1780 – The Official Blog of Transylvania University

1780 | The Official Blog of Transylvania University

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Transylvania senior selected as USA Today correspondent

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LEXINGTON, Ky.—Transylvania University senior Jake Hawkins has spent the last four years working on The Rambler student newspaper and honing his reporting skills. Now a major newspaper has taken notice. Hawkins has been selected as one of 19 USA Today Collegiate Correspondents for the spring 2013 semester. He will write stories for www.usatodaycollege.com with the chance to be published in the print edition of USA Today. The Princeton, Ky., native is just the second student from Kentucky to be named a collegiate correspondent for the news outlet. Alumni from the program have been from top journalism schools including Syracuse University, Michigan State University, New York University and Northwestern University. A writing, rhetoric and communication major, Hawkins has been working with the Transylvania faculty to cater his curriculum to journalism. He also serves as the editor-in-chief of The Rambler. “I really feel like I’ve gotten a personalized education at Transylvania,” Hawkins said. “Even though we don’t have a formal journalism program, my WRC professors and Rambler advisors have gone out of their way to tailor WRC to journalism for me.” Hawkins found the USA Today application while researching his senior seminar project in which he’s compiling a portfolio of freelance journalism stories. The deadline for the application was just two hours away, so he quickly filled it out and submitted clips. He then wrote an article on the fiscal cliff and how it relates to college students, earning him selection to

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Transylvania is using man’s best friend and special events to counteract stress of a student’s worst enemy—finals

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LEXINGTON, Ky.—Transylvania is expanding its annual Stress Fest from one day to a full week of events designed to help students reduce the pressure of their finals and end-of-term projects. Offerings include a Relaxation Station—with free 10-minute massages from Lexington’s Solar Massage—and a dog petting room, which was suggested by Student Government Association President Charli Fant. “We wanted to give students multiple opportunities, so, if at any point during the high-stress time at the end of the term, they wanted to go out and relieve some of that, they had the chance,” said Amy Jo Gabel, director of student involvement and leadership. Other events include basketball games, a Gift of Holiday concert, an improv comedy show and morning yoga classes. “If students need to blow off some steam, listen to music or just have someone rub your shoulders, we’ve got it,” Gabel said. The full list of Stress Fest events is as follows: Friday, Dec. 7 A Gift of Holiday music concert 7:30 p.m., Haggin Auditorium, Mitchell Fine Arts Center Saturday, Dec. 8 Women’s basketball game 1 p.m., Clive M. Beck Center Men’s basketball game 3 p.m., Clive M. Beck Center ImprompTU improv show 9 p.m., William T. Young Campus Center Sunday, Dec. 9 Relaxation Station with massages 2-6 p.m., William T. Young Campus Center Monday, Dec. 10 Free yoga class 8:15 a.m., Clive M. Beck Center Tumbling gym with trampolines, foam pits, and more (Legacy Gymnastics) Shuttle leaves from

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Transylvania University inducts 14 into Lampas Circle of Omicron Delta Kappa

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LEXINGTON, Ky.—Thirteen Transylvania University students and university president R. Owen Williams were recently inducted into the Lampas Circle of Omicron Delta Kappa. Omicron Delta Kappa, a national leadership honor society, was founded in 1914 at Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Va., by fifteen students and faculty members. In the tradition of the idealism and leadership of George Washington and Robert E. Lee, the founders of ODK formulated the idea that leadership of exceptional quality and versatility in college should be recognized. Students apply for ODK membership in their junior or senior year. Selection is based on academic ranking, extracurricular activities and leadership roles. New members are selected by current ODK members and must pass with a 75 percent approval rating. The new members are: President R. Owen Williams Junior Cody Steven Barnett of Viper, Ky. Senior Cassie Caudill of Henderson, Ky. Junior Abigail Elliston of Lexington, Ky. Junior Brianna Hill of Lexington, Ky. Junior Kristina B. Houchins of Winchester, Ky. Junior Brian Hudson of Shepherdsville, Ky. Junior Kelsey Michelle Meece of Somerset, Ky. Junior Melissa R. Moberg of Waxahachie, Texas Junior Emily Novak of Naperville, Ill. Junior Karl Alexander Schmitt of Fort Mitchell, Ky. Junior Maria Angela Starck of Louisville, Ky. Senior Caroline Tapscott of Franklin, Tenn. Junior Raisa Olivia Tikhtman of Lexington, Ky. Transylvania, founded in 1780, is the nation’s sixteenth oldest institution of higher learning and is consistently ranked in national publications as one of the top

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Modern drama set in the pop music scene opens Thursday, Nov. 29, at Transylvania

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LEXINGTON, Ky.—Which comes first, love or trust? The lives of six characters in Transylvania University Theater’s production of “Trust” intersect romantically and platonically as the play attempts to answer this question. The no-holds-barred look into the world of fame, love, betrayal, and ultimately, trust, is set against the backdrop of the pop music scene and runs Nov. 29-30 and Dec. 1 at 7:30 p.m. and Dec. 2 at 2 p.m. in Transylvania’s Lucille C. Little Theater. Senior Laura Campbell, of Georgetown, Ky., makes her directorial debut with this Steven Dietz contemporary dramatic comedy. “It’s been a lot of work,” said Campbell, a theater major and music minor. “I’ve been living with this play for eight months, and it’s been an amazing experience to work with these talented actors and to tell this story. I wouldn’t want to finish my time at Transy any other way.” This modern drama blends love, lust, and lying into a whirlwind tour. “Trust” sketches out the bumps and grinds of modern relationships as Becca, engaged to pop idol Cody Brown, learns exactly what it means to be a rockstar’s girlfriend. At the same time, Cody discovers the dangerous lures of fame, while has-been Leah Barnett struggles to make a comeback and teach him a few things along the way. Stories collide, betrayals occur, and life moves on, as the word trust is called into question. Tickets are $10 and may be reserved by calling the

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Political science professor Jeff Freyman to present inaugural lecture in ‘Left of Center’ speaker series at Transylvania Nov. 29; free and open to the public

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LEXINGTON, Ky.—Jeff Freyman, professor of political science and director of The Center for Liberal Education at Transylvania University, will present “The American Empire” in the Cowgill Center, room 102, at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 29. The presentation, which is free and open to the public, is the first of the “Left of Center” speaker series sponsored by the Transylvania College Democrats. Freyman will discuss how the United States formed a world order after the Second World War, how it was similar to and different from previous imperial orders, how finance has been instrumental in securing global dominance and the consequences of the order on the 2008 financial crisis. His areas of research include globalization, comparative democratization, comparative political economy and Marxism. The speaker series was created to inform Transylvania students and members of the Lexington community on left leaning political views. “Not all points of view are represented fairly in our political system and oftentimes little can be accomplished if we all ‘toe the party line’ analytically,” said junior Michael Case, president of Transylvania College Democrats. “The series is open to speakers from a variety of ideological viewpoints ranging from the reform liberalism of the current Democratic Party platform to the far-left.”