1780 – The Official Blog of Transylvania University

1780 | The Official Blog of Transylvania University

Jim Gray

Transylvania, Lexington Forum to host mayoral debate Wednesday

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LEXINGTON, Ky.—Transylvania University students will get a first-hand look at the democratic process during a campus mayoral debate co-hosted by the Lexington Forum at 7 p.m. Wednesday in Carrick Theater. Incumbent Mayor Jim Gray and challenger, former Lexington Police Chief Anthany Beatty, will answer questions submitted by students and Forum members during the event, which LEX18 and WEKU will broadcast live. Gray is vying for his second term in the Nov. 4 general election. The debate host will be LEX18 anchor Nancy Cox, and the moderator will be Tom Martin, Herald-Leader columnist, Transylvania staff member and Forum board member. While each campaign has been provided with a general list of related topics, they were not given specific questions.  “Hosting the mayoral debate on campus demonstrates to our students and our college community the importance of public dialog relating to local issues and the importance of participating in the democratic process,” Transylvania President Seamus Carey said. Molly Sutherland, president of the Lexington Forum, said her group is “all about the healthy discussion and analysis of community and regional issues. We always look for opportunities to host conversations that bring differing points of view into the open. This mayoral debate is a perfect example. And where more appropriate than this campus dedicated to the civic engagement of tomorrow’s leaders?” Doors will close at 6:50 p.m., and the debate will start at 7 sharp. Free tickets are available to members of the Forum

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High school students gather at Transylvania to study Henry Clay’s legacy

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LEXINGTON, Ky. — The Henry Clay Center for Statesmanship, a partnership of Transylvania University and the University of Kentucky, is preparing to convene high school students from across the United States for its sixth Student Congress June 7–14. These leaders and policymakers of tomorrow will hear speakers and participate in debates focused on major global issues of our times, all in the context of the statesmanship that endures as the legacy of Henry Clay—senator, speaker of the house, secretary of state and three-time presidential candidate. The students will address topics currently in the news, such as the Russo-Ukrainian conflict and global water issues, specifically water shortages influencing the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Other issues will be chosen by the students themselves. During their stay, they will be asked to identify the three greatest threats facing the new generation and then will debate those issues on the floor of the Old Capitol in Frankfort. Their day in Frankfort will culminate with dinner at the Governor’s Mansion. Featured speakers will include politicians such as Lexington Mayor Jim Gray, Kentucky Lieutenant Governor Jerry Abramson and former Kentucky State Treasurer Jonathon Miller, as well as esteemed educators and historians, including Kentucky State Historian James Clotter. Professors invited to speak include Michael Cairo and Kathleen Jagger from Transylvania, Karen Petrone from the University of Kentucky and Timothy Johnson from the University of Minnesota. The format of the 2014 Student Congress is a departure from five previous student

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Fourth Street improvements will transform north Lexington

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LEXINGTON, Ky.—Collaboration. According to Lexington Mayor Jim Gray, that’s what made it happen. Connections. That’s what Urban County Council member Chris Ford wants the improvements to create. Transformation. And that’s what Bluegrass Community and Technical College President Augusta Julian expects for the surrounding neighborhood. It may have seemed like just another annoying road project to some who traveled it, creating the usual traffic snarls and inconvenient detours, but those who live in the area know differently. The Fourth Street improvements may truly transform the neighborhood. Several local dignitaries gathered last week at BCTC’s Newtown campus to celebrate the completion of the Fourth Street road project as well as a number of other important construction projects in the area, including Transylvania’s Athletics Complex. The newly reconfigured Fourth Street—which is now two-way between Newtown Pike and Jefferson Street, with freshly painted bike lanes, inviting sidewalks, and improved lighting—is indeed a critical connection between the residents of north Lexington and the downtown area and between the campuses of Transylvania University and BCTC. Said Ford, “The project is truly about mobility and connectivity.” The collaboration required to make the project a reality was the first indication of the connections this project could forge. It took a cooperative approach among multiple parties to envision the Fourth Street improvements and sustain the momentum for their completion: District 7 of the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government, R.J. Corman Railroad Group, Transylvania University, and BCTC. Julian

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Lexington Tattoo Project unveils the “hidden image” Nov. 15

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LEXINGTON, Ky.—The Lexington Tattoo Project brought together a diverse community: grandmothers, parents, tattoo aficionados, tattoo newbies, bikers, poets. On Friday, Nov. 15, the tattoo designs themselves will be brought together to reveal a hidden image—inked on a well-known Lexingtonian. Just who that is will remain a mystery until he or she pulls up to the unveiling party at Buster’s Billiards & Backroom on Manchester Street that night…in a Ferrari. The project was dreamed up by Transylvania professors Kurt Gohde and Kremena Todorova, a creative team that engages the community in unusual ways. For this work, a word or words from Transylvania alumna Bianca Spriggs’ poem “The __________ of the Universe: A Love Story” was tattooed on 252 people who call Lexington home. The privately funded project garnered a surprising amount of attention earlier this year, including a CNN feature. “It became much bigger, much faster than what we had anticipated,” Todorova said. Like a sailor’s “Mom” tattoo, this skin art is a mark of affection. “We asked Bianca to write the poem as a love letter to Lexington,” explained Todorova. And the stories of those who volunteered to get tattooed—whether Lexington natives or newcomers—without fail reference a fondness for the city, in all its beauty and its shortcomings. Many of the poem’s words and phrases came from responses gathered from Facebook and Twitter requests to fill in the blank of the poem’s title. Phrases include “Candy Heart,” “Underrated Wine,” “Roadside

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See 1,000 handmade dolls at community potluck April 4 at Kentucky Theater; project sponsored by Transylvania’s Community Engagement class

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LEXINGTON, Ky.—If you spot a handmade doll hidden in the nooks and crannies of Limestone Street in the next few weeks, feel free to pick it up and give it a good home. It will likely be one of the 1,000 fabric, clay and wooden dolls that Transylvania University students and community members have made as part of the university’s Community Engagement Through the Arts (CETA) class. The public is invited for a sneak peek at the dolls during a community potluck dinner Wednesday, April 4, at 7 p.m. at the Kentucky Theater. The event will also feature live music and Lexington Mayor Jim Gray will speak at 7:30 p.m. The 1,000 Dolls project is the latest in a series of projects spearheaded by the class, whose goal is to strengthen the relationship between the university and the community by engaging in artistic community projects. Previous CETA classes have made quilts and applied temporary murals to downtown buildings, all while interacting and working with residents of Transylvania’s downtown neighborhood. The popular class, taught by art professor Kurt Gohde and English professor Kremena Todorova, has developed somewhat of a following, with community members regularly attending class sessions. The idea for the 1,000 Dolls project came from local artist Ed Franklin, who makes and hides dolls around town and posts clues to finding them on Facebook. Those who find the dolls get to keep them. This spring, CETA class members have coordinated

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