Vol. 17 No. 26 - April 2, 2013

Mara Liasson will speak at 8 p.m. April 13 in Baldwin Auditorium as part of the Holman Family Distinguished Speaker Series.

Liasson is one of the top national political analysts in America. She serves as a correspondent for NPR as well as political contributor for FOX News. She serves as a regular panelist on the No. 1 rated cable news program "Special Report with Bret Baier" and "FOX News Sunday" and her reports can be heard regularly on NPR’s  award-winning newsmagazines “All Things Considered” and “Morning Edition.”

Liasson provides extensive coverage of politics and policy from Washington, D.C., — focusing on the White House and Congress — and also reports on political trends beyond the Beltway.

Mara Liasson

Each election year, Liasson provides key coverage of the candidates and issues in both presidential and congressional races. During her tenure she has covered five presidential elections — in 1992, 1996, 2000, 2004 and 2008. Prior to her current assignment, Liasson was NPR’s White House correspondent for all eight years of the Clinton administration. She has won the White House Correspondents Association’s Merriman Smith Award for daily news coverage in 1994, 1995 and again in 1997. From 1989-1992 Liasson was NPR’s congressional correspondent.

Liasson joined NPR in 1985 as a general assignment reporter and newscaster. From September 1988 to June 1989 she took a leave of absence from NPR to attend Columbia University in New York as a recipient of a Knight-Bagehot Fellowship in Economics and Business Journalism.

Prior to joining NPR, Liasson was a freelance radio and television reporter in San Francisco. She was also managing editor and anchor of California Edition, a California Public Radio nightly news program, and a print journalist for The Vineyard Gazette in Martha’s Vineyard, Mass.

Liasson is a graduate of Brown University where she earned a bachelor’s degree in  American history.

Free tickets for this event may be picked up at the Student Union Building Information Desk or the Public Relations Office in McClain Hall 202. Tickets may also be picked up at Edna Campbells gift shop in downtown Kirksville. For those living outside the Kirksville area, email pr@truman.edu or call 660.785.4016 for ticket information.

Wyatt Hoffman, a senior political science major from Kansas City, Mo., was selected for the Carnegie Endowment Junior Fellows Program.

Each year the endowment offers approximately 10 one-year fellowships to uniquely qualified graduating seniors and individuals who have graduated during the past academic year. They are selected from a pool of nominees from close to 400 participating colleges. Carnegie junior fellows receive a generous salary while working as research assistants to senior associates.

Hoffman, as the first Truman student to be accepted into the program will be participating in research related to nuclear policy.

Briana Bonner, a junior health science major, has been selected as a Newman Civic Fellow, a program sponsored by the national Campus Compact.

Nominated by their college and university presidents, fellows are students who are making the most of their college experiences to better understand themselves, the root causes of social issues and effective mechanisms for creating lasting change. These students are recognized as the next generation of public problem solvers and civic leaders who have demonstrated an investment in finding solutions for challenges facing their communities.

Bonner has a passion for helping individuals with disabilities. She regularly volunteers at the People Achieving Connections Together (PACT), a center that provides daily activities for individuals with developmental disabilities in Kirksville. Her experiences at the PACT center led her to propose a student-initiated course, Disability and Community Connect, which was offered to prepare students to both volunteer and work in community based programs for disabled individuals. Bonner hopes to earn a Ph. D. in rehabilitation science so that she can continue to help improve the lives of those with disabilities.

Bonner was one of 181 student leaders across 36 states to be recognized. Only one student from each institution can be nominated each year.
 
Campus Compact is a national coalition of more than 1,100 college and university presidents who are committed to fulfilling the civic purposes of higher education to improve community life and to educate students for civic and social responsibility. For more information about the Newman Civic Fellows visit compact.org.

Truman’s Phi Kappa Tau chapter will be conducting its 18th Annual Cookout for Kids April 16 to benefit the SeriousFun Camps for children with chronic or terminal illnesses.

The cookout menu includes barbecued half chicken or pork steak, baked beans, coleslaw, bread and a soda or bottled water for $10. Food is delivered or can be picked up between 10:30 a.m.-2 p.m. at 215 N. High Street.

Orders can be placed by calling 618.979.7430 or by emailing Ralph Cupelli at rcupelli@truman.edu.

SeriousFun Camps were founded by Paul Newman, a Phi Tau alumnus. They provide multiple one-week camping experiences for children who suffer from chronic and terminal illnesses that require around-the-clock care and frequent hospitalizations. The camps provide these experiences free of charge to children’s families and it is only through contributions that the camps are able to continue. One hundred percent of the profits from Cookout for Kids go to the camps. In the last three years, Truman’s Phi Tau chapter has contributed more than $5,000. Chapter members also volunteer to work at the camps.

The Truman Opera Theatre will be performing Gaetano Donizetti’s "Il Campanello di Notte" at 8 p.m. April 4-6 and 3 p.m April 7 in the Ophelia Parrish Performance Hall.

Tickets are $3 for students and $5 for general admission. This hour-and-a-half one-act comedic opera will be sung in its original Italian text, but English subtitles will be displayed for audience members throughout the production.

"Il Campanello" tells the tale of Don Annibale Pistacchio who has just married the young Serafina. In an attempt to disrupt the couple’s wedding night, Enrico, Serafina’s former lover, constantly rings the night bell to pull Don Annibale away from his bride. Clad in a several disguises, Enrico sends Don Annibale on a series of outrageous tasks in an effort to foil the wedding night and keep the newlywed couple apart.

This production marks the first time in Truman Opera Theatre history that a production has been put on in its original language, an achievement made possible by graduate student Filippo Ciabatti, an exchange student from Florence, Italy. Ciabatti will also serve as the production’s musical director representing the first time a student has served as music director for a Truman Opera Theatre production.

The production will feature a cast of 15 students and staff and a live chamber orchestra, the largest orchestra to yet be used in a Truman Opera Theatre performance.

Tickets will be sold in the Ophelia Parrish Performance Hall Lobby Tuesday through Thursday from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Tickets will also be available at the door prior to all performances.

The Student Union Reservation Office will accept reservation requests from 8 a.m.-6 p.m. April 8 through April 11 in the SUB Reservation Office, Suite 2000.  

All requests must be submitted in writing on a reservation form. Informational packets will be sent out to departments and student organizations the week of April 2. No early forms will be accepted. Additional forms will be available for print out on the lottery website,
studentunion.truman.edu/lottery.

There will not be electronic confirmations for these requests.  Confirmations will be mailed out by May 1. All questions should be addressed to the SUB Reservation Office at 660.785.4186, or at union@truman.edu.

Applications for the 2013 Pearson Prize for Higher Education are now open. This award, distributed by the Pearson Foundation, recognizes students who distinguish themselves by leading public service efforts and give back to their local community while completing their undergraduate studies.

This year’s program has been changed in order to provide even more students with the financial support and additional assistance they will need to grow their programs and community outreach efforts. One hundred students will receive a cash prize of $1,000 to meet their goals.

The Pearson Prize application is available online at pearsonstudents.com. Applications must be completed by April 19.

According to the Faculty Survey for Student Engagement (FSSE), Truman students reported more contribution to writing and speaking effectively in addition to more contribution to analyzing quantitative problems than faculty reported emphasizing. Students also reported less integration of papers and projects than faculty reported emphasizing. This data, as well as other interesting facts about how Truman is doing is available via the Assessment Almanac, at assessment.truman.edu/almanac/index.asp.  

Activity: Co-Rec Ultimate Frisbee
Division: Open
Deadline: April 5
Captains’ Meeting:
Play Begins: April 13-14

Activity: Track Meet
Division: Greek/Org/Open
Deadline: April 10
Captains’ Meeting:
Play Begins: April 18

Activity: Amazing Race-Truman
Division: Open
Deadline: April 11
Captains’ Meeting:
Play Begins: April 17

Activity: Rock Climbing
Division: Open
Deadline: April 16
Captains’ Meeting:
Play Begins: April 23

All information, rules and registration requirements are online at recreation.truman.edu/intramuralrec.asp, or contact the Intramural Office at 660.785.4467. Captains’ meetings are at 5 p.m. in Magruder Hall Room 2001.

Charter One will begin taking applications for their 40 TruFit Good Citizen Scholarships to be awarded to students who demonstrate the difference they have made in their communities through volunteering. There will be one $5,000 grand prize, four $2,500 second prizes and 35 third prizes for $1,000 each. Entries must be received between April 1-19. For more information, go to charterone.com/scholarship.

Marine Technology Society (MTS) is offering scholarships to undergraduate and graduate students who are studying in the marine science, marine engineering and/or marine technology field. Scholarships are for MTS student members only. For membership information, go to mtsociety.org/membership/new/add.aspx. Student membership is for full-time college students and high school seniors and is only $25 per year. Applications must be postmarked no later than April 15. Contact suzanne.voelker@mtsociety.org with any questions.

The Scholarship Foundation of St. Louis is a non-profit organization that provides access to higher education to St. Louis area students through interest free loans. The program assists students with financial need. Applicants must have a minimum cumulative 2.0 grade point average, demonstrate good character and must be a permanent resident of St. Louis City, St. Louis County, the Missouri counties of Franklin, Jefferson, Lincoln, St. Charles, Warren and Washington or the Illinois counties of Bond, Calhoun, Clinton, Jersey, Macoupin, Madison, Monroe or St. Clair. Applications are due April 15. For more information, call 314.725.7990 or email info@sfstl.org.

The St. Louis Area Hotel Association has partnered with area schools to provide up to $2,500 in scholarships to students studying within the hospitality field. Requirements include: enrolled as a freshman, sophomore, junior or senior at a four-year institution; enrolled as a freshman or sophomore at a two-year institution; have a minimum of a 2.25 overall grade point average; be a United States citizen or permanent U.S. resident; be enrolled full time (minimum of nine hours) for the next academic year for which the scholarship is given in order to receive the full amount. Applications will be accepted until 5 p.m. April 30. For more information, go to stlhotels.com/scholarship_and_career_resources.asp.

MassMutual Financial Group is offering high-achieving college students of African-American, Asian/Pacific Islander or Hispanic descent, interested in pursuing careers in the insurance and financial services industry, a scholarship opportunity for the 2013-14 academic year. For eligibility criteria, go to act.org/massmutual. Application deadline is May 3.

The Press Club of Metropolitan St. Louis is inviting eligible media communication and journalism students to apply for scholarships for the 2013-2014 academic year. Students of journalism or related fields who are residents of the St. Louis metropolitan area (City of St. Louis; Franklin, Jefferson, Lincoln, St. Charles, St. Louis and Warren counties in Missouri; and Bond, Clinton, Jersey, Madison, Monroe and St. Clair counties in Illinois) are eligible to receive these scholarships. Applications are available online at stlpressclub.org/scholarships.html. Deadline for applications is May 3.

MyBookbuyer.com is continuing to conduct their ongoing scholarship essay contest. It is a 750-1,250 word essay submission. There will be one grand prize of $1,250 and one runner-up prize of $250 to the winning students. The application deadline is May 10. To learn more about this scholarship opportunity go to www.mybookbuyer.com/textbooks-for-a-year-scholarship.htm.

The Jack J. Isgur Foundation is a Missouri not-for-profit corporation formed for the purpose of promoting an interest in the field of education in the humanities, such as literature, fine arts, music, art, poetry and dance. The foundation awards scholarships to students studying at colleges and universities who indicate an interest in teaching courses in the above-described areas in school districts located in the State of Missouri, preferable rural school districts. It is available to those at the junior and senior levels of undergraduate college, as well as graduate students. For more information and to obtain an application for this scholarship, go to isgur.org. Deadline is May 15.

The creators of the “Student Award Search Aid” website are renewing the B. Davis scholarship for 2013. For more information on this $1,000 scholarship, visit studentawardsearch.com/scholarships.htm. Questions can also be sent to awards@studentawardsearch.com. Deadline to apply is May 27.

USDirect is offering a $1,000 scholarship where they are asking students to show them their school spirit and team pride with a photo. To obtain more information on how to apply for this scholarship, visit usdirect.com/scholarship. Deadline for entry is June 15.

The CEO of Tomorrow Scholarship is a $2,500 scholarship for students interested in business leadership and/or entrepreneurship. Applicants must answer a short online survey and submit a 500-1,000 word essay on “the CEO of tomorrow.” Possible topics could include (but are not limited to) company structure, company culture or utilization of technology. For more information, or to apply, go to ceo.com. Deadline is July 1.

Abbott & Fenner Business Consultants will be awarding up to $1,000 each year to a scholarship winner. To apply students will submit an essay on the topic that appears on the scholarship page of their website at abbottandfenner.com/scholarships.htm.

AES Engineers is committed to continuing its support of higher education by providing scholarships to deserving students. To be eligible the student needs to answer one of the essay questions that they will find online at aesengineers.com/scholarships.htm. A $500 scholarship will be awarded on the basis of character, as determined by evaluating the essays that are submitted. Deadline for entry is Oct. 4.

DAZ 3D is offering a $1,000 scholarship to 3D Graphic Design Students seeking financial aid for tuition, books and education related costs. For more information go to www.daz3d.com/3d-graphic-design-scholarship. Submission deadline is June 1.

Smile Reef is sponsoring the Pediatric Dentist of Tomorrow Scholarship. Details can be found at smilereef.com/pediatric-dentist-of-tomorrow-scholarship.

The Streamline Refinance Scholarship for Finance and Economics Scholarship is now available. Details can be found at streamlinerefinance.net/finance-economics-scholarship.html.

StudentScholarships.org has scholarships available to Missouri residents on their website, studentscholarships.org/2013scholarships.php. Truman students should specifically look for the following scholarships: Gilbratti Scholarship, Youth Volunteer Scholarship Award, Healthy Choices Scholarship, Scholarship by Design Award, Black and Lee Scholarship, Caretenders Scholarship Program, LM Scholarship Program, Rogers Community Volunteer Scholarship Program, Sedary & Associates Scholarship and Lift Parts Express Scholarship.

U.S. Bank will award 40 scholarships of $1,000 through a random drawing process. Undergraduate students attending an eligible four-year college or university participating in the U.S. Bank No Fee Education Loan Program are eligible to apply. Further details regarding this scholarship opportunity can be found at usbank.com/scholarship.

As classroom technology becomes older it is often replaced by newer technologies providing better services at a lower cost.

VCRs have largely been replaced by DVDs. DVDs are simpler, more durable, have higher video quality and better long-term storage characteristics. All Truman classrooms with a console computer system currently have a DVD player. This plan will outline the process for phasing out and removing the VCRs from all Truman classrooms.

ITS will support the current classroom VCRs until December 2014. During the 2014 Winter Break the classroom VCRs will be removed. Until December 2014 any classroom VCRs that fail will be replaced with used VCRs as long as a spare VCR unit is available. No new VCRs will be purchased. Pickler Media Library has been replacing many of the educational and feature film VHS titles it holds with DVD format media.

Instructors should contact Sharon Hackney at 660.785.7366 or shackney@truman.edu to make arrangements for the Library to purchase DVDs or other media for their classes. Replacing the older media with new media like DVDs is much better than trying to convert old media.

The ITS Helpdesk and the Learning Technologies office can also provide guidance and assistance to anyone needing to make their VCR-based academic materials available in DVD format. The recent copyright workshop hosted by the Library and the Learning Technologies Office covered many of the issues present when dealing with copyrighted materials; copyright law, the TEACH Act, the Digital Millennium Copyright Act etc. ITS will work with instructors to help find the best legal solution for their existing VCR-based materials.

Please review your academic media materials and discuss your needs with your department head.  Replacing your academic materials could take some time and the operational life of the VCRs is counting down; we recommend you start working on upgrading your academic materials soon.

ITS will provide additional status updates on the VCR support plan as December 2014 approaches. For any additional questions, contact the ITS HelpDesk at 660.785.4544.

Five Truman wrestlers were named to the NCAA Division II Coaches Association All-Academic team, and the Bulldogs overall posted the 11th best grade point average in the division. Junior Colton Schmitz earned first-team All-Academic after going 26-8 and qualifying for the national championship meet. Schmitz was one of 35 student-athletes across Division II to earn first-team status on the All-Academic squad. To be eligible for the team, a student-athlete must have a minimum of a 3.0 cumulative grade point average on a 4.0 scale, be in at least their second full year of eligibility and have two letters of recommendation. Senior Alex Maus was a second team All-Academic selection while senior Daniel Karlskin, and sophomores Helmut Rentschler and Nick Shea were picked for the honorable mention team. As a team, Truman had a 3.16 team GPA.

Marc Rice, professor of musicology, and Lynn Scharff of Tufts University, had their poster “Watching from Afar: Rap, Protest, and the New Media within a Tunisian Diaspora” accepted for the international conference of the European Society for Ethnomusicology. The conference will take place in Bern, Switzerland in September 2013.

Thomas Trimborn, professor of music, had his arrangement for wind ensemble of Aaron Copland’s Old American Songs performed by the University of Michigan Concert Band with Daniel Washington baritone soloist.

Lin Zhang, associate professor of business administration, and co-authors Baolong Ma of Beijing University of Technology, Fei Li of Qin hua University, and Peng Gao of China Europe Business School have had their paper entitled, “The Impact of a Product Harm Crisis on Customer Perceived Value” accepted for publication in the International Journal of Market Research.

The Missouri Department of Transportation will host a listening session from 4-6 p.m. April 3 in the Student Union Building. Local officials, companies, organizations transportation experts and MoDOT engineers will discuss potential scenarios for Missouri’s transportation priorities over the next 20 years. Seating is limited so pre-registration is encouraged. Register by emailing onthemove@modot.mo.gov or by visiting missourionthemove.org.

The Faculty Forum will continue at 7 p.m. April 3 in the Student Union Building Alumni Room when professor emeritus Peter Goldman presents “Will lions survive longer in the wild or in my imagination?”

Starstruck, the TSODA spring dance recital, will take place at 7 p.m. April 5 and April 6 in Baldwin Auditorium.

The Multicultural Affairs Center is bringing the Global Poverty Project to campus from 5:30-7 p.m. April 8 in Violette Hall 1000. This event will give students the opportunity to learn more about why extreme global poverty exists and give them the tools and resources to actually do something about it.

The Graduation Fair for May graduates will take place from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. April 9 and April 10 in the Student Union Building Activities Room.

Truman’s National Society of Collegiate Scholars (NSCS) will host a literacy night at the Adair County Public Library from 3:30-5:15 p.m. April 10 for students K-3rd grade. NSCS students will be dressed up like book characters and will help children explore new worlds by reading and helping them create a fun craft to take home.

The American Association of University Professors (AAUP) will host its monthly meeting at 4:30 p.m. April 16 at the University Club House, 516 E. Patterson. Contact Marc Becker at marc@truman.edu or call 660.785.6036 for more information.

Service Recognition Luncheon RSVPs are due by April 17 to Human Resources. This annual event recognizes Truman employees celebrating an anniversary year of service. Tickets are $10. Individuals being recognized will receive a complimentary ticket.

Howard Wight Marshall, noted fiddler and scholar of Missouri fiddle music, will perform from 5-7:30 p.m. April 17 in the Student Union Building Alumni Room. He will be joined by Truman student Richard Shewmaker. Marshall will also be signing copies of his book, “Play Me Something Quick and Devilish,” available for purchase at the Truman Bookstore. This event is sponsored by Folklore Studies and the Truman Bookstore.