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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

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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.

LEXINGTON, Ky.—All musical palates are sure to be satisfied at Transylvania University’s Composers’ Concert Wednesday, Nov. 6, as music professors Tim Polashek and Larry Barnes serve up a savory menu of diverse original compositions. The concert will be in Carrick Theater of the Mitchell Fine Arts Center at 7:30 p.m. and is free and open to the public. The program includes world music, specifically Chinese, Indonesian and Islamic; solo Irish arrangements; and jazz-influenced modern classical music. The instrumentation is wide-ranging, too—piano, flute, guitar, cello…and an ashtray. Barnes will present four compositions, one of which is “Wanderer Fantasy: Hibernia” for piano, played by Barnes.  “Hibernia,” the Latin name for Ireland, is part of “Preludes from Pangaea,” composed for and premiered by Louisville pianist Denine LeBlanc in 2012. The piece explores elements of music cultures outside the Euro-centric tradition, an outgrowth of Barnes’ pedagogical work. Other compositions by Barnes include “Minarets” for guitar trio, a piece influenced by Middle-Eastern chant; “Cloud-Hidden,” a composition that borrows from ancient Chinese philosophy; and “The River of Heaven,” a lyrical, virtuosic vehicle for cello with the pianist playing the piano’s strings with a glass ashtray. Polashek will present “Sonata for Alto Saxophone and Piano” and “Evening Psalm,” both originally composed for his brother, jazz saxophonist Matthew Polashek, and Eric Huebner, a New York Philharmonic pianist. The performance of “Evening Psalm,” written in 2005, has strong emotional overtones for Polashek. His brother was in a tragic car

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