Since the Rambler initially reported on the concerns surrounding the latest health inspection score of the Transy Cafeteria, many new & reassuring details have come to light. Here is the most up-to-date information that we have on the situation:
Inspired by a discussion between Transy’s Student Government and Bon Appétit representatives, SGA would host a public town hall event on Friday, April 14th. The open discussion featured General Manager Chris Harris and Catering Director Erin Chenault. It was at this event that many questions would be answered, and concerns addressed.
Tuesday, April 11th, was a “perfect storm,” according to Harris and his team. The fire suppression system was triggered at the start of lunch by a still unknown cause in the Rafskeller Cafe, which shut off all the gas in the kitchen and prevented lunch from continuing. Soon after this chaotic situation, a health inspector arrived for an investigation, responding to concerns about potential food-borne illnesses. Harris continually emphasized the difference between a normal inspection and this investigation. The inspector showed up without warning, and the kitchen staff was not allowed to correct minor violations that would otherwise be forgiven. For example, Harris claimed that a violation for improper food dating that was listed on the investigation report was the result of a batch of salsa that had expired the previous day. While the salsa was set out on a table with other items that needed to be thrown away, the health inspector saw it and marked off points. As for the concerns that the inspection report containing the score was covered up on Tuesday and Wednesday, Harris stated that it was “unintentional,” and that “a lot of things got moved around” in the disarray of Tuesday morning.
When discussing the 86 grade from the investigation, the major concern held by students of food poisoning was immediately contested by Harris. He made sure it was clear that the health inspector “found no indicators of food poisoning,” despite the harsh score. Actual violations included decorative plants & books in the kitchen, chipped metal in food storage units, stocks in a cooling room not being covered, chicken that was in the process of being cooked at 5° below the required temperature, and the most severe citation resulting from what Harris described as “10 dish gnats” around a drain. Harris assured those in attendance that all of these issues had been or would be resolved before a follow-up inspection.
All representatives for Bon Appétit and the Transylvania administration expressed regret over the concern that this inspection had caused, stating that it had “been years” since they received a score less than 99, and that they took pride in the quality of food they serve to students, faculty, and staff. One of the most repeated points of the night was that Bon Appétit had an “open door policy” that they wanted to normalize in the cafeteria. “If there is an issue, come to us,” Harris stated. Harris and others at the town hall suggested ideas such as kitchen tours, student forums on dining, and further cooperation between SGA and the dining staff, all in an effort to be as transparent with the Transylvania community as possible.
Image credits to Transylvania University
Yesterday also happened to be the date of a standard health code inspection. With a previous score of 100 and a mostly consistent history of passing scores, students were shocked at the failing score of 86. While that would count as a “B” on your final exams, this score is similar to a “D” in the eyes of health inspectors, as a score less than 85 would constitute a process that might lead the facility to be shut down. More curious was the fact that the inspection notice was covered up by a miscellaneous sign during dinner hours, a small move that slid past many unsuspecting students. Once revealed, the health code inspection listed violations of the following requirements: Good Hygienic Practice, Protection from Contamination, Temperature Control for Safety, Utensils/Equipment, and Physical Facilities.
The only way to describe the energy at the American Airlines Center on Saturday morning was electric. Transylvania fans and alumni traveled hundreds of miles to show their support for the team. The Transylvania Volleyball Team was there cheering on their fellow athletes, and President Brien Lewis, too, showed his continued support. Some fans had caught overnight flights and some, like myself, did the twelve-hour road trip from Lexington to Dallas. After an exciting and undefeated season, Transy fans were fired up and ready to watch the team take what was rightfully theirs. 
Transylvania fans, as well as a large contingent of Millikin supporters, cheering on their teams. The Big Blue would come out swinging with impressive three-point shooting, but the Pioneers would recover to take a 36-24 into halftime. Milliken would go on an impressive run during the third quarter to tie the game at the start of the fourth. But after that, the Pioneers would take control with a dominant fourth quarter, outscoring the Big Blue 25 to 13 in the quarter, with many of the Millikin points coming when the game was already out of reach, on route to a 71-59 victory. 
comfortable 82-55 victory, led by a 21-point and 19-rebound double-double performance by Senior Dasia Thornton. The next day, the Pioneers faced the number two-seeded Panthers in the Championship game. The game was extremely close in the first half, with the score being tied at 21 a piece at the end of the first quarter and a late three-pointer by Senior Kennedi Stacy giving Transy a one-point lead at the break. The Pioneers would pull away in the third quarter, outsourcing Hanover by a margin of 29 to 8. The Pioneers were able to easily protect this lead in the fourth quarter, ultimately coming away with a commanding 85-58 victory. 
the nation by D3hoops.com, tied for the highest in program history with last year’s team, which went undefeated until the Elite Eight of the NCAA tournament. Transylvania also had quite a few appearances in the HCAC All-Conference Honors. Senior Madison Kellione was named Co-Player of the Year, Senior Kennedi Stacy was named Defensive Player of the Year, Coach Juli Fulks was named Coach of the Year, Kellione, Stacy, and Senior Dasi Thornton were named to All-Conference First Team, and Senior Laken Ball was named to All-Conference Second Team. This is in addition to Tournament Honors, where Kellione and Thornton were named to the All-Tournament Team, with Thornton additionally being named Tournament MVP. 
3D-printed flat-Earth models, to everyone willing to listen. He also provided a list of “educational sources” on a YouTube-alternative website called BitChute.com, which is known for containing far-right ideologies, conspiracy theories, and hate speech.