Hello! My parents and I are fostering a dog named Eve. She is so cute! She is very shy and sweet, just like me. My mom and I love her, but my dad doesn’t exactly love dogs. He is just okay with them. He says that the dog that we already have is enough. Although, he did say he will think about adopting Eve. Anyway, I really like Eve and I would love to adopt her, but if we adopt her, my parents and I won’t be able to foster dogs anymore! And I LOVE fostering dogs! So what should I do? Should I tell my parents I want to adopt Eve and try to convince my dad to, or should I just tell my parents that I just want to keep fostering her?

Hello, firstly, I’d like to say it’s an amazing thing you and your family are doing! There are so many animals out there that deserve a loving home but just aren’t receiving it. In regards to your dilemma, my initial response would be to keep fostering, but if you truly love Eve and you can see her blending into the family and even eventually warming the heart of your father, then just make it official and adopt her. Who knows? Maybe in the future, Eve will convince your dad to want to foster again.

Hi! Ever since I started a new grade, I have gotten WAY too much homework! Every single day I get a lot, even on the weekends! I hate it. I can’t enjoy my life anymore because all I have time for is homework. I already go to school for the whole morning, why do I have to continue doing so much work when I get home and on the weekends? I don’t know what to do, if I just don’t do my homework, I will get really bad grades, and right now I have really good ones. And I can’t talk to my teachers about it and try to convince them to give students less homework because I am super shy. What should I do?

Hey! It’s agreeable that homework can feel like a chore sometimes, that’s non-negotiable. However, there’s a reason for everything, and that includes homework. With schoolwork, especially in college, it’s all about finding your personal balance. Here’s a suggested daily routine: Go to class in the morning, get some lunch in the afternoon, if you still have classes afterward, finish them off smoothly, go back to your dorm and rest or watch “Good Girls” on Netflix, go to dinner then go back to your dorm, or the library basement, and only work on the homework for the next day (small assignments only, do larger assignments and/or papers in advance) with your headphones in, listening to music. This way, you accomplish everything all while being well-rested and nourished! Also, consider working on homework with friends. Sometimes when you’re alone with a pile of homework, it feels worse than it is.

Hello. I am a VERY shy girl. I only have one friend at school! I really hate being shy. It stops me from doing so many things like making new friends. Last year was my first year at a new school and can you guess how long it took me to make just one friend?! 6 or 7 months! I really need to make new friends so I can sit and have fun with them during lunch and not have to sit alone when the friend I have right now doesn’t come to school. Do you know what I can do to get over my shyness and make new friends?

Hello, I know it may seem intimidating to meet new people but it really isn’t as bad as you may think. An easy way to make a friend is to talk to a neighbor in a class. Starting a small dialogue with them can lead to an easier and more comfortable conversation. Then ask if they’d want to hang out sometime and do the homework for that class. Another easy way to make friends is to get more involved in school organizations and clubs. Clubs naturally build a sense of unity amongst the members and it’s a quick way to build a social group.

If you have some questions you’d like answered by Auntie Mae, submit them here! We publish answers weekly.

Wake Up Wednesday, a weekly service of reflection, is held every Wednesday in Old Morrison Chapel at 8 a.m. While the event is rooted in Christian traditions, everyone is welcome to attend. This time of reflection includes scripture readings, prayer, and song, all led by members of the Transylvania community. Emily Miller, Director of Spirituality and Religious Life, wants this service to bring people together and create a space that stops time. “I find this campus to be a pretty busy one. There is always something going on! Which seems very ironic that I added another program. But, the point of Wake Up Wednesday is to come together and sit and reflect.”

Miller wants this carved out time to grow and enhance the community. Her “big hope” is for people to meet one another and become vulnerable by sharing prayers. Miller laughed and added “this event has served me too. I sit and reflect on my own life. Also, I have met staff I didn’t know.” Wake up Wednesday provides a space where all other obligations disappear, time slows down, and people come together in an environment filled with purpose and acceptance. The purpose, of course, is to relax and reset for the rest of the week. And how could you not when Housing and Residence Life provides snacks on the first and third Wednesday of each month?

The topic for this week’s “Staff Picks” is the superpower each of our staff members wish they had. If you have any topic suggestions that you would like to hear from us about, please email us at rambler@transy.edu.

Taylor Mahlinger, Editor-in-Chief: Time travel

“I think time traveling would be really useful because you could step back in time to relive a really good day or travel forward to see what the future might hold!”

Abby Stone, Managing Editor: teleportation

“Who wouldn’t want to teleport? You can go anywhere, anytime in a matter of seconds! Forget about needing a car in daily life or traveling by plane for cross-country/international destinations. Not to mention, it would be a savior when running late for classes (don’t tell my professors).”

Shawna Morton, Back-end Editor: telepathy/read minds

“if I had a superpower, I would love it to be telepathy, but only if I could control who I listened to and when because otherwise it would just be too much! I would want to read minds to prevent bad things from happening and anticipate movements in combat.”

Nyah Mattison, Graphic design & Media Editor: mimicry

“If I could have any superpower, I would probably choose mimicry. I think with mimicry you’d be able to do a lot of things, speak any language, have any accent, mimic any person’s looks and personality. It’s a universal superpower and would basically make every day Halloween!”

Gabrielle Crooks, Staff Photographer: psychometry

“My superpower would be psychometry! This would allow me to touch an object and perceive things about its history and its owner. This could make learning about the past much more accessible.”

Allison Spivey, News Editor: power to refill

“If I had to have any superpower it would be the power to refill things. Now, I didn’t make this up, so I can’t take credit for it but this is the power I would want. I could refill anything on a whim! My bank account, my coffee cup, my closet, the possibilities are endless really.”

Aaron Bell, Sports Editor: read minds

“I have always thought that that knowing what others are thinking provides an advantage in fields such as business. I also would never have to deal with a miscommunication anymore. Also, I could easily make a career as a poker player.”

Taylore Latham, Staff Contributor: fly

“If I had to choose one superpower, I think I’d choose the ability to fly, so I could go anywhere I wanted, anytime for free.”

Will Hickey, Staff Contributor: read minds

“If I had a superpower it would be the ability to read people’s minds at will. This would be helpful, not just socially, but also would help me in school because I could give the professor the answer they are looking for. There are a plethora of ways for this power to be used, but this is the one with the most potential in my opinion.”

Ruben Joseph, Staff Contributor: telekinesis

“If I could have a superpower, it would be telekinesis. I find that power so incredible and quite frankly, convenient. The thought of being able to stay in bed while moving snacks from your fridge over to you while binge-watching “The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina” is amazing!”

Hello Transy Pioneers!

We know that being a Pioneer can be rough, that’s why we created Ask Auntie Mae: a new advice column where you can submit questions anonymously and have them answered by a fellow Pioneer on our staff. All you have to do is fill out this form and Auntie Mae will work to give you the best advice she can. Whether you are struggling with a relationship, wondering how to survive a tough class, or simply having a bad day, Auntie Mae is here! Advice will be posted on our site weekly, so stay tuned!

The topic for this week’s “Staff Picks” is our staff’s favorite traveling experience thus far. If you have any topic suggestions that you would like to hear from us about, please email us at rambler@transy.edu.

Taylor Mahlinger, Editor-in-Chief: Barcelona

“One of my favorite traveling experiences so far was when my sister and I visited our uncle in Spain for the entire summer last year. The trip was incredible because we went to a lot of places that only locals knew about and were able to truly immerse ourselves in the experience. We also visited France, Italy and England during our stay! (Note: the food was drool-worthy).”

Abby Stone, Managing Editor: Jamaica

“During the spring break of my junior year of high school, my mom surprised me with a trip to Jamaica for the two of us. It was my first time traveling outside of the country, and I was so excited! We stayed at a gorgeous resort on the beach that had in house restaurants, sand volleyball courts, and a beautiful landscape. During my time, I swam with dolphins, won a darts competition, and lounged by the pool endlessly. Until I learned my lesson by getting severely sunburnt and couldn’t go outside for a whole day.”

Shawna Morton, Back-end Editor: Netherlands

“My most favorite traveling experience was when I went to the Netherlands during May Term. Everything was awesome! And we biked everywhere, but so does everyone who lives there. Also, the food was great, and the canals and ocean were beautiful! ”

Gabrielle Crooks, Staff Photographer: Augusta, Georgia

“My favorite traveling experience would be when I went to Augusta, Georgia this past summer. The weather was perfect, and it was the first time I had traveled alone. I got to go to the beach and go kayaking!”

Taylore Latham, Staff Contributor: London

“My favorite traveling experience has been going to London for a May Term trip with Dr. Soulis and Dr. Partain. I had always wanted to go to London, and it’s my favorite city that I have ever been to thus far.

Will Hickey, Staff Contributor: Canada

“Last summer, my family and I went to Canada after going through New York. We went to Niagara Falls and stayed in Canada for a while. The great thing about Canada is that the drinking and gambling age is 18. We went to some great wineries while we were there, and came back to the hotel, which was connected to a casino. Yes, I participated and lost more money than I want to talk about.”