vanderbilthustler WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2014
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VOL. 126, ISS. 26
SEE PAGE 2
CAMPUS
Student activism on Amendment 1
New amendment would provide greater regulatory power to Tennessee legislature concerning state’s abortion laws PAGE 3
OPINION
The ugly truth about Teach For America Columnist takes a stand against popular nonprofit
SPORTS
All in: the Nifae Lealao story The highest-rated recruit in Vanderbilt football history follows Head Coach Derek Mason to Nashville and embraces opportunities
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PAGE 6 PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY BOSLEY JARRETT / THE VANDERBILT HUSTLER
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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2014
campus Administration puts stricter regulations on ‘create your own major’ program
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“If the university is not going to allow you to pursue the education you want to pursue, then what’s your other option?” SENIOR SAMI DICKSON, ON THE NEW ‘CREATE YOUR OWN MAJOR’ POLICY
Class of 2013 employment by industry
By SAARA ASIKAINEN Managing editor --------------------
Sophomore Jude Cohen wants to travel the world and meet people of other cultures through the lens of international fashion marketing. Feeling that no existing major would offer the global perspective appropriate for this future, she designed her own — “cross-cultural communications and Romance languages” — hammering out the details with her pre-major adviser over the course of her first year. However, after taking the interdisciplinary major proposal to Dean Yollette Jones for approval, Cohen said she was strongly discouraged from pursuing the major. She said that the dean recommended pursuing a communications major and taking language electives instead, and said that her proposed major was too pre-professional. “I felt really blindsided because my pre-major adviser was totally on board,” Cohen said. “I went in thinking I’d have to make some minor changes and adjustments, and totally got shut down.” Due to a policy added to the Vanderbilt Course Catalog over the summer, this experience may become more common for students hoping to create their own major. To apply to create a major, a student must put together a proposal that outlines 48 hours’ worth of course credit — the equivalent of a typical major and minor combined. The proposal must include courses from at least four different departments and must thoroughly explain the intent of the program. For some, creating a major has been used to compensate for a limitation that they see in the existing academic offerings of the university. But the university feels that the practice stands at odds with a comprehensive liberal arts degree. Senior Spencer Hoddeson, president of the Business Careers in Entertainment Club, created his own major in entertainment media studies because he is interested in a career in television. Hoddeson said he has seen an increase in interested students in recent years. “In the past few years, a lot of people have decided to make media-related majors because Vanderbilt doesn’t necessarily have any programs that lend themselves to media-specific opportunities,” Hoddeson said. The club operates as a kind of forum and provides networking opportunities and advice for those interested in careers in business, media or entertainment. As part of the club’s programming, he recently tried to organize a workshop to counsel other students on how to create their own major within the regulations of the College of Arts
Class of 2012 employment by industry
Data provided reflects a 50% alumni response rate. Arts, Media & Communications (15.5%)
Arts, Media & Communications (3.7%)
Consulting, Management & HR (21.9%)
Consulting, Management & HR (21.9%)
Education, Community Organizations & Nonprofits (16.4%)
Education, Community Organizations & Nonprofits (16.6%)
Engineering & IT (18.6%)
Engineering & IT (17.1%)
Finance, Real Estate, & Insurance (10.1%)
Finance, Real Estate, & Insurance (20.3%)
Health Care (9.0%)
Health Care (8.6%)
Public Policy, Government & Law (6.1%)
Public Policy, Government & Law (4.8%)
Other (2.4%)
Other (7.0%) DATA PROVIDED BY THE VANDERBILT CAREER CENTER
and Science. A fellow board member met in late September with Dean Jones, the current chair of the Committee on Individual Programs, which approves all interdisciplinary proposals. They were hoping that she would speak about the possibility for students to create their own major oriented for business and media careers. Instead, Jones informed him of a policy shift put into place last May: The university is phasing out the program — at least for proposals they feel are too focused on a particular professional experience. Dean Roger Moore, who headed the Committee on Individual Programs last year, said that proposals should not be designed to focus on pre-professional training — something that many current students seek to do by creating their own major. The language was simply added to the 2014-15 catalog to emphasize the commitment to the liberal arts education. “That wording was to help the students to come back to and realize the real purpose of these, which was to be much more liberally based rather than pre-professional — and that’s what
many proposals over the past few years have been,” said Moore, who frequently advises students on their proposals. “We don’t feel like narrow vocational training is what the college is about, so that’s what I think lies behind this. We want students to take full advantage of the liberal arts offerings rather than to narrow into some pre-professional focus,” he added. The College of Arts and Science does, however, provide pre-professional advising for students planning on pursuing careers in medicine, law or architecture. The Center for Student Professional Development also aims to provide career counseling for students. According to Director Cindy Funk, the center is in the middle of an effort to increase its involvement in students’ undergraduate careers from the beginning.“We engaged 44 percent of the freshmen last year in some kind of a professional development activity. And it’s not really thinking pre-professionally, but it’s really where you can still be a liberal arts major, be an engineering major, but still be thinking like, ‘Well, I’m going to get this great degree, but what — continued on PAGE 4
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Amendment 1 vote spurs activism among Vanderbilt students Students campaign both for and against Tennessee’s Amendment 1, which would grant greater regulatory powers to the Tennessee legislature over abortion AMENDMENT 1 FACTS History: In the 2000 Planned Parenthood of Middle Tennessee v. Sundquist case, the Tennessee Supreme Court issued a ruling that strictly limited the government’s ability to address or restrict abortion. Amendment 1 would overturn this ruling, stating that the right to abortion or funding of an abortion is not to be constitutionally protected and thus will be open to government regulation. Amendment text: “Nothing in this Constitution secures or protects a right to abortion or requires the funding of an abortion. The people retain the right through their elected state representatives and state senators to enact, amend, or repeal statutes regarding abortion, including, but not limited to, circumstances of pregnancy resulting from rape or incest or when necessary to save the life of the mother.”
WHAT YOUR VOTE MEANS:
BOSLEY JARRETT / THE VANDERBILT HUSTLER
Vanderbilt Fems call Vanderbilt students, whom they registered to vote in Tennessee, to remind them about voting day and procedures.
By CARI DRINNON News reporter --------------------
This November Tennessee voters will cast their ballot for or against Amendment 1, a proposed constitutional amendment that would give Tennessee lawmakers more regulatory powers over abortion. Under current state law the state government has minimal ability to restrict access to abortion. Widespread activism and campaigning have been seen throughout Tennessee as the 2014 elections draw nearer, and the Vanderbilt campus is no exception. Two major campaigns — “Yes on 1” and “Vote No on 1” — have been working tirelessly on the issue for months. After weeks of canvassing, phone banking, fundraising and advertising, it seems that the emphasis of both campaigns is raising awareness of the issue. On campus, flyers, buttons and stickers with the Yes on 1 or Vote No on 1 logos have been distributed, and both campaigns have met with different student organizations. The Vote No on 1 campaign has also been recruiting Vanderbilt stu-
dents, both Tennessee residents and non-residents, to register to vote on this issue in November. “Our goal is to reach out to voters and mobilize,” said Vanderbilt senior Erin Lee, an intern with the Vote No on 1 campaign. “We want to reach out to people who may not know about Amendment 1, let them know what it is, find out if they’re voting and how they are voting.” “Women’s health has always been an issue that’s really close to my heart,” Lee said when asked why she joined the campaign. Vote No on 1 has also worked closely with the Vanderbilt Feminists, which organized an activism training for Vanderbilt students interested in working for the campaign and set up voting registration tables at Sarratt Student Center and The Commons. According to sophomore and Vanderbilt Feminists Vice President Maggie King, who is the Amendment 1 campus coordinator for the Feminist Majority Foundation, the registration drives recruited about 50 Vanderbilt students to register for Tennessee voting. Junior Laurel Piper decided to register to vote in Tennessee through Vanderbilt Feminists. ”I was actually about to register to
vote absentee in Illinois when I heard about Amendment 1 and decided my vote was more important in Tennessee than in Illinois because we don’t have any issues like this up for vote in my home state,” Piper said. Piper was not familiar with Amendment 1 before the issue was raised on campus. After learning about the issue at a Vanderbilt Feminists registration drive, she decided to learn more. “I registered to vote because government interference with abortion rights and privacy rights is something I am very adamantly against,” Piper said. “I personally believe that what I do with my body is my choice and should not be placed under the jurisdiction of lawmakers who are completely unconnected — both biologically and emotionally — from the women this law would be affecting.” The weeks leading up to Election Day, which falls on Tuesday, Nov. 4 this year, will be busy ones for campaigners. “The next step is mobilization,” King said. “We’re trying to educate people as much as we can.” For the Vote No on 1 campaign, this includes follow-up phone calls with the students who registered to — continued on PAGE 5
www.yeson1tn.org
YES Amendment 1 will allow the state government to create common-sense regulations and protections for abortionvulnerable women or unborn children, such as informed consent for women and girls considering abortion, 24-hour waiting period, inspection or regulation of abortion facilities, and hospitalization requirement for later-term abortions. NO Amendment 1 would allow the government to regulate abortion and ban abortions without protections for victims of rape, incest or cases where the health or life of the woman is in danger. Vote No on 1 is about defending the right to make private decisions free from government interference — government has no place in private medical decisions.
www.voteno1tn.org
HOW TO VOTE: • •
Voter registration in Tennessee for the November election has passed. If you are registered to vote in Tennessee, you must bring a passport or other federally issued photo ID (student IDs are not valid) and proof of residence, which you can get from the Office of Housing and Residential Education, to the polls.
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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2014
CAMPUS
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Students discuss impact of new interdisciplinary major policy — continued from PAGE 2 am I going to do with it?’” Funk said. For students interested in pursuing interdisciplinary majors with less of a focus on liberal arts, the policy shift has been an upsetting one. Many have stated that they want a program that clearly translates from college to the job market. Junior Julia Cole is majoring in entrepreneurship and creative enterprise. As a singer-songwriter planning to work in the music industry after graduation, she feels like it’s a major future employers can connect with. “A lot of people are entrepreneurs working around Nashville so they understand what I’m learning and appreciate what I’m learning. So now I feel like I’m killing two birds with one stone — I’m not going to college to do college and then going to go work on getting my life together. I’m working for myself while I’m in school by working on this entrepreneurship,” Cole said. She felt like the process of creating her major was geared toward making sure it was as interdisciplinary as possible rather than catering to her career interests. “They wanted as many different (disciplines) so that they could say it was interdisciplinary rather than just making sure I was creating a major that was going to help me accomplish my goals,” Cole said. Senior Sami Dickson is majoring in business of music and film and is also interested in working in the entertainment industry. She said that creating one’s own major is sometimes necessary because of a shift in interest. “When you’re a freshman, you don’t know who you are, let alone what you want to do. So I realized when I was in the Music City that I wanted to do music; so this was really my only option,” Dickson said. Though she recognized that a major might not be as important as some students think, Dickson said she would have felt
the need to transfer if she hadn’t had the option to create her own. “I love it here, but that’s what it comes down to, if the university is not going to allow you to pursue the education you want to pursue, then what’s your other option?” Dickson said. Senior Lauren Mandel created a major in cinematic production and communications. Decided on working in the entertainment industry, she feels like the major — drawing on classes from communication studies to creative writing — will help her succeed. “I think we put a lot of pressure on what the name of the major is, and I put a lot of pressure on myself trying to decide on a major as if it made a difference. But people graduate with all sorts of different degrees and go into all sorts of different fields, and I think that’s the point of why we’re in school anyway,” she said. Mandel transferred from a pre-professionally oriented school where pursuing a marketing communications major felt like a job to her. She said she also recognizes the importance of the holistic nature of the Vanderbilt experience and said that her extracurricular involvement — as a Vanderbilt Television (VTV) producer and the director of Tongue ‘N’ Cheek — contribute as much to her pre-professional training as her classes do. “I’ve been exposed to a lot of different things that I wouldn’t have necessarily done if I just stayed on my track. My track has grown,” she said. Despite its having offered flexibility to her studies, Mandel said that she would not put herself through the process again, as it came with various logistical difficulties involving getting into classes. Some students were also surprised that the university did not overtly communicate the changes to students. Hoddeson was upset that students weren’t informed about
the new policy and said it would have been especially crucial information for him in his role in advising other students. Moore, however, said that changes in the language of the course catalog were meant to communicate the new definition of the program. “I think that the chief resource of any student is the college catalog. It’s revised every year. Students need to get to know it. So that’s where the announcements are made,” Moore said. In the last few years, many tour guides have emphasized the possibility of creating your own major during tours with prospective students. Junior Christina Zettler, a tour guide, was informed of the policy shift through their monthly meeting. She said that tour guides were instructed to emphasize the variety of majors at Vanderbilt rather than the idea of creating your own. “(Emphasizing ‘create your own major’ during tours) was never really what we were told to do, but now it’s just more emphasis on Vanderbilt creating all these majors to make it what they think is best for the students,” Zettler said. Zettler said she rarely fields questions about creating majors, but said the administration’s new policy makes sense based on her personal experiences as a student. She nearly created her own interdisciplinary major to prepare her for pharmacy school but settled on Medicine, Health and Society (MHS) — which originated as a student-created major — because she felt it gave her the professional preparation she wanted. Students who submit too-narrowly focused interdisciplinary major proposals will meet with Dean Jones in the future to discuss other options to meet their interests — likely through existing major programs. “I think that now that the nature of the interdisciplinary programs has been clarified; I think that students coming in from now on are going to see that from the very beginning and not be confused about what its nature is,” Moore said.
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Activists explain importance of abortion law amendment — continued from PAGE 3 vote with the campaign, meetings with Greek chapters and providing transportation to the polls on Election Day. King is optimistic about the amount of Vanderbilt support against the amendment. “We are hoping to get about 100 votes against the amendment based on our outreach so far,” King said. Junior Emily Grant, a volunteer with the Yes on 1 campaign, said Yes on 1 has not tried to register Vanderbilt students for the Tennessee vote. “I feel like if you are a Tennessee resident, you should be the one voting in the election,” Grant said. “Obviously it’s an issue that everyone cares about, but it is a vote for just Tennessee residents.” While the campaigns have mobilized prolife or pro-choice voters, much of the debate has centered around government regulation. According to its website, the Vote No on 1 initiative believes the issue is about defending Tennesseans’ right to make private decisions free from government interference. “If this amendment passes, the problem is that it will take these personal, private medical decisions and put them in the hands of the politicians. They will have the right to restrict or ban access to abortion from women in Tennessee without any exceptions for rape
or incest or for the health of the mother,” Lee said in reference to the Vote No on 1 campaign. “This takes a woman’s decision out of her hands, and we believe it should be left to a woman, her family, her faith and her doctor. The government shouldn’t be involved.” The Yes on 1 campaign states that its goal is to overturn the Planned Parenthood of Middle Tennessee v. Sundquist case and restore the ability of citizens and elected officials to decide Tennessee’s abortion policies. “If the amendment succeeds, the power to enact laws regarding abortion would return to the hands of the people of Tennessee. The people’s voice would be heard rather than the voice of a handful of state supreme court justices who didn’t even unanimously agree on the matter back in 2000,” said Carl Hellmers, president of Vanderbilt Students for Life, on the issue. Hellmers has been volunteering for the campaign since October 2013. According to Hellmers, the Yes on 1 campaign has been active in information distribution and community outreach. “I’ve seen the campaign distribute yard signs and other promotional material all throughout the area, utilize various media for advertisement including television and actively engage the community through information sessions and presentations,” Hellmers said.
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I want to have a say and give the rest of Tennessee a say in the abortion laws throughout the state. This campaign is a really meaningful way to open a dialogue about abortion issues in Tennessee. Grant said she got involved with the campaign because she felt the issue was very important for Tennessee residents. “I want to have a say and give the rest of Tennessee a say in the abortion laws throughout the state,” Grant said. “This campaign is a really meaningful way to open up a dialogue about abortion issues in Tennessee.” Yes on 1 also aligned with the Vanderbilt College Republicans to spread the message. On Sept. 23 the College Republicans hosted a talk with David Fowler, president of the Fam-
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ily Action Council of Tennessee, and discussed Amendment 1. College Republicans President Hillary Rosenjack said about 60 people attended. “(Fowler) talked about Amendment 1 and how it is not an amendment to outlaw abortion, but rather to take the power to create abortion restrictions or allowances — such as waiting periods and parental consent — out of the hands of the court and into the hands of the people,” Rosenjack said.
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opinion
QUOTE OF THE DAY “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.”
MEREDITH VITALE
TFA truth tour
The ugly reality of Teach For America MEREDITH VITALE is a sophomore in the College of Arts and Science. She can be reached at meredith.o.vitale@ vanderbilt.edu.
T
each 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 highachieving, 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
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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; 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. In 11th grade, my English teacher Mr. Baumstark taught me what it meant to write a good essay. I can still hear him saying, “A well-planned essay writes itself.” In 12th grade, I continued to stop by his classroom and get advice about applying to college, even though he wasn’t my teacher anymore. Three
The Vanderbilt Hustler Opinion page aims to stimulate discussion in the Vanderbilt community. In that spirit, columnists, guest columnists and authors of letters to the editor are expected to provide logical argument to back their views. Unreasonable arguments, arguments in bad faith or arguments in vain between columnists have no place in The Hustler and will not be published. The Hustler welcomes reader viewpoints and offers three methods of expression: letters to the editor, guest columns and feedback on vanderbilthustler.com. The views expressed in lead editorials reflect the majority of opinion among The Hustler’s editorial board and may be supposed to represent the opinion of The Vanderbilt Hustler at the time of publication. They are not necessarily representative of any individual member. Letters must be submitted either in person by the author to The Hustler office or via email to opinion@vanderbilthustler.com. Letters via email should come from a Vanderbilt email address where the identity of the sender is clear. With rare exception, all letters must be received by 2 p.m. on the Sunday prior to publication. The editor
years later, it’s comforting to know that I can stop by my old high school and still see Mr. Baumstark teaching a class of 11th graders how to write a wellplanned essay. But had he been doing Teach For America, there is a good chance he would no longer be around. 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.
reserves the right to edit and condense submissions for length as well as clarity. Lengthy letters that focus on an issue affecting students may be considered for a guest column at the editor’s discretion. All submissions become the property of The Hustler and must conform to the legal standards of Vanderbilt Student Communications, of which The Hustler is a division. The Vanderbilt Hustler (ISSN 0042-2517), the official student newspaper of Vanderbilt University, is published every Wednesday during the academic year except during exam periods and vacations. The paper is not printed during summer break. The Vanderbilt Hustler allocates one issue of the newspaper to each student and is available at various points on campus for free. Additional copies are $.50 each. The Vanderbilt Hustler is a division of Vanderbilt Student Communications, Inc. Copyright © 2014 Vanderbilt Student Communications.
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Radical miseducation
Stereotypes about feminism signify a general lack of knowledge As a society, we need S to recognize the strengths that are afforded to people by virtue of their psychological disposition rather than their biological sex. ERIN LOGAN
is a sophomore in the College of Arts and Science. She can be reached at erin. logan@vanderbilt. edu.
ince the time of Sojourner Truth and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, the goal of feminism has been to create social, political and economic equality between women and men. Just as in the time of the first wave of feminism, women associated with the movement have been negatively stereotyped. The stereotypes that feminists are angry, man-hating, unattractive women is a common misconception. I myself am a feminist and am none of those things. In fact, I have yet to meet a feminist who is. The negative connotations that have been assigned to a word — one that simply means equality — signifies a lack of intellectual discourse as well as a general miseducation. The undertones presented to society have taken root in the minds of people and has curbed support for the cause. A re-education needs to take place in order for progress to be made. One of the central elements of the third-wave feminist movement is gender neutrality. Gender neutrality advocates for the eradication of gender roles within which the sexes are forced to exist. While many, like Dr. Diana Denholm, argue that gender roles have biological foundations, Amy M. Blackstone, an associate professor of sociology at the University of Maine, and Dr. Susan Basow, who holds a Ph.D. in psychology and teaches at Lafayette College, believe that gender was created by human beings. These socially constructed gender roles have handicapped women and men from getting into the professions they want. As a society, we want people to fit into perfect boxes. But due to the complexity of the human mind, it is impossible to do this without suppression. Do some men feel the need to be providers? Yes, they do, but not neces-
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sarily because of their biology; similarly, some women might feel the need to be providers due to various social and environmental factors. As a society, we need to recognize the strengths that are afforded to people by virtue of their psychological disposition rather than their biological sex. Traditional gender roles would suggest that women belong in the humanities while men belong in math and science. I would argue that people belong wherever their strengths lie. As a pre-medical student, and as a student pursuing a lucrative career, I find myself flabbergasted when others suggest that I pursue a career as a nurse so that I can have a family. Why not suggest to a man that he pursue a career as a nurse so that he can have time to devote to his family? Human beings are extreme-
ly complex, and to suggest that a particular sex has a single role in society is not only insulting but also hindering the advancement of the world. Under feminism, everyone is liberated. This equality is about liberating all individuals within a society from the troubling narratives of existing social frameworks that limit people’s contribution. This question could be raised: Why would a group of people want to tear down something that has been in place in Western civilization for centuries? The answer is simple: because it is a structure that has hindered women and men from being free to be who they truly are. The negative connotations placed on feminism have caused many to shy away from proclaiming equality for all. The questions are simple. Do you believe that all human beings deserve social, political and economic equality? Are women human beings? If you answered “yes” to both of these questions, then congratulations — you are a feminist. Join the fight to liberate men and women from the strict gender roles that are in place in society. Join the fight to get equal pay for men and women in the same profession. Join the fight to create awareness about intersectionality, because the oppressions of the world are not isolated. Join the fight to let political consorts know that women are not so one-dimensional that they can only understand political advertisements that are parodies of popular television shows in order to get a vote. Join the fight to let the world know that Taylor Swift singing about love and relationships is no different from Frank Ocean singing about love and relationships. Join the fight to let the world know that equality is not a radical concept.
Compromised by compromise
Where the mission of bipartisonship falls short
I HILLARY ROSENJACK is a senior in the College of Arts and Science. She can be reached at hillary.a.rosenjack@ vanderbilt.edu.
n Collier Bowling’s news report, “No Labels comes to campus” published Sept. 24, he quoted Charlie Obrecht, one of the founders of No Labels, as saying, “We’d like to bring some debates between the College Republicans and the College Democrats.” Obrecht continued, stating that “in Congress the members are rewarded for following the party guidelines and adhering to the party values, instead of going across the aisle and coming to common-sense solutions that would help solve the problems that we now face.” To the first point: As President of Vanderbilt College Republicans, I must say that there is quite a bit of conversation between us and the College Democrats. We hold debates, we collaborate on many events, such as voter registration drives and the 9/11 flag memorial, and we co-sponsor lively panels, such as the Constitution Panel that occurred two weeks ago. One of the leaders of the College Democrats is even on our listserv so that he can attend our meetings. More than that, though, we communicate publicly via student media. We respond to each other’s articles in the paper and are vocal about our beliefs. We are aware of where we agree and disagree, but neither of us is willing to sacrifice our core values, as I
dare argue should be the case. In the case of job creation, for example, liberals and conservatives agree on the goal but often disagree on the policy implications. Should this be solved by less business regulation or more agency involvement? Should the environmental implications of growing industry be taken care of by market pressure or by EPA regulation? These are just a couple examples of where compromise may end up compromising the core principles of each ideology. To the second point: Sure, compromise is not a dirty word, but what about our values? In the conservative case, we hold strongly the belief that we live in a community where people help each other of their own volition, free enterprise is crucial and government should be kept small. Those who identify with a more liberal ideology may agree that people have a duty to help others, but may desire more government involvement to help solve our problems, believing that individuals do not or possibly cannot do enough. The goals of No Labels, such as job creation, are admirable and things on which most people can agree, but the means to reach these goals differ based on the fundamental values of each ideology. This has been especially troubling on the conservative end,
as the vast majority of compromises result in government getting bigger. Matt Grossman, a political scientist at Michigan State, wrote an article in The Washington Post earlier this year describing how prior policy compromises have tended to favor more liberal values. He stated that there is a “good reason why conservatives are often charged with obstruction. When government is more active, it is usually moving policy to the left.” He found that since 1945, only 20 percent of the most significant policies were conservative victories — and more than 60 percent actually expanded government. The political principles of people identifying with each ideology, particularly conservatives, have often been put at stake by compromise. The bottom line is that compromise can be helpful for getting to a solution when our fundamental values are not at stake, whether you lean to the left or to the right. The goals of No Labels are honorable, but the central message may not take seriously enough the importance of the foundations on which these two ideologies stand. People hold certain beliefs for deep, abiding reasons, and compromise often threatens the integrity of these principles.
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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2014
life
All about that a cappella
Get to know the eight campus a cappella groups By Karen Sova, life reporter Vandy Taal Vandy Taal — “Taal” means rhythm in Hindi — is a South Asian and multicultural group that performs mash-ups of Bollywood hits and popular radio songs. The group, composed of members from all over the world, sings for enjoyment, fostering a close bond among members, according to President Aleezah Merali. Their next major performance, Masala-SACE’s Diwali, will take place on Saturday, Nov. 15, at 7 p.m. in Langford Auditorium.
The Dodecs The all-male Dodecaphonics, or Dodecs, entertain with an eclectic mix of tunes, ranging from country tunes and Disney classics to boyband medleys and Destiny’s Child. Members are selected based on vocal ability rather than formal musical training — in fact, half of the group does not read music. President Hayden Schelble points out that the group gets together for the enjoyment of singing and performing. Catch them at their concert before Thanksgiving break in Sarratt Cinema.
The Melodores This competitive all-male group has had fame in mind since their founding, when they picked their name based on search engine optimization. Their president, Augie Phillips, claims that they consciously push themselves beyond the “Vandy bubble” by traveling to a cappella festivals around the nation and performing around Nashville. The group moves between contemporary and throwback pop and R&B and has recently even delved into electronic music and dubstep.
Voce A Capella This all-female group chooses songs based on personal taste and what would be fun for the audience, performing mostly pop and country. Though Voce members take their performances seriously, President Katie Fuselier hopes for the group to serve as an opportunity for women to participate in a cappella at Vanderbilt without having to make significant time commitment. The group will showcase its vocal stylings at a Dec. 1 in Sarratt Cinema.
Harmonic Notion This co-ed group likes to balance their repertoire between popular, crowdpleasing tunes and lesser-known songs that make for good a cappella arrangements, which usually requires “depth of backing, fascinating chord progressions and a potential to have a build toward a strong climax in the song,” said the group president, Charles Schwartz. They are the newest on-campus group and the only one to compete in the International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella. While they are very goal-driven, they also enjoy the act of making music for music’s sake, aiming to distinguish themselves with their energy, quirkiness and attitude. See them at their fall concert Nov. 11 at Sarratt Cinema.
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Pictured from left to right: Nikhil Ramaprasad, Billy McCormick and Dawei Li (not pictured: Jin Kim)
The campus ‘beat’ Beatboxers from various campus a cappella groups come together to form ‘Vanderbeats,’ the first campus group for beatboxers By JACK SENTELL Life reporter --------------------
Even after years of practicing and performing, Nikhil Ramaprasad, Billy McCormick and Dawei Li can hardly contain their excitement when watching YouTube videos of beatboxers. Comments like “he’s so cool” and “some of that stuff is absurd” echo through the room as they listen to the all-voice dubstep video created by their “idols.” The three vocal percussionists, along with Vice President Jin Kim, make up the executive board of Vanderbeats — Vanderbilt’s only performance group
that consists solely of beatboxers. Vanderbeats formed in the spring of 2013 when current Melodores member Nikhil Ramaprasad heard of a similar group from a friend at Georgia Tech. Ramaprasad recruited McCormick, Li and Kim with the intention of forming a group that emphasizes not only performing but on teaching as well. “I know we have a great community of people who know how to beatbox and would be more than willing to teach others how,” group President Ramaprasad said. “Beatboxers” are characterized by the wide variety of sounds they can make,
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‘‘
In a cappella, beatboxing is very important, but in the background ... Vanderbeats is really about putting the beat out front.
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while a “vocal percussionist” has a strong ability to hold a rhythm and fit in with other vocalists. Ramaprasad explained that while the club will teach both styles, they will start people on the basics, “getting (beginners) to know the quality before we start teaching them quantity.” The notion that anybody can learn lies at the basis of each member’s beatboxing philosophy. “There are a lot of people who immediately dismiss (beatboxing) and go, ‘Oh, I could never do that,’” said senior Billy McCormick, vocal percussionist for Vanderbilt Variations. “I think with practice, anyone can beatbox, and we are willing to teach anybody.” Despite their skill, all three are quick to assert that vocal percussionists are constantly learning and improving.
“It’s really humbling to see someone make sounds that you can definitely not make,” Li said. “We all have something to learn from each other. Everyone styles differently.” The group is looking to put their styles on display in the near future. They plan to do joint events with other campus a cappella groups as a start, but eventually hope to create multiple performance groups of their own. The guys see themselves covering both hiphop beats and electronic dance music (EDM) while also exploring the idea of bringing in guest singers in the future. As far the future is concerned, there is nothing but optimism in the eyes of the current members. The group hopes to be a place where a cappella groups in need of a beatboxer can come to find new members. But the main goal is to spread the word about the art that they are all so passionate about. “In a cappella, beatboxing is very important, but in the background,” Li said. “Vanderbeats is really about putting the beat out front.” Vanderbeats is looking for both men and women of all skill levels who are interested in learning the art of vocal percussion. All interested in learning about the club should reach out to the group via Facebook or Anchor Link.
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2014
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The Swingin’ Dores The ladies of The Swingin’ Dores have a penchant for finding hits, often rehearsing them before they become widely popular and performing them in time with their peak on the charts, as many of their members are music aficionados, says their president, Samantha Gafvert. They mostly choose from pop and R&B songs, mixed with the occasional throwback. The tight-knit group sings for the fun of it and the sisterhood that comes along with rehearsing and plans to put out an album soon. Look out for their upcoming concert in November.
The Variations This co-ed group chooses from a wide scope of arrangements and genres, preferring upbeat contemporary pop songs most of all. The diverse group, composed of students with a variety of interests, does not compete but does hold auditions every semester, providing for an ever-changing dynamic that gets better each time, according to the group’s president Brooke Harwell. While the rehearsal process is their main focus, they still aim to maintain a relaxed atmosphere. You can catch their next performance on Dec. 4 in Sarratt Cinema.
Victory A Cappella Victory’s mission is to “worship God and to make His name known.” For this purpose, the group admits men and women, no auditions necessary, with members sometimes first learning a capella in the process of rehearsing. The small group is more like a family, says their president Cassandra Mychajlowycz. All arrangements are original, created by members, alumni or faculty, and they perform traditional hymns, as well as Christian rock and pop. Check them out at their performance at Benton Chapel on Dec. 5. PHOTOS COURTESY OF ALEC MYSZKA, KEVIN BARNETT, BOSLEY JARRETT & CHRIS HONIBALL / THE VANDERBILT HUSTLER
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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2014
Here they go again
LIFE
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Previewing OK Go’s Oct. 17 show at Mercy Lounge, bassist Tim Nordwind talks Nashville, audience samples and summer camp By ANGELICA LASALA Social media director --------------------
In 2006, OK Go’s music video for the single “Here It Goes Again” went viral before anyone really knew what “going viral” meant. Eight years later, the alternative rock band that introduced us all to treadmill choreography still pushes the envelope in the studio, at video shoots or onstage. On Friday, Oct. 17, OK Go will bring its trademark whimsy to Nashville’s Mercy Lounge, which bassist Tim Nordwind believes to be a fitting locale. “We’ve been to Nashville a couple of times, and it’s a great music town,” he said. “I’m looking forward to it (Friday’s show) being a very special one because we’re already working with people who enjoy connecting with the music anyways.” According to Nordwind, concertgoers can expect an “incredibly interactive and very multimedia-based” performance, complete with question-and-answer sessions, synchronized video, a creative light show and plenty of direct engagement with the crowd. “We go out and play a song in the audi-
ence at one point,” Nordwind said. “(And) we sample the audience and make a song with the sounds from the audience.” Novelties aside, Nordwind maintains that making good music is — and always has been — the main focus. “None of this would happen without the music,” he said. “It starts with the music and with the record … And once that record is done, then a lot of other opportunities open up for us: the opportunity to make videos, the opportunity to play live, the opportunity to do some sort of collaboration with a museum or do a science project based around the idea of the band.” Sticking to this ethic, OK Go’s latest album “Hungry Ghosts” takes a more electronic, popcentric approach than past efforts. “I think it’s maybe the most fun record to date that we’ve made,” Nordwind said. Coming from a band known for feel-good alternative rock, “most fun” is a hefty claim — but OK Go is determined to deliver. If “The Writing’s On the Wall,” the album’s first single and music video, is any indicator, Friday’s concert will boast no shortage of catchy choruses, synth-tinged instrumentals and colorful set
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pieces. “We enjoy playing. And we enjoy curating what comes out of that experience of playing,” Nordwind said of the band’s quirky tendencies. “That’s what we do best — we play.” Indeed, playfulness has defined OK Go’s aesthetic from the start, the band name itself referencing a summer camp art teacher whose sole instructions for 11-year-old Nordwind and lead singer Damian Kulash were “Ok … Go!” Nordwind reflected on the parallels of that childhood experience and the band’s present dynamic: “Looking back on that now, we were
precocious, hyperactive, creative kids growing up, and I recognize now that we did sort of operate like that — we do sort of operate like that. It’s funny that that phrase stuck with us.” As would befit a band inspired by a freespirited art teacher and driven by free-spirited musicians, OK Go looks to turn every venue into a playground of sorts. Mercy Lounge looks to be no exception. “We have an opportunity to be in front of people every night,” he said. “We’ve got a space and we’ve got people, and it’s like, ‘So how much fun can you have in an hour and a half?’”
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The Hustler’s picks: seasonal lattes Bond Coffee Company
With plenty of small tables, Bond is ideal for both studying and grabbing a coffee to-go while walking around the Gulch. In addition to an extensive regular menu of coffee and pastries, they currently offer six specialty coffee drinks and daily specials — including their limited edition, fall-inspired “Pumpkin Pie” latte. If you’re looking for something outside of the pumpkin realm, however, Bond has lots of options. The Hustler’s pick: the “Golden Eye” latte. The apple, caramel and cinnamon flavors in this specialty drink are a nod to the classic caramel apples sold at fall state fairs, but this simple drink cuts the sweetness with the cinnamon.
Edgehill Cafe
If you need a break from studying on campus but don’t want to venture too far, Edgehill Cafe is the place for you. This spacious cafe is conveniently located just a few blocks away from The Commons, and their large tables, widely available seating and light soundtrack provide a welcome change of pace from studying in Central or Biomed. The Hustler’s pick: the “Always Fall Somewhere” latte. There are plenty of options to choose from on the menu (and on the secret menu, available on their website), but this vanilla, honey and cinnamon latte has become a simple staple for the season.
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2014
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It’s that time of year again — the leaves are changing, midterms are upon us and pumpkin spice is showing up in everything from lattes to bubble tea (shout-out to GoGo Sushi). Luckily, Nashville is full of unique, local coffee shops that provide plenty of seasonal alternatives to your basic pumpkin spice drinks, plus cozy study atmospheres to get you into the midterm grind By Dana Alloy and Margaret Macon, life reporters Frothy Monkey
With quaint and cozy locations in 12 South, Franklin and downtown, Frothy Monkey has mastered the feel of the local coffee shop, and has become popular among Vanderbilt and Belmont students alike. While definitely louder than the other two spots, this lively locale offers menu items for every meal, making it a great choice at any time of the day, with seasonal specials to boot. The Hustler’s pick: the Apple Pie latte. This drink, made up of red apples, cinnamon and nutmeg, tastes just like its namesake, but if you’re in the mood for another Thanksgivinginspired treat, the Sweet Potato Latte is a unique choice.
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sports
THE BIG STAT Number of Pac-12 teams that offered DL Nifae Lealao scholarships during his senior year of high school
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All in
SEC POWER RANKINGS: WEEK 7 Each week, I rank the teams in the SEC 1-14. This week, Mississippi State is everything that is great about college football, each team in the SEC better than Missouri could potentially beat anybody in the country and the Commodores were too busy enjoying Homecoming to notice.
By ANTHONY TRIPODORO Sports reporter --------------------
The Nifae Lealo story
1. No. 1 Mississippi State No disrespect to the defending national champion Florida State Seminoles, but the best team in both the SEC and the nation is Mississippi State. The Bulldogs followed up convincing wins over LSU and Texas A&M by beating Auburn decidedly. At the same time, they’ve turned into the most fun team to watch and the team you want to root for.
2. No. 3 Ole Miss The other Mississippi school also took care of business by beating Texas A&M. Who would have thought that Ole Miss would be 6-0, ranked in the top five nationally and referred to as “the other Mississippi school?”
3. No. 7 Alabama Former Crimson Tide quarterback and horrible-chest-tattoo-enthusiast A.J. McCarron called out his former coach, Nick Saban, and new Alabama offensive coordinator, Lane Kiffin, for the lack of offensive production by this year’s Tide outfit, describing the offense as “bland.” After a 14-13 victory over Arkansas in which a Razorback-botched extra point turned out to be the difference, you have to wonder if what Mr. Katherine Webb had to say merits some further consideration.
4. No. 6 Auburn Sucks to suck, Auburn. You ran into Mississippi State, a train that nobody has been able to stop this year. The good news is you get to play South Carolina next week. The race for the SEC West is far from over though, with Auburn yet to face Ole Miss and Alabama and upcoming matchups between Mississippi State and Ole Miss as well as Mississippi State and Alabama still to be played. Here’s to hoping for a three-way tie (same record, same conference record) with a simultaneous three-way coin flip to decide the winner of the SEC West (I’m not making this up — that’s how it would happen).
5. No. 21 Texas A&M “Holy crap let’s never play football against anybody from the state of Mississippi ever again.” -The entire Texas A&M football team and coaching staff, in unison.
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By BEN WEINRIB Asst. sports editor --------------------
Growing up, Nifae Lealao’s plan was to win American Idol. Singing was his “it-factor.” He joined a choir, and for much of his early childhood, singing was his true passion. But although he still plans to take vocal performance classes from Vanderbilt’s Blair School of Music, that’s not his true calling on campus. Lealao came to Nashville as the most highly recruited player in Vanderbilt football history. Lealao didn’t actually pick up sports until around age eight, but much like his father, Nifae Lealao Sr., for whom he is named, he played everything from football and basketball to volleyball and track. “My dad literally was my coach in every sport,” Lealao said. “I kind of followed in his footsteps because we were literally like the same person going back to his high school days. I’d read articles about him, and it’s like deja vu.” Currently listed at 6-foot-5, 314 pounds, Lealao is the biggest defensive lineman on Vanderbilt’s football team, but he’s still smaller than his father, who built up strength as a powerlifter and weighed more than 340 pounds. Lealao Sr. played sports into his adulthood, playing for semi-pro football team the St. Louis Gamblers while still playing basketball and volleyball on the side. The elder Lealao passed down not only his love for many sports but also a great work ethic. “The mentoring he gave me growing up was something a lot of kids don’t get, and
I’m thankful that I got that,” Lealao said. “I’m blessed to have someone like him who can really always give me the mentality that (there’s) nothing you can’t do if you put your mind to it. That’s kind of the mentality I had going into anything whether it’s school, singing, sports, spiritually too.” That spiritual connection is something else incredibly important to the true freshman. His Samoan roots place a heavy emphasis on family, which is probably why so many see him as a great teammate. “I grew up in a family where it’s all of us or none of us,” Lealao said. “With me being an only child at the same time, it was something I didn’t have a hard time believing because of the camaraderie and the love my family had around me. I never really didn’t know that I didn’t have a brother or sister.” Going into his senior year of high school, Lealao originally committed to Stanford University, just an hour and a half away from his Sacramento, California home, where he struck up a relationship with then-defensive coordinator Derek Mason. Lealao was impressed by how well Mason ran the Cardinal defense and fully embraced Mason’s defensive philosophy. But when Mason left Stanford the following January to take over Vanderbilt’s head coaching vacancy, Lealao saw a chance that spelled out opportunity. Despite never having visited the eastern or southern United States besides Florida for a basketball tournament, his relationship with Mason going back to being recruited in his sophomore year of high school was enough to flip his commitment. “For us, being as such that our relation-
ship went back, it was easy for me in that two-week time to say, ‘This is a guy we need to target. This is a guy I know may or may not get into Stanford,’” Mason said. “Luckily for us he didn’t get in, and in that process he sort of fell into our lap.” All of a sudden, Mason and his new coaching staff had their crown jewel of their first recruiting class, ranked 130th in the nation. And once he reached campus, Lealao was quick to impress and immediately earned a spot in the defensive line rotation. Although he played mostly defensive end in high school, Lealao has since made the transition to nose tackle, which is generally used to be a run stopper and eat up space. But with a unique skill set as an explosive, quick, hulking lineman, he can be used in several different ways. “Because of how athletic and long he is, he can actually do both,” said Defensive Line Coach Frank Maile. “He knows both. If I need him to play D-End, he can play D-End in our 3-4 system. All the D-End is in our system is an athletic tackle, which is what he is.” Lealao has earned playing time in all seven games this season and has amassed six tackles and one fumble recovery. The numbers can be deceiving, though, because it’s rare for a defensive tackle to rack up many counting stats, and he’s still so young with a ceiling higher than potentially anyone else on this defense. “He’s got raw natural strength now,” Mason said. “But you start adding weight room strength and letting that power play from the ground up with that body, and with his mindset — because his motor runs hot — he’s going to be a really good player.”
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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2014
Johnny on
SEC POWER RANKINGS: WEEK 7 CONTINUED 6. No. 10 Georgia
the spot
Losing Todd Gurley didn’t slow down the Bulldogs this week as they beat Missouri 34-0. It’s possible that Georgia could still win the SEC East without their star back, but if he is not allowed to play again this year, you can pretty much hand the SEC Championship and a spot in the College Football Playoff to whoever wins that aforementioned coin toss.
He’s no ‘Johnny Football,’ but McCrary showed on Saturday why he still deserves that starting spot
7. Arkansas In its last two games, the Razorbacks have come extremely close to beating both Texas A&M and Alabama. There’s something to be said for that, and it’s not at all crazy to think that Arkansas will be the team to upset Georgia, Mississippi State or Ole Miss and throw everything up in the air again.
By BEN WEINRIB Asst. sports editor --------------------
Another week, another change at quarterback for Vanderbilt football Through seven games there have already been eight changes at quarterback among Patton Robinette, Stephen Rivers, Johnny McCrary and Wade Freebeck, and the team has yet to find much consistency at the position. Robinette, who was named the starter at the beginning of the season, has missed the past three games with a concussion, and no other quarterback has stepped up to try and claim that title in the meantime. Until now. Seemingly buried in the depth chart after throwing two interceptions on three throws in the season opener — he hasn’t even been listed on the depth chart since the South Carolina game in mid-September — McCrary had his name called during the second quarter of the Homecoming game. McCrary finished the game 10-16 for 169 yards with a touchdown and interception but, most importantly, led the Commodores to their second win of the season. “Johnny McCrary played a heck of a ballgame coming off the bench,” said Head Coach Derek Mason. “I thought Johnny did a really good job tonight of containing himself and taking what the defense gave him.” But Mason was likely underselling what McCrary did in his first extended appearance, as the redshirt freshman quarterback put on — at times — a Johnny Football-like display. You could see his electrifying skills off the bat when he connected with a wide open C.J. Duncan for a 65-yard touchdown on his first pass of the night. But no play was more likely to give him that “Johnny Football” moniker than a second-and-nine play from his own 4-yard line: McCrary took a five-step drop, faced heavy pressure from his blind side, then scrambled to the left before finding Nathan Marcus on the sideline for a 25-yard gain to spark the game-clinching final drive. “He’s able to extend plays in the pocket, and we saw it a couple times tonight,” Mason said. “He pulled it down, ran, and he moved, slid. He’s a little more versatile than some of the other guys that we have, but those traits make him a special quarterback. The potential for him to be a star quar-
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8. LSU Les Miles, in classic Les Miles fashion, pulled out of his hat a win against Florida that he and his team didn’t really deserve. The Tigers are another team with a lot of upset potential.
9. Kentucky
Another week, another win against a no-name team for the Wildcats. Still 5-1 though. Again, upset potential.
10. Florida
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Johnny McCrary (2) attempts another pass duirng Saturday’s Homecoming win against Charleston Southern. terback has been evident for a long time — that’s never been in question. McCrary was the top dual-threat quarterback recruit at the time he committed to Vanderbilt in early 2012, and ended up finishing at number 10 overall. What has been in question is if he can put it all together. With his flashes of brilliance have come rookie mistakes, like his fourth-quarter interception. McCrary didn’t see the coverage rotate and overthrew a double-covered Kris Kentera, and the ball sailed into the waiting arms of Davion Anderson, which could have cost Vanderbilt the game. But even if McCrary isn’t completely mistake-free yet, he’s been working hard to get to the point where he’s afforded another chance to earn playing time. While he’s been passed over by three other quarterbacks — including a true freshman — he’s taken in all in stride as a learning experience. “The biggest part of the game is just learning from these guys,” McCrary said. “Learn from their mistakes, and learn from some of their great plays that they make, so when I get my opportunity, whenever it is, just go in there and try to maintain the game, and manage the game, so we’ll have
a better opportunity like this.” Players won’t necessarily say it outright, but it’s pretty clear by the way they talk that so many of them love McCrary and love playing for him. “It was good to see Johnny out there,” Duncan said. “It’s a testament to his work ethic, his patience and positive attitude. He’s been waiting a long time for this moment, and he stepped up in a big way, and he’s well-deserving.” With two weeks to prepare for a visit to Missouri, the Vanderbilt quarterback situation is very much up in the air with lots of time for Rivers’ ankle and Robinette’s concussion to heal. But in the meantime, Johnny McCrary has the team’s spirits high. “I feel like the confidence is a lot higher,” said redshirt freshman linebacker Nigel Bowden. “You know we have a lot of freshmen coming in, especially with Johnny McCrary. I’ll tell you about a guy who was patient over the weeks, and he just kept being patient, and he kept working hard, and he comes out there, shows progress, and it just builds the team confidence even higher than it was.” Maybe Mason has found the quarterback he’s been searching for all season.
The Gators gave away a win to LSU, which can’t be great for Will Muschamp’s job security. With Treon Harris’ being reinstated, it will be very interesting to see who starts at quarterback the rest of the season for Florida and how that affects the team overall. Florida fans want Jeff Driskel out from under center so badly that they have begun selling fake autographed Jeff Driskel gear on eBay in the hopes of getting him suspended by the NCAA (also not a joke).
11. Missouri For all Mizzou did last year, we are now looking at a team that has beaten a bunch of nobodies and South Carolina, lost to Indiana and gotten demolished by a Gurley-less Georgia. So yeah — I would say they’re pretty bad.
12. South Carolina Didn’t play this week. Still kinda suck, I imagine.
13. Tennessee The Volunteers beat Chattanooga, crushing the formerly feasible hope of Chattanooga fans that their football team might be the best in the state this season.
14. Vanderbilt A win on Homecoming Weekend, free queso since the Commodores scored 21 and Johnny Football McCrary playing pretty well. What more could you ask for? Let’s just be happy we beat local high school football JV team Charleston Southern by the tiiiiiiniest of margins.
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SPORTS
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2014
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Women’s tennis dominates at June Stewart Invitational By CALLIE MEISEL Sports writer --------------------
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Senior Marie Casares went undefeated in the June Stewart Invitational this weekend.
The Vanderbilt women’s tennis team hosted the annual June Stewart Invitational this past weekend. The tournament is named in honor of June Stewart, who began working for Vanderbilt’s athletic program in 1973. During Stewart’s many years at the university, she became the first woman to serve as the assistant sports information director for men’s sports and ultimately served as the associate athletics director. The June Stewart Invitational is a competitive three-day battle among Vanderbilt, Princeton, Purdue and Arizona State, all of which ended their 2014 season with top-45 rankings. This tournament consists of various “experimental formats” that the NCAA tennis rules committee is testing for match play. On Friday, the first day of competition, all matches had to move indoors due to inclement weather conditions. The players competed in the simultaneous format with three
singles matches and two doubles matches taking place at the same time. The Commodores had a successful start, winning five of seven singles matches and two of four doubles matches. Vanderbilt continued to dominate on Saturday. The teams still competed in simultaneous format, but this time they played four singles matches and one doubles match at once. Although Vanderbilt went 0-2 in doubles, they boasted a 5-3 singles record. Sunday proved to be the most exciting for the Commodores. After competing in regular format with ad scoring, the Vanderbilt women’s tennis team came out on top. They went undefeated in both singles and
doubles, and, in fact, not one player lost a single set. “Overall, we are very pleased with our team’s performance throughout the weekend,” said Associate Head Coach Aleke Tsoubanos. “I thought we competed extremely well and really took it to a pretty good Princeton team today, and it was nice to get the match played outside after two long days indoors and the weather not cooperating. I’m glad we were able to try a few different formats over the course of the weekend and look forward to seeing what the studentathletes and the other coaches thought.” Overall, Vanderbilt finished the weekend 20-9; they went 15-5 in singles and 5-4 in doubles. Senior Marie Casares put together a strong performance this weekend, as she went undefeated in singles play. After being rewarded with just a couple days of rest, the Commodores will get back to training in preparation for regionals in Knoxville.
Sunday’s results vs. Princeton: Singles Sydney Campbell def. Caroline Joyce (6-0, 6-2) Courtney Colton def. Amanda Muliawan (6-1, 6-3)
Marie Casares def. Emily Hahn (6-0,6-2) Ashleigh Antal def. Katie Goepel (6-0, 6-0) Ellie Yates def. Sara Goodwin (7-5, 6-2)
Doubles Antal/Casares vs. Cannon/Goepel (6-3) Yates/Leavell vs. Goodwin/Joyce (6-4) Campbell/Colton def. Muliawan/Hahn (6-0)
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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2014
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Students compete for basketball team walk-on spots By PATRICK BURR Sports writer --------------------
“C’mon over here, guys. Have a seat.” Vanderbilt men’s basketball Assistant Coach Tom Richardson stands before nine young men at 9 a.m. on a rainy Saturday. Before the tryouts for a coveted walk-on position on the 2014-15 roster begins, however, a few housekeeping matters must be cleared up. First things first: “If you don’t have your sickle cell thing, there’s nothing we can do with you today.” The “sickle cell thing” refers to the NCAA-mandated blood testing required of all prospective college players. For all the romanticism and intrigue enveloping the practice court in Memorial Gymnasium this morning, such bureaucratic moments serve as less-than-subtle reminders that those who showed up today still stand behind the velvet ropes that separate Division I athletes from the rest of the world. Five of the nine, their tests completed too late for the doctor’s office to process them in time, are forced to sit on the sideline and watch as their counterparts — defined in a kaleidoscopic dynamic as both current competitors and potential teammates — line up on the baseline to begin the trial which could, for better or for worse, define their
college experience. Vanderbilt, coming off a forgettable 15-17 season in an admittedly weak SEC (the conference earned just three bids to the NCAA tournament, tied with 2012-13 for its lowest total in the new millennium), begins its 201415 campaign with just two seniors on the active roster. As unlikely as it is that any of this year’s walk-on candidates will end up playing a significant on-court role, crazier things have happened. Last year, tryout alumnus and current roster member Carter Josephs appeared in 20 games as a sophomore, and subsequently earned himself a scholarship. “Carter’s a good example of (a player) understanding his role and coming and (working) hard every day,” Richardson said. “You just never who’s out here, who might be the next Carter Josephs.” But the present lends little time for speculation. Richardson calls the four to the top of the key; he explains the drill, and the group jogs over to the baseline. A succession of speed dribbling, shooting and agility drills follows. “Left hand to half court — go!” The squeak of well-worn basketball sneakers rebounds off the concrete walls. “Again, left hand — go!” Sweat dampens cotton T-shirts indiscriminately. Back at The Commons, the rest of the first-year class continues to snore. ZIYI LIU / THE VANDERBILT HUSTLER
For the full story, visit vanderbilthustler.com.
Students participate in walk-on tryouts for the Vanderbilt men’s basketball team on Oct. 11, 2014.
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