News from Transy Archives

Transylvania to host naturalization ceremony

Posted on March 12, 2014July 14, 2020 by Office of Marketing and Communications

LEXINGTON, Ky.—Transylvania University will host a U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Naturalization Ceremony on March 21, 2014, in which more than 200 individuals representing more than 70 countries will take the Oath of Allegiance, completing the path to American citizenship. Karen Caldwell, chief judge, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky, will preside. Caldwell, a 1977 graduate of Transylvania, is a member of the university’s Board of Trustees. Plans call for Transylvania student Esi Kalefe ’14, a naturalized citizen from Togo, to welcome those in attendance. Vivian Tsai ’16 of Taiwan will lead the Pledge of Allegiance. Kerry Harvey, U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky and Larry Kammerer, field office director for U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, will offer introductions. Administering the Oath to candidates will be Nathan W. Lee, chief deputy clerk, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky. Lee is a 1997 graduate of Transylvania. With citizenship candidates coming from all around the Commonwealth, the ceremony is scheduled to begin at noon in Haggin Auditorium and is open to the public. Shuttle service to the auditorium will be provided from parking lots next to and directly across from Transylvania’s new Athletics Complex on West Fourth Street, just west of the intersection with Jefferson Street. Transylvania last held a naturalization ceremony in 1998, filling Haggin to capacity. The Oath Here is the Oath of Allegiance, which has led to American citizenship for more

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Piano master class at Transylvania University open to public

Posted on March 12, 2014July 14, 2020 by Office of Marketing and Communications

LEXINGTON, Ky.—The Transylvania University music program and Bluegrass Area Music Teachers Association are co-sponsoring a piano master class conducted by Michael Sitton on Sunday, March 23. Transylvania piano students and Lexington community students will perform. The public is welcome to observe the class from 1-3 p.m. in Carrick Theater. Sitton is dean of The Crane School of Music at SUNY Potsdam. He has served as dean of fine arts at Eastern New Mexico University and as a faculty member and administrator at Hollins University in Virginia, according to his faculty profile. “A pianist and composer, he holds the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in piano performance and literature from the University of Illinois, a master’s degree from the University of Kentucky and a bachelor’s degree from Mars Hill College in his native North Carolina. He also studied in Paris, earning the Diplome de Concert from the Schola Cantorum as a piano student of Mme. Gaby Casadesus. He has performed widely as a soloist and collaborative musician, and his compositions, primarily in the choral medium, have been published and performed throughout the country.” Carrick Theater is in Transylvania’s Mitchell Fine Arts Center on West Fourth Street, between North Broadway and Upper Streets. Free parking is available in the adjacent lot. The Mitchell Fine Arts Center is wheelchair accessible. For more information, contact Gretchen Shoot, administrative assistant for the Division of Fine Arts, at 859-233-8141.

Theatrical adaptation of Manning’s ‘Book of Visions’ premieres at Transylvania

Posted on March 10, 2014July 14, 2020 by Office of Marketing and Communications

LEXINGTON, Ky.—The world premiere stage production of Maurice Manning’s award-winning book of poetry “Lawrence Booth’s Book of Visions” debuts March 27 at 7:30 p.m. in Transylvania University’s Lucille Caudill Little Theater. This ensemble performance portrays friendships and fantasies from the colorful life of young Lawrence “Law” Booth who imagines incredible things to escape his troubles. Set in Appalachia in the 1970s and 80s, the coming-of-age poetic saga focuses on the adventures of the rebellious Booth, his scurrilous Mad Daddy, his best friend Black Damon, the perhaps imaginary Missionary Woman and Red Dog, his beloved canine pal. Drawn directly from Manning’s poems, this theatrical adaptation features vivid monologues, startling revelations, choral storytelling, Appalachian music and many weird and wondrous visions all brought to vigorous life by Transylvania student actors and a professional production team. “Lawrence Booth’s Book of Visions” took Manning, an English professor and writer-in-residence at Transylvania, more than 10 years to write. It was a project he began right out of college, and although he felt unsure of what he was doing, he was certain he wanted to be a writer. “I didn’t really know what that meant or how to go about it,” Manning said. “I just wanted to be a person who read books and carried around a pen and scraps of paper, someone who studies the world for its meaning.” Manning must have figured it out. “Lawrence Booth’s Book of Visions” won the 2001 Yale Series

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Transylvania recognized as a top-10 regional liberal arts value

Posted on March 5, 2014July 14, 2020 by Office of Marketing and Communications

LEXINGTON, Ky.— A national publication recently recognized Transylvania University as one of the best educational bangs for the buck in the region. Kiplinger’s Personal Finance named Transylvania a top-10 best value for liberal arts schools in the Mid-South and Southeast. The magazine based its ratings on affordability and academic quality. Transylvania and the other top schools on the list give students and parents what they’re looking for in an education: namely small class sizes, a high four-year graduation rate and an outstanding first-year retention rate. While private liberal arts colleges may seem more expensive than public universities at first, better financial aid and scholarship packages and a commitment to four-year graduation help make schools such as Transylvania an affordable option. “You should expect a positive return on your college investment,” said Brad Goan, vice president for enrollment and dean of admissions. “Our students, graduates and their families know an investment in Transylvania pays them back many times over.” Beyond the financial assistance that more than 98 percent of Transylvania students receive, there’s the value of an education that empowers them and gives them the tools and confidence to succeed in life. Kiplinger’s rankings consider both academic and cost-related criteria. These include student-to-faculty ratio, incoming students’ test scores, four- and five-year graduation rates, and the admission rate. Other factors are the sticker price, average student debt at graduation, and availability and average amount of need- and merit-based financial aid. Looking at

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Free program supporting the developmentally delayed population open for enrollment

Posted on March 3, 2014July 14, 2020 by Office of Marketing and Communications

LEXINGTON, Ky.—As a first-year student at Transylvania University, Olivia Oakley ’15 of London, Ky., knew she wanted to volunteer. She was drawn to the unique dynamic she discovered at College for Living, an on-campus program that places college students and their developmentally delayed neighbors side-by-side in a creative environment. She has since come to recognize how powerful and rewarding volunteering can be. Every fall and winter term, students at Transylvania create a college-like experience for local residents with disabilities. The College for Living program provides a special opportunity for high-functioning individuals with developmental and intellectual disabilities, age 18 or older, to experience attending classes on a college campus. A program of the university’s Office of Community Service and Civic Engagement, College for Living is largely a student-run enterprise. Classes are organized and taught by students, and at least three student volunteers participate in each class. The ratio of students to community participants helps simulate the experience of working and socializing with college peers. Classes include drawing, language study, dance, singing, sports, and arts and crafts. Participants and their caregivers enjoy the camaraderie and learning that are at the heart of College of Living. Jason Smitha, a long-time participant, looks forward to each session. “I love the socialization and getting to see my friends again,” he explains. “I love being involved in helping decide what kind of things to do in craft class. It makes me smile and it makes

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