexibility to work 32 hours a week.

To apply, send a resume, an advising transcript, two writing samples and contact information for two on-campus references to the Public Relations Office, McClain Hall 202, no later than March 8. For questions about the internship, contact Travis Miles.

The Detours magazine photo contest will be open until March 18.

The contest is open to any photos the photographer finds to best fit the chosen theme, “A New Perspective.” The winners will be featured on the Detours magazine website. Entries must include the location of the picture as well as the photographer’s name. No watermarks should be on the photos. Participants are limited to three submissions and are encouraged to include a short caption describing the story behind the photo. By entering the photo contest, participants grant Detours magazine permission to use their photos.

Submissions can be sent to editor@detoursmagazine.com. For more information and to see past photo contest winners, visit detoursmagazine.com. 

Linda Seidel, professor emerita of English, will present “Birthday Girls: Queen Victoria and George Eliot at 200” at 5:30 p.m. March 20 in Violette Hall 1010. This event is free and open to the public.

Presentation Abstract: Queen Victoria and George Eliot (aka Mary Ann Evans) were both born in 1819, making them 200 years old in 2019. Victoria reigned longer than any previous British monarch, ascending the throne in 1837 at the age of 18; by the time she died in 1901 few Britons could remember a time without her. Eliot, author of “Middlemarch” and member of the newly emergent middle class, has been called by her biographers “the last Victorian” and “the voice of a century” – in other words, a kind embodiment of the age to which Victoria gave her name. Yet it would be a mistake to over-stress their similarities. One was a progressive intellectual, despite her emotional conservatism; the other might be called a Tory populist, at least in that long period after Prince Albert was no longer around to advocate for the more liberal views. Taken together, the lives of these two women give us a powerful glimpse of the time in which they lived while also shaping the world we live in now.

Student Government is seeking a student speaker for the 2019 commencement ceremony. Students who are graduating in May and have a GPA of 3.0 or higher are eligible to apply. Applications can be found at senate.truman.edu/applications. All application material must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. April 5. Questions can be addressed to Katie Alexander at kga5644@truman.edu.

The Career Center is partnering with the Study Abroad Office to host a workshop on marketing study abroad experiences from 6-7 p.m. April 1 in Violette Hall 1430. The workshop will teach students to effectively market their study abroad experience to graduate schools and future employers. For more information, contact the Center for International Education Abroad at ciea@truman.edu or 660.785.7466 or contact the Career Center at careers@truman.edu or 660.785.4353.

March 8
7:30 a.m.-10 p.m.

March 9-10
Closed

March 11
7:30 a.m.-5 p.m.

March 12-15
7:30 a.m.-7 p.m.

March 16
Closed

March 17
7:30 a.m.-10 p.m.

March 18
7:30 a.m.-10 p.m.

In case of an emergency, call 9-1-1. To have an officer dispatched for a non-emergency, call 660.665.5621.

Sarah Berke, assistant professor of biology, is a finalist for the 2019 Course Hero-Woodrow Wilson Fellowship for Excellence in Teaching, non-tenure-track. Berke is one of 12 finalists among several hundred applicants. She has been invited to interview with members of the selection committee and Woodrow Wilson Foundation staff, March 25.

Huping Ling, professor of history, published “The Chinese American Studies: Theories, Approaches, Challenges and Potentials.” International Journal of Diasporic Chinese Studies, Vol. 10, No.1 (June 2018): 81-110.

John James Quinn, professor of political science and international relations, wrote an article entitled “African Foreign Policies” which was published in the Oxford Research Encyclopedia of International Studies. The article will be released later this year. It is an updated version of an article published by The International Studies Compendium Project in 2010.