Thinking about studying abroad? We have that! Transy Study Abroad recently celebrated International Education Week from November 13th through the 17th. The State Department and the Department of Education encouraged universities around the world to celebrate and promote international education and exchange.

Director of Global and Intercultural Engagement Rachel Wilson shared what this looked like on Transylvania’s campus: “Here at Transy, we’ve done several events to promote study abroad opportunities and get students excited about going abroad and engaging internationally.” 

The Multicultural Mocktail Mixer gave students a “small international experience on campus” with mocktails and snacks from four different countries. The Study Abroad Office had a table during Popcorn Wednesday for students to ask questions about the program. Friday’s International Donuts with the Dean was another chance for students to learn about their options, with the usual donuts being topped by miniature flags of various countries. Wilson stated the purpose of these events was “to increase visibility and get students excited about these opportunities.” 

Wilson’s passion for studying abroad began when she was a student at Transy. “I fell in love with the whole idea that students can go abroad and have a really transformative experience.” After having lived in Columbia for eleven years, Wilson feels lucky to have the opportunity to help students experience other cultures through her alma mater.

On Tuesday, November 28th, the Alpha Omicron Pi sorority hosted their annual Holiday Bingo event to raise money and awareness for their philanthropy, The National Arthritis Foundation. The event was organized by their Director of Philanthropy, Isabella Adkins (26’). Members of Alpha Omicron Pi created themed baskets as prizes for the winners. Some of the baskets included: a sleepover basket, a book basket, a game night basket, and many more.

The event was a huge success. Many students showed up for a chance to support a good cause and hopefully win some prizes. Students who gave more money had the opportunity to gain additional bingo cards. The person with the most bingo cards that night had eighteen cards! Competition started to get heated once more and more

prizes were claimed by winners. At the end of the night, black-out bingo was played for a chance to win bigger baskets or a $169 hot yoga gift card.

When asked about the event, Alpha Omicron Pi member Sky Harris (26’) commented: “As future director of philanthropy it was amazing seeing students come out to support The Arthritis Foundation! As a member of Alpha Omicron Pi it’s really important to us that people remember that kids get Arthritis too, so seeing our campus and community come out and help support a great cause was super heartwarming.” Everyone had a great time and Alpha Omicron Pi looks forward to next year’s event!

On Friday, November 10th, Transylvania’s Asian Student Alliance hosted an on-campus Diwali Event. Diwali is the Hindu festival of lights that celebrates the spiritual victory of good over evil and is widely celebrated in India, Malaysia, Pakistan, and many other countries. The campus event had an array of dishes served such as butter chicken, idli, samosas, and gulab jamun. The Asian Student Alliance’s vice president, Harmony Kothari, gave an informational presentation about the meanings and traditions of Diwali. Harmony further expressed how having an on-campus Diwali event is part of a larger push to promote diversity and help students gain knowledge of other cultures. Harmony expressed how, for her, Diwali meant spending time with her family. Back Circle was lit up by decorated candles and dozens of sparklers that were provided by the event. The attendees expressed very positive reviews of the Diwali event.

Many discussed how they loved the food and enjoyed getting educated about the traditions of Diwali. Overall, the Diwali event was a massive success. The event was a great way to learn about new cultural traditions as well as time to bond as a Transylvania community.

Opening his “Athens on the Frontier” talk on Thursday, November 9th, University of Kentucky professor Patrick Lee Lucas clearly set the tone for the story he was telling in his book: “It really is a story that starts almost with this building… I think sometimes academics sort of fool themselves into thinking that what life is all about is really these esoteric topics – but really, mine is ‘What is home about?’, ‘What is Lexington about?’ and I think you’ll see that is kind of the theme that runs through the conversation today.” The story heavily featured Transylvania University’s very own Old Morrison, which he spent much of his talk discussing, the building hosting the talk in its chapel. 

The chapel’s atmosphere was warm and friendly, with the majority of those in attendance being friends of Lucas and people who were knowledgeable about his work. Even as more of an outsider in the room, I instantly found myself engrossed in Lucas’s narrative. As he told us, Lexington was and is known to many as the “Athens of the West,” one of two with that exact title, and one of 18 cities in the US with the “Athens of the ____” title. It was a nickname the city took to highlight its role as a cultural center not only of the state but of the entire Western United States. This is accentuated by the influence of the Greek architectural style on residential, clerical, educational, commercial, and civic buildings. He emphasized the importance of Greek revival architecture in Lexington, not only due to its title as the “Athens of the West” but also because Lexington was often perceived as the wilderness. This perception made these old Greek revival-style buildings even more striking. 

While the conversation included much more information on Greek revival architecture and Lexington itself, the discussion of Old Morrison intrigued me the most, especially as a Transy student. The fire that destroyed the original Old Morrison building was discussed, as well as the construction of the new building authorized five years later and the importance of its location. During the Q&A portion of the talk, Lucas highlighted that Morrison is one of the three national landmarks in Lexington. The building is highly recognizable and leaves an impression because of where it sits, with its white color and location on a hill making it stand out. Morrison is a significant example of the influence of Greek revival architecture on the style of buildings in Lexington. 

Following his talk, Patrick Lee Lucas invited all attendees to a reception in the Gratz Perk Café, which included cider, cookies, and an opportunity to purchase Lucas’s book and get it signed—a lovely closing to a night of learning.