Vol. 24 No. 11 - October 28, 2019

Members of the Truman community look on as President Sue Thomas cuts the ribbon for the new plaza.

The ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Sandra K. Giachino Reavey Sesquicentennial Plaza took place Oct. 19 during Homecoming weekend.

Thanks to gifts from many generous donors through a plaza campaign, including a brick campaign, the entire Student Union Plaza received a makeover. The new fountain and surrounding area were named after Reavey, following a donation from her estate and the success of Truman’s 150th anniversary brick campaign.

Reavey was a Kirksville native and 1962 graduate of Truman. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in business education. In addition to the plaza naming gift, she also established the Sandra K. Giachino Reavey Scholarship to support Kirksville High School graduates who are majoring in business at Truman. Reavey passed away in January 2018.

The plaza features inscribed bricks and pavers that were donated through the Sesquicentennial campaign. The Brick Lookup Tool can be used to pinpoint the section where bricks or pavers are located on the plaza.

Art major Wesley Scafe created the purple scissors used at the ribbon cutting. They will also be used for future Truman ribbon cuttings.

Jennifer Hurst, professor of health and exercise sciences, in collaboration with the JED Campus committee, will host “Vulnerability: A Call to Courage,” from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Nov. 11 in Violette Hall 1000.

This event will include a screening of “A Call to Courage,” a Netflix documentary by Brene Brown that discusses what it takes to be courageous in getting out of comfort zones in today’s culture. Hurst discussed vulnerability as part of her Truman Week lecture to the incoming freshmen class this past August, and this event will build on themes discussed in that presentation.

The documentary will be followed by a group activity and discussion, facilitated by Hurst, exploring participants’ experiences of vulnerability at Truman and how to create a culture on campus that supports vulnerability and personal growth for students, faculty and staff alike.

All members of campus are invited to attend and are welcomed for the discussion. Faculty members or organizations who wish to incorporate the event into their classes or meetings are invited to contact Hurst for a short resource document that includes background on the original Truman Week lecture and ideas for reflection prompts that can be incorporated into discussions or assignments.

Truman’s forensic union competed at the annual Missouri Mule and Dale Carnegie Swing tournament hosted by the University of Central Missouri, Oct. 19 and 20, earning nine new national qualifications and multiple sweepstakes awards.

In individual event speaking, senior Austin Sopko kicked off a successful weekend by earning a tournament championship in afterdinner speaking, second place in impromptu speaking and fourth place in duo interpretation with junior Audrey Baker. Sopko’s high ranks in multiple events earned him third place in pentathalon, a sweepstakes award for students competing in at least five different speaking categories. Baker also reached finals in prose interpretation, finishing third. First-year Maya Krump earned a top novice award in informative speaking.

On the second day of competition, Sopko accomplished the rare feat of earning back-to-back championships in an event with another win in afterdinner speaking. Sopko also earned a second championship by placing first in duo interpretation with Baker. Baker picked up her own championship as well, winning prose interpretation. All three of these tournament championships were based on unanimous decisions by the judging panels.

The success did not stop there as Sopko earned second place in prose interpretation to Baker, and Baker earned fourth place in persuasive speaking. Sopko’s consistent success paid off, earning him a tournament championship in pentathalon, his fourth championship of the weekend. Senior Rebecca Walker earned third place in persuasive speaking and Krump placed fifth in informative speaking, earning her second top novice trophy for the event.

The first day of debate saw six debaters advance to elimination rounds. First-year Gabe Smith dominated the junior varsity (JV) division, earning a tournament championship in Lincoln-Douglas (LD) debate with a perfect preliminary round record. First-year Zach Evans also reached elimination rounds in the JV division, finishing as a semifinalist. Sophomore Michael Garrett and first-year Johnny Blocker finished as quarterfinalist in the JV division. Garrett also earned the award for fourth best speaker in the division and Evans took second. In the novice division, first-year Jacob Tourville reached the semi-final round and first-year Alec Cochran earned a quarterfinalist ranking.

The second day of debate saw Cochran and Tourville both reach the final round of the novice division in LD, resulting in their co-championship. Both had perfect records in preliminary rounds. Cochran also earned the award for fourth best speaker in the division and Tourville earned third best speaker. In the JV division, first-year Zoie Francisco advanced to the final round and finished in second place in LD.

After totaling the scores for the whole weekend, the team earned third in individual events sweepstakes, second in debate sweepstakes overall and second in overall combined speech and debate sweepstakes.

The team will travel next to the Redbird Swing Nov. 2 and 3, hosted by Illinois State University. For more information on how to get involved, visit forensics.truman.edu or contact Christopher Outzen, director of forensics or Craig Hennigan, assistant director of forensics.

Truman will conduct a test of the emergency notification system at 10:30 a.m. Nov. 8.

Students, faculty and staff who have signed up to receive Truman emergency alert text notifications will get a TruAlert text and email message letting them know it is a test. Those that have not signed up for emergency text messaging can do so through TruView.

To sign up, sign in to TruView and click on the “Truman” tab. Click the “Update Emergency Text Messaging Information” under “Update and View My Personal Information” (lower right screen). A maximum of three phones can be registered to receive texts. Confirm information in the same manner.

An emergency alert will be displayed on all Truman computer systems where the Alertus software has been installed. This should include nearly all workstations on campus. There will also be alerts sent to digital signs in Violette Hall, Magruder Hall, Ophelia Parrish and Health Sciences, to the Truman channel on the cable televisions in residence halls and to classrooms with the Truman touch-pad control system installed.

The campus is also encouraged to review the emergency procedures. It is important the entire community is familiar with these procedures in order to understand how to respond appropriately in a number of emergency situations.

The city of Kirksville is also implementing a new mass notification system known as ReGroup. Alerts can be customized by email, text and/or phone call. There are a variety of groups that can be joined to get notifications about emergencies, advisories, community events and newsletters. Sign-up can be completed here.

The Del and Norma Planetarium will host laser shows through Nov. 2. Attendees should be advised the laser shows involve loud music and bright, flashing lights. Shows are not conducive to those with epilepsy or sensitivity to loud noises and flashing light. Shows will last 30-45 minutes.

Electro Pop
7p.m.
Oct. 28

Fright Light
8 p.m.
Oct. 28

Laser Metallica
9 p.m.
Oct. 28

Laser X
7 p.m.
Oct. 29

Laser Beatles
8 p.m.
Oct. 29

Electro Pop
9 p.m.
Oct. 29

Laser Rock
6 p.m.
Oct. 30

Hypnotica
7 p.m.
Oct. 30

Fright Light
8 p.m.
Oct. 30

Laser Vinyl
9 p.m.
Oct. 30

Fright Light
4 p.m.
Oct. 31

Laser Queen
6 p.m.
Oct. 31

Pink Floyd
7 p.m.
Oct. 31

Fright Light
8 p.m.
Oct. 31

Fright Light II
9 p.m.
Oct. 31

Fright Light II
4 p.m.
Nov. 1

Laser Country
6 p.m.
Nov. 1

Laser Vinyl
7 p.m.
Nov. 1

Laser Retro
8 p.m.
Nov. 1

Laser Queen
9 p.m.
Nov. 1

Laser U2
4 p.m.
Nov. 2

Laser X
6 p.m.
Nov. 2

Laser Zeppelin
8 p.m.
Nov. 2

Laser Beatles
9 p.m.
Nov. 2

The Center for Diversity and Inclusion will host Safe Zone Training from 2:30-4:30 p.m. Nov. 1 and 3-5 p.m. Nov. 21 in the Student Union Building Room 3000. Participants will learn current terminology and simple ways to create a welcoming campus environment. Training sessions are for people to learn more about LGBTQ issues and, specifically, LGBTQ issues regarding students at Truman. Trainings are open to all wanting to become a Safe Zone ally. RSVP here. For more information, contact Brad Turnbull at bturnbull@truman.edu.

International Education Week, Nov. 3-9, is a nationally recognized event that serves as an opportunity to celebrate international students and study abroad opportunities. These experiences enrich education and make campus a more diverse and welcoming place. Events include:

Night Market
5-7 p.m.
Nov. 3
Student Union Building Down Under
Admission is $5 and will feature food cooked by campus cultural clubs.

Game Night
6-8 p.m.
Nov. 4
Baptist Student Union

International Tea and Coffee
5-6:30 p.m.
Nov. 5
Student Union Building Hub

Careers Around the World
7-8 p.m.
Nov. 7
Baldwin Hall Room 114

Language Crash Course
7-8 p.m.
Nov. 8
Violette Hall 1400s

International Idol
7 p.m.
Nov. 9
Baldwin Hall Auditorium
Students can see a variety of performances from different international students, and judges will award a prize for the top performance.

A faculty-led study abroad trip in May and June 2020 will explore the culture of Ireland while studying public relations and journalism through an international experience.

The three-week trip will be led by Don Krause, professor of communication. The group will stay in Dublin and Belfast. Sites planned for the trip include Kilkenny Castle, a cliff walk from Greystones to Bray, the Book of Kells and Giant’s Causeway. Students will also go on a political tour in Belfast to learn about “The Troubles.”

Throughout their time abroad, students will look at communication-related topics including public relations, journalism and photography from an Irish perspective. The trip is open to all majors, and students will earn three credits.

Students who wish to be considered for Foundation Scholarships need to complete their application by Nov. 15. The regular application deadline will be Jan. 20. To learn more about the trip, visit studyabroad.truman.edu/programs/faculty-led/commireland or contact Krause.

Renowned autism spokesperson and professor of animal science, Temple Grandin will speak Dec. 6 in Baldwin Auditorium.

Grandin is one of the most accomplished and well-known adults with autism in the world. Her life was brought to screen in the HBO full-length film, “Temple Grandin,” starring Claire Danes. She has been inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, featured on NPR and has a 2010 TED lecture titled “The World Needs ALL Kinds of Minds.” She has also been featured on the BBC special “The Woman Who Thinks Like a Cow,” ABC’s “Primetime Live,” NBC’s “The Today Show” and more.

Grandin developed her talents into a successful career as a livestock-handling equipment designer and is one of few in the world. She has authored multiple books including her bestselling book on autism, “The Way I See It: A Personal Look at Autism and Asperger’s.” Grandin is considered a philosophical leader in both the animal welfare and autism advocacy movements.

As one of the first individuals on the autism spectrum to publicly share insights from her personal experiences, Grandin will be presenting on her life, how she got to where she is today and educating about autism. She will also be the keynote speaker for the Livestock Symposium, taking place Dec. 7.

Those interested in hearing Grandin speak can visit eventbrite.com to purchase a ticket for $99. For more information contact Donna Brown at 660.341.9993. The Missouri Livestock Symposium website will also have event details.

The Office of Student Research is accepting applications for Conference Travel Scholarship and Grants-in-Aid of Scholarship and Research (GIASR).

Students presenting the results of their research or creative scholarship in upcoming conferences from January to June 2020 are able to request scholarship aid to cover up to $500. The scholarships will aid in costs for conference registration, lodging and travel expenses. Students must have completed or be currently involved in a faculty-mentored research experience and plan on presenting at the conference.

GIASR applications are available for research and creative scholarship conducted in Spring 2020. Grant applications can request up to $750 and can cover student stipends, supplies and travel to conduct research. A GIASR writing proposal will take place from 3:30-5 p.m. Oct. 28 in the Student Union Building Georgian Room A.

Complete guidelines for the Conference Travel Scholarship and GIASR applications can be found at the Office of Student Research website. Applications for both funding opportunities are due at 11:59 p.m. Nov. 13. Further questions can be sent to osr@truman.edu.

Truman students Mary Butler, Reuben Kern, Addison Leabo, Alexandra Marko, Kerstin Peterson and Alyssa Tipler gave research poster presentations at the 2019 Midwest Regional Meeting of the American Chemical Society in Wichita, Kan. Biochemistry majors Butler, Peterson and Tipler presented on developing an essay to understand the mechanism of a protein chaperone. Biochemistry major Kern and biology majors Leabo and Marko presented on the work they have done creating disulfide-mediated aggregates of the proteins that cause cataracts in order to see if a molecular chaperone can reverse this aggregation. These students will be continuing their work in the Dobson lab.
Kerstin Peterson, Reuben Kern, Addison Leabo, Cassidy Dobson, Alexandra Marko, Mary Butler and Alyssa Tipler

Faculty-led programs being offered during the May Interim and Summer 2020 semester include:

Biology in the Amazon Rainforests of Peru
Journalism and PR in Ireland
Summer Spanish Programs in Costa Rica and Spain
Japanese Language and Culture in Japan
Creative Writing and Communication in England
Business in Italy, Croatia and Slovenia
Cantoria Choir concert tour in France
Communication Disorders clinical experience in Mexico
Nursing clinical experience in the Philippines

Foundation Scholarships for study abroad are awarded in varying increments, ranging from $500-$3,000. Last year, more than $80,000 in total scholarships were awarded, and this year’s total awards are estimated to be about the same amount. Priority consideration for Foundation Scholarships will be given to students who have applied for a faculty-led program, paid a program deposit and completed a registration agreement by Nov. 15.

Students can apply online through TruView>Student Tab>Registration>Apply to Study Abroad. Awards will be announced by Dec. 6 and students will have through Jan. 20 to accept any award or receive a refund of their deposit.

Students can explore faculty-led programs here. Contact Will Storm with any questions.