Vol. 18 No. 27 - April 7, 2014

Herman Edwards, the former head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs, and current NFL analyst for ESPN, will visit Truman April 12 as part of the Holman Family Distinguished Speakers Series.

Passionate, enthusiastic, motivational and energetic are all words used to describe Edwards. Although most know him for his time as a successful former NFL player, NFL coach and current in-studio NFL analyst for ESPN, Edwards is also known for being a positive role model and using motivation as a tool for a call to action.

Edwards will take the stage at 8 p.m. April 12 in Baldwin Hall Auditorium to talk about the need to create a life plan, the importance of service and giving back to your community and having integrity in everything you do. Edward’s will talk about how we are a collection of our choices and we must set goals and then have a plan of action to accomplish those goals.

Edwards and his wife Lia are involved in numerous charitable efforts and philanthropic endeavors in their home base of Kansas City, including the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and the Boys and Girls Clubs. Edwards was named Big Brother of the Year by the Catholic Big Brothers for Boys and Girls in New York, and he has also participated in the All Pro Dad initiative, a parenting program that has received national recognition. In 1985, he founded the Herm Edwards Youth Foundation, and in May 2011, he brought The Herm Edwards Youth Football Camp to Kansas City.

Edwards started his career in the NFL with a 10-year professional playing career from 1977-1986. The first nine of those seasons were with the Philadelphia Eagles. In 1980 his role on the defense earned him All-NFC honors and helped boost the team to a berth in Super Bowl XV.

Following his playing career, Edwards coached defensive backs at the collegiate level. From 1992-1994 he coached defensive backs with the Kansas City Chiefs, and spent an additional year as a pro personnel scout with the team before joining coach Tony Dungy’s staff in Tampa Bay in 1996.

In 2001, Edwards departed Tampa Bay to become the head coach of the New York Jets. He led the team to the postseason in his first campaign with the squad, and would be on the sideline for a total of five playoff contests with the team.

Edwards returned to Kansas City in 2006, this time as the head coach. He would repeat the success he had with the Jets, taking the Chiefs to the playoffs in their first season under his leadership.

In 2013, Edwards joined elite company as a recipient of the Walter Camp Man of the Year Award. Other notable marks in his career include speaking at the NFL Rookie Symposium and being featured on ESPN’s “Back to School” segment in which he returned to his high school alma mater to coach for a day. Most recently, Edwards was named the Team ESPN 2013 Commentator of the Year.

Complimentary tickets for this event may be picked up at Truman’s Information Desk or the Student Activities Board Office, both located in the Student Union Building. Tickets may also be picked up in the Public Relations Office, McClain Hall 202, or at Edna Cambells in downtown Kirksville. For more information, contact pr@truman.edu or call 660.785.4016.

His visit to Truman is sponsored by the Holman Family Distinguished Speakers Series Endowment.

Former con artist Frank Abagnale, Jr. will speak at 7 p.m. April 26 in Baldwin Auditorium.

Between the ages of 16 and 21, Abagnale successfully posed as an airline pilot, an attorney, a college professor and a pediatrician, in addition to cashing $2.5 million in fraudulent checks in every state and 26 foreign countries. Apprehended by the French police when he was 21 years old, he served time in the French, Swedish, and U.S. prison systems.

Abagnale is now one of the world’s most respected authorities on forgery, embezzlement and secure documents, and has been associated with the FBI for more than 36 years. More than 14,000 financial institutions, corporations and law enforcement agencies use his fraud prevention programs. A book, film and Broadway musical have been written about his time as a con artist.

Abagnale will provide insight into his life as a notorious imposter of the 1960s and will reveal how he learned to live on the right side of the law.

The event is free for all attending. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are available in the Student Activities Board Office, located in the lower level of the Student Union Building. For more information, call 660.785.4722 or email specialevents.sab@gmail.com.

Alpha Sigma Alpha is sponsoring their annual philanthropy Puppy Love for Tally April 14 through April 18 on the Quad to raise money for the Adair County Humane Society.

Puppies from the humane society will be stationed with members of Alpha Sigma Alpha from 11 a.m.- 3 p.m. on the Quad each day, including University Conference Day. Puppy chow will be sold on the Quad and donations will be accepted all week. All puppies are adoptable and in the past, several dogs have been adopted.

“Most people think they have to pay to play with the puppies on the quad and that is not the case,” said Leigh Doner, philanthropy chair of Alpha Sigma Alpha. “This is because we want people to come out and raise awareness because the puppies do not get a lot of attention on a day-to-day basis.”

The humane society is grateful for this annual donation as funds generally go to both medical bills and food for the animals.

“What they raise is a huge help, its about a month of medical bills or a month and a half of food for the animals,” said Missy Decker, humane society manager. “Also, we usually have great adoptions the week that they go over to campus.”

Puppy Love for Tally was started in honor of a deceased sister, Tally Stevens, who passed away in a car accident. The philanthropy was established to always remember Tally’s life and family. Tally had a strong passion for animals, which is why Truman’s chapter of Alpha Sigma Alpha established this philanthropy in conjunction with the humane society.  

To donate, stop by the Puppy Love table on the Quad during the week of April 14 or contact Doner at lkd1884@truman.edu or 417.540.5507.

Truman will host its 27th Annual Undergraduate Research and 12th Annual Graduate Student Research Conference (SRC) April 15.

The SRC is a celebration of undergraduate and graduate research, scholarship and creative achievement. To provide an opportunity for all students and faculty members to attend the conference, no classes will meet during the day. Evening classes will still meet at their scheduled times.

This year’s conference will feature contributions from more than 400 undergraduate and 26 graduate student authors, mentored by 137 faculty members. Presentations will take the form of oral papers, posters, performing arts and studio arts. The SRC website provides information on all presentation abstracts, which can be electronically browsed and extensively searched. Customized schedules can be created on the website.

As the SRC Plenary speaker, Truman will also welcome Jeffrey McClurken, chair and professor of history and American studies at the University of Mary Washington. McClurken is a leading scholar in the area of digital humanities. His talk will explore opportunities for undergraduate students and faculty to be active participants in the consumption, analysis and creation of knowledge in the digital realm, transcending the traditional closed circle of classroom knowledge production.

There will be no registration table or ID tags at the SRC event. Oral papers will be presented in Violette Hall, Ophelia Parrish and Magruder Hall. Music and theatre performances, art exhibits and oral presentations will be featured in Ophelia Parrish. Hard copy program booklets will be available in buildings with presentations. There will also be several scheduled refreshment breaks throughout the day. A concurrent poster session and celebration reception will take place in the Student Union Building Georgian Rooms at the end of the conference.

The Student Research Conference is planned and coordinated by the Office of Student Research.

Looking to connect his study abroad experiences in Taiwan with his education at Truman, junior Michael Fentress has kept in contact with a Taiwanese organization that allows him to promote knowledge of international business tactics.

While in Taiwan, Fentress met Luke Lin, founder of My World Connect, a non-profit organization that seeks to further the learning of the English language. As a member of Truman Enactus, Fentress saw potential for collaboration between the two organizations dedicated to making positive social changes. Lin helped Enactus network with different schools in Taiwan and ultimately form the ConnectTaiwan project.

The program takes a three-pronged approach to teaching business practices that can be implemented in both the United States and Taiwan. First, the students are given a lesson in class that they work through with their teachers. Then they view a video that is put together by Truman Enactus, offering a different way to view the same lesson. Finally, students are broken into small groups where they work one-on-one with an Enactus member over Skype to clear up any questions.

The project culminates with each small group presenting at a community fair in July, where they pitch an idea for a new business and the strategies they would use to sell a product or service.

While the planning stage for this project began in August, Enactus just started implementing the lessons and small group work in January. According to senior Ashley Lynch, ConnectTaiwan had been a huge hit with the students of Changsing Junior High School.

“We have witnessed an overwhelming reaction from the students with this program,” Lynch said. “It amazes me how excited and eager the students are to commit to this program in addition to their current school workload.”

To view Luke Lin’s informational video about this project, click here.

Many students fill their summer with Netflix, work, vacations and internships, but senior theatre and creative writing major Josh Reinhardt and graduate student of music education, Shelley Washington, spent their summer going through the unique process of writing a musical.

Reinhardt and Washington were chosen as part of a research project that was proposed by David Charles Goyette, assistant professor of theatre, and Charles Gran, associate professor of music. Goyette and Gran chose to apply for an Interdisciplinary Community Grant from the Office of Student Research in order to mentor students in the creation of a new musical. The two professors had collaborated on numerous projects in the past where Gran would compose music for shows that Goyette was either writing or directing.

Both Reinhardt and Washington noted that they had not considered writing for musical theatre before this opportunity came along.

“Without the grant, I don’t know if I would have set out to do this on my own,” Washington said. “There isn’t a big culture of musical theatre in the music department. Usually majors are composing opera or choral pieces.”

Reinhardt echoed Washington’s sentiments, noting that he had taken playwriting courses and had written a few of his own works, but that none of his experiences ventured into the realm of musical theatre.

But now, after a summer of creative collaboration and a semester of workshops and revisions behind them, Reinhardt and Washington have created “Better Off Dead,” a one-act musical based on the play, “Is He Dead?” by Mark Twain. The play follows a fictionalized version of famous painter Jean-Francois Millet as he fakes his own death to increase the value of his paintings. Reinhardt noted that changes were made to the original piece in order to make a musical adaptation possible, including changing the setting from Paris to New Orleans. Washington was excited to work with a style of music familiar to her.

“I grew up in a pretty musical family and I latched onto jazz at a pretty early age,” Washington said. “I was already familiar with the music of New Orleans through zydeco programs on NPR that I listen to with my family.”

Both students attested that although the eight-week summer writing period was intense, it taught them new lessons about collaborating with experts in different disciplines. Since the original grant period, the musical has undergone numerous revisions, a staged reading, a presentation at the Student Research Conference and a full performance.

Before applying for this grant, Reinhardt was planning on applying for internships in literary management and graduate school for playwriting, and Washington was planning on pursuing a career in elementary music education. However, they both now believe this grant opportunity has encouraged them to consider a different path, as they are applying to musical theatre writing and composition programs in addition to their other pursuits.

In keeping with the nature of the Interdisciplinary Community Grant’s dedication to creating a transformative experience, Reinhardt reflected that his work on the show has influenced his perspective.

“I learned how to put all the pieces of the project together in ways that I wouldn’t have previously.” Reinhardt said. “I learned an approach to writing that comes from more than one direction.”

The School of Business has maintained its accounting accreditation by AACSB International—The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business.

Founded in 1916, AACSB International is the longest serving global accrediting body for business schools that offer undergraduate, master’s and doctoral degrees in business and accounting. AACSB Accreditation is the hallmark of excellence in business and accounting education, and has been earned by less than five percent of the world’s business programs. Today, there are 694 business schools in 45 countries and territories that maintain AACSB Accreditation. Similarly, 181 institutions maintain an additional specialized AACSB Accreditation for their accounting programs.

Approximately 60 percent of the University’s accounting bachelor of science graduates pursue a master’s degree to become eligible to sit for the Uniform CPA examination.

A farewell concert for retiring music professors Dan “Pete” Peterson and Tom Trimborn will take place at 2 p.m. April 27 in the Ophelia Parrish Performance Hall.

The concert will feature Wind Symphony I under the direction of both Peterson and Trimborn and should run for about an hour. Light refreshments will be served afterwards, followed by a reception.

RSVPs are encourged and should be made before April 23.

For more information on the reception, click here.

The Student Activities Board will host spring comedians Andrew Schultz, Jamie Lee and Carly Aquilino from MTV’s “Girl Code” and “Guy Code” at 7 p.m. April 11 in Baldwin Hall. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m.  

The event is free for students and $5 for general admission. Tickets can be picked up at the SAB Office in the Student Union Building from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. General admission can also buy their tickets on the SAB website.

For more information, contact Hannah Litwiller or Caity Biberdorf at comfi.sab@gmail.com or 660.785.4722.

The Health and Exercise Sciences Department, ResLife, ROTC, the Office of Citizenship and Community, Missouri Partners In Prevention and Greek Life will sponsor a variety of events for Sexual Assault Awareness Week beginning April 14.

Self-Defense Class
3:30-5:30 p.m.
April 14
Quad
The instruction will be led by DPS officers and ROTC. Prior to this class, the Women’s Resource Center will be speaking to the participants about the necessary steps to take in the event they are sexually assaulted.

Bro-code: Redefining Masculinity
6-8 p.m.
April 15
Student Union Building Activities Room
This all male talk, led by Curt Brungardt, will focus on the idea of men standing up against perpetration by becoming the example for other men to follow. Free food.

Movie and Panel
6-8 p.m.
April 16
Baldwin Hall 176
Preview the documentary “Spitting Game” about the college hook up culture and rape. After the one hour documentary there will be a panel discussion with Marty Jayne, Laura Bates, Jabari Allen and Jessica Poole. Free food.

Take Back the Night Walk
5-7 p.m.
April 17
Stokes Stadium
As the culmination of the week, the Truman community is invited to join together to walk from Stokes Stadium to the SUB Mall in this nationwide tradition promoting sexual assault awareness on campus. President Troy Paino will speak before the walk and lead the procession from Stokes Stadium to the SUB Mall. At the SUB Mall there will be free food, performances by True Men and other live music.

Follow Truman’s Sexual Assault Awareness Week on Twitter
@TSUawareness or join the Facebook event.

Schools throughout Missouri are celebrating Graduate Education Week, April 5-12. Graduate Education Week is designed to raise awareness of programming available in Missouri, show support for students participating in those programs and encourage potential students to consider pursing an advanced degree. Currently, graduate degree programs in Missouri are preparing more than 60,900 talented students for leadership in their fields.

Graduate School Open House
10 a.m.-2 p.m.
April 7
Career Center, Student Union Building 3100

Graduate Professional Development Lecture Series:
“Writing Proposals: Getting the Bucks, the Boost, or the Biz,” by Dr. Alanna Preussner
4-5 p.m.
April 8
Violette Hall 1010

Graduate Student Appreciation Luncheon
11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
April 9
Student Union Building Activities Room
*RSVP required for this event. Register here.

Graduate Student and Faculty Social
6-8 p.m.
April 10
Dukum “Up”
*Hosted by the Alumni Association.

Graduate Research Symposium
4-5 p.m.
April 15
Violette Hall 1010

For more information, visit graduateeduweektsu.wordpress.com.

The Truman Theatre Department is questioning the true meaning of normalcy while exploring the topic of mental illness with their upcoming performance of the award-winning rock musical, “Next to Normal.”

Performances will take place at 8 p.m. April 9-12 in the James G. Severns Theatre in Ophelia Parrish. Tickets are $5 and can be purchased in advance at the Box Office or by calling 660.785.4515.

The show contains strong language and adult themes and is not recommended for children under 13.

Truman’s Phi Kappa Tau chapter will be conducting its 19th Annual Cookout for Kids April 15 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 until April 8 by calling 636.328.5099 or by emailing Ralph Cupelli at rcupelli@truman.edu.

SeriousFun Camps were founded by actor and philanthropist 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 $4,000. Chapter members also volunteer to work at the camps.

Upward Bound has paid positions open in the following areas: Spanish instructor, anatomy instructor, freshman tutor, residential mentor, yearbook advisor and photographer.

Application materials and more information are available at ub.truman.edu or by calling 660.785.4244.

Basic Life Support (BLS) courses, taught by Liz Jorn and Jana Arabas of the Department of Health and Exercise Sciences, are designed to help people recognize and respond to several life-threatening emergencies, provide CPR, use an AED and relieve choking in a safe, timely and effective manner.

The course includes the following for an adult, child and infant:

* Critical concepts of high-quality CPR
* The American Heart Association Chain of Survival
* Differences between rescue techniques
* 1-Rescuer CPR and AED
* 2-Rescuer CPR and AED
* Bag-mask techniques
* Rescue breathing
* Relief of choking

Cost: $60 – Includes all instruction, materials, and 2-year certification with the American Heart Association

Payment: Participants can pay their registration fee with a check (made out to Truman State University) or cash at the Truman State University cashier window on the first floor of McClain Hall.

Upcoming Session Dates:
April 7
5-10 p.m.

April 14
5-10 p.m.

April 15
5-10 p.m.

April 24
5-10 p.m.

For more information, contact institute@truman.edu or call 660.785.5384.

The Learning Technologies Team's spring semester lineup includes workshops for faculty focused on a variety of teaching with technology topics. All sessions will take place at 12:30 p.m. in Pickler Memorial Library 103 unless otherwise stated.

April 16
Analog to Digital-How to Transform your Materials into 21st Century Learning Objects (VHS to DVD)
At the end of 2014, all VHS players will be removed from the classroom. Do you have course materials still on VHS that you just can’t bear to part with? If so, this workshop is for you. Join the Learning Technologies Team for a hands-on tutorial on how to transform your analog VHS recordings into a digital format, and learn about potential issues with copyright you may need to consider before making the switch.
 
April 23
Constructing Effective Assignments, Problem Sets & Exam Questions
This session highlights ways in which exams, problem sets and homework assignments can be designed to best support student learning and understanding. In this hands-on workshop, participants will spend time creating effective problem sets and questions using the Blackboard Tests and Pools functions for a class of their choosing.
 
April 30
Conducting Effective Online Meetings
Would you like to facilitate web-conferences with colleagues, group meetings with students or hold office hours online? Are you interested in the many options available to facilitate web-based, real-time collaborative experiences? In this workshop, the Learning Technologies Team discusses web conferencing options, how to set up a meeting space, the meeting space layout and the many options available. Specifically explore Zoom and Big Blue Button. By the end of the workshop, you will know how to set up the meeting space with Zoom and Big Blue Button, facilitate an online meeting and take away a few best practices concerning online real-time collaboration.  

To view a list of future workshop topics and dates, visit apd.truman.edu/home/upcoming-events.

Visual communications majors Rachel Finney, Derek Jones and Kathryn Sutton had their work accepted into the National Student Design Show and Conference from more than 2,000 submissions. To see their pieces, visit concept.typepad.com/concept.

Hosei University in Tokyo is offering a “Japanese Language Program” for Summer 2014. The cost of this program will be $1,075 which includes the program fees and accommodation.To apply, contact the Study Abroad Office at ciea@truman.edu and submit an application before April 7.

The Missouri London information meeting will take place 4-5 p.m. April 10 in the Student Union Building 3202. Mustafa Sawani, professor of economics, will discuss studying communication, politics, business, history and a variety of other subjects while living, learning and interning in the capital of the United Kingdom.

The University Board of Governors will meet at 1 p.m. April 12 in the Student Union Building Conference Room.

Molière’s comedy, “Le Médecin malgré lui,” will be presented in French by Truman students at 8 p.m. April 16-17 in the Student Union Building Down Under. English “subtitles” will be provided. For more information contact Patrick Lobert at plobert@truman.edu.

Alumni Mock Interview Day
9-11 a.m.
April 11
Career Center

Student Research Conference
April 15

Graduation Fair
April 16

Paging All Doctors
April 22

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, Lincoln, Jefferson, St. Charles, Warren or 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 Press Club of Metropolitan St. Louis is inviting eligible media communication and journalism students to apply for scholarships for the 2014-2015 academic year. Students of journalism or related fields who are residents of the St. Louis metropolitan area are eligible to receive these scholarships. Applications are available online at www.stlpressclub.org/scholarships. Deadline for applications is May 1, 2014.

MassMutual Financial Group is offering 30 $5,000 scholarships to high-achieving college students across the country who are pursuing careers in the insurance and financial services industries. For eligibility criteria, visit massmutual.scholarsapply.org. Deadline to apply is May 2.

Marketing EDGE is offering nine different marketing scholarships for the 2014 academic year. For more information or to apply, visit marketingedge.org/students/marketing-scholarships. Deadline for application is May 9.

The Jack J. Isgur Foundation will award 15–30 scholarships to students majoring in education at four-year colleges who have indicated a desire to teach humanities at the elementary and middle school levels, particularly in a rural district in Missouri. Scholarships can be as much as $2,000 and are available to juniors and seniors in undergraduate college, as well as to graduate students. For more information and to obtain an application for this scholarship, go to isgur.org. Deadline is May 15.
 
The Rural Students Scholarship Essay Contest is now available to all high school seniors and full-time college students in the U.S. with a 3.0 grade point average. Sponsored by Blaze Wifi, this scholarship worth $500 is designed to promote digital literacy and higher education in underdeveloped and potentially at-risk rural areas of the U.S. Full scholarship guidelines are available at blazewifi.com/scholarship. Deadline to apply is May 30.

Through a generous gift from Lloyd and Lois Elmore, a trust has been established to make scholarships of approximately $1,000 per semester (depending on need) available annually. Scholarship recipients must be active in a Southern Baptist Church or in a Christian Church, (Disciples of Christ). The scholarship recipients must attend Truman State University. Lloyd and Lois (Trower) Elmore operated a family farm in the Gibbs, Mo., community for 50 years before moving to La Plata, Mo., in 1968. Lloyd was a member of the Christian Church in Gibbs and La Plata. Lois was the daughter of a Baptist minister and attended the Southern Baptist Church in La Plata. She was also a member of the Loyal Bereans Class of the La Plata Christian Church. The Elmore’s established the trust fund to provide an educational opportunity for students in the northeast Missouri area who are actively involved in their church. Eligibility criteria: high school graduate from northeast Missouri; current Missouri resident; active involvement in a Southern Baptist Church or Christian Church, (Disciples of Christ); financial need; and acceptance to Truman State University. Selection criteria: completed application form; evidence of financial need; proof of acceptance to Truman State University; written letter of recommendation from the local clergy; and receipt of all the above by the application deadline, May 30. Renewal criteria: student must maintain a 2.50 grade point average; complete at least 24 credit hours in previous 12 months; evidence of continued active involvement in a Southern Baptist or Christian Church, (Disciples of Christ); and maximum renewal of three times. To apply, click here.

The BigSun Organization is offering a $500 scholarship to help a student athlete succeed in academic pursuits. All student athletes are eligible, regardless of which sport they are participating in. Visit bigsunathletics.com to learn how to apply. Deadline for submission is June 20.

The Sonoma County Satellite will offer two $500 scholarships for the Fall of 2014 to the students who submit the best essays based on one of the three prompts listed on their website. Entry is free an open to all current and prospective students who are enrolled in nine or more credits at an accredited U.S. college or university. More information about the application can be found here.

AES Engineers is offering $500 scholarships to students on the basis of character across a wide spectrum of fields of study. Students are not required to be taking Engineering courses. This award is available to high school seniors and all students attending a post secondary education facility. To be eligible, students must answer the essay question at aesengineers.com. Deadline to apply is Oct. 6.

StudentScholarships.org is offering the following $500 scholarships: Your Favorite Car Scholarship; MCO Scholarship; Find a Law Scholarship; Maple Leaf Dentistry Scholarship; LM Scholarship Program; Odenza Vacations College Scholarship; Got a Spine Scholarship; Global Life Equipment Scholarship; Lift Parts Express Scholarship.