Tuesday, March 18, 2025
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Round One of the Women’s Basketball Championship Preview

On Saturday February 26th, the Transylvania Pioneers women’s basketball team secured their fourth straight Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference title, defeating the Anderson University Ravens 81-51 in the championship game at the Beck Center. With this win, the pioneers kept their undefeated season alive, improving to a 13-0 conference record and a 24-0 overall record heading into the NCAA tournament. 

The Pioneers came into the tournament ranked Number 2 in the country, Number 1 in the HCAC, and had almost certainly clinched at least an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament. They defeated the Manchester University Spartans in the first round 90-44, then defeated the Rose Hulman Institute of Technology Fighting Engineers in the semifinals 72-50. In the championship game against Anderson, the Pioneers started out on a 16-0 run and held the Ravens to only 7-24 shooting in the first half, giving them a 50-17 lead at the half, which the Pioneers were able to successfully hold on route to a 81-51 victory. Kennedi Stacy led the team in scoring with 21 points on 8-11 shooting in the first half alone and 24 points overall. Stacy was also named the Most Valuable Player of the tournament, with both her and her teammate Madison Kellione also being named to the All-Tournament team. 

With this win, the Pioneers clinched their fourth consecutive conference title and an automatic qualification to the NCAA tournament. They also improved to a perfect 24-0 record for the season, with impressive wins at Number 7 Tufts University and vs. Number 3 John Carroll University. They are ranked Number 2 in the country by the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association poll, only below the also-undefeated Christopher Newport University Captains. 

The Pioneers will take on Washington & Jefferson College in the first round of the NCAA tournament on Friday, March 4th at 6:30 P.M. in the Beck Center. Tickets are free for the first 100 students and 50 faculty members.

Don’t Give Up on Traveling Abroad: A Q&A with Tatianna Verswyvel

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Almost two years ago after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Transy was forced to bring home all students studying abroad and hasn’t been able to send anyone anywhere since. The current students here at Transy who have actually had the opportunity to study abroad are few and far between, while those who have had to push back their trips semester after semester seem to be easier to find. Tatianna Verswyvel is a senior here at Transy studying International Affairs who had the opportunity to study abroad in the Czech Republic the spring semester of her sophomore year before returning to the states in March. As discouraging as times like these can make us feel about the possibility of traveling abroad, Tatianna had some incredible things to say, both about her own experience, and advice towards those who are feeling defeated now.

How has the uncertainty of the last few years impacted your view of your experience abroad?

“The last two years have really put my brief time abroad into perspective, mainly because I haven’t felt as free or as spontaneous since I returned. There is an unprecedented amount of opportunity when you’re exploring a new city, meeting people that don’t share your same background, attending a new school. Perhaps even more than opportunity, I felt possibility. As cliche as it sounds, there was a sense that anything could happen. Now, when we have to keep our expectations low just in order to cope with the likelihood of disappointment, that feeling of possibility feels foreign. That’s what I miss the most and what I’m most thankful I got to experience before the world completely changed.”

Do you feel that your experience abroad has prepared you for graduation and your future plans?

“Despite the uncertainty that we live with today, my time abroad taught me that hard work is rewarded. I received a competitive federal scholarship that paid for that semester in full, an achievement which really enriched both my time abroad but also my overall confidence as a student and a person. In addition, excelling in my classes that semester at what is considered one of the best universities in Europe equipped me with confidence in my academic background and my overall preparedness to participate in the real world.”

At this point, would you encourage students to try and study abroad in college?

“Without a doubt, study abroad is something to put yourself out there for. I know it’s hard to rationalize in the current climate of uncertainty, but it really pays off. I’m not sure if studying abroad in the COVID era will provide the exact same sliver of magic that I feel lucky enough to have received, but it’s worth finding out. Most importantly, don’t be discouraged to travel for non-academic reasons. Most people whose study abroad plans keep falling through are due to their program’s dependence on institutional aid and thereby institutional guidelines, but traveling on one’s own is still very much a possibility.”

Knowing that students at Transy who have actually had the opportunity to study abroad are few and far between, what would your advice be to students who have had to keep pushing their semesters back?

“I don’t know whether this uncertainty is going away anytime soon, therefore I understand the emotional and mental strain that students in this position are undergoing. For this reason, I’d ask them to really evaluate their reasons for studying abroad and contemplate whether their goals can be met in different, albeit inferior ways. Like I said, traveling during COVID is not impossible. I spent two weeks in Europe this summer wearing masks and abiding by local restrictions and I still enjoyed myself. If your goal is to practice a second language, there are remarkable ways to do that remotely. If your goal is to meet new people or take classes that specialize in a subject/region that Transy doesn’t offer, there are ways to do that. To me, it’s worth exploring the possibility of studying abroad with a third party that does not answer to our federal and institutional guidelines, bearing in mind that your time abroad will probably not count towards the completion of your Transy degree. That’s likely what I would do if I were in that position. Last thing I would say is that there is no arbitrary deadline or age by which you MUST achieve your international goals. The world, as far as I know, will still be there when COVID subsides, and opportunities to participate in educational experiences abroad will not end once you’re out of college. People who claim that their biggest regret is not studying abroad in college, in my opinion, are not thinking big enough. As long as you set time and resources aside for these goals, they don’t have to have an expiration date.”

Studying abroad is a big part of the traditional college experience, and it is unfortunate that we continue to see this opportunity taken away from students due to the ongoing pandemic. Hopefully someday soon we will be able to see many students studying abroad and exploring the beautiful world we live in, but until then it’s important to keep our heads up.

An In-Depth Look at Darkened Doorsteps

*Trigger Warning: Discussion of sexual assault and suicide is present during this piece and the show*

This weekend, February 24-27th, plunge yourself into the world of Darkened Doorsteps. A play written by Transy junior, Scottie Gussler. I was lucky enough to get an interview with Scottie and talk about the writing process they went through as well as the process of seeing the show go from pen to paper and from paper to performance.

I started by asking Scottie how they went about beginning the writing process for Darkened Doorsteps. Scottie explained to me how they began writing plays in high school and discovered their passion for it. However, with Covid and stress on the rise, inspiration ran dry. 

Over this past summer, however, inspiration struck. Scottie explained to me how writer’s block was never really a problem for them since the show was free-flowing and inspiring. After countless, long nights clacking keyboard keys and spamming the space bar as well as the backspace key, a show was born. This show needed a name however, and Scottie was fresh out of ideas.

Scottie would show the play to close, trusted friends and colleagues looking for constructive criticism. Then, Transy Alumni, Eileen Bunch, read the show and stated after reading, “Don’t darken this doorstep.” An idiom that means that you do not want to see someone ever again. Scottie adapted this idiom and came up with the title, Darkened Doorsteps.

This show is completely student-made and performed. Scottie stated that the Theatre Guild was very helpful in making this show come to life. The show will also include an original soundtrack composed by Tammy Ray ‘23 and Ben Sexton ‘22.

Darkened Doorsteps is a surreal, emotional, captivating, and nostalgic feeling show. The theme of escapism is one of the main focuses the show was designed around. Escapism in the form of being able to leave a world of pain for just one second. This show allows the viewer to find a home in those who have had experiences and are willing to provide guidance to get you back on your feet. Scottie gave a very heartwarming quote, “Never let the harsh winter deter you from making it to summer. There is always more to live for.” Stating that if you are looking for your own escape then come see the show, Darkened Doorsteps.

In closing remarks, Scottie wanted to leave some words of advice for anyone wanting or even thinking of writing their own show: “No idea is a bad idea. It’s what makes your style yours. Draw from other sources but remember to be true to who you are. Send it to others who you trust and get their constructive criticism. And do not be afraid of opposition, everyone has their own opinions. You are allowed to take some critiques and not others. If they don’t help you, pitch them.” Scottie and everyone involved with Darkened Doorsteps are very excited to share this captivating theatre experience with you and can’t wait to see you there.

Showtimes Thursday – Saturday, Feb. 24-26 at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 27 at 2 p.m. in Little Theater.

 

The Kissing Tree: Transy’s Most Romantic Tradition

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It’s that time of year, fellow Pioneers. Love is in the air here on campus, but nowhere more prevalent than at the one and only Kissing Tree.

What is it about this tree that holds such a charm on lovers? Well, it all dates back to an old campus tradition. There was a time when PDA was much more frowned upon, especially by the faculty and staff. Virginia Bell, a Transylvania graduate of the 1944 class, recalls the tree as having “a spirit that gave permission for it to be okay to kiss in public.” Students would use this permission often, making the Kissing Tree a romantic hotspot. Miss Bell added, “The Kissing Tree experience must have worked well. I was married to Wayne Bell for 73 years,” referring to her Transy sweetheart Wayne Bell ‘40.

The tradition of the Kissing Tree is a sweet one, but over time it has lost its significance amongst the student body. As PDA has become more accepted by society, the need to use the kissing tree as a smooch-stop has begun to vanish altogether. 

That didn’t stop Bill Bowden from trying to revive the legend of a beloved landmark. Bill did not attend Transylvania, but Murray State University. He did not have any experience with the Kissing Tree as a student. However, in his time working as publications editor here at Transy from 1997-2013, he inevitably learned about the history of the tree. In 2006, he covered the new bench that was to be placed around the tree. It was during that time that he became a sucker for what the tree represented.

In order to preserve the tradition of the Kissing Tree, Bill pushed for a plaque to be placed by the tree, commemorating its story. Many trees on campus have plaques dedicated to alumni, professors, and other figures that deserved commemoration. However, the Kissing tree was missing any sort of dedication. “The Kissing Tree deserves a plaque,” said Bowden, and decided to make a change. Since he couldn’t receive funding from the school, Bowden paid for and wrote the version of the plaque that still resides by the tree. 

Ben and Chelsea after their graduation, 2015

Bowden’s efforts to preserve this tradition paid off, too. Ben and Chelsea Crosier, class of 2015, ended their first date at the Kissing Tree. The rest was history. They are still together to this day, and the Kissing Tree is still an important landmark of their relationship. They still visit the tree any time they’re on campus! Chelsea recalls part of the tradition being, “If you share your first kiss under the Kissing Tree, you’re destined to get married. It worked for us!” When asked if the Kissing Tree was a good spot for a date, Ben and Chelsea said it was great for sharing coffee, having a kiss, and making memories.

So, lovebirds, as you walk around campus, remember the magic that many have experienced at the kissing tree. Perhaps you can make a memory of your own!

Women’s Basketball Dominating Their Season: A Recap of Their Recent Game Against Manchester

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Transylvania’s women’s basketball team played Hanover college last Wednesday afternoon. Our bats won that game with a 64-36 score and dominated the court the entire game.

Another game where the women’s basketball team dominated was against Manchester. The Manchester game was scheduled for January 2nd at Manchester but got rescheduled here in our home court.

Our lady Pioneers had full court control of the ball the entire game which helped lead them to a 15 game winning streak for the 2021-2022 season. In the first quarter, they racked up 20 points with Manchester trailing with 11 points.

In the second quarter, the Pioneers were still leading and scored 16 points while Manchester still followed behind with 11. Coming back from halftime into the third quarter, the Pioneers still dominated scoring another 13 points with Manchester still behind.

Finally, we end the game scoring another 15 points, the defense applied pressure this quarter only allowing Manchester to get 4 points.

Our women’s Basketball team has played Manchester 12 times since 2016 and during that stretch we’ve only lost one game. That one game was lost by only 4 points. Apart from that one off-game, our ladies have dominated Manchester winning those other 11 games by at least 15 points.

One of the star players from this game was number 10 Grace Shope, a senior from Leesburg Ohio. In this game, Shope scored our Pioneers 13 points, 4 rebounds, and 1 assist. Our next star player is number 32 Laken Ball, a junior from Beckley, West Virginia. Ball dominated the court with 18 points, 9 rebounds, and 2 assists.

Our Pioneers look like they are on their way to dominating their next game on February 2nd against Franklin College on our home court.

Tickets are always free to students so make sure to keep your eye on their schedule because this is not a team you want to miss.

A New “It’s On Us” Chapter Forms on Campus

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*A quick disclaimer: trigger warnings for discussion of sexual assault and domestic abuse*

It’s On Us is an organization founded in 2014 as an initiative of the Obama-Biden White House. The mission of this group is to prevent sexual assault as well as to communicate that it is on all of us to have important conversations with one another on serious issues. Because its main target audience is college students, the initiative has presently been rejuvenated at Transy with the group’s sponsorship of a book club.

The It’s On Us book club will be holding meetings on the second Tuesday of every month. The spotlight of these meetings is about the novel, In the Dreamhouse, by Carmen Maria Machado. The book will be given to all members complimentary of joining the club. However, you do not have to join the club to receive a copy of the book. If you would like to read the novel, the It’s On Us book club just ask that you attend at least one meeting. Mainly because the goal of this club is to spread awareness as well as provide education for topics needing to be discussed.

This beautiful memoir follows Carmen, as she recalls her experience in an abusive same-sex relationship. Written in a very poetic way, this piece shines a light on the gremlin of abuse. This astounding piece of literature opens the mind to see that domestic abuse doesn’t just happen between a man and a woman. It can happen to anyone by anyone and that is why such a serious topic must be discussed.

The It’s On Us book club will allow students to openly discuss problems and issues revolving around sexual assault and domestic abuse while also having the necessary resources available to them if need be. One example of these resources will take the form of staff being at each meeting to assist with anything that arises. The book club will meet on the second Tuesday of every month with its first meeting being held on February 8th in the Hearth room located in the campus center. A last little note that I was told to include is that at every meeting there will be mandatory reporters present.

To further elaborate: It’s On Us to make tomorrow better, today.

Coming to Terms with the Closure of Gratz Perk

Welcome back to campus everyone!

I’m sure we are all excited to get back to doing what we all love to do at Transy. Like the in-person classes that we missed so much last year, creating strong relationships with faculty, staff and students, athletic practices, musical rehearsals, getting started on the winter theater production, hanging out with your friends in Gratz Perk… 

Wait, it seems that Gratz Perk will be closed for the entire semester. This closing came with severe disappointment from a lot of students on campus. For me, this means that I will no longer get the chance to see my friends during the day. Gratz Perk was the only place on campus where we could see each other after class and take a breather before our next one. 

I know a lot of people held this ceremony as well. Without that miniature study hall, I would imagine students will have trouble keeping up with their classes, especially if they have trouble doing homework in their dorm and don’t want to venture out in the cold to get to the library after classes or work.

Also, this closure means that there is now no coffee, I repeat, no coffee on the academic side of campus. While I totally understand that our campus is really only about two square blocks, and I’ve found that to walk to the other side takes no more than (on average) 10 minutes from Cowgil to the Campus Center. This is still an inconvenience for those students who have classes back to back and can’t make it to the campus center to grab a cup beforehand. Furthermore, the canned coffees that are intermittently in the vending machines in Cowgil and the Library cost real out-of-pocket money, and are not available in sugar-free options. The Starbucks coffee bottles and cans have about 30 grams of sugar in each, which is about as much as many sodas.

The post in Tnotes says the change is meant to “increase offerings to students and maintain safe distancing because of COVID”. Now I don’t know about you, but it doesn’t make much sense to me, that having us all eat in one building instead of two, would increase distancing. Especially since the seating options in Gratz Perk were a lot more spread out than the little concentration of chairs and tables in the grab-and-go area.

However, on the complete other side of this argument, I am very thankful to now have access to coffee and grab-and-go meals until 10 pm. I am sure this will come in handy for me at many points in the semester. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve needed coffee at 3:05 pm and Gratz Perk had just closed.

The only things that this change really hurts are that there is no longer the cozy coffee shop atmosphere to study and decompress in that we all have come to know and love, there is no way to get coffee on the academic side of campus that does not cost out-of-pocket money (or not full of sugar), and that the remodel that was done at the beginning of the school year has become a bit pointless.

While I am severely disappointed that my favorite place on campus is no longer available to me for my last year at Transy, I suppose the grab-and-go will be an okay compromise. I was just excited to return to my little booth each day and keep on my class – study/lunch – class schedule that I missed so much during our year online. 

Comment below your favorite places to hang out and study on campus, because I’m gonna need a new one.

Review of New Morlan Gallery Exhibit Eco:Flux

This past week, I had the pleasure of visiting the Morlan Art Gallery’s latest art exhibition: “Eco:Flux,” featuring works from an eclectic and talented group of artists, including two faculty members, Transy’s own Zoe Strecker and Anthony Mead.

Upon entry, one is immediately greeted by the dueling sounds of Rowe Moser’s digital video installation, There is a Fault in the System— soothing, serene nature tones, undercut by an increasingly unnerving droning noise bubbling up underneath, like a creeping panic attack. 

In her artist’s statement, Moser briefs us on the chanting techniques of the Gyume monks, suggesting that the droning voices, gongs, wildlife, etc. played over the footage of nature landscapes are meant to lull the viewer into a place of calm, only to be brought out of it by jarring image distortions and pixelations. The message is clear — we are living in what Rowe refers to as a “glitched wasteland.”

There is a Fault in the System, digital video by Rowe Moser 

This just about perfectly sums up what the exhibit is doing as a whole. The Morlan web page describes the work on display here as highlighting “specific issues that are in immediate need of attention,” while others take a more abstract route, laying out “future potentialities that exist on the cusp between science fact and science fiction.” It’s a theme rife with possibilities for an exploration of the dystopian landscape we live in / face living in very soon (and yes, I know it’s cliche to say so).

As far as dystopian landscapes go, no one artist crafted a work as fleshed-out and dystopian as Emily Ritter’s Polyflora 1 – 3. Ritter’s series of meticulously crafted sculptures come with a sci-fi novel background — Ritter describes a “possible future” wherein plastics have fused with organic matter, creating a new hybrid lifeform that has “replaced the life we know today.” These future landscapes pose questions for the viewer about everyday consumption / waste and the role it has on the environment (as well as the role they might play in this overconsumption).    

Polyflora 1 – 3, sculpture series by Emily Ritter

As previously mentioned, gallery director Anthony Mead has also contributed a piece of his own to the exhibit, with his striking wall mural, Planting a garden with Prometheus; tree canopy growth pattern in idealized conditions washed with charcoal and earth. Even without Mead’s direct allusions to Greek Myth, this work could still read as a promethean garden of Eden; an elemental stencil print composed of charcoal, soil and carbonaceous rock meditating on the contextual relationship between human, nature, and fire.

Mead writes in his artist’s statement that the piece’s distinct, repeating orb-like pattern is “influenced by the repetitive forms or patterns found throughout human cultures and natural environments in everything from camouflage, to spirit ritual, to cultural adornment.” It’s a sprawling piece both in physical size and in its array of interconnected themes it seeks to tackle. 

Planting a garden with Prometheus; tree canopy growth pattern in idealized conditions washed with charcoal and earth, stencil print by Anthony Mead

The exhibit will run through February 25th at regular gallery hours (Monday-Friday 12-5 pm) and is free to the public. One can also attend a zoom conference (register here) hosted by featured gallery artist Marilee Salvator on Thursday Feb 17th from 6-7 pm. 

The Untimely Construction on the Steps of Old Morrison: The Senior Perspective and an Interview with President Lewis

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The 2022 senior class here at Transy has yet to have a year that even hints at normality. With nearly a year and a half online, three different cafeterias, never having a full year with an open campus center (until we began moving off campus), one and a half years without music or theater, two and a half years without study abroad possibilities, a year without a May term, and never mind the detrimental effects of the online year which we all know created real problems connecting with professors and administration. Now, despite our stunted Transy experience, the class of 2022 has apprehensively begun to be excited about graduation, albeit through compulsory rose-colored glasses.

However, in late November, rumors began to circle about upcoming construction on the steps of Old Morrison. This looming construction could mean that the 2022 commencement ceremony may very likely be moved from its traditional place on the steps of Old Morrison.

The class of 2022 has demonstrated its ability to endure many things, but to simply allow the individuals in charge to remove this final rite of passage while feeling justified in doing so, is both a shock and extremely disappointing.

For me, the decision to come to Transy came with a sense of excitement and a promise of adventure. However, it also came with a guarantee of rather severe student debt. But, when you’re 18, student loans seem far away and really only a problem for the college educated versions of ourselves, who we imagine making millions in a passion-filled career. Now that I have reached the end of my time in college, I regret to inform myself that I’m probably not going to be making millions.

The year online brought a lot of misfortunes, one of which is that it put a halt in my search for a discipline I am passionate about. Furthermore, not being on campus also induced the loss of connections to other students. This, along with not having a campus center for half of our freshman and all of our sophomore year, has hurt the “sense of community” Transy boasts. Therefore, you can imagine our sustained disappointment at finding out that our graduation, our final chance to say goodbye to our ragtag nontraditional class, could be altered too.

Graduation does not belong on the steps of Beck or in a campus center the class of 2022 hasn’t known. In addition, the class of 2022 rightfully has hang-ups about the ceremony taking place in front of a big chain-link fence and caution tape even if it were possible to keep graduation near Old Morrison. The inconsistency of the information being provided to students about the timeline is frustrating and simply unfair.

We chose to spend these four years at Transylvania University. Many of us, including myself, have chosen to go into extreme debt just to experience everything that made Transy stand out when choosing a college all those years ago. I want to introduce the caveat that I do not want to come off as some spoiled college student who is just so upset that graduation might be altered. I fully understand, and have seen first hand, that there are factions of our society that were hurt and abandoned much more holistically by the pandemic than a bunch of privileged college students. However, I think it is important that in the realm of our own university our voices and struggles matter. So instead of a juvenile college student, I want to be understood as a severely indebted adult who was shocked at the lack of consideration that came from the administration I chose to guide me through arguably some of the most formative moments in my life, when we asked them to hear us.

While it is true that the steps need some work, the structural issues do not need immediate attention. To the class of 2022, it seems obvious that the construction can and should be postponed until after we have taken our rightful place on the steps of Old Morrison clad in caps and gowns.

The sheer disappointment and anger the seniors are feeling is justified. Therefore, to answer some of our questions and hopefully put our minds at ease, I sat down with President Brien Lewis to learn more about this untimely construction.

Lewis’s office, located on the second floor of Old Morrison, felt prestigious and decadent with its overwhelming presence of chocolate brown surfaces and Transy publications. I was equally as excited as I was nervous to query the head of our university and have our most pressing concerns for graduation cleared up.

My first question aimed to straighten out the timeline on which the construction is running. I felt this was an important starting place amongst the varied information about the projected completion time. President Lewis explained that when arranging the schedule for the project their “overriding imperative [was] to have the Old Morrison front steps ready for graduation. The first question on everyone’s mind was graduation.” President Lewis explained to me that there are many more facets of this construction than meets the eye. In totality, the construction on the steps of Old Morrison will most likely not be finished until July. However, the portion of the construction that would affect the graduation ceremony is on schedule to be finished in time to keep with tradition.

The biggest issue that could affect the timetable of the construction is inclement weather. For this reason, beginning the construction during the coldest part of the year seems like a strange choice.

The administration has also heard our concerns about the alternative locations mentioned, such as the stairs of the Beck Center, the back of the new campus center, or the steps of the Carpenter Academic Center, and have agreed that in the case of inclement weather affecting the timeline, graduation will continue to be held in front of Old Morrison and the construction site will be covered and the space made elegant.

While most of our concerns were answered by this information, I still wanted to learn more about the decision to do the construction now amongst so many other projects and secondly to better understand why our demonstration was so easily ignored.

I learned from President Lewis that the construction on the steps has been a project under consideration for the better part of a decade and while President Lewis has only been a part of two of those years, he was still eager to get the project underway. While I jested that couldn’t they have waited a few more years in order to give the non-traditional classes affected by construction and COVID-19 a traditional graduation, after all, what’s a few more years amongst a decade? I was met with the answer that there would really never be a perfect time. The construction would always either affect graduation, pumpkin mania, or the July 4th concert. While to me, graduation seems a bit more important than a summer concert I have never heard of, I can understand the desire to keep pumpkin mania a priority as it has become a Lexington staple that directs a lot of attention to our university.

Be that as it may, the main reason to not push construction until after the class of 2022’s graduation is that it would be difficult, time consuming, and potentially expensive to rearrange contractors, material, and supply chains. However, in the end, President Lewis did assure me that he understood the plight of current college students saying, “I certainly get that [the current classes have struggled greatly in these unprecedented times], and especially the senior class, has had disruption after disruption after disruption and I am very sensitive to it. I have two kids in college myself … and I’ve been on that journey with them.”

Broadening our viewpoint however, because of all of the other construction sites on campus, it is plausible for someone to wonder how taking on yet another project makes any sense at all. Especially when there are so many other, and arguably more important, buildings on campus that may need work more than steps we hardly use. For example, I’d argue that making the Mitchell Fine Arts Center (MFA) more compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is more valuable than touching up the steps. It would also be really wonderful to see MFA or the Shearer Art Building get renovated to show the Transy community that we are just as dedicated to the arts as we say we are. MFA and Shearer both are very architecturally interesting buildings that have been neglected and I’d love to see them used to their full potential.

Furthermore, why take on the steps project when construction on Strickland, the 4th st apartments, the Bourbon st. in totality, and Hazelrigg Hall are still under construction? President Lewis explained to me that the decision was warranted because Hazelrigg Hall and the Bourbon st. area are both at a bit of a standstill. They can not proceed without more funding and proper planning. Now, why couldn’t the funds that are being used on the stairs go towards these projects? I’m not sure. However, the Old Morrison steps project has begun and students have once again been faced with one of Transy’s all too familiar trademark construction fence banners, this one, no longer urging us to “pursue bold paths”, but instead features the cheeky slogan “improving our campus one step at a time.” All while the silhouettes of the leftover tape from our protest signs are still vaguely visible behind the thin red banner.

As for beginning construction on MFA in order to make it more ADA compliant, President Lewis assured me that Amber Morgan (Title IX Coordinator) and Deidra Dennie (Vice President for Diversity and Inclusion) have begun a comprehensive disability audit to take inventory of the places on campus that need more attention and thought.

Another point in our collective concern that I was eager to bring up was the sheer lack of attention and so called “sensitivity” that was given to the demonstration held by the student government association (SGA) to have our frustration and opinions of the construction heard. To put this disregard into perspective,
the day of our demonstrationwas the day the construction fence went up. The tone of our protest reflected this frustration, as Dalton Teegarden (SGA senator) mentioned in his address, we feel like children nagging our parents to listen to us when we are the ones they are supposed to care about most.

While I agree with the point made by Teegarden and I remember the collective chuckle I took part in at this comment during his speech, I want to remind all of you of something that I needed reminded of myself: the administration works for us and should have our best interests at heart. It feels so counterintuitive to begin construction now, and not during the summer when students are off campus to allow for at least one year without a construction site obstructing our campus. Ever since rumors began in November, I can not for the life of me figure out the rationale behind this. Through my discussion with PresidentLewis, many of my questions were answered. I understand that they couldn’t change the construction timeline to accommodate our concerns. I just don’t understand why they scheduled it this way in the first place.

When I asked President Lewis how a school like Transy, one that preaches to us to fight for what we believe in and that our opinions matter, could be so blind to these opinions when they are put into practice, he explained how he encourages student voice saying, “I take very seriously the ideas of students and student input. Have I been involved in protests myself? Yes I have!” He goes on, however, to explain how his position makes it difficult toaccommodate only one side of a debate, “where you stand depends on where you sit. If I were a senior I would be expressing those concerns and making sure they are heard. But in my role, I have to factor in everything we have talked about, economic elements, impact on other constituencies, impacts on other events like pumpkin mania, etcetera, etcetera, and try to find the best possible solution.” This brief yet powerful moment in our conversation explained well how the administration is trying to keep with promises of solidarity with the students.

Finishing this portion of our discussion, President Lewis quotes George Bernard Shaw, “the biggest problem in communication is the belief that it has taken place”. To the senior class and to those who stood with us at the demonstration, I’d imagine we’d argue wecommunicated quite thoroughly, yet no one was willing to listen. While in the end, our graduation ceremony should be alright and contingency plans have been put into place to make sure of it, the demonstration and petitioning felt unheard and I think that hurt the morale of the senior students.

I realize the above may seem a bit harsh, but we are only willing to listen to inconsistencies and disregard for so long. President Lewis answered all of my questions thoroughly and thoughtfully and I greatly appreciate that. He also mentioned quite often that his door is always open to a student needing to feel heard. Dialogue and conversation is the best way to move forward on debates according to President Lewis and I have to agree. Thanks to SGA President Lindsey Steffen and all those who helped draft her and President Lewis’ conversation last November, the construction on the steps will not end up affecting our graduation to the point of relocation.

Though I, and those at our demonstration, felt demoralized and juvenilized, our voices were heard and accommodated. Now all we have to do is cross our fingers for sunny skies and no rain this May because after all this I’d be rather disappointed to have our ceremony moved inside. However, I don’t know about you, but at this point, I think I’d rather just get wet.

Transy Alum to Be New York Yankees Hitting Coach

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There have been many notable alumni throughout Transy’s vast history, from US Senators to actual members of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. However, today I want to recognize perhaps one of the coolest alums yet in our modern history. Our very own Dillon Lawson. 

Dillon Lawson, Transy class of 2007, has officially been named the Director of Hitting and the Major-League Hitting Coach for the New York Yankees. (Like the MLB team with the most World Series wins, the New York Yankees). Since 2018 Lawson has served as the Minor-League Hitting Coordinator for the Yankees’ entire minor-league system in Florida but has recently accepted the position over the major-league team in New York. At Transy, Lawson majored in exercise science and received his Master’s in education with an emphasis on strength and conditioning from Lindenwood University. Since then he’s coached in many university baseball programs including Lindenwood University, Morehead State, Southeast Missouri State, and the University of Missouri. Before and after coaching at the University of Missouri, Lawson was a minor-league coach under the Houston Astros, before officially moving to the Yankees in 2018. 

Lawson is extremely excited to be a part of the Major-League organization and even more excited to be a part of the team that will bring the New York Yankees their 28th World Series Title. Dillon and his wife Amanda were both born and raised in Kentucky and are currently raising their three young boys (ages seven, two, and two months) in Tampa, Florida. Off-season training for all Yankees teams takes place in Florida, meaning they’ll still be living in Florida half the year, but are super excited to spend their summers all together in New York. He believes that this will be a once in a lifetime opportunity for his family and truly can’t wait to be in one of the greatest cities on Earth. 

Weather

Lexington
clear sky
73.4 ° F
73.4 °
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28 %
4.8mph
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