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New State Dept. regulations won’t affect May Term travel

News
Update

Annie Stauffer

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October 11, 2018

New State Dept. regulations won’t affect May Term travel

The U.S. Department of State (USDOS) has revised the categories of safety for international travel. Instead of just two categories, Travel Alerts and Travel Warnings, State has now created four levels. Level 1: Exercise normal precautions, Level 2: Exercise increased cautions, Level 3: Reconsider travel, and Level 4: Do not travel.

Transylvania’s International Travel and Response Advisory Committee (ITRAC) reviews safety protocols and policies for University-supported international travel, and has revised those protocols to reflect the new system. Transy students can now travel to Level 1 and 2 countries without review, unless there are parts of that country ranked Level 3 or 4.

This May Term, Dr. Paul Jones and Dr. Frank Russell will be teaching “Journey Through The Bible,” a travel course through Egypt, Jordan, and Israel. These countries all have Level 2 advisories, so increased cautions are highly recommended. But because Egypt and Israel have areas that are ranked as Level 4, some parts of each country are prohibited for travel.

If there are Level 3 or 4 areas within Level 1 and 2 countries, faculty are prohibited from taking students to those areas. To travel to Level 3 countries, faculty must have prior approval through a recommendation to Transylvania’s president from ITRAC. Travel to Level 4 areas, on the other hand, is strictly prohibited.

The new system is intended to give more detailed information about safety while traveling. Safety hazards such as crime, terrorism, civil unrest, health, natural disasters, and time-limited events are all represented, according to the State Department.

“Without question these rules are essential for the safety of everyone,” says Dr. Jones.

But Dr. Jones says that “Journey Through The Bible” will be perfectly safe. “In fact, the Egypt and Israel travel advisory levels have improved vis-à-vis the former security system. I was in Israel this summer with a group of adults, and no one voiced security concerns.”

Transylvania recommends all students study abroad at least once. “I firmly believe a liberal education includes the realization that we are all global citizens,” says Dr. Jones. “Travel abroad is a proven path to this goal.”

Rebecca Blankenship contributed reporting for this article.

New scholarships promised to Bryan Station students

News
Update

Annie Stauffer

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October 10, 2018

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New scholarships promised to Bryan Station students

Starting in 2019, Transy will guarantee admitted graduates from Bryan Station High School’s Academy of Information Technology (AIT) a minimum of $18,000 in scholarships.

Transy has been developing this scholarship program with Bryan Station High School for about three years now. “There are similar agreements between Transy and other high schools in the Lexington area such as Henry Clay, Tates Creek, and Lexington Catholic,” said President Seamus Carey.

“We want qualified students who, in the past, might not have considered Transy for college to take a close look at us.”

AIT is a top school in the Lexington area and the longest-established Academy within Bryan Station. Its main mission is to prepare and educate students in computer programming, video and cinematography, and graphic design.

The average financial aid package Transy offers students is around $27,000 per year. This average amount of financial aid, along with the scholarship program offered at AIT, may appeal to a wider selection of students who may have considered Transy, but could not afford the cost.

“We are excited to welcome a diverse pool of qualified students to apply to Transy,” Carey said.

Craig Hella Johnson on responding musically to Matthew Shepard’s murder

News
Update

Rebecca Blankenship

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October 9, 2018

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Craig Hella Johnson on responding musically to Matthew Shepard’s murder

Rambler Media Advisor Tom Martin interviewed Craig Hella Johnson, the composer and conductor of Considering Matthew Shepard, in last week’s edition of Eastern Standard, an NPR radio program offering a weekly “slice of Kentucky life.”

The choral drama is based on the life and death of Matthew Shepard, a gay man who was tortured and murdered in Laramie, Wyoming, in 1998.

Below are excerpts from the interview which have been lightly edited for content and clarity. The full interview is available here.

Considering Matthew Shepard will be performed on campus at 7:30 tonight in Haggin Auditorium. Admission is free.

Tom: So, first, to help us know what to expect when we attend the performance, could you tell us more about the piece? What is its intention?

Craig: Yeah. This is about a 100-minute with no intermission concert linked performance with about 30 singers and 8 instrumentalist. I conduct this piece from the piano and—let’s see, the intention. The name of this piece is Considering Matthew Shepard. And my own purpose, maybe I have a few avenues to mention there, but I think I wanted to bring memory so that we wouldn’t forget Matthew Shepard and his story. And also that we would remember the lessons that we have been learning from his life and his death. I call it a singing meditation where I invite listeners in a performance to experience this work, which as you said, you know, has a variety of musical styles and which is very intentional for me, it’s to invite everyone so that we might be together with almost a communal listening experience for 100 minutes and really contemplate not just this story, but our own journeys in life. And in some ways, people have said it’s kind of a call to return back home to love, to really remembering in our deepest selves what it is to hold each other and love, to love each other, to treat each other well and with great affection and connection. So, it’s a musical framework that kind of serves as a meditation, as an invitation. It’s certainly telling a difficult story on the one hand, but really we often in performing it feel quite connected, and hopeful, and uplifted. It’s a sort of multilevel experience.

Tom: I’m really, curious, Craig, how and when did it occur to you that Matthew’s story could be an appropriate subject for a major musical work like this?

Craig: Well, I mean, my response was really personal and felt like a heart response back in 1998, when Matt was beaten and then when he died five days later. I learned about this from one of the singers in Chanticleer, a group I was the artistic director of at that time. And he shared this news with me and then I learned more of course in the days to follow. And it just pierced me. Like it did so many people around the world. And I knew I felt at that time just an impulse, like I wanna respond to this. I wanna write, whether I write a song or am I gonna create something. So the impulse was very immediate and then it took me a long, long time to become ready to actually do it. So I waited, and waited, and waited in a way maybe kind of wanting to avoid it, you know, and yet it kept calling out to me. And eventually, I said I need do this. It feels like one of the things I’m supposed to express in this life.

Tom: Have you had contact with Matthew’s family and have they heard the piece?

Craig: Yes. Yes. Absolutely. They’ve been incredibly supportive from the beginning. And they have so many requests and they don’t say yes a lot. So to have their blessing has just meant everything to me and they have both heard the work in complete performance. They’ve heard recordings before. But about a year ago, Judy [Matthew’s mother] was in Boston Symphony Hall with us in her first full live performance. And just very recently Dennis [Matthew’s father] was with us, and that was his first full live performance. And we did talk with him, and that was a very moving thing to have him. And a year ago to have Judy in the hall with us, it just shaped our whole performance.

Eastern Standard runs Thursdays at 11:00 AM on NPR-WEKU 88.9 FM.

‘Elkhorn’ is Richard Taylor’s meditation on Topophilia

Kathryn Gillespie

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October 8, 2018

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‘Elkhorn’ is Richard Taylor’s meditation on Topophilia

Richard Taylor’s newest book, Elkhorn: Evolution of a Kentucky Landscape (University Press of Kentucky 2018), is a passionate meditation on the history of Elkhorn Creek, and the author’s home within the surrounding landscape. As such, it presents a variety of historically and culturally significant historical anecdotes with each chapter. These anecdotes are preceded by fictionalized accounts, which imagine the daily lives of the creek’s most impactful historical players.

The most important resonant thread within the work is the author’s dedication to “Topophilia,” or love of place. When asked about the importance of place, Taylor informed me that “knowing one’s place is essential to fully appreciating it.”

He expanded, “[place is] important for the very practical reason that if we do not love the places we are, we tend to abuse them, we tend to be indifferent to them. If we are indifferent, we create… ecological disasters.”

Due to the creek’s palisades and its dangerous rapids, it has been mostly let alone by industry. Therefore Elkhorn remains a popular attraction for fisherpeople, kayakers, and nature walkers. In reflection of these facts, Taylor writes hoping to increase appreciation for the natural landscapes of Kentucky.

Taylor, an English professor and Transylvania’s Kenan visiting writer, is most noted for his poetry. But he chose to write this book as creative nonfiction, citing a wish to convey factual nuance. Though poems are referenced within the text, Taylor says he wished to approach the subject of Elkhorn’s history with a more exact construction than poetry often allows.

The narrative vignettes preceding each chapter add an element of intrigue to the work. For example, the italicized text before a section on Judge Harry Innes invites the reader to imagine Innes as a lover of land over law by depicting him planting the first trees in what would eventually become a grand orchard. The orchard is factual; the sentiment, assumed.

In another endearing feat of imagination, Taylor also imagines famous Kentucky artist, Paul Sawyier, using water from Elkhorn to wet his brushes as he depicted scenes from the creek in his paintings. In these spots, Taylor brings the stagnant facts and figures of history to life with artful prose and creativity.

A passion project and a thoroughly researched piece of creative nonfiction, Taylor’s work truly earns the University Press of Kentucky’s Thomas D. Clark Medallion, an award reserved for books concerning Kentucky history and culture. I recommend Elkhorn: Evolution of a Kentucky Landscape for lovers of Kentucky history, and for all those who seek topophilia in their daily lives.

Why Dylan Marron reads YouTube comments – and finds humanity

News
Update

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October 7, 2018

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Why Dylan Marron reads YouTube comments – and finds humanity

The Rambler is partnering with the Transy Creative Intelligence lecture series this year to bring you advance interviews with speakers. Dylan Marron will speak to students in Carrick Theater at 7:30 on October 8.

Dylan Marron is the author of the podcast “Conversations with People Who Hate Me,” which he describes as “an experiment, to see what happens when two people with very different views of the world listen to each other.” He is also a voice actor playing Carlos on the podcast “Welcome to Night Vale,” and an advocate for issues of social justice as a video maker. His Tumblr blog and video series Every Single Word, and his interview series “Sitting in Bathrooms with Trans People” have gone viral online. He recently gave a TED talk on turning negative online comments into positive offline conversations.

I recorded a conversation with Dylan before his appearance on campus. Listen to the full interview here.

Editor’s Letter: We’re selling advertisements, and here’s what that means.

Tristan Reynolds

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October 7, 2018

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Hi folks.

Here at The Rambler, we always want to be as transparent with our readers as it’s possible to be. Because of that commitment, I wanted to explain a big change that has happened, and is going to continue to happen, on the site. You may have noticed that there are a few ads appearing on our sidebars, and at the ends of our stories.

That’s because we’re starting to sell ads on our site. The revenues from these ads will allow us to expand our coverage, while still paying for all our expenses-including a fully paid student staff.

However, in the interest of transparency, I want take some time to explain exactly how that process works here at The Rambler, and to make some commitments to you, our readers.

First off, I want to clarify how ads are negotiated. While Rambler staff actively solicit ads from some businesses, a significant portion of our ad revenue comes from businesses which have approached us and want to reach you, our readers, with their message. All of our rates are mutually agreed on, and invoices are managed through the Transylvania University Accounting Office, where the revenue is incorporated into our general budget. In other words, we’re not raising funds for the University, and we’re not pocketing the money for ourselves-all our ad revenue goes towards improving The Rambler.

Second, we don’t allow advertising to interfere with our reporting; our advertising policies are governed by the same ethical standards that guide everything we do here at The Rambler. We do not, and will not, trade coverage for advertising revenue. We do not, and will not, consider the impact our reporting may have on our advertising revenue when we are shaping our coverage of the Transy & Lexington communities. We do not, and will not, offer differential or disparate consideration of ads by ideology, business, race, class, or other disposition of any advertisers. In short, to the fullest possible extent, we promise that there is a firm wall between the side of The Rambler that manages the advertising business decisions and the side of The Rambler that manages the reporting. That wall remains at the core of everything we do.

Third, I want to make clear that the ads which appear on our site are the products of the businesses, groups, and individuals that buy ad space; we’re not offering endorsements or sponsorships. For example, as the end of election season approaches, you might see ads from various political campaigns, both Democratic and Republican. That doesn’t mean that we’ve endorsed any candidate, party, or platform. If we ever do offer an endorsement, it will be in an editorial written by the entire Editorial Board, and it will be governed by the same strict standards regarding conflicts of interest and ethical conduct that we maintain in all our reporting. And if there comes a day where there is sponsored content on our site, that content will be clearly marked as such, and you as the reader will be able to choose whether or not to engage with it.

Fourth, I promise you that this site will remain a pleasant and fun experience for readers. There won’t be any pop-up videos, there won’t be any autoplaying audio, and there won’t be any full-screen splashes that make you wonder if you clicked a malicious link by accident. Our ads will remain unobtrusive, and our priority remains making sure that you can find our stories and enjoy them easily.

These ads are a part of a larger strategy which will unfold over this year, to make The Rambler into your indispensable guide to the Transy community. I’ll be sure to keep you updated on all the new and exciting changes coming down the track, and I hope you’ll be as excited about them as I am.

Tristan Reynolds is The Rambler’s Editor-in-Chief.

What makes a person innovative

For our study, we sought to measure students’ innovation capacities. We did so using a relatively new survey instrument that enabled us to determine how institutions can help students develop their innovation capacities. These capacities include skills related to networking, persuasive communication, working on diverse teams, and risk taking.

Why majors don’t matter.

These innovative qualities matter in the job market. That’s because employers want more from college graduates than good grades. What employers really want – according to a recent survey – are graduates who can effectively work in diverse teams, are creative thinkers and have persuasive communication skills. In short, employers want innovators.

Since innovators are in demand, it begs the question: Are graduates who double-majored more innovative because they double-majored? Or did they double-major because they were already more innovative?

Self-selection could be at play. To be sure, one aspect of the connection between innovation and double-majoring is related to the fact that certain students want more than any one discipline or major can provide. They want to choose, or perhaps not choose.

It’s unclear if students double major because they are innovative, or if doing so makes them more innovative. (Nerthuz/shutterstock.com)

A desire for more

Perhaps double majors are the kind of students who need more than many programs offer. It could be a signal of proactive and creative choice for students who don’t fit the mold in terms of how higher education is currently delivered.

Double-majoring might also provide students with experiences in which students see connections between content in different courses. Additionally, taking classes required for two majors might increase networking with peers across disciplines.

Does this mean that all students should double-major and employers should only hire these graduates? Probably not.

While certainly our data demonstrate that double-majors are the most innovative, we do not conclude that this academic pathway is always the best choice for students or industries. What we do suggest, however, is that colleges and universities help students find ways to integrate material across disciplines, interact with each other across majors, and work on teams to solve real-world problems. This could be done through existing courses or perhaps new centers and spaces dedicated to innovation on college campuses.

That way, even if students don’t double-major, they might still become more innovative – and more attractive to employers.

Here’s This Thing: Daniel Caesar

Taylor Mahlinger

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October 6, 2018

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Have you been wanting some new vibes for your playlists? Look no further than Grammy-nominated, singer, songwriter, and musician Daniel Caesar. For one thing, the Canadian-born star has been in the music industry since 2014 but was considered truly indie up until 2016. He was nominated for two Grammy Awards at the 2017 awards show, including Best Album of the Year and Best R&B Album for his 2017 album, Freudian and his album rose to number eleven on the Billboard charts according to Billboard.

I’ve been a fan of Caesar since 2016, when his smooth, R&B song “Get You” captured my soul. As of today, the song has received over 150 million streams on Spotify alone.

Caesar’s soulful voice immediately struck me, singing the opening lyrics, “Through drought and famine/natural disaster/my baby has been around for me.” This is the first song that hooked me on Caesar and I’ve followed him ever since. You can find me listening to his music on any given day, no matter what I’m doing, whether that’s cooking, cleaning, or writing a paper. I’ve come to know his music as food for the soul and comforting no matter what mood I find myself in.

In recent interviews with Billboard Magazine and Now Toronto, the humble twenty three year old has discussed his rise to fame and what the pressure of stardom feels like. Caesar began gaining notoriety back in 2016 following the release of his 2015 EP Pilgrim’s Paradise. His music is heavily influenced by his background of gospel music, especially his most recent album, Freudian. Caesar has released several EPs over the years, including 2014 Praise Break and 2015 Pilgrim’s Paradise.

Another interesting dimension to Caesar’s success is that he has remained an independent artist through all of his EP and album releases. He released Freudian under his own label, Golden Child and it has exploded in the music industry, with over 353 million streams as of last year according to Nielsen Music.

His songwriting comes from his personal real-life experiences, and it shows. Caesar produces relatable, soulful tunes that are meaningful and capture the essence of heartbreak and love using only his voice and an acoustic guitar. He accredits his playing abilities to John Mayer, even though he has never met him. He learned every song by Mayer so he could improve his instrumental chops.

The video below is a visual accompaniment of another one of Caesar’s (put adjective here) songs from Freudian, “Best Part” featuring female R&B artist, H.E.R.

Caesar is known for collaborating with other artists in the industry, specifically female singers such as H.E.R. and Kali Uchis. Every collaboration on Freudian is with a female artist which adds dimension and diversity in sound.

Each of the voices are different yet blend with his to create an almost magical sound that warms your soul with every note. The addition of female voices on many of the tracks balances Caesar’s warm vocals/warm vocal tone.

Caesar is a star who’s rising quickly. Don’t be surprised if you see him flying high on every US chart within the next year. His sound is fresh and bold in a day and age when so much of the music we consume sounds the same. Do yourself a favor and go listen to his music on whatever music platform you use and have a chill weekend.

Rambler Weekly Playlist & Blog: October 5th

Taylor Mahlinger

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October 5, 2018

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Rambler Weekly Playlist & Blog: October 5th

Hey y’all!

Happy October! It’s officially spooky season… and I don’t just mean midterms. For this week’s playlist, I threw in some ODESZA, Hippie Sabotage, Moglii, and Bahamas for some chill vibes as you study for exams and draft papers.

The good news is, fall break is ONE WEEK away!! Go celebrate this weekend by stopping by the Lexington Night Market and Midnight Pancakes tonight!

As for arts events this week, we have a couple of big performances and talks coming up!

Monday, October 8th @7:30pm, MFA Carrick Theater

As part of Transylvania’s Creative Intelligence Series, actor, writer, and activist Dylan Marron will be giving a talk about turning online negativity into positive offline conversation through his podcast “Conversations with People Who Hate Me.” He is also notable for being voice of Carlos in the popular podcast “Welcome to Night Vale.” Rambler News Editor Rebecca Blankenship interviewed Marron this week in advance of his appearance.

Tuesday, October 9th @7:30pm, MFA Haggin Auditorium

“Considering Matthew Shepard” is a multimedia, choral drama performance that will feature a Grammy-winning choir from Austin, Texas, Conspirare, and composer and artistic director Craig Hella Johnson! Join them at 6:30pm before the show for a community resources fair and after the show for an open discussion with the composer. This concert is brought to Transy by the Dorothy J. and Fred K. Smith Concert Series and the New Frontiers series. Reserve your free tickets for the show on Transy’s site before they’re gone!

Stay chill,

Taylor

Transy Women’s Soccer adjusts to new coach

Alex Petrocelli

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October 4, 2018

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Transy Women’s Soccer adjusts to new coach

The Transylvania Women’s Soccer team is having their best season in recent memory, standing at a record of 9-2-2 coming off a dominant victory 4-0 over Earlham on Wednesday. They had tied Earlham once before this season. Most recently, they had an even more dominant performance over Manchester, 6-0.

But their success is not the only story. The sudden departure of their Head Coach Reeds two weekends ago has been at the top of the Transy rumor mill, with multiple stories about the situation. Although the team has not missed a beat in his absence, it was a surprise, considering they were doing well this season.

According to two players who asked not to be named, the team was angered, shocked, and upset by his sudden ouster just minutes before a road trip to Missouri. He informed some players in text messages and phone calls after his firing that he resigned, but the same players said they didn’t believe that.

Coach Reeds’s overall record in his tenure was 16-20-5, including the red hot 6-1 start the Women’s team started this season with. This year, there were a whopping 17 first-years recruited to the team, with many first-year starters this season.

Some players said that Reeds was a very loud and intense coach. He was known for being a perfectionist to a fault, with a number of players quitting the team over the past couple of seasons. He was not known for doing a good job of translating his yelling and passion into positivity for the team.

However, this situation has not blown over at all. In these past two weeks, this cloud has hung over the heads of the team. Reeds has consistently contacted some players on the team since his departure. One staff member said that Reeds had contacted several other members on staff, too, in hopes he could get his job back as the head coach of the Transylvania Women’s Soccer team. These efforts, so far, have not been successful.

But the young women on the team are not interested in that. According to some players, the overarching feeling on the team is a sense of relief that he is no longer around. “We just want to get back to playing the game we love and not have to deal with this drama,” one player said.

Assistant Coach Farmer has stepped in and led the Pioneers in Reeds absence. Players say he has done his best with being sensitive to the team’s feelings about the situation and helping the team shift their focus back to soccer. Some hope that Coach Farmer will take on the full-time head coach role going into next season.

The Pioneers are now on their third Women’s Soccer coach in four seasons. But this year, the team is looking like a force to be reckoned with. With all of the young talent on this roster, this team is a team to look for in the Heartland Conference in the years to come.

Their next game is this Saturday in Manchester.

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