Soaking Up Your Summer Time

by: J.T. Henderson

One of the benefits to being in college is that you get longer summer breaks, and that means that you have more time for work, research, internships, travel, fun, etc. As I began to think about what I wanted to do with my summer, I initially wanted to do everything – study abroad, get a job, research – and I soon realized that I was being incredibly unrealistic and impractical. I dropped thoughts about summer plans for a little bit, but as summer began to quickly approach with only a few months to go, my thoughts kept drifting back to my summer plans. I decided that I didn’t want to study abroad , so I scrapped that idea. After that I decided that I wanted to live on campus and either work or research in Lexington, so I had to prepare myself for these possibilities by going to Transy’s fantastic Career Development office.

The staff in the Career Development office are so friendly and helpful, and that’s what I needed – a lot of help. I needed to be able to create an impressive résumé and cover letter if I wanted a chance at these summer opportunities. I worked with Michael Cronk, assistant director of the office, to build these essential documents to help me apply for positions that interested me. The first job I applied for was a Patient Care Tech position in UK’s Emergency Department, and thanks to Michael’s help, I was offered an interview for the position!

Before my interview date, I spoke with Susan Rayer, the networking queen and director of the office, about my interview. She assured me that I would do great, but if I didn’t get the job, that Transy had connections with other area hospitals that she would help me get in touch with. Susan also helped me to set up an interview prep session with Michael so that I would be completely prepared.

I also began looking into research programs to give me as many options as possible for my summer. You only get a few summers in your undergraduate career, so it’s important that you do what you want to do in the short time you have. Transy makes it a priority to help you get where you want to go and the Career Development office is just one way that the university does this but it is also one of the best. The staff is committed to setting you up for success during, and after, your time at Transy. I’m very confident that I will be able to choose one of the options I’m interested in and spend my summer doing what I want to do because of the assistance I’ve received from the Career Development office and the rest of the Transylvania community.

Community Engagement Through the Arts

In spite of Transylvania’s longstanding place in the heart of Lexington, it is only within recent years that the greater Lexington area and members of Transylvania’s community have had a more interactive relationship. Recent years have seen the creation of paper lanterns hung in a local park, temporary murals displayed in local establishments, birdhouses distributed throughout out nearby neighborhoods, and marketing efforts with local non-profit organizations. As a Writing, Rhetoric, and Communication (WRC) student, I have had the privilege of being involved with two courses which have worked alongside community partners.

A mural created through community engagement

My first efforts that took me outside of the Transy Bubble were a part of my Digital Rhetoric course. The course, taught by second year professor Dr. Kerri Hauman, unveiled the manner through which digital tools are influencing our understandings of rhetorical conventions and principles. Accordingly, we utilized a number of digital tools including audio recorders, camcorders, and online sites to create variosu pieces of work throughout the semester. In taking our studies a step further and outside of The Bubble, Dr. Hauman organized for our class of six (in conjunction with another WRC course)to work alongside of a local physical rehabilitation facility to create digital propaganda. My group was assigned to the facility’s Adaptive Recreation program. In doing so, we were given the opportunity to act as professionals in the work force. We were responsible for meeting with member’s on staff at the facility to determine what they were looking for in terms of final projects as well as organizing everything in between from interviews to filming. At the end of the term, our final was to present our projects to staff members at the facility.

Another project I was involved with was a part of the Writing for/with Non-profits course offered during May Term. The course, co-taught by Drs Kerri Hauman and Scott Whiddon, allowed for students to partner with members of the Lexington Community Action Council to again, produce viable propaganda for the organizations we worked with. Throughout the process, students worked within small groups to determine what would best suit each Community partner and serve them well in the years to come. While both professors offered their full assistance when needed, they ensured that their presence maintained a distance so that students felt secure and confident in the final works produced. Students were offered a sense of autonomy which many had never before been afforded in an academic setting.

Overall, both courses proved extremely rewarding. In terms of academics, I learned a great deal about rhetorical conventions and principles; however, in terms of practicality, I learned so much more. I learned how to work in a professional environment with members outside of the Transylvania community. Alongside my group mates, I worked to create finalized products which are ready to take their places in my digital portfolio. Most importantly, I learned to apply what I have been taught within each of my classes in a practical, real-world sense, and that alone, has been well worth the effort. No matter the class or professor, at Transylvania, students are continually encouraged to engage with the community around them using what they have learned in their classes. In this way, Transylvania students are leaps and bounds ahead of students on many other campuses who have been confined to the four walls of their classrooms.

Sampling What Lexington has to Offer

If you’re considering Transy for your college destination, of course you should take a campus tour and have session with one our awesome Admissions Counselors (you can find your counselor here), but you should also get some facts about the city of Lexington! Yes, you will be taking your classes, participating in extracurriculars, and most likely living on Transy’s campus, but it’s impossible to spend all of your four years at Transy in your room, so what’s going on around in the Lexington?

Transy is located only three blocks away from downtown Lexington, making it very possible to walk, bike, or use other forms of sustainable transportation to get around this inner part of the city. There are several options for volunteering, entertainment, social outings, and eating. There are opportunities to do all of those things on campus – and you will – but Transy is committed to engaging its students in the world and the first step is in the immediate community and culture.

One of the things that potential students or their families frequently ask about is the food. Transy has four dining options on campus plus the restaurants that Lexington has to offer. On campus we have the main, buffet-style dining hall (the Caf), the fast food Rafskeller (the Raf), the 1780 (the ’80), and Jazzman’s, which is our campus café. The variety of eating-places allows you to eat something different everyday if you want, but sometimes you just want to go off campus to eat with your friends.

There are several chain restaurants around the city, but to really appreciate the uniqueness, you should try the local restaurants. Recently, I’ve eaten at a few local restaurants just a few blocks away called Stella’s Kentucky Deli and Grey Goose, which were both great. Plus, Transy often buys food from local farmers and restaurants to serve at events like Mad Mushroom Pizza and North Limestone Coffee and Donuts, making it easy to become addicted but also more aware of what the surrounding community has to offer. Lexington has so many opportunities, not only for food and fun, but also for jobs, internships, etc. So make sure to check out all that Lexington has to offer here and how going to Transy can allow you to take advantage of all of them!

The Beginning of the End

I’m so excited that our blog is getting started for this year because I already have so many more stories to share! The last three years at Transylvania have been unbelievably special, but a few months in and I can already tell that my last year here is going to be the best yet.

Speaking of which, I would like to take this opportunity to warn everyone that my posts this year are going to get real sentimental. Yes, I’m looking forward to whatever my grown-up life will hold. I’m in the same search process as all you high school seniors — only for graduate programs and full-time jobs. (I want to do public relations work for a nonprofit organization.) So I know how scary it is and I’m sure you’re just as ready to get it over with and know what you’re doing next as I am.

But I’m not done with Transylvania yet. There are so many more things I want to do. I have so enjoyed the opportunities I’ve had to contribute to our university’s future, both as the Student Programming Coordinator for August Term and the Senior Lead Ambassador for the Office of Admissions. I have had great experiences in the Lexington community, too, like the internship I had this summer with God’s Pantry Food Bank. And I also just love hanging out with all of the great friends I’ve made here.

So my goal with my posts this year is to introduce you to all of those things that I will miss most about Transylvania — the amazing opportunities our students have, the exciting possibilities living in Lexington provides, and most importantly, the people that make this university so much more than a school.

Because what I love most about Transy — and I’ve blogged about it before —  is the community. The people here make Transylvania special. Over the last four years, they’ve made me feel welcomed, accepted, and loved. They’ve challenged me to work harder and dream bigger. We take care of each other here and I’m going to miss being in such a motivated, safe, loving college community.

So yeah, this blog might get a little cheesy this year. You might read some of our posts and think the enthusiasm is fake, or that posts are only so positive because we’re getting paid to write them (though how cool is it that we do?!). I know that I and all the other bloggers are extremely passionate about Transylvania and are excited to share our experiences.

But please don’t take our word for it. Come see for yourself. Take a tour. Sit in on a class. Do an overnight visit. Meet the professors and friends we can’t stop talking about. Because there’s something so special here that just can’t be put into words. You’re not going to choose a college based on a website, so don’t let my posts convince you to attend Transy. Come let us prove it in person.

Pizza, Calzones, and Other Reasons Ordering Food is Perfect

There is just something about college that makes late-night pizza orders perfectly acceptable no matter what situation.

Studying? Of course you deserve cinnamon sticks.

Failed a test? Obviously you need a large cheese pizza (and you should probably start reading your textbook more often)

Got an A on a test? Pretty sure cheese sticks are necessary.

Fortunately, there are plenty of options for ordering food in Lexington, no matter what time, mood, or craving. In fact, periodically through the year, you get coupon books in the mail, with deals on everything from haircuts to chili. And at Transylvania, there are definitely some favorites that are pretty much offered every time there is free food offered at an event (which thankfully happens quite often). Since Lexington is a college town, there are many restaurants in close proximity, so it doesn’t take long for your delivery-person to arrive in Back Circle with your food (and yes, every delivery service I’ve experienced so far already knows where the Transylvania dorms are). So here are some of the classics you’ll have to try sometime in your college life, or even just in the first month of school (No judgement here):

Life After the Polar Vortex

Unless you haven’t been outside in the past two months, you know that it’s been obnoxiously freezing, to the point that you would worry about frostbite every time you stepped out the door. However, as I am typing this now, it is a sunny 60 degrees, and while that may not sound like a lot compared to summer temperatures, it’s enough to not have to wear a coat to class, which means that I could not be happier. So in honor of this beautiful weather, I’m going to list some ways that you can enjoy warm weather on Transylvania’s campus.

• Rent a bike (there’s a room in front lobby where you can rent one, and it’s 100% free!)
• Sit in Forrer courtyard (you can sit on the porch swing and relax as you watch the fountain)
• Play volleyball in Back Circle (it’s right near all of the dorms, and there is also plenty of grass space for any other sport you could want to play)
• Get something to-go from Jazzman’s coffee shop and sit in Haupt Courtyard (conveniently in the middle of campus)
• Make yourself a big ice cream cone in the caf (okay, so maybe this doesn’t involve the outdoors, but it’s never a bad idea)

In all, Kentucky weather is pretty amazing, at least from the perspective of someone that comes from Chicago. Transylvania showcases a lot of that warmth on campus, both from the physical surroundings and the people that go here. I highly recommend stopping by during the spring, because without the all the snow on the ground, campus tours can be longer and you can see just how happy our students are to be here.