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Green Room Exchange – A Cross-Cultural Experience using the Language of Art and Music

Anna Marasco-Quibrera

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November 5, 2025

Green Room Exchange – A Cross-Cultural Experience using the Language of Art and Music

Green Room Exchange operates less like a traditional concert series or talent agency, and more like a cross-cultural laboratory. It’s designed to reframe how Lexington experiences other places and communities, not as distant, unheard foreign things, but as relationships worth maintaining and conversations worth having. That sense of closeness to art and art making is one of the things that make Green Room Exchange (GRE) so special (and so similar to Brian Eno, but more on that later). I had a wonderful conversation with the founder Lee Carroll about GRE’s challenges, successes, and the many unique aspects that make the organization unlike any other in Lexington. Our conversation, as well as the research I conducted on GRE, led me to see the organization in conversation with Brian Eno’s claims in What Art Does, such as art as a simulator, a social technology, play, and collective creativity.

GRE’s goal, as listed on their website, is to offer the opportunity “to see other cultures through the eyes of those who live there, using the universal language of music and art.” They achieve this by bringing international musicians to Lexington to perform, sometimes teach, and collaborate with local artists. It sounds simple, but the process of finding musicians is extensive. Lee travels to different music festivals around the world to scout for talent to bring to Lexington. Recent performances include Hermanos Villalobos, a folk fusion group from Veracruz, Mexico, in September of this year, and a fusion festival of Indian classical and world music in June. Lee visited Ghana, Cuba, Mexico, and various countries in Europe, and every time, what struck him over and over again was how relationships with artists felt so welcoming, humbling, and human, and that’s precisely what he wanted to bring to Lexington.

Getting the first series of events started was a difficult task, filled with challenges along the way. Navigating through travel barriers, visa requirements, funding, and venues presented obstacles that GRE deals with to this day. Because world music can be niche in a place like Lexington, there was a learning curve in marketing and building trusting relationships. Additionally, when the organization started working on creating workshops as well as shows, the already present challenges demanded more time, relational energy, and resources.

Now, Lee and the rest of the crew (made up of various artists who take part in administrative duties) have a more robust operations process. Artists’ identification and relationship building remain the first steps, often via travel, social networks, and pre-existing connections. Then the invitation and logistical arrangements take place, which consist of visas, scheduling, travel, securing venues, and rehearsals. While these first two steps take place, funding and budgeting are occurring around the clock. Lee serves as treasurer as well as founder, so during this time, he is also focusing on looking for grants, sponsors, ticket revenues, managing the costs of travel, lodging, artist fees, technical setups, and fundraising via events or local support.

According to Lee, aside from overcoming audience bias and cultural prejudice, the most difficult and time-consuming portion of the whole process is funding and budgeting. The final two steps, local engagement and performance, take care of themselves by the end of the process, although they are also arduous in their own way. Arranging workshops, educational components, and marketing all fall into place around halfway through the process.

The final performance/concert step often has multiple components: main show, smaller show or collab, sometimes talk or lecture to provide cultural context. Once all of those components have taken place, that means there are still two more things left to do. Documentation is extremely important to the mission of the organization, as it allows continued and accessible access to music and art that stands the test of time. Documentation is so critical to GRE that there is a dedicated section on the website with a video and photo archive going back years. Videos, photos, and audio recordings are all uploaded either to the website or to their Facebook page, which is their most active social media. Staying in touch with artists, perhaps with return visits, and evaluating what went well and could improve is the true last step of the process, and it is continuous.

Beyond what’s already been touched on, Lee mentioned some recurring challenges that the organization has had to learn to overcome. Financial constraints, although not huge since the organization is primarily privately funded, present significant obstacles when it comes to technical costs and the fees associated with all the logistics required to move artists around the globe. What seems to be the most difficult is audience development and bridging demographic gaps. Building awareness in Lexington for music forms that may be unfamiliar to the majority is difficult.

Most people are closed off to what they don’t know, so not only does people’s initial apprehension due to lack of familiarity present an issue, but so does prejudice, which makes it even more difficult for events like this to take place. Lee and I discussed politics and the current attitudes of Americans towards those of other cultures. It is extremely difficult to get people to come to a show when they have already dismissed both the artist and the music as weird and strange. Attracting audiences for this organization is therefore less about marketing/advertising and more about getting people to trust that such events are worthwhile.

This is the part where Brian Eno comes in. According to Eno, art is a simulator that allows an audience to inhabit alternative realities. When a Kora drum master performs in Lexington, the performance area becomes a short-term simulation of a musical lineage rooted in West African social life. People aren’t just listening to music; via music, they are rearranging their attention. In Eno’s language, they are becoming part of mini-worlds that people can step into and experiment with that expand the range of what the local community can imagine and practice.

Eno stresses that art’s value often accrues through social effects: it binds people into shared practices and generates new forms of attention, as well as uniting communities. By bringing artists to audiences, documenting these exchanges, and creating collaborative environments, GRE creates a social technology that fulfills its mission. Especially when they host workshops, more than entertaining, these events facilitate an environment where listening, learning, and co-creation can create community bonds. Over time, these bonds can translate into broader civic benefits such as deeper intercultural understandings that can sustain further exchange. By creating repeated, structured encounters with world music traditions, the organization expands Lexington’s cultural reach and offers tools for empathy and connection in a region that is sometimes stereotyped as being culturally homogenous. To Eno’s joy (hopefully), GRE makes new ways of feeling, living, and playing happen. Those worlds in which people can play and learn influence how the city thinks about its identity, its relationships to migration and globalization, and its capacity for cultural hospitality. Because Lee Carroll and GRE treat hospitality as a cultural bridge, it demonstrates how a small, focused arts organization can enact many of the things that Eno says art “does”. In the current political environment, where anything different or new is discarded as dangerous or inferior, GRE’s mission is vital to maintaining a sense of unity and connection across geographical boundaries. Reshaping feelings, attention, and cultural understanding is something that music has always been able to do, and that magic has been furthered in Lexington in a unique and powerful way.

How The Black Writers Collaborative Exemplifies a Liberal Education

Olivia Jackson

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October 31, 2025

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How The Black Writers Collaborative Exemplifies a Liberal Education

As part of my Writing for the Arts class, I was instructed to profile the Lexington Organization, the Black Writers Collaborative, and to interview one of its founders, Jude McPherson. Through this profile, I will connect the organization with the work of Writer William Cronon and his article “Only Connect,” which highlights ideals of a liberal arts education.

The Black Writer’s Collaborative creates a safe space for Black writers and learners to share ideas, receive feedback, and learn. The organization was founded with the goal of making institutional change in the education system in light of the barriers that racism has created around learning for people of color. The group focuses primarily on creating reformations in the Carnegie Center in Lexington, which had a racist and segregated past. This group’s mission and work exhibit numerous connections to the central ideas of liberal education outlined in the article “Only Connect” by William Cronon. The Black Writers Collaborative is rooted in the ideals of connection to community, freedom, and growth —principles that comprise the foundation of liberal education.

Cronon describes what he feels encapsulates a liberal education, stating, “Freedom and growth: here, surely, are values that lie at the very core of what we mean when we speak of a liberal education.” The Black Writers Collaborative’s staff and work are founded on these principles, breaking barriers created by discrimination. The team works to ensure that Black students feel comfortable using their voices and are not held back by racism in educational spaces. The team’s founders enforce anti-discrimination policies, offer free classes, and provide a judgment-free space for Black students. Coordinators, Claudia Love Mair and Jude McPherson, operate the organization, enabling the inclusion of Black individuals at every stage of the process.

The organization also hosts community events such as Burn the Mic, a poetry reading for people of color, and The Book and Literature club, which celebrates black authors from Kentucky and discusses characters in their books who face oppression. These programs, along with the classes they offer, provide the freedom that Black students need to bridge gaps in the educational system. They create a space that not only supports Black students but is made specifically for them.

Focusing on those who are underrepresented and facing barriers in the structural and societal foundations of our country is not only important but necessary. This places the freedom and choice to learn and grow as a student back in the hands of those from whom it was taken. Cronon states, “I have asserted that liberal education in particular is about nurturing human freedom—helping young people discover and hone their talents.” This is precisely the work that the Black Writers’ Collaborative undertakes through programs like these.

During my interview, Jude McPherson disclosed that recent funding cuts have affected their group. He mentioned that hours and profit had been scaled down due to these cuts. Regardless, he assured me that the group was capable of making it through, stating, “We’re a creative group… there’s nothing that’s going to keep us from our mission.” A critical element for organizations like these is that they often operate with little to no funding, yet still keep their mission alive. He mentioned that the group had continued despite the lack of funding and that they would now be able to persevere as well. Cronon stated that an integral part of solving problems is being able to “put reality back together again after having broken it into pieces.” I feel that the Black writer’s collaborative ability to continue pursuing their mission in a world geared against it perfectly encapsulates this.

The organization was established to combat institutional racism, both in its entirety and within the Carnegie Center. They also strive to be a part of structural change. During our Interview, Jude mentioned that saying ‘Black Lives Matter’ isn’t enough; you have to make a change. Jude placed a strong emphasis on the idea that visual and vocal acts of support for BLM were helpful, but they weren’t enough. He believes that one of the most important things you can do is create societal and institutional change in the world, which is precisely what the BWC aims to achieve. Through their organization, they make a significant impact on the education system, creating an institution that promotes the education of Black students and students of color. This provides a real-world application that places value on the lives of Black people in our community.

The Black Writer’s Collaborative places a strong emphasis on nurturing and empowering Black students and writers to use their voices and create a space that assists in their development as learners. This is an essential part of the organization’s mission, as it strives to create a judgment-free environment where Black students can feel comfortable expressing their voices.

The Black Writers Collaborative emphasizes community, particularly through programs such as Burn the Mic and the Book and Literature Club. Cronon comments, “Education for human freedom is also education for human community.” Through these programs, the BWC provides a safe space for people of color to express their creativity and use their voice. When asked about how the programs generate community, Jude discusses how often Black people don’t feel comfortable using their voice because they have been taught that what they have to say and what they care about does not matter. Still, through the Burn the Mic event, he is able to provide them with a community that does care and a space where their voices are both heard and valued.

Above all else, the most essential connection between the ideas of Only Connect and the mission of the BWC is the emphasis on how, through connection, we can make the world a better place. Cronon comments, “In the end, it turns out that liberty is not about thinking or saying or doing whatever we want. It is about exercising our freedom in such a way as to make a difference in the world, and make a difference for more than just ourselves.” This statement is at the heart of the work the Black Writers Collaborative does, as they use their community to create change in the lives of those who are underrepresented, and bring people together for the purpose of learning and creating.

Art Organization Profile: An Interview at Pam Miller Downtown Arts Center

Cameron Ritchie

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October 31, 2025

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I had the opportunity to learn about the Pam Miller Downtown Arts Center (DAC) in my Writing for the Arts class. From my interview with Pam Miller DAC Director Celeste Lewis, I learned about why making a space for the arts is essential for our city. Another aspect of the interview that I recognized was the connections to the book “What Art Does” by Brian Eno. Many of the points made about the purpose of art and art spaces in the book relate to what we discussed in our interview. Celeste demonstrated to me the importance of art in our community, which reflects the ideas of Brian Eno and Bette Adriaanse’s book.

The Pam Miller Downtown Arts Center serves as a major art venue for the city of Lexington. They host numerous art-related events, including galleries, concerts, plays, and classes. When I asked about the purpose of the DAC, Celeste told me that they want to be a place where artists can have the space they need for their creative output. This reminded me of the chapter where Eno and Adriaanse discussed how art makes communities. In the same way, art allows people to connect and express their interests, so does a space like the Pam Miller DAC.

For example, in chapter 8 of “What Art Does,” Eno and Adriaanse state that “Art is one of the things that binds people together”. This quote reminded me of a moment in my interview when I asked Celeste about what needs to be done for the Pam Miller Downtown Arts Center to keep going. She called back to a moment during the COVID-19 pandemic when Pam Miller DAC and the arts in general were struggling to survive in an isolating period. Yet even in the bleakest of moments, the urge to make art persisted. She gave an example of how the Blackbird Dance group, a local dance group in Lexington, desperately wanted to perform, despite the restrictions. Pam Miller DAC allowed them to perform in the window of one of their gallery rooms because, as she stated, “they just needed to perform,” and they attracted an audience on the street. They called it “The Glass Box”, and it was successful.

This story highlighted two points for me: that art will always find a way to thrive and that it has the ability to connect people. The way Pam Miller DAC was able to provide space for art and draw an audience at that moment speaks to its success as an organization. It also relates to Eno and Adriaanse’s point about art’s ability to bring people together, as seen in Celeste’s example. A great aspect of the Pam Miller DAC is that it consistently provides a space for artists and for people to experience art, allowing them to bond in new ways through various forms of art. Even when circumstances are challenging for the arts, Pam Miller DAC will still be a place where art can flourish.

Another moment from my time with Celeste that reminded me of the ideas from Eno and Adriaanse’s book was when she told me, “Without art, your city is garbage.” This happened outside the interview, while we were taking the elevator as I was about to leave, yet it stuck with me. It was bold and thought-provoking, and it immediately reminded me of our book, “What Art Does.” Namely, in the eighth chapter, when Eno and Adriaanse state that “Art is that cloud; a reservoir of shared experiences that gives us ways of sharing complex feelings and ideas with each other. It’s the lifeblood, the lubricant, the circulatory system, of community” (Eno and Adriaanse). The authors are trying to convey that art is an essential feature of humanity, society, and the foundation of community.

What Celeste said succinctly summarizes this point about the importance of art. She explained it to me with the example of a business moving into a new city. One of the first things they ask about is, “What’s the art scene like?” This example demonstrates two key points: that there is an economic incentive for art and that art makes things more interesting. Celeste pointed out that no one wants to live somewhere that’s boring. People want to live where there are fun things to do, and art is a major outlet for doing so. We love art, whether we consciously acknowledge it or not. It’s so important to us that we wouldn’t want to live somewhere without it. This is exactly what Eno and Andriaanse mean when they say art is the lifeblood of community. It’s the glue that holds our society together.

A final point of reflection on Pam Miller Downtown Arts Center and “What Art Does” is how the DAC is constantly evolving, just as the arts do. In chapter 9, when discussing the unfinished nature of art and building a better world, Eno and Adriaanse state that “As artists, we don’t finish it: we start it. It goes on to have a life without us, a life we didn’t predict” (Eno and Adriaanse). The point of this quote is to demonstrate the idea that we approach art and our lives as an ever-changing process, constantly building and rebuilding ourselves. Pam Miller DAC exemplifies this by consistently hosting new events, implementing renovations, and improvising in moments of need, as seen in the “The Glass Box” example. Pam Miller DAC, like any art organization, must be prepared to adapt to change when necessary. Celeste discussed this when I asked about what someone who wants to work in the arts can expect. She mentioned that while it’s very rewarding, it also requires having an incredible amount of energy because, as she said, “no two days are the same.” This attitude at Pam Miller DAC exemplifies Eno and Adiaanse’s point on the unfinished approach we should take in life, as they are prepared to tackle the challenges of being an arts organization through their capacity to adapt to change.

From my time with Celeste at the Pam Miller Downtown Arts Center, I not only learned a great deal about them, but also how Eno and Adriaanse’s ideas come to life in the arts. After meeting with Celeste, I found that Eno and Adriaanse have the right idea about the arts and their role in society.

“Coming of Age” at the Kentucky Theatre

Oscar Robinson

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October 30, 2025

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In the coming weeks, the Kentucky Theatre will be the home of a special series of films, handpicked and introduced by Transylvania’s own Tim Kirkman, an acclaimed filmmaker and my screenwriting professor. Beyond his experience at Transy, Kirkman is also a screenwriter and producer who has worked across forms, from documentaries to music videos to film. The five films in the series all surround the theme of coming of age, each an exemplar of a different decade, from 1970 to 2010. I sat down with Kirkman to discuss the series.

“Coming of age is a favorite genre of mine,” says Kirkman, “because it’s about how we become who we are, and I love that it confronts issues that are high-stakes: first love, first sexual experience, family dynamics, friendship, and – so often – loyalty. I really love watching a character learn something, and coming of age stories really have a heightened sense of a character change.”

“I started with Harold and Maude because it’s my all time favorite film, but it’s also a terrific coming of age story that deals with life and death and love.” The 1971 film, directed by Hal Ashby, stars Bud Cort as Harold, a young man obsessed with death. The other titular character, Maude, is played by Ruth Gordon. Gordon is also known for her roles in Rosemary’s Baby, as well as many Broadway productions, including Maxwell Anderson’s Saturday’s Children. Harold and Maude was not a critical success upon release, but eventually developed a cult following, and was released on DVD in the Criterion Collection. In 2000, it was listed on the American Film Institute’s 100 funniest films of all time.

“The second film I chose is from the 80s, which is a more unconventional choice, a movie called Risky Business, with Tom Cruise and Rebecca De Mornay.” If you’re familiar with Risky Business, it is likely in the context of Tom Cruise’s iconic dance to the sound of Bob Seger’s “Old Time Rock & Roll,” sliding into frame with his white crew socks and a loose button-down. “…when revisiting it, I realized what a satirical take on capitalism it is, and I thought, at this moment in our current political climate, it was a great choice to revisit.”

The 1983 film, directed by Paul Brickman, follows the exploits of Cruise as Joel Goodson, a teenager left at home while his parents are on a trip. The film is widely considered Tom Cruise’s breakout role and a classic 80s teen comedy, often listed alongside John Hughes’s filmography.

“The third film is a largely unseen film, and it’s the one I’m most excited about. It’s Steven Soderbergh’s third feature, called King of the Hill. He’s stated that it is his favorite of his films that he’s ever made, but most people haven’t seen it because it was tied up in legal issues for a long time.” The film, often confused with the unrelated cartoon series of the same name, is an adaptation of a memoir written by A.E. Hotchner, surrounding the story of a young boy growing up in St. Louis during the Great Depression.

For years, it was completely inaccessible to stream after finding no audience upon its 1993 release, until it was eventually added to the Criterion Collection and released on DVD. “It is now available, and we are screening it, and I hope everyone – if you only see one film in the series – I hope you will come to King of the Hill, because it is an extraordinary and moving film.”

“The fourth film is An Education… it stars Carey Mulligan as a young woman who starts a relationship with an older man when she’s a senior in high school. She’s exposed to art, culture, and a life she’s aspiring to have when she leaves, but – as you can probably imagine – learns a lot of other life lessons as well that are not so pleasant. Carey Mulligan was nominated for the Oscar for that film, and it’s directed by a woman, Lone Scherfig.” Scherfig is an award-winning Danish director also known for her film Italian for Beginners. An Education (2009) is her most acclaimed film, and was adapted from Lynn Barber’s memoir of the same name by Nick Hornby, the author of the books Fever Pitch and High Fidelity.

“The fifth film is a very recent movie, My Old Ass, which stars Aubrey Plaza and Maisy Stella.” Readers in the same age bracket as I may be interested to know that Maddie Ziegler, of the reality TV show Dance Moms fame, also makes an appearance in this film. “It’s my favorite film of the last several years. I walked out of that movie thinking: this is your generation’s Harold and Maude. This is something that takes on big issues of family, friendship, love, death, and loyalty. Loyalty is such a common thread among these films.”

The 2024 film, directed by Megan Park, follows an 18-year-old Canadian girl who has an encounter with an older version of herself. Upon release, the film received a number of accolades, including earning Maisy Stella the Best Young Performer at the Critics’ Choice Awards and a nomination for a Gotham Award. Additionally, for those who take such things into consideration, the film holds a critics’ 90% fresh score on the review website Rotten Tomatoes.

“My hope is that readers of the Rambler, especially students at Transy, will come and see these films because I think that they will find themselves in these films. I think that watching the stories of Harold, and Joel, and Aaron, and Jenny, and Elliott, are all people that they will relate to, because they are all on a journey of self-discovery – as we all are, at all periods of our life, but especially when we’re in college.”

“I’m drawn to films that challenge my views of the world, and sometimes that can surprise me, and it can change me, and it can make me re-think. But, I also love films that are a mirror, that help me see that, ‘Ah! I’m like that!’ and it makes me feel less alone in the world, especially when I’m feeling unseen or marginalized in any way. Movies have always been a way to help me connect with my neighbors, and with the larger world, and that’s a way that art can heal us.”

The films will be presented every Tuesday, starting October 28th with Harold and Maude and continuing through November 25th, at 7:15 P.M., with an intro given by Tim Kirkman prior to each. Tickets available at www.kentuckytheatre.org or at the door. The trailer for the film series is available on YouTube, and keep up with Tim Kirkman on his Substack.

2nd Story & What Art Really Does

Lyra Duffy

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October 30, 2025

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2nd Story (seen above) is a nonprofit arts organization that specifically focuses on supporting artists who take risks with their work. Not only does 2nd Story look for the element of risk, but it also aims to support work that brings up topics integral to our social and political climate. This mission brings people together in a common third space, and it sparks a conversation that may have never happened without the aspect of art. Through this, I have identified the aspects of community and binding people together, which are also highlighted through Brian Eno’s book, What Art Does. Eno is a producer, musician, and composer who produced legendary albums for David Bowie, U2, and the Talking Heads. He is also an author who has explored the theories of art within society. Eno talks about how art brings a community together and shows how this way of exploring political issues is the safest route to challenge our ideas. In this space of welcoming community, we can begin to open our minds to understand the perspectives of others. Through viewing art, we can begin to have difficult conversations. Eno highlights this aspect of art as a trigger to seeing the world, but in an escapable format that makes us feel safe. These difficult conversations about social and political issues can be seen as an act of resistance.

Art is one way to bring out what needs to be talked about more in our society. It highlights the things we forget about and the issues we often don’t encounter. Eno puts it as taking in things from other worlds. From this, it can be said that art is a way of achieving a better society and civic health in a community. Eno brings up many aspects of what art does. Many of these features connect with what 2nd Story is achieving as a successful arts organization. 2nd Story reflects a multitude of Eno’s ideas by fostering a sense of community and curating safe risk-taking to encourage the growth of Lexington’s civic health. Eno highlights how art impacts the way we see the world. The concepts of world-seeing and 2nd Story’s mission for taking risks create an excellent space for new ideas. Eno brings up how humans typically need just a small push to realize big things: “We need only very little information and in the right context we can make huge leaps of the imagination, extrapolating that information to an entire world” (Eno, pg 42). 2nd Story facilitates this push for many individuals who walk into the exhibition space.

While I was interviewing Leah Kolb, director and curator of 2nd Story (seen on the left), she described how each exhibit sparked some type of conversation by saying, “Even if people don’t like the work that’s on view, like thirty mermaid tails, at least it can be a prompt to think about things.” Eno further emphasizes this idea of art as an escapable reality in which we can learn more about ourselves and other individuals: “When you are looking at art, you are looking at differences” (pg 48). By stepping into 2nd Story, one can learn all about queer theory, Native American heritage, or the importance of parks. The amazing aspect of 2nd Story that Eno highlights is that it is purely escapable. Just as you have the power to step in, you have the power to step out. There is something very special about this modality of learning. Although 2nd Story promotes artist risk-taking, the consumers of the art do not have to risk anything at all. Eno supports, “Art is effective because it is safe… you can go away and you can get back to your life” (pg 35). Eno and 2nd Story deeply connect in this aspect. Art is about learning, and 2nd Story uplifts diverse voices for us to learn about hard topics and important perspectives in a safe way. Both Eno and Leah discuss how art and art spaces bring people together.

2nd Story is relatively new to the Lexington art community, and Leah described how getting their name out there felt like “a slow burn.” Leah talked about how the location of 2nd Story did not make it easy for individuals to simply stumble into the gallery (location in building seen on right). However, she views this as a positive: “You have to come here with some sense of intention.” While Leah flipped this negative attribute to something positive, she noted that they faced a lot of hardships while trying to get 2nd Story’s name out there.

2nd Story also supports academics by hosting informational talks along with exhibitions. For example, a Professor of Geography came to talk about Lexington’s parks alongside an exhibit full of national park images. This brings in more spectators to 2nd Story. Leah noted that by bringing in these educators, they “brought their people with them” and increased 2nd Story’s audience.

2nd Story also works with LexArts to participate in the Art Hop and add their events to the community calendar. Through all these communicative initiatives, 2nd Story is building their audience and adding to the Lexington community. There are not a lot of places in our world where humans can just exist with each other. Art spaces create this community where we can not only exist together, but also begin to understand our feelings. Eno brings up how art helps us process our emotions and feelings. This experience of processing life together builds community. Life can be scary, and we often struggle to see things clearly without the impact of art or other people. Eno emphasizes, “we only have one life, and one chance to see what works and what doesn’t” (pg 27). We need community art spaces to make sense of the world. While 2nd Story is still working on their outreach, they have created a space that fosters community with thought-provoking exhibitions and events.

While Leah talked about the amazing things 2nd Story does, she also mentioned what it is like being a nonprofit arts organization during this time of political crisis. She discussed how she feels 2nd Story’s purpose is more important than ever in times like today. She described 2nd Story being in a “lucky position” due to the fact that they do not have to operate under a larger organization telling them what they can and cannot do. However, for Leah, owning a nonprofit means that a lot of it is funded by herself. She has such a strong motivation to continue 2nd Story’s work that she works a second job to keep things afloat. While 2nd Story needs stakeholders and supporters to keep it going, it has to start by giving back to the community. This can be seen through 2nd Story’s Bridgework program, which supports emerging artists. As becoming an artist in today’s society grows increasingly more difficult, programs like Bridgework are what we need to support young artists. I believe that through this pathway for emerging artists, 2nd Story is ensuring we will continue to be an artful society.

Bridgework acts to give back to the community and to improve Lexington’s civic health by uplifting artists with important stories to tell. Eno emphasizes this need for art and civic engagement in his book. He states, “What an artist chooses to write or make drawings or songs about, can draw our attention to certain worlds. It tells us that somebody takes something seriously, perhaps finds it beautiful or threatening, and invites us to rethink how we feel about it” (Eno pg 82). By creating this mentoring program for more artists to show various worlds, 2nd Story is keeping art alive. Eno believes that it is art that keeps a community thriving and successful. Through the impact of Bridgework, Lexington’s civic health will improve. Eno supports this by saying, “Art is that cloud; a reservoir of shared experiences that gives us ways of sharing complex feelings and ideas with each other. It’s the lifeblood, the lubricant, the circulatory system of community, the maintenance of community” (pg 96). Leah further described the Bridgework programs as an ecosystem of artists that allows them to make connections with mentees from other programs in Madison and Milwaukee. Sadly, the majority of Bridgework organizations are collapsing due to funding and administrative issues. Now, more than ever, 2nd Story’s team is having to brainstorm communicative strategies to keep their organization alive.

Birds of a Feather by Feather Chiaverini

There is something really special about a local organization that uplifts artists who make things simply for the sake of doing so. 2nd Story’s mission statement and initiative as an organization connected heavily with the major themes of What Art Does. 2nd Story is one of many organizations in Lexington that foster this community of thinkers, idea challengers, and information yearners. They take the world we live in and truly make something of it. Whether it is interactive and playful art like wearable mermaid tails (seen on the right), or photography highlighting our national parks, every exhibit gives us something to talk about and a new perspective on how we see the world. This is exactly what Eno does throughout his book. Eno and 2nd Story both provide this guideline of surviving and show that we don’t have to get through life alone. We always have art and the people it brings together.

I’m a Democrat. Here’s Why I Attended a Conservative Think Tank

Kate Polson

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October 25, 2025

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I’m a Democrat. Here’s Why I Attended a Conservative Think Tank

I braced myself for indoctrination. But that’s not what I found.

As a left-leaning college student, I never imagined I would spend a week at a conservative think tank. It was awkward and challenging, but it was also one of the most rewarding experiences I’ve had. I didn’t agree with everything I heard at the American Enterprise Institute’s Summer Honors Program, but I left with sharper thinking, unexpected friendships, and a deeper belief in the value of honest dialogue. If you tend to tune out those on the opposite side of the political spectrum, my story just might change your mind.

How did I find out about AEI? In Mid-February, I received an email from my political science professor about the AEI Summer Honors Program in Washington, D.C. I started the application without knowing how conservative the organization’s founding pillars really were. It looked like great professional development, and more immersion in a subject I love. I thought, “Oh, D.C. for the week? All expenses paid? And I get to take a class on education policy? Sign me up.”

In my interview, I made a point to share that I value engaging with opposing ideas and that one of our generation’s greatest challenges is an inability to have civil discourse about political topics. I marked myself as “center-left” on the boarding survey and hoped that wouldn’t get me cut from the list. I didn’t expect to be accepted, but I got an email in March and received my Course Reader in the mail by May. On June 8, I was off to D.C.

At lunch on Day One, we learned about what a think tank is. The American Enterprise Institute, as its website states, “is a public policy think tank dedicated to defending human dignity, expanding human potential, and building a freer and safer world.”. It’s funded primarily by wealthy individual donors who profess to value the competition of ideas and free enterprise. The institution hosts fellows like Dr. Kori Schake and Sadanand Dhume, who publish research-based policy recommendations and commentary. AEI staff were clear that the institute does not direct its fellows’ conclusions—they look to foster independent thought and open intellectual competition. I had braced myself for indoctrination. But that’s not what I found.

My peers were ambitious, sharp, and, for the most part, open-minded. We didn’t all agree on school choice or whether education had to be political, but we came ready to learn. Our cohort included not only American college students, but also students from Malaysia and Chile. Some weren’t just there for the program, they also attended school full-time in the U.S., which made their international perspectives on our system even more insightful.

During the week-long seminar I selected to participate in, my peers and I dove deep into the K–12 education system, under the guidance of Dr. Michael Q. McShane. McShane is a researcher for the nonprofit advocacy group EdChoice and an adjunct fellow in education policy at AEI. While a strong proponent of “school choice”—a broad term that includes contentious policies like charter schools, education savings accounts, and voucher programs—McShane curated a diverse selection of articles for our Course Reader. Around 200 pages of readings ranged from “Black Kids Should Study Larkin,” by Tomiwa Owolade to “The Role of Government in Education” by Milton Friedman. I wondered which topics might be avoided—DEI, critical race theory, teacher unions—and whether I’d be bold enough to bring them up in what I assumed would be a room full of conservatives. I still strongly disagree with McShane and EdChoice on policy, but the experience turned out to be a great forum to push myself to defend my views (and it even turned out I had a few allies in the group).

Here’s the corny part. The most valuable aspect of the Summer Honors Program was the people. On the second day, a handful of us decided on the ultimate icebreaker: who we voted for in the 2024 election. Turns out, I wasn’t the only one who felt like an undercover agent for liberal-leaning political views. For five days, we were a tight-knit microcosm of driven, curious people. (Shoutout to the single dorm rooms at Catholic University—essential for recharging social batteries.) But when you are surrounded by a gregarious group of high-achieving individuals, there was never nothing to do. Our GroupMe lit up constantly: “Dinner plans tn?” or “Cards on 2nd floor of Walton, come join!”

The Congressional Baseball Game for charity at Nationals Stadium

Instead of being irritating, the level of passion and intellectual rigor in many of our conversations was genuinely inspiring, even when I disagreed with the other participants. Debates carried over from the classroom into the Metro, dinners, and group outings. We took photos in front of the White House and walked around the National Mall. A bunch of us even went to the Congressional Baseball Game at Nationals Park. We sat in the nonpartisan section. Republicans won 13-2.

There were sobering moments, too, like our visit to the Department of Education (DOE). Everything about the visit depressed me. Even the building itself felt desolate. There were endless rows of abandoned cubicles, which we were told was the result of employees working remotely due to upcoming road closures for the Saturday Army parade. (We were there on Wednesday. No roads had been closed yet.)

The emptiness felt symbolic. We had entered a highly politicized space at a consequential moment in time. The Department of Government Efficiency’s (DOGE) haphazard funding cuts had reached what many of my peers at AEI and I took pride in: a nationwide, united educational front. Being inside the DOE’s walls was both disheartening and, oddly, energizing. Disheartening, because it appeared to be crumbling at the hands of an administration that doesn’t believe in its value. Energizing, because it felt like a moment that could be a catalyst for reform.

AEI SHP McShane cohort at The Department of Education (while it’s still standing…).

While at the DOE, we met with Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Hayley Sanon for about thirty minutes. Sanon told us the administration’s plan was to ultimately shut it down. As she so carefully phrased it, the goal is to “cut through the bureaucracy, not the budget.” The emphasis on giving more control to states was clear. I’m not convinced all 50 states are ready to handle education funding without federal oversight. Haven’t we tried something like that before? (Articles of Confederation, anyone?)

One of our most unexpected speaker sessions came from Anna Moreland and Thomas Smith, co-authors of The Young Adult Playbook: Living Like It Matters. Their core message? A meaningful life rests on three pillars: work, leisure, and love—and Gen Z is falling short on the last two. They argued that our generation has become hyper-efficient, résumé-driven, and achievement-obsessed, often at the expense of real connection. We spend too much time on our phones and not enough time cultivating relationships that matter. At times, it felt like they were urging us—college-age students in general, and maybe even those of us in the room specifically—to start dating each other before we all ended up lonely. It was funny, but also uncomfortably real.

I wasn’t sure what AEI’s Summer Honors Program would be like, but now that it’s in the rear view, I wouldn’t trade the experience for anything. The program challenged me, not just to engage in serious, nuanced conversations about the future of American education, but to reconsider my own political beliefs. I’m even more confident in those beliefs now, precisely because my views were tested.

More importantly, I formed real friendships with people from across the aisle, people who I may not have given an ear to otherwise. There are young people who care about the future of this country’s education system. We don’t all agree on how to fix it, but that’s not a bad thing. The important thing is that we care in the first place, and can come together to find a path forward.

The Death of Free Press: The Quiet Creep of Authoritarianism

Cameron Ritchie

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October 23, 2025

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The Death of Free Press: The Quiet Creep of Authoritarianism

“Freedom of the Press, if it means anything at all, means the freedom to criticize and oppose”
― George Orwell

One of the first targets of authoritarian regimes is the media. Authoritarian leaders, in a bid to consolidate power and suppress dissent, will attack the free press. Allegations of ‘fake news’ are used to delegitimize news organizations and sow doubt in the public. In extreme cases, regimes will make direct attacks on media institutions, such as threatening legal action or buying up news networks. The United States is currently on the path of descent into an autocratic state through the president’s attacks on the press.

Attacks on the media are not unique to the current administration. President Trump made his initial rise to power through charges against perceived bias against him and his campaign from mainstream news networks like CNN and MSNBC. Since his return to the White House, he has taken more extreme measures to stop news outlets from publishing content he doesn’t like.

President Trump signed off on a rare rescissions bill in June to pull billions of dollars in funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), which helps fund public news outlets such as the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) and National Public Radio (NPR). The CPB has announced that it will be shutting down due to these funding cuts, taking a serious blow to publicly funded media. This is a part of the president’s crusade against perceived government overspending, but in reality, it’s a means of consolidating power and suppressing voices that will actually oppose him.

This is a crucial function of the free press: to spread awareness and draw attention to important issues. To provide people with the facts and stories they need to know. It is the mark of a good news organization and journalist to seek out the truth, even when it’s inconvenient, even when it’s dangerous.

Politicians are aware of this power and have historically cracked down on the press when it’s most convenient for them. The Pentagon Papers, which exposed the deception the US government engaged in during the Vietnam War, were published by The New York Times, which became the subject of a landmark Supreme Court case. At that time, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of protecting the freedom of the press and rejected the Nixon administration’s attempts to bury the truth. But now we live in a time where we dishearteningly see news outlets comply with the president’s demands.

President Trump and his legal team have initiated a barrage of lawsuits targeting major media companies with allegations of defamation. Companies like ABC News and Paramount Global reached settlement agreements and have subsequently made questionable decisions. After airing an episode that merely mentioned Charlie Kirk’s death, ABC News briefly pulled ‘The Jimmy Kimmel Show’ off the air, though his show was quickly reinstated. Similarly, CBS, which Paramount Global owns, canceled ‘The Stephen Colbert Show,’ which was known for its criticisms of Donald Trump. Though CBS has officially stated that this decision was not politically motivated, it happened just a few days after Paramount Global reached its settlement with Trump.

The increasing encroachments on our country’s media spell out a dark future for our civil freedoms. But not all is lost, as several news companies are willing to stand up to the president’s punches. Publications like The Guardian, The Atlantic, and AP News have remained committed to publishing honest journalism and resisting pressure from Trump. The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal have decided to challenge the lawsuits levied against them rather than settle. PBS and NPR have continued operations despite the recent cuts, with PBS adopting the slogan “Defunded but not Defeated.”

It’s more important than ever to support journalism. In an age fraught with suspicion of institutions, political polarization, and creeping authoritarianism, the press must be there to seek out and deliver the truth to the public. Free expression and the press are key to combating the iron fist of an emerging political despot. The US is on the path to authoritarianism, and slowly killing the free press is a means to that end. We are not fully there yet; there is still hope that our media institutions will prevail.

Fulbright Scholar Yi Ru Lee and Her Hometown of Kaohsiung, Taiwan

Sam Goss

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October 22, 2025

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Fulbright Scholar Yi Ru Lee and Her Hometown of Kaohsiung, Taiwan

After being awarded a prestigious Fulbright fellowship, Yi Ru Lee made the trip from Kaohsiung, Taiwan to Lexington in August to teach Chinese at Transy this academic year. She is also taking classes as a student here. Lee is fluent in English after studying the language for her entire college career.

Known to students as Lee 老师 (laoshi), which means “teacher Lee,” she has been a bright and energetic presence on campus this semester, always expressing her kind nature and openness in talking to students and faculty.

Yi Ru Lee is from Kaohsiung, an artistically and culturally rich city on the southwest coast of Taiwan. She was originally born in Taoyuan, Taiwan, but as a kid moved to Kaohsiung for her parents to find work. She lived there until college and has not been back much since then. However, Lee said, Kaohsiung “is a place of warmth and sense of security” for her to go back to to see family and friends.

On my own trip this Summer with KIIS Taiwan, I myself briefly went to Kaohsiung to visit Pier-2, one of the city’s iconic locations, and stayed the night there during the group’s week-long bus excursion around the country. I only spent a couple days there, but I was curious about the traditions and activity in the area, so I was eager to speak with Lee about the foods, interesting locations, and traditions of Kaohsiung.

The first thing Lee mentioned about her hometown was the “breakfast shops.” Breakfast shops “open at 5 o’clock with super great deals,” she said, and serve a number of foods popular among foreigners and locals alike—including green onion pancakes and Chinese omelets. Chinese omelets are like regular omelets except the eggs are more thinly and delicately spread on a round skillet. There are a variety of fillings available, including vegetables, tuna, and meat. Breakfast shops are often the first stop for Kaohsiung residents to start their day.

Bubble tea shops are another extremely popular and important aspect of daily Taiwanese culture. Bubble tea was founded in Taiwan in the mid-1980s in Taichung. Since then, it has been a staple drink around the world. I asked Yi Ru Lee if bubble tea shops in Taiwan were also utilized as study or work spaces like coffee shops. “In America there is more seating at boba tea shops,” she told me. “However, in Taiwan, there are no sitting places at boba tea shops.”

As for food, Lee said that a popular option was Dandan Hamburger, which has a “mix of Western and Eastern foods.” The restaurant combines the traditional Taiwanese cuisine known as “mian xian fu” (dumplings and soup) with hamburgers, making for a unique culinary fusion. Lee said the meals have portions that are manageable and delicious.

Kaohsiung’s most famous cuisine, Lee said, is its hotpot, particularly “man (满) hotpot,” or “mutton hotpot.” Being a coastal city, it is also incredibly famous for seafood hotpots. There are hotpot locations all over the city (there are around 94 businesses centered around hotpot in the city’s Sanmin District alone). “There are different kinds of hotpot broth that you can choose from,” she said. “My favorite one is either herbal broth or curry broth.”

There are a couple notable celebrations in Kaohsiung as well, Lee said.

“When it comes down to celebrations, pretty similar to the US, we do have the countdown to the New Year,” she said. “The most famous countdown is at Taipei 101 [the tallest building in Taiwan, where people from northern cities congregate for a New Year’s Eve countdown]. But Kaohsiung actually celebrates at Pier-2.”

Pier-2 reflects the artistry of Taiwanese creators. The art located there includes sculptures, bridges, and even entire buildings that are painted over. “I am not an art person,” Lee said, but added that she “enjoyed how cool the symbolism of art was and how you could interpret how you want to view the different pieces of art.”

“A festival that makes Kaohsiung stand out from the rest of Taiwan is the ‘Song Jiang Battle Ritual Festival,’” Lee said. This event occurs on the birthday of a god, namely the god 西秦王爷 (xi qin wang ye). The festival takes place at the end of March, an hour away from Kaohsiung. The 王爷 (wang ye) means higher power or deity ruler.

Lee said that the performance “originated from a form of Chinese Kung Fu. This ritual consists of around 36 people and they will do martial arts in front of god to please them.”

She described how thespians would skillfully perform battles between partners throughout a demonstration of art and history. The reason it is called a “battle ritual,” Lee said, is because “people will engage in sparring.”

But it is not violent, only a performance. Many people participate and watch the event as a celebration and pleasing practice to the gods of musical arts and the god 西秦王爷 (xi qing wang ye). These “battles” are fought with metal weapons, but they are not sharp. Lee explained that the weapons are given special “god stickers” with the “protection of the gods” so that when engaging with another human body, the weapons are blessed and do not harm the other person in any way.

“It’s really local and people do not mention this much online,” she said. “However, foreigners really need to go over and see something like this.”

I agree with Lee that people should try to explore all aspects of countries they visit. And they should try to visit as many countries as they can. Otherwise, you simply rob yourself of a potential new perspective on life. Yes, destinations like Greece, Italy, and Japan are more popular tourist locations—and for great reason—but if you properly take advantage of travel while you are young, you will find out that the world is much more intricate and distinctive than the canvas we have prematurely painted.

Studio 300 was… Scary?

Annie Kunkle

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October 22, 2025

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Cutting-edge sound… futuristic technology… all-encompassing music… In one way or another, Studio 300 is undeniably impressive in the digital art and music scene. The festival, orchestrated by Dr. Tim Polashek, features various professors, students, and performers from not only Transylvania but also the Universities of Kentucky and Louisville.

Studio 300 program from both concert nights

As a musician myself, I walked into Haggin Auditorium on Thursday, October 9, with expectations of being blown away by surround sound and interactive music-making; I sat down eagerly beside my friends, hoping to find inspiration from the unique approach to art. While the two-hour experience did leave me speechless, my lack of words was a result of fear.

Wait… fear? How could a music festival bring distress to an audience member? Well, imagine being abducted by a group of invisible aliens. You can’t see them, and you can’t feel them, but you can hear their repetitive noises driving you into insanity. You can sense the booming of their spaceship in your chest. You can perceive their neon lights as you defy gravity, levitating in the air.

Now, such descriptions of supernatural fright may seem unwanted for non-horror lovers. However, the unsettling volume and bright lights all played into the incredible performances of the festival. Despite only attending one of the two interactive nights, I still processed the time, effort, and creativity put into each act.

Emily Graber performs “Violin Phase,” starting off the Studio 300 concert

Igniting the auditorium with an electroacoustic piece on violin, Dr. Emily Graber executed a piece by the name of Violin Phase, in which she inspired feelings of anticipation and anxiousness in audience members. Graber’s repetitive melodies, harsh bowing, and interactive composition were stressfully enchanting to listen to, and acted as the motor for the alien spaceship, endlessly running to fuel Studio 300.

The following two pieces were both electroacoustic music in 8-channel surround audio, yet had utterly different purposes. Addison Bird described her piece, “The Beautiful,” as encapsulating the bittersweet reality of technological advancement in America. While beneficial to electronic art forms, technology has paved the way to become an isolating entity, leaving people feeling empty and alone in the digital world. In contrast, Hubert Howe created Inharmonic Fantasy with the intention of digitally executing what no human could: the 19-tone equal temperament. To put it in simple terms, Howe wanted to research and enact a piece composed of inharmonic partials, which are too precise to be performed by human instruments (Studio 300 Full Program). The sounds conveyed by both pieces left a sense of shock and thrill in all listeners; Bird and Howe lured the audience into the Studio 300 spaceship with excessive volumes and enthralling note changes.

The fourth performance of the night was a mixture of a laptop ensemble and acoustic instrumentalists from the University of Louisville. With animations of birds orchestrated by students on laptops, along with bird and nature sounds produced by a saxophone and several violins, listening ears were carried through a magical thicket. As Birds Go Back to their Forest, played the role of the spaceship ascending into the air, sending audience members to the new land of musical enlightenment.

Also from the University of Louisville, professor Yunze Mu found purpose in his 8-channel surround sound piece through personal heartbreak (Studio 300 Full Program). Basing his composition on the endless search of blind love, Mu combined metaphors of galactic trains with dynamic audio. The programmer’s piece, Galactic Railroad, became the speed of the alien spaceship, rushing the audience past the starry remnants of old lovers.

The succeeding piece to the electroacoustic story was an animation by the name of Water Dust. Composed by Patrick Chin Ting Chan, the graphics of geometric cubes, transformative shapes, and weaving colors questioned the dimensions and boundaries of worldly elements and emotions (Studio 300 Full Program). The philosophical soundscape acted as the cool down to the overwhelming abduction; audience members had a chance to collect their once troubled minds and relax in calm uncertainty.

Polashek’s students prepare their iPads for the TITE performance to close out the Studio 300 concert

The final night of Studio 300 concluded with a performance by TITE (Transylvania Interactive Technology Ensemble). Students from Polashek’s Interactive Music and Multimedia class had the opportunity to create individual sounds and apply them to iPad interfaces (Studio 300 Full Program). The controlled chaos ensued within the bounds of the stage, functioning as the audience takeover of the spaceship! Independent noises from the performers’ iPads led the revolution to seize the ship and find the audience’s way back home with new findings in music.

The Studio 300 Festival may have been one-of-a-kind in its relation to alien abductions; however, the eerie theme has not subsided in the Music Program. Show up to the Spooktacular Concert on Saturday, October 25, for an afternoon of ghostly melodies!

More events from the music program to come!

GALLERY: Hear Ye Hear Ye! The Rambler Hosts the First Ever Transy Renaissance Fair

Madalyn Stump

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October 20, 2025

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GALLERY: Hear Ye Hear Ye! The Rambler Hosts the First Ever Transy Renaissance Fair

Huzzah! On Thursday, October 16th in Alumni Plaza, we — the Rambler — hosted Transy’s first ever Renaissance Fair with great success! The event included many collaborations with faculty and clubs, and brought in an amazing crowd of students in a display of festive fall campus camaraderie. SAB hosted the Costume Contest – judged by President Lewis, Ryan Benjamin, and Marigold Ramsey – which included three categories with amazing prizes: Spencer Page winning a leather notebook for “Most Historically Accurate” as Joan of Arc, Katie Axon winning a chess/checkers set for “Most Unique” as a colorful Jester, and Hannah Goss winning a mug for “Most Detailed” in her layers of renaissance garb as the caricature lady. A crafts table hosted by Transy’s TEAL organization and Arts Professor Grace Ramsey included the making of flower crowns and festive headbands. Transy’s very own Caf food services hosted a pop-up table with food and refreshments including “bat-wings” (chicken stretched to appear like bat wings), butterbeer beverages, and more themed food that was a hit with hungry festival-goers. Madame Cochis of the French Department gave a pre-battle Shakespearian reading before our Knights’ Duel performance by knights Samuel Goss and William the Thrilliam; and Kurt Gohde of the Arts Department was able to whittle spoons with an axe as an amazing demonstration of his sculpting skills. Student members of the Rambler hosted their own tables with activities such as tarot and palm readings, face painting, a photobooth, caricatures, and to top it all off our very own Pickle Priest.