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‘A sense of camaraderie:’ a look at Phi Kappa Tau

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Almost every day in the Raf, a group of Phi Kappa Tau members will gather at multiple tables beside each other to eat, hang out and watch television.

“We almost always watch The Price is Right,” said senior Hussain Siddiqi. “We get really into it, too.”

The seating is interchangeable as many members will get up and move from table to table. This process of constantly moving groups and making sure to talk to every member reflects the camaraderie of the chapter.

“We really do have a sense of camaraderie that extends outside the classroom and outside of our personal Transy lives,” said Siddiqi. “I really do think that across every single brother that’s in our fraternity, we really do have each other’s backs in every single way.”

For senior Blake Chidester, one trait that unifies the members is character.

Photo Courtesy of Hussain Siddiqi.
Photo Courtesy of Hussain Siddiqi.

“One of the leading things we say we are is men of character. What that really means is how we embody ourselves in every aspect of our lives,” said Chidester. “No matter if people can see what we’re doing or if they can’t see what we’re doing, in the classroom or in the community or on the field, you do something that you would be proud of. You would never be ashamed of the decision you made.”

This sense of character is something that stood out to members when they were initially rushing. When Siddiqi was rushing, his dad was having surgery causing Siddiqi to have to miss a recruitment event.

“In the next two weeks during rush every single upperclassmen in Phi Tau reached out to me whether it was via text, call or coming up to me,” said Siddiqi. “It just blew my mind that people that I might not have even known at the time were so willing to go out of their way to help someone out.”

Chidester had a similar experience to Siddiqi’s during his recruitment process. He explained that he was unsure of even joining a fraternity when he first came to campus. He also had a conflicting engagement at the same time of a Phi Tau event which caused more uncertainty.

After the Phi Tau members told him they understood, Chidester said it “showed me the kind of people that they were and the kind of relationship that I could build with them.”

“Every single member has a very interesting story. We might come off as having a stereotype of an impression of being the athletic guys on campus, but there’s a lot of stories behind each and every one of us,” Siddiqi said. “We have guys from the highest of backgrounds to the lowest of backgrounds.”


Editor’s note: The Rambler was only able to schedule one lunch with members of Phi Kappa Tau, and received input from only two members of the chapter. As such, the piece presented here should be considered a surface description of the group culture and character of the fraternity, rather than an in-depth profile.

5 Shows To Watch This Fall

The beginning of fall also marks the series and season premieres of several television shows. Check out this list to figure out which shows you should be looking out for in the coming weeks.

Designated Survivor – Wednesday’s on ABC at 10:00 p.m

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After a catastrophic attack leaves the country without any leadership, Tom Kirkman, the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, is immediately sworn into the presidency. The show follows Kirkman as he fulfills the unexpected duty of leading our nation.

Rob and Chyna – Sunday’s on E! at 9:00 p.m.

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If you haven’t heard about this new Kardashian romance, get ready for one crazy love triangle. This reality series follows the recently engaged Rob Kardashian and Blac Chyna. Between their dramatic fights and her interesting style choices, there is never a dull moment.

Grey’s Anatomy – Thursday’s on ABC at 8:00 p.m.

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I shouldn’t need to explain the plot of this one, but in case you’ve been living under a rock for the last eleven years I’ll give you a quick synopsis. The show follows doctors, nurses, interns, and residents as they work their way up in the hospital hierarchy. If you haven’t watched the first twelve seasons yet, don’t worry, they’re all on Netflix.

Timeless – Monday’s on NBC at 10:00 p.m.

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This new sci-fi show doesn’t premiere until October 3rd so you haven’t missed out yet. The series follows a time traveling criminal who is trying to change American history. It’s like watching a mini version of Back to the Future every single Monday night. Who doesn’t want that?

This Is Us – Tuesday’s on NBC at 10:00 p.m.

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This show follows several characters that are all turning thirty-six years old; similar to the movies Valentine’s Day and New Years Eve. The show depicts normal people dealing with the same problems that the rest of us are currently facing. According to critics, this is one of the most anticipated television shows of the year.

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DPS increases diversity with hiring of new officer

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Transylvania’s student body is becoming increasingly racially diverse. This raises questions about what changes must be made in order to create a faculty and staff that is reflective of such growth. One department on campus, the Department of Public Safety, is not wasting any time.

As of July, Officer John McNeal became Transy’s first person of color to work in the Department of Public Safety since 2001, according to one officer. McNeal, who is from Hawaii, was brought to Kentucky through his four year contribution as a percussionist in the United States Marine Corps.

“The military training gave me a start into my law enforcement career,” said McNeal.

McNeal also worked as a security guard at the University of Kentucky, where he currently studies. He attributes his commendable communication skills to his time in the Marine Corps.

“We travelled all over,” said McNeal. “You’re basically the face of the Marine Corps. Everybody goes to see the Marine band. And you have to know how to talk to people. That is definitely one of the biggest qualities as a police officer. You have to know how to deal with people on their worst days. You may be having just as bad a day, but you have to be the better person and help them.”

McNeal says he is happy to be able to contribute to diversity and inclusion efforts at Transy.

“Students can look at me and will know it’s not just all one,” stated McNeal, referring to how students of color will have the ability to comfortably approach him about issues that he may better understand due to shared characteristics of identity.

“Students can look at me and will know it’s not just all one.”

Transy’s small size is McNeal’s favorite aspect of the university.

“I get to know the students very well, especially being located right in one of the dorms,” said McNeal.

Playing rugby in his youth, McNeal continues to show his love for athletics, proven in his work as a referee for high school and college basketball. Keeping himself busy, McNeal also coordinates events for University of Kentucky’s intramural sports program and does part-time work at the Lexington Sport and Social Club.

“If anybody ever wants to challenge me to pool, they’re more than welcome to stop by when I’m working,” said McNeal. It is his goal to make connections with students through these types of activities. “I want to be able to engage with the students. I want to get to know everybody so that they don’t feel like they can’t come up to us,” he said.

 “I want to be able to engage with the students. I want to get to know everybody so that they don’t feel like they can’t come up to us.”

Qualities such as a sincere interest for others’ well being made McNeal an attractive applicant to add to the Department of Public Safety’s team.

“The most important thing to me is the ability to effectively communicate with people,” said Chief Gregg Muravchick. “John, with his education – and he’s got a military background. He’s excellent with people. One of the things I want is for our people, DPS, to be looked at as servants, professional servants.”

Muravchick continued, “I want us to be able to speak to students and have that personal relationship, and he’s just excellent. He’s got a big smile. He’s talkative. That’s what we want. If someone has issues, they’ll be able to come to officers and talk to them more about it because of that personal relationship.”

Creating a trusting and safe environment for the Transy community has been Muravchick’s main goal since beginning work at Transy six years ago.

“There were no personal relationships that were really pushed to develop the relationship between students, DPS, and faculty and staff. Now, there is,” he said.

Muravchick takes pride in his team of “public servants.” He plans to continue to increase diversity in the department and is so adamant about such efforts that he has plans to hire a female in October.

“No matter who you have as faculty, staff, or students, one of the most important keys to success is building a trusting, personal relationship, utilizing service as the main factor for success,” he said.

Kaepernick shouldn’t have to stand

There is the argument your grandpa likes to use at family dinners that professional athletes nowadays are only chasing the money and that there is no true loyalty in pro sports anymore. We’ll call this the “back in my day” argument, and okay, it does carry some weight, no matter how annoying it may be. Nowadays it is rare to see a Derek Jeter, a Kobe Bryant, or any other big name athlete stay with one team for their entire career like they used to. One will often hear the argument that sports are just too political in the modern era. Recently, if you have been following the National Football League, this argument has proven to be increasingly correct, but in a different sense of the word ‘political’ than the “back in my day” argument makes.

Throughout the entire NFL preseason and into week two of the regular season, San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick has refused to stand for the playing of the national anthem during the pre-game ceremonies, and instead kneels silently. He does this in protest of recent cases of police brutality against African-Americans, and from the start has declared he means no disrespect to our military in his protest, but rather that he is using his platform as a professional athlete to shed light on important issues. “I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color. To me, this is bigger than football, and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way,” he stated in a post-game interview earlier this year.

If (he were) forced to stand I believe it would be a suppression of his right to freedom of protest. I do however disagree with the reason he is kneeling.

-Brock Slater, junior

While initially he was alone in his protest, there has been a wave of what is being dubbed the ‘Kaepernick Effect’ sweeping high school, college and pro football. Many athletes have joined him in taking a knee during the anthem, and others such as Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Marcus Peters are showing solidarity by raising their right fist as the anthem plays.

This has sparked much controversy as many Americans feel this protest is disrespectful to members of the military, past, present and future. Even at Kaepernick’s old high school in California, there is a lack of support for the pro QB. The current football team members have been standing tall during the playing of the anthem in stark contrast with Kaepernick. Other NFL teams, such as the Seattle Seahawks, have begun locking arms during the anthem before every game as a symbol of unity. There have been calls from fans to impose fines on Kaepernick and others who refuse to stand for the anthem, along with other forms of punishment such as suspensions.

I caught up with TU junior Brock Slater, who is actively involved in ROTC training and is planning a military career, who stated, “I 100% support his decision to sit during the national anthem since it is his first amendment right to do so. If (he were) forced to stand I believe it would be a suppression of his right to freedom of protest. I do however disagree with the reason he is kneeling.” He went on to state, “I think the issues that need to be addressed are the income inequality and cultures in these black communities and low income communities.” TU track standout Jordin Fender stated about Kaepernick, “I agree with him. I’m not going to stand and support a country that doesn’t stand and support me.”

I’m not going to stand and support a country that doesn’t stand and support me.

-Jordin Fender, senior

While this issue continues to be controversial, perhaps it is important to remember that up until the year 2009, NFL players were not even on the field during the playing of the national anthem. They would remain in the locker room preparing for game time while the song played to the fans. However, a congressional report from 2015 revealed that the Department of Defense had paid NFL teams over $5 million dollars and the National Guard had paid the NFL upwards of $6 million dollars in the years 2011-2015 to stage on field patriotic demonstrations, such as service members being on the field during the national anthem, or symbolic flyovers of military jets over the stadium. This phenomenon has been called “paying for patriotism” and is important to keep in mind when discussing the Kaepernick controversy as this points to the argument that the NFL isn’t completely without fault.

Another thing to keep in mind are the memories of iconic athletes such as Kentucky native Muhammad Ali using his celebrity status to inspire social change. Is that not what made Ali so great? His philosophy on life and his unapologetic stance on racial issues that in part are what made him such a global icon. These political stances are woven into the fabric of sport, from Ali, to Tommie Smith and John Carlos raising their fists at the 1968 Olympics. Regardless of what you think of Kaepernick taking a knee, at least we are having these important conversations. If we begin to censor which freedoms we support and protect and don’t allow those points of view we disagree with to be vocalized, then would that not dishonor the military and American ideals even more? Kaepernick has also announced that he plans to donate the first $1 million dollars he earns this season to charities that aid communities in need.

In a Twitter poll I put out in which I received 86 votes I asked whether or nor Kaepernick should stand for the national anthem, and 64% of people said he should. However, maybe this is not the question we need to be asking. Maybe the question we should ask is, should he have to? In my opinion, the answer is perfectly clear: absolutely not.

5 Things I’ve Learned in my First Month of College

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Freshman year is a time for adjusting, meeting new people, and transitioning into adulthood. It is full of anxiety, fear, and panic, but it is also full of excitement, new friends, and many new experiences. I’m no expert yet, I’ve only been in school for 5 weeks, but I’ve already gone through so much that it feels like a lifetime ago I was living at home instead of at Transy. Here is just a glimpse of the few things I’ve learned in the past month:

1.You are not alone.

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Coming into this year, I knew nobody. I was terrified of meeting people, and living on my own. The first thing I figured out is that you are NEVER alone. You’re surrounded by upperclassmen that have gone through what you’re going through, or by other freshman that are going through exactly the same thing as you. Since everyone is in the same boat, all you have to do is be yourself (as cliché as it sounds) and you’ll find people that you’ll instantly connect with. Meeting new people, and making these relationships has definitely been one of the most uplifting parts of being here, and learning that I am not in this alone.

2. Homesickness is real.

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Although you will find your people, and college keeps you busy enough to distract you from anything related to your home, you will experience some form of homesickness in the first month. Whether you’re missing your friends, your family, or even your dog, everyone misses something, and that is alright. Missing something only makes you treasure it more when you have it. I’m from the middle of no where, so moving to Lexington was a big adjustment, and I find myself missing the open fields and beautiful sunsets every day, but being away from it makes it that much more special when I go home.

3. Time-Management is Key.

With all the clubs, classes, sports, friends, and other things that happen on a college campus, learning to manage time is beyond important. I haven’t even figured this out yet. I constantly realize that I have something to do every night or every morning, and even on the weekend, you never get a break. It feels like my life has been on full-blast since I got here August 12th, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. It’s exhilarating getting to experience so many different things in such a short amount of time. It gets difficult, and sometimes I nap multiple times a day, but never knowing what to expect out of each week is one of my favorite parts about being here.

4. College is not as intimidating as your high school teachers made it out to be.

If you went to a school like mine, teachers always drilled it in your head that college was going to be the hardest experience of your life, that your professors would hate you unless you were a perfect student, and that your social life would be nonexistent. Now, I understand that those seem to be extreme circumstances, but when my teachers were telling me these things, I was petrified. Since being at Transy, though, I’ve quickly realized those are not the cases. Everyone is welcoming, and understanding that this is your first go about at college. They do have higher standards than what you’re used to in high school, and you definitely have to put forth more effort in homework and studying, but college is nothing to be intimidated by. You just need to make sure you’re prepared. Even if it’s something small like having high quality office supplies ready for your lectures and assignments, it could help you to put more effort into your work, especially as you’ll have everything you need to get going. Preparation during this transition is key. It’s obviously a major adjustment, but coming in scared does nothing but make the transition harder than it needs to be.

5. Even when you’re thrown into a foreign place, there is comfort in the community.

College can be a scary place. You feel like you’re all alone, you don’t have mom and dad there to take care of you, and life is way different than anything you could’ve imagined, but the good thing about it is that everyone is there for one common purpose. Here at Transy, it is clear to see that community is important to everyone. College is meant to feel like your home away from home, and what I’ve learned so far is that Transy is definitely one of the best places to be living on my own. It is full of people that are wanting me to succeed and become immersed in the community.

 

‘An instant support system:’ a profile of Phi Mu

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Last Thursday, a handful of girls from Phi Mu gathered together in the Caf for lunch. Sophomore Sarah Teasdale initiated conversation with a story about her lavender plants. After the conclusion of Teasdale’s story, the girls around the table continued to take turns in telling stories while the others listened attentively. Regardless of the varying topics, each story included bursts of laughter from the storyteller and follow-up questions from their sisters.

Phi Mu’s values are “love, honor, and truth” and is what really brings their chapter together.

Sophomore Amber Phillips described the organization as having a large variety when it comes to members. Referencing to herself and sister Presli Neal ’19, Phillips pointed out how different members can be yet still accept each other completely. “We all like different things and have different values and dress differently, but it all comes down to we share the same values,” stated Phillips.

Senior Allison Dwyer added that “having those shared values puts all of our differences aside.”

Teasdale explained that although there is not one person that encompasses what Phi Mu is, “The one thing I have noticed in every single Phi Mu is when things really start taking a downward spiral, there is always someone there who will talk to you and listen to you and be there for you.”

Photo Courtesy of Sarah Teasdale
Photo Courtesy of Sarah Teasdale

Support is a key factor in what unifies the chapter. Their dedication to comforting and supporting one another is apparent with their two support lions they have.

“If someone’s having a bad day, you leave it for your sister,” said Teasdale.

Additionally, the support develops fairly quickly. Sophomore Emily Chapman, while retelling her experiences of rushing last year, stated that she had an “instant support system” after joining Phi Mu.

Although there are a variety of personalities within the chapter, the sisters of Phi Mu continue to get along.

“We all genuinely like each other,” said Neal. “We’re all very loving of one another and accepting of everyone in the chapter.”

The love between the various members is often expressed through sarcasm and sassy comments.

“We are a chapter powered on sarcasm,” stated Dwyer.

Peyton Thomas 18 helps Adrianna Bowman 19 with homework
Peyton Thomas 18 helps Adrianna Bowman 19 with homework. Photo Courtesy of Sarah Teasdale.

Dwyer additionally said that the members really “encourage each other to be really weird.” Dwyer continued to explain the chapter’s group message and the weird turns it takes. She loves knowing that all her sisters will always be there to listen to her no matter how weird what she has to say is.

At the end of the meal, the level of support and love Phi Mu contains was obvious. The members at the table bounced ideas off of each other on how they could cheer up a fellow member that was going through a rough time.

 

Faculty board to vote on ‘August Term’ adjustments Thursday

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On Thursday, Sept. 22, a board of faculty will vote on whether to enact a proposal that would shorten the length and alter the format of what has become known as August Term.

Five years ago, Transylvania University started a five-year pilot program to enhance the first year experience. First Engagements, or August Term as it has been dubbed by students and faculty, is a month-long course for first year students that earns them a full course credit before entering fall term. After the five-year pilot run, the time has come for faculty to reevaluate the program, and to make adjustments as needed.

August Term was created as a part of accreditation requirements for the university. One of these requirements is a quality enhancement plan (QEP) that occurs every ten years. At the time, it was decided that enhancing the first year experience was the priority for the QEP.

Melissa Fortner served as Director of First Engagements during the last two years of the pilot period and is the lead reviewer of the program as it pertains to its reevaluation. However, the entire faculty is involved with the decision making process, and will vote on what to do with the program moving forward. The vote has been made that transforming the program will definitely occur, but the exact specifications for the new program have not been voted on yet.

After examining the first year programs at other universities, the current August Term proposal is modeled in similar fashion where it takes place over the course of a week.

“We are planning to provide a shorter, more condensed version of what we do now, that is more in line with our resources,” said Fortner.

A major change with the current proposal that involves a weeklong term is that it will no longer count as a full credit course. It will only count for .25 credits. This also makes it so the course does not count as one of the faculty member’s seven courses that they teach throughout the year. It is something extra that they will have an obligation to fulfill every few years.

“It’s not going to look like First Engagements. The proposal on the table now with the most faculty support is for a seminar the week before classes start, focused around one broad theme. It will no longer be a common experience. Faculty members may overlap their classes, but they create their own course plan under the theme,” said Fortner.


We are planning to provide a shorter, more condensed version of what we do now, that is more in line with our resources.


While the academic orientation will still be maintained and students will still be introduced to the college level of thinking, the format will change. The vote on this proposal occurs Thursday. If it is passed, then there will be a committee formed to enact the program. If it does not pass, then the faculty will go back to the drawing board. The seminar program, if passed, will be reevaluated after it runs for a few years, just as August Term was reviewed.

“Had we felt that we had the resources, we might have pushed for August Term in its old form for a little bit longer and to do it in the way that we really wanted to. That is my opinion, however faculty are pretty split on what would have been best for the students. Both plans will serve the purpose that it needs to serve,” said Fortner.

While the faculty decided at the end of the five-year trial run to reform the program, there were definitely some positives of the program that Fortner and the faculty want to uphold.

“There are a lot of things about it that went really well and it seemed pretty clear that the social transition was very successful,” said Fortner. “We thought the orientation activities were more successful before the start of the school year and allowed the first year class to develop an identity together, and we felt like there was value in the academic experience.”

While there were definite positives to the program, financially it was not very affordable for the university. Students did not have to pay for August Term and Transy was providing the meals for each student during this three week period. To offset the costs of this, Transy provided one less May Term, and if students wanted to take a fourth May Term, they would need to pay extra.

Almost universally, students and faculty disliked the cost of the fourth May Term.

“At all levels it was felt that it was a pretty big cost to pay, so in the new proposal we made the change to allow four May Terms, students just need to pay for a meal plan if they wish to use the services,” said Fortner.

While the May Term issue has been resolved, there are still a lot of details that need to be worked out as it pertains to the financial issues of August Term.

“It takes a lot of resources. It takes a lot of people, a lot of time, and a lot of money to run August term the way that we were doing it,” said Fortner. “There is a lot of preparation involved in order to provide a common experience. It is more difficult and more intense than if individual faculty members developed a class on their own. It is a completely different process, and their needs to be very systematic preparation done ahead of time. It does cost money to have the RAs come back, and it costs money to provide August Term Scholars.”


We were not sure that we were able to do a great job with the resources that we had. We were doing a good job, but we wanted to do a great job.


With such tremendous efforts being put into the program, it was deemed not financially reasonable, especially when it came to faculty members organizing their classes for the rest of the year.

“As a faculty we are pretty lean. We were finding that programs were not being able to offer classes that they needed, or that it was costing money, or that we had to hire adjuncts, or had to decide not to offer particular courses at all,” said Fortner. “A lot of the issue was resources. Can we sustain the program with the resources that we have? The fact that we are running at a deficit came into play here.”

In order to have an immensely successful program that involved all of the successful elements of the program, more resources were needed.

“We were not sure that we were able to do a great job with the resources that we had. We were doing a good job, but we wanted to do a great job, so there were aspects of the academic component that needed to be strengthened, and in order to do that we needed more time, and in order to do that we needed to pay the faculty more. To balance all that out we were not getting those resources, so we have to do something different,” said Fortner.

An update on the results of the vote will be released as soon as information is available.

Theater Guild opens theater season with successful 24 Hour Play Festival

For two consecutive years Theater Guild has made bold decisions, and each one garners a stronger connection to the Transy community than the last. Last year it was a ten-minute play festival titled “Tens x Transy” composed of student written work. This year, they have taken that concept and condensed it down to one weekend of work instead.

One weekend of writing, rehearsing and backstage shenanigans. The “24 Hour Play Festival” was not a 24-hour long extravaganza of on stage work being displayed, like one might think.

Rather, teams of artist worked from Friday night to Sunday afternoon to shape up a ready to go performance. Each team had a playwright, a director, some actors and a crew.

Senior Katie Brewer-Calvert, current guild president, explained that, “There are a lot of people with interest in theater, but to them it’s a very high time commitment…this was sort of our solution.”

The goal of this festival was a little less professional than the previous play festival and more about having fun. It definitely showed, from slight slip ups to an entire play dedicated to making Matthew McConaughey and Quentin Tarantino jokes, the atmosphere was lighthearted and playful.

The theme of the festival was “The path you don’t take.” This was not only present in the festival itself, but also the eight out of fourteen participants who had either previously done little or no theater work.

The cast and crew for the festival.
The cast and crew for the festival.

Brewer-Calvert stressed that the goal of Theater Guild “is always to provide students with opportunities especially more low commitment opportunities that aren’t scary.”

The festival started out with a message from Brewer-Calvert giving a brief introduction to the festival. Then in theater fashion, the lights blacked out and the show began.

The first play was written by senior Maggie Garnett and was chock full of literary references that was sure to make any English major squeal with delight. This delightful opening scene followed two girls trying to decided which path choose.

One girl spoke typical dialogue, and the other was the pretentious lit major who only quotes dead English writers.  

The second play was written by junior Dane Ritter and was a bit more serious – for about one minute. The scene opened with a chilling monologue from a girl who was attempting to summon demons.

Charlotte Stephens, Katie Brewer-Calvert, Elias Hanna, and Ben Wagner acting in Dane Ritter's play.
Charlotte Stephens, Katie Brewer-Calvert, Elias Hanna, and Ben Wagner acting in Dane Ritter’s play.

Everything else was comical. From the two demons she summoned to senior Elias Hanna’s performance as the devil himself. Despite all the comedy it did end on a slightly creepy note, which is just what the play festival needed to balance out the next scene.

The third and final scene was written by junior Aaron Botts and centered around Matthew McConaughey and Quentin Tarantino discussing a movie script in a bar. This play was written on film puns alone and the actors brought the punchline home.

All-in-all, for a short 30-minute run, this play festival was a joyful nugget at the start of the 2016-2017 Theater season.

Aaron Botts, Will McClure, and Joey Howard act in Botts' own ten minute play.
Aaron Botts, Will McClure, and Joey Howard act in Botts’ own ten-minute play.

Theater Guild will produce their rendition of “Much Ado About Nothing” this winter semester. For more information on how to join in on the fun you can e-mail theaterguild@transy.edu.

Katie said one last thing about guild, “We are not something to be scared of. We aren’t going to force someone to get up on stage and to sing and dance or anything they are uncomfortable with. We are always looking for people to be on crew or to act or direct and we always want to help find them those opportunities and there’s an opportunity for everyone in theater.”

Transylvania University Recruitment Style Guide

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The stories you hear about recruitment on large college campuses are not necessarily applicable to recruitment at Transylvania. Our recruitment is much shorter and a lot less stressful since we only have four sororities on campus. When it comes to dressing for recruitment, it’s easiest to break it down into four parts: hall night, community involvement night, preference night, and bid day.

Hall Night

This is the most casual night of recruitment. I would wear jeans and a cute top or a simple sundress. Hall night is really laid back and it is our first time meeting you. People’s outfits vary a lot this first night, so don’t stress too much. Everyone is always nervous for this night, but it’s just a laid back chance to meet the sorority girls. Actives will likely be wearing matching t-shirts and cute shorts or jeans.

Jordan Long in her Hall Night attire
Jordan Long in her Hall Night attire

Community Involvement Night

Although community involvement is a little dressier, it is still a fairly casual night. I would recommend a cute sundress or a skirt. You can also wear pants and a nice top if you prefer that. This is the night where you hear about each sorority’s philanthropy. Actives will likely be in matching tops again and skirts or pants.

Long in her Community Involvement Night attire
Long in her Community Involvement Night attire

Preference Night

This night is more serious and much dressier. All actives will be wearing nice dresses: think about what you would wear for a formal, but nothing too flashy. I would suggest that you wear a dress or a skirt with heels or nice flats for this night. You don’t want to feel under dressed or intimidated during this stressful time.

Long in her Preference Night attire
Long in her Preference Night attire

Bid Day!

The attire for bid day is super simple since you’ll get your own jersey once you run out to your new home. Girls typically wear jeans or shorts and a white t-shirt so they can just throw their jersey on after run out. I would recommend wearing comfortable shoes since it’s a long day. It’s also important to remember that you will be running in front of half the student body and it’s not that uncommon for people to wipe out. Keep this in mind when picking out your shoes for run out!

Keep in mind that recruitment isn’t all about what you wear, it’s about making friends for a lifetime. Wear what makes you confident and don’t dress a certain way just to please sorority actives. They want to get to know who you truly are, so keep that in mind, too, as you pick out your outfits for sorority recruitment.

‘Doing the little things:’ a look at Kappa Alpha Order

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“If it’s an invitation to one brother, it’s an invitation to everyone,” said Kappa Alpha president and senior Matthew Parker. KA is Transy’s second-oldest fraternity and prides itself on its members being “Southern gentlemen.”

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According to sophomore KA Joe Shermock, being a Southern gentleman is about “just doing the little things, whether it’s holding the door for someone or saying ‘yes ma’am and no ma’am’ to your professors to show you respect them.”

Members hold each other to their values, especially in the wake of bad press. For example, a KA chapter at University of Richmond was recently punished for an email sent out by a chapter member perpetuating rape culture within the organization.

“We use those examples to remind us that A., it’s just not okay, and B., something like that can impact everyone in the fraternity if just one guy decides to do something horrible,” said Parker.

“It takes a while to build up a good reputation on campus and that kind of thing, and so we really try to look out for one another in certain situations and avoid that,” said Shermock.

Junior member Brandon Heller, from Pennsylvania, said, “I didn’t really know anybody, so I felt like joining a fraternity would be a good way to not only meet people but better myself through academics and service and other stuff like that.”

In KA, Heller has found like-minded people who enjoy the same things he does.

“I like to go hunting and fishing and stuff like that, and a lot of the other guys like to do that,” he said.

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The group even has a yearly hunting trip before rush to hunt doves to make what they call “dove poppers,” which Parker describes as “like a dove breast with jalapeno cream cheese and bacon in it.”

“Each year around rush, there’s a panic. It’s like, alright it’s dove season; we have no doves; we can’t just have hamburgers; we need dove,” he said. “So we’ll search throughout our friends and we’ll find someone that has a place to go and we’ll all pile into cars and go out there and we’ll bag like 80 doves. It’s a cool experience, because you’re out there hunting with your friends and you have to trust them, but we also have a great time and it’s a good way to get our dove for rush.”

Being a KA is “about being there when it’s inconvenient,” said Parker, who received an overwhelming amount of support from his brothers while his mom underwent cancer treatment and after he lost a cousin in the span of one year.

“The crazy thing was I hadn’t told anyone about that, and they just knew,” Parker said.

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