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“Womanly Always, Discouraged Never:” A look into the life of a Chi Omega

Emily Dent
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“Womanly Always, Discouraged Never:” A look into the life of a Chi Omega

“Womanly always, discouraged never” is part of the symphony Chi Omega women live by through continuously working to lift each of their sisters up.

“It’s all about having a support system here, or anywhere else in the world that one of us might end up,” said Audri Wells about the sorority she ran to last fall on bid day.

Chi Omega is Transy’s largest Greek women organization with 66 active members. A group this large brings in a diverse mix of women, according to junior member Judy Brumley.

“We just have people involved in so many different things and a lot of our members are completely different from other members, but everyone just kind of meshes well,” said Brumley.

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Reminiscing on her first time meeting with the women on hall night last fall, Wells said, “I just remember with Chi O a ton of laughter.” Little responded giggling, “Audri and I had a ton of fun on hall night.”

Returning to the hall one night, Brumley ran into two other members who asked if she wanted to do yoga.

“We like rolled out our mats on the Chi O hall and just did like 20 minutes of yoga,” she said.

“There were lots of weird noises,” junior Ryann Little recalled,  laughing. “If I want to do something, it could be anything, someone else is going to want to do it with me. You never have to do anything alone.”

In recent years, Chi Omega has placed a greater emphasis on scholarship.

“Work hard, play harder is what people saw Chi O’s as being, but now there’s such an emphasis on schoolwork and scholarship. Good things have happened,” said sophomore Anna Wilcoxson.
img_2756Brumley accredits their academic success on placing “a really big emphasis on working together and holding each other accountable.” This accountability led Chi O to have the highest GPA of Transy’s four sororities in the last year. The group even plans to have a book of the month club that Wells says they are “super hype” for. Later that night, a comment was made about how Brumley can read and review any book in just two days.

“It’s hard to put a label on the entire group,” said Brumley explaining how the diversity of the group makes stereotypes hard to pin down.

“We recognize that we’re all very different but our core beliefs brought us together and we make one cohesive, vibrant whole,” said Wells.

These core beliefs hold the value of being “womanly always.”

“As long as we, as a whole, promote our individual best selves we’re really living by the idea of ‘womanly always, discouraged never,'” Wells said.

Transy Alumnus Tony Del Grosso named Managing Director of Woodford Theatre

Christopher Perez
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Transy Alumnus Tony Del Grosso named Managing Director of Woodford Theatre

Alumnus Tony Del Grosso was recently named the new Managing Director of Woodford Theatre. Del Grosso graduated in 2014 with a degree in Theater from Transylvania University.

Tony Del Grosso Headshot 9/2016. Photo by Jordan Guffey
Tony Del Grosso, a Transy theater alum, is one of the youngest people ever to be hired as Woodford Theatre’s managing director. Photo by Jordan Guffey

While Del Grosso was an undergraduate, he had initially planned for a career in chemistry with theater as a hobby.

“It took several years to realize that I had my hobby and career backwards,” he recounts. “I still love the sciences; but, I wanted theatre to be my area of focus.”

He went on to say, “I wasn’t really aware of the shift until I realized I was looking forward to my acting and directing classes far more than my chemistry classes.”

During his time at Transy, he participated in upwards of thirteen play productions. His roles ranged from Assistant Stage Manager for ‘Aloha, Say the Pretty Girls,’ to performing the role of Pippin in ‘Pippin,’ to directing ‘The Yellow Boat.’

Since graduating from Transy he has worked with Woodford Theatre to continue his passion of making art. He started out as the Assistant Stage Manager for ‘Frankenstein’ and since then has participated in four other productions at Woodford.

“…I worked extremely hard to impress and to make sure I did good work. I am just lucky they took a liking to me,” he said.

His hard work ethic has earned him a position usually reserved for people with much more practical experience under their belt.

When news of Del Grosso’s accomplishment first reached the ears of the theater department, it came as no surprise.

“It’s rare for a person as young as Tony to be hired to a position of such responsibility,” said Theater Professor Sully White. “This isn’t surprising to me because he always made the most of every opportunity at Transy and he clearly has done the same at Woodford Theatre. All of us on the theater faculty are incredibly proud of him.”

Del Grosso (right,) Haley Smallwood (left,) and Drew Hauke (center)acting in "Trust," produced by the Theater Department in 2012.
Del Grosso (right,) Haley Smallwood (left,) and Drew Hauke (center) acting in “Trust,” produced by the Theater Department in 2012.

Trish Clark, the Executive/Artistic Director for Woodford Theatre, spoke to Del Grosso’s strengths. Clark referred to him as, “Committed, responsible, resourceful, dependable.” Woodford Theatre has a history of hiring young artists.

“I take pride in the wisdom to see how important it is to have a mix of ages and experience when working with a small team such as this non profit,” Clark said. “We range from 23 to 63 amongst 5 employees…”

“There are few people with the work ethic of Tony Del Grosso,” Clark added. “Age has nothing to do with that.”

Clark’s best advice for young artists and people in general is to have passion.

“…I am a big user of the word ‘passion.’ One can’t deny noticing a person’s passion and the energy it brings to the room,” she said. “Mix that with motivation to learn everything you can and proving your dependability every day, not just when you feel like it. Taking responsibility for yourself. Not fearing to fail, getting off your butt and doing it everyday, and know you aren’t ‘entitled’ to anything in this world, and that you have to ‘earn’ your rewards.”

Del Grosso had his own advice to give.

“I think it is important to know what you are good at…Use your current strengths to leverage new ones, and work very hard to do it. Do the thing you’re great at, and work to become better at things you are not,” he said.

‘There for each other:’ a profile of Alpha Omicron Pi

Kiara Walker
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‘There for each other:’ a profile of Alpha Omicron Pi

On a Monday night, a few AOII members gathered together on the couch and floor of their chapter room for a “Big Sister Workshop.” Although pressed together in the small space, the group appeared relaxed as they listened attentively to the upperclassmen leading the workshop. As the meeting progressed, the qualities of a ‘big’ versus a ‘good friend’ were distinguished. The quality of the little being able “to lay on their [big’s] floor and cry” was met with approval by the group. This “quality” is actually representative of the closeness, openness and support present within AOII.

“Last night I went to Morgan’s room to get salt and the next thing I know I’m under her bed talking with her about life and Transy as a whole,” said sophomore Nikki Fox. “We’re all very open with each other and all of a sudden things happen like we go for one thing and end up staying for three hours…we’re just kind of always there for each other.”

Jane Doe Susy sit under their bed talking about life
Sophomores Nikki Fox and Kay Wilson study in a room on the AOII hall, as stuffed pandas observe.

Earlier that day AOII sophomores Fox, Megan Schandel, Christine Phipps, Jessica Dunaway and Kay Wilson all clustered together in a Dalton-Voigt dorm room and shared stories about gallbladder removal, potential Halloween costumes and a panda puppet. Each story came equipped with gestures expressing emotions and humor at the expense of the storyteller.

The self-described sarcastic, but loving bond showcased between the members here was an aspect of the organization that easily stood out to these members before they joined. Although Phipps and Fox went through the different paths of formal recruitment and continuous open bidding (COB) respectively, both had similar responses to their early experiences with AOII.

“When I came to AOII, it’s just like the love and the kindness and just the sense of humor and the kind of way we all talked to each other—I saw myself fitting in there and knew this is where I belonged,” said Fox.

“There was something really personable about the AOII chapter and I really enjoyed that because it didn’t seem like [AOII] was just trying to get members, it was trying to get friends and future sisters,” said Phipps.

This idea of belonging was also of value for the other three members gathered. Schandel relayed how the AOII motto of “Individually unique. Together complete,” to her, encapsulates the different people in the chapter, but also the chapter as a space for belonging or having one’s “own place.”

“We’ve had girls who are first generation college kids or they’re representing different ethnicities or different struggles and different socioeconomic backgrounds and I feel like that kind of gives us something that a lot of people can relate to if they give us a chance,” said Phipps.

This article is part of a series profiling Transylvania’s Greek organizations. The series will be ongoing from Sep. 15 to Sep. 23.

Tom Martin Intro

Transy Rambler
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Tom Martin Intro

The coincidence of Wednesday, September 7 could not have been more timely. On that day, the129-year old Newspaper Association of America eliminated “Newspaper” from its title and became the News Media Alliance. It was also the day of my first meeting with the 2016-17 staff of The Rambler.

It’s only fitting that in such a pivotal and historic moment for the news industry, relevant changes have come to The Rambler, including my arrival as Transy’s new Student Media Advisor.

But before I share some details of those changes, allow me to introduce myself.

I’m a native of Morehead and was a communications major at Morehead State University when opportunity struck and I began a lifelong career in broadcast, print and online news. High points have included serving as a member of the founding staff of Associated Press Radio Network News in Washington, D.C., as well as the founding staff of RKO Radio Network News, ABC Radio Network News and WABC News in New York. I was the founding Editor in Chief of Business Lexington and am now a columnist for the Lexington Herald-Leader with a companion feature airing on WEKU, and co-publisher of the online cultural affairs magazine UnderMain (under-main.com)

Amazing changes in media have taken place during those years, ranging from the invention of FM radio to the arrival of digital technology. But nothing compares to the paradigm shift occurring today as Transy students prepare to make their way in this world.

The Newspaper Association of America had until Sept. 7 admitted only those organizations with print components. The change in title signifies recognition that professional, digital-only news is here to stay.

Fittingly, the Rambler has transitioned from a campus newspaper to a campus news and information organization. The newspaper is moving to a bi-weekly print schedule to enable more emphasis on its online presence. In fact, there now will be not one but two Rambler websites. transyrambler.com will remain the familiar “go to” resource for news and information about what’s happening on campus and in the surrounding community, while ramblerextra.com (now under construction) will serve as a multi-media platform for video, podcasts, and photography.

I’m looking forward to leading training sessions on topics ranging from newsroom ethical dilemmas and First Amendment challenges to coverage selection, interviewing technique, and fact-checking. And we’ll host special guests, experts in various forms of media, to share their perspectives.

Under the very capable leadership of Editor in Chief Megan Graft and Managing Editor Madison Crader, our staff includes News Editor Jennifer Pinto, Creative Director Tyler Lega, Campus life editor Aaron Martin, Opinion editor Tristan Reynolds and A&E editor Christopher Perez.

If you are interested in becoming a content contributor, contact Megan at mjgraft18@transy.edu or me at tmartin@transy.edu.

Feel welcome to drop by. The Rambler newsroom is now located in Forrer room 042, adjacent to the lobby.

Counseling services make students wait

Jennifer Pinto
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Counseling services make students wait

There is usually a long wait list for counseling services at Transylvania University, and this long wait, despite the reason, may be keeping students in need of mental health services in line to wait.

According to Kathy Susman, Coordinator of Counseling Services, in an email interview, last year “the counseling center provided services to approximately 18% of enrolled students.”

There are two counselors that work full-time at Transy, and work is being done to hire an additional part-time counselor. This may seem like plenty of counselors for a small college like Transy, but this fact in itself may somewhat explain why there tends to be such a long wait for these students: a counseling center that is understaffed.

This may seem like plenty of counselors for a small college like Transy, but this fact in itself may somewhat explain why there tends to be such a long wait for these students: a counseling center that is under-staffed.

Erinn Foglesong, the Health, Wellness, and Counseling Services Administrative Assistant, works in the counseling office and sees firsthand the people who come in for counseling. In an email interview she says that the average wait time can range from “no wait” to possibly “several weeks.” The wait may be longer at some times than others.

“Counseling requests seem to increase as stress builds throughout each semester,” said Foglesong.

Foglesong added that a student will be moved up on the wait list, or possibly seen immediately, if their need becomes “urgent.” It is clear why these urgent needs, like someone becoming suicidal, should be seen sooner than later. However, what does this do to all of the other students’ mental health while they are stuck on the waiting list?

When students are placed on the waiting list, they may be given information for some of the various community resources that they could take advantage of in the meantime. Not everyone would have the ability to drive out into the community to find other means of help, though, whether this be due to the lack of a car or an extremely busy schedule. This still leaves the question of what students in general who get stuck on the wait list are supposed to do until they can be seen.

In the case of one student, who would prefer to remain anonymous, it took over two weeks before they were able to be seen for their “rough patch,” and by that point, counseling services were no longer needed.

In the case of one student, who would prefer to remain anonymous, it took over two weeks before they were able to be seen for their “rough patch,” and by that point, counseling services were no longer needed.

However, the student says, “I think it says something about our counseling center that so many people are wanting to go and are comfortable enough to try to seek out help.” They hope that the counseling center can “expand the health and wellness staff in order to accommodate all of its students.”

Wait times for counseling can extend up to several weeks depending on the time of year.
Wait times for counseling can extend up to several weeks depending on the time of year.

Susman explains that there are some new measurements being put into place in order to combat the long wait list situation, such as a “triage system” and a better scheduling system. She also says that students should make “mental health a priority,” whether this means scheduling an appointment with one of Transy’s counselors or with some other type of counselor within the community.

 

Transylvania embraces ‘Unlearn Fear + Hate’ as university theme

Raaziq El-Amin
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Transylvania embraces ‘Unlearn Fear + Hate’ as university theme

Transylvania strives to carry out diversity and inclusion efforts through a theme marked by the phrase “Unlearn Fear + Hate.” Professors Kurt Gohde and Kremena Todorova were inspired by Affrilachian poet Frank X Walker’s poem titled “Love Letta to De Worl’.” The duo arrived at the phrase by recognizing fear often leads to hate.

“It suggests that fear and hate are behaviors we have learned, that they are not our natural state,” Gohde and Todorova state in their initiative.

The project also acts as a response to the growing debate over two statues, that of Confederate General John Hunt Morgan and John C. Breckinridge. The controversial statues stand in a recreational hub of downtown Lexington that formerly served as a prominent location for trade and selling of slaves. Through their work, Gohde and Todorova address why it is important to acknowledge the historical impacts of artwork and consider its removal in order to encourage growth away from our past beliefs.

“It suggests that fear and hate are behaviors we have learned, that they are not our natural state,”  Kurt Gohde and  Kremena Todorova state in their initiative.

Not surprisingly, the phrase has made its way into Transylvania academia.  This school year the phrase will be the theme for academics. No time was wasted in implementing the theme, proven in the August Term curriculum, which involved over 100 members of the first year class of 2020 being the first to experience an on-campus project under the theme. Students carried out an artistic project in which they painted, using temporary paint, the phrase “Unlearn Fear + Hate” on the asphalt of Bourbon Street. The placement of the artwork is symbolic itself.

“If we question all of these norms, it makes us value things even more. As far as the liberal arts, it challenges us on how to think and deal with real-world issues,” said JT Henderson.

“Bourbon Street is a good example of how Transy connects to the community. I think that was a good location to put it,” stated junior August Term Scholar J.T. Henderson.

 

Bourbon Street is a connecting point between Transy’s campus and the north end of the Lexington community. There is an ongoing effort to appropriately encourage student interaction within the community.

“If we question all of these norms, it makes us value things even more. As far as the liberal arts, it challenges us on how to think and deal with real-world issues,” said Henderson.

Henderson also noted the motto: “Question everything. Accomplish anything,” to stress the importance of community engagement and its importance in a fulfilling liberal arts education.

Transylvania senior, Social Practice Art major and August Term Scholar Teddy Salazar shared her strong appreciation for the initiative’s ability to reflect contemporary societal issues in a collaborative artistic setting.

“I personally feel like the mission of the statement is to get people to start reflecting on the fears that they embody and project on other people,” said Salazar. “I believe that people who are racist or hateful towards people are that way because they are ignorant and afraid of these things they aren’t familiar with. And seriously, the unknown is scary. I respect and understand that. But once you are able to reflect on your own fears, you can try to learn about those things that make you afraid and maybe by becoming familiar with them, you aren’t as afraid.”

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The motto of the art project can be found in various places around Lexington, including Third Street Stuff & Coffee where this sign is located. Photo courtesy of Embry Ochs ’20.

The theme of “Unlearn Fear + Hate” being an integral part of the Transylvania experience puts its students one step closer to making a valuable impact in the world. Look for the “halos” that read “Unlearn Fear + Hate” around Lexington. One currently hangs upon the 21c Hotel, in close proximity to the controversial statues that illuminate America’s dark history that birthed the fear and hatred that is practiced today. Another hangs at the Village Branch Lexington Public Library, which provides an abundance of titles that have been translated to Spanish to accommodate for its growing Spanish-speaking population. The halo reads “borremos el miedo y el odio.”

Review: ‘Cursed Child’ offers nostalgia without substance

Judy Brumley
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Review: ‘Cursed Child’ offers nostalgia without substance

Die–hard fans of the Harry Potter book series had the chance to fall in love with the wizarding world all over again through the release of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child on July 31, which is also celebrated as Harry Potter’s birthday. This new story, which is actually presented as a play, tells the story of Harry, Ron, and Hermione’s lives post their ‘save the world from Voldemort’ mission. The cursed child known as Albus Severus Potter, or Harry Potter’s son, takes center stage of the book. We follow him throughout his bumpy journey through Hogwarts and his awkward relationship with his father throughout the two-part play.

It’s important to note that this story is not actually written by J.K. Rowling, the famous British writer who wrote the first seven books. It’s actually a script written by Jack Thorne. The concept of this story was actually developed by Rowling, Thorne, and John Tiffany. And while the play is an easy read that takes you back in time to the Harry Potter obsessed world we once were, it has its problems.

According to one tweeter, “Reading the new HP book also kinda feels like being seduced by an ex: warm + fuzzy + then you remember why things had to end + you’re left annoyed” (@kristiedash). As someone who has read all seven of the previous books and seen the movies, it was easy for me to understand all of the references to the original stories. However, for a reader who has no background knowledge of the series, it would be difficult to fully understand what it going on.

The other complication with the script is that the first half is nearly a repetition of the epilogue of the seventh book. Although the play is to be performed for an audience who may not have any background information, I found myself a little bored with the repetitiveness of the its beginning. It was the same old story we Harry Potter fans have all heard: Harry married Ginny and Ron married Hermione. The whole bit about all of their children heading off to Hogwarts together and the fear Harry’s son has of being sorted into Slytherin is repeated in the first part of the book.

Reading this script is a nice blast from the past but if you as a reader are expecting a new Harry Potter adventure, that’s not exactly what you’re going to get out of it. While there is some wizard action, Albus is at the center of that and Harry simply acts as a parental figure. It’s exciting to see Harry’s son discover the world, but the relationship between father and son in this story is a little frustrating. We all remember Harry as a hero who continually saved the wizarding world from eternal doom, but in his role as a father he is less victorious. Eventually Albus and Harry begin to mend their relationship, but Harry’s actions as a father are not really reflective of the heroic character we all know from the beloved novels.

However, for avid fans of the series and people who have read all of the novels, reading this script or seeing the play might serve as an exciting addition to the magical tales of Harry Potter. Still, it is important to keep in mind, as Rowling has said several times to her fans, “To be clear! The SCRIPT of #CursedChild is being published. #NotANovel #NotAPrequel” (@jk_rowling). This script is not a continuation of the original series, but rather a new story about Harry’s son, not Harry Potter himself.

 

Student Life undergoes restructure, staff changes

Megan Graft
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Student Life undergoes restructure, staff changes

The Office of Student Life looks a little different this year, reorganized under Dr. Holly Sheilley’s new position of Vice President for Enrollment and Student Life. Sheilley’s role encompasses Athletics, Student Life, Enrollment and Residence Life.

Previously, Enrollment was organized as a separate Vice President position, filled in interim last school year by Rhyan Conyers. There are now six total VP offices reporting to President Seamus Carey.

Returning students will see many familiar faces, but also plenty of new ones. Some of last year’s staff have moved positions, some have been newly hired at Transy, some have left positions and some have been let go.

“If you look at the position changes, some of those, from a budgetary standpoint, were what was best for the institution at the time,” said Sheilley. “And those are hard decisions.”

Throughout the staff transition process, the goal has been to create the most efficient and effective structure possible. To keep the campus as safe as possible, all students and staff members will be notified of this change and could be required to wear Student and Faculty ID badges, (learn more here), so all college personnel can be clearly identified by security. It will also enable everyone to learn the names of these new staff members too.

“A lot of times when someone leaves, even when it’s a career move for them, it gives you an opportunity to look at your structure… saying, ‘okay, what are things that we could do better, more efficiently, more effectively to meet our mission? And what does that look like?'” said Sheilley. We want everyone to be in the right roles so that they are happier. We are also considering bringing in a Workplace mentoring scheme so that staff can support and help each other to grow in confidence, this seems to be working brilliantly in other educational establishments.

Campus and Community Engagement

The Office of Student Involvement and Leadership, headed last school year by Director Shane McKee and Assistant Director Aaron Roberts, has been renamed and restructured as the Office of Campus and Community Engagement. Dr. Serenity Wright’s position of Associate Dean of Student Affairs, Diversity and International Student Experience oversees this office.

Notably, 2015-16 Acting Director of Sustainability Natasha Begin left her position as incoming Director of Campus and Community Engagement to take the position of Director of Service and Leadership at Bellarmine University in Louisville.

Starting Aug. 8, Hunter Williams was hired into the vacant position from Georgetown University, where she was Director of Campus Life.

“I’m very excited to be at Transylvania University and in this role,” said Williams. “Natasha and Serenity both have worked very hard to reshape and reorganize the direction of the office… I’m super excited to be a part of that and help move that forward. Natasha left some really big shoes to fill, but I’m definitely up to the challenge.”

“I really hate to see [Begin] go,” said Sheilley. “But I think we’re extremely lucky to have Hunter, who has lots of different experience from Natasha and Serenity.”

Williams oversees two positions: Assistant Directors of Campus Engagement and Community Engagement. Chelsea Barger Clements, who served last year as the Community Engagement Americorps VISTA, was hired into the Community Engagement role on July 25. Michelle Thompson was hired into the Campus Engagement role and started Sep. 1, one day before the student organization leadership conference headed by the office.

“Serenity put it as, ‘it’s going to be fast and furious,'” said Thompson. “I started on Thursday, the leadership conference started on Friday at dinner, so I had a day and a half to prepare… it’s kind of like a whirlwind. I’ve been here two weeks tomorrow, and I feel like I’m getting a grasp, but it’s my goal to learn my job and then do my job well. So, it takes time.”

Sheilley confirmed that Aaron Roberts was let go over the summer, but couldn’t comment further.

Residence Life

Hannah Piechowski returned in her role as Assistant Director of Residence Life, where she is currently the only one remaining of four staff members in that office. Bob Brown, former Associate Dean of Students, took a position as Director of Student Conduct and Community Standards at Eastern Kentucky University.

“Really it was just a big opportunity, so I applied for it and got the position,” said Brown. “It’s a really good position for my family and my career going forward.. it broadens my resume and opens more opportunities for me.”

Ashley (Gutshall) Hill was moved into the newly titled position of Director of Student Wellbeing, which replaces the Director of Health and Wellness position formerly held by Ashley Hinton-Moncer. Hinton-Moncer is now solely the Title IX coordinator.

Sheilley confirmed that Rainey Mason, former administrative assistant at back desk, was let go over the summer, but couldn’t comment further.

Dean of Students Michael Covert remains in his role, which oversees Residence Life and Student Wellbeing. Covert also oversees the Director of the Campus Center and Campus Minister, the latter position being yet unfilled.

Enrollment

Laura Rudolph was hired this year into the new role of director of enrollment communications. Ken Higgins is entering his second year as director of admissions. Sarah Guinn is returning in her role as assistant director and Johnnie Johnson in his role as director of multicultural recruitment and operations. All these positions report directly to Sheilley, rather than the old VP of Enrollment position.

The admissions office also recruited four new admissions counselors and two visit coordinators, all starting in the past calendar year.

Athletics

Mary Struckhoff started her role as senior associate athletic director on Aug. 1. Parviz Zartoshty and Keith Cecil are assistant directors reporting to Sheilley. The rest of athletics staff report to one of these three positions, except for sports medicine, which reports to Sheilley.

The Future of Student Life

Administrative roles in Enrollment and Student Life are far from being set in stone. Residence Life is currently hiring a director, after a search for a temporary director at the end of last school year produced a weak pool of candidates. While the search for a new campus nurse is ongoing, last year’s nurse Tracy Moore is helping out with part time hours. Brown’s associate dean position, under a different title and job description, will also be refilled.

Here’s how Transy should replace the 1780

Katie Tucker
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Here’s how Transy should replace the 1780

In an era of health apps, Fitbits, and calorie counting, many students are increasingly seeking out healthier dining options. The closure of the 1780 (the flatbread café in Thompson lobby) puts Transy in a unique situation to address this cultural shift and promote a healthier lifestyle among students. Though the 1780 was formerly one of the healthier options on campus, it should not be viewed as a loss but rather as an opportunity to improve the healthy dining options on campus.

Current dining options do not adequately provide enough healthy alternatives. While the Caf and Jazzman’s offer some healthy options, they are quite limited- unless you want to eat the same foods day in and day out. Vegetables and healthier options in the Caf are packed with sodium and restrictive for students seeking vegetarian or vegan diets, while Jazzman’s only offers a limited selection of salads and sandwiches during lunch hour. These options are certainly a better choice than eating the fried options at the Raf, but leave something to be desired for students seeking organic, vegetarian, or truly healthy options.

Transy should open- or persuade Sodexo to open- a fresh, healthy dining option to replace the 1780 and help students achieve their health goals. There is a serious lack of variety of fresh fruit on campus, and having a venue that sold fresh fruit at a reasonable price would be a more convenient alternative to expensive store-bought fruit. More salad, sandwich, wrap, hummus, and yogurt options consolidated into one place with a side of fresh fruit would be alluring to many students seeking healthier options. Fruit smoothies and nuts would be welcome additions as well for healthier snacking. These options would also provide great opportunities to connect Transy with the local farmers and support local food sources. Recent efforts to break the Transy bubble and buy local have emerged on campus, and creating a steady partnership with the local community through food service is a sure way both to involve and enrich the local area. If we are serious about expanding into the community beyond the campus’ borders, we first must bring the local community into our borders and create mutually beneficial partnerships with them- and fresh food can help bridge that gap.

I recognize that a healthy dining option would require a more extensive budget and additional upkeep, but fostering healthy choices on campus has ramifications beyond satisfying a generational fad. The eating habits and choices students make in college have a direct impact on their health for the remainder of their lives. Besides immediate weight changes, eating habits in college strongly impact eating habits later in life, as well as can promote or discourage exercise. Eating healthy offers the immediate benefits of sustained energy and better physical performance. A 2012 study published in Applied Physiology, Nutrition and Metabolism found that nearly 70 percent of college students gain weight before graduation, and the average weight gained is 12 pounds. Maintaining or losing weight in college is no easy task, and Transylvania should do everything in their power to aid students by equipping them with proper nutrition.  The school has invested plenty of money in the athletic and exercise portion of health with the newly upgraded athletic facilities, and the same importance should be placed on diet.

Though many students do not feel a need to eat healthy- and that is certainly their prerogative- those who want to be healthy should not be deterred from their mission nor feel constrained by the food options. Replacing the 1780 with a new, healthy option would diversify and strengthen the dining options at Transy. Transy needs to stay competitive in keeping up with student needs if Transy is to continue attracting high-caliber students. Plus, given that most students pay for a meal plan, they should be able to find healthy alternatives to get the greatest value for their money. The high price of room and board should cover not just foods students find acceptable, but also a reasonable variety and value of food. Best of all, a healthy venue would return a dining option to Thompson lobby without the overpowering smell and hazy smoke of the 1780.

A look in to college football: week 2 and what you need to know for week 3

Logan Fogle
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A look in to college football: week 2 and what you need to know for week 3

Well, week two of college football is in the books, and as far as most college football fans were concerned, this week was supposed to be a snoozer. For the first time since 2012, there were no top 25 match-ups on the schedule, meaning that no top 25 ranked team played another top 25 ranked team. If fans were asked to pick a week not to watch college football, this probably would have been it. However, if we were sleeping on this week of college football, we sure as heck woke up Friday night during the University of Louisville vs. Syracuse game.

The quarterback for the Louisville Cardinals, Lamar Jackson, who was already coming off an eight-touchdown game in week one, only added to his impressive resume for this season. He cashed in for five more total touchdowns against a lackluster Syracuse defense, and set a school record for total yards in a game with 605. He was one rushing yard off from being the first QB in NCAA football history to pass for 400 yards and rush for 200 yards (he finished the day with 411 passing yards, 199 rushing yards). He earned NCAA college football offensive player of the week honors for the second week in a row, becoming only the second college player to win this award in two consecutive weeks since the award was introduced in 2004. Can you say Heisman candidate? UofL won easily, 62 to 28. This will give them momentum heading into a big test against number 2 ranked Florida State. The number 10 ranked Cards look to cash in on this historic matchup, which has already been selected by the popular college football pregame show known as College GameDay as the game of the week.

Andrew Hebert, sports writer for the University of Louisville student paper, stated about the play of Jackson, “It’s only been two games, and the opponents were subpar, but Lamar Jackson’s play has been nothing short of spectacular. He’s already breaking records and he’s only a sophomore.” When I asked about the energy around UofL’s campus heading into this weekend and the Florida State game, he answered, “Campus definitely has an increased energy right now, especially with College GameDay coming to town for the first time. It’s been way too long since we’ve had a Top Ten matchup in Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium.” I will be putting this as my game to watch for the upcoming week, and I will be making the trip to Louisville to watch the Cards play in person. Tune in on ABC at noon on Saturday to watch these college football Goliaths battle it out. This is about as must watch of a game as you will ever get.

As if this was not already enough to turn your head about last week, there was another record broken for attendance at a college football game. Bristol Motor Speedway in Bristol, Tennessee played host for the Virginia Tech Hokies against the Tennessee Volunteers in a game that ended in a blowout win for the Volunteers 45 to 24. The game drew over 156,000 fans, smashing the previous record of 117,000. Transy’s very own Celia Kline was able to make the trip down to Bristol to be a part of the record-breaking audience. When asked about her experience, she stated, “The atmosphere was amazing and something I’ve never experienced before. There were crazy football fans everywhere and a certain energy that all 156,000 people brought.”

In news closer to home, the UK Wildcats suffered a 45 to 7 blowout loss to the Florida Gators. They drop to 0-2, and head into a winnable game against New Mexico State this Saturday at 4 p.m.

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