Vol. 27 No. 7 - October 3, 2022

This year’s homecoming theme is “Welcome to the Fabulous K-Vegas,” and the philanthropy that all money raised will go to is Special Olympics of Northeast Missouri.

The week will start with a kick-off event and cornhole tournament at 4 p.m. Oct. 3 on the quad. There will be games and snacks, as well as appearances from the 2022 homecoming court and the 2022 philanthropy.

K-Vegas Trivia will take place at 3:30 p.m. Oct. 4 in the Student Union Building Georgian Rooms. Participants will be able to test their knowledge and earn points and prizes.

From 4-6 p.m. Oct. 5 in downtown Kirksville teams will paint the windows of businesses on the square to “paint the town purple.” SAB will host a casino night from 6:30-8:30 p.m. in the Student Union Building Georgian Rooms. This event is free to all. There will be poker games, prizes, snacks and mocktails.

The annual LipSync Competition will take place at 7 p.m. Oct. 6 in Baldwin Hall. Tickets can be purchased in advance through the homecoming store for $5 or for $7 at the door.

The Golden Alumni event sponsored by the Office of Advancement will take place at 5 p.m. Oct. 7 in the Student Union Building.

The Bulldog Forever Homecoming 5K run/walk will start at 8 a.m. Oct. 8 in Barnett Hall. Registration for those who did not register online will begin at 7 a.m. for $20 a person. The homecoming parade will begin at 9 a.m. on Franklin Street and will begin in downtown Kirksville and end at Truman. Tailgating will start at 11 a.m. at the lot on the corner of Franklin and Patterson streets. Football will face Missouri S&T at 2 p.m. at Stokes Stadium. During halftime the homecoming honorees will be recognized and the philanthropy check will be presented.

The homecoming committee will have a table set up from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Oct. 3-7 on the Student Union Building Mall with giveaways and homecoming apparel. Each day of the week a flat Spike will be hidden somewhere on campus. Follow the homecoming Instagram to receive clues.

The Missouri Government Internship Program provides students with the opportunity to gain meaningful experience in the fast-paced world of state politics. Selected interns will work as full-time staff assistants with a legislator or state public official. By interning at the Missouri Capitol, students will expand their knowledge of state government, build a diversified professional network and establish a basis for future professional positions.

Many former interns have gone on to serve as legislative directors, chiefs of staff, judicial clerks, policy analysts, lobbyists and public officials as a direct result of what they learned and the connections they made as interns.

The varying daily tasks throughout each office could include attending public hearings, completing legislative research, writing and editing published materials, constituent relations or assisting with basic office work.

The Truman State University Foundation provides selected interns with a $2,500 stipend. Interested students should click here for more information and to view the internship application. Additional information will be presented at the Oct. 12 meeting. Questions can be directed to cyoung@truman.edu.

Truman is collaborating with the Adair County Public Library and Thousand Hills State Park on a series of events to help everyone appreciate the wonders of the night sky.

In conjunction with International Observe the Moon night, a bring-your-own-telescope event took place Oct. 1 at the Adair County Public Library in Kirksville. Members of Truman’s Stargazers Astronomy Club were available to help attendees recognize planets and constellations. They will also set up some telescopes for anyone to utilize.

“The idea of community stargazing events like these is to get people outdoors and experience the beauty of the night sky,” said Vayujeet Gokhale, associate professor of physics at Truman. “We set up scopes to show details on bright naked-eye objects like our Moon, Jupiter and Saturn, but our new scopes are also capable of displaying color images of deep sky objects such as galaxies, nebulae and star-clusters. People enjoy these events immensely and find the experience of spending some time under the stars quite soothing and refreshing. Everyone is welcome, so if the weather looks good, grab a blanket and join us to enjoy the wonders of the night sky.”

Weather permitting, there are other community events planned this fall. From 7-9 p.m. Oct. 8, Truman will set up telescopes on campus, and members of the public are invited to make use of them with the help of students from the Stargazers Astronomy Club.

Representatives from Truman will also host a Halloween Constellation Myths event from 6-8 p.m. Oct. 28 at Thousand Hills State Park. Those in attendance will get to explore the stars while learning about the mythological connections to some constellations. More details will be available soon on observatory.truman.edu.

The Adair County Public Library will host a second event from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Nov. 15.

In addition to community outreach events, the Truman Observatory, located at the University Farm on Boundary Street, hosts open house events throughout the year. Details can be found online at observatory.truman.edu.

A proud Truman homecoming tradition is the recognition of alumni and friends who have made their mark on campus and in the world.

The Homecoming Celebration will be at 5 p.m. on Oct. 7 in the Student Union Building. The Dogs of Distinction awards are presented as a part of the Truman Alumni Association Homecoming Celebration.

As the Joseph Baldwin Academy continues to grow, the popular summer program will add a new professional staff member for next year.

In addition to the current seven professional staff positions, JBA will add a communications director. This role has been created by popular demand from family members who have requested a social media presence in order to follow their students’ journeys while they attend JBA, as well as the students’ desire to have a place for memories.

“The individual that fills this position will be tasked with all things social media related, as well as providing historical content through our memory books and website,” said Michelle Wilson, assistant director of the Institute for Academic Outreach. “Additionally, this provides another individual to the management team for supervision and guidance for preceptors.”

Along with the 50 preceptors employed by JBA during a typical summer, professional staff members work to continuously support and grow the academy, including: a program director and assistant director; a director of residential living; a director of health and wellness; a hospitality directory; and two co-activity directors. Bios for all JBA professional staff members can be found at jba.truman.edu/facultystaff.

“Our professional staff provides an amazing service to our students, preceptors, families and the University overall.” Wilson said. “As a team of eight, they will continue to work to ensure the needs of everyone associated with JBA will be met.”

Since its inception in 1985, JBA has been a fixture of the University summer programming. This three-week residential program takes place twice each summer, once in June and once in July. In the most recent session, JBA added two additional courses, and the curriculum is slated to expand by two courses again in 2023 for a total of 14 different class offerings. This summer the academy expects to welcome approximately 260 student per session.

JBA will begin recruiting student preceptors early next year. They work as student advisors in the dorms and as teaching assistants in the classroom. Preceptors are class-specific. For summer 2023 they will be paid $1,900 per session, along with being provided room and board. Preceptors live in Ryle Hall for the duration of the academy and have access to the cafeteria.

For more information about JBA, visit jba.truman.edu or email jba@truman.edu.

Truman has been highlighted as one of the best colleges in the country based on a combination of factors including graduation and retention rates, student-to-faculty ratio, selectivity and the school’s financial health.

The college planning site College Raptor included Truman on its recently released list of Hidden Gems in the U.S. To qualify, schools must receive fewer than 5,000 applications per year, have fewer than 7,000 undergraduate students, offer five or more unique majors and have an acceptance rate of 10% or higher. College Raptor selected one school from each state and the District of Columbia, and Truman was recognized for Missouri. Of the 51 schools to be honored, more than 75% were private institutions.

In addition to the overall U.S. recognition, Truman was specifically honored on the list of Hidden Gems in the Plains Region. Among the states of Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota, Truman was one of only 21 highlighted schools. It was one of only four public schools recognized in the region, and the only public school of the three universities acknowledged in Missouri.

Fiscal responsibility earned Truman a spot on College Raptor’s list of Best Hidden Gems for Middle-Class Affordability. Created as a guide for a “typical” middle-class family – defined by College Raptor as a family of four with one student in college, a family income of $80,000 and total assets of $50,000, excluding primary residence – Truman was No. 25 on the list of 25 schools deemed most affordable. It was the only Missouri school to be included on this particular list.  

College Raptor is a college planning site that offers side-by-side comparisons of estimated financial aid packages along with simplified campus match scores and admission chances. Factors taken into consideration for its Hidden Gems lists include retention rates, graduation rates, student-to-faculty ratio, endowment per student, selectivity and other key metrics as reported via the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) for the most recently available enrollment year.

Thirty alumni were recognized for their post-graduation achievements, Sept. 23-24.  

Five Alumni Fellows, one for each academic school, were honored for their personal and professional accomplishments. The Echo 25 award was presented to 25 outstanding alumni under the age of 40. Recipients of both awards had the opportunity to interact with students, faculty and staff while back on campus, bringing real-world experience into the classroom.

Alumni Fellows  
•    Laura Brooks (’09) – School of Business
•    Jesse Jokerst (’03) – School of Science & Mathematics
•    Derek Ozkal (’03) – School of Social & Cultural Studies
•    Abigail Swetz (’04) – School of Arts & Letters
•    Dyane Tower (’05) – School of Health Sciences & Education

Learn more about this year’s Alumni Fellows here.

Echo 25 Honorees
•    Babajide “BJ” Adio (’12)
•    Deanna Barger (’14)
•    Pascael (Barclay) Beaudette (’05)
•    Grant Berry (’10)
•    Jennifer Blank (’11, ’12)
•    Theo Dean III (’12, ’14)
•    Michelle (Carter) Failla (’07)
•    Shari (Fieser) Foglesong (’15, ’19)
•    Rachel Greer (’15)
•    Ellie (Glenn) Harmon (’07)
•    Pete Howe (’06)
•    Joshua Kappel (’07)
•    Robert Kelchen (’07)
•    Sara (James) Kurovski (’07)
•    George Patrick Lee (’15)
•    Brianna Lennon (’07)
•    Adam Lowrance (’05)
•    Stephanie McGrew (’12)
•    Katie Cooper Nix (’06)
•    Jessica (Chaney) Rooks (’05)
•    Alafiya (Nasrulla) Sachak (’09)
•    Sarah Saheb (’06)
•    Darius Taylor (’12)
•    Daniel Tucker (’07)
•    Geoffrey Woehlk (’14)

Learn more about this year’s Echo 25 honorees here.

Tabling
10 a.m.- 2 p.m.
Oct. 3-4

UN Sustainable Development Goals Presentation
7 p.m.
Oct. 5
Magruder Hall 1000

Clothing Swap
1-3 p.m.
Oct. 11
Student Union Building Georgian A

Guest Speaker Presentation with Alex Haraus
7 p.m.
Oct. 19
Magruder Hall 1000

Communiveristy Garden Service Event
11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Oct. 22
Communiveristy Garden

Greenhouse and Composting Event
7 p.m.
Oct. 24
Magruder Hall 2090

Sustainability Festival
2:30-5:30 p.m.
Oct. 28
Student Union Building

Data Science
2:30-3:15 p.m.
Oct. 12
Zoom and in-person in Violette Hall 1300
Accountancy
3-3:45 p.m.
Nov. 3

Communications Disorders
10 a.m.-12 p.m.
Nov. 5

Applications are now being accepted for summer internships at the following locations in Missouri:

•    Independence: Harry Truman Presidential Library (full-time, 9 credits)
•    Kansas City: National World War I Museum (part-time, 4 credits)
•    Kirksville: Judicial Archives Project (part-time, 4 credits)
•    Olathe, KS: Mahaffie Stagecoach Stop-Farm (part-time, 4 credits)
•    St. Joseph: St. Joseph Museums (part-time, 4 credits)
•    St. Louis: Field House Museum (part-time, 4 credits), Missouri History Museum (part-time, 4 credits), Mercantile Library (part-time, 4 credits)
•    Springfield: MSU Special Collections and Archive (part-time, 4 credits)

The summer internships are open to all Truman students and are especially relevant for those considering careers in archives, museums and teaching. Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until all positions are filled. Email jasonmcd@truman.edu to find out what the internships entail and how to apply.

Junior and senior students could win up to $250 from Truman, and $10,000 nationally, through the Robert L. Gould Scholastic Award competition.

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.

• As we continue to explore technology in our everyday lives, how do you see technology changing the interactions we have and the types of interactions as it relates to investing?    
• 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?  
• Given the advancements in technology, how is or will investment advice and portfolio construction change in the next 3, 5 and 10 years?
• As a consumer of that future state, what are your expectations surrounding engagement with those financial products and the brands that manufacture them?

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. Polished drafts are due by Dec. 9 with final paper submission due Jan. 15. 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.

SS&C is a global provider of investment and financial services and software for the financial services and health care industries. Named to Fortune 1,000 list as top U.S. company based on revenue, SS&C is headquartered in Windsor, Connecticut, and has 25,000+ employees in more than 100 offices in 40 countries. Some 20,000 financial services and health care organizations, from the world's largest institutions to local firms, manage and account for their investments using SS&C's products and services.

In 2018, SS&C acquired DST Systems, Inc., which was founded and headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri. Gould was president of DST from 1984 until his death in 1987. He had a distinguished career in the financial services industry and was known for his creative and results-oriented style. Prior to joining DST, Gould was president of Fidelity’s Service Company in Boston.

Oct. 12
6:30 a.m.-7 p.m.

Oct. 13
11 a.m.-2 p.m.

Oct. 14
11 a.m.-2 p.m.

Oct. 15
Closed

Oct. 16
Closed

For more information, call 660.785.4847.

The Truman State University Board of Governors will meet at 1 p.m. Oct. 7 in the Student Union Building Conference Room. The meeting agenda can be found on the Board of Governors’ website.

At Washburn, freshman Aiden Breesawitz and sophomore Eli Bartz finished with positive records. Breesawitz finished as a quarterfinalist and earned his NFA qualification.

At Western Kentucky, juniors Alicia Stout and Elijah Baum were invited to the Alexis Elliott Memorial Round Robin, an exclusive competition where only 10 debaters in the nation were able to participate. Stout finished as third place speaker. Breesawitz and Baum were also invited to the Rising Stars Round Robin, which is intended for debaters going into their second year of debate. Truman continued its success at the WKU Debate the following days. Stout was a quarterfinalist and sixth speaker. Baum finished as 10th place speaker.