Vol. 14, No. 12 - Nov. 17, 2009

In anticipation of the upcoming holidays, the Kohlenberg Lyceum Series will present Yuletide Pranks with The Blanks at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 1 in Baldwin Hall Auditorium.


Presenting a mixture of a cappella music and humor, The Blanks will sing many popular numbers and a variety of holiday favorites.

The group, a quartet of friends who enjoy singing a cappella music, has appeared on the popular sitcom “Scrubs” as “Ted’s Band.”

In addition, the group has released a CD and routinely performs live shows, where they regularly sing television and movie themes such as “Charles in Charge” and the “Six Million Dollar Man.”

Tickets for students and faculty go on sale Nov. 17. Students can pick up their free ticket by presenting a Truman ID at the Student Activities Board Box Office, located in the lower level of the Student Union Building. Faculty and staff can receive their free tickets by showing their Truman ID at the Information Center in the Student Union Building.

General admission tickets cost $7 for adults and $4 for those 18 and under and are available beginning Nov. 17 at the Truman Cashier’s Window in McClain Hall or downtown at Edna Campbell’s beginning Nov. 24.

Truman’s 2nd Annual Bioenergy Conference will take place Dec. 4 and will highlight the role of farms and farmland in a sustainable energy future.

This conference is targeted to anyone interested in a sustainable energy future, including high school and college agriculture faculty members, extension personnel, natural resource and conservation agency personnel and community leaders.

Recent trends in energy prices, coupled with developments in energy policy, have made it clear that agriculture will play an important role in America’s energy future. However, concerns over the growing use of biofuels and biomass, their impact on food availability and price, and their broader environmental impact, have generated debate about the sustainability of current bioenergy developments.

Dr. John Hagler, Director of the Missouri Department of Agriculture and Truman graduate, is one of the distinguished speakers presenting at the conference. He will speak at the Luncheon, which will begin at 11:50 a.m. in the Student Union Building in Georgian Room B.

The Bioenergy Conference will address production and handling of dedicated biomass feedstocks, algae oil production and utilization, alternative oilseed production, farm-level oilseed processing and biodiesel production, methane digesters and recent developments in energy policy.

Several presentations will be on going throughout the day, including hands-on bioenergy demonstrations and exhibits at the University Farm, and a demonstration of the Mobile Oilseed Crusher. There will be a free pre-conference tour of Crystal Peak Fertilizer in Green City, Mo., Dec. 3.

Funding for the conference is provided by a Professional Development Program grant from USDA’s North Central Regional Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program. For more information, contact Michael Seipel at mseipel@truman.edu or 785.4316 or go online to http://bioenergyconference.truman.edu.

Truman will posthumously honor long-time professor Jim Thomas with a poetry reading from his new publication “Brief Tracks” at 7 p.m. Dec. 3 in Baldwin Hall Auditorium.

Thomas taught at Truman for 30 years before retiring in 1994. Widely regarded as one of the state’s finest poets, he passed away in February 2009.

The poetry reading, sponsored by the University’s Department of English and Linguistics, will include readings by family members, former colleagues, current faculty, former students and Missouri’s Poet Laureate Walter Bargen.

Copies of “Brief Tracks” may be purchased at the reading for $20 and are available at bookstores. All royalties benefit the Jim Thomas Scholarship Fund through the Truman State University Foundation.

The reading is free and open to the public. President and Mrs. Darrell W. Krueger will host a reception at the University Residence following the reading.

In addition to “Brief Tracks,” Thomas published more than 350 poems, stories and essays in leading literary journals. Nature, family and the many miracles within the commonplace were favorite themes Thomas incorporated in his work.

Thomas taught composition, creative writing and American literature during his tenure at Truman. He also served as Director of Graduate Studies and Acting Head of the Division of Language and Literature.

“Brief Tracks” was collected and edited by colleague Joe Benevento, professor of English, and was published by Truman State University Press. Benevento will also serve as host during the reading.

Alex Boles, Truman junior and published author, will debut her “Unwritten Letters Project” book at a signing hosted by the Truman State University Bookstore from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Dec. 2 in the Student Union Building. 


The book features a compilation of more than 100 letters from the “Unwritten Letters Project” blog created by Boles. The blog serves as a medium for people to post letters anonymously, which provides the freedom to communicate thoughts and feelings otherwise silenced or suppressed.   

“I originally decided to start the website to see if anyone besides me used letters as a type of expression to say things they might not necessarily have the courage to say in person or never got the chance to say,” Boles said.

Originally created as a class project, the blog’s readership and participation have steadily grown. Her site has received more than 36,000 hits since its creation in April of 2009.

Currently, the blog receives more than 200 hits daily and Boles receives more than 15 letter submissions weekly. In addition, the blog boasts more than 1,300 followers on Twitter and Facebook.

Boles said her blog offers more than other comparable sites.

“My blog gives the world a chance to express unlimited emotions in a safe, judgment-free environment. No negative comments are allowed on the site, no one is turned away from submitting a letter, and submissions aren’t confined to a postcard or a word count,” Boles said. “It’s your words, your voice, your time.”

For further information, check out Boles’ blog at http://www.unwrittenlettersproject.com.

Students can now apply for new grants to help sponsor events on the Truman campus.

The Office of New Student Programs, through these grants, is looking to bolster three specific types of campus programming. The overall goal of the grants is to increase both the quality and quantity of the events in each of the three areas.

One fund will support events that bring together faculty and students. A second fund will work with programs that celebrate diversity on campus. The third fund is dedicated to supporting student initiated events that are not being sponsored by a student organization or University office. To apply for funding, students need to submit a grant application. Those forms can be filled out and printed from the New Student Programs website, http://newstudents.truman.edu. The three funds are being administered by teams of academic advisers from New Student Programs and hall directors from Residence Life. These teams will review the forms regularly and get back to students quickly about the status of their grant applications.

New Student Programs serves the academic needs of first-year and transfer students as well as on-campus residents engaged in cocurricular learning. Their services include academic advising, tutoring, study skills development and specialized courses. New Student Programs is funded through academic tuition and an annual allocation from Residence Life.

The Truman Forensics Team competed at several locations throughout the region Nov. 6-8, winning two individual tournament championships, a team sweepstakes championship, an individual speaking championship and several other awards.

Bradley University in Peoria, Ill., and the University of Central Missouri in Warrensburg hosted two tournaments while the Winston Churchill Museum in Fulton, Mo., served as the venue for a series of commemorative debates.

At the University of Central Missouri tournaments, freshman Matt Gilmore won the novice division while freshman Susan Taylor advanced to the semifinal round. All four competitors also won a speaker award. Gilmore took second place, freshman Katie Koenig took third, Taylor took sixth and freshman Aimee Chau took seventh place.

At the second tournament, Koenig won the novice division after advancing past her teammate, Chau, in semifinals. Koenig also took the first place speaker award. Gilmore took third place and Chau took sixth. The team won the debate sweepstakes trophy, surpassing defending national champions Western Kentucky.

All four competitors earned their qualification to the national tournament.

Members of the team who compete in individual events, or speech events, traveled to Bradley University. Sophomore Andrew Grojean advanced to the semifinals in Prose Interpretation—the largest event with 100 competitors.  

Finally, as part of a series of events in commemoration of Winston Churchill and his famous “Iron Curtain” speech, two members of the varsity debate team participated in debates hosted by the Westminster Debate Society. Junior Elizabeth Hatting and sophomore Christian Johns represented Truman, which was one of four universities specially invited for this prestigious event.

Anyone interested in competing in forensics should contact Kristi Scholten, director of the program, at kscholten@truman.edu.

The computer labs can become very busy toward the end of the semester and finding an unused computer can be a challenge.

Students now have the option to check campus computer lab availability from the web. Simply go to http://its.truman.edu/labs/ and click on the ‘Live Status’ links.  

The real-time status of lab computers is available for Violette Hall, Pickler Library and the Residence Halls.

Live Status will show exactly where the lab computers are located and if they are in use or available.

The web page also includes information on printer account balance, classroom and lab software, software available by request, Mathematica for home use, software downloads, purchasing software and more.

Activity: College Bowl Mania
Division: Open
Deadline: Finals Week
Captains’ Meeting: NA
Play Begins: Finals Week

Activity: Wrap Up Meeting
Division: Open/Org/Greek
Deadline: NA
Captains’ Meeting: Dec. 3
Play Begins: NA

All information, rules and registration requirements are online at http://recreation.truman.edu/intramuralrec.asp, or contact the Intramural Office at 785.4467. Captains’ Meeting is at 4:30 p.m. in the SRC Conference Room.

Communication students Nathan Vickers and John Moenster presented papers at the National Communication Association Convention in Chicago Nov. 13 and Nov. 15. The papers, in part, focused on the petition drive of Truman’s NCA Student Club in securing 1,001 student signatures to keep the COMM 170 public speaking requirement in the LSP. Vickers presented “Discourses of Stability and Change: Efforts to Keep Public Speaking in the Liberal Arts Core,” along with Truman faculty members Al Weitz, Michelle Kleine, Barry Poyner and Kristi Scholten. Moenster and Truman professors Ed Rogers and Poyner presented “Stasis Theory in Action: Efforts to Keep Public Speaking in the Liberal Arts Core.”

“Deaths on Pleasant Street,” published by Truman State University Press, won the 2009 Historic Book of the Year from the Jackson County Historical Society of Independence, Mo. Author Giles Fowler received the award for his extraordinary contribution to local history and for preserving and understanding the county’s heritage. Fowler’s book traces the 1909 mystery surrounding the suspicious deaths of three members of the wealthy Swope family of Independence. “Deaths on Pleasant Street” delivers an engaging and accurate retelling of the 100-year-old events in the literary journalism tradition by analyzing court transcripts, newspaper coverage and personal memoirs.

Barbara Price, associate professor of English and English Education, participated in the Fulbright Colloquium marking the 60th anniversary of the Australian-American Fulbright Program, which took place in Washington, D.C.,  Oct. 8-9.

Two Truman State University music composition students received recognition in the 2009 Missouri Music Teachers Association Student Composition Competition (Young Artist Division). Rich Freese was awarded first place for his guitar composition “Scattered Memories.” His composition now advances to District/Regional competition. Katie Lakner was awarded honorable mention (second place) for her flute composition “Character Sketches of the Usual Suspects.” Both student composers study with Warren Gooch, professor of music. This is the third consecutive year that a Truman composition student has won this award. The competition is open to Missouri student composers in the 19-26-year-old age bracket.

The Stargazers Astronomy Club will host an Observatory Open House from 6-9 p.m. Nov. 17 at the University Observatory on University Farm. The event coincides with the peak of the Leonid meteor shower. In addition to the sights through the 14-inch telescope in the dome, those on the patio will likely see a several meteors over the course of the night.  

The Women of Cardinal Key will host a fall interest party at 6:30 p.m. Nov. 17 in the Student Union Building Alumni Room. Cardinal Key is a national honor society comprised of 25 women whose focus is service both on Truman’s campus and within the Kirksville community.

Alpha Phi Omega will present its Ugly Man on Campus (UMOC) Pageant at 6:30 p.m. Nov. 17 in Baldwin Hall Auditorium. Tickets are $2 and will be sold Nov. 17 in the Student Union Building. All proceeds benefit the Kirksville Child Development Center and a charity pre-selected by the winner of the pageant.

Students from public speaking classes will present speeches from history and the movies at 7 p.m. Nov. 17 in the Dr. Ruth W. Towne Museum and Visitors Center. The program is sponsored by the Communication Club (NCASC).

The Women’s Resource Center will sponsor “Coffee and Consciousness” at 7 p.m. Nov. 17 at the University Club. The topic, “Disability and Sexuality,” will explore ways in which not able-bodied people have become one of the most sexually oppressed groups, the issues people face and how awareness could be raised.

The Center for Teaching and Learning Weekly Lunch Series will present, “Faces of Truman: Baillie Cloyd and the Service-Learning Program,” at 12:30 p.m. Nov. 18. in the Spanish Room of the Student Union Building.

The next Physics Colloquium will take place at 4:30 p.m. Nov. 18 in Violette Hall 1000. Gregory L. Comer, from the Department of Physics at Saint Louis University, will present “The Multi-faceted Physics of General Relativistic Compact Objects.” For more information about the colloquium series and upcoming discussions, visit http://physics.truman.edu/colloquia/mainstage.asp.

“La fille bien gardée” by Labiche will be performed in French by Truman French students at 8 p.m. Nov. 18-19 in the Student Union Building Activities Room. A copy of the script can be read online at http://www2.truman.edu/~plobert/. For more information, contact Patrick Lobert, professor of French, at 785.4062 or plobert@truman.edu.

“An Evening with Richard Deats, peace activist,” sponsored by the Philosophy and Religion Club, will take place at 7 p.m. Nov. 18 in Georgian Room A in the Student Union Building. For more information, contact Mike Ashcraft at 785.7531 or washcraf@truman.edu.

Mary Vogt McIntosh, a local records archivist, will give a presentation on her work at 8 p.m. Nov. 18 in Baldwin Hall 349. McIntosh graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in history from Truman in 1991, and she has worked as a local records archivist for the Missouri Secretary of State’s Office since March 1992.

The Great American Smokeout, a national event that encourages tobacco users to quit “cold turkey” for 24 hours, will take place Nov. 19. In observance of the event, Ekklesia, a campus ministry, will sponsor Turkey Bowling on the mall. For more information, contact Dan and Gaylene Green at 627.5003.

The Quincy Symphony Orchestra will present its “Fiesta! Family Concert” at 3 p.m. Nov. 21 in the Quincy Junior High School Morrison Theatre on the corner of 14th and Maine streets. Tickets are free with a Truman ID.

The University and Community Relations Committee will host a blood drive from 12-4 p.m. Dec. 2 in the Student Union Building Down Under. Go to http://www.givelife.org to sign up for an appointment.

The Weekly Lunch Series will host an evaluation of the lunch program at 12:30 p.m. Dec. 2 in the Student Union Building Spanish Room.

The Student Activities Board will host its annual Holiday Lights concert at 8 p.m. Dec. 2 on the steps of Kirk Memorial. The event celebrates the upcoming holiday season and features live a cappella music by True Men, Minor Detail, Sweet Nothings, Unique Ensemble and Sophisticated Ladies. Free hot chocolate and holiday cookies will be available.

The Women’s Resource Center is hiring volunteer, scholarship and work-study positions for Spring 2010. Applications can be found in the Women’s Resource Center located in Student Union Building 1100 in the CSI complex. The deadline to apply is Dec. 2. The interviews will take place during the last week of classes from Dec. 7-11.

The Truman Department of Music will sponsor the Fifth Annual Renaissance Madrigal Dinner at 6:30 p.m. Dec. 4-5 in the Student Union Building. Tickets can be purchased online at http://music.truman.edu/madrigal. They are $22 for adults, $17 for students and $9 for children ages 2-8. For more information contact Jon Gil at jgill@truman.edu.