Campus Life
Sodexo staff add personality to students’ dining experience. See page 2
The
Rambler
April 14, 2016 • VOL. 98, ISSUE 23
In this Issue Campus Life Dickinson leaves, Religious Life undergoes change
Transylvania University • Lexington, Ky. • transyrambler.com • (859) 233-8315
Forrer courtyard pinwheels raise awareness of child abuse this April
ETC. Caption game by Rambler staff Opinion Editors issue end of the year thoughts
A&E Rhapsody in Blue Concert Feature
MEGAN GRAFT
Sports Men’s tennis struggles in opening matches
April is national child abuse awareness month. The blue pinwheels in Forrer courtyard are representative of childhood innocence that is taken away in cases of child abuse. Junior Anna Brailow is shown above partaking in the event.
Gearon voted student government president in runoff election Megan Graft
mjgraft18@transy.edu
After a runoff election was held between incoming senior Hussain Siddiqi and incoming junior Joseph Gearon from Wednesday, Apr. 6 to Friday, Apr. 8, Gearon was voted in as the TU Student Government Association’s president for the 2016-2017 school year. “I’m very excited about the opportunities of being SGA president,” said Gearon. “I look forward most notably, of course, to be able to do some of the things that I talked about and trying to implement some more communication bridges between different organizations on campus.” Siddiqi accepted Gearon’s win reluctantly but without protest. “It’s unfortunate that I didn’t win, but it’s an election,” said Siddiqi. “The students voted, and they picked whoever they thought best represented themselves. Hopefully Joey will do a good job of representing the student body.” Around 425 students
from the first-year, sophomore and junior classes voted in the election, a little over 50 percent. This number stayed consistent in both the original election and the runoff election. According to SGA Elections Chair Ryan Hanson, senior, the process went rather smoothly. “Last year we had a few issues that kept delaying the release of the polls and the ability to get the information out after all the results were in,” wrote Hanson in an email. “This year we had a very structured timeline for information and made sure to inform people of the results as soon as possible.” Siddiqi, Gearon and sophomore Chloe Hunt originally ran for president in the first election. No candidate received 50 percent of the total votes, but it was reported by students that Gearon led Siddiqi by a close margin. The official tally of votes in the runoff election was not released, but incumbent SGA president Quentin Becker referred to it in an email as
an “extremely comfortable margin.” Without the need for a runoff election, sophomore Claire Gardner was elected Vice President, first-year Daniel Cooper was elected Chief of Staff and junior Cole Green was re-elected Chief of Finance. 2016-17 will be Green’s third year in that office. Gardner, who was originally on the presidential ticket, decided to switch to the vice presidential ticket the day before the ballots were sent out via email, running against the only other VP candidate sophomore Katie Tucker. Gearon feels that his cabinet consists of widely different, yet balanced personalities. “Claire and I are very different, but I don’t think that’s a bad thing,” said Gearon. “[I’m] more analytic and perhaps cynical, while Claire can be seen as more optimistic and willing to adapt to different things... I think that the two of us working together will cover each other's faults while augmenting our strengths.”
Gearon said that Cooper, who is also his fraternity little, will expand the Chief of Staff’s role to encompass a communication network outside SGA rather than just within it. “I might as well be sixty years old, and Cooper acts like he’s five when it comes to energy capacity,” said Gearon. “I think he’ll bring new vigor to the Chief of Staff position.” Gearon looks forward to working with the senate as well, seeing that many of the candidates for next year share his goal of better communication. He hopes that many of this year’s senators will be re-elected, including Siddiqi. “I really, really hope [Siddiqi] stays and continues for the next year,” said Gearon. “One thing that I think would be devastating to SGA and the campus community at large is if Hussain stopped doing what he’s already doing.” Siddiqi has in fact returned on the ballot for a fourth reelection, bringing enthusiasm and plenty of
plans for next year, particularly in advocating for Greek housing and building relationships with new administration members. While Gearon has already been approached from students with suggestions - his favorite being realigning the flower “T” on Haupt lawn - tangible changes are not Gearon’s focus. “As president, my goal is to provide a framework to things behind what becomes tangible in academic and student affairs,” said Gearon. “Most people would see me communicating with their student organizations, and since the majority of the student population is involved in at least one thing, that’s their first tangible outreach with me, with my outreaching to them.” SGA’s relationship with organizations is the foundation of Gearon’s vision, so he seeks to strengthen them by making sure each one has leadership and membership. “There are particular organizations… that they simply take up space on the registry,” said Gearon. “I
want to be able to clean up that directory.” Gearon also wants to strengthen the liaison system used by current president Becker. “The positivity [Becker] brings and giving people a new outlet of connection is something that I hope to continue, not necessarily change,” said Gearon. “But it will have to change based on what my vision is for SGA in the sense that they’re not just generic connections with liaisons and whatnot, they’re more focused on organizations.” Current president Becker is confident about Gearon’s succession. “Joey I am sure will dazzle the administration and the student body with his powerful intellect and analytical ability,” he said in an email. “My hope for Joey is that he stays true to himself and remembers why he sought the presidency in the first place: to serve others and not himself. If he does that, there's nothing his intelligence, drive, and energy cannot achieve.”
“It started when I was at my prior job. I wrote various articles and the Communications Department arranged to have them published with the Huffington Post,” said Carey. When Carey publishes a piece, he focuses on which audience will be interested in what he has to say. This is especially true as the article was in response to the resignation of President Newman over a contentious student newspaper story. “They reach different audiences. The audience for Inside Higher Ed is more narrow than the Huffing-
ton Post. The piece was more appropriate for Inside Higher Ed,” said Carey, “Huffington Post pieces are intended for a broader audience.” Some presidents of universities publish op-ed pieces in the media, but not all of them write for the same reasons. Carey pointed to both enjoyment and the importance of such events to the campus for commenting on the issues he does. “I like to write, and it is something I wish I had time to do more of. It is a way to keep me active while talking about something I believe is
important for Transylvania and for liberal education in general,” said Carey. In the current article, Carey pointed to a person’s history within the education field as one of the important takeaways from the situation at Mount St. Mary’s that will help Transylvania. “I think it is a really dangerous trend in higher ed that people are being hired to run schools who have no background in our industry,” said Carey. “It seems to me to be such a clear example of how it goes wrong. I thought it was an opportunity to send out a broader message
about that issue since I was involved with that group directly. It was an opportunity to share something that I feel strongly about.” Carey believes that writing for these publications are ways to promote the value of a liberal arts education, amidst the media that tends to be against the liberal arts. “I think it is important to talk about liberal arts in the public forum. Most of us at Transylvania understand why we are here,” said Carey. “There is such a strong current in the media against what we do. It is important
for us to recognize and talk about the value of a liberal arts education.” A lot of the inspiration for Carey’s articles comes from his pride for what Transylvania does in the liberal arts. “Transylvania has a really strong identity as liberal arts school so I feel empowered to write pieces like this one because of our strong liberal arts identity,” said Carey. “I feel like I am speaking out of the spirit of the school and reaching an audience to understand what a special place Transylvania is.”
Carey’s recently published article focuses on value of liberal arts Madison Crader mrcrader18@transy.edu
On March 10 of this year, President Seamus Carey posted an article on Inside Higher Ed that discussed promoting student identities and the issues that occur when students are reduced to statistics within higher education. Carey is an active writer in publications such as the Huffington Post and Inside Higher Ed. Most recently, an article written by Carey in response to the resignation of President Simon Newman of Mount St. Mary’s University.
Find The Rambler online at www.transyrambler.com. Single Copy Free
Campus Life
Page 2
Faculty, students share stories at “Transy Talks”
April 14, 2016
Dickinson leaves, Religious Life undergoes change Emily Dent
NATASSJA WOODRUM
emdent19@transy.edu
To conclude the Transy Talks event held in the Pit in Mitchell Fine Arts Center, Dr. Nichols, professor of psychology, gives a short speech on the importance of perspective in life using his photograph of an elegant seagull which he later noticed was caught mid-poop once he had the picture blown up to mural size.
Sodexo staff adds personality to students’ dining experience rkelamin19@transy.edu
Too often we forget to show appreciation for those that we rely on most. It’s obvious that food is important to our survival, but how often do we think about the people that provide it for us? Vital members of the Transy community, the Sodexo staff, work to make everyone’s’ dining experience the best it can be. Ms. Pat, who has nourished Transy for 45 years, began working at Transy when she was sixteen years old, after learning about the job from a neighbor who was a cook at the time. Initially being responsible for preparing salads, Ms. Pat now spends her time creating delicious masterpieces in the kitchen. “I like cooking,” responded Ms. Pat, when asked about her favorite aspect of her job. During her long commitment to Transy, Ms. Pat has witnessed many positive things. “I’ve been here a long time. There have been a lot of nice students,” said Ms. Pat. “I’ve known Don Lane since he was a little bitty boy,” she added. Ms. Pat also shared that when she began working at Transy, students had to dress formally in order to enter the Caf. They were seated and served a full-course meal at each dinner service. For the past nineteen years, Ms. Helen, another Transy family member, has remained committed to
the nourishment and success of the Transy community. She came to Transy after ending a career at the Veteran Affairs Hospital. “I just enjoy working with people,” said Ms. Helen. Starting out as a dishwasher, Ms. Helen says that she has done everything but cook. Like Ms. Helen, Christian Nichols (‘19), started as a dishwasher, in the Caf. Balancing work and the typically excessive Transy class workload, Nichols stated, “It seems like the workers really value someone who goes to school and also works a part-time job, so it makes me more excited about what I am doing, because they’re so supportive.” Nichols also shared that the staff is flexible with him due to him attending school. The first year student says that he is more appreciative of the work that staff do. “They work hard,” he added. Nichols said that his favorite food, that Transy offers, is Creamy Basil Tomato Soup with cheese and mushrooms. Sodexo allows students to choose from a variety of venues. A morning favorite, Jazzman’s, is sure to get Transy off to a good start. This is heavily due to Ms. Erica’s zest. “My favorite part about my job is some of the students,” said Ms. Erica. For nine years Ms. Erica has worked in Jazzman’s. During that time she has explored with mixing different flavors, creating what
Stress Fest Schedule: April 14: Tranquility Jars, Heated Socks, and Crafting Night in Campus Center (5:00 - 7:00) April 15: Skating Event in Campus Center (8:00 10:00) RAAZIQ EL-AMIN
Raaziq El-Amin
Recently the Associate Dean of religious life, Wilson Dickinson, resigned from his position here at Transy. On a day to day basis, Wilson’s position included “promoting spiritual development and reflection, aiding social awareness on campus, was the chaplain for the campus community, advised student religious organizations, and was the liaison between the university and the various religious bodies of Central Kentucky,” said sophomore Riley Bresnahan, intern in the Office of Religious Life. As an intern, Bresnahan said that part of her job is to program “events that encourage deep and meaningful reflection while creating spaces for interfaith dialogue through events such as Theology on Tap, Quiet Quarter, and What Matters to Me and Why.” Bresnahan explained that, to her, “this job is all about exploration of concepts, values, and ways of being in the world that serve to humanize and forge citizens outside of the classroom.” According to Bresnahan, Dickinson, alongside the work he did, also “would work with students directly counseling and advising with faith.” However, Dean Covert, who is serving as “the temporary Wilson,” has advised the Office of Religious Life interns that Transy is interested in hiring a campus minister. Professor Paul Jones, who helped with the selection and hir-
ing of Dickinson, stated, “I hope my experience can assist the president and his staff as they envision how the religious life position can best serve the needs of the campus community.” “I don’t know what the role will look like or what the process to find that individual will be,” said Bresnahan. However, for the future of Transy’s religious life, Bresnahan hopes to see the interns expanding their “role to help students off campus find religious communities and places of worship outside of Transy if they’re interested.” Bresnahan plans for this to help “‘pop the Transy bubble’, but also encourages and aids individuals in self-discovery.” In addition to this, Bresnahan and the rest of Transy’s religious life would like to see “the office increase its campus presence” in order for it become more accessible and helpful in creating a positive campus. Bresnahan explains that the Office of Religious Life isn’t “an office interested in converting you to a particular faith, pointing you towards certain practices, or pushing you towards any religion at all. It is about universal values and helping people find a way to live those values for themselves.” Bresnahan and the rest of the office hope to show this throughout campus and promote their goals of being inclusive and inter-faith in order to guide the community in finding a way to live a fulfilling life with value.
Sophomore Ellie New and first-year Brenna D’Amico pose with the much-loved Sodexo worker Montez.
she calls the “Sunset Passion.” The smoothie consist of a mix of Peach, Mango, and Strawberry. She recommends everyone try it. In recognition for her hard work, Ms. Erica received the Supporter for the Year Award, given to staff by students, for the 2014 and 2015 school year. “That should tell you how Ms. Erica operates the Jazzman,” said Ms. Erica. She has seen Sodexo change a lot, especially in the options students have. “With more gluten and nut free options, it is obvious that Sodexo is trying to accommodate everyone,” said Ms. Erica. “Come to Jazzman’s and visit Ms. Erica,” she concluded.
Call it what you will, “The 1780” or “The 80,” Sandella’s provides students with latenight fuel. After two years of being a part of the Transy Community, Montez continues to keep students energized in the evening hours. Like Ms. Erica, Montez is always prepared to make students smile. He has also developed a unique addition to the menu, called “The Tez Rice Bowl,” which is his favorite dish from Sandella’s. When not at work, Montez enjoys spending time with his two dogs: a Poodle named Lucky and a Jack Russell named Ray. His advice to students is to “get [their] education.”
April 16: Cocoa and Canvas Night in Campus Center Gym (8:00 - 10:00) April 17: Massages, S’mores, Coffee, Tea, and Fruit Bar in Campus Center (1:00 - 5:00) April 18: Brinner (9:00) April 19: Canine Playtime in Campus Center Gym (11:30 1:30) April 20: Infused Water and Healthy Snacks in Glenn Building (11:30 - 1:30)
Page 3
Etcetera
Photo Projections for the 2016-2017 School Year at Transylvania
April 14, 2016
Life Guards wanted For LFUCG public pools. If interested, please contact Scott Sheets at 859-288-2974 or email at ssheets@lexingtonky.gov. Pay starts at $8.75 an hour. 38-40 hours a week.
Next Year’s Raf Meal Equivalency
A Typical Transy Senior on a Monday Morning
Opinion
Page 4
Final thoughts and challenges to The Rambler Tyler Lega tjlega18@transy.edu
This is the last issue with this year’s Rambler team, and I can say that time has flown by. I remember publishing my first issue as the Opinion editor and the power and prestige I felt within my writing. However, as the year goes by my column feels more and more normal with each word and idea that I bring to the table. Yet, that does not change the fact that I continue to write for this paper in order to challenge our campus community in engaging with topics that they otherwise would not. I know that I have not provided the best writing or ideas for each of my columns and I would like to apologize to the campus for that. Some weeks I am busier
and causes for a sloppier column, but that should not stop us from engaging in tough conversations. I hope that within the next year The Rambler does not remain at status quo but works instead to make productive and proactive changes for both itself and the community around it. In order for this paper to grow we have to have support from the community around us. I understand that this paper is often the buttend of a joke, and I am not asking for that to stop. I also understand that at times this paper does not publish the best content. However, in order to move forward we have to have dedicated editors and writers and I am sure that there are plenty of those within the Transylvania community. The Rambler has a mission of getting news and ideas out to the campus, and we will make sure that we are constantly doing that. Yet, at the same time we want to make sure that we are doing it in the best way. With that being said -- if you have any questions or concerns about The Rambler please do not hesitate to let us know. We can only grow as a publication if we receive
feedback on the areas we need to improve on. You can email us at rambler@transy. edu. I know that I have issued many challenges to the campus, students, faculty, or staff throughout this past year. However, I issue my last challenge as an internal one. Internal meaning The Rambler and all of the people who work hard each week in order to produce it. I challenge each of us to help take The Rambler to a new level this next school year, and to provide the campus with the news and information they need in order to begin a discussion on the important things around campus. With this challenge in place I hope myself and the rest of The Rambler staff can live up to it within this next school year. I have enjoyed writing for all of you thus far, and I look forward to continuing to write for all of you. Thank you.
April 14, 2016
Editor thanks Transy, Rambler staff Megan Graft mjgraft18@transy.edu
Dear campus, The Rambler exists in a relationship with you. We want to be your campus newspaper, to actively involve you in our stories. When you pick up the paper, we want you to connect with something: a photo of your friend, a story about your club, a letter to the editor about an issue you care about. We want you to feel written into the story, whether you’re a trustee, an administrator, a staff member, a faculty member, an alum or a student. This can’t happen without a loop between campus and campus news. And because of that, I want to thank all of you. Thank you for every time I saw you on a bench
in Haupt or at a booth in the Raf with a copy of The Rambler open in front of you. Thank you for joining conversations about our stories. Thank you for all the emails and comments on our stories, critical or praising. Thank you for accepting it when you saw me with my hood up and headphones in, mouthing Paramore songs as I ran my paper route on the perimeter of campus every Thursday. Thank you for not judging me for jamming to Paramore. Thank you for your patience whenever we screwed up. And thank you for every response to our requests for interviews, photos and even photoshoots. We wouldn’t be the Transy Rambler without Transy. I also want to send a big THANK YOU to my team of editors and writers for the hours of hard work they put in every week to produce The Rambler. Without them, Transylvania wouldn’t get the news that’s so very niched to its concerns and its story. They’re the reason I treat production day like a weekly holiday. Team, all of you are very important to me and to campus. And on an added note, I want you to
know that all those times I ignored your existence on production night were not intentional. A big farewell salute also goes to Tyler Young, our adviser of three years, for his always-accessible expertise. Thank you for encouraging me to take charge and make big decisions on my own. Finally, I want to send a special thank you to Dave Neri. Without your sage wisdom and ever calming presence, I may have disintegrated into a nervous pile of hang-ups and typos long ago. I’m going to miss you, and I wish you the biggest of successes at the Scripps School of Journalism. The Rambler is here to chronicle the story of Transylvania, and we invite you to be a part of it. Next year, you’ll be seeing a lot more of us. Let’s write a success story! Blessings, Megan EIC
Time for our last Transy Rambler poll of the year!
News?
Campus Life?
ETC?
Sports?
Opinion?
A&E?
Cast your vote at TransyRambler.com!
U.S. foreign policy should remain as interest Tristan Reynolds tpreynolds19@transy.edu
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon recently issued a statement regarding the escalating violence and threat of civil war in Burundi. There is apparently the threat of civil war in Burundi. Burundi is a country in central Africa, bordering Rwanda. Only a decade ago did it reach a peace deal resulting from a long and exceedingly bloody civil war. It is this not-sosettled civil war which is the cause of the recent spate of violence. This violence is apparently on a rather large scale. The UN has set up camps in the neighboring DRC, Rwanda, and Tanzania, where over 250,000 refugees are currently (and theoretically temporarily) settled. African Union forces are debating deployments around and within the country. For a point of comparison, the total death toll of Iraqi civilians in 1991 (before and during the Gulf Storm operations) is believed to be only 230,000 at the greatest. So why has the UN not heatedly debated the sending of tanks to central Africa? At the risk of essentialising a complex phenomenon, the reason seems obvious: the US, which was the
driving force behind the UN intervention in Iraq, has no strategic interest in Burundi. Because the US has no strategic interest in Burundi, the US is not overly concerned with violence in Burundi. The US has no incentive to either push the UN to intervene, or to intercede itself. Whereas the US was and is rather fond of Iraqi oil. So that’s the strategic calculus. No US interest, no US intervention. But what about the moral calculus? After all, our Nobel Peace Prize-winning President often speaks of the need to uphold human rights abroad. Former Sec. Clinton somewhat famously declared that women’s rights are human rights. Sen. McCain regularly demands that the US protect this or that group (recently the Kurds and Yazidi), and even the military leadership speaks to the need to wage war humanely. Surely some moral imperative demands that the US, as the world’s last superpower, uses its tremendous power and stunning influence to, if not promote human rights abroad, at least act against massive crimes against human rights and dignity. But obviously we are not acting in Burundi. We
did not act in Rwanda for far too long—ditto Kosovo, ditto the Mideast when Daesh began its war crimes against the Yazidi, ditto Cambodia, ditto China, ditto Nigeria and Biafra. The violation of human rights is not, and never has been, the primary or even a primary factor driving US policy. The US consistently, as a matter of policy, emphasizes human rights only when it is convenient to US interests to do so. If you doubt this, ask the Iraqi people, ask the people of Chile, and ask the people of Palestine how they see it. Human rights have only ever ben incidental to US foreign policy. As they should be. The fundamental goal of any nation’s policy is to further the interests of the state and the people abroad. Oftentimes, as in the case of the US and Iraq, this means securing material resources. Sometimes it means political stability, as when the US propped up the Pinochet regime. Sometimes it simply means a policy of containment, as with Cuba and the USSR; and sometimes it means rapprochement, again as with Cuba. Sometimes US interests align with human rights, and sometimes they don’t.
It is irrelevant to US interests whether the people of Chile are treated well; it is extremely relevant to US interests whether a destabilizing civil war in South America breaks out. We elect our leaders, and we elect them to serve our interests—to our interests domestically and US interests abroad. And our domestic interest is in cheap clothing, and so the US’ foreign interest is decidedly not in enforcing anti-sweatshop and anti-forced labor provisions in Bangladesh or India or China. Doing so would damage US interests, and that is exactly contrary to the entire point of having a foreign policy in the first place. It is of course possible to argue that supporting dictators like Pinochet actually damages US interests. And this may be entirely correct. But this argument betrays the point— the focus of US policy is US interests. US interests are not synonymous with human rights. The US has no interest in Burundi, and so crimes against the people of Burundi hold not interest to the US. Nor should they. Burundi has to sort itself out.
Letter to the Editor Dear Rambler Staff, My comments concerning upcoming renovations within Rosenthal and Poole residence facilities were misinterpreted in the issue published last week. I want to clarify what is slated for spring 2017 for these facilities. No major facilities changes in Rosenthal or Poole are currently anticipated. Instead, regular maintenance, repairs and painting normally
Sincerely,
Michael Covert Interim Vice-President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students
Letters to the Editor Letters should be: No more than 400 words. The Rambler reserves the right to cut letters to the editor to fit our length requirements, and we may edit your letters to fix grammar or spelling mistakes. Signed, with contact information. Full name and telephone number or e-mail address is needed. Letters must be original. We will not accept form letters.
Send your letters to: rambler@transy.edu
Rambler
The
What is your favorite page on The Rambler?
performed by our physical plant during summer months will be accelerated to occur in the spring. This will hold true if the current construction timeline and campus plan allow us to move residents out of those facilities. If there are further questions, please contact me directly.
Editor-in-Chief........................................................Megan Graft Managing Editor..........................................................David Neri News Editor........................................................Madison Crader Campus Life Editor...............................................Aaron Martin ETC Editor.....................................................Matthew Thornton OpinionEditor.................................................................Tyler Lega A&E Editor......................................................Natassja Woodrum Sports Editor.........................................................Lance Antoine Copy Editor...................................................................Isaac Batts Adviser..........................................................................Tyler Young
Sports
Page 5
April 14, 2016
TRANSYLVANIA UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS
Tennis team rallies for conference win
Senior Rob Albrecht carefully positions himself for a successful serve return in the Pioneers’ second home match against conferencre rival and powerhouse Hanover College this past week.
Lance Antoine alantoine19@transy.edu
The Transylvania men’s tennis team kicked off their spring season all the way back in late February with multiple strong opponents, facing Piedmont, Sewanee, Le Tourneau, and Mobile. Hitting the ground running into a challenging and engaging season, the veteran team struggled to get wins in some close matches. All of the team’s opponents happened to be out of conference opponents, but losing still never looks good on the overall record. Luckily for the Pioneers, the team’s seems to have found their groove when it comes to in conference play. Transy’s
first conference game was against Defiance at home, and the Pioneers took the matches in a landslide victory. The most impressive match of the day came from Senior Rob Albrecht’s sweep of set against James Demeo. Demeo would not be put down without a fight though, as he volleyed very consistently with a lot of power behind his shot, but in the end Albrecht was just too much and would come out on top. One of the obvious key weapons for Albrecht on the court was his speed, and his ability to utilize it to give him near perfect positioning throughout the entirety of the match. In doubles, Albrecht would near duplicate his
singles performance with a strong showing from his partner Zachary Meikle ‘16. The duo appeared to play circles around a tired Defiance team, as the Pioneers would sweep the sets to take the match. “Team Chemistry is high with us and we’re really all enjoying that and feeding off one another” said Sam Hodgson who credited his sweep to the support of his athletic partner Senior Josh Buckman. The third and final doubles match came to an end with an impressive 8-2 win from Sophomores Reza Haider and Luke Groene. Meikle would then play solo where he would grind out a 6-3, 6-3 pair of wins. Beckman too
would then go solo where he would wind down the day with a 6-1, 6-0 duo of wins to secure the win for the Pioneers. Hodgson and Eric Sandknop would then go on to win single matches as well rounding out the complete sweep for Transylvania over the Defiance College Yellow Jackets. The Pioneers would next face conference rival Hanover in a close 5-4 victory. The dynamic duo of Hodgson and Buckman would be victorious yet again as a doubles match, and then both performed very well in singles as well to grab crucial points for the Pioneers. “We had a big match tonight and ended up pulling it out in the end,
but we’re going to keep working and practicing” said Hodgson. This time around Groene would find a new partner in Dylan Connor, but the results would remain the same as the pair would come out with a 8-5 win. The key match would come from Buckman’s single bout against Hanover’s Clark. The final blow came from Hodgson when he won 7-6, and 7-5 in his two set win. “I feel like this season so far is so good we’re undefeated in the conference and the team we beat was one of the other top conference teams. Our doubles, and team overall are starting to play really well together” said Hodgson after the huge
win. First year player summed up the season so far in a very well spoken manner. “We worked so hard in pre-season and pre-conference play,” said First-Year Brandon Stofleth “It’s really nice to see all the hard work pay off against conference teams. We have a hard schedule coming up, but if we keep playing like we are and the veterans continue to supply great leadership I feel like we have a good shot to play for a conference title. Our win over Hanover was huge and it keeps us in the top two spots for the conference”. The Pioneers play conference foe Anderson at home on Saturday the 16.
Lance Antoine alantoine19@transy.edu
On April 2, the track and field team traveled to Danville to compete in the Centre Invitational. To nobody’s surprise, Jordin Fender put on a spectacular show for all to see, as the sophomore blew away the competition as she coasted to what looked like an easy victory in the women’s 100 meter hurdles. Not a team short of first year talent, the track continued to impress, with freshman Jake Erpenbeck’s 11.38 finish in the 100 meter dash snagging a bronze medal. He would also fly to a 23.72 second finish in the 200 meter dash. Continuing the freshmen winnings was Malik Jackson who managed to jump 12.93 meters in the triple jump event, which was good enough for third place and a school record. Jackson would also land a 5.91 meter hop in the long jump. The 4x100 meter relay would be anchored with a solid showing by Jordin Fender, Olivia Kee, Shelby Auxier, and Savannah Hemmer. Then on April 9, the team would travel to the University of the
Cumberlands. The meet started with a literal bang, as the school’s women’s hammer throw record was shattered by Taylor Sanders. Sanders would earn a fourth place finish with her 39.24 meter launch. Another school record was shattered by Kyle Sprague who’s 35:49.29 time in the 10,000 meter dash was good to place. Even Reister set a personal record with his 2:05.53 showing in the men’s 800 meter event. Erpenbeck would place fourth in the 100 meter dash in this week’s meet. Malik Jackson would boast another great week in the long jump, measuring in at 5.56 meters. The women’s 4x100 team would remain the same as the last meet, only they would place first with a 50.43 second finish. Keep would then place third in the 400 meter hurdles as well. “With the cold weather and strong winds, it wasn’t the most ideal conditions for a meet, but the team pulled through and performed well” said Kee. The team is back in action as they travel to Centre again on Friday 15.
TRANSYLVANIA UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS
Track team shines despite obstacles
Transylvania University runners have shined individually and as teams the past few weeks despite diverse track season weather.
A&E
Page 6
April 14, 2016
NATASSJA WOODRUM
Concert Band and Jazz Ensemble pack houses at respective end-of-year music performances
Transylvania’s Concert Band plays feverously through the grand finale of their Winter Term concert, Rhapsody in Blue, along with Dr. Partain as a guest piano soloist.
Natassja Woodrum nwoodrum18@transy.edu
Dr. Hawkins with their own sive improvisation. small gift. After all the talk, “It was so awesome to laughter, and inside jokes listen to him incorporate shared with the audience, the Beethoven improv afthe band took a moment to ter he had just played his rearrange the stage in Hag- Beethoven series,” junior gin in order to accommodate oboe player Megan Graft the enormous said, referring black and to the moment It was so awesome gold grand of “Fur Elise” piano played to listen to him incorPartain played by Dr. Par- porate the Beethoven during one of tain. As soon improv after he had just his solos. Earas everyone lier in the seplayed his Beethoven mester, Partain was situated again, the series. had played a band was fi-Megan Graft series of connally able to titled Junior certs show off their “Beethoven’s hard work in Odessey.” By the grand finale: Rhapsody the end of the performance, in Blue. Dr. Partain was the students were drained featured on the piano and but grinning, proud of their played several solos, some final concert of the semester. of which included impresTransylvania’s Jazz En-
semble is a group of students that meet outside of class time to learn and play jazz music with a pair of enthusiastic directors. Throughout the performance, each student was featured at least once in a piece with an improvised solo – a traditional part of playing jazz music. There were a few smooth jazz pieces in the performance such as “Freddie Freeloader” by famous jazz musician Miles Davis or the very familiar “My Favorite Things”, a popular jazz adaptation of the song originally from the musical “The Sound of Music”. Other songs played include “Summertime” by Du Bose Heyward and George Gershwin, “I Can’t Get Started” by Ira Gershwin and Vernon
Duke, “Come On, Come Over” by Jaco Pastorious and Bob Herzog and “Cute” by Neal Hefti and Stanley Styne. The small – yet large, in comparison to other jazz ensembles – group finished the show off with an energetic and proverbial performance of “When the Saints Go Marching In” including whistling, eager solos and even a sing-along. With exams right around the corner, these band students have been working hard to balance academics and music, but if this week was any indication, they’re all doing a pretty fantastic job.
NATASSJA WOODRUM
NATASSJA WOODRUM
Transylvania’s Music Department has had a good week. In addition to the end of the winter semester, senior recitals of Ashley Montgomery and Vivian Tsai, Transylvania’s Concert Band performed their greatly anticipated concert featuring Rhapsody in Blue with Dr. Partain on Apr. 8 while the Jazz Ensemble played their last concert of the year in Coleman on Apr. 12. Both concerts had quite large turn outs; Dr. Hawkins even mentioned so as he addressed the audience before he took a few moments to praise the seniors that will be graduating at the end of the year and moving on to
bigger and better things. Just as well, a whopping two extra rows of chairs was needed to support the overflowing audience enjoying the jazz music of the small music group in Coleman. The Concert Band’s performance started with a few pieces following the genre of Rhapsody in Blue. One of the pieces was a fun and familiar percussion feature which was performed just in front of the stage playfully. Dr. Hawkins then took a moment to address the audience; thanking them for coming and explaining the theme of the night’s concert. Once Dr. Hawkins finished commemorating his senior students and giving out the band’s annual awards, the seniors in turn presented
The grand black and gold piano played by Dr. Partain during Rhapsody in Blue.
NATASSJA WOODRUM
Dr. Hawkins and the Concert Band take a bow after they finish the first piece of the night, an arrangement of Bach’s Toccata and Fugue.
Transy’s Jazz Ensemble stand to enthusiastic applause after performing a jazzed-up sing-along of the classic “When The Saints Go Marching In,” the finale of their last performance of the year.