October 2014

Transylvania University celebrates frightfully large PumpkinMania

Posted on October 16, 2014July 14, 2020 by Office of Marketing and Communications

LEXINGTON Ky.—Transylvania University is really “pumping” up for this Halloween. Hundreds of jack-o’-lanterns have made for a spooky big PumpkinMania display on the steps of historic Old Morrison. The free public lighting ceremony and trick-or-treating was Oct. 27. The event—which is becoming a Lexington Halloween tradition—is a collaboration between the university and community. Transylvania invited local school children to participate in a carving contest and, of course, put their jack-o’-lanterns on display with the others. The school that brought the most carved pumpkins was recognized at the ceremony, and there was drawing for two participating classes to win a pizza party and $50 in educational supplies. Transylvania welcomed pumpkins carved by not just students—but the public in general. “PumpkinMania is a wonderful community event to celebrate Halloween,” said Michael Cronk, assistant director of career development and chair of the Staff Engagement Team, which organizes the event. “It’s about fun, creativity, and pure joy. And, let’s face it, there is no better place to celebrate Halloween in Lexington than at a place called Transylvania. We hope to see you at the lighting.” Many of the jack-o’-lanterns go beyond the traditional ghoulish grin. Previous PumpkinManias have included a glowing black cat, a Darth Vader, and a spider web. In addition to helping Lexington get into the Halloween spirit, PumpkinMania is an example of Transylvania’s commitment to the local economy. The school community carved 300 pumpkins grown at a farm in nearby Garrard County. Kentucky

Read “Transylvania University celebrates frightfully large PumpkinMania”

Silas House gives public reading at Transylvania University

Posted on October 15, 2014July 14, 2020 by Office of Marketing and Communications

LEXINGTON Ky.—Nationally bestselling author Silas House gave a free public reading of his works on Oct. 21 in Transylvania University’s Carrick Theater. An Eastern Kentucky native, House in his Twitter profile describes himself as: “writer. mountain hugger. father. hillbilly. professor. believer.” He is one of the state’s best known writers and a champion of environmental and social justice. House, whose novels include “Clay’s Quilt” and “A Parchment of Leaves,” has won numerous accolades, including the E. B. White Award, the Audie Award (best narration) and the Nautilus Award; and he was a two-time finalist for the Southern Book Critics Circle Prize, a two-time winner of the Kentucky Novel of the Year and named the Appalachian Writer of the Year. “Silas House is one of the most important and most versatile writers working today,” said Maurice Manning, a Transylvania professor and writer in residence. “His is a broad vision and deeply humane. He is at the forefront of understanding, articulating and defending the Appalachian region. It will be an honor to have Silas visit our campus community.” House serves as the NEH Chair of Appalachian Literature at Berea College and is a faculty member of Spalding University’s MFA in Creative Writing program. He has also been a commentator for NPR’s “All Things Considered.” House received the Helen Lewis Community Service Award for environmental activism; and he won the Intellectual Freedom Award from the Kentucky Council of English Teachers. “Everything he writes, whether it

Read “Silas House gives public reading at Transylvania University”

Transylvania’s Morlan Gallery to celebrate rural life in photos

Posted on October 13, 2014July 14, 2020 by Office of Marketing and Communications

LEXINGTON, Ky.—Transylvania University’s Morlan Gallery this fall will present “Rural Women: Photographs by Maxine Payne,” a powerful collection of 20 silver gelatin portraits with texts compiled from international sites, including the artist’s own rural Arkansas. The exhibition will open Oct. 29 with a reception from 5 to 8 p.m. “Rural Women,” which will run through Dec. 2., will be part of the Lexington Gallery Hop on Nov. 21 from 5 to 8 p.m. Having been raised in rural Arkansas by her grandparents, Payne says she has always been interested in “country” people and spent her career making work that focuses on her experience with residents of rural Arkansas. Payne started the “Rural Women and Globalization Project” in 2006 with anthropologist Anne Goldberg. They have documented the lives of rural women using oral history and photography at five sites: San Luis, Costa Rica; Bagamoyo, Tanzania; Vinh Linh, Vietnam; Douglas, Arizona; Agua Prieta, on the U.S.-Mexico border; and rural Arkansas. The Arkansas Committee of the National Museum of Women selected Payne as the 2013 Scholar Awardee for the Globalization Project. Last month, the Arkansas Committee hosted a reception in honor of her significant contribution to the arts. The ongoing project was the subject of a TEDx talk in February 2014. The Globalization Project was inspired by Payne’s discovery of the photography of Jim and Mancy Massengill. The Massengills worked from 1937 to 1941 as itinerant photographers in rural Arkansas, documenting farmers, young

Read “Transylvania’s Morlan Gallery to celebrate rural life in photos”

Transylvania, Lexington Forum to host mayoral debate Wednesday

Posted on October 6, 2014July 14, 2020 by Office of Marketing and Communications

LEXINGTON, Ky.—Transylvania University students will get a first-hand look at the democratic process during a campus mayoral debate co-hosted by the Lexington Forum at 7 p.m. Wednesday in Carrick Theater. Incumbent Mayor Jim Gray and challenger, former Lexington Police Chief Anthany Beatty, will answer questions submitted by students and Forum members during the event, which LEX18 and WEKU will broadcast live. Gray is vying for his second term in the Nov. 4 general election. The debate host will be LEX18 anchor Nancy Cox, and the moderator will be Tom Martin, Herald-Leader columnist, Transylvania staff member and Forum board member. While each campaign has been provided with a general list of related topics, they were not given specific questions. “Hosting the mayoral debate on campus demonstrates to our students and our college community the importance of public dialog relating to local issues and the importance of participating in the democratic process,” Transylvania President Seamus Carey said. Molly Sutherland, president of the Lexington Forum, said her group is “all about the healthy discussion and analysis of community and regional issues. We always look for opportunities to host conversations that bring differing points of view into the open. This mayoral debate is a perfect example. And where more appropriate than this campus dedicated to the civic engagement of tomorrow’s leaders?” Doors will close at 6:50 p.m., and the debate will start at 7 sharp. Free tickets are available to members of the Forum

Read “Transylvania, Lexington Forum to host mayoral debate Wednesday”