Funerals, Sickness, and Politics

Hello people. I can honestly say I hope you all have had a better time than I since my last blog. Not that I'm not thankful for Thanksgiving and the break is brought with it, but when it is coupled with a grandmother's funeral and a very nasty stomach bug, it is just not as enjoyable.
Don't worry, I won't be all gloomy for this blog, so you can keep reading. Other than that things haven't been that bad, and, really, the death in my family made me realize how lucky I am to be at such a great school. I emailed my professors and work study supervisor and let them know that I had to leave a few days before Thanksgiving break. This was on a Sunday, and within 4 hours all had responded with their condolences and assurances that I would be excused and would be helped to catch up upon my return.

Now that Thanksgiving break 2010 is history, there are only 2 weeks of classes and a week of finals remaining. It really is a scary thought. I have so much to do, but I'm sure I'll be able to make it. Plus I have the Christmas season to help me make it through.

I've told you before I live off campus this year, which means I have a living room in which to put up a full-size Christmas tree! I am pretty much in love with it. It is a cozy feeling to be able to study beside it :)

This week will also feature something pretty exciting. Though I'm not exactly on par with her political beliefs, Sarah Palin will be in Lexington to sign copies of her newest book at Joseph Beth Booksellers. I will be going there to cover the event as per my duties as News Editor. We are calling around trying in desperation to secure even just 5 minutes worth of time to interview her (I mean seriously, how awesome would that be to interview a possible Presidential candidate?) Keep your fingers crossed for us, and I'll let you know how it goes. At the very least I should be able to interview her spokesperson or something...

Major, Registration, etc.

Hey guys, I hope everything has been going well for you all. Everything is going great here, my favorite time of year is slowly creeping up (I'm sorry, I love Christmas). I just bought decorations for my apartment, and I'm itching to put them up!

Currently, however, I'm hard at work with trying to decide my schedule for next semester and May Term (In case you don't know, May Term is a month-long semester at Transy where you take one class everyday). It will be a new experience, because Transy has moved to an online registration system. It will be new for all of us. I hope it goes well.

I don't think I've ever announced it on here, but I recently declared my major! I originally came into Transy planning to major in Political Science. However, after taking some courses from poly sci and other subjects, I ultimately decided on a different route (and this is totally doable. At Transy, you don't ever declare a major you first year, so you can change your mind). My major is, officially: Writing, Rhetoric, and Communication. Popularly called WRC, this major is unique to Transy and combines your traditional Communication major with an emphasis on writing and more focus on classical communication (and some Philosophy). I really enjoy it, and I'm still minoring in Political Science.

Now that I've declared a major I was allowed to pick a new adviser. When you come to Transy you are assigned a random adviser, that may not be in your field of study. I loved my assigned adviser, but it was definitely beneficial for me to pick one in my major. We've already met several times, and I've got a great plan mapped out for the rest of my time at Transy.

I will let you guys know how registration goes. Keep your fingers crossed for me in hopes that the courses I want aren't full before my turn to register!

Come as you are.

Hey guys, I'll just keep typing and pretend the whole two week lapse in blogging didn't happen. :)

I'm typing this blog update hoping it calms me down a bit, and keeps me awake. I just received a rather exciting phone call a few hours ago telling me that I will soon be an uncle. Labor and delivery of Liam Kole (love the name!) has begun. It's 2:17am and I'm sitting in my living room waiting on my mom to come get here so we can go to Louisville together to welcome the baby! Hopefully we make it there before he makes it out ! :)

Anyway, this week I want to talk to you about how accepting the Transy community is. To sum it all up, and forgive my lack of creativity in this statement: Transy is an accepting, affirming, and open community (at least in my experiences) and I love it.

I come from a place where differences whether they be in thought, lifestyle, or politics aren't always encouraged. I knew when looking for a college I wanted to go to a place that encouraged discourse, and was accepting of everyone. Transy, and really Lexington in general really did strike me as that place.

Last week, on October 20, a nationwide, grassroots movement took place, and was dubbed "Spirit Day." You may have seen the many facebook groups about it. The idea was to wear purple, which represents spirit, in memory of the teens and young adults that have recently committed suicide as a result of bullying due to sexual identity, perceived or factual (Tyler Clementi of Rutgers University is one of the many you may have heard of.) Wearing purple was a tribute to their memory, but was also a call to arms to end bullying and discrimination.

I knew from the moment I heard of the campaign that I would wear purple, and the same could be said for several of my close friends. I, however, did not expect the scene that I was greeted with when walking onto campus on the 20th. Students, faculty and staff everywhere seemed to be participating. It was overwhelming, it really was. I would say close to half of the student body wore purple (just by looking, no actual figures) and there were several professors wearing purple too.

It was extremely heartening to see it, it really was. The fact that so many of my peers cared about an issue and took a stance was incredible-- the fact that it was an issue close to my heart made it even more special. It was one of those moments in your college career where you stop and just think "Wow, I made the right choice in coming here."

Update to come tomorrow!

Hey guys, I knormally update on Sunday but I'm going to hold off until tomorrow this week. There is an event occurring on campus tomorrow that I'd like to tell you about.

Until then,

Jake

Expanding my Transy Experience

Hey guys, I hope this week has treated you all well and that you're weekend has been fun and relaxing. Due to a minor injury (running related) I had to take the weekend off from work, so I got to enjoy myself much more than I would if I had to wake up at 4:30am to be into work by 5am to serve coffee.

My week started off pretty stressful, actually. The weight of all my classes, extracurriculars, work, and everything else really pressed hard on me. After a bit of re-prioritizing, though, everything started running pretty smoothly.

On Wednesday, I received a rather big surprise in the mail. I was accepted into the Walt Disney College Internship Program. The program is a 7-month long, off campus, experience that will, hopefully, give me great experience with one of the largest companies in the world. In addition to the internship, which is paid, you live in Disney World-- which you have to admit will be pretty awesome. When you're not working/interning, you take classes at the on site university. You also have unlimited, free access to all the parks!

Now, before I say for sure I'm going I have a few things I have to do. Obviously, this has to be approved by Transy. I've already been approved for 2 units of credit for the internship portion. Now, to remain full time, I just have to get the registrar to approve the courses onsite as distance learning courses through Transy. Transy has had students participate in this program before, so I don't really anticipate much hesitance. I'll keep you updated, though.

Now, I'll obviously be leaving campus for this, but I think I will be okay with it. A vast majority of students at Transy study abroad, so having a few friends being gone for a semester is somewhat normal at Transy.

Anyway, the excitement surrounding this acceptance has really been all I have been able to think about this week, so, naturally, that's all I can blog about. Maybe next week I'll have something a bit more Transy oriented for you!

Happy October!

Jake Hawkins

Back into the swing of things

You know, I hate to use a cliche but I can't describe the start of this semester in any way other than "Hit the ground running." Maybe its because I added classes, The Rambler (Our Student Newspaper), and everything else to my work schedule at Starbucks, and then tried forced a weekend trip home on top of it all. Whatever the cause I have been so busy, but I love every minute of it.

Maybe its all college students, or maybe its just my friends, but everyone on Transy's campus just seems to have such a good work ethic. Transy students (and once again, maybe this applies to all college students) aren't strangers to hard work and that shows.

Take last night for instance. It was a Saturday night, and the opening day of the World Equestrian Games (Think Olympics for horses-- and Lexington is the host). All of Downtown Lexington (which is literally three blocks away from campus) was a giant street fair. I wanted to go out and enjoy the festivities, and felt I deserved it, too. After having worked an 8 hour shift in the middle of the madness. In my search to find someone to go with me, however, I was disappointed. Everyone I talked to (including my roommate and his girlfriend) was doing homework!

Now I know this sounds crazy, homework on a Saturday night. This isn't normal for any college student, Transy or otherwise. The deal was, though, that today (Sunday) was Bid Day (See my post about bid day last year by clicking this nifty little parenthetical link). Everyone I tried to hang out with is Greek, and thus had their entire Sunday booked with bid day festivities. So while I had reason to procrastinate until Sunday, others didn't and they planned accordingly. (Which meant my Saturday night was spent watching "Saturday Night Live" alone. Very sad, I know, but it was funny at least...).

Something else I noticed about my fellow Transy-ans is how much we talk about academic things outside of the classroom. The other night I was walking downtown with two other friends and classmates and we were having discussion about socioeconomic status and how it effects our nation's educational system. Having been on no other college campus for an extended period of time, I don't know if these things are normal, or not. I'd like to think Transy students are special, though. :)

Anyway, I'll see you guys next week.

-Jake

The Start of Something New (again!)...

Hey there people! I'm back for another exciting year at Transy, and that means another year of blogs. If any of you are continued readers, welcome back! To all the new prospective students out there following my blog this year: welcome! Feel free to go back and read my archived blogs, but know that it isn't necessary.

I'm so glad that class is in session again. I know it sounds weird, but I am! My summer was great; I stayed in Lexington and enjoyed working 40 hour weeks at Starbucks. I'm a barista at the one right by Transy's campus. It is an awesome job, and I have fun working it, no lie. I also spent a couple months of the three month break working on campus in Admissions.

Though I worked a lot, I did find time to have fun. I hit up King's Island once, done a lot of swimming, and GOT AN APARTMENT!

Now, don't think I moved off campus because I don't like it. Actually, and prepare to laugh, I was allergic to the dorm rooms. I'm not kidding! Community living, no matter how clean, causes a significant increase in certain allergens. My allergist recommended (forced) me to move off campus, and I obeyed. Luckily, my apartment is literally 3 minutes from campus. I don't feel separated at all.

Other than that, though, my summer was uneventful. I'm glad all my friends are back in town, and we can hang out again!

My semester this year should be pretty awesome. Everyone says that Sophomore year is the best, and it will definitely be a new experience. I'm taking German 1 , Intro to Classical Rhetoric, and Biological Interactions. I also have an internship that I get full class credit for with Terri McLean-- Transy's Student Media Adviser, so I'll learn some pretty awesome journalism and writing skills from her.

This will be my first semester living off campus, and my first semester with an off campus job. I'll still be on campus just as much though with classes and The Rambler (Transy's newspaper). It should be a fun one; I'll be sure to update you all weekly. ;)

-Jake

Wow

Though this seems to have happened a lot recently I find myself saying again, sorry for the delay in blogging. I am pretty sure my excuse this time is a lot better then any other excuse out there: I was having an organ removed! Yes, I believe in my last blog I told you about my trip to the Emergency Room. Since then I'm very happy to say I have had my gallbladder removed and everything is now great. I missed a few days of class but I am already caught up!

That being said, I find myself a bit in a state of shock. It is May Term-- the month long third semester in Transy's schedule where you have the same class everyday. While this may sound scary, it really isn't. May Term classes tend to be extremely fun and interesting. I am in a class called "The Model UN." Right now we are learning about the UN, but in a couple of weeks we will be simulating as if we were the UN Security Council.

May Term seems to be a great way to wind down from an intense year of learning. I really can't believe my first year of college is coming to a close. The transition from life at home and in high school to life on a college campus really has been seamless. It only reaffirms for me that I made the right choice when deciding to come to Transy.

Speaking of choices, May 1st has come and gone, which means you have made your college decision (at least if you are adhering to the national deadline...)! Congratulations on whatever choice you made, and if you did decide to come to Transy, I can't wait to see you and welcome you to your new home! Now that the stress of the college search process is over you can relax and enjoy the last few weeks of your high school career!

I feel the need to somehow montage this past year of my life; my first year in college. It really can't be done, though. As typical as it may sound, so many changes have occurred. I discovered a completely new interest and talent while working for our student newspaper, the Rambler. BTW- I will be serving as News Editor next year, I'm SO excited! I've made new friends, learned to do laundry, transitioned to a more healthy lifestyle, and somewhere along the way I learned a bit from some intelligent professors too. So much has happened in such short amount of time, I look forward and can hardly fathom what I will be like three years from now when I prepare to graduate. I know that things will continue to change, for the better, and it is just bizarre to think about.

Anyway, enough of that. Though this blog is coming to a close soon (Sad, I know) I can promise you I will update again soon; I want to share with you all my summer plans!

Until Then,

Jake

Ahhh!

I hope this week's (day late) blog finds you all in calmer moods than I. It has been quite an insane week on this end, and it will be that way on through Wednesday. So let me break it down for you (ha, ha, ha, that sounds really goofy, I know.)

The week started off great, I had tons of free time to kill and hardly a care in the world, I couldn't care less that finals were a week away. On Wednesday afternoon I had absolutely nothing to do. Then I realized that the Student Activities Board (A student organized group, A.K.A. SAB, that hosts several fun events throughout they year.) was hosting Casino Night. It promised to be a night of Blackjack and Texas Hold 'Em that was absolutely free but gave you the chance of awesome prizes. A friend and I went and I had a great time, but sadly didn't win anything.

When I got back to my room I started having a pain in my chest and stomach. I had had the pain a few times before over the past month or so but this time it was BAD! So I had my roommate and a friend take me to the Emergency Room. I was there for 13 hours, had lots of tests, and turns out I have massive gallstones infesting my gallbladder and I have to have surgery to have the gallbladder removed. The surgery is this Friday-- the same week as finals.

First off just let this sink in. I was in the hospital for 13 hours the night before, into the day of, my last day of two of my classes. Then I have surgery scheduled for Finals Week. Surely you can see the problem here.

Thankfully, the professors here are so kind and eager to work with you. My adviser contacted me almost immediately and asked if there were anything she could do. I worked with her to have a final scheduled for Thursday rescheduled for Wednesday so I could go home the day before my surgery and prepare. The two classes I missed from being in the ER were mainly review sessions, but I will meet with those professors during office hours to make it up. So I should be all right.

It is reading day now and I've been busy all day with studying. In just a bit SAB will host Stress Fest which is a really cool late-night breakfast served by professors that also has some awesome prizes. I might check it out.

Anyway, I'll write a bit later. Don't forget that May 1st is the national deadline to make a college decision!

-Jake

FLA

Another week, another blog. I can't believe it has been as long as it has. This coming week is the last week of classes for my second term as a Transy student! Which means only a week left of FLA.

FLA, or Foundations of Liberal Arts, is a two-part class that all Transy students must take. Your first semester of Transy is spent with FLA 1 as a class-- you are randomly assigned a professor and classmates, and all sections of FLA 1 are essentially the same. This semester is devoted to writing three formal, but still somewhat short, pieces.

Your second semester you pick a FLA 2 topic, and there are a lot of pretty interesting things to pick from. My FLA 2 topic is Consumerism, Desire, and Identity. Other topics include a study on the paranormal, there is one on Fairy Tales, the American Civil Rights movement, and there is even one on the Lord of the Rings (Still no Harry Potter topic yet, sadly...)

FLA 2 revolves around writing a 12-15 page research paper and presenting it to your peers. You get to decide on your research topic yourself, as long as it fits the broader topic of your FLA 2 section. My research paper is on Disney and its effects on the identity of viewers. It has been a very interesting topic to research.

FLA gets some pretty mixed reviews from students, and I'm not going to lie the class can be pretty frustrating. Most of my late nights have been devoted to FLA assignments. Even though the course is tough and at times I want to curse its very existence I do know that it is preparing me for upper level classes to come where I will be begging for another FLA assignment. I really am thankful that Transy devotes two classes to prepare us for a college career full of writing.

Staying (or getting) Healthy in College.

I hope this blog posting finds you all well and, to those who celebrate it, enjoying a great Easter weekend. Sorry I didn't post last week in the business of things I completely forgot.

For these week's blog I've decided to post something that has already been talked about by friend and fellow blogger Cory Collins, but I will be adding my own unique, and rather new, perspective to it.

Everyone has heard of the proverbial and infamous Freshman 15. The pooch of padding that all say will inevitably attach itself when you leave home and enter the realm of college life with no kitchen, food galore, and no one to tell you to stop. Well, this can be true, but not always.

Transy has so many things to promote a healthy lifestyle. Sodexo, the company in charge of our dining services, offers Balanced Way dining, which are meals selected for healthy content and all under 600 calories. The Beck Center houses an indoor track and complete gym free to all students, and the Campus Center is home to a racquetball court and indoor pool.

This is me just before I came to Transy while on vacation in California.

All these things are great. I have to admit, though, that when I came to Transy I didn't care at all. I came here weighing 250 pounds. I never visited the Beck Center, didn't know what the Balanced Way was, and made late night Chicken Bacon Ranch pizzas from the 1780 cafe a daily occurrence.

That, however, was first semester. When I went home over Christmas Break something changed, and I decided I was going to start doing things the healthy way. Not a diet, but a complete change in how I lived my day to day life. I came back for my second semester and made exercise a priority, and eating right a necessity.

I began going to the Beck Center three days a week. I ignored the pizzas and greasy foods, and replaced my night time trip to the 1780 with a yogurt from my fridge. Amazingly it was quite easy. Well, it started out hard. I couldn't run a mile without walking (and only attempted late at night because, for no legit reason at all I was embarrassed to be seen at the Beck Center). Now, however, I just completed an 8K (Five Miles) run with my Dad here in Lexington without walking at all!My Dad and I after running in AVOL's Red Ribbon Run (8K).

Because of the combined resources of healthy food, workout areas, and education materials available on this campus I have been able to lose 65 pounds, and I continue the same routine that has now become part of my college life. I tell you all this not to brag, or seek compliments, as some may think. I want you all to know that college, as everyone will tell you, is about change. Everyone agrees that in college you transform yourself mentally and socially, but why not physically too? Transy is a great place to start, or continue, a healthy lifestyle. If you are familiar with the show, you can think of it as your own "Biggest Loser" ranch. The resources are tremendous, use them and the Freshman 15 will be something you can proudly say never happened.

Above is me before I started taking advantage of the health resources on campus, and below is me now!

(A)SB '10

Spring Break. These two words have such power. Enjoyed from the time of Kindergarten until whenever you decide to leave school behind, this week long hiatus from the realm of academia can be spent doing anything from sleeping to partying. However, I and a group of 14 other Transy people decided to do neither and devote our time off to service projects.

ASB in front of the Capitol. Photo by Katie Brewer.

Alternative Spring Break (ASB) is a program observed by colleges nationwide. Students sacrifice a week of freedom to travel to different locations and devote their entire time to service. For Transy, our 2010 ASB location was Washington, D.C. Now, I have to admit, being a prospective poly sci major and a major lover of politics the idea of going to D.C. definitely made the decision easier. I really, really did enjoy the service though.

We were at D.C. for about 5 days. We worked at several different places, and made some time for fun as well. We worked at an inner city school, an neighborhood outreach center, a food closet that doubled as a daycare center, a homeless shelter, and even got to speak with Congressman Ben Chandler about poverty issues. We slept on the floor of a church that was gracious enough to allow us in, and though it was a lot of work it was amazingly fulfilling. Friendships were strengthened and made; bonds were forged.

Some of the ASB group with Congressman Ben Chandler in his office. Photo by Sam Gaines.

We did get some time off in the district too. I mastered the science of subway and bus routes, toured the Capitol, went to the Holocaust Museum, and saw the Washington Monument. The presidential motorcade drove by at one point, which was a really awesome thing to see.

If you've followed my blogs closely, you will know this is the second service project I've done. Transy offers so many opportunities to take part in community service which is something I really value. Karen Anderson, the director of Civic Engagement, has an open office and all you have to do is tell her and she will find you a service opportunity tailored to your interests!

Success!

In a blog I wrote earlier this semester I told you all about how I had been going to Transy's Career Development Center to work on getting a resume (insert appropriate accents...) put together so that I could start looking for some internships. To my surprise, the search for an internship was both easier and faster than I could have ever of imagined, at being a student at Transy takes a lot of the credit.

About two weeks ago an ad was posted on Columns (Transy's internal website available to the campus community that posts different events on and around campus) for people interested in interning for the Beshear/Abramson 2011 reelection campaign. Being a (prospective, self designed) Political Communications Major I quickly sent the appropriate emails to express my interest.

Only days later I received a call from someone at the campaign asking me to come to the Kentucky Democratic Headquarters Office in Frankfort for an interview. You have no idea how excited was! I immediately started preparing. I fine-tuned my resume to apply specifically for this position, typed up a list of references, and even compiled a massive binder containing information on Governor Beshear and Mayor Abramson so that I could study up and be prepared for any question that they might ask me.

The interview was Friday and I was sooo ready. I went in, dressed very nicely (If I do say so myself). I was taken back to the office of the (I am pretty sure) top Campaign Manager. I was asked two questions and then immediately offered the job. I could not believe it! I was completely ecstatic. From what I gather they made a specific appeal for Transy students, and that alone was essentially enough for them.

Now, I don't want to imply that if you come to Transy you will never have any difficulty finding a job, internship, or things like that. No college has that kind of advantage. So don't take that out of the story. It is true, however, that Transy administration (and workers in the Career Development Center) work very hard to network on behalf of Transy students, and that definitely comes in handy!

Have a good week!

Jake

Why I love Transy

So this past week, while busy, contained nothing worth mentioning to you all. So in the place of the usual blog, I am instead going to share with you a list outlining all of my favorite things about Transy. I am a bit hesitant to say them; I don't want you to think I am trying to sell the new wonder cleaner for only $19.95 here. I really do mean everything I say and, while it may be a bit corny, it is all completely true.

1. The Size: I come from a small town and I hated it. I thought that a small college would come with the same cons a small town does, but it doesn't. Transy being small is nothing but a good thing. College can sometimes, especially at first, feel lonely. When you are at a small school, however, finding a familiar and friendly face is as easy as opening your door.
   
2. The Organizations: Another college I was looking at during my college search boasted a lot about having 250+ clubs. Well, Transy doesn't have that many, but it does have several highly involved student organizations. What's great about them is the amount of involvement each member gets to have in them. Take for instance our student newspaper, the Rambler. I am lucky enough to get to write at least one (if not two) pieces for each issue (This is something I like doing, don't think to be a writer for the Rambler you must write this much). This allows me extra opportunities to practice my skill and get experience. At a bigger university staff writers for the campus newspaper would hardly get chances like that.
3. The People: The people at Transy are amazing, and this means everyone. Students, Faculty and staff alike. Here in the Transy Bubble we all share this sort of bond that can't be explained. Doors are held open, we look each other in the eye, we smile, we wave, and we communicate effectively. There is such a sense of community amongst everyone here, and it really is one of Transy's biggest assets.
4. The Name: This one is a bit silly, but I do love the name. It only adds to the sense of community I was talking about. No, the name never came into play at all when I was deciding on a college, but it is a nice bonus! I love the reactions and funny stories that are generated by our unique name.
5. Philosophy: This one is a bit hard to explain as well. Something Transy talks a lot about (both to current and prospective students) is the Liberal Arts. It is a philosophy of education that Transy adheres to and it really shows. As a community, everything we do is educational. I love how Transy professors teach us how everything we learn can be connected and integrated.
6. Lexington: I'll go ahead and say it: I hate horses. In fact, they even scare me a bit. So yes, I realize how odd it is that I love Lexington, The Horse Capital of the World. I do, though, and there is a lot more to this "little" city than horses. Lexington is the perfect balance of big and small. There is always something going on, but there is minimal hustle and bustle. The drivers here in Lexington may be the worst in the nation, but the people here are friendly and hospitable, without being nosey and annoying!

-Jake Hawkins

Missing Class

I remember the first class I missed. It was last semester on a Monday morning. I overslept for my 8:30am class. I panicked, and was quite upset about it. Every one kept telling me not to worry, that it wouldn't be the last class I missed, and it wouldn't be the end of the world. They were right.

Now, before going on I am am going to back up a bit. So far it sounds like I am telling you that it won't hurt at all to miss class. That is totally not true. Missing class still sucks, but thankfully Transy professors are very understanding as long as it doesn't become a habit.

On that same token there exists one of the prime "pros" of Transy. Professors at Transy notice. Unlike at other universities with rows upon rows of seating for hundreds of students, most classes at Transy take place in a circle around the professor. They notice when you are absent, and notice when you don't participate. This is amazing! I have talked to friends who went to other universities and they all tell me how hard it is sometimes to find the motivation to go to class. At Transy, every class is so small you can't miss class without a professor noticing. It is a lot harder to convince yourself that it is okay to miss class when you know the professor is watching.

I hear stories from friends at other universities about people never showing up to class on except for tests. This is crazy, and is not what college is supposed to be like and it isn't like that at Transy-- a fact that I am very proud of.

Sometimes emergencies happen, and professors understand that too. Last week I missed three classes because of medical issues. I have been dizzy a lot the past few months, and I had to have some tests run. I will also have to miss some this week for the very same reason. The professors have all been extremely understanding. I even missed a midterm for one class, and I still get to make it up. While missing class for these trips to the doctor has caused me to have to do some extra studying, and visit professors during office hours, it hasn't caused me that much inconvenience and I have been able to save the worry for other things.

On another note, the weather this weekend across Kentucky has been AMAZING. I hope you all were able to enjoy it.

Until Next Week,

Jake Hawkins

First-Year Leadership Retreat

Allow me to begin by wishing you all a very happy Valentine's Day! I hope your weekend was full of love and romance!

I spent my weekend focused on leadership. Myself and about 25 other first-years left campus Friday afternoon to take part on the First-Year Leadership Retreat, sponsored by the Transy LEAD series. The retreat only lasted about two hour, but it was quite fun and very informative.

What struck me from the moment it started was how many other first years I had never met. Even in a "small" school like Transy you really can meet new people often.

The retreat was filled with several leadership building activities. One was the "What's your Color" personality profiling assessment. I generally dislike these type of assessments because I find that, personally, they are never accurate. This one was probably the most accurate of all the tests of this genre that I have taken, but there were still a few shortcomings. As a Green (a perfect score green at that) I should be very disconnected from my emotions. In reality, however, I tend to be quite emotional.

We also had a speaker at one point. While I can't remember his name (I have the program back in my room, but I am writing this in the Library. I will update this late with his name if I think about it), I know he is the National President of Omicron Delta Kappa- a national leadership honorary society. He enlightened us with the story of his life, and his journey through leadership. It was a very good speech. In his college years he had been a white house fellow under President Kennedy, which was extremely interesting to hear about.

We also spent some time talking about the many different definitions of leadership. Often times people assume a leader is someone with a large amount of subordinates. When, in fact, a leader can be someone who just leads one person.

I am extremely glad that Transy offers opportunities like this. It is just one of many programs that are offered to help you develop in ways outside of the classroom. It really is invaluable.

Another week down, this semester really is flying by. I can't wait for Spring Break! I actually don't think I have mentioned yet how I will be participating in the Alternative Spring Break program at Transy. I and about 20 others will travel to Washington DC and spend the entire week devoted to community service, specifically issues helping hunger and homelessness. That is sure to be a great week, and I am sure you will hear all about it. It is only a month away!

Until Next Week,

Jake Hawkins

Outside of the Bubble

The Transy Bubble: I don't know if I have made the reference yet, but I know that other bloggers have. It is the term we use, both affectionately and otherwise, to refer to campus. Such a term exists because the phenomenon that it describes. We, as a Transy community, stick together very closely. Even though we are literally 10 seconds from downtown and all it has to offer, sometimes we operate as if 300 N Broadway wee a separate planet. This, however, isn't a bad thing-- at least in my opinion. I love the camaraderie that defines our campus. It is good, though, to sometimes step out of the proverbial bubble and explore the rest of Lexington.

On Friday afternoon a friend from high school, who goes to Eastern Kentucky University, came by for a visit. Originally we had planned to hang out in my dorm room and have a bit of a movie marathon, but on an impulse we decided to go shopping. The first stop on our trip, of course, was the Fayette Mall. For those who don't know, the Fayette Mall is amazing. I am from the Western Kentucky area and the only mall I had exposure to was Kentucky Oaks Mall in Paducah, KY. While good, it can't compare to the Fayette Mall. It is huge, has all kinds of shops, and is a great place to go and just hang out. While we were there I restrained myself for the most part: I did not purchase a Hermit Crab and accessories, though I was quite tempted, nor did I buy a new wardrobe at American Eagle or Macy's. In fact, the only purchase I made was at FYE-- I bought Season 4 of "Charmed" (My all time favorite TV Show). I couldn't resist it was on sale for $20 marked down from $40.

After we left the mall we stopped by Joseph-Beth Booksellers in Lexington Green. For my fellow book lovers out there this place is pretty awesome. It is a two level bookstore with very fair pricing, and it is independently owned, so there are no questions involved with Corporate Ethics that you may experience at other bookstores comparable in size.

All in all, it was a great outing. I wish I would have taken pictures! I don't leave the bubble often, I hardly need to. It is always nice to do it every once in a while, though. Anyways, that's all I have for this week. Good Luck to your favorite Super Bowl Team. I won't be watching, but I'll definitely be Youtubing the commercials tomorrow!

-Jake Hawkins

The Library

I realized today that in all this time of blogging I have yet to mention the library. I know I mentioned that I work there for my college work-study position, but I have failed to let you know what all our library offers. Well, there is no time like the present! (The images scattered throughout are the layout of each floor of the library, just so you can get a clearer image.)


First of all, I will start by saying I love our library. A lot of people
dislike it because they say it is too small. I guess one person's con is another person's pro in this instance. I love the library because it isn't huge. Personally, however, I don't think it is small. Especially when I am the worker who closes the library and I have to go through all three floors turning the lights off. FYI a dark library is quite spooky.

Let's do talk about size though. Like I said, it is three floors. It houses "The Stacks" (Three floors of general books), An entire room of periodicals, a reference section, and a room full of Educational Resource books (Juvenile Fiction for Education majors to use when planning lessons). The library also has several study lounges, two computer labs, and is located conveniently beside Jazzman's Cafe (Coffee Shop).

Sometimes, even with all these resources, you still can't find what you are looking for. The library has an answer for that too. Patrons of the Library have access to a huge online database of books, journals, and articles. In addition, we are a part of the Inter-Library Loan service and any book that is not available online or at our library you can request from a near limitless list of libraries nationwide. I, especially, have used Inter-library Loan this semester. I think I have about 10 books from as far away as New Hampshire. All of this is completely free too.

If all that still isn't enough we do have one more option. We have a shuttle that transports Transy students back and forth to the William T Young Library on UK's campus (and UK Students also have the same service to come to ours). While the specifics aren't known to me, I do know that William T Young was a generous supporter of both Transy and UK and wanted this reciprocity policy to exist. It is a great asset to Transy students. The William T Young library is one of the largest in the nation. I know some people like to go there and study just so they are less likely to see someone they know and get distracted!

I almost forgot to mention one very special feature of our library: Special Collections. As we are an old university we have had the fortune of acquiring some very rare and unique texts. All of these valuable (both monetarily and educationally) textbooks are housed on the top floor in the Special Collections room. I have never actually been in there, but I hear it is quite marvelous. I know we have a large collection of medical texts so rare that students at the UK Medical School often come over to research them.

Anyway, enough talk about the library. I am just about to head out for my workstudy there, so it will be on my mind enough as it is! I hope you all have a great week. Now that January is over your parents should have gotten all their tax forms in so as soon as they get their taxes complete get right on to the FAFSA. The sooner, the better-- especially for some quickly dwindling State financed aid!

-Jake Hawkins

Haiti

I am sure you all, like myself and thousands of others, have seen the horrible images that have came from the Tragedy in Haiti. It really is unbelievable. Some of the images I have seen, including pits filled with bodies, can only find comparison in the images of the Holocaust.

The troubles in Haiti are hitting me harder than they might have a year ago. Last semester, all first-years read a book "Brother, I'm Dying" that told the story of a Haitian and Haitian-American family. Before I read this book, I had no idea of the political turmoil this country has lived in. I had no idea of the economic struggles the people face. Whenever you hear journalists, politicians, and people of the like say things that underscore how a natural disaster couldn't have 'picked' a worse place to strike, it really is true.

Thankfully, though, at the basis of human nature there is a willingness to help others in times of desperate need. People have texted in donations, called in and pledged through telethons, and sent money to organizations like the American Red Cross. Even groups of people that, for anything else, have nothing to do with humanitarian aid have stepped in.

As a devout Harry Potter fan I am proud to mention that the Harry Potter fandom and its various websites (Mugglenet, The Leaky Cauldron, The Harry Potter Alliance, etc) joined together for a livepodcast and week long effort "Helping Haiti Heal" to raise fundst to be donated to "Partners in Health", an organization that has been on the ground in Haiti for years. Though the effort put on by these websites is still ongoing, at last report $35,000 was raised.

Transy too, has already started planning on a relief fund. Tuesday all campus leaders will be meeting so that all groups on campus can work together to raise money to send to Haiti on behalf of the entire student body. This philosophy will, in my opinion, work really well. It seems like a much better idea to send one large donation from all campus groups as opposed to many small donations from the individual groups on campus.

I know this doesn't have much to do with my "College Experience", as my blog's purpose dictates, but it is on my mind and I can hardly stop thinking about it. Writing about it seemed like a good idea. Some people criticize the "trending" nature of pop culture. Some argue that the mainstream media focuses strongly on one topic for a while, and then jumps to another. Well, that may be the case. In this instance, however, the problems of Haiti cannot be underscored enough.

Anyway, sorry that this post was off topic. I just really feel strongly that we should keep this in our discussions, as long as we keep talking about it it won't be forgotten.

Career: The Reason We Are Here

Hey all. Sorry about being a day late, hopefully you didn't miss me too much! I didn't find time to blog yesterday because of my new on-campus job. That's right, I'm crazy. Now, not only do I work in the library 7.5 hours a week, I also spend 6 hours on a weekly basis working in the Admissions Office chatting with prospective students (you guys!) on the phone. I love it though, so it hardly feels like work. That being said, though, start looking for my new blogs on Sunday nights, starting this Sunday. That should be a much easier day to keep as a deadline (it is also my deadline for the campus newspaper, The Rambler, so, while hectic, it will be easy to remember!)

This week I'm going to talk to you about one of the less mentioned really, really strong aspects of our campus: the Career Center. It is amazing. The Career Center is an office right beside the Raf (The student grill, if you haven't been keeping up, lol) that, as the name suggests, helps students with career planning and all the things that go along with it. Working there are two amazing people: Mrs. Rayner and Mr. Cronk.

Earlier this year I had met with Mrs. Rayner just for a preliminary meeting. I was really just introducing myself, making sure they knew who I was, and letting the Career Center know some of my interests. That meeting, while helpful, was pretty uneventful. Yesterday, however, I met with Mr. Cronk about my resume (insert appropriate accents over the two e's, lol). I had sent it to him over Christmas Break.

You may wonder why I am already, in my first-year, writing a resume. The answer is pretty simple. First, I plan to stay in the same organiazations, and do have the same jobs, all throughout college, so it won't change much. Even if it does, a resume is a great way to keep track of it all. Secondly, I am looking for an internship this summer and, of course, to apply I need a resume.

But back to Mr. Cronk. He is like the master of making a resume. He really is. The things he taught me about better communicating my experience through my resume were simply amazing. They were things that I would have never dreamed of. I can't wait to find the extra time and spruce my resume up using the suggestions he taught me. Anyone else out there looking for an internship in the journalism or political fields should be scared; I will be armed with a deadly resume. (Yeah, maybe I just wen a little overboard there...)

Anyway, that is just another thing to think about. Before I go, though, let me inform you of two very important dates.

January 30th: Winter Open House. Simmilar to the open house we had on Halloween, this will be a time for you all to come, meet with administrators, admissions officers, professors, and students and see Transy in person. Definitely mark your calendars!

February 1st: This is bolded because it is sooooo important.This is the Regular Decision Deadline for Admission. To be considered for scholarships, you must apply by this date. Also, those who apply after this date will only be offered admission on a space-available basis. Don't forget Apply Now!

It is also time to start filling out your FAFSA! Anyway, that's enough of me throwing reminders out to you. So I'll talk to you on Sunday!

-Jake

My Transy Story

Well it is blogging time again. As you know (at least if you are a regular reader) I have only been back on campus for about three days. I have been to all my classes, and I am really excited about how this semester seems to be turning out. Anyway, nothing 'big' has happened in my few days back so I decided to post a blog that I have been sitting on for a while. It is my own Transy story detailing why I chose to call Transy my college home. It is a bit lengthy, so get comfy!

I started my college search the summer before my senior year. I also ended my college search the summer before my senior year, or so I thought. For as long as I could remember I wanted to attend the University of Kentucky. My career plans may have changed while growing up, but the college never did. Yes, I had thought about Transy, I had even applied. I had never given it much serious thought, though- I mean the tuition/housing bill seemed a bit steep for my family's budget. So after my first campus tour at UK I bought the shirt, hoody, lanyard and wall art. I applied as soon as the applications opened up, and received an acceptance letter two weeks later. In my mind, at the time, the college search was already over.

Sometime in the middle of October all the seniors at my school went on a field trip to a College Fair hosted by a college close to my hometown. I was somewhat less than enthusiastic about going. I mean, I knew that I was going to UK. Nonetheless, it was a day out of school. That morning I put on a UK shirt (hoping to detract determined people from trying to persuade me) and headed out. I should mention two of my closest friends also knew they were going to UK (of the three of us, only one is still headed towards the Big Blue). So the three of us just found a place to talk and ignored all of the college booths. Our guidance counselor saw us and insisted we give it a chance. I had always had Transy as a thought in the back of my head, so I decided to go towards that booth. I have never liked talking to admissions counselors before (Even the UK ones. I hated how they all said “So, do you have any questions?” I wanted to scream every time I heard that) so I was somewhat dreading starting a conversation with another one. I got to the Transy booth, introduced myself, and waited for the dreaded question. It didn’t come. My admissions counselor, Megan Tolley, did not start our first conversation with: “So, do you have any questions?” Instead she complimented my shirt (she was a UK alumnus). I told her that I was basically committed to UK, but had applied and thought about Transy- the cost always holding me from exploring the option further. She explained that Transy has a great financial aid program and that most Transy students end up paying about the same, out of pocket, as UK
students. That surprised me. At this point another crowd of students wanted her attention so I dismissed myself. As I was going she gave me her card.

It was December when Transy entered my mind again. I was home from school (One of many Snow Days my senior year). I went to check the mail and inside was my Transy acceptance letter. Surprising even to myself, I was ecstatic. I felt I had really accomplished something. My parents were very excited as well. I called my dad, who is a teacher at a high school in the neighboring county, to tell him the news; he was so excited he announced my acceptance to his entire class. After the initial excitement, I decided I was going to give Transy a chance and research it a bit further. I mean, it was the least I could do, right?

I should mention, at this point I was a little bit annoyed with UK. The second I was accepted was the moment, I felt, they forgot about me. After acceptance into UK I never heard from them again. No emails, no phone calls, no letters. I even emailed someone once with a question and never received a response. So I was a little more open to Transy than I would have been two months ago. The first step of my research was to email my admissions counselor, Megan Tolley. I remembered that she had graduated from UK, and I knew that she would be able to tell me a lot about both universities. While waiting for a response (which, might I add, took less than a day) I perused the Transy website. I found it to be a very good source of info. A few hours letter Megan’s response came- I found it amazing. It was a long email detailing the main differences between Transy and UK. This was the first of many emails back-and-forth between Megan (side note: I never knew what to call her: Ms. Tolley, Megan, Ms. Megan?!?) and myself. She even took time during her Christmas break to email me. In the end, it was the personal attention I got from her that influenced my decision to attend Transy the most. I couldn’t even tell you the name of my admissions counselor at UK and here I was receiving friendly emails from Megan on an almost daily basis.

When it came time for me to tour Transy I was already pretty confident in my decision to attend, not UK, but Transylvania University. The tour itself sealed the deal. I was allowed to sit in on classes, I talked to the head of financial aid and I took in the aesthetic beauty that was Transy’s campus. I felt at home. Maybe it was the classical look that appealed to the inner part of me that secretly wished I was attending Hogwarts (yeah, when I said I liked Harry Potter I barely covered it… it is an obsession), but seeing the buildings on Transy’s campus made me feel like I just arrived home after a long trip. After my tour was over I bought the Transy shirt, hoody, lanyard, wall art and, as an act of immense symbolism, threw the UK lanyard attached to my keys in the trash of the men’s restroom.

So there you go. That is my story of how Transylvania University “found me.” Sorry for the length, in revision I tried to shorten it, but I found nothing that was unimportant enough to be omitted.

-Jake Ryan


(Quick P.S. I seriously debated including UK in this blog. I in no way want you to think I dislike that college. It is a great school, and an awesome neighbor to Transy. Both UK and Transy offer very different college settings and to say I chose one over the other does not mean UK in anyway inferior. It simply means that for my tastes, needs, and desires in a College Transy was more suitable. You have to decide the same thing for yourself)

Back at Transy!

Hey guys, just wanted to write a quick message to let you all know I am back at Transy, and it feels great! The break was much needed, and I got to spend a lot of much needed time with my parents, family, friends, and pets. I love and will miss them all. I have to share the beautiful view from my window though. The snow is very pretty, but I do dread walking to class in it.

Speaking of class, we hit the ground running. Classes start tomorrow! Thankfully I have no morning classes at all this semester, so I will be able to get a lot of sleep.

I will be resuming my regular blog posting schedule from here on; Tuesday nights unless something comes up. So check back soon!

Until Then,

Jake