Merry Christmas

Hey Guys, I was just laying in bed thinking (as I do a lot) and thought I would get up real quick and just give a quick update and wish you all a final Merry Christmas.

I have been home for a few days now, and, though I am not unhappy with home, I really miss Transy. I just got so used to the perpetual and convenient socialization it is hard to go back home where if you want to do something you have to call a few people, find a place to hangout, and drive. At Transy (and in fairness, probably most Universities) you just have to open your door and socialization awaits. Then again, I wonder, do all college students miss their school when they are on breaks? I called some friends up (both high school and Transy friends) and all of my Transy friends miss it, two of my friends who attend other universities do not, and one friend who goes somewhere else does miss school.

I have hardly done anything productive so far (which is a good thing!) but I keep stopping myself in the middle of a Christmas movie or playing The Sims 3 and thinking I have a paper to write or a test to study for.

Anyway, I hope everything is going great on your end. I'm sure you aren't missing school, maybe it is just me. Tomorrow is Christmas Eve, which is when I essentially have all of my Christmas festivities-- I can't wait!


Merry Christmas!

JR Hawkins (My attempt to be more like JK Rowling)


PS- Please excuse the incredibly dorky Rugrats images. I was filling in touch with my inner child earlier and watched an old VHS of the Rugrats Christmas special. Yeah, I know, major dork move...

A Semester Gone...

My first blog post was titled "The Start of Something New" I don't think I could have put it better, now that my semester of college is over. I can't believe it, I really can't. It seems like not long ago I was a senior in High School eagerly anticipating the day that I would finally be a college student. Now, here I am a semester already under my belt. Yeah, I know one semester doesn't seem like much, but it is a dramatic life change.

One semester has brought me into a whole new world of experiences, new friends, new mentors, and, yes, new knowledge. My roommate and I had a conversation the other day about how, even though we have fallen into a routine and don't notice it, life is completely different than it used to be.

The differences of life, however, are not negative. While I do wish I still could throw my laundry in a hamper and not have to worry about how it got back into my closet clean, I wouldn't give up all the great experiences that independence brings just so I wouldn't have to do my own laundry.

It is also unbelievable how much I have learned. I can have a lengthy conversation about anything from Utilitarianism to the constant struggle of the individual versus society and vise-versa. I can talk about the etymology of the English words thanks to my Latin experiences, and I can take more from a news program after learning about framing, spinning, and other media tactics.

In less than 24 hours I leave the place know affectionately as "The Transy Bubble" for the longest time since I got here. I can't wait to be back in my hometown with family and just completely relax for a few weeks, but at the same time I am going to miss Transy, really miss it. Transy has become my home.

I hope you all have a great holiday. Eat plently, sleep a lot, have fun with friends, bond with family. For those High School seniors out there: enjoy it. Once scholl starts back in January it will be a race to graduation. This break will be your last chance to completely relax before Graduation.

Unless I have a great inspiration I probably won't write any blogs over the break. So this will be the last time I talk to you all this, well what do I say: semester, year, decade? Well, anyway, I will talk to you all again in January.

Until Then,

Jake Ryan Hawkins

Winding Down...

Hey guys! I am day or so late on this week's post, so I apologize. I do have a very good excuse, though. I was (and still am) sick :(. I woke up Tuesday morning really dizzy and light-headed, so I went to the nurse and discovered I have ear infections in both ears. Not fun at all. The good thing, however, is that Transy has amazing Health Services. They keep antibiotics in stock and was able to get my prescription automatically at no charge!

Sickness aside, this week has been great. The semester is winding to a close. At time of posting, I actually only have one day of classes left. It is amazing that the semester flew by so fast! For others, this is a pretty stressful time with finals approaching. I, on the other hand, have no formal finals at all. Don't ask me how I got so lucky; I can't find anyone else in this situation, but I am definitely not complaining.

Since I have extra time on my hands, I was able to spend a little time this weekend doing some volunteer work. If you remember my first post I told you about the First-Year Urban Program (FUP). Though the main focus of FUP is an intense week of community service projects before the start of term, it does provide some opportunities throughout the semester to volunteer. This weekend, a few of us got together and went to the Salvation Army's warehouse in charge of the Lexington Angel Tree Program.

We helped bag, sort, and take inventory of the donations made to kids. This program works through generous people sponsoring a specific child, so all we had to do was make sure that the gifts donated to the individual children were age/size appropriate. The warehouse also had a massive stock of spare toys, so we made sure that every child had at least two toys in their bag (a lot of times clothes were the big donations), if they didn't we went and picked some out for them.
It was very fulfilling work. It was a bit sad, however. There were tons of donations, but you could still see all the children who hadn't been sponsored. If you look at the picture, all of the white squares on the floor are empty bags of unsponsored children.
Next week will be my last planned blog until next decade (lol, meaning January of course). I plan for it to be a bit of a sentimental reflection on my first semester in college.
Until then, study hard for any finals you may have!

Jake Hawkins

Registration!

Hey guys, I hope you all had a wonderful, filling, and restful Thanksgiving Break. I want to apologize for the lack of an update last week. Those last few days were very hectic and I never found the time, and once I got home every minute was scheduled with something. The holidays are definitely busy!

Before the break, I went through what is considered by most to be a Transy "Rite of Passage" and that is Registration. At Transy, registration always goes from Seniors to Freshman and beyond that it goes by the alphabetically alternating each semester. This go around it went from Z-A so I was close to the end, and it definitely made things a bit complicated. I had experimented around with a bunch of different scheduling options. First I tried to put all my classes on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday then I tired to load them all into Tuesday and Thursday. Then I decided to put two in MWF and two in TTH-- and I stuck with that.

Once I made my final schedule I only had to make one major change. I was wanting to take Intro to Sociology, but both classes got filled up before my registration. It isn't really a big deal though, I can take it next semester! That is one of the good things about scheduling. Sometimes you are forced out of your comfort zones for classes, and it allows new discoveries to be made. I know an upperclassmen told me that she was put into a certain course just because it was one of the last available, and she loved it so much she has changed her major!

With registration and Thanksgiving Break over the countdown to the break begins. I finish up this week and next weeks of classes and then it is finals week, then I'm homebound for about four weeks! I love Transy, but I am definitely looking forward to the extended time home with family and friends.

Before I go I will paste my schedule for the rest of the year below. I am really looking forward to all of the classes. Most of all, however, I am looking forward to finishing the math class. Transy only has one math GE requirement so after it is over I can officially say that I will NEVER have to take another math class again!!

Winter Term 2010

Monday, Wednesday, Friday
DRA-1104-02 Introduction to Drama
J. Cole

11:30AM-12:20pm

Politics of the Middle East
Staff

1:30pm-2:20pm

Tuesday, Thursday
Foundations of Liberal Arts 2: Consumerism, Desire, and Identity
S. Fojtova

11:00am-12:15pm

Into to Contemporary Math
Staff

1:30pm-2:45pm

May Term 2010
Special Topic: Civil Liberties
D. Dugi

9:00am-11:00am

See you guys later!

Jake

Food!

With Thanksgiving fast approaching I thought that today would be a perfect time to talk about food on campus.

I miss home food. That is inevitable though. Every student, no matter what college, will always be a bit dissatisfied with campus dining options, no matter how great. That being said, I honestly think that Transy has great dining services. I have friends at other colleges and some of it sounds pretty bad (one friend complains that fast-food is basically the only option her campus offers. That would have to get old)

We have 4 dining options on campus. I will go through and give a little mini-review of each.

Jazzman's Cafe- This is a little coffee shop and bakery-esque restaurant that is somewhat reminiscent of a Starbucks. It is located on the academic side of campus in the same building as the bookstore. It has all kinds of specialty drinks from lattes to smoothies, and even plain black coffee. On the food menu it has some pretty quick options perfect for breakfast on the go. Muffins, Scones, Cookies, Bagels, and more! During lunch they also set out some premade salads, sandwiches, and wraps. The shining star of Jazzman's is definitely the workers. The staff at Jazzman's are probably the nicest people I know, and are incredibly high energy and friendly. They definitely make my morning brighter.


The Rafskeller ("The Raf")- This is basically a grill-style restaurant located on the academic side in the basement of the fine arts building. It is the place to go if you want "fast-food" style. The menu includes burgers, chicken sandwiches, chicken fingers, and cheesesticks. It also has a sandwich line where you can have the workers make you a self-designed sandwich (Subway-esque). Soup and Grilled cheese are also a great option for cold or rainy days. The cheesticks are my favorite offering, but you have to request them (most students here don't realize they are even on the menu!).

Forrer Dining Center ("The Caf")- This is probably where you will eat the most. It is the campus cafeteria. It is buffet style and has a very wide selection of food. There is always a salad/soup bar, pizza bar, and a burger bar. There is also a place to get self-designed sandwiches and wraps (my favorite). Then there is the international bar which has a new suprise everyday (I love the orange chicken). Then the everchanging general food bar where you will find assorted sides, entrees and stuff like that. The food here is really good, and the staff is receptive to any comments/suggestions you might have (SGA also has a liason specifically to foodservice)

1780 Cafe (The '80)- The late-night hotspot located in the lobby of Thompson Hall. This place has deliscious flatbread pizzas and specialty subs as well as some awesome cheesebread. If any place can be single handedly held responsible for the proverbial "Freshman 15" (which btw I don't think is true. I have lost 10 pounds this semester without trying) it is the '80.

So there you have it. I have to say that I think we have a lot of dining options on campus, especially considering the small size.

Before I go let me remind you of something VERY important. December 1st is the Early Action deadline for applying for admission. Definitely don't forget about it.

Enjoy your week,

Jake

Work Study

Well, I must admit, I was hoping to get a few comments from you guys for suggestions on blog topics. Never fear, however, I am sure I will manage (feel free to suggest anything at anytime though!).

I hope you all had a good week, because I surely did. It was parent weekend on campus, and while it did not produce anything "blog worthy" it did give me a chance to spend some time with my family.

I am coming at you this week from my on campus Work-Study job at the library. The fact that I am blogging while at work should tell you something about the work environment. It is extremely relaxed. After all, it is called "Work-Study" for a reason-- they care just as much about you having study time as work time.

Work Study is offered only through the financial aid office, but can be filled at multiple places on campus (and, if interested, community service hours can even go toward paid work-study hours). Here at the Library I have a great time. I always work at night, so it is a perfectly quite place to study. It isn't all free time, though. I do have to help people find books, check them out, return them, and all the other things associated with the Library.

To be honest, if it weren't for my work-study here I think I would have a much harder time budgeting my time. Work Study helps me have a set time and place to study.

As for the money, you get paid once a month, and for most people the check is somewhere around $200. It is enough money to last me a month, but if you do a lot of extra stuff a supplementary "call home" may be in order.

In another note, I am already in the Christmas spirit. I saw the new "A Christmas Carol"(in 3D) this weekend with my parents. After seeing it I had to go out and buy a mini Christmas tree for my dorm room and I am somewhat embarrassed to admit I have already put it up. I love it though, and have to share the picture (taken with my cameraphone so excuse the poor quality).

Let's Pause and Take a Blog Break...

Hey Guys! I hope some of you all got a chance to come to open house. It was a great turnout and I got to talk to several prospective students and their families. I greatly enjoyed it and I hope you all did too!

It has been pretty hectic on this end lately, in a good way, though. I haven't felt too incredibly overwhelmed, but I have had to budget my time very tightly. That's not to say I haven't had fun though! I am involved with a lot of campus groups and, while they may take up some time, they are very fun and rewarding! So I figured this was a great time to mention a few.

First, there is The Rambler. It is our student newspaper on campus. I am a Staff Writer and have had the opportunity to write some really awesome pieces. For ky first article I got to interview a pretty famous (or infamous depending on your politics) person, Cindy Sheehan. I wont go into too much detail about her, but it was pretty awesome to think that the person I was interviewing had also been interviewed by television journalists like Matt Lauer, Bill O'Reilly, and Chris Matthews (The picture to the right shows NBC's Brian Williams talking about Sheehan). In fact, only two weeks after our interview she was on CNN for a protest she was leading in D.C.! I still ramble (no pun intended) about how my first ever story was such a great oppurtunity.

Another organization I am proud to be a member of is Transy's SGA (Student Government Association). I am a senator, representing the first-year class, and absolutely love it. I am a guy who has political aspirations, so this is a great starting point to learn the basics of representation. I serve on the Student Life committee as well, so I have the honor of making sure that students are as happy as possible with the non-academic aspects of college. A week ago a fellow senator and I took part in Storm the Dorms. Which involves senators going door-to-door and asking feloow classmates about aspects of college life they would like to see changed. It was a great experience not only to talk to my fellow classmates about things on their mind, but I appreciate the part SGA will be playing in improving our campus.

An organization that I recently joined, but have enjoyed immensely is Crimson Crew (and I overslept this morning and missed my scheduled time slot to work! So so sorry guys!). Crimson Crew members work, on a volunteer basis, in the admissions office. For someone who loves Transy as much as I do it is an absolutely rewarding experience to play a part in getting the word out about Transy. In addition, we get to be around all of the admissions counselors who are, without a doubt, some of the funnest and coolest people to be around.

Those are just three of the many many clubs and organizations on campus. If you want to see the complete list just click here. (Yay for figuring out how to hyperlink!)

BUT before you go, I have an assignement for you! I need your help coming up with some things to blog about. I mean, I have a whole list of topics I would like to talk about, but this is about what you want to see, after all. So, if you would be so kind, please just drop me a comment with a question you may have about some aspect of campus life and I am sure I can include it in the next few blogs.

Until then,

Jake Ryan Hawkins

Raf Week

Once upon a time, in an area across the woods there was a small, yet renowned, college called Transylvania. President Thomas Jefferson likened it with Harvard and said "We must send our children for education to Kentucky [Transylvania] or Cambridge [Harvard]... if we are to go begging anywhere for an education, I would rather it should go to Kentucky...". All was well at Transylvania College until one fateful day in the year 1826, disaster struck. Botany Professor, Constantine Rafinesque (pictured left), was fired by Transylvania President Horace Holley. Officially his dismissal was in response to "unprofessional conduct." Myth, however, suggests that the Botany professor may have been 'tending the gardens' of the President Holley's wife and the enraged President Holey sought vengence. Upon departure from Transylvania, Rafinesque exclaimed a curse on the hallowed school in Kentucky...

Rafinesque died years later in 1840. At this point he was so poor he was only afforded a pauper's grave with other bodies already present. Before his death, even, the curse had already manifested itself. In 1827, a year after Raf's departure, Kentucky cut all funding from Transylvania College, stunting any growth the University had hoped to acheive. President Holly resigned in protest and died a few months later.

In 1924 in an attempt to cease the curse that would, as time passed, be blamed for fires, economic troubles, and deaths at Transylvania every 7 years, friends of the University launched a massive fundraising effort to exume Rafinesque's body and have it entombed in the administration building Old Morrison. The problem? Rafinesque was, as previously mentioned, burried in a plot with numerous other bodies and the people in charge of moving the body may have got it wrong...
---
Now, back in the present, Transy students celebrate this ghastly tale during the week before Halloween and name it "Raf Week". Scary movies are shown every night, ghost tours are given, bonfires are had. This past weekend, to start it all off, Transy students were given free tickets to ScreamPark, a massively fun 'haunted' attraction a few minutes away from campus. I went with my friends and had an absolute blast! Transy doesn't have a homecoming (no football!) so this kind of takes its place.
The best, and perhaps scariest, part of Raf week is that 4 (un)lucky students are selected to spend the night in Raf's tomb. The question is, though, will they make it out? I love Halloween, so this whole week, I already know, is going to be a blast! I'll definitely let you know how it goes (maybe I will get to spend the night with the body believed to be Old Raffy!)

Have a Haunted Week! (Don't forget, Transy has an open house on Halloween for prospective students! Come by and definitely say Hi if you see me!)

- Jake Ryan Hawkins

*The source of information for the history of the curse of Rafinesque was "Haunted Halls of Ivy: Ghosts of Southern Colleges and Universities" by Daniel W. Barefoot

Friendship...

Hey guys. It’s Jake coming to you live from the Bluegrass Parkway. Don’t worry; I am in the passenger seat! It is fall break at Transy. Originally my plans did not include going home. I don’t have a vehicle and it would mean several four hour drives for my parents.(To Lexington, back home, to Lexington again, and back home again!) However pressing circumstances have occurred. Sadly, my best friend’s dad passed away this weekend. In response, my other best friend, who goes to a nearby college, and I are heading home to be with her.

Though the circumstances aren’t exactly ideal, this is a good time to talk about friendship. I know when I was planning for college I had a hard time dealing with the fact that I would be going to a separate college than all of my friends. My circle of friends in high school had a very diverse mix of personalities. As such, we had diverse needs in a college. Naturally, we all had to choose somewhere different to cater to those specific needs.

I won’t lie, leaving friends behind sucks. To balance it out, though, meeting new friends is really great. The best part of it all is that your “high school friends” will always be there. Though you may not talk on the phone every day, though you may only see each other on breaks, nothing changes. When you do get to see your friends again, no matter what distances between schools separate you, it is just like it was in "old times".

Making new friends at Transy has been a great experience. No new group of friends, however, can ever replace an old group- but that is great! Now I have an even wider and more diverse number of friends. Never look for a replacement in friends, it won’t happen.

To use names that probably won’t mean much to you, but mean the world to me: I could never find an Elise at Transy- no one is corny, zany, or goofy enough. Nor could I find a Bre anywhere else. No one is caring, wise, and awesome enough. I would never find a Shelley anywhere else-- no one is sufficiently hardworking, blunt, and loyal enough to come close.

I can, though, find a Cory at Transy, someone who brings intelligence, creativity, and quirkiness into every conversation. I can find a Quincy, a perfect mix of sarcasm and thoughtfulness. I can find a Kelsi- the best rep of the “North Side” Lexington has to offer, and I can find an Anna, the nicest Arian/Nazi you will ever meet! (Just a note- she isn’t really a Nazi, it is definitely an inside joke politely poking fun at her 'perfect' blond hair and blue eyes).

Once you get to College, no matter what college you do eventually choose, your life will be enhanced. You will gain awesome new friends (don’t worry, I promise you that you will) but you won’t lose your old ones, and if, heaven forbid, something happens where you need your friends, both from college and high school, by your side they will come calling-- even if it means a four hour drive home and missed classes.

Until Next Time,
Jake Ryan Hawkins

Ελληνική ζωή

Hey! Glad to see you are back. I am a little late in publishing this week. I had a rather busy weekend. I went home for the first time so that I could go to my brother's wedding. Anyway, I guess the old adage of "better late than never" comes to mind.

I think I owe you guys a story about Greek Life so that's what I will talk about today. Just a little FYI I used an internet translator to make the tile for this blog. It allegedly says "Greek Life" in greek. So there you have it.

Before I begin to talk in depth about my impression of the Greek community on campus we need to set a few ground rules. Nothing big though.

Rule 1 (and the most important): Forget everything you think you know about Greek Life. Now don't misread that and think I am saying you are dumb or something. The fact is Transy Greek Life is so insanely different than any other campus. Transy is ranked 4th in the nation for Greek Life for a reason, after all.

Rule 2: As a prospective student don't ask anyone their affiliation.
This isn't really a rule in that you won't get in trouble if you do ask. It's just affiliated people are not allowed to tell prospective students (or even first-years until the second week of school) their affiliation. I can tell you, however, that I am an independent. Meaning I am not a member of a fraternity.

Ok, so those are really the only rules I can thing of. Just a heads up, from this point on everything I say will be about the male Greek scene. As a member of the male species I was not allowed to participate in sorority recruitment so I can't speak about it with any accuracy.

So anyway, I came to Transy completely turned off to the idea of Greek Life. I didn't plan on rushing. Luckily, though, I was talked into going through the rush process... I am so glad I did. There is really no reason why anyone should not go through rush. It is free, you meet people, you get free stuff and you have fun. Seriously, if you take anything from this post let it be this: go through rush.

During rush I got to hang out with guys while grilling out, had a formal meal, hang out in the greek halls, and met some people, first-years and upperclassmen, who will be some of my best friends here at Transy.

After rush is over there is bid day/running out. At Transy, those who pledge to a fraternity run out, in front of everyone, and crowd surf through their chosen chapter. It is such a high-energy and fun afternoon. These pictures hardly do it justice.

So all in all, just don't stress about it. There is really no way to make a decision about Greek Life without being on campus and seeing it firsthand. Even though I am an independant, I think the Greek system at Transy is amazing.

Next week is fall break (two days at least...) so I will definitely be getting some much needed rest!

Until next time,

Jake Hawkins

Needing Help and Knowing When to Ask For It.

Hey guys, welcome back to the Transy Blogosphere! I am going to have to start this blog out by announcing a change in itinerary. I know I told you all that I would talk about Greek Life for this blog, but due to a few complications I am going to hold off until next week on the Greek blog. I am sure at this point you are interested to know about the reasoning behind the change. Rest assured, next week I will let you know. Right now there are just a few knots that need to be untied before I can accurately report my perspective on “Going Greek”.

Anyway, this week has been pretty stressful on my end. Classes are now in full swing which means homework, studying, exams, papers and general busyness. I remember before I came to college reading a book called “The Naked Roommate: And 107 Other Issues You Might Run Into in College”. (picture left.) In it the author, Harlan Cohen, talked about how it was around the 4th and 5th week of school that first-years started feeling the most stressed. Well, I can personally attest that this is true. Since we have last talked I have had an exam worth 10% of my grade in Intro to US Politics, a four page formal paper for Foundations of Liberal Arts (FLA), an analyses paper for Philosophy, and this week I will have an exam in Latin: pretty heavy stuff.

There is a bright side, however. Halfway through the week I was feeling pretty stressed and just needed some help. I really had no idea how to start my analyses paper in Philosophy, and in Latin I had been having a really hard time memorizing all the different declensions (don’t ask—I can’t explain them well). I remembered all the professors talking about office hours, and I decided I would give them a try. I am so glad I did.

I went into my philosophy professor’s office first, and I didn’t have any idea what to even ask. I just knew that I needed help understanding what I was supposed to do for the analyses paper. I walked in his office and said exactly that. He immediately started working his pedagogic magic, and within minutes I was ready to get started on the paper with an air of confidence (Speaking of which, it is five days later and I still haven’t started on it and it is due at midnight tomorrow….).
I went to my Latin professor’s office too. I’ll go ahead and admit, though, that it wasn’t voluntary. I was handed back a quiz that I performed dismally on with the ominous note: “We need to discuss this… see me after class.” So, naturally, I did as I was told. I went in afraid that I was going to be lectured, but instead the professor helped me figure out exactly what was giving me so much trouble. He even offered me some amazingly useful advice on how to memorize things more effectively.

So the moral of this story: Transy professors are so amazingly helpful and accessible. Every single professor has mandatory office hours (I think they are required to spend the same amount of time in office as they do in class) and they want you to use those hours. Beyond that, all of my professors gave us their personal phone numbers in case we needed them after hours, and email is extremely helpful too. I even received an almost immediate reply to an email I sent to a professor at 1am!

So there is something else to think about when trying to get a vivid image of life at Transy. Like I said, next week is for sure, and without a doubt, going to be spent discussing Greek Life so you can mark your calendars!

Until then,

Jake Ryan Hawkins

College Classes; My First Impression

I was always told that classes in college are a lot different than those in high school. I now realize how true that statement is. Different, in this case, is not necessarily a bad thing, though, but it is definitely an adjustment.

Transy has a schedule system in two parts. On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays you have the same 50 minute classes, and on Tuesdays and Thursdays you have the same 75 minute classes. The system is pretty convenient- especially when it comes to doing homework. I am also pretty lucky in that on Tuesdays and Thursdays I only have one class. The downside to that, of course, is four classes on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. I am usually drained on those days, so all my homework has been getting done on Tuesdays and Thursdays. So it balances well. This scheduling system may sound confusing- maybe I suck at explaining it- but it is very easy to get the handle on.

Most of my classes are in Haupt Humanities, which is the building pictured. My favorite thing about my schedule is the fact that I have Philosophy and Latin in the same room back-to-back. I Definitely don't have to worry about being late!

One very unique thing about my classes here at Transy are how they interrelate. On MWF I have Intro to US Political Science, Foundations of the Liberal Arts (a class, often called FLA, that all first-years must take that can best be described as half freshman English, half critical thinking), Intro to Philosophy, and Latin I. I truly and honestly feel, though, like all my classes are similar, though. I don’t know if the professors have planned it this way, but they all interrelate so well. In Poly Sci we will reference the works of Plato that I just read for Philosophy. In FLA we read political and philosophical texts… at one point I was assigned the exact reading for FLA as I was for Philosophy. In Philosophy we will often hear words that we translate in Latin. In Latin we get words that come up in every other class. It is so weird how it works.

This apparent phenomenon does have a name. It is referred to as “Liberal Arts.” No, this isn’t a political reference. It is the philosophy that a person benefits best from learning everything, not just one particular subject, and learning how everything interrelates. It is the big selling point of Transy and I suggest you check it out. I have only had two weeks of classes at the time of writing this and I can already say that learning in this way is easier. It helps me so much to be able to relate one subject to another.

Ok, I’ll stop before I start sounding like an infomercial. Make sure to check back next week. I will be talking about Greek Life. If you remember, I was on the fence about rushing. Well, I decided to rush, and I will be telling you all about it!

-Jake

Orienting to a new chapter of life...

Hey guys! Before I go on I just want to let you know that what I talk about in my blog is not necessarily something that happened that week. For instance, this blog will be about orientation weekend. Well, orientation was two weeks ago. I strive to publish one blog a week. Sometimes I may have a really busy/exciting weak that can produce many blog topics. I write them all, but may not publish them for a few weeks. Anyway, enough explanation... let's get on with the blogging!

At Transy all first-years move in before the rest of campus and participate in a bunch of activities that combine fun, awkwardness, and even life-lessons... with just a dash of corny. That is called, as you may have guessed, orientation. It really is a great weekend.

An orientation activity that sticks out for most people is “Choices 101:” a program where the Student-Orientation Leaders (or SOL’s for short) put on skits depicting different social circumstances that could pose a conflict. It was absolutely hilarious, but still informative. I particularly enjoyed the parody where a facebook addict wasted all her time stalking people online. It was presented as a farce, but definitely reminded me that I can't take a break from homework every five minutes to check the status updates of my friends.

If you look at the picture to the left you will see a depiction of two SOL's during Choices 101. If I remember correctly the two people in this picture were madly in love/lust with each other and let that show, rather deeply, in his dorm; which, naturally, ticked off the roommate who is not shown in the picture.

Funny story: right as the class of ’13 and I were all about to head over to Choices 101 it started raining. Hard. We were all running from the residence halls, across the street, and into Brown Science Center. Along the way several people lost sandals in mini rivers, all got soaked (even those, like me, who tried to defeat Mother Nature with an umbrella). It was very funny, in retrospect, seeing us all freak out because of the water.

I almost forgot to mention the Transy traditions: Greet Line and Serenade. It is pretty flipping awesome. First, we separate by gender. The guys and girls, respectively, learned some songs to sing to each other. Just to illustrate the hilarity I’ll tell you that one of the songs the guys sang was “Like a First Year” which is an original Transy composition to the tune of “Like a Virgin.” Simply hysterical. After the serenade we all circled up for the greet line (Is it weird that the greet line is actually a circle?). In the greet line every member of the Class of ’13 introduces his or her self to each other. Specifically, you bump knuckles. Originally (like back in the day originally) you would hug, but then it changed to hand shakes up until this year. The threat of swine flu prompted the change this year to knuckle bumping. It was more sanitary, yes, but after numerous bumps my knuckles were pretty sore.

There was also a discussion about Greek Life. At the moment I am almost positive I will stay indie (that is not a part of any Greek organization). However, some people, mainly the FUP leaders, have me almost convinced to at least go through recruitment and see what I think. The jury is still deliberating on that one, but I will definitely let you know how it goes. After the Greek presentation there was an appetizing pleasure: “Slice of Transy.” Which is a very fun pizza social. Several local pizza joints have their cuisine represented and we all get to eat as much as we want. I have to say Mad Mushroom probably had the best pizza.

I have saved the best event for last: Bubblepalooza. It is the absolute most awesome thing known to man. Outside there is a giant inflatable cage and there is this huge pump literally filling the cage with thick, foamy bubbles. Now you add music brought to you by WTLEX (Transy’s own radio station) and the majority of the first-years, and you have the most massive rave known to man. This, I have to say, is reason enough to come to Transy (Well, maybe not. Almost, though, almost).

Anyway guys, remember the drill. COMMENT! I'll talk to you all next week.

-Jake

The Start of Something New...

Hello everyone! Before I say anything else I want to express my gratitude that you are here reading my blog. This is all very new to me, and I am so excited to be able to share my new experiences with you. I am sure you are curious to know a little about me. If not, well, indulge my apparent narcissism. My name is Jake Ryan Hawkins. I am 18 years old, and I am from the very small, western Kentucky town of Princeton. Though at the time it is undeclared, I plan to double major in Political Science and Writing, Rhetoric, and Communications (A Transy original oft referred to simply as WRC). Those are really the only things I can think to say at the moment. If you look to the left of the page you will see a bit more, though.

Now that all that is out of the way let’s jump in and talk Transy. I have been here a week, so far, and it is completely awesome. I moved in a week before most students for a pre-orientation program called FUP, which stands for “First-Year Urban Program”. It is a week long program designed to acclimate first-year students to a new learning environment, city, and group of peers. Throughout the week all the fuppers, as we call ourselves, go out into the Lexington community and help different civic organizations. We painted (as you can see from the picture, to the upper left of my fellow fuppers) cleaned, landscaped, organized, and sorted all at some point throughout the week.
I could go into the day by day activities of FUP, but that would make this blog err on the side of lengthy. Just rest assured that it was blast! I learned a lot about the community, Transy, and even myself. I would definitely recommend this program to you should you decided to attend Transy.

Anyway, FUP was a definite blast. Stay tuned, next week I will be talking about orientation which is a blast. Please leave a comment about anything your heart desires!
(Pictured below is a goofy group photo of all of us FUPPERS outside of God's Nest- a food closet for the homeless)

-Jake