Events

LEXINGTON, Ky.—In 1994, the Martin Luther King, Jr. federal holiday was designated by Congress as a national day of service, charging Americans to make the third Monday in January a “day on, not a day off.” On Monday, Jan. 21, Transylvania University students, faculty and staff will celebrate the 2013 Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service by joining members of the Lexington community to perform service projects. Several service opportunities will be available at Transylvania and include donating blood, writing letters of thanks to troops for serving overseas, making valentines for several Lexington organizations and knitting scarves for Special Olympics. The projects listed are open to the public. Projects at Transylvania Donate blood (with Kentucky Blood Center) William T. Young Campus Center Corner of Fourth Street and Broadway 10:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Call 276-2534 to sign up. Write letters of thanks to the troops William T. Young Campus Center 1-3 p.m. Make valentines for the Adult Day Center, UK Children’s Hospital and the Ronald McDonald House William T. Young Campus Center 1-3 p.m. Knit scarves for Special Olympics CARE House 439 W. Fourth Street 1-3 p.m. Bring your own supplies Because space is limited, volunteers are asked to register at http://uwbg.galaxydigital.com/volunteer/agency/display/mlk-day-of-service/?agency_id=3747 prior to volunteering. For more information, contact Karen Anderson at (859) 233-8182, or kanderson@transy.edu.

LEXINGTON, Ky.—Transylvania University will present “Pippin” May 16-19 in Haggin Auditorium. Transylvania’s theater and music programs will join forces to produce the popular musical, which first opened on Broadway in 1972. “This is a funny, inventive, coming-of-age fairy tale—a story we hope everyone will love,” said theater professor Sully White, who will produce the show. She explained that “Pippin” was chosen for its virtues as a good ensemble piece, one that will allow many students to shine in their roles. “While certainly the titular character is a lead role, the ensemble roles have as much stage time and get the fun task of helping to create the world of the play,” she said. “We also wanted something that would challenge and excite both the actor and the singer, and we think we’ve found that in the solid book scenes that make up the story and in the energetic score.” The musical uses the premise of a mysterious acting troupe, led by a Leading Player, to tell the story of Pippin, a young prince on an ambitious quest for an extraordinary and meaningful life. The context of the show is purposefully anachronistic and unconventional, though the musical score reflects a contemporary 1970s pop style. During the musical, Pippin’s adventures include a mock battle to show him the life of a warrior, a series of meaningless sexual encounters that teach him how relationships without love are hollow, a fight against tyranny and

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LEXINGTON, Ky.—Kentucky Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes will hold a Civic Health Initiative roundtable at Transylvania University’s William T. Young Campus Center on Tuesday, Jan. 8, from 12:30-1:30 p.m. The event is free and open to the public, with a meet and greet session from 12:15-12:30 p.m. In November, Grimes kicked off the Civic Health Initiative, a statewide series of roundtable discussions at Kentucky’s universities and colleges to improve Kentucky’s overall civic health. “Earlier this year, my office released Kentucky’s first ever Civic Health Index, which unfortunately shows that civic engagement in Kentucky is generally declining,” said Grimes in a press release from her office in 2012. “Kentucky is at its best when everyone is engaged,” Grimes continued. “The Civic Health Initiative is the first step toward establishing new partnerships and formulating fresh strategies that will bridge existing participation gaps.” The event is sponsored by Transylvania’s Office of Community Service and Civic Engagement and the Kentucky League of Women Voters in Lexington, Ky.

LEXINGTON, Ky.—Transylvania University’s Morlan Gallery presents “The Thirteen,” a visual art exhibition and live musical/spoken word performance paying homage to 13 black women and girls who were lynched or otherwise violently murdered in Kentucky. The exhibition opens Wednesday, Jan. 16, at noon, and runs through February 15. The performance takes place on Wednesday, Jan. 23, from 7:30-9 p.m., in the Carrick Theater, in the Mitchell Fine Arts Center. It is free and open to the public. “The Thirteen” exhibition seeks to enshrine the shared history of the 13 women and girls and will feature photographs and video by Angel Clark as well as pieces by Transylvania graduate Bianca Spriggs, including original poetry, pen and ink drawings and resin skulls. “The Thirteen” production, made possible in part by the Kentucky Arts Council and the Kentucky Foundation for Women, will feature performances by an ensemble of 12 Kentucky musicians and vocalists paired with spoken word poetry by Spriggs. Spriggs is an Affrilachian Poet and Cave Canem Fellow. A multidisciplinary artist who lives and works in Lexington, Ky., Spriggs is currently a doctoral student at the University of Kentucky. She holds degrees from Transylvania University and the University of Wisconsin. Named one of the Top 30 Black Performance Poets in the U.S. by TheRoot.com, she is a 2013 recipient of an Al Smith Individual Artist Fellowship in Poetry, a Pushcart Prize nominee and a recipient of three Artist Enrichment Grants from the Kentucky

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LEXINGTON, Ky.—Which comes first, love or trust? The lives of six characters in Transylvania University Theater’s production of “Trust” intersect romantically and platonically as the play attempts to answer this question. The no-holds-barred look into the world of fame, love, betrayal, and ultimately, trust, is set against the backdrop of the pop music scene and runs Nov. 29-30 and Dec. 1 at 7:30 p.m. and Dec. 2 at 2 p.m. in Transylvania’s Lucille C. Little Theater. Senior Laura Campbell, of Georgetown, Ky., makes her directorial debut with this Steven Dietz contemporary dramatic comedy. “It’s been a lot of work,” said Campbell, a theater major and music minor. “I’ve been living with this play for eight months, and it’s been an amazing experience to work with these talented actors and to tell this story. I wouldn’t want to finish my time at Transy any other way.” This modern drama blends love, lust, and lying into a whirlwind tour. “Trust” sketches out the bumps and grinds of modern relationships as Becca, engaged to pop idol Cody Brown, learns exactly what it means to be a rockstar’s girlfriend. At the same time, Cody discovers the dangerous lures of fame, while has-been Leah Barnett struggles to make a comeback and teach him a few things along the way. Stories collide, betrayals occur, and life moves on, as the word trust is called into question. Tickets are $10 and may be reserved by calling the

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