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LEXINGTON, Ky.—Reflecting its commitment to attracting international students and helping them succeed after they arrive on campus, Transylvania University has hired Serenity Wright as a full-time international student services coordinator. Wright is a passionate teacher, researcher and international traveler. She holds a B.A. in history with a minor in educational studies from Transylvania University and an M.A. in curriculum and instruction from the University of Kentucky. She is scheduled to complete her Ed.D. at UK with a focus on multicultural curriculum in the summer of 2014. During her career, Wright has worked as a social studies teacher, a curriculum and literacy specialist and a behavioral interventionist for students in danger of falling into the achievement gap. Wright is excited about her role in nurturing the students from abroad and perhaps enriching their experience in the U.S., but she is equally enthusiastic about the “wealth of knowledge that our international students bring with them” and how “that will enhance and expand the classroom community” at Transylvania. Wright’s responsibilities will include coordinating Transylvania’s Friendship Family Program, which connects students far from home with local host families who can provide a more personal introduction to the area and to the local culture. She’ll also arrange international dinners in conjunction with the International House, a campus student residence that promotes awareness of other cultures, as well as provide personal assistance to help students acclimate to their new home. At Transylvania, international students also receive

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LEXINGTON, Ky.—January’s “Polar Vortex” hasn’t slowed Transylvania’s vocal and instrumental performers one note. Rather, they have doubled their Honor’s Recitals performances and added an extra day to their popular Cabaret production. Honors Recitals January 16 and 21, 7:30 p.m. Instrumental performers selected by a jury of peers and music professors will perform Honors Recitals in Carrick Theater, located in the Mitchell Fine Arts Center. Honors Recitals are free and open to the public. Each performance lasts about one hour and features students who are majors and non-majors. One student, sophomore Yuwei “Vivian” Tsai who will perform Jan. 21, started taking piano lessons just two years before coming to college. She progressed so quickly that she earned a piano scholarship to attend Transylvania. Appearing in her first Honors Recital, the biology major will perform a piece by Debussy. Cabaret January 31, 7:30 p.m. February 1, 3:00 and 7:30 p.m. Transylvania University’s vocal ensembles will present “An Evening at the Cabaret: The British Are Coming,” Friday and Saturday, Jan. 31 and Feb. 1, in Carrick Theater. All tickets are $5. “An Evening at the Cabaret”—featuring the Transylvania Choir, the Transylvania Singers, the Pioneer Voices, a cappella groups TBA and Grace Notes and several soloists—will include a variety of songs made popular by the British invasion, such as “Bohemian Rhapsody,” a Beatles medley (of course!) and music from Spamalot. Beginning Monday, Jan. 27, the Carrick box office will be open weekdays, noon to

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LEXINGTON, Ky.—A discussion series similar to ones adopted by the University of Southern California, Stanford and Harvard has recently become popular on the campus of Transylvania University. Created to explore values and vocation, the series offers a safe and respectful place where individuals come together to share their personal journeys. On January 14, “What Matters to Me and Why” will feature two respected members of the Lexington community: Wayne Bell (Transylvania class of 1940) and Virginia Marsh Bell (class of 1944). The discussion will likely center around their extraordinary lives of service. Wayne Bell, a Disciples of Christ minister who was active in the civil rights movement, served as president of Lexington Theological Seminary and is a long-time Transylvania trustee. Virginia Marsh Bell has enjoyed a long career as a social worker and is acclaimed for her work on Alzheimer’s disease. She is a sought-after speaker and writer on the issue and has developed one of the country’s first dementia-specific adult day programs, the Best Friends Center. “It’s important to have exemplars who have found success through service,” explains Wilson Dickinson, Transylvania’s associate dean for religious life. “It’s not just what they’ve done. It’s who they are.” Dickinson notes the particular relevance of these discussions to young people starting out in life. “The old model of a single career path is disappearing. If you’re focused on ‘success’ instead of fulfillment, that can be frustrating. But if you are driven by

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LEXINGTON, Ky.―Pianist Mark Valenti will visit Transylvania University Jan. 14 for an event billed as part concert and part music appreciation class. “The Art of Creative Listening” is aimed at a general audience interested in an introduction to the art of piano and the art of listening to classical music. The event is sponsored by Transylvania’s Division of Fine Arts and is free and open to the public. Valenti’s program includes a mix of pieces from various stylistic eras―from Baroque and Classical to Romantic, Impressionist and Modern, including some jazz improvisation. He will walk the audience members through each piece, pointing out what to listen for, defining the musical style and, in general, equipping them to appreciate music at a deeper level. Performing in the United States and Europe, Valenti’s list of notable accomplishments includes playing for former First Lady Barbara Bush in Washington, D.C., giving a live recital on WFMT classical radio and appearing on television with Joe Sudler’s Swing Machine and with singer/actor Christopher Durham. Valenti has also worked extensively in the jazz field, having performed with actor, singer and dancer Gregory Hines, composer Frank Foster and trombonist Al Grey. The seasoned musician received a Master of Music from Northwestern University and a Bachelor of Music from the Philadelphia Musical Academy. “The Art of Creative Listening” will be in Carrick Theater, located in the Mitchell Fine Arts Center, at 7:30 p.m. Parking is available in the Mitchell Fine

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