Vol. 12 No. 4 - Sept. 18, 2007

The 2007-2008 season of Truman’s Kohlenberg Lyceum Series is proud to present Tonic Sol-fa, an a cappella quartet, at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 25 in Baldwin Auditorium.
 
Tonic Sol-fa has been awarded numerous original song and album awards in pop, gospel and holiday genres, appeared on NBC’s “Today Show” and in the pages of Newsweek magazine. Outings with Jay Leno, Shawn Calvin, Lonestar and Garrison Keillor has propelled album sales to more than 1,000,000 copies and has earned the group thousands of intensely loyal fans.
 
By 2000, the quartet was voted into the Midwest Music Hall of Fame. In 2002, Tonic Sol-fa averaged more than 150 shows annually in 48 states. The group’s music was on radio stations and in retail stores nationwide in 2005. And in 2006, Tonic Sol-fa’s first public television Christmas special was broadcast to more than 1,800 stations across the United States, with an international launch to begin this year.
 
Seating is general admission. Admission is free for students, faculty and staff with their University ID. Students may pick up tickets at the Student Activities Board Office, third floor of the Student Union Building. Faculty and staff may pick up tickets at the Center for Student Involvement, third level of the Student Union Building. 

The University requests that all patrons be seated five minutes prior to the performance. The University reserves the right to fill all seats, reserved and general admission, five minutes before the time of performance stated on the ticket. No refunds will be given.

Contact the Public Relations Office at 785.4016 for more information or log on to http://lyceum.truman.edu.  

An informational meeting about the Missouri Government Internship Program will take place at 5:30 p.m. Sept. 26 in Student Union Building Georgian Room B. Pizza will be provided.

The Missouri Government Internship Program offers a unique opportunity for students to intern at the Capitol in Jefferson City, Mo., with a public official, legislator or state agency during the spring 2008 semester. The internship, which is open to all majors, provides an inside look at state government.

Joe Van Amburg, a 2007 legislative intern for House Minority Leader Jeff Harris, said that the internship was one of the best experiences he has had since being at Truman.

“Representative Harris and his staff were fun to work with and they taught me a lot about state government and politics, as well as life in general,” Van Amburg said. “I learned more about myself this semester than any prior semester at Truman.”

The interns live in Jefferson City and receive a stipend of $2,500. Interns may earn up to 15 hours of credit.

All juniors and seniors are encouraged to apply.  Applications are available online at http://career.truman.edu/student/internship/mogov_app.pdf.

For priority consideration, completed applications are due by Oct. 10 in McClain Hall 101. A selection committee will review the applications and interviews will be conducted Oct. 17 for the spring 2008 legislative internships.

Interested students can contact Candy Young at 785.4650 or Heidi Templeton at 785.4016 for more information.

Three mathematics students in Truman’s “Research-focused Learning Communities in Mathematical Biology” program attended the Mathematical Association of America’s annual MathFest in San Jose, Calif.
 
Tracey Blasingame, a junior from Belvidere, Ill.; Bryan Hartwig, a junior from Lee’s Summit, Mo.; and Josh Kelly, a senior from House Springs, Mo.; attended the national conference after attending the Society for Mathematical Biology’s annual conference.

Kelly gave a presentation titled “Vocal Identification of Free-flying Bats” in which described some research results he’s obtained while involved in Truman’s Mathematical Biology program. He presented his work as one of the many undergraduate researchers at the conference. It’s worth noting that this year was the 20th anniversary of the undergraduate presentation sessions at MAA meetings. The first year of those presentations involved four undergraduate students from four different universities. Three students were from “high profile” schools, and one was from a sleeper school known, at the time, as Northeast Missouri State University. That school, of course, is now known as Truman State University. 

Given the history of the undergraduate presentation sessions at this meeting, it is only appropriate that Kelly should be one of students whose presentation was recognized as one of the few Outstanding Undergraduate Research Presentations by the MAA at the conference.

This material is the result of work supported by the National Science Foundation’s Interdisciplinary Training for Undergraduates in Biology and Mathematics program under Grant No. 0436348, “Research-focused Learning Communities in Mathematical Biology.” Information about Truman’s Mathematical Biology program can be found online at http://mathbio.truman.edu and by contacting Jason Miller, associate professor of mathematics.

Three Truman undergraduates were invited speakers at this year’s MathFest in San Jose, Calif. MathFest took place from Aug. 3-5 and is the summer meeting of the Mathematical Association of America. Spencer Tipping, a junior computer science and mathematics double major from New Boston, Mo., Bach Ha and Dan Matheny were invited to present their Mathematical Association of America winning solution to the 2007 Mathematical Contest in Modeling Discrete Problem. Truman solved the discrete problem this year, which was to determine the mathematically optimal procedure for boarding passengers on a commercial plane.

The worldwide contest is sponsored by Consortium for Mathematics and Its Applications (COMAP). This year 949 teams (283 United States teams and 666 foreign teams) were entered representing a dozen countries.

Each team consists of three students and the contest is grueling. Each team is presented the same two problems from which they must choose one to solve and they have 96 continuous hours to produce a solution which the adviser mails in at the end of the contest. Once the contest starts, the teams cannot receive help from any people other then their own team of three. They are allowed to reference any material and use any technology to solve their problem.

Fourteen total solutions were judged to be outstanding, and of those 14, six are picked out as prize recipients and winning solutions. Six are picked out because there are three organizations that choose one solution to each of the two problems as their favorite. In Truman’s case, Truman had a team with a solution judged to be outstanding and it was the favorite solution for that problem of the Mathematical Association of America. Truman’s team won the contest and was the “MAA prize recipient.” That team consisted of the students Ha, Matheny and Tipping. Their solution with their names on it will be published in the journal Undergraduate Mathematics and its Applications.

The six schools that earned the designation of both winner and prize recipient were: University of Washington (Wash.), Mathematical Association of America (MAA) Prize; Harvard University (Mass.), Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences (INFORMS) Prize; MIT (Mass.), Society of Industrial and Applied Mathematics (SIAM) Prize; University of Stellenbosch (South Africa), SIAM Prize; Truman State University (Mo.), MAA Prize; and Duke University (N.C.), INFORMS Prize.

After the second week of Truman’s United Way campaign, the faculty, staff and students have contributed more than $34,000, which means Truman has met 60 percent of the goal.
 
Thank you to everyone who has contributed to this effort. For those people who have not returned their pledge forms, there is still time to do so. Because Truman was a pace setter organization, the campaign started earlier this year. People who prefer to make a donation at the end of the month can do so. Also, if you have misplaced your pledge form and are in need of a replacement, contact Teri Heckert at theckert@truman.edu or Brad Chambers at bchamber@truman.edu.

The Hispanic Scholarship Fund (HSF) is please to announce the opening of its National College Scholarship Program. HSF is the nation’s leading organization that is supporting Hispanic higher education. Between Aug. 1 and Oct. 15, students may apply for their scholarships online at http://www.hsf.net. To learn more about their programs you can visit their Web site and/or call them, toll free, at 1.877.HSF.INFO.

The Federated Gardens Clubs of Missouri offer scholarships up to $1,000 to qualifying junior, senior or graduate students enrolled in a Missouri college or university who are majoring in horticulture, floriculture, landscape design, botany, plant pathology, forestry, agronomy, environmental concerns, city planning, land management or allied subject.
 
Scholarships up to $3,000 are also available through the Ernest and Lillian Swanson, the Tek Neuner and the Ida Morrow Scholarship Trust Funds to qualifying freshman, sophomore, junior, senior or graduate students who are residents of the State of Missouri and are enrolled in any accredited college or university. The student must be studying botany, plant genetics or related subject.

Another scholarship offered by the Federated Gardens Clubs of Missouri is the Virginia Thomas Scholarship, which is available to a foreign student studying horticulture or related field at a Missouri college, or university who is planning to return to his/her own country after graduation. This student must be a junior, senior or graduate student who is recommended by the college or university.

Visit the Truman State University Financial Aid office for an application for any of the Federated Garden Clubs of Missouri scholarships. Deadline for scholarship submission is March 1, 2008.

The Office of the Provost is now accepting nominations for the Walker and Doris Allen Fellowship for Faculty Excellence. The Allens established the Fellowship in the year 2000 with a $250,000 gift to the Truman State University Foundation.
 
The $10,000 Walker and Doris Allen Fellowships recognize outstanding faculty members who have made exemplary contributions to the success of the University and its students. Up to three faculty members are selected each year.  The Fellowships are open to all tenured or tenure-track faculty who have completed at least four years of full-time service at Truman. Eligible faculty may be nominated for the Fellowship by Truman faculty colleagues or academic departments. Previous recipients are not eligible.

To date, the program has completed six years of a scheduled eight-year program, with 18 faculty members recognized with awards. Due to favorable investment returns, the fellowships are expected to continue until at least 2010.

To nominate an eligible faculty member, send a letter of nomination to the Office of the Provost addressed to the Allen Fellowship Selection Committee. The letter of nomination should be no longer than one page and should address how you believe the faculty member fulfills the selection criteria. Please deliver a signed hardcopy of the letter to McClain Hall 203, send it through campus mail, or by fax to 785.7460. See Web site http://www.truman.edu/pages/131.asp for details, including the selection criteria and a list of prior recipients. Nominations are due to the Office of the Provost by Oct. 1.

Sept. 18
“Writing the Personal Statement”
Royce Kallerud, associate professor of English
5-6:30 p.m. • VH 1010

Helpful for students who have not begun to write their personal statement, or are just beginning the process. This event will be useful for underclassmen who plan to go to graduate school.

Sept. 19
Graduate School Drop-in Hours
9-11 a.m. • Career Center

Drop-in assistance for questions about graduate school.

Personal Statement Workshop
Students need to speak with a professor in their major to be nominated. This is a hands-on writing workshop and students who are attending should bring a laptop.
Donald Asher, nationally recognized author and speaker
2:30-5:30 p.m. • VH 1010

Sept. 20
Graduate School Drop-in Hours
Noon-2 p.m. • Career Center

Personal Statement Workshop
This session is full and students were required to be nominated by a professor in their major to be able to attend.
Donald Asher
2:30-5:30 p.m. • VH 1232

“Bound for Graduate School?”
Strategies for Gaining Admission to Highly Competitive Graduate Programs
Donald Asher
6-7:30 p.m. • BH Little Theatre

This session is beneficial for all students who are thinking about attending graduate school. Students can learn tips for presenting themselves in the best possible light to graduate programs.

Attending Graduate Schools & Programs for Graduate School Week
Sept. 20

University of Missouri-Columbia
9 a.m.-2 p.m.

Programs Offered:
Violette Hall
Public Affairs
MBA
Law
Health Management

Magruder Hall
Plant Science
Public Health
Life Science

Des Moines University
10 a.m.-2 p.m.
Magruder Hall

Programs Offered:
Osteopathic Medicine
Podiatric Medicine
Physician Assistant
Physical Therapy
Biomedical Sciences
Anatomy
Public Health
Healthcare Administration

E-mail Becky Hadley at rlh936@truman.edu for more information.

Career Expo is coming up a bit earlier than usual this year
1-5 p.m.
Oct. 10
SUB

Now is the time for students to start getting ready.  

Students may bring their résumés to the Career Center for a critique and they can also now sign up for mock interviews. The Career Center has both student-led mock interviews available as well as Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE) interviews on Sept. 21 and Oct. 4. Students must sign-up in person in the Career Center for mock interviews.

Stay tuned for details on other programs including “Career on the Quad” and employer mock interviews. Currently the Career Center has more than 85 companies registered; check eRecruiting for a list of jobs and internships offered by those coming to Expo. Students can also use eRecruiting to apply for those jobs as well. Please stop by the Career Center, Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m., or call 785.4353.

9:30 a.m. • Sept. 22
Pershing Building Small Gym

Both boys and girls ages 8-19 are encouraged to audition for the 56 roles to be cast by Minnesota Ballet’s Artistic Director Robert Gardner.

Girls need to bring ballet shoes (and pointe shoes, if applicable) and wear tights and leotards. Please secure long hair in a bun.

Boys should wear ballet shoes, a tight-fitting T-shirt and athletic pants.

Staging for the performance will occur the same day from 1-6 p.m. in Baldwin Auditorium. Dancers will be given a specified time to rehearse their assigned role(s). Some dancers will rehearse between 1-3 p.m. Sept. 23 in Baldwin.

There will be approximately three rehearsals each month before the actual performance. Most dancers will practice on Saturdays
sometime between 1-4 p.m. in the Pershing Building Dance Studio. Some Sunday afternoons may be utilized also.

"The Nutcracker" will be performed with the Minnesota Ballet Company at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 4 in Baldwin Auditorium. There will be a full dress rehearsal with the company on Dec. 3 during a time to be announced.

Contact Melody Jennings at 785.7259 or jennings@truman.edu for more information.

8 p.m.
Sept. 27
Quadrangle

Campus Christian Fellowship will sponDave Barnes will be taking the stage for a free, live concert followed by one of the most motivational speakers today, Joe White. He will address the question of Jesus Christ in a compelling, unforgettable way.

The rain location will be Pershing Arena.

Campus Christian Fellowship (CCF) is a sponsor for this event.

Contact kjw538@truman.edu for more information.

Do you need a little extra help with your term paper or research project?

Set up a one-on-one RAP session (Research Assistance Program) with a reference librarian who can help students find appropriate resources for class presentations, term papers, undergraduate research projects, or graduate thesis. To schedule a RAP session, contact the Reference Desk at 785.4051 or e-mail Ask-A-Librarian at asklib@truman.edu.

Activity: Blongoball
Division: Open
Deadline: Sept. 24
*Captains’ Meeting: 4:30 p.m. • Sept. 27
Play Begins: Sept. 30

Activity: Croquet
Division: Open
Deadline: Sept. 24
*Captains’ Meeting: 4:30 p.m. • Sept. 27
Play Begins: Sept. 30

Activity: Bocce Ball
Division: Open
Deadline: Sept. 24
*Captains’ Meeting: 4:30 p.m. • Sept. 27
Play Begins: Sept. 30

Activity: Home Run Derby
Division: Open/Org/Greek
Deadline: Sept. 24
*Captains’ Meeting: 4:30 p.m. • Sept. 26
Play Begins: Sept. 27
                
Entry forms and information sheets may be picked up at the Student Recreation Center (lobby area). Entry forms are to be deposited into the metal box located at the Member Services Desk in the Student Recreation Center. The entry deadline for each sport will be 11 p.m. on the date posted above. Online registration is available. Captains’ Meetings for each sport will take place on the Thursday evening following the entry deadline (unless otherwise noted) at 4:30 p.m. in the conference room of the Student Recreation Center. Official rules for each sport are available online at http://recreation.truman.edu.

Lloyd Pflueger, professor of philosophy and religion, was awarded a fellowship from the Freeman Foundation this summer to attend the Japanese Studies Association’s Summer Institute on Japan, at Tokai University in Honolulu, Hawaii, May 20 to June 12. The Summer Institute provided instruction in Japanese language and culture to help faculty from across the U.S. infuse interdisciplinary knowledge and experience of Japan into the undergraduate curriculum.
 
Joaquín Maldonado-Class, associate professor of Spanish, presented a lecture titled “La inscripción escrituraria del otro: El Inca Garcilaso y Sor Juana” at the XXVII International Congress of the Latin American Studies Association (LASA 2007) celebrated Sept. 5-8 at Montréal, Canada.

Karon Speckman, associate professor of communication, authored a case study in Media Ethics, Issues and Cases, 2008, Philip Patterson and Lee Wilkins editor. The case study is “The New York Times and Judith Miller: When a Reporter Becomes the Story.”

Karon Speckman, associate professor of communication, and Kalen Ponche, B.A. in communication-journalism ’07, were awarded the Top Faculty Paper in Visual Communication at the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication national conference in Washington, D.C., in August. The paper was titled “Animated editorial cartoons: Is Ben turning over in his grave?”

Missouri Voter Registration forms are now available in Kirk Building 112, at the Cashier’s Window, in the Residence Halls, and at the SERVE Center. For more information visit http://conduct.truman.edu and click on the Voter Registration Link.

Sigma Chi Delta, a local social sorority, Fall 2007 Recruitment will continue with open recruitment nights at 7 p.m. Sept. 18 in Baldwin Hall 251 and at 7 p.m. Sept. 19 in Baldwin Hall 303. Contact Rachel Meyer and/or Taelor Cash at 573.353.2105 for more information.

The Weekly Lunch Series will take place from 12:30-1:30 p.m. Sept. 19 and 20 in the Student Union Building Alumni Room. Donald Asher, nationally known speaker, will present “Mentoring Students Into Great Graduate Schools.” These lunch sessions are not appropriate for students. Contact The Center for Teaching and Learning at ctl@truman.edu to R.S.V.P. or for more information.

There will be a Physics Colloquium at 4:30 p.m. Sept. 19 in Magruder Hall 1000. Refreshments will be provided at 4:20 p.m. Marzia Rosatti from the department of physics and astronomy at Iowa State University will present “Little Big Bangs at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider.”

IT Services invites faculty, staff and students to TechBreak at 1:30 p.m. each Friday in the Student Union Building Room 320. This weekly series is an opportunity to share information about new and existing IT Service offerings. Please join them for snacks and conversation. Log on to http://its.truman.edu/techbreak for additional details.

Student Affairs is looking for three students to assist with developing media presentations that will be used as part of the summer orientation program. The videos will consist of short vignettes depicting scenarios that will help new students and their parents think about some of the issues they might confront during the first year of college. Student Affairs is seeking a student with a strong background in creative writing to help with the script; a student with a theatre background to direct and coordinate the acting; and a student with filming and graphic skills to coordinate the media production process. These three students along with members of the Student Affairs staff will work as a team to ensure a professional and effective final product. Students may use the time spent in this activity for scholarship hours or will receive a small stipend for their work. If you are interested please send a letter to Lou Ann Gilchrist, Dean of Student Affairs, KB 112, 100 E. Normal, Kirksville, MO 63501 or at lcg@truman.edu. The letter should address the following:

1. Indicate the student role for which you are applying.
2. Outline your qualifications for the project
3. List name and contact information for two references who can comment on the quality of your work in role for which you are applying.

To be considered for the position, you will need to have your application to Gilchrist by Sept. 21. If you have questions please feel free to contact Student Affairs at 785.4111 or lcg@truman.edu. Student Affairs also has a Web site that students can go to at http://saffairs.truman.edu/apply.asp.

Informational meetings for Sweet Power: Sugar, Empires, and Slaves in the Caribbean, a six-credit-hour summer 2008 study abroad class, will take place at 6:30 p.m. Sept. 25 in the Student Union Building Alumni Room, and at 5:30 p.m. Sept. 26 in the Student Union Building Georgian Room A. See slides from previous trips, review the itinerary for the next class, planned for May 14-June 4, 2008, and discuss ways to finance the program. For more information, contact Steven Reschly at sdr@truman.edu or 785.4648.

The Art of Living Club is offering an intensive workshop in yoga postures and breathing. Feeling stressed already? Learn to breath, stretch and relax. The Art of Living Course, Sept. 27-Oct. 5, information and registration meeting is at 7 p.m. Sept. 25 in Baldwin Hall 350. Faculty, staff, students and community are all welcome.