Gerald Elijah “Shag” Grossnickle (’42) of Kirksville passed away April 25, 2016. In his 100 years he led a full life as a public servant, sportsman and entrepreneur. A Navy veteran of World War II, he was called to duty before graduation that year and did not cross the stage with his class. A native of Carlisle, Iowa, following his time in the service he returned to Kirksville where he led a life of many interests with his wife Sarah. He taught for a year, ran a restaurant for a while and spent a total of 28 years in elected office serving the citizens of Adair County in various capacities. During an eight-year stint as sheriff, he never carried a gun, rarely wore a uniform and often kept his badge in his pocket. He also bought a share in an insurance company, which he would later go on to own and operate with one of his sons. Grossnickle was named a Master Conservationist by the Missouri Department of Conservation for his efforts to bring wild turkey to the region, and he is a member of six different halls of fame, including the Truman Athletics Hall of Fame and the Missouri Athletics Hall of Fame. Among his many community involvements, he helped to start the Kirksville Baseball Softball Association and sponsored a little league team for more than 50 years until the time of his passing. Grossnickle also had affiliations with the Loyal Order of the Moose, the El Kadir Shrine Club, the Kirksville Jaycees, the United Way, the YMCA and the Red Cross. He joined the Kiwanis Club in 1945 and his longtime membership in that organization led to the newly created inclusive playground in Kirksville partially being named in his honor. In 1993 arrangements were made for Grossnickle to lead the graduation processional during summer commencement ceremonies. More than 50 years after earning his degree, he was finally able to cross the stage and accept his diploma.
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Tutus and Tiaras Trump Cancer
Connie and Mike Smith pose for a picture together on the night they met in October 1990.
From the dangerous to the embarrassing, men are notorious for doing whatever it takes to impress the women in their lives. When Mike Smith met his future wife Connie Smith at a mixer between Lambda Chi Alpha and Sigma Kappa in 1990, he pulled out all the stops to win her heart.
“He was up for dancing most of the night, which I loved, or talking on the porch swing, which was sweet,” Connie said. “And he knew the rap to ‘Groove is in the Heart,’ which was impressive.”
The two dated on and off throughout college, and after their engagement, they settled in Mike’s hometown of Kansas City. Mike (’93) put his business administration degree to use for Western Auto and later YRC freight company. Connie (’91), a communications major at the University, found work in advertising, followed by public relations at two different school districts. When children Matthew and Madeline came along, she became a stay-at-home mother.
Connie and Mike’s relationship had taken the natural progression that so many do. College parties gave way to PTA events and carting the kids around to various extra curricular activities. By Mike’s own account, their lives were fairly standard, “until the cancer thing hit.”
In December 2011, Connie was diagnosed with invasive ductal carcinoma breast cancer. There was no history of cancer in her family, and Mike never knew anyone who had the disease. Throughout the early diagnosis process, Connie was not too concerned. She was told there was an 80 percent chance it was just calcifications, and she thought doctors were being overly cautious with a second-look mammogram and biopsy surgery.
“Then I heard, ‘I’m sorry to tell you, you have cancer.’ The rest of the conversation sounded like the teacher on Charlie Brown,” she said. “Initially, my brain couldn’t keep up. There was information overload combined with stunned disbelief.”
Facing the prospect of her own mortality, Connie’s maternal instincts were key in fighting the disease. She and Mike decided an aggressive approach was the best way forward. Most of the next year of her life revolved around surgery, chemotherapy and radiation treatments.
Connie and Mike Smith, along with their children Matthew and Madeline, celebrate at the 2014 Race for the Cure in Kansas City.
“When I thought of my kids, being around to see them grow up, I wanted to do everything in my power to make that happen,” she said. “Looking back, there were moments I don’t know how I got through them.”
Sensing that Connie felt like she was alone, Mike set up a Facebook group, Team Connie, to show her how many people were on her side. The group quickly reached more than 300 members, and one of Connie’s sorority sisters mentioned Race for the Cure.
An annual 5K fundraiser, Race for the Cure is one of the signature events of the Susan G. Komen Foundation, an organization devoted to breast cancer education, research, advocacy and support programs.
“The race does a great job of making survivors feel special and like every single survivor is a guest of honor at a really great party,” Connie said. “It’s a great way to be a part of a larger community of people who understand what you’ve been through.”
After putting a team together, it was suggested Mike do something unique to solicit donations, and the idea of wearing a tutu was proposed.
“I said that it would take a lot of donations, at least $2,000, to get me to wear a tutu,” he said.
When that year’s tally came in at more than $5,000, not only did Mike wear the tutu in the race, he topped off his wardrobe with tights and a tiara. Every year since her diagnosis the Smiths have participated in Race for the Cure in Kansas City, and every year they have earned enough that Mike has put aside his pride and worn the outfit in support of his wife and the cause.
Today, Connie is cancer free. She and Mike continue to support Komen Kansas City because of the impact it has on their community and the resources it provides. They also recently celebrated their 21st wedding anniversary.
“I would say we are as close now as we have ever been,” Mike said.
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Paino’s Last Lecture Available Online
President Troy D. Paino
The Truman campus was saddened when University President Troy D. Paino announced he was leaving to become the president of the University of Mary Washington in Virginia, effective July 1. In making his announcement, Paino expressed the decision to leave was among the most difficult in his life as he loves the students, faculty, staff and community and has felt that love returned tenfold.
Paino also expressed in the announcement that “down the road there will be opportunities for me to express what you have and will continue to mean to me.” One such opportunity occurred when Paino closed out the Student Activities Board Last Lecture series April 27 in Baldwin Hall Auditorium with his presentation titled “On Saying Goodbye: The Power of Letting Go.”
Paino’s presentation is now available on the University’s YouTube channel at youtube.com/user/trumanuniversity.
The Same, But Different
College was supposed to be the time when Hayley and Elise Sherman set themselves apart – literally. The identical twin sisters from Springfield, Mo., always planned on attending different schools, giving them each a chance to be seen as her own person.
“We were adamantly against going to the same school,” Hayley said. “One of my biggest fears is turning out like one of those pairs of twins that never separates, so going to the same school was not something I had ever considered.”
Their plan to split up was put on hold for at least four years.
“Somehow we both ended up at Truman, and we’re still not quite sure how that happened,” Elise said.
Each sister earning a highly competitive Pershing Scholarship from Truman probably had a little something to do with them coming to Kirksville together. In addition to covering the cost of tuition, along with room and board, Pershing Scholars receive a stipend to support a study abroad experience. Only about a dozen incoming students are selected for the University’s most-prestigious award.
“We went into the interviews knowing there was a very real chance that one of us would be getting the scholarship while the other would not, so it took us all by surprise to learn we had both gotten it,” Elise said.
During the selection process, the sisters, along with parents Paul and Beverly, had been cautiously optimistic about their chances for success.
“That’s not to say that they don’t encourage us or believe in our abilities, but rather that they just knew how unlikely it would be that the committee would choose two students from the same city, let alone the same family,” Hayley said.
One member of the family has a different interpretation of how Hayley and Elise ended up at the University. Brother Sam (’14) was the first member of the family to graduate from Truman. As a former student ambassador, he tried to sway the twins’ decision.
“Having him here gave us insight into what a great school Truman really is, but when it came down to actually making a decision to attend, Sam really didn’t factor into that,” Elise said. “However, I’m pretty sure he feels as though he’s the sole reason we attended Truman, despite protests from both Hayley and me.”
One piece of information Sam shared with Hayley turned out to be particularly influential.
“He told me once that every student at Truman was passionate about something,” she said. “That really stuck out to me, and I’ve found it to be true. Every organization that I’m in has allowed me to grow as a person and as a leader.”
Although they may not have moved forward with their plan to go to different colleges, the sisters have been able to distinguish themselves in their own rights. A business administration major, Hayley is active in Delta Sigma Pi and the Student Activities Board. Elise, a biology major, is involved with GlobeMed, as well as the Funds Allotment Council and women’s club soccer. They also used their study abroad stipends to visit different locations. Elise participated in a marine research trip to Belize in May, and Hayley will be spending the fall semester in Belgium.
“It seems to me that Truman provides an exceptional environment for getting to know like-minded people who still challenge the way I view the world,” Elise said.
Their different interests have allowed the sisters to grow enough that some people on campus do not realize they are part of a set of identical twins.
“A lot of our friends are different, or we’ve met people separately so they know that we aren’t really all that similar,” Hayley said.
“My time at Truman has involved a fair amount of waving back to random people who think I am Hayley,” Elise said.
Just because the twins have a desire to be seen as individuals, it does not mean they are not close. In fact, they doubled down on their sisterhood, as they both joined Sigma Sigma Sigma. Contrary to popular belief, they cannot read each other’s mind, but they are close enough they can each tell what the other is thinking with little more than a glance between them.
“It’s basically comparable to having a best friend that you’ve been around so much that you know literally everything about each other,” Hayley said.
Aspects of their personality are also comparable.
“We do have basically the exact same sense of humor, and that tends to weird people out sometimes,” Elise said.
The twins are on track to graduate in May 2018, and in all likelihood their career paths will finally take them apart. Elise plans to attend medical school and become a doctor, while Hayley has her sights set on becoming a lawyer. Although they have been planning their separation for years, at times even anxiously looking forward to it, it might not necessarily be easy for them.
“We’ll just end up where we end up,” Hayley said. “I very much doubt that we’ll ever be in the same city again, which is somewhat sad to think about.”
Despite any physical distance that may come between them, they will always have each other.
“Hayley and I are probably closer than we even really know,” Elise said. “In my experience, being a twin definitely gives you a closer bond than normal siblings. We’ve been around each other for our entire lives, so it would almost be difficult not to be as close as we are.”
Beautiful Campus Reaps Rewards
Truman has always been known for its aesthetic beauty, and recent efforts to be more environmentally conscious have earned accolades and an economic windfall as well.
In January, Ameren Missouri awarded Truman more than $300,000 in connection with the University’s energy savings project. Ameren’s Business Energy Efficiency Program offered cash incentives and technical assistance to commercial and industrial electric customers in 2015 in order to help trim controllable energy costs. Work on the energy-saving measures in Truman’s 16-month plan began in summer 2015. The improvements, ranging from installing new light fixtures to updating the heating, cooling and ventilation systems of multiple buildings, will allow Truman to reduce water, natural gas and electrical consumption, as well as its carbon dioxide emissions, and are estimated to save the University more than $1 million annually.
Proof that the University is acting locally while thinking globally can be seen by its participation in the American Campuses Act on Climate (ACAC). Truman is one of more than 300 institutions to commit to addressing sustainability and climate change by signing the ACAC pledge.
Efforts in the area of sustainability have earned the praise of the Arbor Day Foundation and the Missouri Community Forestry Council.
Truman was honored with 2015 Tree Campus USA recognition by the Arbor Day Foundation for its commitment to effective urban forest management. Tree Campus USA is a national program created by the Arbor Day Foundation to honor colleges and universities for effective campus forest management and for engaging staff and students in conservation goals. Truman achieved the title by meeting Tree Campus USA’s five standards, which include: maintaining a tree advisory committee; a campus tree-care plan; dedicated annual expenditures for its campus tree program; an Arbor Day observance; and a student service-learning project.
The Missouri Community Forestry Council awarded Truman the Arbor Award of Excellence in the Business/Institutional category. The award recognizes an outstanding community forestry project implemented in the last two years by a commercial entity or institution. Truman earned the award for its collaborative efforts during Arbor Day 2015 with the city, the Kirksville School District’s Green Thumb class and the Environmental Club. The University hosted a kick-off event in which the students helped plant two trees by the Green Thumb classroom with the guidance of Truman resource forester Yvette Amerman. Students in other classes planted willow stakes/trees on the school grounds, one tree per student.
Baldwin Hall to Receive Updates
Baldwin Hall will be offline for the 2016-17 academic year while the nearly 80-year-old building receives some much-needed updates.
Major needs to be addressed include: replacement of obsolete heating and air-conditioning systems; fire alarm and sprinklers; classroom updates; remodeled restrooms to meet ADA requirements; and installation of energy-efficient lighting.
Built in 1937 with an addition in 1958, Baldwin is a major academic building housing 23 classrooms and 80 faculty and support offices. For the coming year all offices have been relocated to various buildings. Events that typically take place in Baldwin Hall Auditorium will also be relocated for the 2016-17 school year.
Funding for the $14.5 million project comes in the form of $9.2 million in bonding from the state, with the University contributing an additional $5.3 million of its own.
University to Create Region’s First Autism Clinic
A long ago vacated elementary school is on track to house Missouri’s first autism clinic north of I-70.
Greenwood School, located at the northwest corner of Normal and Halliburton, will be repurposed for use as an inter-professional autism clinic. President Troy D. Paino originally proposed the idea for the clinic in fall 2015, and the measure was met with bipartisan support from state legislators and the governor during the 2016 Missouri legislative session.
In April, Gov. Jay Nixon signed a higher education general budget that earmarked $1 million for the planning and design work project.
In addition to serving a public need, the autism clinic will also provide opportunities for collaboration with A.T. Still University’s occupational therapy program. Licensed professionals will work with and supervise graduate and undergraduate students enrolled in related fields such as mental health counseling, psychology and education.
The University is awaiting word on additional funding from the state that will allow the actual renovation phase to begin in the summer of 2017 with the clinic projected to be open by the fall of 2018.
Truman is a Top Producer of Fulbright Students
Truman was once again recognized as a top producer of U.S. Fulbright students for 2015-16 in The Chronicle of Higher Education.
The University tied in ranking sixth nationally among master’s institutions with a total of four Fulbright students. All four of Truman’s Fulbright recipients serve as English teaching assistants in schools or universities. Students and the countries for which they received grants include: Lauren Baker, Andorra; Paige Bergan, Spain; Brian Jacob, Germany; and Joey Meinert, Germany.
The Fulbright Program is the U.S. government’s flagship international educational exchange program. A current objective of the program is to encourage participants to find innovative solutions to global issues such as climate change and pandemics.
Since its inception in 1946, the Fulbright Program has provided more than 310,000 participants — chosen for their academic merit and leadership potential — with the opportunity to study, teach and conduct research, exchange ideas and contribute to finding solutions to shared international concerns.
Students Rank Nationally on the CPA Exam
According to the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA), Truman’s first-time pass rate for the CPA exam ranked fifth in the nation for medium-sized programs with 21 to 60 reported candidates.
Truman is the only public university in the top five for medium-sized schools. The University’s first-time pass rate ranked 30th out of the 821 institutions with 10 or more reported candidates.
Truman students excelled on the regulation section of the exam earning a first-time pass rate that ranked them fifth in the nation. Truman had 39 first-time candidates sit for the exam in 2015. University candidates passed 77.4 percent of exam sections taken with an average score of 79.8 percent. Nationally, the first-time pass rate was 55 percent.
Truman is consistently among the top 5 percent in performance on the CPA exam.