Vanderbilt University (revealed)
A Dis-Orientation Guide for First Years and Socially Conscious Students.
Thank
you to our contributors: Roo George- Warren Maddison Hattaway Azeem Hernandez Hidden Dores Hamzah Raza Meredith Vitale
COVER ILLUSTRATION: Holly Glass, hollynglass@gmail.com Graphic Design by: Shawn Reilly, socialjusticeshawn@gmail.com
Hello! Thanks for picking up this dis-orientation guide! What exactly is it? Well, it’s a lot of things, as I’m sure you’ll find. So, you’ve made it to Vanderbilt, survived a whole semester, finally settled in, and probably thinking about what the next four years will look like. We hope that this guide will help you identify some ways to get involved on campus and in Nashville! This guide was created by a group of students from across campus, who after a few months of coming to Vanderbilt, felt that some of the realities they face here on campus were disorienting! We wanted to help alleviate this feeling for incoming students and generations of students to come! We created this handy Dis-orientation guide to help you become familiar with some of the ongoings of Vanderbilt. This guide is full of information that the “powers that be” don’t want you to know. We hope that this guide will help you gain a real understanding of what’s going on at Vanderbilt, and hopefully gives you a better sense of your home for the next four years. We hope you take this information and use it to make your time here more fruitful and meaningful to you, and the community you will leave behind after graduation. Well, that’s all we got. So check out the following pages, find something you’re passionate about, and get involved!
Case Study: Vanderbilt Responsible Endowment Campaign In 2012, a coalition of students demanded that Vanderbilt University divest from Emvest, in the words of the demand letter, “...The second investment, EMVest, has been a matter of ongoing controversy on campus. The Oakland Institute, California and UNAC, Mozambique are two groups which conducted on-the-ground research. They have alleged the company acquired its land by coercion, lied in public documents, and mistreats workers. Students have done extensive research starting in June and prepared evidence briefs that further support the allegations put forward by these organizations. We have met with both the Provost and Mr. Wright, who have addressed our concerns. We commend Mr. Wright especially on feeling comfortable sharing so much detailed information with us about the investment. However, we recognize that this is a unique example in Vanderbilt’s history of communication about investments, and it was a meeting that took over six months of campaigning to secure. We must have a policy of greater transparency; this is unacceptable.”
The students demanded change and accountability from Vanderbilt administration! “We find these two investments highly objectionable, and demand the appropriate action as immediately as possible. We see these investment as a result of a lack of accountability and transparency in the investment system at Vanderbilt. We are aware that the Office of Investment has no written ethical guidelines, unlike those that exist at many peer institutions. This is unacceptable. We have already stated our surprise at the lack of transparency when administration refuses to acknowledge or discuss investments that have already been confirmed and have been criticized in national press, such as HEI. We have made it clear to the Board of Trust and Mr. Wright that we are open to working with you in reforming the system in fairly conservative ways such as instituting an ethical recommendations board similar to ones existing at Ivy and other peer institutions.”
What does all this mean?! Vanderbilt, along with some other higher education institutions, were working through British hedge funds (basically, a group of investors that take money from a bunch of different places and invests it in one place) to buy and/or lease land in Africa, potentially forcing thousands of farmers and people out of their homes. The Guardian explained the moral problem with this type of foreign aid and investment, “Researchers say foreign investors are profiting from “land grabs” that often fail to deliver the promised benefits of jobs and economic development, and can lead to environmental and social problems in the poorest countries in the world.”
This all seems rather daunting. But don’t worry! Following student activism and campaigning, the University took steps to divest from EmVet. Vanderbilt Students of Nonviolence press release on the victory is pretty bad ass, though, check it out: “Vanderbilt University has taken steps to withdraw its $26 million investment in EMVest, formerly Emergent Asset Management, an agricultural corporation with farms in five sub-Saharan African countries, including Mozambique, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia, and Zimbabwe and whose investors included Harvard University. EMVest was accused of ‘land grabbing,’ or taking over agricultural land used by local communities through exploitative practices and using it for large-scale commercial export farming, by the Oakland Institute, a policy think-tank based in Oakland, California, in a June 2011 report publicized in the Guardian (UK). This historic divestment marks the first full divestment made by Vanderbilt in response to student pressure, a first in university history after its refusal to fully divest itself of funds operating in Apartheid-era South Africa.
What’s all that junk trying to say?! Student power was the key to make enduring change that literally had an international impact! Just a few years ago! We can build this power to fight for the issues we face today!
VITALE: Truth for america “Teach For America (TFA) was founded in 1989 in response to teacher shortages, with the mission to “eliminate educational inequity by enlisting high-achieving recent college graduates and professionals to teach.” However, there is no longer a teacher shortage — an estimated 500,000 teachers have been laid off from public schools since 2008. TFA recruits recent college graduates and signs them up for two-year contracts. After five weeks of training, TFA corp members are thrown into schools in low-income communities. Once the two-year contract is up, most corp members go on to graduate school, law school or jobs in the private sector instead of continuing to be educators. TFA is highly selective in choosing their members, which has made service with the organization an impressive resume builder. This attracts high-achieving, highly involved college students from all majors and backgrounds to the program. Although these individuals may be committed to the program, five weeks of training is not enough for people responsible for teaching a classroom full of kids who learn differently and at different rates. According to the 2011 annual report released by TFA, only 7,000 of 24,000 TFA alumni had remained in teaching jobs. Like any other professionals, teachers improve with experience. This cannot happen when TFA corp members are being cycled through schools every two years. While it is admirable that TFA corp members are devoting two years of their life to volunteering with kids, the Teach for America system needs to change to one that gives its members proper training and is aimed at recruiting career-long teachers. Teach for America possesses significant political power in the private and public sectors. More than 20 percent of TFA funding comes from corporate backing, and ties with companies like Goldman Sachs Group Inc., Wal-Mart and Exxon Mobil Corp. have led to opportunities in those companies for TFA alumni.TFA is also a player in public state education, for many TFA alumni are in positions of power in the education field. For example, in 2013 the Chicago Board of Education fired teachers and made budget cuts for public schools. At the same time, funding for TFA increased from $600,000 to $1.6 million and brought an additional 300 TFA corp members into Chicago schools.
There is no reason to believe that TFA corp members are better qualified than career teachers, but TFA’s political power has secured its teachers’ priority over career teachers... ...Vanderbilt facilitates TFA recruitment events on campus, which allows TFA to recruit the elite students who help build its reputation. In turn, the Vanderbilt law school, medical school, and policy and education programs offer graduate scholarships and deferrals to TFA alumni. TFA is dependent on this type of support to recruit students who view it as a resume builder. With this relationship, our school is explicitly backing all of TFA’s actions. Moreover, it encourages students to use TFA as a back door to a more “prestigious” career. Vanderbilt should be held accountable for the integrity of all organizations with which it is associated, leading by example and cutting all ties with TFA until significant reform is undergone and TFA’s operation reflects its original mission.” Originally published in the Vanderbilt Hustler. Author Meredith Vitale
Vandy merch What’s the deal? Who doesn’t love a good trip to Barnes and Noble to check out their expansive selection of Commodore gear during their first year at Vanderbilt? It’s so cool to have so much school pride! But much of the clothing and items that Barnes and Noble sells with our blessed name is produced in sweatshops! (Remember sweatshops? That thing we learned about happening 100 years ago? They’re still a thing!) We can, and have held our school accountable for providing us with ethically made merchandise! Check out this awesome campaign: Back in 2013, students came together to demand that Vanderbilt merchandise be produced in an ethical way that respected human rights. Delivering letters to both Vanderbilt administration and Barnes and Noble management, the group, largely comprised of members of Vanderbilt Students of Nonviolence, pointed out that Adidas, a company whose products were sold in our bookstore, had not conducted business in a manner that aligned with Vanderbilt’s Code of Conduct. The company refused to compensate over 2,700 workers after closing their factory in Indonesia, along with other labor rights violations. The students pushed for Vanderbilt to divest from Adidas, as part of a national divestment movement to pressure Adidas into treating their textile workers with basic respect.
Happily, 17 universities from across the country did end their contracts with Adidas, creating enough pressure after 2 years of campaigning that Adidas agreed to compensate their 2,700 workers. Sadly, Vanderbilt Administration did not take a stand on this issue. Although there are still lots of issues within Adidas’ supply chain, this sets a precedent for students holding their universities accountable. More importantly, it shows the magic of cooperative organizing and collective power.
universities brave enough to take a stand
Cornell University, Oberlin College, the University of Washi ngton, Brown University, Rutgers University, Georgetown Univer sity, the College of William & Mary, Sa nta Clara University , Penn State Universi ty, Northeastern University, the Univ ersity of Montana, the University of M innesota-Twin Citie s, Crookston, and Mor ris, Oregon State University, Temple University, and Washington State Un iversity
TITLE IX 101 What is Title IX? Title IX is a landmark federal civil rights act that prohibits sex discrimination in education—it isn’t just about sports! Sex discrimination/harassment includes, but is not limited to the following: unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, verbal/nonverbal physical contact of a sexual nature, stalking, gender harassment, intimate partner violence, sexual violence (attempted or completed rape or sexual assault), voyeurism, exhibitionism. Fun fact: Title IX protects people of all genders, not just females! What does that mean? Schools must take immediate action to ensure a complainant-victim can continue his, her, or their education free of ongoing sex discrimination, sexual harassment, or sexual violence. The university is required to provide the following for the complainant-victim: • Issue a no contact directive to the accused • Ensure any reasonable changes in housing, calls/sports schedule, campus job, and extracurricular activities. • Any arrangements made for the victim can occur BEFORE a formal complaint, investigation, hearing, or final decision is made regarding a complaint Schools may not retaliate against someone filing a complaint and must keep a complainant-victim safe from other retaliatory harassment or behavior. Schools can issue a no contact directive under Title IX to prevent the accused student from approaching or interacting with you. This is not a court-issued retraining order, but the school should provide you with information on how to obtain such an order and facilitate that process if you choose to pursue it. In cases of sexual violence, schools are prohibited from encouraging or allowing mediation (rather than a formal hearing) of the complainant. Schools cannot discourage you from continuing your education.
What is the world is the Clery Act? The Clery Act is a federal law that requires colleges to report crimes that occur “on campus” and school safety policies. The Clery Act also protects students from the perpetuation of a “hostile” environment. Requirements: 1. Requires schools to have timely warning when there are known risks to public safety on campus. 2. Contains the Campus Sexual Assault Victim’s Bill of Rights, which requires colleges to disclose educational programming, campus disciplinary process, and victim rights regarding sexual violence complaints. 3. Requires schools to explain their policies and procedures on campus in the wake of sexual violence. This includes who you may report such an incident to and what possible sanctions may be imposed as a result. It should also list available resources to victims on OR around campus, as well as inform you of your right to request reasonable accommodations. 4. The school has an obligation to inform you about your rights regarding to whom you can formally report sexual violence if you wish a criminal prosecution,
Who is Clery?
In 1986, a woman named Jeanne Clery was sexually assaulted and then murdered in her dorm at Lehigh University, by another student. The assailant was able to enter the dorm, where he did not live, when the door was propped open. Alarmed with the lack of information that their family had received about the prior incidents in the school, her family worked through her death to establish the Clery Act, which was put into effect in 1991.
Vanderbilt:
A history of Activism ,a 1960: James Lawson nity student at the Divi d for School, is expelle the his involvement in the Nashville sit-ins of ent. civil rights movem
p dershi a e l e th oci lowing dent’s Ass he l o F : 1 Stu dt 199 Black ts proteste ompe h t f n h o stude p of Hall T at V , n o ati d th rshi membe n had state uld d r a o b wo so nded Thomp son. ntry he fou ks.” u ac the co pt “the Bl e c not ac
e for th t s e t o ers ts pr tuden ront of Tow car/ S : 7 0 20 in f by a ana 6 re visited busii s i u o L e They w ut KKK East. hat threw o s individa t truck ds, as well ttoos who r a ta ness c h Swastika hem with t it uals w y, recorded e them the b av drove ones and g ph their down. s thumb
1987: The Black Student Association enacts year long protest centered around issues discussed in the Black Manifesto. Among other things, students wished to increase the numbers of Black faculty, staff, and students.
Oct disc 2005: lan riminat TSU SG g i R sto uage f on and ho mem re “ rom ber v er pus U .A s Greek the Gr y abus s face ive by a , Yo eek l ubs & fron l Vand equent u Gree paraph racis t e k e t b clos of th rbilt G oycot ” near rnalia ing t e r c e o a sto . re r eks an f the mesul d pr stor ted o e in t tests i he s n tore
2007: More than 200 students protested on West End in solidarity with the Louisiana Jena 6.
Compiled by members of Hidden Dores and Vanderbilt Students of Nonviolence, 2015
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2014:Minority students inspired by the “I, TOO, Am Harvard” campaign began the Hidden Dores movement. They seek to address the marginalization of all racial and ethnic minorities on Vanderbilt’s campus.
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2015: Over 200 students participated in a walk out and delivered a list of demands to Chancellor Zeppos. Inspired by actions at the University of Missouri, the students promised that they would no longer be silent about the systemic inequity inside their university.
Animals are people too. Right? Whether or not you’re a vegetarian, it’s kind of difficult to condone the use of animals in testing and training practices. With new technologies, alternatives are now available that have eliminated the need to use animals in cruel practices. After Vanderbilt was fined over $8,000 for animal negligence (senseless murder and negligence of test subjects), and much controversy around a piglet found dead in Vanderbilt research labs in 2012, Vanderbilt continues to use unethical animal practices on campus. Nashville Animal Advocacy has been organizing around this issue for some time, and explains today’s issues on their website: “At Vanderbilt University, emergency medicine residents are taught procedural skills using live animals, despite the widespread availability and implementation of nonanimal methods. The procedures performed by emergency medicine residents involve making an incision into a pig’s or goat’s chest to insert a tube, placing a catheter in a large vein, and inserting a needle below the breastbone to remove fluid from the sac surrounding the heart. At the end of each session, the animals are killed” • Vanderbilt can replace the use of animals in the Vanderbilt emergency medicine residency program with simulators and other human-relevant training methods. • Currently, 89 percent of surveyed emergency medicine residency programs in the United States teach the same procedures using non-animal methods. • Vanderbilt has a state-of-the-art simulation center that, if fully utilized, could replace the use of animals immediately. • Vanderbilt’s Advanced Trauma Life Support program teaches the same emergency procedures using simulation, so the school is already experienced in using non-animal methods for this type of training.
What’s going on in wider nashville? GENTRIFICATION! What is gentrification? Gentrification is defined as a marked change in the character of a neighborhood, due to an influx of white, affluent residents, and the displacement of preexisting residents, mostly poor, elderly, and/or people of color. Neighborhoods susceptible to gentrification are attractive due to low property values and amenities such as walkable neighborhoods and proximity to “downtown” areas. The displacement of incumbent residents typically occurs in two steps: first, renters are pushed out as landlords seek more wealthy residents, then, homeowners are forced to leave as the cost of living in the area rises to a level beyond their means. Yoga studios, hipcoffee shops, boutiques and other businesses catering to the newcomers spring up, replacing the corner stores, day cares, and other businesses that once served longtime residents of theneighborhood. Not only is Nashville experiencing rapid gentrification, but it is severely lacking affordable housing available for displaced citizens. What is an example of a gentrified area in Nashville? Not far from Vanderbilt, the 12 th South neighborhood has undergone a great deal of change in recent years. According to the Equitable Housing Report, from 2000 to 2010, the 12 th South neighborhood experienced a 269% increase in average housing costs, and a 58% decrease in the black population. 12 th South, the neighborhood with class-coded businesses such as a cupcake ATM and Reece Witherspoon’s store. Across the river, East Nashville is known for its quirky charms and hip coffee shops, as well as its rapid gentrification. One example of the mechanism of gentrification occurred in 2004, when the Metro Development and Housing Agency invoked eminent domain to seize a corner store at 11 th and Fatherland. This corner store had been a hub for residents of nearby James A. Cayce Homes, a public housing complex that is home to a primarily low-income, non-white population. On the adjacent corners to the property there now stand salons, boutiques, and a juice bar. As is the case in gentrifying cities across the country, incumbent residents are given little voice when it comes to the changes occurring in their communities. What can be done to stop the advance of gentrification? Some neighborhoods try to stave off gentrification through neighborhood conservation overlay districts, which are specialized zoning districts that regulate features such as lot size and building height. These can prevent the proliferation of the infamous “tall-and- skinnies”: houses that must be built taller because they cannot be built wider. To mitigate the harmful effects that gentrification has on displaced residents, Nashville needs to create more affordable housing. If you are interested in getting involved, Nashville Organized for Action and Hope (find them at noahtn.org !) focuses on affordable housing, as well as criminal justice and economic equity. Be on the lookout for public meetings that they hold. Faculty of Vanderbilt’s Community Research and Action graduate program have spoken out about the issue of gentrification and may be a valuable resource for students looking to learn more. Residents of the James A. Cayce Homes express that what the need most is more jobs and better schools. Consider volunteering with an organization such as VSVS or Big Brothers Big Sisters, to invest some of your time and love in the children of these communities.
Islamaphobia: plaguing middle tn Vanderbilt is located in Middle Tennessee, an area designated by both the Center for American Progress and the Council on American-Islamic Relations as the most Islamophobic area in the country.In Murfreesboro, Tennessee, just 25 miles from Vanderbilt’s campus, the Islamic Center of Murfreesboro’s construction site was set ablaze with a sign declaring the phrase,”Not Welcome.” Two years before that, a mosque in Columbus, Tennessee was also torched with molotov cocktails and vandalized with a swastika and the phrase,”White Power.” Vanderbilt University is no exception to the plague of Islamophobia prevalent in Middle Tennessee. In the spring of 2015, Carol Swain, a tenured Vanderbilt professor, stated that,”Islam has a problem with the West. Islam will never understand the freedoms that we live and die to preserve. If America is to be safe, it must remove the foxes from the henhouses and institute serious monitoring of Islamic organizations.” In response to Swain’s statements, Vanderbilt’s Provost responded with a statement saying: ”We in no way condone or support the views stated in the [op-ed] and we understand they are deeply offensive to many members of our community, Muslim and non-Muslim alike. We are fully committed to ensuring our campus is safe and welcoming to all.” The statement lacks any form of opposition to Islamophobia, simply saying that Vanderbilt does not support it, or oppose it. The statement “Deeply offensive to many members of our community” is also deeply troubling. Are there members of the Vanderbilt community to which such rhetoric is not offensive? If so, that is a cause of much worry. But even worse, the statement reflects the University administration’s lack of ability to take an active stance against Islamophobia. Everyone will agree that it is not Swain’s free speech right for Vanderbilt’s administration to dance around calling her words hateful and bigoted. The fact that the University has never explicitly called her statements what they are— racist exemplifies Vanderbilt’s administration’s morally bankrupt inability to take an active stance against Islamophobia.
While Islamophobia is something the University refuses to take a stance on, the University will take stances on issues that are more politically expedient. In response to various professors at Vanderbilt joining their colleagues in advocating for a boycott of Israel, an apartheid state which leaves 5 million Palestinians without citizenship, Chancellor Zeppos released a statement where he said: “Vanderbilt University stands with its Association of American Universities colleagues in opposing a boycott of Israeli academic institutions as proposed by the American Studies Association. There are few principles more central to our mission as a university than an unwavering commitment to academic freedom and the open exchange of ideas across the globe. We believe this boycott, by its very nature, is incompatible with this principle. Vanderbilt faculty can and have taken their own positions on this issue, which is their right and indeed their responsibility as scholars, just as it is our duty to protect their freedom to do so“ Welcome to Vanderbilt. Opposing Israel’s imperialism, illegal military occupation of Palestinians, and apartheid policies by engaging in the same tactics that brought down apartheid in South Africa will have you condemned by the Chancellor. But making propositionts that the US government engage in unconstitutional, discriminatory targeting of a minority group will give you tenure and a statement of “We don’t support you. And you offended many people. But don’t worry, we won’t oppose you either.”
An indigenous people’s history of vandy Can we understand the experiences of indigenous students at Vanderbilt University without understanding the history of the institution? As a member of the Catawba Indian Nation and an alumnus of Vanderbilt, it’s abundantly clear to me that a discussion of indigenous students at Vanderbilt will always miss the point if it is not centered in the stories of the land upon which Vanderbilt is built. Just off of campus is Centennial Park, notable for its life-size replica of the Parthenon which was built for the Tennessee Centennial Exposition in 1897. The event commemorated the 100-year anniversary of Tennessee joining the US. For indigenous folks, it is rather a commemoration of the colonization of the lands of the Cherokee, Shawnee, Chicamauga, and other indigenous peoples. The Park itself sits atop land which was given to Anne Robertson Johnson Cockrill for “heroically” leading a group of women in pouring boiling water over the sides of Fort Wautaga onto a group of Cherokee, Chickamauga, and others defending their lands from invasion. Cockrill and the other settlers were briefly sojourning in the fort for the winter before John Donelson, Andrew Jackson’s father-in-law, could lead them to the new, illegal settlement of Nashborough (later renamed Nashville). 12 miles east of Vanderbilt’s campus is The Hermitage, the plantation Andrew Jackson built using slave labor and resources stolen from indigenous peoples. Andrew Jackson, who was born on occupied Catawba land, epitomizes the wanton killing, removal, and neglect of indigenous men, women, two-spirits (LGBTQIA+), children, and elders. For many indigenous peoples on Turtle Island [Earth], he epitomizes the violent theft of native land, life, and culture. Today, Andrew Jackson’s home functions as a tourist attraction with aspirations towards educating the public: “The mission of the Andrew Jackson Foundation is to preserve the home of Andrew Jackson, create educational opportunities, and inspire citizenship through learning about his life and unique impact on American history.” For indigenous peoples, the idea that Andrew Jackson’s legacy might inspire citizenship is terrifying. This refusal to grapple with Andrew Jackson’s legacy is culturally rampant – take a look at any $20 bill – but it manifests in specific ways on Vanderbilt’s campus. During the 2013-2014 Vanderbilt school year, one of the student performance groups staged Bloody, Bloody Andrew Jackson. Although the musical is a hilarious satire which doesn’t shy away from Jackson’s bloody legacy,
ts underlying principle is that “Jackson was complicated” – a view that American’s would find ludicrous if applied to any of a number of foreign genociders, war-mongers, or tyrants. Vanderbilt’s specific history with Indigenous peoples is shrouded in mystery since the university has not found it worthwhile to track such things. Even accomplishments which could be leveraged in recruitment and advertising such as “the first native student to graduate from Vanderbilt” are lost to history. Where is our history at this institution? The current experience for indigenous peoples at Vanderbilt is not conducive to the success of native students. When I graduated from Vanderbilt in 2014 I had only known of 3 classes that specifically addressed indigenous peoples as subject matter. No classes used indigenous knowledge as an investigative technique. Furthermore, the Office of Admissions did not and, to the best of my knowledge, continues to not have any recruitment programs focused on indigenous youth. Until the graduation of 2016, Native American students weren’t even allowed to adorn themselves with eagle feathers at graduation a sacred and civil tradition amongst many tribes. When confronted about this violation of indigenous peoples’ religious rights, a University official replied that indigenous students were “welcome to display their heritage as soon as the main ceremony concludes.”
My grandfather, Buck George, first Catawba to attend college (Clemson). Many things have not changed for indigenous peoples in higher education since he graduated in 1955.
Although it might not be common knowledge, eagle feathers bear immense, sacred significance for Native people. My grandfather received his eagle feather after graduating college - the first Catawba to do so. My mother received her feather when she graduated law school and became the first Catawba lawyer. After my graduation ceremony, when I found my family on the lawn eating strawberries and drinking champagne, my mother presented me with my eagle feather. Although my tribe doesn’t consider it a cultural necessity to adorn ourselves with feathers for graduation ceremonies many communities do. For Native Americans - the only demographic in the US to see decreasing high school graduation rates in the 21st century and abysmal college matriculation rates - it is a necessity to celebrate educational achievements in culturally and spiritually appropriate ways. In 2016 the ban on eagle feather adornments was rescinded thanks to the tireless work of Native Americans of Tennessee Interacting at Vanderbilt (NATIVe) and indigenous students past and present. Vanderbilt prides itself on being a community and developing a balanced approach to student life but outside the classroom and graduation stage indigenous students are confronted by social barriers that never burden their white classmates. In Spring 2014, a fraternity on campus decided it was a good idea to host a party titled “Last of the Brohicans.” A rifle and a bow, with the arrow notched and drawn, were prominently displayed on the banner. The party was a clear reference to James Fenimore Cooper’s Last of the Mohicans which is, simply put, a genocide fantasy. The “Mohicans” that Cooper wrote about never existed as a people; Cooper combined two historical tribes together to better fulfill the purposes of his fiction. This immensely popular book, which strengthened the incorrect but popular 19th Century White notion that indigenous people were disappearing, has remained popular through its multiple media adaptations including the well-received 1992 film featuring Daniel Day-Lewis. When I confronted the leaders of the fraternity demanding a change in theme, they retorted that their fraternity had many “Native American members” who were excited to “share their culture” through this party. It was not made clear how many members were native, which tribes these brothers were from, and how the brothers planned to share their cultures in the venue of a frat party. After threatening to involve the Office of Greek Life, the party theme was changed. But like other universities and institutions Vanderbilt is a minefield of redface and genocide play. This is particularly true at Halloween when racist “native american” costumes are common and big sporting events when students feel it is important to wear gear depicting racist mascots.
Vanderbilt as a community and as an institution must reflect on the violent and genocidal history of the US and what that history means for indigenous students. In turn, Vanderbilt must consider how their policies, traditions, and inertia present an active barriers to the success of indigenous students and communities.
DeLesslin “Roo” George-Warren is a proud member of the Catawba Indian Nation, an alumnus of Vanderbilt University’s Blair School of Music and the 2014 “Outstanding Senior.” Today he works in his tribe, the US, and internationally on issues important to indigenous peoples. @delesslin
10 things to know before going greek
So now that you’ve arrived on campus, you’re ready to begin your long and healthy career as a Frat Star. Here are the top ten things you should know as you embark on this wonderful journey. But, before you think that I am some bitter wannabe Frat Star that was cut too soon, let me clarify. I did rush, pledge, and initiate into an IFC Fraternity on campus. I did, at one point, genuinely believe that I found a welcoming community and a place to belong. Or, rather I wanted so badly to belong that i blinded myself from reality for far too long. These are my experiences and my stories - this is the reality of IFC. 1. Even the IFC Frats that aren’t that bad, are really that bad. The modern day fraternity has a terrible stigma attached to it. While the office of Greek Life and some administrators will argue that being a member of a Greek organization offers community and brotherhood, that isn’t the full truth. Greek Life is a business - and like any business they have to sell their product to you using all the half truths they can find. The status quo, which is well maintained by the actions of fraternities, is that Frats are breeding grounds of oppression, xenophobia, homophobia, heteronormativity, racism and sexism among other things. The Greek houses on campus have done everything in their power to hide that image and reverse that stigma except actually dealing with the causes of these feelings. These organizations wear a mask of tolerance and inclusivity because that’s the policy they were forced to adopt by administration. Even the chapters that claim to be inclusive really aren’t. Here’s the thing. There are barriers to inclusivity that fraternities just can’t seem to fix. A large part of this list is dedicated to those barriers. But don’t be fooled, even the Frats
that claim to be tolerant and accepting are not. Just because they have a Black, Gay, or Muslim brother doesn’t mean they are pioneering a new wave of inclusivity. I can almost guarantee that brother is not truly included in the fraternity - even if they think (for the moment) that they are. Even if I, for the moment, thought I was. Besides, don’t we, as people, deserve more than just tolerance? Sure, your brothers will pose in a “we are the world” photo to show their support (it’s great PR), but when the troops are lining up to march – they won’t be standing next to you. 2. Fraternities have some very troubled histories that they aren’t quite ready to deal with Most IFC Frats were founded during a very racist time in American history. Some have historical ties to Confederate soldiers and generals or the KKK. Likewise, nearly every organization has a history of homophobia and hypermasculinity hidden behind a religious founding. Those historical ties would be fine in modern day, if they were addressed and actively changed. However, that’s not the case. Instead, many fraternities on this campus attempt to hide these historical affiliations while continuing to perpetuate the culture created by them. Some of these hardcore racist brothers are actually idolized for being “great brothers” and pioneering the modern culture of the chapter and institutionalizing these hazardous practices. My ex-frat, for example, started every chapter meeting by reading directly from the Bible - a tradition rooting back to the founding of my fraternity. Not that reading from the Bible shouldn’t be allowed – but think about how alienated certain passages can make members feel. Or, how exclusively reading from the Bible might suggest that any other religion (or lack thereof) is less deserving of validation. I recall one instance where my ex-brother read a passage condemning same-sex relationships. How could that possibly create a positive space for brothers struggling with their sexuality? It doesn’t, instead it builds a barrier to acceptance. 3. If you’re not a Cisgender White Male (or even if you are but you understand equality), you’ll have a hard time The point of joining a fraternity is to be included and find your community. Brothers are supposed to support you and genuinely care for you. Or, at least that’s the story they sell you while you’re rushing. If you somehow don’t fit the mold of ultimate privilege – and it’s extremely visual that you don’t – prepare to be the voice for your entire community. You’ll be the punch line of a borderline racist joke. But don’t worry because “you’re not like them” - you’re different.You might be occasionally “reminded” that you got into this school because of some “qouta system”
and holds seats open for marganlized groups. And that’s 100% true because your frat brother knows this one White guy who had a 2400 SAT score and got denied, but you got in on your 2350. Every now and then they may also feel the need to remind you that your violent religion (even if you don’t fully identify with it) is inadequate compared to historically peaceful christianity. 4. Rushing and Pledging are entirely different beastS Rushing and Pledging really are two very different things.The experience is like buying a used car or fixer upper house. Rushing is the part where you salesperson shows you all these beautiful shiny cars and the amazing features. Then you get in your lovely car and take it for a ride (rush events). It’s a great car and you can’t believe you got so lucky to find it. So you decide to buy it (pledging). Now after a week or so you realize the back windows don’t roll down. But ehh… you can deal turn on the AC. Oh but now that’s no longer working - even though you swear it was on the test drive. Tough luck… maybe you can deal with the heat - right? Nope, now its just getting unbearably uncomfortable. So you call the salesperson. Guess what - the warranty is up and he could care less about your car now. You take it into the shop and still nothing. No one can fix your car. The sooner you accept that, the easier it will be for you. 5. Your experience as a member of a marginalized community will be invalidated and attacked on the regular Have you been insulted for your background? Have you been followed around stores because of your melanin? Have you been treated differently because of the way you look? Do people assume you are violent and uneducated? Can you not wear certain clothing because it might attract unwanted police attention? Have you been denied essential human rights for decades and are continually treated as a second class citizen? Well congratulations, it all ends today because your fraternity brother says so. He’s not a racist or a homophobe so therefore the whole world can’t be like that - problem solved. He’s never treated anyone differently so therefore the problem doesn’t exist. Plus his Italian ancestors were once marginalized too so he gets it. People still follow him around stores too when he shops. Plus why would you want to wear a hoodie anyways? Rights? What rights? You have the 14th amendment and the supreme court you guys have equal treatment - if anything White heterosexual males are the ones getting the heat now anyways- so why are you complaining?
THANK YOU FOR READING! Now that you’ve been awakened to some (not even all!) of the realities of Vanderbilt, we hope that you will commit yourself to the struggle for justice. All of these things may seem insurmountable, but we have a deep and rich history of students activists making changes on and around campus. We hope that you’ll consider joining the following organizations to help make a difference: Vanderbilt Food Justice Sarratt 112. Tuesdays. 8:30 pm. And some others: Dores in Solidarity with Palestine Hidden Dores Vanderbilt Lambda Association Muslim Student Association NATIVe We hope to see you all at vfj/vsn meetings!
“Looking at the past must only be a means of understanding more clearly what and who they are so that they can more wisely build the future.” -Paulo Freire