First-year students use puppets to communicate the need for sustainability. Students worked in groups to develop a puppet and a brief story which shows the effect of trash on the community and environment.

Students from the Truman symposium and the self and society seminars are coming together for a celebration event at 4:30 p.m. Dec. 6 in the Student Union Building Georgian Rooms.

The Symposium Festival marks the end of the First-Year Experience for new students. More than 30 stations will showcase aspects of community projects and partnerships created throughout the semester as part of the symposium and the self and society seminars. Incoming students worked toward goals such addressing hunger in Adair County, contributing to the advancement of literacy in local schools and exploring how art can celebrate and strengthen a community.

The festival includes a puppet show at 4:40 p.m. on the quad to raise awareness about sustainability, waste and recycling. Due to social distancing requirements, the general public and campus community are invited to join the festival beginning at 5 p.m. in the Student Union Building Georgian Rooms.

A virtual element of the festival will be available on Zoom for those who are not able to attend in person. Contact dcprice@truman.edu for the virtual link. There will also be a livestream available from KTRM Studios which can be accessed here.

Gloria Farmer shows children how to properly was their hands. Farmer spent three months in Nicaragua raising public health awareness through a nonprofit organization.
Like many students, Gloria Farmer wanted to go abroad during the summer of 2020, but the pandemic changed her plans. Things ultimately worked out when a year later she was able to take an international summer job doing something she loves.

Farmer, a senior nursing major and Spanish minor, spent three months in Chinandega, Nicaragua, working on a community development team for a nonprofit organization called Amigos for Christ. Amigos works with communities throughout rural Nicaragua to facilitate leadership, water and sanitation, health, education and economic development. She first heard about this organization through friends who had gone on mission trips with them. When she learned they had an internship program she began researching and contacting previous interns for feedback before applying. After a yearlong wait, she got back in contact with Amigos and was offered the position for the summer of 2021.

“It was a huge bummer to have the internship cancelled in 2020, but it was definitely worth the wait,” Farmer said. “The extra Spanish classes I took during that time helped me reach the level of fluency I needed to be successful in my role, and the extra time I spent waiting for the chance to go gave me the opportunity to really reflect on why I wanted to go in the first place - to serve.”

Since Amigos arranges homestays for their summer interns, Farmer was able to live with a host family throughout her time in Chinandega.

“This provided me with a physical place to stay, but also a family that I could rely on and learn from,” Farmer said. “Our home was walking distance from the Amigos property in the same neighborhood as all of the other interns and many of our co-workers.”

Farmer was placed on one of the organization’s five community development teams that consist of several community advocates who are the link between the communities they serve and the programs they have to offer. Farmer and her fellow team members were responsible for four communities, and each day they gathered food and equipment before driving to one of them. The commute to communities varied from 20 minutes to two and a half hours.

“I generally spent my days walking from house to house and sitting down with families to talk to them about their lives, their goals and how Amigos can support them with the programs they offer,” said Farmer. “We also provided education to families about topics such as health and hygiene, the importance of attending school, finances and budgeting, running a business and maintaining a clean home environment.”

A highlight for Farmer was creating an educational health activity for children in the communities. She started planning at the beginning of her trip and was able to host an event in several communities by the end of the summer that taught children about germs, how they spread and the importance of handwashing. The children fingerpainted their germs and practiced washing the paint off their hands as if it were germs.

“The kids loved it and had a lot of fun. What was most exciting was that every time the kids saw me after that, they would run up and show me their ‘manos limpias,’ or clean hands, and let me know how many times they had washed their hands that day,” Farmer said.

To maximize her experience, Farmer collaborated with Danion Doman, chair of the Department of Classical and Modern Languages, who helped her create an online class to accompany the internship so she could receive credit towards her Spanish minor. Assignments for this class included keeping up with current events throughout Nicaragua and Central America, weekly Zoom meetings with Doman and creating a blog where she reflected on experiences in the target language.

Farmer returned home with firsthand experience on educating others about various health topics, as well as improved Spanish skills. Both traits will be valuable in her nursing profession. She also wrote an entry for the Amigos blog, “3 Things I Learned in Chinandega,” where she talks about how life is better lived slowly, strangers don’t have to stay strangers and that change is in the little things. However, she said the most significant lesson she learned was the value of teamwork and efficient team communication, which she believes will benefit her in all aspects of life.

“Don’t be afraid to do something that challenges you or gets you outside of your comfort zone,” she said. “Diverse experiences are what make us grow.”

Truman had 18 individuals make the All-Great Lakes Valley Conference Football team with four players announced as first-team selections.

Running back Cody Schrader was named the Co-Offensive Most Valuable Player by league coaches and was a unanimous first-team selection. He shares the award with Southwest Baptist quarterback Cooper Callis.

Heading into the America’s Crossroads Bowl, Dec. 4, Schrader led the conference and Division II in rushing yards with 1,855, which was also the second highest by a Bulldog in a single-season. He is also a nominee for the Division II Player of the Year Award, the Harlon Hill Trophy, that will be announced in December. The last Bulldog to win a conference offensive player of the year award was Jarrett Anderson in his Harlon Hill winning season of 1996.
 
Joining Schrader on the All-GLVC first team from Truman are defensive back Ben Watson, defensive tackle Robert Greco and defensive utility player Collin Alves. Watson was second on the team with 80 tackles, 4.5 for loss and 2.5 quarterback sacks and a single-game high of 16 against Indianapolis in the regular season finale. Greco had 11 of his 29 stops behind the line of scrimmage and three sacks to go with a forced fumble and three quarterback hurries this season. Alves had four of his 10 total tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks while recovering two fumbles and forcing another.
 
On the second team were kick returner Jaylen Jefferson, kicker Josh Scheiderer, punter Taylor Cornish, tight end Matt Hall, fullback Jacob Morris, offensive linemen Nick Biesemeyer and Dane Eggert, defensive tackles Michael Neisler and Ben Miller, linebacker Isaiah Estes and defensive back Ben Thomas.
 
Jefferson was second in the nation in kickoff returns with an average of 34.6 on 14 attempts and two touchdowns. Scheiderer averaged 54.3 yards per kickoff and was 7 of 12 on field goals with a long of 46 yards. He is the all-time leader in kick scoring with 266 points.
 
Cornish led the GLVC in punting average at 40.3 with 18 inside the 20 and 15 fair catches. Hall was the leading receiver in terms of yards with 433 and had five touchdown receptions out of 33 catches. Morris becomes a five-time all-conference performer out of the fullback position and had 12 catches for 224 yards and two touchdowns this season. Biesemeyer and Eggert helped the Truman offense to an average of 211 yards rushing per game and allowed only 18 sacks and 51 tackles for loss through 11 games.
 
Neisler finished with 6.5 tackles for loss out of 14 total stops and was second on the team with five quarterback sacks. Miller had 34 tackles, four for loss and two sacks. Estes led Truman in total stops with 85 with a single-game high of 14 against Southwest Baptist. Thomas had three interceptions, 12 pass breakups and 77 total tackles this season.
 
Named honorable mention was receiver Dante Ruffin, linebacker Ulysses Ross and offensive lineman Justin Watson. Ruffin was first in receptions with 37 and second in yards for 421 and had five touchdowns, he was also Truman’s nominee for the James R. Spalding Sportsmanship Award. Ross led the defense with 13.5 tackles for loss and 5.5 quarterback sacks among with 67 total tackles and Watson was again a key member of the offensive line that had the Bulldogs third in the GLVC in sacks allowed and 51st in the nation at 1.73 per game.
 
This season marks the most all-conference selections for the Bulldogs since earning 22 in 1982. The all-time most is 23 players selected following the 1981 season.
 
Truman defeated Hillsdale (Mich.) College in the America’s Crossroads Bowl in Hobart, Indiana, Dec. 4. Schrader was named Offensive MVP of the game with 219 yards on 28 carries and three touchdowns. The Bulldogs finished the season with a 9-3 record.

Dr. Danna (Kelly) Herrick, a Truman alumna and decorated runner, will give the commencement address, Dec. 18.

In an accomplished student career, Herrick was a four-time Academic All-American, earning a bachelor’s degree in exercise science with a minor in Spanish. Following her time at Truman, she graduated with a doctorate in physical therapy from Des Moines University. She practices in the orthopedic setting and specializes as a women’s health and pelvic floor physical therapist.

Athletically, Herrick was a two-time All-American in cross country and track and field. She received multiple all-conference and all-region honors and competed at nationals in the steeplechase in 2007 and 2009 where she finished in the top three. Herrick was named the Truman Female Athlete of the Year for 2009, and her time of 10:49 in the steeplechase remains the school record.

After competing in her second marathon, Herrick qualified for the U.S. Olympic Trials in 2012, 2016 and 2020. In addition to her medical career, she trained at an elite level with Hansons Brooks Original Distance Project and received sponsorship from Brooks Running from 2016 to 2020. During her time as a professional runner, she finished as a top 20 female in four Abbott World Majors Marathons – twice in New York as well as once each in Boston and Chicago. She also raced internationally in Japan and Germany and improved her marathon time by nearly 20 minutes from her debut to a personal best of 2:32:19.

The Theatre Department will present the Fall Directors’ Showcase starting at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 10.

Three one-act plays will be performed under the guidance of students in Truman’s Play Direction course. Students Meredith Grimm-Howell, Jamie Bridges and Faith Nagel are the featured directors.

A requirement of all theatre majors, the course’s final assignment calls for each student to direct a one-act play. Plays must be published within the last 80 years, between 10 and 30 minutes in length and without heavy scenic, costume, light or sound effects.

These final productions represent a synthesis of numerous concepts explored in the course of the semester. Among other concepts, students explored composition and picturization techniques, scene analysis, how to develop a directorial approach and methods on how to work with actors.   

Admission is free. All performances will take place in the James G. Severns Theatre in the Ophelia Parrish Building.  

“A Tale of Two Spectators”
By Peter Manos
Directed by Meredith Grimm-Howell
Two people meet every week on a park bench to spy on their spouses, who are having an affair with each other.

“St. Valentine’s Day Massacre”
By Allan Knee
Directed by Jamie Bridges
A former couple meets every year on Valentine’s Day to confer on whether or not to get back together.

“Your Mother’s Butt”
By Alan Ball
Directed by Faith Nagel
A desperate psychologist searches for new methods to help their client unpack a deeply disturbing dream.

Alumnus Brandon Eychaner will be the keynote speaker for the Fall 2021 EngLing Senior Seminar Conference at 11 a.m. Dec. 6.

Eychaner received his Bachelor of Science degree in linguistics from Truman in 2013 and a Master of Arts degree in linguistics with a focus in TESOL from the University of Iowa in 2019. His presentation, “Vikings in Ukraine, Pokémon in Armenia, and Linguistics as the Key to All Doors,” will encompass a variety of interrelated topics including: surviving grad school, how to use linguistics as a key to opportunity and adventure, and finding work as a teacher and beyond.

Since graduating from Truman, Eychaner has traveled in 35 countries as a backpacker and hitchhiker, learning to speak several languages and teaching English and Spanish across three continents. He now lives in Prague and works as a specialist lead at Deloitte in natural language processing, leading a team of linguists, mathematicians and software developers to develop business intelligence tools. A long-time LGBTQ+ rights activist, he is also co-founder of Queer Praguer, a community building initiative for LGBTQ+ people living in Prague.

In the second installment of “Tea Time with Sue,” University President Sue Thomas talks holiday traditions, the history of the bell wall and some of her favorite off-campus things to do in Kirksville.

Throughout the school year, President Thomas will answer a handful of submitted questions during each monthly installment of the series. Submit questions at truman.edu/teatime for a chance to have them answered on a future episode.

In their weekly meeting Faculty Senate COVID-19 Working Group committee members Scott Alberts, Christine Harker and Nancy Daley-Moore discussed the number of active cases on campus, as well as the omicron variant. While there is still a lot to learn about omicron, normal prevention measures – hand washing, social distancing, wearing a mask and getting vaccinated – are all effective mitigation strategies. The “Swiss cheese method” of incorporating multiple layers of protection simultaneously remains the best overall approach. The committee members also encouraged students to consider getting tested for COVID-19 before returning home for winter break to ensure they do not expose family members. A complete recording of the weekly discussion can be found here.

Truman will continue the indoor mask policy into the beginning of the spring 2022 semester, with the next review of the policy occurring on or before Jan. 28.

With a large portion of the campus community traveling during winter break, setting the review date three class weeks into the semester will allow for time to properly assess the rate of students and employees exposed to the virus.

Decisions regarding the mask policy are made by the president in consultation with the executive leadership team. Factors taken into consideration include, but are not limited to: the number of active cases related to the University; the transmission rate in Adair County; the campus vaccination rate; Truman’s capacity to effectively accommodate students in isolation and quarantine; guidance of the CDC and the local health department; and the advice of Faculty Senate, Staff Council and Student Government.

A closing reception will take place from 6-7:30 p.m. Dec. 10 with refreshments provided. The exhibition features the work of six art students: Karl Ramberg, Maggie Adams, Cecilia Franklin, Kali Teague, Joanna Marshall and Ashley Burgess. They are working in a variety of media including painting, photography, printmaking and fibers.

The bodies of work on display are the culmination of a semester of labor. This event is free and open to the public. All visitors are required to wear a mask that covers the nose and mouth.

Fraternity and Sorority Life will host a Final Scream trivia night at 6:30 p.m. Dec. 12 in the Student Union Building Georgian Room. This event is open to anyone. Compete with teams of up to seven people for a chance to win prizes. Registration is free and can be found here.  

Truman now offers test preparation classes to help students of all ages reach their academic goals.

With courses for the GRE, GMAT, LSAT, Praxis Core, SAT and ACT, Truman is northeast Missouri’s leading test prep solution. The University has partnered with Educational Testing Consultants to provide online exam preparation courses as well as free online test strategy sessions for major national graduate and professional school examinations.

“Truman partnered with ETC because of its established reputation for improving student performance on standardized exams,” said Kevin Minch, associate provost. “Many colleges and universities nationwide are using ETC, including some of our Missouri peers.”

Preparation courses are non-credit bearing and are offered at a range of lengths, at a variety of times and dates, and various points throughout the year. Students who register at least 10 business days in advance of the course can secure discounts of between $50-$100 per course. Courses are priced to be competitive with other national providers.

For high school students, preparation courses for the ACT and SAT are also available.

The test preparation classes were designed by a team of former standardized-test-item writers and test-preparation experts. All classes include: extensive instruction; experienced, dedicated instructors; comprehensive preparation materials, including actual questions and practice tests from the test-makers; thorough presentations and explanations; flexible schedule options; and access to online support resources.

For detailed descriptions of the available courses, and for more information on how to enroll, visit examprep.truman.edu.

The Institute for Academic Outreach is seeking applications for the following academies:

• Joseph Baldwin Academy (June 8-July 3 and/or July 6-31)
• JBA Junior (July 10-15)
• ATSU-Truman Healthcare Academy (June 9-18)

Each academy is in search of preceptors for programs ranging from one to three weeks during June and July. Stipends vary based in the length of the program and nature of the work.

To be eligible as a preceptor, applicants must be a Truman student or a May 2022 graduate, have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 and not be enrolled in summer classes while working in the program. Individuals hired for these programs will also be required to complete a criminal background check, pre-academy trainings and pre-academy orientations.
 
Applications are currently being accepted and will continue until the positions are filled. Information about each available position can be accessed at tiacademies.truman.edu/employment or by emailing Michelle Wilson at mwwilson@truman.edu.

SS&C, a financial technology company, sponsors the annual Robert L. Gould Scholastic Award to recognize outstanding university students who produce academic papers on topics related to investment management strategies, theories and trends. The concept for this year is related to gamification and investments. As technology is explored in everyday lives, how could gamification impact or encourage appropriate investing behaviors and what are the real or potential positive and negative consequences of using gamification in this environment?  

In addition to the national award, the University will offer cash prizes to the top three papers from Truman students. Locally, first place will earn $250, second place will receive $150 and third place will get $100. All three will be submitted to the SS&C for the national competition.

Papers should be submitted to Chuck Boughton, instructor in business administration, at boughton@truman.edu by Jan. 14. Submissions should be in Word format only. Local awards will be announced after the Jan. 31 submission to the Gould judges. For more information email boughton@truman.edu.

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) can be filed now for the 2022-2023 school year at studentaid.gov.

Even though a student may not qualify for grants or work-study, all students are considered for the Federal Direct Loan (no co-signer required). Filing the FAFSA does not commit students to taking a loan, but it does allow for more options.

The 2022-2023 FAFSA requires students to report income and tax information from an earlier tax year. For the 2022-2023 FAFSA students will use their 2020 tax information.

It is strongly recommended to apply or renew before Feb. 1, 2022.