She gets the question all the time: "Why didn't you go there?"

You see, Sara DeGonia, Editor in Chief of Truman's weekly, award-winning newspaper, the Index, turned down University of Missouri. You might wonder the same thing, but for Sara, the decision wasn't a difficult one. Truman had her heart from the go—and, soon, she found that it was the perfect environment for a journalist to blossom.

During Truman's Freshman Week, Sara, a self-professed ambitious-type, introduced herself to the Index staff and applied for a job. Sara states, "Because I wanted the job so badly, I was hired as a copy editor, and have worked my way up. I've spent a good majority of my time at Truman working at the Index."

Throughout her four years at Truman, she's received hands-on editorial experience that she knows she wouldn't have had if she chose Mizzou.

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Though it took Jenna Fischer ('95) only about three months to decide that she would rather pursue theatre than her initial path of pre-law and history, she did not officially change her major to theatre until her junior year. "I just wasn't quite ready to commit to the fact that acting was going to be the thing I was going to do," says Fischer. With the urging of her parents to get a college education, she decided to attend Truman.

While at Truman, Fischer created many of her most memorable experiences in theatre. Along with a small group of other theatre majors, she began producing, writing, and shooting short films and shows.

However, success did not come immediately once she was in L.A. It was four years before she was making an actual living as an actress.

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Fun and finals rarely go hand-in-hand. But last Saturday, before wrestling through final papers, projects, and exams, Truman students were encouraged to think of nothing else but having fun.

At Truman's big end-of-the-year event, The Final Blowout, students enjoyed good food, fun with friends, and an old-fashioned carnival atmosphere. According to Ann Creasey, senior and Student Activities Board (SAB) chair of the event, "It's a good way to relax and have fun before finals. The students really look forward to The Final Blowout—they know it's one of their last hurrahs before they hit the books before finals."

A big draw for the event is not only that it's fun—but that it doesn't require cash. The Student Activities Board puts it on free of charge.

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You've got the time-honored Ivy Leagues, the small (and usually expensive) liberal arts colleges, the large state schools with their NCAA rankings and party reputations. As a college consumer, you have a variety of schools to choose from—and it can be hard to know where you'll fit best.

As a high school senior, John Allen, a Truman biology major, found himself at this crossroads. So he narrowed his selection down to four schools, each having a unique complexion: University of Chicago, Bradley, University of Illinois, and Truman. After visiting each campus with a set of criteria in hand (a must-do for all prospective students, according to John), John became increasingly convinced that Truman would provide him with the best college experience. Here's why:

Sociable and Warm Atmosphere
As a gregarious young man, John was immediately warmed by the friendliness of Truman students.

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