When first-year student Annie Stauffer arrived on campus before classes started this fall she was focused not only on soccer practice, but also on putting together a community discussion on the role of women. That discussion, a TEDx Transylvania University Women event, will take place Friday, Nov. 30, in the Carrick Theater.
“This event,” Stauffer said, provides a “time and place on campus for students, teachers, administrators, family and friends to share stories and relate them to others who may have different outlooks or experiences, which cultivates the ultimate, intergenerational learning experience.”
Stauffer says her goal with this TEDx event is to encourage spreading ideas of those within the campus community of Transylvania and within the city of Lexington. She hopes participants will engage with one another in order to create a “truly unified exchange of personal thoughts and stories.”
Friday’s discussion features four women with ties to the Transylvania and Lexington communities.
- Rebecca Blankenship ’19 is a senior at Transylvania University majoring in philosophy, politics, and economics and minoring in English. She currently works as news editor for The Rambler, Transylvania’s student-run newspaper.
- Nada Shalash is a graduate student at the University of Kentucky, pursuing a degree in social studies. Originally from Palestine, she is involved with a number of local and national organizations dedicated to empowering Muslim American communities, including the University of Kentucky Muslim Student Association and CAIR Kentucky.
- Emanuelle Sippy is a sophomore at Henry Clay High School. She serves on the board of the Prichard Committee Student Voice Team and was one of the organizers of the March For Our Lives rally in Frankfort in March 2018.
- Bianca Spriggs ’03 is a poet and multidisciplinary artist. A Transylvania graduate, she currently resides in Athens, Ohio, where she is an assistant professor of English at Ohio University. An Affrilachian poet, she is the author of five books of poetry and the editor or co-editor of a number of anthologies.
“At a time when more of us recognize the urgent need for more women’s voices in every aspect of our lives, I look forward to hearing the stories of four amazing women,” said Kremena Todorova, an English professor and faculty advisor for the event. “Each of them will, without a doubt, bring a different point of view to her talk, at the same time that they all share perspectives and experiences, including being part of a marginalized community.”
Friday’s discussion will take place in two parts beginning at 5 p.m. Participation for TEDx events is limited to an audience of 100 per session. Tickets are available online for either session by clicking on this link.
“Transy’s motto is, ‘In That Light, We Pass On the Light.’ TEDx Transylvania University Women is one of the many, many sparks that contribute to the flame of passion and curiosity that is continually passed on throughout the years at Transylvania,” Stauffer said.
Ticket information:
Tickets for the TEDx Transylvania University Women discussion on Nov. 30 are available online by clicking on this link.