- Director of the Library, Susan Brown, has been recognized as the winner of October’s Essential Piece Award. She received this award from the Transylvania Recognition team because of her dedication to the university and to the students that is shown in her daily work.
- Linda Tirado, author of “Hand to Mouth: Living in Bootstrap America,” gave a lecture about the challenges of working with the poor on Tuesday the 11th.
- “Czech Feminisms: Perspectives on Gender in East Central Europe,” to which professor Simona Fojtová contributed two chapters, has been awarded the Heldt Prize for the Best Book in Slavic/Eastern European/Eurasian Women’s & Gender Studies by the Association for Women in Slavic Studies (AWSS) for 2017. The prize will be announced in the October issue of Women East-West, the AWSS newsletter, and awarded at the AWSS Awards Presentation in Chicago on Nov. 10.
- A screening of the documentary “Look & See: A Portrait of Wendell Berry” took place on Oct. 11th. The film was presented by John Piotti, president of the American Farmland Trust and was planned and made possible by one of Transylvania’s own graduates, Billy Van Pelt III.
- After winning a PitchNight grant of $5,000 last May, professors Kurt Gohde and Kremena Todorova last month created an Unlearn Fear + Hate public art installation as part of ArtPrize Nine in Grand Rapids, Mich. The installation included stenciled halos with the words “Unlearn Fear + Hate” in the 25 most popular spoken languages in Grand Rapids and was on view at Lyon Square in downtown Grand Rapids from Sept. 20-Oct. 8. ArtPrize is recognized as the world’s largest annual public art event.
- The Transylvanian Literary Magazine and the Writing Center hosted the first Open Mic Night of the year last Thursday. Here students could go on stage and share their creative works with their peers.
- Participate in this month’s Saturday in Service on Oct. 21 where volunteers will be going to The Nest, a family crisis center. There they will pack toiletry items for the crisis kits, organize donations, and much more.
- The John and Donna Hall softball field was dedicated last Saturday. The newly renovated facility features state-of-the-art dugouts, home and visiting bullpens, batting cages, a sophisticated drainage system, an expanded seating area and a new scoreboard and sound system. It is named in honor of lead donors John and Donna Hall. John Hall is a life trustee at Transy and former chairman and CEO of Ashland Oil Inc.
TNotes Summary: October 9—15
Rambler Recipes: Marinated Baby Squash
As we descend into autumn, images of falling leaves, Halloween, and pumpkin spice are on our minds. There is one image in particular that we associate with fall, but no one really thinks about: Squash. This under-appreciated vegetable is far more commonly used in decoration, rather than in cooking. But here is a simple recipe using the adorable, but mostly unappreciated, baby squash.
Baby squash are essentially just smaller varieties of butternut and zucchini plants. While their season is more in the late summer, I have observed farmer’s markets and grocery stores selling baby squash well into the later fall months. Having just two to three can add a vegetable to any meal, or they can be a healthy snack all on their own.
This dish is adapted from a recipe favored by my family, especially in the warmer months of fall as we try to find more excuses to grill before the weather turns cold. We marinate squash and zucchini in a bath of olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper for anywhere from 1 hour to half a day. The garlic and olive oil bring out savory flavors in the squash, and add a certain juicy element, enhanced by the smoky taste from grilling the squash. For those of you who don’t have grills, I’ve adapted the original recipe so that it can be made on the stove. (There may even be a way to cook these delectable yellow and green squashes in the microwave, but I have yet to find it.)
Start by poking holes about a half centimeter into the squash with a fork. Stab each squash with a fork about ten times, less if the squash is particularly small, or more if the squash is exceptionally big. The purpose is to allow the olive oil bath for the squash inside of the squash, where most of your juicy flavor will be.
Next, in a plastic bag, (I recommend gallon size), add the olive oil, minced garlic cloves and generous amounts of salt and pepper. Seal the bag, and let the squash marinate for anywhere from 1 to 6 hours.
When you are ready to cook
the squash, heat a frying pan on a stove top. Once the pan is heated, turn the heat down to a medium setting and put the squash on the pan. The olive oil will cause the squash to sizzle, so beware of flying juices!
Keep the squash on the heat for 10 to 15 minutes, turning them over every so often to make sure the heat is evenly dispersed. The squash should be done when they are tender enough for a fork easily pierces them, but not so overcooked that the squash has become squishy.
This dish of squash and zucchini is best served hot, the inside flesh still steaming when you cut into it. The tangy flavors of salt and garlic will blend well with the juicy richness of the squash. In my experience, pasta dishes and meals with chicken go great with these baby squash in my experience, but you should experiment and find what combinations work best for you.
Marinated Baby Squash and Zucchini Recipe
Ingredients
- About 5 baby squash and/or zucchini
- 1 cup of olive oil
- 1 clove of minced garlic per squash
- Salt and pepper to taste (At least a tablespoon of each.)
Directions
- Stab the squash with the tines of a fork, about a half centimeter deep. Repeat about ten more times, evenly distributing the holes across the surface of the squash.
- In a gallon-size freezer bag, mix the squash with the olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper. Make sure everything is mixed really well, seal the bag, and let marinate for 1 to 6 hours.
- Heat a frying pan on the stove top. Once hot, decrease to medium heat.
- Place squash on the pan. Turn squash over every so often for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Remove squash from heat and serve warm when ready.
The Roundup: California Fire Edition
Welcome to The Roundup, the weekly political commentary podcast from The Rambler. This week, panelists Michael Maggard, Megan Goins, and Tristan Reynolds discuss the California wildfires, the controversy between Vice President Pence and the NFL players, and the recent mass shooting in Las Vegas.
http://soundcloud.com/user-700281148/the-roundup-california-fire-edition
Update: Since recording, several deaths have been reported in the California wildfires. Read more reporting on the topic here.
‘Molas for DACA’ inspires communal unity, discussion
In a region of Panama called Kuna Yala, eleven Kuna communities are spread among 59 islands. The indigenous group, separate from the government of Panama, has created a cooperative society that blends modern knowledge and traditional values.
Kuna women design, sew, and wear blouses called molas to convey this blending. Hours are spent with a needle stringing together colorful layers of fabric that are trimmed to create a design, often depicting nature, traditional themes from Kuna culture, and various modern influences.
To Kuna women, molas are more than a textile art form. They show creativity, style, and individualism. However, most importantly, they express pride in identity.
Last Wednesday, Transylvania seniors organized an event called Unlearn Fear + Hate: Molas For DACA, held at Third Street Coffee and Stuff. The event branched from the Unlearn Fear + Hate project created by Transy professors Kurt Gohde and Dr. Kremena Todorova, though this event was primarily student organized.
Molas For DACA was a direct response to the events that occurred between senior Paola Garcia and Taylor Ragg, in which Ragg targeted Garcia for deportation because she is a recipient of DACA. Ragg has since left the university.
DACA, the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, gave individuals who came to the United States as children a deferred period of 2 years, which protected the individuals from deportation. Recipients of DACA are able to work, study, and live in the United States, though are not granted citizenship.
Garcia was one of the seniors who organized the event in an attempt to raise awareness of DACA and show support for students enrolled in the program.
“Because of the incident with Taylor and the political climate under Trump’s administration, we did this event. We wanted to do this to show, not only in the Transy community, but in the Lexington community that there is a lot of support for immigrants. We figured this would be a great way to bridge both of them off campus, so it is less hostile,” said Garcia.
Todorova provided guidance for the students during the process of organizing Molas For DACA. For Todorova, the event is not only to foster awareness of DACA but also to discuss the stigma surrounding immigrants.
“The event is to show support for DACA and to encourage people to unlearn the fears and prejudices they might have about immigrants, about people they might see as foreign, and about DACA,” said Todorova. “Really it is an event to bring us together.”
Those who attended Molas For DACA designed molas with paper instead of cloth. The simplified version of the traditional art form allowed for discussion and awareness, according to Annelisa Hermosilla, another senior involved in the creation of Molas For DACA.
“Art brings people together, it opens a door to talk about things. It is very important to talk to people and raise awareness peacefully. Through art, you are able to do that,” said Hermosilla.
Professor Kurt Gohde also assisted students with creating Molas For DACA and described it as a small outreach event that inspired hefty discussion.
“It’s (Unlearn Fear + Hate) committed to the very firm belief that small acts matter. Those small acts add up and cover a lot more ground. This event aligns with that,” said Gohde.
Both Transy students and professors went to Molas For DACA, all with various reasons for attending.
“I just wanted to come and show my support for Paola and for all the students that are struggling to figure out if they are going to be able to stay,” said Dr. Brian Rich, professor of sociology. “This is a huge problem for our country. We have hundreds of thousands of students in this situation.”
“Paola Garcia is actually my roommate and I am supporting her as an individual as well as her entire cause,” said senior Kacy Hines.
The DACA program will be terminated in March, as announced by the Trump administration, and Congress could possibly replace it with another bill. The deadline for new applications and renewals for DACA were processed until October 5. Recipients of DACA are ridden with concern for their future.
“Personally, my DACA expires December of 2018. My concern, there, is that once I do graduate from here I will have a bachelor’s degree from a very prestigious school from a very great community, but I can’t do anything with it. I can’t pursue a career in Psychology. It’s very frustrating,” said Garcia. “The way we describe it, as DREAMers (a term that references recipients of DACA), is that we are in limbo. We are just floating around and can’t make a decision. That is the whole reason for DACA and the DREAM Act. This is our only option to have a future and to contribute to our home. The land we consider home.”
Maria Trevino Rodriguez, a DACA recipient from Houston, described to ABC News the devastation she felt after the announcement that DACA was terminated.
“I broke down when I heard what Jeff Sessions said, even though I expected him to say it,” stated Rodriguez. “It just hit me harder when I heard the words coming out of his mouth … he called me an illegal alien.“
For Garcia and other recipients of DACA, deportation is seemingly inevitable if no action is taken to replace the Dream Act.
As Garcia said, “The concern is in urgency because we have 800,000 some DREAMers who gave all their private information, very sensitive information, to the Department of Homeland Security, which is our biggest threat. If nothing is done in Congress, if there is not a bill that protects and enshrines those protections, then we are in a state of emergency.”
Garcia traveled to Washington D.C. last week to advocate for a bill that extends the same benefits of DACA to current and future DREAMers. However prominent advocacy is for DACA, or for a permanent replacement, the creation of legislation remains unknown.
Latest in Greek Life, 10/10
This is the first in a new series of bimonthly updates on Greek life.
On women’s bid day, 71 women joined a sorority. Since then, 8 women have joined through continuous open bidding (COB). On men’s bid day, 56 men joined a fraternity. As of last week, 49.6% of the student population is a member of Greek life.
Two weeks ago, the Interfraternity Council (IFC) and the Panhellenic Association hosted a Red Zone event, a student safety initiative to help raise awareness about issues affecting campuses throughout the nation, including personal safety, substance abuse, sexual assault, interpersonal violence, and hazing.
Last week, IFC and Panhellenic hosted National Hazing Prevention Week. National recognition of this week took place in September, directly after women’s recruitment and during men’s recruitment. Members could be seen sitting outside the Caf to get signatures on a banner that reads “These Hands Don’t Haze!”
At last week’s Greek presidents’ meeting, the presidents voted to move Greek Weekend to May Term. They will be working in coordination with the Director of Campus and Community Engagement, Hunter Williams, to establish a committee that will review and recreate the Standards of Fraternal Excellence and awards. This document specifies the standards that a chapter must follow to remain in good standing with the institution.
Last Sunday, Chi Omega hosted their annual Fall Field Day event. The event was originally planned to take place in Back Circle, but was moved to the Campus Center Gym due to rain. Money raised at the event will go toward the sorority’s national philanthropy, Make-A-Wish.
Rambler Interview Podcast: Allison Wilkerson
Tristan Reynolds interviews first-year student Allison Wilkerson about the process of rushing for a sorority.
http://soundcloud.com/user-700281148/rambler-interview-podcast-allison-wilkerson
This Week in Transy Sports
Women’s Volleyball
Women’s Volleyball entered October with an overall record of 10-6. The first match of the month was at home against Hanover on Oct. 4. The Hanover Panthers took the first two sets and were prepared to take the third, but Transy fought back to take the third set with a score of 28-26. Using this momentum, the Pioneers took the fourth set, tying the match at two sets apiece. In the final set, Transy took an early lead, but Hanover would come back and take the match, with some controversial calls, including the final point. The match ended 3-2 in favor of Hanover.
The next match was an away game on Oct. 7 against Anderson University. The first two sets were taken by the Pioneers. However, the Ravens fought back in the third set, tying at 22-22, 23-23 and 24-24 before Transy was able to score the next two points. Transy would take the match with a final score of 3-0.
The next day, the Women’s Volleyball team traveled to Manchester University to take on the Spartans. The Pioneers would take the first set easily. However, the Spartans would respond, fighting back to take the second set. Showing they could not be beaten so easily, Transy would take the third set with a vicious 25-12. This momentum would carry through to the last set where the Pioneers would take the final set, and the match, with an ending match score of 3-1.
The next home Women’s Volleyball game will be a doubleheader on Friday, Oct. 13 at 4:00 pm and 8:00 pm.
Women’s Tennis
Going into the month of October, the Women’s Tennis team held an overall record of 3-4. The first match of the month was against Franklin at home on Oct. 1. In singles play, both Lucy Herrington, sophomore, and Anna Burch, first-year, picked up wins. In a doubles match Herrington and teammate Kearstin Bruther, junior, picked up a win, ending the match with a combined score of 6-3 in favor of Franklin.
On Oct. 4, the Pioneers would face-off against the Hanover Panthers in an away match. Despite a hard-fought battle in doubles action, all three pairs would fall to Hanover. In singles, Herrington came back after falling in the first set to win the next two, earning the only point for Transy that day as the day closed with a score of 8-1.
This trend was discontinued on Oct. 7, as the Pioneers faced off against Defiance on the road. In doubles, the team of Herrington and Bruther took their match with a score of 8-3. The team of Burch and sophomore Merrick Irwin would sweep their opponents with a score of 8-0. In addition to senior Lilian Williams, Herrington, Bruther, Burch, and Irwin also won their singles matches. These wins would account for a final score of 7-2 for Transy.
The next home Women’s Tennis game will be Senior Day, celebrating Williams and fellow senior teammates Mary Grace Amato and Myriah Porter, on Thursday, Oct. 12 at 3:00 pm.
Women’s Soccer
The Women’s Soccer team came into the month of October with an overall record of 3-5-2. The first match for the month came on Oct. 5 against Mount St. Joseph. The game started with an evenly matched fight until the Lions scored two quick goals at the end of the half. Going into the second half of the game, they continued their offensive attack, pushing their lead to 4-0. Transylvania would fight back as senior Morgan Janes scored the first Transy goal of the night late in the second half. Mirroring the first half, the Pioneers came back with a second quick goal by junior Bailey Browning. The late push would not be enough to overcome the Lions though, as the game ended with a final score of 4-2 to Mount. St. Joseph.
The next game of the month saw the Pioneers against the Defiance College Yellow Jackets on the road. The game would go back and forth during the first half of play, leaving the score at 0-0 going into halftime. Transy was first to find the back of the net early in the second half when Browning scored the first goal of the game. A little over two minutes later, first-year Casey Hite scored another goal. This would be the final goal of the game, as it would end 2-0 in favor of Transy, with junior Goalkeeper Haley Blackburn picking up her fourth shutout of the season.
The next home game for the Women’s Soccer team will be Wednesday, Oct. 11 against Hanover at 7:00 pm.
Women’s Golf
Women’s Golf went into the month of October with only two matches left in the season, the Montgomery Country Club Intercollegiate and the HCAC Conference Championship. The Montgomery C.C. Intercollegiate was hosted in Montgomery, AL on Oct. 1 and Oct. 2. Transy would finish overall in 6th place. Individually, junior Jenna Soderling tied overall for eighth place, while sophomore Rachel Fine at 13th, junior Meredith Moir at 21st, sophomore Rebecca Fine at 38th, & sophomore Lexie LaMar at 50th.
Soderling would also be named HCAC Player of the Week for Women’s Golf on Oct. 9. This comes after her best scores of the season at the Montgomery C. C. Intercollegiate event.
The next and final match of the fall will come Saturday, Oct. 14 and Sunday, Oct. 15 when Transy hosts the HCAC Women’s Golf Championships.
Field Hockey
Transy Field Hockey headed into the month of October with a record of 3-6. The first game for the month on Oct. 1 would see the Pioneers against Ohio Wesleyan Battling Bishops. The Bishops would open, scoring early in the first half, and were left unanswered until lone senior Jessica Chandler scored on a pass from junior Alyson Bergman to even the score at 1-1. Ohio Wesleyan would, however, score again before the end of the first half. Fighting over the second half to again even the score, Transy would eventually fall when a late goal guaranteed the Bishops win and the game ended with a score of 3-1. This game would earn junior goalkeeper Ally Benz the first Southern Athletic Association Defensive Player of the Week award of the year for the team. Benz leads the SAA with 84 saves, & has two shutouts thus far this season, with a save rate of .785.
The next game, on Oct. 7, set the Pioneers against Hendrix. Despite an aggressive start to the game from Hendrix, Transy opened by scoring with a penalty stroke taken by Chandler. Sophomore Tori Coleman scored a few minutes later to push the lead to 2-0. Fellow sophomore Emma Uhls finished off the first half of the game with another goal, leaving the Pioneers with a lead of 3-0 going into halftime. Sophomore Taylor Insley would cement the win for Transy late in the second half with a goal that pushed the lead to 4-0. This was where the game ended, as Benz saw her third shutout and the team saw its first 2-0 record in conference play since head coach Sarah Humphries joined the team 4 years ago.
A home game on Oct. 8 proved to be one of the most exciting of the season. Both the Rhodes College Lynxes and Transy were undefeated in conference play as the teams faced each other this past weekend. Scoring was opened by a penalty stroke from Chandler that would be the only goal of the first half. This ignited a fire under Rhodes who would come back early in the second half with two quick goals. Fighting back and forth for the majority of the second half, the next goal came with only 0:18 left on the clock. Coleman would score for the Pioneers, forcing an overtime. This momentum would not be enough for Transy, as on the fourth shot of the overtime Rhodes took the game.
The next home game for the Field Hockey team will be Sunday, Oct. 22 at 1:00 PM, against Lindenwood (on Senior Day when the Pioneers celebrate lone senior, Chandler).
Men’s Soccer
Men’s Soccer went into the month of October hoping to continue their undefeated streak. The first game of the month was against Mount St. Joseph on Oct. 4. The first half saw an early start for the Pioneers with an early goal by senior Riley Calhoon. Less than 10 minutes later, sophomore Alex Shkraba would score, giving the team a 2-0 lead going into the half. It would not take long for the Lions to get on the board though as they scored only a few minutes into the second half. Transy was able to hold on to their lead though as the game would end with a 2-1 score and their record intact.
The second game was against the Defiance College Yellow Jackets on Oct. 7. The Yellow Jackets opened, scoring early in the first half with a penalty kick goal. The next goal would come just a few minutes later from sophomore Charlie Wend. It would be Wend whose second goal of the day would earn Transy the win and push the record to 10-0. The Pioneers are tied for first with their Oct. 11 opponents, Hanover.
Following his performance against Defiance College, Wend was named HCAC Offensive Player of the Week for Men’s Soccer. The two goals in the game were his fourth and fifth of the season, putting him at third in the HCAC in goals.
The next home game for the Men’s Soccer team will be Wednesday, Oct. 18 at 7:00 pm against Franklin.
Men’s Golf
The month of October saw one match for the Men’s Golf team on Oct. 1 and Oct. 2 at the Gordin Classic. The Pioneers overall placed 12th. Individually, senior Clay Church tied for 30th, junior Jack Berger tied for 41st, junior Blake Young tied for 44th, senior Carson Wattenbarger tied for 58th, & first-year Jeremiah Cox placed 60th.
THE AFTER PARTY: Jason Bourne Edition
Real juicy episode today bruh. GONE ROGUE BRUH GONE ROGUE.
http://soundcloud.com/user-700281148/the-after-party-jason-bourne-edition
Louisville’s wrongs are nothing new in college sports
When the news broke on September 26th that there was an ongoing FBI investigation revolving around payments made to recruits, their families, and to their coaches in order to have them commit to playing basketball at particular universities, the sports world froze in time. There was finally some proof for what many fans had suspected for decades at this point, that high-level Division 1 programs were using impermissible benefits in order to gain commitments from student athletes. While this scandal is news to many, something like this should not be a surprise given the way that high-level Division 1 athletics function.
The University of Louisville was referenced as University 6 in the report that came from the FBI pressing corruption charges against four assistant coaches of college basketball teams. The charges were made public during a press conference held by the US Attorney’s office for the Southern District of New York. The report stated that an employee of the athletic apparel company Adidas offered $100,000 to Brian Bowen, a five star recruit who was slated to play his first season of college basketball for the Cardinals this fall, to guarantee that he would play for Louisville as well as sign an endorsement deal with Adidas when he turned pro. This comes soon after the conclusion of an NCAA investigation involving the University of Louisville assistant coach Andre McGee. The investigation found that McGee provided impermissible benefits in the form of paying for escorts while recruits were visiting the school. As a result, the basketball team was required to vacate the wins in which players who received these benefits played; to return money that was earned from appearances in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament while ineligible players were on the team; a five-game suspension for head coach Rick Pitino; as well as a postseason ban for the 2015-2016 season. Rick Pitino denied any knowledge of the impermissible benefits that student athletes received from McGee. This week’s report claimed that Pitino, referenced as coach 2, knew of the payment made to Brian Bowen by an Adidas executive on behalf of the university.
These violations put the University of Louisville’s basketball program in a position where they could receive the very rare “Death Penalty” from the NCAA. The Death Penalty refers to when the NCAA suspends the operation of a team at a member institution. This penalty has only been used three times in the history of NCAA Division 1 sports. The last program in Division 1 to receive the Death Penalty was Southern Methodist University in 1987 for repeated recruiting violations that included cash payments as well as the provision of cars and apartments to players before they committed and while they were members of the team. The fallout from the SMU situation has lead the NCAA to avoid issuing the Death Penalty due to how it crippled the entire athletics department at the school for decades. There have been close calls since then, such as the Penn State issues surrounding former assistant coach Jerry Sandusky’s molestation of children and the subsequent cover-up by the University, and an investigation into numerous sexual assaults committed by members of the Baylor football team.
Another similar situation to the University of Louisville scandal is the recruiting violations committed by assistants of former University of Kentucky head coach Eddie Sutton which resulted in the University being banned from postseason play for two years as well as not having their games televised for 1 year, on top of losing scholarships that they could offer to players. Interestingly, the coach that was brought in after this scandal was Rick Pitino. Because the framework of college athletics has changed since the late 1980’s when this occurred, it would be extremely unlikely that the NCAA would consider giving out this type of penalty today.
While Rick Pitino was in the wrong, I do think, in this instance, that Pitino was not doing anything out of the ordinary if he knowingly allowed payments to be made to players in order to ensure that they came to the University of Louisville. Seven schools in total were named in this FBI report, including Louisville. These are just the schools for which there was clear evidence of these violations. To say that these are the only schools that have broken the rules would be based off a lack of information. This report came from an investigation of only one major company in the college sports spectrum. Adidas is the second most common sports apparel provider in major Division 1 athletics. They have contracts with 20 of the top 65 teams in Division 1 athletics, while Nike has deals with 44 teams. To assume that only the named schools or only Adidas schools are providing potential students with impermissible benefits is just wrong. These benefits would not be happening or would at least not be as great if there was not a bidding war going on for players.
This bidding war for players has been happening for decades. Schools are always competing for the best players. Whether it is who has the best practice facilities or the best dorms for the players, schools always want to be on top, but facilities and housing can only go so far. In order for mid-level schools to be able to compete for these top players, these schools often have to provide other things to get a player to commit. Rumors can be heard all the time that such and such player received some amount of money to get them to commit. The current investigation is just a situation where proof has been found about this going on and, on top of that, proof that shoe companies have been providing these benefits. It has often been challenging for investigators to prove these accusations because, at the end of the day, it is not in the best interest for anyone that is involved, because the NCAA has much to gain from these players attending and competing at their member institutions
The shoe companies, the schools, the players, and even the NCAA, benefit from these players being paid to play. The schools, shoe companies, and the NCAA gain the prestige of these top-level players being associated with them, while the players receive financial compensation. This works for everyone involved even if it does violate the rules that the NCAA themselves make. This brings into question what the NCAA is trying to accomplish, whether it is to provide an even playing field for college athletics or to improve the profits of universities and thus provide an avenue for people to make money off of college athletics.
