Vol. 13, No. 11 - Nov. 4, 2008

The Kohlenberg Lyceum Series returns Nov. 11 with a performance by award-winning musicians, Canadian Brass.

After forming in Toronto in 1970, the “fabulous five” have spent much of their time on tour, and have performed with many major symphony orchestras in the U.S., Europe and Japan.

Their sheer joy in playing the music they love is instantly transmitted to the audience, and often results in a fun-filled atmosphere that is sometimes rather atypical in classical music circles. Canadian Brass has an eclectic repertoire ranging from Bach to the Beatles.


Millions of television viewers have seen Canadian Brass on such programs as the Tonight Show, Today and Entertainment Tonight. They have appeared as guest artists on Evening at Pops with John Williams and the Boston Pops, as well as numerous PBS specials.

Their many CDs can be found under their own record label, Opening Day Entertainment Group.

Lyceum tickets are free for all Truman students, faculty and staff. Starting Nov. 4, students may pick up their tickets from 9:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday at the Student Activities Board office in the Student Union Building.

Faculty and staff may pick up their tickets from 10:30 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday through Friday at the information desk in the Student Union Building. General admission tickets will be on sale at Edna Campbell’s and the Truman Business Office, McClain Hall 105, for the costs of $7 for adults and $4 for those 18 and under.

For more information go online to http://lyceum.truman.edu.

Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine has listed Truman as 20th on its exclusive survey list of 100 best values in public colleges that “combine outstanding economic value with top-notch education.”

The top 100 schools were selected from a pool of more than 500 public four-year colleges and universities and Truman is the only university in Missouri and the eight contiguous states listed in the top 40.  

In the December 2008 issue, Truman is also ranked as the fifth best educational value for out-of-state students.

Kiplinger’s Personal Finance based its rankings on several measures of academic quality, such as ACT or SAT test scores, admission rates, freshman retention rates, student-faculty ratios and four- and six-year graduation rates.

They also ranked each school based on cost and financial aid factors.

In addition to doing their own reporting, Kiplinger’s used data provided by more than 500 public four-year colleges and universities to Peterson’s/ Nelnet.

To view the entire list, go to http://www.kiplinger.com/money/collegevalues.
The December issue will appear on newsstands Nov. 11.

A team of 20 members from the Truman Forensic Union captured three separate top honors along with several other awards at the Nebraska Double-Up tournaments hosted at Creighton University Oct. 24-26.

The team topped their list of awards with the tournament championship in debate sweepstakes and a second place finish in overall (combined debate and individual events) sweepstakes for the weekend.  

In parliamentary debate, Truman secured two additional championships when junior Mark Buchheit and senior Chris Girouard took the tournament championship in the open division. Buchheit was also ranked top speaker in the tournament.

In other open division parliamentary debate competition, the team of sophomore Dylan Clark and freshman Ben Reid reached semifinals and the team of sophomores Sarah Backhaus and Christian Johns reached octafinals. In the junior division, junior Susan Presley and sophomore Mehdi Zaidi reached the quarterfinal round. Backhaus was ranked eighth speaker in the open division, while Girouard was ranked 10th.

In individual speaking competition, freshman Darius Taylor took home sixth place in poetry interpretation in the Saturday portion of the tournament, and fifth place in the Sunday portion. Freshman Erin Williamson took sixth in informative speaking and freshman Elizabeth Hatting took fourth in persuasive speaking. In the Lincoln-Douglas debate, Reid reached the quarterfinals, while Johns was ranked fourth speaker and Backhaus was ranked fifth speaker.

Taylor and Williamson’s placements qualify them to compete in their respective events at the National Forensic Association championships in April. They join Hatting, Reid and two additional teammates who have already earned previously announced qualifications.

The Truman Forensic Union is a co-curricular program open to any interested students, regardless of major or prior experience. For more information contact the Director of Forensics at 785.5677 or kminch@truman.edu.

Tom Carnahan, son of late Missouri Gov. Mel Carnahan and former U.S. Sen. Jean Carnahan, will give the keynote address for Global Entrepreneurship Week at 12:30 Nov. 17 in Violette Hall 1000.

Global Entrepreneurship Week, which runs from Nov. 17-23, is sponsored by the Kauffman Foundation to promote entrepreneurship and the entrepreneurial spirit. It is co-sponsored by the Kirksville Area Chamber of Commerce and the Missouri Rural Enterprise and Innovation Center.
Other events during the week include “Pitch It!” from 12-1 p.m. and 3-4 p.m. Nov. 18 in the Georgian Room, where students can receive feedback about their ideas. There will also be an Innovation Expo on Nov. 20 in the Georgian Room.

Formerly a real estate developer and lawyer, Tom Carnahan is now the founder and president of Wind Capital Group L.L.C., the first wind energy developer in Missouri.

While wind energy was growing rapidly around the country, no one was developing projects in Missouri.

“I used to tell people about this, and they’d roll their eyes and look at me like I was crazy,” Carnahan said. “It doesn’t seem so crazy to anybody anymore.”

Today, Carnahan has 79 turbines spinning over farmland in northwestern Missouri. Wind Capital is currently undertaking four major projects, representing nearly $300 million in development, Carnahan said. The projects will generate 162 megawatts of electricity, which is enough to power 100,000 homes. The staff at Wind Capital has grown as quickly as the turbines, with 18 employees in 2007, as compared to two employees in 2006.

As a member of the American Wind Energy Association’s Legislative and Policy Committee, Carnahan also keeps an eye on the energy policy debate in Washington, D.C.

“The important thing for people to understand is renewable energy like wind has to compete with other forms of energy that are also subsidized, like coal and gas,” he said. “They all get different kinds of subsidies from government.”

Despite Wind Capital’s early success, some people still question whether wind power is more than the latest fad.

“I think that couldn’t be further from the truth,” Carnahan said. “We’re powering real homes and creating real electrons every single day for sale in a competitive market.”

The Philosophy and Religion Department will host the 19th Annual Undergraduate Philosophy and Religion Conference from 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Nov. 8 in the Spanish Room of the Student Union Building.

The conference will feature papers on philosophical or religious studies from undergraduates all over the country.

There will also be a luncheon address featuring keynote speaker and this year’s Henry W. Smits Lecturer, Gregory Pence, from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, who will present “How to Build a Better Human.” The lunch will begin at 12:30 p.m.

For more information please contact Mike Bova Conti at mjb439@truman.edu or Mike Ashcraft at 785.7531 or washcraf@truman.edu.

Author Timothy Good will be visiting history and criminal justice systems classes to discuss his two books, “We Saw Lincoln Shot: One Hundred Eye Witness Accounts” and “The Lincoln-Douglas Debates and the Making of a President” Nov. 5.

Good will also be signing copies of his books from 12-1 p.m. in the Student Union Building at the Truman Bookstore. Later that evening, he will host a fireside chat at 8 p.m. in the first floor lounge of the south side of Blanton Nason Brewer to further discuss and answer questions about his Lincoln studies.

Taner Edis, associate professor of physics, presented talks on “Islam and Science” at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the Madison Public Library Oct. 23-24. The  departments of Physics and History of Science co-sponsored the visit.

Michael Goggin, associate professor of physics, gave a presentation entitled “Quantum Computing Without Entanglement” at Frontiers in Optics 2008, the 92nd annual meeting of the Optical Society of America Oct. 19-23 in Rochester, N.Y. His presentation was based on work done at the University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia, while he was on sabbatical earlier this year.

Masahiro Hara, associate professor of Japanese, presented the paper “Evidence for L2 syntactic gap processing from processing of Japanese scrambling” at the 31st Second Language Research Forum held at the University of Hawaii, Manoa, Oct. 17.

Daniel Mandell, associate professor of history; Barbara Smith-Mandell, acquisitions editor for Truman State University Press; and Jerrold Hirsch, professor of history, presented “Without a Minyan: Adjusting to Jewish Life in a Small Midwestern Town” to the 21st Annual Klutznick-Harris Symposium on Jewish Life and Culture, in Omaha, Neb.

Elaine McDuff, associate professor of sociology, has published an article, “Organizational Context and the Sexual Harassment of Clergy,” in the Fall 2008 issue of the journal “Sociology of Religion.”

Betty L. McLane-Iles, professor of French, was interviewed by KTVO on Oct. 25 in Fairfield, Iowa. McLane-Iles was signing copies of her book “Dieppe Crossing.” The historical novel is a fictional memoir set during the Spanish Civil War through the years of the French Resistance.

Jason Miller, associate professor of mathematics and director of the Mathematical Biology and STEP programs at Truman, has been appointed to a three-year term to the Mathematical Association of America’s Committee on the Undergraduate Program in Mathematics subcommittee on Research by Undergraduates.  The Mathematical Association of America is the largest professional society that focuses on mathematics accessible at the undergraduate level.

Alpha Phi Omega and Alpha Sigma Gamma will host a Salvation Army food and clothing drive from 10:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Nov. 3-6 on the second floor of the Student Union Building. 

The Communication Department will host an election watch party from 6 p.m. until president elect or 12 a.m. Nov. 4 in Barnett 1211. This event is a part of Political Communication 2008: Provocative Thinking About Critical Issues. Free food will be provided.

Weekly Lunch Series on Nov. 5 will feature Todd Philips, director of the Student Success Center, and will take place from 12:30-1:30 pm, in the Student Union Building Spanish Room.

The Physics Colloquium series will present, “Power laws in biology: Insight into the structure-function relationship of the human lung,” with Michael Mayo from the University of Missouri at 4:30 p.m. Nov. 5 in Magruder Hall 1000. For more information visit http://physics.truman.edu/colloquia/.

The Department of Classical and Modern Languages and the Department of Music will present a German Lieder Recital at 6 p.m. Nov. 6 in the Ophelia Parrish Performance Hall.

Scott Alberts, a Truman associate professor of mathematics, along with Jane Roads, the chair and professor of mathematics and science at Moberly Area Community College, and therapist Steven Voss, associate professor of psychology at MACC, will present a paper on their collaborative research, “CALM: Calming Anxiety to Learn Mathematics,” during the Faculty Forum at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 6 in Magruder Hall 2001.

Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority presents “Reflections of a Woman” with motivational speaker Tolu Tolu at 7 p.m. Nov. 6 in the Baldwin Hall Little Theater. Tolu, author of the book, “Why and How Women Are Exploited By Men Worldwide,” will discuss the common sense solutions for the issues women face in the 21st century. Copies of the book are available in the Truman Bookstore.

The Stargazers Astronomy Club will host an Observatory Open House from 7:30-9:30 p.m. Nov. 6 at the University Observatory.

The American Association of University Professors will meet at 4:30 p.m. Nov. 7 at the University Club, 516 E. Patterson. Contact Marc Becker at marc@truman.edu or call 785.603 for more information.

The Mathematical Association of America is hosting the fourth annual Math and Computer Sciences Texas Hold’em Tournament from 5-9 p.m. Nov. 7 in the second floor commons of Violette Hall. There will be prizes for the top three players and door prizes. A $5 donation is suggested for Relay for Life.

The members of Hillel will host a Shabbat Dinner from 6-9 p.m. Nov. 7 in the Activities Room of the Student Union Building for $6.

Ryle Hall Senate is hosting the Mr. and Mrs. Ryle Pageant at 3 p.m. Nov. 8 in the Ryle Hall main lounge. The event is part of the Ryle Cup Challenge and participants can earn points for their house. Ryle Hall residents are encouraged to participate. Sign-up sheets are located on each floor of Ryle Hall.

“American Treasures” will take place at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 8 at the First Union Congregational Church in Quincy, Ill. In celebration of the 200th Anniversary of Abraham Lincoln’s birth, Phyllis Robertson, Truman lecturer in music, will lead the Quincy Symphony Chorus in an evening of traditional music from the Civil War Era. Faculty, staff and students receive free admission.

Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority will host the 2008 Playboy Scholarship Pageant at 8 p.m. Nov. 8 in the Student Union Building Down Under.

The Multicultural Affairs Center will sponsor the Native American Heritage Dinner at 5 p.m. Nov. 9 in the Ryle Hall Main Lounge in celebration of Native American Heritage month. The food is free but there will be limited quantities of it available. For more information contact Katie Shannon at 785.4142 or visit http://mac.truman.edu.

The Department of English and Linguistics presents Joe Benevento, professor of English, who will read from his new book of short stories, “Some of My Best Friends and Other Fictions,” at 8 p.m. Nov. 12 in the Student Union Building Down Under.

Students interested in learning more about a new Study Abroad program in Capetown, South Africa from May 14 to June 5, 2009 should plan to attend one of the following information sessions in the Student Union Building 3202: 5:30-6:30 p.m. Nov. 12 and 4:30-5:30 p.m. Nov. 13. Contact Elaine McDuff at emcduff@truman.edu for more information.

The students of the environment health class, HLTH 362, will host National Recycling Day from 10:20 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Nov. 13 on the Mall. Demonstrations will show the importance of recycling and how it impacts Truman’s community. There will also be free recycling bins.

The Student Activities Board has tickets for the free One Republic concert scheduled for 7 p.m. Nov. 13 in Pershing Arena.

The SERVE Center will host the annual Big Week of Giving from Nov. 16-21. There will be a canned food drive throughout the week and several events. Student Senate will host the hunger banquet Nov. 16. The annual Hungerfest concert is at 7 p.m. Nov. 21 in Baldwin Auditorium.

The Student Peace Alliance will host a peer mediation workshop from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Nov. 20 in the Georgian Room C of the Student Union Building. The workshop will teach the necessary skills to help resolve conflict peacefully and constructively. Please RSVP to lan658@truman.edu by Nov. 17.

Notes From the Underground is looking for people interested in improving writing via workshop format. Sign up through TruView or attend the meetings every Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. in the Writing Center. Contact James Ginns for more information at d2080@truman.edu.