Jerry Craft’s New Kid offers a fresh perspective that speaks to Transylvania’s campus culture and to the values of a liberal arts education. The graphic novel is emotionally sharp, introspective, and fun.
New Kid follows Jordan Banks, an artistic and thoughtful seventh grader, as he navigates being a Black student at a new, mostly white private school. Jordan faces microaggressions, assumptions, and social hierarchies that may seem distant from college life. That is, until you realise that the “Transy Bubble” can feel like you’re in grade school again. Everyone knows everyone. There is inevitable gossip. We give each other unfounded labels. Many students, especially those from marginalized backgrounds, carry a kind of burden that makes them feel different from the get-go. Reading New Kid asks us to reflect: What do we assume about others before we actually talk with them? Who might feel left out of our community and why?
The cover of “New Kid” by Jerry Craft
The talent of a graphic novel is that it can touch on serious topics without feeling heavy. New Kid is a breath of fresh air compared to the academic reading that saturates our day-to-day life. Craft’s illustrations create a rich sensory experience where humor lands more quickly, awkward moments are more awkward, and Jordan’s emotional journey is visible. This format serves as a reminder that we don’t have to read dense, four-hundred-page novels to gain meaning. The protagonist’s love for art through sketching, along with Craft’s award-winning illustration, makes this book a prime example of creative expression. As a college that values interdisciplinary thinking, New Kid exemplifies how storytelling, art, and social consciousness can become an impactful, action-guiding narrative.
Transylvania’s mission statement highlights independent thinking, open-mindedness, lifelong learning, and social responsibility in a diverse world. New Kid embodies these values as Jordan takes charge of his new life at Riverdale Academy Day School, as he stands up to the school bully, makes unlikely friendships, and confides in his parents his desire to attend art school.
Though Jordan struggles to balance his identity with his Washington Heights friends and his school friends. The initial culture shock Jordan feels upon transitioning to a private school resembles what many students experience when being on their own in the college environment for the first time. We are exploring our interests through student organizations and social groups. We are finding and making a home away from home. Jordan’s journey is similar to what many Transylvania students experience every school year.New Kid is about finding community. If we want to maintain a welcoming, self-aware, and value-aligned student body, this book is essential. Everyone at Transylvania should check it out, and return to the library as soon as you finish so the next person can pick it up!
I think now is a good time to remind you all of character.ai. I’m not going to generalize the demographic of Transy, but I have a sneaking suspicion most of you used c.ai at some point, likely during quarantine. It was an infectious disease; I knew many different people who used c.ai, including myself.
Now that the smoke has cleared, we need to look back on what c.ai actually was and how it, along with other AI chatbot sites, impacted our culture.
Firstly, if you aren’t sure what c.ai is, it’s an AI chatbot website that lets you create and speak with chatbots modeled after whoever or whatever you want. It can be a fictional character, a real person, your OC, or the entire Wikipedia website. Some of these bots are somewhat questionable and usually steer roleplays toward a more romantic direction, despite user input advising against it. Also, a lot of people tried to get freaky with the chatbots, to the point that c.ai has banned anyone under 18 from using the site; they’re implementing ID checks as well, or so I’ve heard.
The early 2020s were a time when AI was lagging behind. It was hardly the powerhouse it is today; the things it generated were sloppy, scary, and overall terrible. Yet in the midst of ChatGPT and DALL-E was c.ai, sitting there all by its lonesome, skating by. C.ai, along with Chai, dominated the chatbot industry; everywhere you turned on TikTok, someone was posting a video of some conversation they were having with Bakugo from My Hero Academia. Sexuality started to become commonplace like never before; coinciding with the rise of “BookTok” and erotica, we began to see an influx of people seeking to break the filter, or not to have a filter at all. At the time, this was seen as normal, because why wouldn’t it be? What else was there to do?
Even now, c.ai still lives and breathes. The general consensus against AI is negative, yet we still see numerous people forgetting that, yes, the AI ZeroTwo chatbot is using up water, too. Not only that, but c.ai has summoned hundreds of copycats, all promising the same thing: “Talk to your favorite characters with no filter and a good memory.” Going into any of these websites, you’re met with an endless feedback loop of AI images and eroticism. Big-breasted “MILF” types and bad boy roleplays fill the homepages of websites like Janitor AI, where the filter is nonexistent. On character.ai, it’s not much different: My Hero Academia roleplays, Ghost from Call of Duty is your boyfriend, go on a date with Elvis Presley, let’s date the entirety of Stray Kids. The list is endless, and the deeper you go down the rabbit hole, the more bizarre stuff you’ll find.
Of course, you also can’t forget the amount of lolicon and incestuous fetish content present on these sites. The issue with no filter is that so many things can slip through the cracks; no filter, no judgment, no questions, as long as it’s appropriately tagged. It’s like the AO3 of AI; anything goes. The consequence of this is chatbots encouraging you to sexualize a child character, or have sexual relations with your roleplay family members, or even, in some cases, get erotic with animals. It’s absolutely horrendous, and because of this, perhaps it’s a good thing that c.ai has child-locked their site—except that many worse sites haven’t. Many no-filter chatbot apps allow anyone through their doors, potentially exposing children to this kind of content. It should go without saying that exposing children to websites with pornographic material is dangerous, even if the material is in a more written form. You wouldn’t let your child read Fifty Shades of Grey; why would you let them on an app where the chatbots they’re talking to are, for the most part, actively encourage erotic roleplay?
Even putting this aside, the idea of chatbots can be detrimental to someone’s ability to form relationships. I have personally witnessed several people report feeling agonized by their AI chatbot partner leaving them, and others say that c.ai killed their relationships with friends, family, or partners. It’s easy to form unhealthy attachments to these chatbots in the same way you’d form attachments to the characters in general; this time, however, it’s easier to believe that they’re actually talking to you. When you’re reading an X Reader fanfiction on Wattpad, Tumblr, or AO3, it’s easy to feel disconnected from the portrayal of “Y/N” due to it having to be written for a more generalized, unspecified audience. With AI chatbots, however, they’re personal to you; they go along with you, they say they’re in love with you, they use your name, and they mention specific details about you. All of it makes it much easier to believe that you’re actually in some sort of relationship with this chatbot, especially if you are someone who has previously struggled with relationships in the past. Take Satoru Gojo, for example. His saying, “Y/N… I love you…” feels a lot different than him saying, “Lucid… I love you…” doesn’t it? Not to say your name is Lucid, obviously, but my name is Lucid, and hearing him say that would feel a lot more personal and meaningful. Of course, this is assuming I care enough about Gojo, but you get the idea.
I think, inherently, chatbots have made people more lax towards AI. Many of these chatbot sites—c.ai, most notably—have AI-generating software built into them. Bots can generate any image you want, and people have been surprisingly content with this, using it to make… things. Along with this, many have abandoned fanfiction writers in favor of c.ai for the reasons I mentioned above. Some people are even using generative AI software to create their own fanfiction. People are strangely comfortable with utilizing AI, despite the immense backlash it has received.
So, what’s the move now? Simple: no more AI chatbots. Whether it’s c.ai, Chai, Janitor AI, ChatGPT, or anything at all, it needs to end, and it needs to end now. Hopefully, for all our sakes, the AI bubble pops soon. When it pops, I hope it takes c.ai with it.
First things first, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Spelling Bee) is not your average play. It is a whimsical, chaos-infused, borderline-fever-dream production that will leave you with jaunty tunes and incredible memories.
I warn you not to write off Spelling Bee as some cheesy play. Beyond the fast-paced comedy, Spelling Bee is ultimately a commentary on the impact of home life on students, academic pressure, rebellion against the unfair and mundane, ethics, young love, and freedom of choice, all presented in a light yet meaningful way. From upbeat “Pandemonium” and “Magic Foot” to heartfelt “I’m Not That Smart” and “The I Love You Song,” the soundtrack of Spelling Bee explores these deep themes in an accessible way as we, the audience, get to know the contestants and their stories. You won’t want to miss a beat as characters confront nuances of their relationships with friends and family (and members of the audience) as well as the struggles of academia.
The cast gathers on stage for mic checks in full costume
Spelling Bee follows the story of six middle schoolers from Putnam County, and three others called from the audience. Competition is steep as these students spell their hearts out for the first-place prize. While only one will take home the trophy, each competitor walks away with a greater sense of self (in addition to a consolation juice box). From the moment the lights go down until the final bow, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee will have you giggling, chuckling, and laughing out loud.
As an audience member, it was energizing to witness how the actors brought the stage to life through these spunky spellers. From the artistry of the set to that of the costumes, all of Little Theatre came together to embody the mix of creativity and chaos that makes Spelling Bee the show that it is, not to mention the incredible vocal performances and choreographies that illustrated the story of the Spelling Bee.
From the perspective of the stage, senior Samantha Farr, who plays the character of Olive Ostrovsky, discusses how this play “shows how human these little kids are and how much reality is held within these little people.” She shares how heartfelt interactions between characters are and lets the audience know to be ready for “a lot of singing, a lot of dancing, a lot of spelling. There is also a lot of improv involved with the audience.” Ultimately, Farr describes Spelling Bee as “a culmination of people who love what they’re doing,” and from the audience, we can absolutely see their efforts come together in this heartfelt show.
The trophy for the Spelling Bee winner displayed on stage
As for behind the scenes, freshman Savannah Soeder, who takes up the role of Assistant Stage Manager, shares her experience working on her first show at Transylvania: “It made me step out of my comfort zone,” and “It was super fun. I loved every minute of it.” Soeder says that she is excited to see “the overall child look of the show” come to life through the Spelling Bee and for the audience to be looking forward to “little inside jokes and the reactions of the spellers on stage.”
I want to give a shout-out to the amazing actors and actresses, on-set musicians, and tech crew! They produced a ‘very nice, very nice, very very very nice show’ which is sure to bring you smiles and a good time.
Alongside our production of Spelling Bee, Transy Theatre Guild hosted The Mighty Pigeons Drama Club Bake Sale, starting before each production and continuing through intermission. For sale was an array of brownies, cupcakes, cookies, and muffins in allusion to Chip’s post-intermission song. Proceeds will go towards this year’s student-led Mayterm production to help cover the costs of costumes, sets, and other expenses.
Be sure to keep an eye out for more amazing productions and events from our Theater Department!
The writer of this article wishes to remain anonymous in order to be candid about the happenings she witnessed.
It was raining. Not pouring but coming down hard enough to ruin the buzz my friends had been building before setting out for our destinations. For our single-girls night out, the pregame was necessary for planning our night. We had four stops to make and wanted to be in bed by 1:30. My drink of choice was a mini Cherry Slush Alani and a sparkling water to-go. I was sober (I had to keep my wits about me for this article).
The first stop was Sig. The building was deemed historically significant by the Blue Grass Trust, but to those walking up its pot-hole driveway, the house was most famous for its social significance. The place looks like it might just topple over if someone hit the brick hard enough.
We walked through the wooden gate into the back yard and were welcomed with a candy bowl of snack-pack Haribos and Starbursts. Instant hospitality. After grabbing a treat, we went in the back door to the kitchen.
I found my friend who dates a guy in the frat and then a few other familiar faces. People seem to really enjoy hugging when they’re drunk. As we were chatting about our cold-and-rainy four-minute trek, a guy I hadn’t met before came up to us. He was pretty out-of-the-way. Slurred words, slow (but fast?) movements, deadpan zoning out mid-sentence. All in a long black hair wig. I think he was Slash from Guns N’ Roses?
He seemed nice enough but it was only 10:45. In my experience, these parties don’t start to die down until 2 in the morning. Slash had quite a night ahead of him. Was someone gonna stop him from grabbing another drink?
My friends wanted drinks and I wanted to find more characters. Here’s the lay of the land: the basement—drinks and dancing, first floor—kitchen and pong, second floor—bathroom and peace, third floor—balcony and “the green room” (IYKYK). The basement was really a cave. The door from there to the backyard stayed open to vent all the body heat from the dance floor. It was packed tighter than the spandex pants I was wearing. (Sorry, can’t tell you what my costume was or else this wouldn’t be anonymous.)
Later I heard about a near-fight between a couple brothers. Some minor choking, totally unprovoked. It was broken up pretty quickly. Word on the street is the guy who started it was suspended until further notice. I’m glad we left Sig before things got too real.
On the way to the PIKE house, we passed a trio of short-skirted, corseted blondes who gave us a “have a good night guys” as we split into single file on the sidewalk behind the old soccer field. I wondered if they were just getting started. It was almost midnight.
Shivering, my friends and I questioned whether this was worth the cold-to-come.
“I mean, it’s part of the experience. Right?”
The minutes spent at PIKE were like our walk there—not short enough to complain about but long enough to be uncomfortable. Going into the house to dance, we were met with immediate heat. It radiated from the spray-sparkled, barely covered bodies wiggling around on the dancefloor. The floor was covered in the mud everyone had to trudge through to get there. With no welcome mat to wipe my shoes on, I felt sorry for contributing to it before filtering in.
I thought, I wonder what this would be like without music. And laughed out loud, to myself.
The line for the bathroom was unbearably long for those who had already “broken the seal.” I bet I could have walked back to my own dorm 300 yards away, relieved myself, and walked back before it was my turn. Deciding to do just that, we headed out. They weren’t playing bangers anyway.
A sticky-note-drawing by the author depicting Phi Tau’s house that night
Replenished by a clean, sanitary bathroom break at the dorms, we decided to go to the remaining two frats. It was 12:30. The rain had let up and we decided to hit Phi Tau next. I think Phi Tau gets a bad rap for having mid parties but, what can they do? Their close proximity to campus means they’re an easy target for campus police, so they can only get so wild. And is there any such thing as a “good” frat party? Hold that thought.
Getting down to the dance floor was the safety hazard of the century. Access to the basement was a literal hole in the floor, opened by a cellar-type door. If you misstep on the macbook-wide stairs, you’re done. It wasn’t very busy down there, maybe because people didn’t want to hassle with the whole life-flashing-before-your-eyes bit. After exploring the living room, sans furniture, my friend and I looked at each other.
“We came, we saw, we left?”
“Yeah.”
The finale of the night was KA. We were let in another wooden fence gate after the guys gauged us to be fellow students. We made our way to the half-converted garage known as “The Chapel.” The mucky walkway of stepping stones scattered about—in no particular order—was made worse by the darkness. My friends and I mourned our heels but reminded each other, again, it was part of the experience.
The lack of visibility somehow got worse once we got inside. The black lights made everyone’s teeth glow and their eyes look like they belonged to a mythical creature. Is that who I think it is?
My friends were at least findable in the crowd since their costumes were partly white. I was wearing all black.
The spray painted banner that read “CHAPEL” was hung behind the makeshift DJ post, reminding you where you were. A group of four guys were on some kind of stage beside the speaker, singing along and doing their frat flicks. They were living for the attention. And there I was, giving it.
Same as every house we visited, it was sweltering: the heat was blasting to combat the outside cold and the body-to-body crowd only made it worse. KA had the best music, I can’t lie. While my friends and I danced to fan favorites by Pitbull, Waka Flocka Flame, and, yes, Taylor Swift, we found other girls we had seen at previous houses. We mouthed the lyrics to each other—“You’ll be the prince and I’ll be the princess / It’s a love story baby just say yes”—as if we would never get to hear the song again.
But there was something about our final stop that made my stomach turn, and I hadn’t had a drop of alcohol.
Waiting for the bathroom in another concert-level line, overhearing intoxicated conversations—it just made me sad. After seeing about five girls stumble out of the bathroom, slurring their apologies for taking so long, I thought back to the guy from Sig. How is he doing right now?
I checked the time, it was 1:30. After the bathroom, I had to use my elbows as if I was moshing to get through the crowd. It was uncomfortable and frustrating and sort of gross. I wasn’t having fun anymore. I was ready to go home.
On the way back to my friends, I kept catching flash-scenes of people: Do they really think this is as good as it gets? Wouldn’t the couples who “really love each other” prefer to show their affection behind closed doors? Is that girl okay? Does she know the guy she’s hanging off of right now?
My own past party experiences reminded me of how familiar these feelings were. To make me feel better, I made a mental rundown of the costumes I’d seen: Walter White from “Breaking Bad,” Megamind, Jinu from KPop Demon Hunters, Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader, Dale Gribble from “King of the Hill,” assorted Spongebobs.
I did have fun singing to Taylor Swift with the girlies. But I had serious pause when I considered dancing like nobody was watching. Is that just because I am a woman who has been objectified before? Is that because I myself had been judging some girls for their costumes being too revealing? Am I just not woke enough? HELP.
I get why people drink at parties; they are nearly unbearable when you’re sober. People yelling in your ear and you still don’t hear all they say. Uncomfortable moments of couples being too heavy with PDA. Would these people act like this if they weren’t wasted? Most of them probably wouldn’t. So, it’s weird. The only thing to do at a party is get a drink. But then the drinking is what makes the party horrible at the same time. It’s a sick, sick cycle.
This isn’t a diss on fraternities but, yeah, it’s a surefire diss on party culture. It encourages excessive drinking, which presents sincere safety concerns. If the only place your classmates talk to you is at a party–-while you’re under the influence–-are those relationships worthwhile?
When you are out with friends make sure they actually are friends. People who you can trust. People who make smart decisions about alcohol intake. People that will be there for you if something goes wrong.
Rumors have been circling around Transylvania University surrounding the possible replacement of the Mitchell Fine Arts’ beloved organ. Many fine arts students oppose the idea, as the organ holds much history near and dear to Transy. In efforts to gather a professional opinion before the organ’s supersession, I reached out to Dr. Allen Fletcher.
Fletcher is a Transy alum who majored in history and music, mainly focusing on organ performance. During his rising senior year of 2017, Fletcher was interviewed by The Rambler on his never-ending knowledge of organ playing. Upon the scare looming over current organ protectors, I conducted a follow-up interview with Fletcher, who has since graduated and works with not only the Kentucky Historical Society, but also as a piano accompanist at Transy.
As Fletcher identified his origins as a Transylvania student, he reflected, “I started as a piano student. I was on a piano scholarship and took lessons with Dr. Greg Partain, and he went on sabbatical- I think it was my second semester here. So, I thought I’d try organ for a change. The organ teacher at the time was Richard Dwyer, and I had a really good experience with him. I enjoyed taking organ lessons so much that I thought, why not make it a second major? To my knowledge, I was the first organ performance major in more than a decade.” When prompted with a question regarding the possibility of majoring in organ performance today, Fletcher provided, “I think that you could potentially make it work as a music performance major, but so few people play it that they don’t come around that often.” Such analysis is crucial to Transy’s current situation, as the university is one of the only in the state to still hold an organ program.
Carrick Theater at Transylvania University, which houses the organ
Fletcher continued to elaborate on the intricacies of the organ: “It’s a complex and misunderstood instrument, I think. A lot of people associate organs with churches, which makes complete sense, because that’s where most of the organs are these days. But, they can also serve another purpose. Of course, we have the MFA organ here in Haggin, so some auditoriums and concert halls will still maintain their organs.” With the diminishing presence of organs outside of religious situations, treasuring our organ at Transy is crucial to preserving the instrument’s identity and versatility.
As our conversation ensued, I asked Fletcher if organ lessons are still offered at Transy, as his experience with organ instruction inspired his college direction. He explained, “I think Angela Eaton now offers organ lessons. At least, I’ve seen organ lessons in the course catalog each semester. Whether that means they’re being actively offered, I don’t know.” As a professional organist himself, the uncertainty behind Fletcher’s knowledge of organ lessons at Transy was telling as to how the instrument’s value in instruction has been overlooked throughout the past eight years.
At this point in the interview, I decided to ask Fletcher if he would advocate for the refurbishment or replacement of the organ, considering his expertise in the field: “Well, that’s the million-dollar question, because organs are notoriously expensive to maintain. You can see just the size of this organ- it has over 2,000 pipes, and each one of those has to be individually tuned, so they’re expensive to tune. Especially if you get a lot of moisture, mold can grow in the pipes, so all that to say that it would cost tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of dollars to fix the organ. And, it would also cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to get a new organ! Either way, it’s going to be expensive, and what we’re seeing in the organ at Transy is actually happening to a lot of organs at other schools across the country that are sort of falling into disrepair, and they’re not used all that much. So, it’s really hard for a lot of schools to justify spending so much money to maintain these really expensive instruments… Either option would be expensive, but at this juncture, it would probably make more financial sense to fix what we already have.” Fletcher’s response aligned with many Transy students, as the potential replacement of the organ has been frowned upon within the student body. However, the suggestion to fix the current organ is, in no way, an easy task. From various viewpoints, addressing the organ is going to be a daunting ordeal.
Fletcher went on to elaborate on his care and regard for the organ: “I continue to advocate for the organ, not only in the church- I mean, I am a church organist. But it serves other purposes too. If you’ve ever been to the Kentucky Theatre downtown, they have an old, 1920s theatre organ that they’ve been refurbishing. I think once a week or once a month, they have silent films where they’ll have an organist come in and play before the film, and then actually play during the film. So, that’s one way that I think organs can become more visible.” By addressing the organ as a flexible and relevant instrument, Fletcher provides opposition to the argument that organs are oriented towards a single genre.
The organist continued to describe others who share his love of organ playing: “Especially today in the age of social media being everywhere, there are some people who have become real ‘organ advocates, as I call them. There’s a lady named Anna Lapwood- she’s British and is about 30, and she has become known as the “TikTok organist” because she’s got an account and is reaching millions of people this way. She’s really trying to push the boundaries of organ music away from classical music and church music, so she goes around the world playing famous organs, and really does a lot with film scores, for example.” By highlighting Anna Lapwood’s work in preserving the art of organ playing, Fletcher established himself as both an ally and an advocate for expanding the organ into other musical contexts.
Throughout our interview, I began to ponder the mortality of organs. Upon asking Fletcher if he worries about organs fading into history, he replied, “I worry about it, but not a whole lot, just because there still is a pretty well-established tradition of organs in churches, and there are some people who are really clinging to the traditional ways, where you have a formal church service that has an organ. This was true eight years ago when I did my first interview, and it’s true now, that fewer and fewer churches are using organs, but I don’t think they’re in danger of extinction any time soon.” While Fletcher held slight concern for organs being played less, he remained realistic and positive that the instrument would not lose its prevalence in the near future.
At the end of our interview, I asked Dr. Fletcher if we could go to the organ in Haggin and experience the different mechanisms; unfortunately, the instrument was blocked off with “DO NOT ENTER” signs. With respect for MFA, we refrained from investigating the organ and its current condition. Such realization led Fletcher to exclaim, “It really is, for lack of a better word, a heck of an instrument, that people see when they come into Haggin, but they don’t always get to experience what it can really do. So, I do hope that they’ll find a way to keep it going.”
Like Dr. Fletcher identified, the organ is truly a misunderstood instrument. It requires extreme efforts to learn and maintain the historic set of pipes, but the challenge and difficulty provided by the organ combine to make beautiful and fulfilling sounds. While Transy might not fully comprehend the organ’s capabilities, the university holds the responsibility of nurturing its beloved instrument.
On December 5th, faculty member Anthony Mead – Director of the Morlan Gallery and Adjunct Instructor of Art – once again put together the Annual Makers Market here at Transy. Just in time for holiday shopping, students, alumni, and Transy associates of many crafts spend months putting together a stock of products and goods to sell at the event. Held in the Pio Rooms decorated with Christmas trees and string lights and holiday music playing through the speakers, anyone is welcome to wander into the space and take a look at the plethora of booths. You’ll find stickers, jewelry, clothes, cookies, live drawings, made-on-the-spot keychains, and just about anything these ambitious artists can imagine and create! The Makers Market is a great time to showcase the talent here at Transy and, as always, it will leave you with a bag of goodies and thoroughly impressed. Keep an eye out next December for the Annual Makers Market.
Student Hannah Judy sells ceramic creationsCeramic mugs, magnets, and more sold and created by student Hannah JudyA rack of clothes for sale at a student’s boothStudent Sophia Del Val sells homemade Mexican Christmas cookie bundlesA package of handmade Mexican Christmas cookiesStudent Becca Orjala hand-makes jewelry and keychains at her boothStudent Becca Orjala sells hairclips, keychains, and moreStudents Hope Hitch and Fallon Cross sell homemade cookiesA Christmas Tree acts as a display for a student’s keychains and goodsShaped and scented soaps are displayed in a frog-shaped bowlTransy’s Student Literary Magazine “The Transylvanian” hands out free “Bat Bite” mini editionsArtists visit each others booths, looking at Alumni Nicole’s carpet artworkStudent Latanya sells magnets and printsAlumni Morgan Hardigree sells various mediums of artworkAlumni Morgan Hardigree explains her artwork to curious studentsAlumni Anne Elizabeth sells self-designed magnets and cardsStudent Jiali Graham sells hand-drawn stickers and keychainsStudents Sarah Childers and Alice Beatty sell hand-crafted earringsDozens of trinkets turned into earrings by students Alice Beatty and Sarah ChildersStudent Summer Pettit makes a sale on their Spongebob related paintingsTEAL (Transy’s Environmental Action League) gives away free clothes for those in needStudent Sam Schultz sells merch and editions of his comics“StripClubComics” founded by Alice Beatty and Sam Schultz sells comic magazines and merchandiseHoliday decorations accompany the tables of artworkPatrons check out student Molly Uphoff’s jewelry and crafts at the Maker’s MarketClothes and fabrics for sale, including homemade sorority merchandise
Going from “Now you hang from my lips like the Gardens of Babylon” to “Did you girl-boss too close to the sun?”, fans of Taylor Swift have been dancing with their hands tied, grappling with their relationship with the singer-songwriter.
Listeners of all ages, genders, and ethnicities have indulged in a parasocial relationship with Taylor Swift for nearly a decade. I, myself, identify as a “Swiftie” and share my love of Taylor with millions of other fans. Her wide discography, possessing songs of all circumstances, genres, and melodies, has fostered a cult-like following with music-lovers across the globe; tattooed lyrics, themed parties, and friendship bracelets are just the tip of the iceberg. But, Taylor’s dancey tunes of “Foolish One” and the melancholy notes of “Peter” aren’t what leave listeners with a one-sided connection. Rather, the musician’s lyrics are the factor that has accumulated a historic fandom unlike any other.
Taylor has showcased her hidden English teacher from a young age of 18 with the release of her second album, Fearless. The golden record possesses a song by the name of “White Horse” that is one of Taylor’s initial examples of avid storytelling: “I’m not a princess, this ain’t a fairytale. I’m not the one you’ll sweep off her feet, lead her up the stairwell. This ain’t Hollywood, this is a small town. I was a dreamer before you went and let me down. Now it’s too late for you and your white horse to come around.” Such lyrics encapsulate a moment within a breakup when a wrongdoer tries to rekindle their tarnished relationship. Taylor uses the metaphor of a princess and a prince, claiming that, unlike the movies, she will not give in to a desperate performance or allow herself to be “saved” by the man who hurt her. Later on in the shift from country to pop, the album Red holds a song called “Nothing New.” The “From the Vault” track is telling of Taylor’s descriptive lyricism: “And my cheeks are growing tired from turning red and faking smiles. Are we only biding time ’til I lose your attention? And someone else lights up the room? People love an ingenue.” The lyrics describe the struggles endured by women in the music industry; they are prioritized and exploited until someone younger, prettier, and more profitable comes around. Moving on to the 2019 album Lover, the song “False God” incorporates metaphors and biblical allusions: “But we might just get away with it. Religion’s in your lips, even if it’s a false god. We might just get away with it. The altar is my hips, even if it’s a false god. We’d still worship this love.” Through references to Christianity, Taylor conveys a sense of uncertainty and sacrifice. Her and her partner’s devotion to each other may not accurately represent love, but they will overcome the obstacles in their dedication to one another.
Young Taylor Swift in a gold dress playing a red guitar on stage. Image credits: Pinterest
Taylor also experiments with storylines that haven’t happened to her directly. In Folklore, Taylor writes a song by the name of “Seven”: “And I’ve been meaning to tell you, I think your house is haunted. Your dad is always mad and that must be why. And I think you should come live with me, and we can be pirates. Then you won’t have to cry, or hide in the closet. And just like a folk song, our love will be passed on.” Swift puts herself in the shoes of a young girl whose best friend lives in an abusive household. By adopting a childlike innocence, Taylor can portray her character through immature terminology and fantasy. Moving to my favorite album, Evermore, “cowboy like me” incites feelings of yearning and grief: “Now you hang from my lips like the Gardens of Babylon. With your boots beneath my bed, forever is the sweetest con. I’ve had some tricks up my sleeve. Takes one to know one, you’re a cowboy like me, and I’m never gonna love again.” Once again, Taylor uses figurative language, this time a simile. By comparing her past lover to the Gardens of Babylon, the lost wonder of the world, Taylor asserts that there is no proof of their relationship. Only they hold the memories of their love, and such remembrance will never fade away, lasting forever in bittersweet agony.
Now, upon reading these in-depth lyrics, one can see Taylor’s growth in storytelling throughout the years. So, as we look at her most recent album, The Life of a Showgirl, the dismay and confusion that flooded through Swifties is understandable. The marketing of the album prior to its release left fans on the edge of their seats, excited for a burlesque-like, glamorous record. And, the first couple of tracks did not disappoint. The opening tracks, “The Fate of Ophelia” and “Elizabeth Taylor,” hold chords of power and lyrics of cheeky flair. However, track five, “Eldest Daughter”, left listeners cringing and expecting a “SIKE!” from the songwriter: “Every joke’s just trolling and memes, sad as it seems, apathy is hot.
Taylor Swift in an orange sparkly dress laying on a couch and looking into the camera. Image credits: Pinterest
Everybody’s cutthroat in the comments, every single hot take is cold as ice.” In analyzing the rest of the song, Taylor’s intention of criticizing internet culture, along with establishing the pressures and misunderstandings experienced by older siblings, is clear. But, listeners felt as though the song fell flat in keeping a consistent theme and describing such experiences in a serious, non-embarrassing way.
Later on in the album, “Wi$h Li$t” resulted in listeners feeling out of touch with their once relatable role model: “They want that yacht life under chopper blades. They want those bright lights and Balenci shades, and a fat a** with a baby face…I just want you. Have a couple kids, got the whole block looking like you.” Taylor generalizes the rest of the world as wanting luxurious products and having materialistic priorities; she counters everyone by claiming to want to settle down and have a family. Upon listening, many felt as though Taylor had broken the unspoken rule: acknowledging her wealth. Obviously, Taylor doesn’t know or relate to listeners, as she is a billionaire superstar, and we aren’t. However, “Wi$t Li$t” seemed to rub such a discrepancy in listeners’ faces, provoking discontent around the album. Moving to “CANCELLED!”, Taylor truly establishes her millennial identity in odd lyrics: “Did you girl-boss too close to the sun? Did they catch you having too much fun? Come with me, when they see us, they’ll run. Something wicked this way comes.” This combination of chronically online references and dramatic imagery was the breaking point for listeners. It seemed as though there was no use in defending the album any longer
Now, I must admit, I enjoy a couple of songs from the controversial record. “Actually Romantic” and “Wood” have been played during several solo car rides home. But The Life of a Showgirl comes nowhere close to Evermore or The Tortured Poets Department in terms of critical lyricism. However, I don’t feel as though the lack of lyrical intricacy was the main issue with Taylor’s 12th studio album; I mean, 1989 was the epitome of light-hearted, poppy choruses. Instead, it was the singer’s explicit descriptions of wealth. Swift has been increasingly criticized as she has obtained billionaire status. Many fans have urged her to use her prosperity and fame to speak out on major issues. While she did endorse Kamala Harris during the 2024 presidential election, Swift has failed to acknowledge the genocide in Gaza, along with the deportations involving ICE in America.
Image of Taylor Swift playing a small piano. Image credits: Pinterest
Despite the dislike revolving around Taylor’s recent album, I will always call myself a Swiftie. Swift’s complex songs helped me through heartbreak and academic struggles, and contributed to too many dance parties. Many listeners feel differently, though, and The Life of a Showgirl has unfortunately contributed to an increasing disconnect between artists and fans. Time will only tell if the previous affinity can be rekindled. As Taylor asks herself, “Is it over now?”
(inspired by my friend, Meghan, whose Swiftie identity has recently perished.)
This article was co-written by Annie Kunkle and Lyra Duffy
Laufey, pronounced Lay-Vay, is a contemporary jazz singer from Reykjavik, Iceland. At age 15, she was playing with the Icelandic Orchestra and competing on Iceland’s Got Talent, which fueled her to pursue music in college. While attending the Berklee College of Music, Laufey studied cello performance and began her journey as a professional musician.
Rising to fame as an iconic contemporary jazz musician, she reignited a love and interest in jazz, especially for Generation Z. Initially posting jazz covers on her YouTube channel, Laufey released her first EP, Typical of Me, in 2021. This EP had a mix of covers inspired by artists such as Chet Baker, Ella Fitzgerald, and Billie Holiday. It also featured several original songs, one being “Best Friend,” based on her relationship with her twin sister Junia (Hoo-nee-ah).
“It’s funny ’cause you drive me half insane. A universe without you would be thoroughly mundane.”
Best Friend by Laufey
Laufey holding hands with her twin sister Junia on stage during her tour. Image credits: @Laufeyland on Instagram
Junia has made a name for herself by acting as Laufey’s creative director for her music videos and A Matter of Time tour. The tour’s setlist even features an intimate jazz club spinoff during the concert. In this section, she rearranges her songs to be more raw and jazzy, offering new renditions of her own songs. As she has risen in the music world, she has created songs with a more poppy flair, but this section allows her to showcase her original sound and influences. By doing this, she draws in the audience to yearn for the intimate feel of a jazz show ambiance.
Laufey also provokes a sense of yearning through her romantic and fantastical storylines. In “Like the Movies,” she sings about her imagined love life and how she longs to experience an unrealistic expectation of love that is often represented in rom-com tropes.
“Maybe one day I’ll fall in a bookstore into the arms of a guy. We’ll sneak into bars and gaze at the stars surrounded by fireflies.”
Like the Movies by Laufey
She also incorporates vivid imagery and figurative language in her lyricism. Heard in “Falling Behind,” Laufey compares natural elements to the ways they seemingly mock her love-life failures.
Laufey on stage during her tour reaching her hand out to the audience surrounded by spotlight. Image credits: @Laufey on Instagram
“’Cause the sun’s engaged to the sky, and my best friend’s found a new guy.”
Falling Behind by Laufey
Through a multitude of her songs, listeners can romanticize their lives, whether they are dreaming about their future romantic endeavors or agonizing about being left behind in the race to find love. Don’t be fooled, though. Laufey’s discography is not fully focused on love and heartbreak. She also writes about her childhood insecurities and pays homage to her heritage. These songs have become the most popular among her true fans by highlighting relatable struggles we have all experienced in some way. In a “Letter To My 13 Year Old Self,” she discusses how she felt as a child, left out of common experiences, and often feeling overlooked.
“I’m so sorry that they pick you last, try to say your foreign name and laugh. I know that you feel loud, so different from the crowd.”
Letter To My 13 Year Old Self by Laufey
Within the lyrics of “Forget-Me-Not”, Laufey pleads to never abandon her culture and upbringing in Iceland. She incorporates words from her native tongue, which encapsulate her desire to remain faithful to her origins and her immigrant story.
“Love you forever, don’t let go of me. I left my own homeland to chase reverie. Gleymdu mér aldrei þó ég héðan flýg. Gleymdu mér aldrei, elskan mín” (translated to: Never forget me, even if I fly away from here. Never forget me, my love)
Forget-Me-Not by Laufey
Laufey in a white dress holding Mei Mei, a white bunny plushie, by the ears. Image credits: Pinterest
Through Laufey’s openness and vulnerability, she has established a personal connection with her fans, which has created a niche and honest fan base. While Junia has developed Laufey’s brand to fit this cute, classy, and whimsical vibe, her fan base is so much more than that. During her concerts, she has emphasized this close relationship with her fans by choosing a “best dressed” attendee who gets to meet her and show off their outfit. Only Laufey and her fans could pull this off on such a vast scale. Not only does Laufey connect with her listeners on tour, but she also creates communities through an online book club and an original character, Mei Mei, the Bunny (seen on the left).
Laufey’s specific and personal bond with fans has filtered out any negativity or fragile masculinity within male listeners. With t-shirt merch saying, “Real Men Listen to Laufey,” she has established an audience of male listeners who aren’t afraid to make fun of performative men. Laufey often writes about how she has experienced an insincere facade from men, in hopes of catching her attention, in songs like “Mr. Eclectic.”
“Did you ever stop and give a wonder to just who you were talking to? The very expert on the foolish things that men have said to woo and win me over. What a poser, you think you’re so interesting.”
Mr. Eclectic by Laufey
With other songs like “Bored” and “James”, she further pokes fun at pretentious men who think they are so ideal and different from the rest.
Laufey has marketed herself as an “open book”, paving the way for listeners like us to feel seen and understood. Her music helps us romanticize our lives, better understand our emotions, and connect with a real artist who feels true to themselves. At the end of the day, she is an incredible musician and has one of the best voices of our time. She has revived jazz music and redefined the narrative of modern music.
t’s that time of the year again: the Christmas season is upon us, and you now have to start considering what gifts you’ll get for your loved ones. You’re likely tempted to go on Amazon and purchase whatever you can think of, but it’s high time for us consumers to start caring about where we get our gifts, why we get our gifts, and how we get our gifts.
Corporations have become hostile in recent years, growing more and more problematic. Between unfair wages, unsafe labor practices, and a general evident greed, all of the world’s most popular brands are getting a bad name. In the midst of all this lie corporations that are in support of genocide, particularly the one occurring at Israel’s hands. Many companies indirectly or directly fund the genocide by providing soldiers with food, money, or any other sustenance.
Basically, I’m here to tell you that most of your favorite brands are supporting an ethnic cleansing. It’ll be a tough pill to swallow—I can tell you for certain it was when I first heard it—but it’ll become easier as it goes on. I’ll tell you all about the BDS boycotts, and I’ll share with you some other brands that you should likely take off your roster. Don’t worry, I’ll give you some alternatives; I understand that it’s the season of giving, after all.
Image of brands that are priority boycott targets of BDS movement at the top, with organic boycott brands in the right bottom corner and pressure target brands in the left bottom corner Image credits: Guide to BDS Boycott Movement
BDS and What to Boycott
BDS stands for “Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions”, and is a Palestinian-led movement focused on applying pressure to companies to end their support for Israel. It began in 2005, following a similar model to protest apartheid in South Africa.
According to the website, BDS operates mainly as a “targeted boycott” organization, in which they will pick the largest, most complicit corporations to apply pressure on. This is done in hopes of creating a domino effect in which smaller corporations complicit in the genocide will also opt to end their affiliations with Israel. “Untargeted boycotts” target a greater number of corporations in order to spread influence.
BDS states that their boycott target-selection criteria are as follows:
1. Level of complicity (based on accurate, convincing research that proves complicity)
2. Intersectionality (cross-movement relevance of the target)
3. Brand recognition and media appeal (helps reach a wider audience)
4. Potential for success
Their boycott is split into three targets: consumer boycott priority targets, organic boycott targets, and pressure targets. Consumer boycott priority targets require a complete boycott due to their explicit complicity in Israel’s genocide. Organic boycott targets are boycotts not directly created by the BDS, but are encouraged due to the companies’ complicity. Pressure targets need pressure campaigns: lobbying, social media pressure, peaceful disruption, etc.
The list for each, as of September 2025, is as follows:
Consumer boycott priority targets (direct from BDS website):
1. Chevron (including Texaco and Caltex): responsible for extracting gas used by Israel.
2. Intel: invested $25 billion in Israel during the height of genocide; the largest international investor in Israel.
3. DELL: supplies servers, maintains services, and related equipment to the Israeli military.
4. Siemens: main contractor of the Euro-Asia interconnector, a submarine electricity cable planned to connect Israel to Europe.
5. Hewlett-Packard (HP): provides technological and logistical support to Israel.
6. Microsoft: provides AI software and technology to Israel, crucial in furthering the genocide; by far the most complicit. Advised to boycott Xbox as well.
7. Carrefour: given personal gifts to Israeli soldiers; possesses partnerships with multiple Israeli start-ups and banks.
8. AXA: holds millions of dollars in shares and bonds in companies that are supplying Israel with weapons.
9. Reebok: signed a sponsorship contract with the Israel Football Association (IFA) in early 2025. The IFA includes teams in illegal Israeli settlements on stolen land.
10. Disney+: dehumanizes Palestinians; revived racist character in Captain America, has worked with blatant supporters of Israel (including Gal Gadot and Shira Haas).
11. SodaStream: complicit in displacing indigenous Bedouin-Palestinian citizens; known to discriminate against Palestinian workers.
12. RE/MAX: markets and sells properly in illegal Israeli settlements.
13. Israeli produce/products in supermarkets: most are products made in illegal settlements on stolen land; you should avoid being part of trade that fuels Israel’s economy.
Organic boycott targets:
1. McDonald’s: owns many franchises in Israel and offers free meals to Israeli soldiers.
2. Coca-Cola: operates in illegal settlements; the main factory is in Atarot.
3. Burger King: provides free food to Israeli soldiers and owns many franchises in Israel. Social media is used to uphold Zionist talking points.
4. Papa John’s: donated food to Israeli soldiers, owns many franchises in Israel.
5. Pizza Hut: The parent company is an investor in Israeli start-ups, and social media posts have been made by them that appear to be mocking Palestinian prisoners.
6. Domino’s Pizza: owns many franchises in Israel; has a large presence in Israel.
7. WIX: Israeli company; has fired employees who have spoken out against the genocide.
Pressure targets (direct from the BDS website):
1. Google: has signed a contract with the Israeli military allowing them to access AI services, data, and automation technology.
2. Amazon: provided cloud computing infrastructure and other technological services to Israel, alongside Google. Amazon’s facial recognition technology is used for surveillance of Palestinians, and Ring cameras provide service to the United States police and ICE.
3. Booking/Airbnb/Expedia: listed in the United Nations database of businesses implicated in Israel’s illegal colonial settlement enterprise.
4. Teva Pharmaceutical Industries: Israeli company; has supported Israel’s genocide for decades and exploits the captive Palestinian market.
All of the targets I have just listed are ones officially listed on the BDS website, alongside most of their publicly accessible boycott lists. However, even outside of the BDS boycotts, there are still plentiful corporations that I recommend boycotting due to their support for Israel:
Non-BDS targets:
1. Starbucks: Former CEO Howard Schultz is a well-known Zionist and invests regularly in Israeli companies. Alongside this, Starbucks is known to be a union-busting company, suing a union that publicly expressed support for Palestine.
2. TripAdvisor: listed in the United Nations database of businesses implicated in Israel’s illegal colonial settlement enterprise.
3. Motorola: listed in the United Nations database of businesses implicated in Israel’s illegal colonial settlement enterprise.
4. CitiBank: complicit in the violent occupation of Haiti, and publicly supports right-wing Israeli politicians; invests in Israeli infrastructure and tech sector as the largest bank in the United States. Has also directly lent money to Israel.
5. Hobby Lobby: major Christian Zionist donor. Also largely antisemitic, and has refused to cover contraceptives under insurance, and has stolen ancient artifacts illegally smuggled from places like Iraq.
6. Home Depot: one of the largest neoconservative and Zionist donors in the United States. Has also removed DEI benefits following the Trump administration and has multiple violations from OSHA and SOP.
7. WhatsApp: has donated millions of dollars to Zionist lobbying; an AI system is used by Israel to track and kill Palestinians in Gaza.
Even outside of Israel, there are a number of companies that still should be boycotted due to their human rights violations, their support of the oppression of minorities, etc. That list is as follows:
General boycott targets:
1. Nestle: endangers the lives of infants using their baby milk products, and practices unethical business affairs, such as child labor, slavery, and an adverse effect on the environment through their water bottling.
2. SHEIN: steals designs, creates extensive harm towards the environment, and uses child labor practices in order to produce its fashion items.
3. Temu: products can be highly toxic. Has also been known to steal designs and use extensive child labor to produce items.
4. Apple: numerous human rights issues; known to make products built on child labor (in places such as the Democratic Republic of the Congo) and has unsafe factory conditions.
5. Spotify: known to run recruitment ads for ICE, allow AI-generated advertisements and music, and severely underpay artists. The CEO has also invested $693.6 million in defense startup technology, known to be used by countries like Israel, the United States, and China.
So, what does that leave us?
Not a lot, it may seem at first. However, boycotting is fairly easy; there are numerous alternatives to any given product.
I’ve personally been boycotting since 2023, with much of my boycott efforts being centered around fast food. I’ve not touched McDonald’s or Starbucks. Though I sometimes miss the taste of a McDonald’s Bacon, Egg, and Cheese McGriddle, I can confidently say that no matter how good any food or coffee is, it’s not worth contributing to the problem. It’s the same with things like Microsoft and Disney+; there are numerous ways to access the things these services provide to you without having to give money to a terrible cause.
I would say the general rule of thumb is to shop locally. Whether it be food or gifts, there is always something you can find at a small business that’ll be made with much more love and care than anything from big corporations. Personally, some of the best food I’ve ever had has been from small businesses; they’re far better than fast food any day of the week.
If you find yourself unable to shop locally in person, do it online. Shop small businesses on places like Etsy, or buy stuff second-hand from places like eBay or Depop. Is it expensive? It can be, but I would argue the price is worth it for the knowledge you’re not contributing to something heinous.
Second-hand stores are probably the best advice I can give for getting gifts, whether it be for yourself or someone else. You can call it embarrassing or tacky to get someone something second-hand all you want, but at the end of the day, some of the world’s greatest treasures come from thrift stores. Besides, you don’t need the newest thing every time it arrives; you don’t need the newest iPhone, the newest clothing line, the newest gimmicky decorations that come from Target every holiday that’ll only end up in landfills by the time the holiday’s over. None of it—and I mean this with utmost sincerity—NONE of it is necessary. If you wanna get someone something particular, then go for it—just make sure it’s something they actually want and/or need so it doesn’t end up sitting and rotting on one of their shelves. Or in a landfill.
How/Why to Boycott
You may be wondering to yourself what the point of boycotting even is. “Well, now, it’s not gonna harm any cause if I don’t boycott,” you’re thinking. Unfortunately, you’re not alone in thinking that; I assure you that thousands, if not millions, of others are, too. Yes, one person not boycotting may not hurt the cause, but it isn’t just one person—it’s many people.
Boycotting is vital as it sends a direct message to corporations about what we as consumers think about their values. Boycotting has been an essential part of protesting for decades; by far, the most prominent example of boycotting was the Montgomery bus boycott from 1955 to 1956, where people protested the segregation present on Montgomery buses. Even now, boycotting is a vital part of many movements and has proven effective. Sales have been declining for both McDonald’s and Starbucks, with McDonald’s reporting a decline in global sales in 2024 and Starbucks reporting a dip in North American sales by 2% and a dip globally by 7%. Clearly, boycotting works, so long as everyone does their part.
So, what exactly is the right way to go about boycotting? While there is no exact guidebook, the general consensus is to stop buying products by the brand you’re wishing to boycott. Anything with the label funnels funds directly to the corporation, except for bootleg and second-hand stuff. For all you Starbucks fans, this includes their cups, their instant coffee mixes, those iced coffee bottles you sometimes see… all of it. For all you McDonald’s fans, this means you have to stop buying their Happy Meals or whatever gimmick they have going on that is vaguely attached to your favorite anime or franchise. I can’t begin to explain my frustration with seeing all of my friends rush to buy McDonald’s the second they dropped something related to A Minecraft Movie.
Alongside this, it’s important to spread the word. Tell your friends and families to boycott, explain to them the benefits of it, give them alternatives, the whole nine yards. Post about it on social media, as well, and uplift others who are boycotting the same things you are. Join global boycott days where people don’t buy anything for an entire day, or don’t buy a specific brand or product for an entire day.
Most importantly, do your own research. I am not going to sit here and pretend I know every single brand that has ever done something terrible. Alongside this, while I’ve done a great deal of research on this topic, there is a chance I got things wrong in this article. Make sure to look at everything through your own critical lens and decide what you should and shouldn’t boycott.
Image of a man holding up a written poster that says, “Boycott Divest Sanction” with the Star of David behind the V of “Divest.” Image Credits: commons.wikimedia.org
Conclusion
At the end of the day, it will take a lot more than just boycotting in order to fully end Israel’s genocide against Palestine. However, as powerless as we may be in terms of government, we are powerful as consumers; we can directly prevent companies from gaining revenue and show them that their support has consequences. So, when you’re buying your gifts this holiday season, just remember: you have a choice. Make it wisely. Be on the right side of history.
On Saturday, November 15th, Transy seniors andStripClubComics co-founders Alice Beatty and Sam Schultz put together a community-building, art showcasing event they call Lexington Confidential – or LexCon Zine Fest in Transy’s Pio Rooms.
The premier event housed members of the Transylvania community, such as The Rambler, The Transylvanian, alumni Morgan Hardigree and Nicole Herman, student band Maybe Next Year, professor panelists, and more, making appearances alongside other Lexington artists and students selling their goods. Between panels, musical guestTiramisu, a local jazz-fusion band, performed jazz covers as patrons visited booths.
LexCon founders Alice Beatty (left) and Samuel Schultz (right) at their ‘Scully and Boone’ panel
Starting the evening with their own panel, Sam and Alice did a presentation on their comic seriesScully and Boone, an undead-detective tale set in Chicago. Over the summer, the comic-making duo received a travel grant from the University and were able to visit Chicago for research. Learning local ghost stories, architecture, and travel routes, the experience helped them world-build more accurately and come up with new characters and storylines for future development. For example, Alice came up with designs for a gargoyle creature based on architecture and lore they came across, which their characters, Scully and Boone, will battle on the Chicago “L” metro system.
The LexCon event itself was actually part of Sam and Alice’s grant. The Grant Allocation Committee asks that students who receive grants give a presentation on how they used the money or create something to show for their travels. Using the last of their budget, LexCon was a step further. “We wanted to have some fun event around it, something comic-themed,” Alice explained. “We decided to do a kind of ‘Comic Con’ thing, make it a whole community event, and bring a lot of other creatives in on it.”
Guest speakers show examples of their work at the Animation panel
The event featured three panels in total. After Sam and Alice’s Scully and Boone panel, which acted as their grant presentation, Animation professor David Gerhard – known for his work on shows such as Midnight Gospel, Invader Zim, Breadwinners, and much more – hosted “From Strip to Screen: Adapting Comics for Animation” with guest animators Greer Givens and Eric V-L. The three shared stories on their experiences with turning comic stories into animated series or films.
To end the event, Transylvania University faculty Anthony Mead – Director of the Morlan Gallery and Adjunct Instructor of Art – and Rebekah Gordon – Assistant Professor of Religion – hosted a “History of Zines” panel in which they explained where zines came from historically and how they find themselves in our modern society. They also lead a collaborative zine-making activity, where anyone can make their own zine. Afterward, the zines would be sent to Transylvania’s Special Collections of zines in the form of a booklet to memorialize the day and the products of our community.
Merchandise and comics for purchase at the ‘StripClubComics’ table during the LexCon event
Sam and Alice hope the event will bring more patrons to their comic series as well. StripClubComics is an indie comic collection, completely self-published and hand-drawn. Alice and Sam founded it with the intention of bringing together their friends and showcasing their talents; writers and artists working together to make something pun-filled, fun, and impressive.
The team, including a long list of Transy (and some non-Transy) student artists, produces many series within their editions, Scully and Boone being just one example. However, the killer noir series grew too big for the magazine editions and broke out into its own book with the help of the grant-funded trip to Chicago. Other series in the StripClubworld include Pulver-eyes – a superhero spoof, Los Animos PD – an animal buddy cop series, and more.
Alice and Sam have shown time and time again that their commitment to taking creativity to the next level is something worth paying attention to. From starting their own comic book series to creating their own “Comic Con” inspired event, they’re always working on something big and exciting.
Maybe LexCon will return, but for now, keep your eyes out for new StripClub editions and Hot Singles – a mini series of one-off comics, in the StripClubComics magazine boxes around Lexington, and find updates on their website!
Jerry Craft’s “New Kid” – This YA Graphic Novel is an Essential Read
Jerry Craft’s New Kid offers a fresh perspective that speaks to Transylvania’s campus culture and to the values of a liberal arts education. The graphic novel is emotionally sharp, introspective, and fun.
New Kid follows Jordan Banks, an artistic and thoughtful seventh grader, as he navigates being a Black student at a new, mostly white private school. Jordan faces microaggressions, assumptions, and social hierarchies that may seem distant from college life. That is, until you realise that the “Transy Bubble” can feel like you’re in grade school again. Everyone knows everyone. There is inevitable gossip. We give each other unfounded labels. Many students, especially those from marginalized backgrounds, carry a kind of burden that makes them feel different from the get-go. Reading New Kid asks us to reflect: What do we assume about others before we actually talk with them? Who might feel left out of our community and why?
The talent of a graphic novel is that it can touch on serious topics without feeling heavy. New Kid is a breath of fresh air compared to the academic reading that saturates our day-to-day life. Craft’s illustrations create a rich sensory experience where humor lands more quickly, awkward moments are more awkward, and Jordan’s emotional journey is visible. This format serves as a reminder that we don’t have to read dense, four-hundred-page novels to gain meaning. The protagonist’s love for art through sketching, along with Craft’s award-winning illustration, makes this book a prime example of creative expression. As a college that values interdisciplinary thinking, New Kid exemplifies how storytelling, art, and social consciousness can become an impactful, action-guiding narrative.
Transylvania’s mission statement highlights independent thinking, open-mindedness, lifelong learning, and social responsibility in a diverse world. New Kid embodies these values as Jordan takes charge of his new life at Riverdale Academy Day School, as he stands up to the school bully, makes unlikely friendships, and confides in his parents his desire to attend art school.
Though Jordan struggles to balance his identity with his Washington Heights friends and his school friends. The initial culture shock Jordan feels upon transitioning to a private school resembles what many students experience when being on their own in the college environment for the first time. We are exploring our interests through student organizations and social groups. We are finding and making a home away from home. Jordan’s journey is similar to what many Transylvania students experience every school year.New Kid is about finding community. If we want to maintain a welcoming, self-aware, and value-aligned student body, this book is essential. Everyone at Transylvania should check it out, and return to the library as soon as you finish so the next person can pick it up!