News from Transy

LEXINGTON, Ky.—You might think the United States has a wide variety of surpluses: fast food restaurants, ineffective politicians, talentless celebrities, overpaid athletes, insipid tweets. But chimpanzees? You bet, says April Truitt, executive director of the Primate Rescue Center in Nicholasville. She will give a talk titled “The Chimpanzee Paradox: Too Few in the Wild, Too Many in the U.S.” at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 5, in Transylvania University’s Cowgill Center, room 102. Truitt will discuss what the future holds for the more than 800 captive chimpanzees in U.S. research facilities and why there are so many here. Plus, she’ll address the question of who is responsible for the future care of these long-lived creatures. The United States and the tiny African nation of Gabon are the only two countries still using chimpanzees in biomedical research. More than 100,000 non-human primates are in U.S. laboratories, whether for breeding or experimentation, according to Truitt’s website. “Those apes and monkeys kept for [experiments] are subjected to everything from psychological deprivation to repeated surgeries and other invasive procedures.” Truitt’s center is home to more than 50 primates, including 11 chimpanzees. Some came from research facilities, and some were pets: “Individuals pay dealers hefty fees for cute, cuddly, and easy-to-handle babies, only to find they’ve made a terrible mistake when their aging pets become stronger, wilder, and potentially dangerous,” according to the center. The 30-acre facility, which is funded by private donations, is meant

Read “What to do with all these chimps?”

LEXINGTON, Ky.—On Sunday, Nov. 17, gifted pianist David Viscoli will perform works of two musical giants, Beethoven and Rachmaninoff, presenting a program that demands passion and virtuosity. The concert begins at 3 p.m. in Carrick Theater and is free and open to the public. The first half of the recital features two Beethoven sonatas. Both works reveal the composer’s more lyrical side. In the second half, listeners will hear a collection of works that, because of their difficulty, are rarely performed publicly: the nine Etudes-Tableaux, op. 39, of Rachmaninoff.  Transylvania music professor Greg Partain, a recognized pianist himself, encourages people to “come and hear the piano explode.” Partain knew of Viscoli’s work when they were students together at The University of Texas at Austin, where Partain considered Viscoli to be one of the most gifted young pianists in attendance. Viscoli is currently professor of piano at Minnesota State University in Mankato. American Record Guide, America’s oldest classical music review magazine, said of Viscoli: “… [he] relishes punishing virtuosic repertoire; but he’s capable of tender, understated lyricism as well.” Parking is available in the Mitchell Fine Arts parking lot adjacent to the building. For more information, please call Gretchen Shoot, fine arts administrative assistant, at 859-233-8141 weekdays between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.

LEXINGTON, Ky.—In 2012, the lives of more than 60 transgender individuals worldwide came to a violent end. They were beaten, strangled, shot, stabbed, burned and frequently mutilated—all because they did not conform to society’s established norms of gender identity. In response to these abhorrent acts, groups of supporters gather annually in November to recognize and honor that year’s victims. The Transgender Day of Remembrance seeks to shine a light on the prejudice and hatred that leads to such violence. An international event observed in over 185 cities in more than 20 countries, the Transgender Day of Remembrance was founded in 1998 by Gwendolyn Ann Smith, a transgender graphic designer, columnist and activist, to memorialize the murder of her friend Rita Hester in Allston, Mass. On Nov. 22, three Transylvania University student organizations—T-Unity, SAGE and the Genderbread House—will sponsor a Trans* Day of Remembrance from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. The memorial service is open to the public and will include a candlelight vigil on the Old Morrison steps, during which those individuals slain in 2013 will be recognized. Participants can then go to the Campus Center Gym for a Resource Illumination Fair featuring information booths promoting public safety and equality. The organizers hope to have many local and regional organizations participate. “Far too often, the struggles trans* folks face are ignored by the media and forgotten by the public,” said Spencer Peach ‘16, one of the event organizers. “This event will

Read “Transylvania hosts Day of Remembrance for transgender individuals who were victims of violence”

Kentucky State Auditor Adam Edelen will speak at Transylvania University on Nov. 14 as part of the Left of Center Speaker Series, sponsored by the Transylvania College Democrats. The series was founded in 2012 as a way to present a left-leaning point of view in a public setting. The lecture will begin at 7:30 p.m. in Transylvania’s Cowgill Center, room 102. It is free and open to the public. A nationally recognized public servant, Edelen was named a leader of the NewDEAL, a national network of pro-growth progressives, and received the New Leaders Council 40 Under 40 Leadership Award for entrepreneurship. He was identified as a rising star of American government by the Aspen Institute’s Rodel Fellowship Program for Public Leadership, a 24-month program focused on promoting bipartisan problem-solving and public leadership. His tenure as state auditor has been notable for its high-profile audits and investigations of public officials and tax-supported organizations. Cowgill Center is on Third Street, just east of Old Morrison. Parking is available in Old Morrison circle or in the parking lot on Fourth Street adjacent to the Mitchell Fine Arts Center. For more information, contact Donovan Sowder, president of Transylvania College Democrats, at desowder15@transy.edu or 859-559-3659.