1780 – The Official Blog of Transylvania University

1780 | The Official Blog of Transylvania University

Affrilachian Poets and The Sisters of the Sacred Drum to perform on Thursday, February 7

LEXINGTON, Ky.— A spoken word and musical performance featuring Affrilachian poets Frank X Walker, Ricardo Nazario y Colón, Jeremy Paden and Bianca Spriggs, and musical guest, The Sisters of the Sacred Drum, will be Thursday, Feb. 7, at 7 p.m. in Transylvania University’s Carrick Theater. Affrilachian poetry offers glimpses into life in the American Black South and the Appalachian region, dispelling the notion of an all-white Appalachian region and culture. The poetry draws on traditions such as the Harlem Renaissance, the Black Arts Movement, and the experiences of the African Diaspora.  Affrilachian poetry celebrates African heritage and rural roots while encompassing themes of racism and Black identity. In this performance, the theme of ancestry is explored through the poets’ original work. Frank X Walker is a founding member of the Affrilachian Poets and is the author of four poetry collections. He co-produced the documentary “Coal Black Voices: the History of the Affrilachian Poets.” He currently serves as associate professor in the department of English at the University of Kentucky and is the editor and publisher of “PLUCK!, the new journal of Affrilachian Art and Culture.” In 2002 Transylvania University awarded Walker an honorary Doctor of Letters Degree. Nazario y Colón, co-founder of the Affrilachian Poets, was featured in the PBS documentary “Coal Black Voices” in 200. His work has been featured on the Bob Edwards show and the Kentucky NPR Affiliates WFPL and WUKY, as well as in the program

“‘Gospel Dynamics’: When the Jewish Jesus Isn’t Enough” Feb. 17, at 7 p.m.; free and open to the public.

LEXINGTON, Ky.—Rabbi Michael Cook, the Sol and Arlene Bronstein Professor of Judeo-Christian Studies at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, Cincinnati campus, will speak at Transylvania University on Sunday, Feb. 17. His talk, “‘Gospel Dynamics’: When the Jewish Jesus Isn’t Enough,” is at 7 p.m. in Carrick Theater in the Mitchell Fine Arts Center and is free and open to the public. Cook is possibly the only rabbi in North America with a full-professorial chair in New Testament. In 2003, he was one of seven scholars internationally selected by the Catholic Bishops to assess the accuracy of the advance script of Mel Gibson’s “Passion of the Christ.” His best-selling book, “Modern Jews Engage the New Testament: Enhancing Jewish Well-Being in a Christian Environment,” is in its third printing. He has also written about the evolving Jewish views of Jesus and Paul, studies on the various Gospels and on a wide spectrum of specialized subjects including the trial of Jesus, images of Judaism in Christian Art, the history of anti-Semitism, and the role of Passover in modern Christianity. He serves on many advisory boards in Jewish-Christian relations and has received an Excellence in Teaching Award, sponsored by the Greater Cincinnati Consortium of Colleges and Universities. He travels widely, speaking to Jewish and Christian audiences, including congregations as well as university academicians, clergy and seminarians throughout North America and Europe. Cook’s lecture is part of the Franklin B. Moosnick Lectureship in Judaic

“An Evening at the Cabaret: Disney” at Transylvania Feb. 1 and 2 at 7:30 p.m.; free and open to the public

LEXINGTON, Ky.—Transylvania University’s vocal ensembles will present “An Evening at the Cabaret: Disney,” Friday, Feb. 1, and Saturday, Feb. 2, at 7:30 p.m. in Carrick Theater in the Mitchell Fine Arts Center. Both shows are free and open to the public. “An Evening at the Cabaret,” featuring the Transylvania Choir, the Transylvania Singers, the Pioneer Voices, a capella groups TBA and Grace Notes and several soloists, will include a variety of songs from Disney movies “The Lion King,” “Newsies,” “Tarzan,” “The Little Mermaid,” “Toy Story 2” and many more. For more information, contact the fine arts office at (859) 233-8141.

CNN analyst Peter Bergen to give Transylvania’s Kenan Lecture on Feb. 20 at 7:30 p.m.; free and open to the public

Peter Bergen LEXINGTON, Ky.—Peter Bergen, journalist, bestselling author and director of the national security studies program at the New America Foundation, will give Transylvania University’s winter term Kenan Lecture, “The Awakening: How Revolutionaries, Barack Obama and Ordinary Muslims Are Remaking the Middle East,” on Wednesday, Feb. 20, at 7:30 p.m. in Haggin Auditorium in the Mitchell Fine Arts Center. The lecture is free and open to the public. Bergen will also sign his most recent book, “Manhunt: The Ten Year Search for bin Laden, From 9/11 to Abbotabad.” The book is a New York Times bestseller and is being adapted into a documentary by HBO. Bergen has been a producer and analyst for CNN. In 1997 he produced Osama bin Laden’s first television interview, during which bin Laden declared war against the United States. He has reported on al-Qaeda, Afghanistan, Pakistan, counterterrorism, homeland security and the Middle East for several publications, including the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, Rolling Stone, TIME and The Atlantic. He has been nominated for an Emmy and a National Magazine Award, and in 1994 he won the Overseas Press Club Edward R. Murrow award for best foreign affairs documentary. He is the author of two other books, “The Osama bin Laden I Know: An Oral History of al Qaeda’s Leader” and “Holy War, Inc.: Inside the Secret World of bin Laden.” He is a fellow at Fordham University’s Center on National

Transylvania accounting students offer free tax service to those with incomes of $50,000 or less

LEXINGTON, Ky.—Transylvania University accounting students will assist taxpayers with an income of $50,000 or less in the preparation of Internal Revenue Service income tax forms 1040, 1040A, 1040EZ and the Kentucky form 740. The service is free. All forms will be filed electronically. They cannot prepare Schedule C forms. Student volunteers will be available each Wednesday in February (6, 13, 20 and 27) from 3-5:30 p.m. at Transylvania’s Cowgill Center for Business, Economics and Education on Third Street. This is a popular program and taxpayers will be served on a first-come, first-served basis. Transylvania accounting students, who have completed an income tax preparation training program, will work under the supervision of accounting professors to aid taxpayers. Individuals interested in this free service should bring with them all of the necessary information including: their W2s, 1099s (interest income), state and federal tax returns from last year, the IRS forms received in the mail and the birthdates and social security numbers for any dependents. Transylvania has offered this free program to the Lexington community for more than 30 years. For more information, contact Stephanie Coriale at (859) 233-8104.