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!
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Sunday, October 24, 2010
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."
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."
Sunday, October 10, 2010
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
Until then,
Jake
Sunday, October 3, 2010
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
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
Sunday, September 26, 2010
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
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
Sunday, September 12, 2010
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
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
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
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
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
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