Vol. 25 No. 3 - August 31, 2020

The Truman State University Children’s Literature Festival will continue to be a shining resource for area school children for at least the next five years thanks to a generous gift from the Freeman Foundation.

Each year, the festival provides the opportunity for 1,200-1,600 area fourth-, fifth- and sixth-grade students to visit campus and participate in 30-minute sessions with guest authors and illustrators. The Freeman Foundation recently made a $100,000 gift to the Truman State University Foundation with the majority of the funds designated to support the Children’s Literature Festival.    

“We are so grateful for this gift from the Freeman Foundation to allow for the continuation of this important festival. Children in this region would have few opportunities to meet award-winning authors and illustrators without this festival. Witnessing the excitement and the love of reading grow within these students is truly amazing,” said Janet Romine, associate dean of libraries for research and instruction.

The Children’s Literature Festival was an annual event for 21 years. Due to severe budget cuts, it 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. In the years since, more than 15,000 participants have been able to interact with 115 authors and illustrators.

Additional information about the festival may be obtained from the Children’s Literature Festival webpage. For more information about the fund, contact the Office of Advancement at 660.785.4133 or visit truman.edu/giving.

Lindsay Picht discusses her work during the University Art Gallery’s virtual opening reception Aug. 25. A recording of the program can be found here.  

In a normal year, the University Art Gallery is often a hub of activity with special events taking place several times during the spring and fall semesters. While the coronavirus might limit the ability to host receptions, the gallery remains open.

On Aug. 25, the University Art Gallery hosted a virtual opening for the season on Facebook Live, which was emceed by Heidi Cook, gallery director and assistant professor of art and art history.

“We see gallery receptions as important social events for getting students, staff and faculty from across campus together to catch up and share ideas, eat snacks and, most importantly, to set aside some time for looking at art,” Cook said. “Nothing can replace the act of experiencing art in person, but the opening reception we streamed online on Facebook allowed us to foreground more artist talks, which we aren’t always able to structure into normal receptions and which are great professional practice for our students.”

In this virtual opening, no one was actually present in the gallery. Rather, Cook moderated a Zoom presentation that featured an overview of a current exhibit, a preview of what is in store for the coming year and a presentation of juried student exhibition awards from the previous academic year. Students Wesley Scafe and Lindsay Picht discussed their first place and best in show pieces, on display until Sept. 29.

“We really wanted to make sure to draw attention to and celebrate the hard work and accomplishments of our students in the Art Department and in museum studies,” Cook said. “The online format also let us connect with Truman alumni and fans of the gallery who don’t live in Kirksville.”

“Beneath White Tents,” curated by students in IDSM 361 “Exhibition and Museums: Planning and Practice,” is currently on display in the Charlyn Gallery. Students Alexa Day and Tessa Sottile joined the call to discuss the exhibit, which showcases the excitement and exoticness of the circus in small town America, as well as the decline and legacy of the circus on American culture.

Day and Sottile were two of many students in the class who put together the exhibition drawing upon the work of the fall 2019 ART 345 “History of Graphic Design” and spring 2019 IDSM 360 “Museums: Object and Collections” classes. When cancellations related to the coronavirus forced its originally planned run in the spring, students from IDSM 361 put together a virtual version of “Beneath White Tents” that can be viewed online at idsm361.wixsite.com/beneathwhitetents.

In October the gallery will host “Wandering Spirit: African Wax Prints,” a traveling exhibition of textiles. Visitors to the Art Gallery will be required to wear masks and maintain social distance with those not in their household. Capacity is also limited to 12 people at a time in the gallery space.

A recording of the virtual opening is available at facebook.com/tsuartgallery/live. For more information about exhibits at the University Art Gallery, visit gallery.arttruman.com.

Stacey Kaden, chair and associate professor of accounting, received Truman’s Faculty Mentoring Award for 2019-20.

The Faculty Mentoring Award is given to a full-time faculty member who has served as an official or unofficial mentor to another faculty member. The Academic Affairs Office accepted letters of recommendation during the previous school year.

Nominees were evaluated in the areas of scholarship, teaching, service and/or work-life balance. In Kaden’s case, nominating faculty members noted she was “always willing to listen to me about the issues of my day and to help resolve them” and that she helped provide “a sense of community and confidence.”

A member of the faculty since 2014, Kaden previously worked for five years as a tax accountant at a public accounting firm. An alumna of the University, she received a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree from Truman before earning a Ph.D. in business administration from the University of Arkansas.

Student Government is always looking for new ideas and perspectives to improve campus. Elections are coming up soon. There are four positions available specifically for incoming students and five more open to anyone. Petitions to run will be available online Aug. 31, campaigning will start Sept. 14. For more information, see the Elections Handbook or contact the elections administrator at ems7485@truman.edu.  

Non-elected Opportunities
There are many opportunities to get involved with Student Government besides running for elections. Student Government is currently seeking applicants for the following positions:
•    Public Relations Director
•    IT Director (website design)
•    Purple Friday Chair
•    Academic Affairs Chair
•    Student Affairs Chair

Students can also apply to serve as an associate senator on one of the seven standing and secondary committees listed below. Associate senators work exclusively with their committee to accomplish projects they are passionate about:
•    Academic Affairs
•    Student Affairs
•    Diversity
•    Environmental Affairs
•    Health, Wellness and Safety
•    External Affairs (related to the Kirksville community)
•    Purple Fridays

For more information on these positions, check out the Standing Rules on the Student Government website or email President Katie Alexander at kga5644@truman.edu.

The McNair Program supports and prepares underrepresented students for graduate studies. Paid summer research internships, funds for graduate school visits and conferences, and seminars and academic counseling are just a few of the benefits the program has to offer. Applications are open now with a priority deadline of Sept. 15. RSVP for a virtual McNair information session here.

Sept. 2
6:30-7 p.m.

Sept. 4
5:30-6 p.m.

Sept. 9
5-5:30 p.m.

For more information visit mcnair.truman.edu or follow the program on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.

Alpha Kappa Psi offers a unique opportunity to attain the critical professional skills necessary to excel in tomorrow’s workforce. Based on its two pillars of Brotherhood and Professionalism, Alpha Kappa Psi brings together a diversity of people who have a common desire for excellence and a motivation to achieve more. Alpha Kappa Psi is co-ed and open to all majors. Learn more about how to join the organization at info night.

7 p.m.
Sept. 1
Zoom Meeting ID: 214 160 2105
Zoom Meeting Password: AKPSI

“Side by side or miles apart, we’ll always be Deltasigs at heart.”

Delta Sigma Pi, the nation’s largest co-ed professional business fraternity, will host fall 2020 recruitment events Sept. 2-17. Contact dsprecruitment1978@gmail.com with any questions, and follow DSP on social media @dsptruman.

Pre-Recruitment BBQ
5 p.m.
Sept. 2
Ryle Volleyball Court

Information Night No. 1
5 p.m.
Sept. 9
Zoom

Information Night No. 2
7 p.m.
Sept. 10
Zoom

Meet the Chapter Night
7-9 p.m.
Sept. 14
Zoom

Trivia Night
7-9 p.m.
Sept. 15
Zoom

Professional Speaker
7-9 p.m.
Sept. 16
Zoom

Speed Dating
7-9 p.m.
Sept. 17
Student Union Building Georgian Rooms

Men’s fraternity recruitment will take place Sept. 10-16. It will begin with a virtual assembly featuring information for all fraternities. Each chapter will host events throughout the week following proper safety guidelines.

Sign-up at greeklife.truman.edu/ifc-recruitment. For more information, visit ifc.truman.edu. Follow the Interfraternity Council on Facebook or Instagram. Questions regarding fraternity recruitment can be directed to Dalton Kaeshoefer, IFC president, or Marcus Jessen, IFC recruitment chair.

Tau Lambda Sigma is a service organization dedicated to promoting the ideals of uniqueness, sisterhood and charity through service in the community and other philanthropic interests. Out of respect for the health and safety of current and potential new members, TLS will host a virtual recruitment process. A recruitment schedule is listed below. TLS members will also be conducting a takeover of Truman’s Instagram Stories Sept. 7. More information on TLS recruitment is available at tls.truman.edu or through the QR code below.

Information Night
7 p.m.
Sept. 14
Facebook and Instagram Live

Service and Sisterhood Night
7 p.m.
Sept. 15
Zoom

Interview Night
7 p.m.
Sept. 16
Zoom

Invite Only Event

• Earn up to three hours of academic credit or complete as scholarship hours or work-study
• Participate in Missouri State Archives initiative to preserve local court records
• Receive training from a certified professional archivist
• Visit the State Archives on a field trip to Jefferson City

To find out what the internships entail and how to apply, visit the Judicial Archives webpage or contact Jason McDonald, assistant professor of history, Baldwin Hall 226, 660.785.7575.

Over the summer, the IT Service Center was relocated from the first floor of the library to the second. It can now be found in PML 203. The Service Center is normally the first call for faculty, staff and students having technical difficulties or who would like to request other technology services. The IT Service Center accepts walk-ins, online work requests and call-ins at 660.785.4544.

The classroom emergency number for IT Service has changed to 660.785.4911. Calls for help will be handled remotely by the Service Center staff as a first course of action. If they are unable to resolve the issue, a priority ticket will be created and a technician will examine the problem as soon as they are available.

The Service Center also has webcam systems available for individual checkout. These were purchased primarily for those individuals who have desktop systems and currently have no way to participate in video sessions.

At the upcoming Staff Council Meeting, elections will take place to elect representatives to each staffing area. Any staff member at Truman who would like to represent a staffing area on campus should email hr@truman.edu with a few sentences about themselves and their interest in participating in Staff Council.

Staff Council Meeting
12:15-1:15 p.m.
Sept. 2 (and recurring on the fourth Wednesday of each month)
Zoom (email klevery@truman.edu for the link)

For Graduate Studies
Fulbright Grants
Research grants and teaching assistantships for a year abroad

Rhodes Scholarships
Grants for two years of study at Oxford University

Marshall Scholarships
Awards for two years of study in any British university

Mitchell Scholarships
One year of graduate study or research in Ireland or Northern Ireland

Gates Cambridge Scholarships
Awards for an advanced degree or second bachelor’s degree at the University of Cambridge

 
For Undergraduate Studies
Goldwater Scholarships
Up to $7,500 annually for tuition, fees, books, room and board for science and mathematics majors

Harry S. Truman Scholarships
For senior year and post-graduate study leading to a career in public service

Udall Scholarships
For students interested in careers related to environmental issues or for Native Americans and Alaskans interested in careers related to health care and tribal public policy

Carnegie Endowment Junior Fellowships
For students interested in international affairs to work as research assistants to the Endowment’s senior associates in Washington, D.C. for a full year

Boren Scholarships
To study abroad in areas of the world that are critical to U.S. interests