Vol. 28 No. 37 - July 22, 2024

 
For many years, Sal Costa taught one of the most unique courses at the University, a psychology class commonly referred to as “Serial Killers.” Now retired, Costa is working with Truman to provide an abridged version of the class, available for $25 to the general public.
 
Starting Aug. 20, “Serial Killers and Psychopaths” will be offered for an eight-week session. Classes will take place in-person from 6-8 p.m. every Tuesday. Registration is open to anyone. Participants do not need to be current students or go through the normal application process. Anyone who takes the class – which is offered as a pass/fail option – will receive one hour of college credit.
 
“This is an opportunity for anyone to sample a class that has become legendary in Truman circles,” said Tyana Lange, vice president of student engagement, enrollment and marketing “Sal has always made this class interesting and engaging. Presenting it this way opens up this course, and Truman, to a whole new audience. My husband and I are looking forward to taking the class together and making it a slightly different type of date night.”
 
A lecture-based course, Costa will provide new material each week. Topics delve into a multitude of scientific and sociological issues, including biology, personality traits and disorders, abnormal psychology and psychopharmacology. Costa, professor emeritus of psychology, has been teaching a version of class for years. Initially it was a psychology course, but over the years it has grown to reach a wider audience.
 
More information about the course can be found online at truman.edu/serial-killers-and-psychopaths-community-registration. Registration is open to community members who would like to participate in the class. Cost is $25, and payment can be made at the cashiers’ window in McClain Hall, Monday through Friday, 10 a.m.-12 p.m. or 1-3 p.m. For registration questions, contact the Registrar’s Office at 660.785.4143 or registrar@truman.edu.

Jacob Morris was named the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCA) Outdoor National Scholar Field Athlete of the Year.

Morris is the first Bulldog to earn the Scholar-Athlete of the Year award from the USTFCCA. He was also named Academic All-American in men's track and field/cross country by the College Sports Communicators. Morris was named to the second of three Academic All-America teams in Division II and was one of five representatives from the Great Lakes Valley Conference to earn the award.
 
Morris also earned All-Academic honors and was joined by fellow Bulldogs Raina Baker, Kendall Dascher, Lexy Henrikson and Addie Mathis on the honor roll. Both Bulldog track and field programs were designated as a USTFCCA All-Academic team with both squads averaging over a 3.0 cumulative grade-point average. The women's team posted the fourth-highest team GPA in Division II with a 3.74 average. The teams are led by Leslie Hardesty and assisted by Collin Nurenberg and graduate assistant Justin Moeller.

To earn All-Academic recognition, student-athletes must have a minimum of a 3.25 grade-point average and have achieved an NCAA Division II qualification mark in their respective events. Henrikson, Dascher, Baker and Mathis ran a qualification time that set a school record in the women's distance medley relay event at the Great Lakes Valley Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships.

The Del and Norma Robison Planetarium will receive new projectors this fall.

The current projectors have a resolution of 2K and were installed when the planetarium first opened in 2014. The new projectors will have 4K resolution, which will significantly improve the visuals for shows and presentations. This project is supported through an advancement fund, which has continued to have donors for the past 10 years.

The planetarium has an annual attendance of roughly 5,000. During the school year, the planetarium hosts free 30-minute shows at 6 p.m. Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays, as well as an hour show for $5 on Saturdays. Topics and titles for the upcoming semester will be determined at a later date. For the most up-to-date schedule of events, visit planetarium.truman.edu.

For more than 40 years, the “Fiske Guide to Colleges” has chosen a select group of schools based on academic quality and affordability for its best buy list. The 2025 guide includes 20 schools – 10 public and 10 private – it deems as best buys. These are schools that, in the judgement of the editors, offer “outstanding educational value as determined by academic quality in relation to the net cost of attendance.”

Truman has been included in the “Fiske Guide to Colleges” for 10 consecutive years. This year’s list includes colleges and universities throughout the United States, with Truman being the only school from Missouri to be selected.

“Fiske Guide to Colleges” Best Buys of 2025
Public
University of Georgia                                                
University of Maryland, Baltimore County          
University of New Mexico                                       
University of North Carolina Asheville                  
SUNY – College at Geneseo                                     
SUNY – Stony Brook University                              
University of Texas at Austin                                  
Truman State University                                          
University of Utah                                                     
University of Washington      

Private
Alfred University
Beloit College
Centre College
The Cooper Union
Emerson College
University of Miami (FL)
Olin College of Engineering
Rice University
Warren Wilson College
Xavier University of Louisiana

La GuaGua, a Puerto Rican food truck, will be on the quad from 12-6 p.m. July 23 and open to the Truman community.

For the second session of the Joseph Baldwin Academy, some students are taking a Spanish class that focuses on three Spanish-speaking countries: Colombia, México and Puerto Rico. To provide an authentic experience, students are being given the opportunity to try new foods and interact with people from these countries.

So far, students have spoken with a person that studies art from Colombia, visited Los Cabos Seafood Restaurant on the square and will get the opportunity to try Puerto Rican cuisine from La GuaGua.

 
“Truman State University’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve, with President Sue Thomas” will take place from 6:30-9 p.m. Aug. 18 on the quad. All students, faculty and staff are invited to attend.
 
In celebration of the start of the new academic year, a variety of mocktails, snacks, lawn games, party hats, noisemakers and stickers specific to the event will be provided. President Thomas will lead the countdown to the new year, with the ball drop taking place at 9 p.m.
 
From 6:30-7 p.m., the event will be family friendly, with faculty and staff encouraged to bring members of their family.

Summer hours for the Student Health Center and University Counseling Services will be 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday through Thursday. An on-site nurse practitioner will be available Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Patients that walk-in on Mondays and Thursdays will be offered to go to the main location at 1611 S. Baltimore Street, or go through Urgent Care. To schedule an appointment, call 660.785.4182 or email studenthealth@cfmcares.com. More information can be found at truman.cfmcares.com.

The next issue of the Truman Today will be available Aug. 19.