A lover of history, a lifetime learner, and the thirty-third President of the United States, Harry S. Truman never graduated college.

Yet Truman's ideals for an interdisciplinary education is one he shares with Truman State University, a college focused on supplying students with a well-rounded, liberal arts environment.

During his time as the chief executive of the United States, President Truman strove to further his education. Sadly, his office didn't allow for the time to do so. Always yearning to learn more, he put together an extensive library, which includes a wide collection of books written by German scholars. The Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum was the first of its kind and Truman's last act to spread his love of history—and learning—to the world.

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Imagine a network of seasoned professionals for advice about your future.

At Truman, if you're a student—that network exists. It's called BulldogNet, and the staff in the Career Center is dedicated to helping students use it.

College educator and Truman graduate Katherine "JJ" Pionke volunteers to be part of BulldogNet, a database that consists of Truman grads willing to speak to students about their career and everything that comes with it.

Here we ask JJ a few questions about her experiences with BulldogNet and why she participates:

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The crowd of several hundred that gathered next to the Student Union Building on April 14th wasn't sure what to expect from the Fire Dancers. Certainly the presence of a large fire truck added to the feeling of anticipation—as did the loud music with a steady, techno-like beat.

Those of us unfamiliar with fire dancers were expecting some kind of tribal performance with grass skirts and an island feel. Instead, we were rewarded with a troupe of four performing spectacular feats with flames.

The dancers started out slowly and gained momentum as the tricks got more difficult. They used flaming balls attached to chains, batons, fan-like wire objects, and large sticks.

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"Good athletics is about winning at competition in games. Good academics combined with athletics is about winning in life."

So says Myles Brand, President of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Brand is committed to making sure college athletes build up their teamwork, persistence, determination, and self-discipline in all aspects of their college experience.

However, does an emphasis on hard work in the classroom as well as in sports really help a collegiate team compete? Mark Gole, head coach for the women's swim team at Truman, thinks so. Not only has the team earned a 3.24 average cumulative GPA but they also banded together to bring home the 2008 NCAA Division II Swimming & Diving Championship title!

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