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VOL. 126, ISS. 18
Focusing on race
VUceptors receive intensive training to facilitate conversations about race on campus SEE PAGE 2
LIFE
Vandy senior cast in ‘Pitch Perfect 2’ Ted Moock spent the summer on the set of the movie filming, rehearsing and spending time with the stars
SPORTS
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The Golden Age of Vanderbilt athletics A senior looks back on his past three years as a Commodore fan and the unexpected successes he has witnessed
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OPINION
Letter to my first-year self Upperclassmen reflect on the lessons they’ve learned at Vanderbilt in the form of letters
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QUOTE OF THE DAY
campus
“I would say it’s really within our student and faculty VUceptors’ responsibility to bring these conversations up in the first weeks of school in order to effect change from the get-go.”
ABBY SHACHAR, VUCEPT PRESIDENT
My Vanderbilt Experience replaces Dore Rewards My Vanderbilt Experience replaces Dore Rewards and emphasizes wider array of programming By COLLIER BOWLING News reporter --------------------
Unlike Dore Rewards, which focused primarily on giving out prizes and encouraging attendance at Vanderbilt Programming Board events, My Vanderbilt Experience is intended to be a reflection of the broader offerings of the cocurricular student experience, including programs from every office under the Dean of Students as well as other student organizations. “I think students can be overwhelmed by the wide array of different events happening on campus, and so our office has chosen what programs we wanted to highlight,” said Lori Murphy, co-chair of My Vanderbilt Experience and program coordinator for Anchor Link. Consisting of nine tracks, such as School Spirit and Service & Civic Engagement, My Vanderbilt Experience requires students to complete two items in each of the nine tracks to complete the program. Each track consists of six to 10 opportunities, including events and programming on campus that are intended to expose students to important issues, such as MLK Day Weekend of Service and Green Dot training. Students will be given credit through card-swiped attendance or submitted attendance lists, and progress will be displayed on Anchor Link. Students are encouraged to participate in My Vanderbilt Experience through rewards and recognition. However, students do not have to complete the entire program to receive rewards; rather, they can receive rewards along the way by completing individual tracks in the program. “The way that we will be incentivizing or rewarding participation is that for one, we will be giving students the opportunity to win experiential incentives related to some of the different tracks,” Murphy said. “So for example, for school spirit, if you complete that track by a certain date, you may be entered for an opportunity to have lunch with Coach Mason.” Murphy hopes that students participating in My Vanderbilt Experience will be motivated to complete all of the individual tracks. “The bigger purpose is that if you complete the entire program, you will be entered into the Vanderbilt Experience Society,” Murphy said. “It’s an honor for students to be completing this program, and we want to recognize them for it. They will see recognition at the Magnolia Awards, which is run by the Office of Student Leadership Development, and they will receive special privileges as a result of their completing this program, such as front row seats at major campus events or invitations to special networking receptions with prestigious alumni and some other opportunities we are currently developing.” Murphy believes that students will gain more than just recognition and rewards by participating in My Vanderbilt Experience. “We really believe students will grow and learn from this, and we are going to try to give them the tools to be successful and take what they have learned and apply it in their future endeavors,” Murphy said. The first event counting toward My Vanderbilt Experience was Move Crew on August 16. Participation in the Student Involvement Fair on August 22 will also count toward completing the program. My Vanderbilt Experience will also be offering information at the Student Involvement Fair on how to participate in the program. For the full version of this story, visit www.vanderbilthustler.com.
vanderbilthustler STAFF
TYLER BISHOP EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
BOSLEY JARRETT / THE VANDERBILT HUSTLER
VUCeptor Kirtan Patel high-fives Vanderbilt students lining the Founders Walk on August 17, 2014.
Starting the conversation with VUcept
VUcept this year includes 92 pairs of student and faculty VUceptors, some of them returning pairs. These pairs work with groups of 17 (on average) first-year students. The role of the individual VUceptor may have stayed relatively constant throughout the years, but this year, training has emphasized facilitating conversations about race, inspired in part by Hidden Dores.
This year’s VUcept training emphasized Shift in training focus the facilitation of discussions on race According to Shachar and other VUcept leaders, the with first-year students. VUceptors offer VUcept training program changes every year to address timely topics and will continue to do so in the coming their differing perspectives on this year’s years. The Hidden Dores student movement emerged last focus semester and sought to address racial disparities on By SAARA ASIKAINEN News reporter --------------------
Identified as such by their shirts that proclaim “I heart VU,” VUceptors aim to assist first-year students in their transition into college life at Vanderbilt, functioning as resources and mentors throughout the first-year fall. “It is the VUceptor’s role to help students adjust socially, to find their niche academically, and also to start them and stimulate them to the intellectual environment that is Vanderbilt and college,” said VUcept president Abby Shachar.
KELLY HALOM — NEWS EDITOR PRIYANKA ARIBINDI — LIFE EDITOR MOLLY CORN — OPINION EDITOR ALLISON MAST — SPORTS EDITOR SAARA ASIKAINEN — MANAGING EDITOR
BOSLEY JARRETT — PHOTO DIRECTOR JENNA WENGLER — ART DIRECTOR
campus through photographs posted on the movement’s various social media platforms. The images featured messages written on a whiteboard, generally by minority students who shared their experiences involving discrimination. “We’ve always done intensive diversity training, but the focus was a little more intensified this year, both because of the reading as well as because of Hidden Dores,” said Nina Warnke, assistant dean of the Martha Rivers Ingram Commons at Vanderbilt. Sophomore Akaninyene Ruffin, a spokesperson for Hidden Dores, said in an email that the movement had
ZACH BERKOWITZ — SENIOR DESIGNER SOPHIE TO — CHIEF COPY EDITOR KAREN CHAN — SENIOR DESIGNER PHIL DANTA — CHIEF WEB DEVELOPER ZOE SHANCER— SENIOR DESIGNER MADDIE HUGHES — FEATURES EDITOR ANGELICA LASALA— SOCIAL MEDIA DIRECTOR KATHY ZHOU — SENIOR DESIGNER KARA SHERRER— WEB EDITOR COPY EDITORS DESIGNERS ALLIE GROSS — ASST. NEWS EDITOR ALEXA BRAHME ALEXIS BANKS BEN WEINRIB —ASST. SPORTS EDITOR KATY CESAROTTI HAN DEWAN HOLLY GLASS
WESLEY LIN BRITTANY SHAAR
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not recently been contacted about the inclusion of its material in VUcept training, but that she and another student from Hidden Dores had met with Warnke in the spring to discuss its role in the programming. “I am very thrilled to see Visions utilize some Hidden Dores pictures in their training. Since VUceptors are some of the first representatives of Vanderbilt’s campus, it is important that they are culturally competent and recognize the struggles that some of their students might face,” Ruffin said. VUcept has traditionally partnered with various campus resources — such as International Student & Scholar Services and the Office of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Intersex Life — which send representatives to lead diversity sessions on their particular areas of expertise, as they also did this year. According to a third-time VUceptor, the diversity training this year was more intensive, particularly on the topic of race. The training was also more expansive in terms of who was required to attend it. In the past, issues of diversity were primarily addressed in presentations and activities aimed at the student VUceptors. This year, faculty partners were required to attend a panel on diversity and engage in the accompanying activities in a joint training session, according to Warnke, who oversees Vanderbilt
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It’s not like learning, ‘This is what you say to black people, this is what you say to white people, this is what you say to Hispanics’ — but it’s just learning how to start a conversation.
Visions. The panel, at which students and faculty held candid conversations about race, privilege and diversity, was led by Peabody professor Donna Ford, who researches issues of equity in education. The panel also included Shachar, who spoke about her experiences as a Persian-American, as well as Dean of The Ingram Commons Frank Wcislo and Assistant Dean of Intercultural Affairs and Advocacy Tina Smith. Senior Robb King, a supporter of the Hidden Dores movement and a founder of Project I Am — a new mentorship program for minority students — was also present. While Shachar recognizes the responsibility that falls on student and faculty VUceptors, she feels that these conversations are vital not just for the Commons but for the entire Vanderbilt community. “I would say it’s really within our student and faculty VUceptors’ responsibility to bring these conversations up in
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the first weeks of school in order to effect change from the get-go. It becomes hard to work backwards, particularly on issues that deal with social as well as academic concern,” Shachar said. Student reactions Many student VUceptors have expressed support for increasing the presence of conversations about race on Vanderbilt’s campus. Almaz Mesghina, a junior and second-time VUceptor, said that the focus of the diversity training was to get VUceptors to examine their own discriminatory tendencies and expand their comfort zones by talking about what made them uncomfortable. “It’s not like learning, ‘This is what you say to black people, this is what you say to white people, this is what you say to Hispanics’ — but it’s just learning how to start a conversation,” Mesghina said. Because of its ability to foster these
conversations, “Salvage the Bones” is Mesghina’s favorite Commons Reading. “Honestly, of the three books I’ve dealt with since coming to Vanderbilt, it’s been my favorite so far,” Mesghina said. ”It touched tough subjects, but in a way to where even people who are not at all affiliated or associated with these tough subjects have a way to discuss.” According to junior and first-time VUceptor Andrew Granholm, students and faculty VUceptors discussed the novel for half an hour, so that the discussion with freshmen would not reflect only one person’s ideas. Granholm said that even though not everybody can relate to the specific circumstances in the novel, the themes and characters can still be discussed productively. VUceptors were instructed to discuss the book with their groups organically rather than teach the book to them. VUcept leaders agree that the student VUceptors’ ability to create a safe space is crucial. An international student from Lebanon, junior Rani Banjarian said that in order to start potentially difficult conversations, it is important to counterbalance difficult topics with engaging and involved activities. Banjarian feels that his experience working as a tour guide as well as his upperclassman perspective have renewed his appreciation for the Commons experience. He believes both will allow him to provide a more truthful
THE VANDERBILT HUSTLER u WWW.VANDERBILTHUSTLER.COM CAMPUS idea of Vanderbilt to his VUceptees. Although Banjarian said he enjoyed exploring his own racial identity during training, he feels that it is important to understand identity in a holistic way. “I’m not going to give more import to certain aspects of my identity and project those onto the VUcept group just because, say, I’m an international student or I come from another culture or things like that. I’m just going to present myself as a Vanderbilt student wholly and completely,” Banjarian said. He also praised Hidden Dores and talked about the danger of hiding issues. “If it lurks right beneath the surface, it’s a Kraken. You don’t know how big it is, you don’t know how dangerous it is. … This movement has essentially released the Kraken and now that it is right in front of us on social media, on Facebook, on Tumblr, people are talking about it,” Banjarian said. Shachar said that one of the qualities that has recently been emphasized in the selection process for VUceptors has been quirkiness and passion for something apart from VUcept and Vanderbilt Visions, in the hopes that the mentor is able to bring a special kind of sensitivity toward a certain group or a unique identity to his or her role.
Additional avenues for covering diversity The Commons Reading for the Class of 2018, Jesmyn Ward’s novel “Salvage the Bones,” was chosen specifically because it presents relevant themes in an intersectional way, according to Dean Wcislo. The plot involves four siblings and the surrounding Mississippi community in the days preceding Hurricane Katrina, and takes on questions of race, sexuality, womanhood and masculinity, and ethnicity and climate change, among others. In the fall, the reading was chosen from a list of nominated works by the faculty heads of house and other administrators. Ward will be giving a lecture at Vanderbilt in September. The lecture is part of VUcept’s concentrated effort to create pertinent programming around the book throughout the year. Furthermore, another VUcept initiative, True Life, has been redesigned to reflect the change in the focus of VUcept training. The production will now feature a Hidden Dores-inspired scene about microaggressions; this scene will involve racial role reversals. An international student perspective will also be included in this year’s True Life. Criticism Despite many positive reactions, a criticism that some VUceptors articulated was that the focus on race felt excessive at times and took place at
the cost of discussing other kinds of diversity. However, Shachar said that VUcept leaders had intentionally narrowed their focus. “Our intention is to narrow a lens each year with regards to training so that our students can really get an in-depth understanding of one particular topic. Sometimes, when we try to broach the subject of diversity, it becomes really abstract and difficult to contextualize,” Shachar said. Another concern expressed by some VUceptors was the emphasis on race in discussions — giving the firstyears an extreme impression of the issue being a major problem in the Vanderbilt community. According to Shachar, VUcept groups are supposed to promote a comfortable environment so that the new students wouldn’t see issues like race and diversity as “a point of contention,” but as subjects of productive discussion. She thinks that an important part of VUcept training is to model the kind of environment the VUceptors will hopefully be able to replicate in their own groups.
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 20, 2014
By the numbers: racial breakdown of students at Vanderbilt
Black/African American (8.0%) Hispanic of any race (7.9%) Two or more races (4.9%) Caucasian (70.4%) American Indian or Alaska Native (0.4%) Asian or Hawaiian/Pacific Islander (8.5%)
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opinion
QUOTE OF THE DAY “The renowned philosopher Kanye West once said that what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. This is terrible medical advice.”
MIICHAEL DIAMOND
LETTER TO MY FIRST-YEAR SELF
Hindsight isn’t 20/20
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DAVID SHUCK is a junior in the College of Arts and Science. He can be reached at david.j.shuck@ vanderbilt.edu.
ear David, 2012: Every year you will realize how dumb you were in the last one. That’s how growth works — knowing that very soon, the best you did then will likely seem naive later. There are some reasons for this. Yes, hindsight is said to be 20/20, but in truth it doesn’t quite measure up. What is true is that after making a mistake and seeing it play out, most people end up being terribly sure they’ve figured out exactly what they should have done to avoid it. We all develop a sort of backward-aiming hubris, the kind you feel right now about high school. But despite this confidence, your foresight will inevitably and persistently languish around 20/200. They are very different things, making decisions when you need to and making decisions after you already have. We never stop forgetting that in the past, whenever it was, we usually did around the best we could with what we knew. No matter what I think you should do in the next year (what I should have done two years ago), in numerous important ways I’d be just as wrong as you’ll find yourself being. This sounds unfortunate. In many ways, it is. For example, if you think that professorship plan of yours will last through
summer 2014, you have another thing coming: an existential crisis. But thankfully, you have innumerable quotes of conventional wisdom to help guide you, none of which end up being that helpful. Most advice sounds naive without faith in it. Think of any eminently sagacious aphorism and for all its gravity and purported honesty, even the best will be riddled with counterexamples. Take again, for example, that hindsight is 20/20. ...The bittersweet meaning of which is: Most of the knowledge you want, you’ll have to find yourself. Which means that you’ll want to be the best at making all the mistakes you are unquestionably, unavoidably going to make, so that maybe you can learn from them thereafter. Mistakes suck. We’re going to make a lot of them, and most parts of me wish we hadn’t. But other parts remind me that this thinking doesn’t help, and that we’ve all learned more from mistakes than really everything else rolled together. When you mess up, when you screw up, when you fuck up what you cherished and lament it all summer, you will not enjoy it. But afterward and all along the way, you will become aware of things so very, very important to who you
are, what you want and who you want to be that maybe someday, if you write a letter to yourself from two years back, you will forgive yourself for ruining everything so dear to you so beautifully. Another big thing to remember is that you’ve never faced a truly worst-case scenario. Though it can be terribly difficult finding good vegan food around here, being vegan is a privilege of living in a place with wealth enough to be picky, a privilege just like that crippling occupational indecision you face, the intensity of your first-world problems, and that earth-shattering A- you get in French. The point here is that I’d really like to offer a lot more points — we all would — but I already sound preachy enough. Most points I’d like to make assume that I could redo what’s been done, and that you’ll be able see ahead of time the ways in which you will inevitably falter. Lighten up about these storms. Most aren’t so thundery, and most get calmer if you wait; I promise you’ll get through everything just fine, more or less. But I can’t promise that you won’t still have trouble remembering all this. Just wait until you read the letter 2016 David writes. It’s rich. David, 2014
Just quit: The danger of overcommitment
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MOLLY CORN is a senior in the College of Arts and Science and the Opinion editor of The Vanderbilt Hustler. She can be reached at molly.e.corn@ vanderbilt.edu.
vanderbilthustler EDITORIAL BOARD TYLER BISHOP, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF editor@vanderbilthustler.com
KELLY HALOM
PRIYANKA ARIBINDI
NEWS EDITOR news@vanderbilthustler.com
LIFE EDITOR life@vanderbilthustler.com
MOLLY CORN
ALLISON MAST
OPINION EDITOR opinion@vanderbilthustler. com
SPORTS EDITOR sports@vanderbilthustler.com
ear First-Year Molly, Well first, I’d like to say, despite all your doubts, you made it to senior year: three years older, a whole lot wiser and still a bit of a mess. Of course I have loads of advice to give you in order to ease the struggle of your first year in college. Don’t skip class so much; stop worrying about the fact that you’re not in a sorority; give up on the boy at home; get involved; remember that hookups don’t lead to relationships — except for when they do; work out when you’re stressed; find your balance. But you probably won’t listen, and you might even scoff at the impracticality of your future self who gave up Economics for Philosophy. But only experience will teach you. But the most important piece of advice? Quit. Give up. Let it go. You’ve gone through most of your life with a lot of people telling you that if you try hard enough, “anything” is possible. While this may or may not be true, what they forget to mention is that not everything is worth it. The major that doesn’t give you room to go abroad, the class that whittles away at 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
your sanity by not letting you sleep, the club that interferes with your weekly dinner with your hallmates. Your academics and involvement are definitely important, but so are your happiness, relationships and health. Just like the incoming class before you, you’re part of the “best” class yet. This basically means that your class had a higher median SAT score than last year’s. Don’t worry, you’re only the golden child for now. The next incoming class will be even “better.” Given the impressive class profile, you’ll spend a lot of time worrying about whether or not you “deserve” to be here; you’ll feel guilty about being accepted to a school that you weren’t initially interested in when a friend who applied early decision got turned down. You’re among people who are involved, passionate and “exceptional.” You’ll feel as if you need to prove yourself worthy of the institution, to be a “leader” in nearly everything you do, and in a class of 1,600 who are used to being among the most exceptional, you’ll find it’s a little harder to keep up than it used to be. Even if you know that you can’t do everything, you’re still going to overcommit.
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.
THE VANDERBILT HUSTLER ◆ WWW.VANDERBILTHUSTLER.COM College will be tumultuous, and that first semester will be the rough one; you’ll be depressed, lonely, uninvolved, thinking about transferring, and stuck in bed with mono because of your own stupid decisions. You’ll spend the next three semesters trying to make up for it. Cliche as it sounds, your study abroad experience will be lifechanging — it will convince you to buy out of the rat-race culture of overinvolvement so prevalent on campus. Instead, you’ll realize that throwing all your energy into the newspaper you started working for by accident during your sophomore year is what will make you happiest. So you’ll cut the rest of your commitments, cringing a little every time someone asks you if you’re interested in
Three lessons
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taking a leadership role in _____ and you respond with a firm “no,” and reminding yourself that leaders cannot exist without followers. You’ll get a little misty-eyed thinking over the challenges and victories of this unforgettable educational experience that is uniquely yours. Because somehow, despite everything, Vanderbilt had the effect of taking you from cynical, “pragmatic” and pessimistic to idealistic, optimistic and most importantly, thankful and satisfied. You’ll hope that somehow, sharing your insights will ensure that every student’s experience is just as life-changing as yours. Sincerely, Molly
ear First-Year Michael, Hey. How’s it going? I know you’re nervous about starting your college experience at Vanderbilt. That’s good; you should be. Everyone is. But don’t worry too much: You’ll turn out pretty OK. At least I like to think so. MICHAEL I want to offer some advice that DIAMOND might help you navigate the next four is a senior in the (or three, or five, whatever) years of College of Arts your life at Vandy. and Science. He can be reached at 1) Plans change, and that’s fine michael.s.diamond@ So, about those plans to major in Povanderbilt.edu. litical Science, get involved in student government, and be a national debating champion… Life happened. After dedicating an absurd amount of your high school tenure to the newspaper and yearbook, you’re done with student media, right? Yeah, this is the first shot of my fourth year at The Hustler. Remember that elated feeling when you finished AP Calculus and decided you never had to take a math class again? I’m finishing up my math minor at the end of this semester. Thank goodness you didn’t stick to your plans. You’ve found a home in the Earth and Environmental Sciences Department (sometimes we study rocks) and couldn’t be happier. A number of organizations you had never really thought about joining — or even heard about before college — now command a significant portion of your time and energy. Plans don’t always change for the better. Ever since you were little, it’s been “when,” not “if,” you study abroad. Unfortunately, that semester abroad never panned out. Yet when one door closes, a window opens. You’ll get to travel in other ways: for service, research and a Maymester. Never think there is only one prescribed way to accomplish a goal or gain a valuable experience. 2) Don’t take yourself too seriously This is advice that I still have trouble following, but it’s good to hear early and often. You are going to do some stupid shit. You’re going to regret a lot — not all, but a lot — of it. And that’s OK. Embrace it. Don’t embrace it too much. But embrace it. The renowned philosopher Kanye West once said that what doesn’t kill
you makes you stronger. This is terrible medical advice; please do not take it literally. But it’s actually pretty good life advice. Many relationships don’t work out, some friendships don’t last, a few clubs you’ll end up quitting, more than a few classes will be the bane of your existence at times. Take the opportunity to learn from these experiences and make yourself a better person rather than pushing the memories to the dustbin of your mind. 3) Don’t be discouraged by failure You’re about to be kicked in the posterior by 8 a.m. full-immersion Spanish for at least a month. You’ll be stronger for it. Sometimes, the Towers fire alarm will go off and the building will be evacuated at three in the morning before a linear algebra exam and you’ll spend the next morning staring blankly at a matrix for 50 minutes. That test went about as well as you’d imagine. You’ll recover from it. In two years, you will have applied for a competitive scholarship. After countless hours and approximately 5,374 (plus or minus three) rewrites, you won’t get it. You won’t even get an Honorable Mention. Next time, when debating whether to reapply, you’ll think to yourself, “If I didn’t get it last year, what hope do I have this year?” Luckily, you will tell those negative voices in your head to shut up and end up getting the scholarship. Persistence is a virtue, and as cliche as it sounds, the best thing you can do when life knocks you down is dust off and pull yourself back up. One last piece of advice: Keep in mind, when you look at seniors like they have everything figured out, we don’t. Seriously. Not even close. Vanderbilt’s hard. I’m not going to lie to you. A lot of my friends have had to take some time off. More probably should have. Some days you’ll wonder what it’s all for. Yet these will also be some of the best four years of your life, and you’ll meet better friends than you could possibly imagine. Looking back, I’m not sure I’d change a thing. But now your first year is about to start. Let the games begin. Best, Senior-Citizen Michael
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 20, 2014
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life
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Vanderbilt Performing Arts Council’s SPOTLIGHT The ninth annual Spotlight Performing Arts Showcase featuring the Vanderbilt Melodores, Vanderbilt Off-Broadway, Concert Choir, Swingin’ Dores, Dodecaphonics and more starts at 7 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 22. The showcase has become a tradition that features nearly every campus performing arts group.
Treblemakin’ with Ted Senior Ted Moock sings his way to the big screen in ‘Pitch Perfect 2’
BOSLEY JARRETT / THE VANDERBILT HUSTLER
By PRIYANKA ARIBINDI Life editor --------------------
While most Vanderbilt students were tucked away in cubicles, taking summer classes or catching up on sleep, senior Ted Moock spent his summer shooting takes through the night with the cast of “Pitch Perfect 2” and sharing fondue with the film’s star, Anna Kendrick. Last year, a YouTube video of Moock performing a solo on a cover of The Neighbourhood’s “Sweater Weather” with the Melodores a cappella group made its way to a lawyer working with the “Pitch Perfect” franchise. After receiving an invitation to audition for the film’s producers, Moock was ultimately cast as a member of The Treblemakers, an all-male a cappella group, in the film’s highly anticipated sequel. Though he had known about the opportunity since January, he didn’t consider it a serious possibility until April of this year, but less than one month later he was in Baton Rouge, La., on the film’s set, rehearsing music and choreography that would be filmed starting June 2. As it
turns out, his first task wasn’t too different from what he’d been doing at Vanderbilt. Before he even arrived on set, he received a homework assignment — to learn the film’s music. “When they sent the music out, it was like, ‘This is actually happening,’” Moock said. “I’m thankful I had an a cappella background, so I could learn it pretty quickly, because that’s what we do with the Melodores all the time.” If the turnaround between his audition to time on set was any indication, the month Moock spent on set moved quickly. He recalled his first day, when, after a dance and vocal rehearsal, he was brought to a studio to begin recording for the film’s soundtrack. “From the beginning it was like, ‘Alright, let’s go,’” Moock said. The fast pace also carried over into his social life on set. “It was kind of intimidating at first,” he said. “You see all these stars and you don’t know how to interact with them.” But he got the hang of it early on, bonding over singing with one of the film’s co-stars, Ben Platt, who plays Treblemaker Benji.
Moock recalls the first weekend when Kendrick, the film’s female lead, wanted to catch up with Platt. “That night, I ended up at The Melting Pot with Anna Kendrick, her boyfriend and Ben,” Moock said. “She was super-sarcastic and super-funny. After it was over, I was thinking, ‘I just sat at a table with Anna Kendrick — like, what?’” Aside from that night, the majority of Moock’s time was spent alongside Platt and the other Treblemakers, but even though they had music in common, their backgrounds are very different. “Some of them were younger — 18 or 19 — but the majority of people I interacted with had done some sort of film before,” he said. “Other guys have been working a long time to get to a role of this caliber.” Of the two other Treblemakers also enrolled in college, Moock is the only one who doesn’t study theater, majoring in Human and Organizational Development instead. But that hasn’t deterred him from wanting to pursue more opportunities like this after school.
“I grew up watching TV and movies and thinking, ‘Wow, it would be really cool to do that,’ but it was always a pipe dream. Now I can definitely see myself continuing to do this,” Moock said. After shooting wrapped, Moock met with the lawyer who had set up his original audition, and they discussed his options for moving forward. “I want to be able to use my voice,” he said. But he also plans to take acting classes and look into finding representation at an agency for actors and singers. “This thing literally dropped out of nowhere, but it’s here — I feel like I’m stupid to not try and make something out of it,” Moock said. Though the movie won’t be released until May 15 — after Moock graduates — he hopes his plans to watch the final product can involve Vanderbilt. “The Treblemakers from the first movie got to go to the premiere, which would be insane, but my birthday is May 1, right when finals end, and I hope I can get some kind of advance screening at Vanderbilt so everyone can see it.”
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LIFE
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 20, 2014
Taste (more) of Nashville A new school year means a lot of new things, but for Vanderbilt students, none seem to be as anticipated as the new Taste of Nashville options on the Commodore Card. Here, The Hustler makes recommendations from the program’s newest additions By Priyanka Aribindi, Life editor
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IHOP (2214 Elliston Place) What to order: Chocolate Chocolate Chip Pancakes. Go big or go home on this one — considering that this recommendation is intended to follow a full day of fun, if you’re not going big with the chocolate on chocolate, you might as well not go at all. When to go: A late-night pancake feast post-Demonbreun debauchery is what dreams are made of, but unless IHOP changes its hours or you leave the bars before 11:30 p.m., a dream is all it will be. But not to worry, you can still postgame tailgates and football games with the best of breakfast for dinner. Whom to bring: You and your crew. Killing a pancake platter isn’t particularly tough, but it isn’t a pretty sight either. Stick to your close friends for this one.
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Jamba Juice (2314 Elliston Place) What to order: Apple ‘n Greens Smoothie. With two full servings of fruit and one of veggies, this smoothie is perfect for anyone who downgraded their meal plan but still wants their full fix. With sweet mangoes and apples, you won’t even taste the bunches of kale — and after a night out, it’ll have you perking up again in no time. When to go: With a 7 a.m. opening time, Jamba’s a safe bet for breakfast before or between classes, but for the next few weeks, it’ll do the trick whenever you need to cool off. Whom to bring: You — just you. Smoothies are made to order, so a group of friends means a line, and no one has time for that.
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Mellow Mushroom (212 21st Avenue South)
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What to order: Garlic Butter and Parmesan Pretzels. Mellow Mushroom may be known for pizza, but these pretzels have always been a fan favorite. Made with the same dough as the pizzas and served warm with a side of marinara sauce, these make a great snack to share. When to go: There’s nothing mellow about a long wait, so come for a late lunch or an early dinner after classes. Whom to bring: Anyone. Everyone loves pizza, and Mellow Mushroom’s large tables and casual vibe make it a good place for friends or smaller, informal club meetings when you want to have a discussion and some dinner. The service is quick and there’s something for everyone on the menu, so come early and come hungry. ALEC MYSZKA / THE VANDERBILT HUSTLER
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LIFE AFTER THE LAST DROP After three years as a mainstay at Sarratt’s Last Drop Coffee Shop, Miss Anne is moving on to the Munchie Marts By MOLLY CORN Opinion editor --------------------
For the past three years, Anne Alukonis and Emma “Auntie” Jean have been the faces of Last Drop Coffee Shop, serving up encouragement and banter alongside caffeine. However, this year Alukonis, affectionately known by students as Ms. Anne, will no longer be at Last Drop. “I needed something different — I’ve been making coffee for four years,” Alukonis said. For the many students she has come to know well, her desire for a change of pace should come as no surprise. Before coming to Vanderbilt Campus Dining, Alukonis traveled the world and even ran her own gift shop.
Fortunately for students, Alukonis isn’t traveling far this time. Now she will be stationed in the Rand Munchie Mart Wednesday through Friday and in the Branscomb Munchie Mart on Saturday and Sunday mornings. “I want people to come visit me,” she said. Alukonis’ popularity is likely due to her involvement within the Vanderbilt community. She frequently attends campus events such as hockey games and multicultural organizations’ annual performances, and has even made appearances at student organization meetings in the past. At the beginning of each year, she’ll ask you where you’re living, what classes you’re taking and how your friends are doing. She greets many by name, remembering not only what they had to drink, but their majors, favorite classes and the topic of the paper they wrote last week. For Alukonis, words of wisdom never come in short supply. Her advice includes “work to live, not live to work” and to keep the important things in perspective. “One of the most important things you can do is take care of yourself,” Alukonis said. “You students often spread yourself too thin.” This very principle led her to leave the high-intensity environment of Last Drop for a slightly more laid-back position in the markets. Though she says her move is for the best, she adds that she already misses making coffees.
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CHRIS HONIBALL / THE VANDERBILT HUSTLER
“I liked creating something,” she said. When she came to work for dining nearly a decade ago, Alukonis considered it to be just another job, but, as she says, she saw that what students wanted and needed was a friend — someone to be involved in their
lives. To her, as long as everything behind the counter gets done, the relationships are just as vital. “I see that what I do makes a difference, and that’s why I’m here,” she said.
Miss Anne’s Schedule Wednesday
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Branscomb 7 a.m.-3 p.m.
Branscomb 7 a.m.-3 p.m.
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sports
THE BIG STAT Number of consecutive wins against Tennessee, the longest streak for Vanderbilt football since 1920-1926
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GOLDEN AGE JAMES TATUM / THE VANDERBILT HUSTLER
CHRIS HONIBALL/ THE VANDERBILT HUSTLER
JOE HOWELL/ VANDERBILT UNIVERSIT
Football’s Steven Clarke, basketball’s Lance Goulbourne and baseball’s Kyle Smth celebrate with their respective trophies.
By PATRICK GIVENS Sports reporter --------------------
Every year on the third Saturday in August, 1,600 students from all over the world converge on Vanderbilt to begin a new chapter in their lives. In 2011, I was one of them. I hopped out of the car on the morning of August 20 knowing very little of what the next four years would hold. I did, however, feel very certain about one thing: Vanderbilt football would lose, and they would lose often. As I was growing up in Knoxville, my only experience with Vandy was watching the Vols obliterate them every other year in Neyland Stadium by margins such as 41-0 and 48-0. I remember seeing new head coach James Franklin shaking hands and opening car doors that day, but I didn’t know much about him, and neither did anyone else. Franklin was probably just another coach destined to fail miserably at Vandy and disappear into football obscurity. After running onto the field prior to the first game of the season — a Vanderbilt tradition — all of my preconceptions of Vanderbilt football were validated. I entered the student section to find a smattering of apathetic fans, a microcosm of the half-full stadium. Undeterred by the lack of enthusiasm, Franklin continued to rally support, preaching that his team would be competitive and that this was a “brand-new
Vanderbilt.” In week two, he delivered on that promise. After an early lead over UConn turned into a second-half deficit, everybody in the stadium expected the home team to fold as they always had. But they didn’t. When Casey Hayward crossed the goal line after returning an interception 50 yards, the shocked looks on the faces of the students told me one thing. This didn’t usually happen at Vanderbilt. The Commodores went on to win that game along with four more, and fan support grew with every triumph. By the end of that first season, Franklin had grown into the Commodore faithful’s hero. For decades, Vanderbilt had been searching for a coach that would shake off the losing culture and declare that history didn’t matter. Why couldn’t Vanderbilt be the best both academically and athletically? Franklin was selling, and I was certainly buying. That initial success was backed up with two straight nine-win seasons, something that hadn’t happened on West End in almost 100 years. Franklin departed Nashville for Penn State as arguably the most successful coach in Vanderbilt history. While the candor of the statements surrounding his departure can certainly be debated, his contributions to Vanderbilt football cannot. He changed the culture at Vanderbilt, and in doing so built something
bigger than himself. Enter Derek Mason. Mason hopes to build off of Franklin’s success, and who’s to say he can’t? “Nine wins, it’s really exceptional,” Mason said. “At the end of the day, why have nine when you can have 10. Why settle for 10 when you can have 11? That’s the way I think. That’s the way I wake up. That’s the way I want my team to be. Dream big, you can accomplish big things. Dream small, you fall short.” One thing’s for sure: I’m not doubting Vanderbilt football anymore. On the hardwood, expectations were completely different. The Commodores entered the 2011-12 season ranked seventh in the AP poll and were expected by many to challenge for the SEC title. But things never really clicked in the regular season, and by the SEC tournament, Kevin Stallings’ squad found itself up against an underwhelming campaign. The ‘Dores responded by making a run all the way to the title, knocking off Kentucky in the process. As I watched Kevin Stallings cut down the net, I thought that this would probably be the pinnacle of athletics in my Vanderbilt journey. But it wasn’t. In 2003, Tim Corbin took over a Vanderbilt baseball program that hadn’t made the NCAA tournament since 1980. Corbin methodically built a national power by recruiting a mix of
outstanding pitchers and do-everything position players. By 2012, the Commodores were fresh off the first College World Series berth in school history, and competing for championships was now the norm. The 2012 season was a difficult one, but Vanderbilt showed flashes of brilliance down the stretch, leading many to believe that the 2013 season could be a special one. And special it was. The Commodores shattered the SEC record by winning 26 games and were considered one of the favorites to win the national title. But the bats went cold in the Super Regional, and a team that could have won the title didn’t even make it to Omaha. Halfway through the 2014 season, the Commodores had a losing record in the SEC, and a national championship seemed entirely out of the realm of possibility. That’s what made Vanderbilt’s run through the NCAA tournament so incredible. It came a year after it was supposed to. The Commodores won a national championship in a “rebuilding” year. When the last out was recorded, Vanderbilt had its first men’s championship. But that’s only the latest in a streak of successes in Vanderbilt athletics in the past three years. As I was moving my boxes into Stambaugh that August morning, I had no idea that I would be enrolling during the Golden Age of Vanderbilt athletics, but I now realize that might just be the case.
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SPORTS
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The evolution of Adam Butler
Redshirt sophomore defensive lineman Adam Butler poses for a photo after practice on Tuesday.
BOSLEY JARRETT / THE VANDERBILT HUSTLER
By BEN WEINRIB Asst. sports editor --------------------
Before Adam Butler was a happy-golucky starting SEC defensive lineman, there was a two-year period in which he didn’t think football would even be in his future. In Duncanville, Texas (a Dallas suburb), where Butler grew up, football was a big deal. And since Butler was a big kid in middle school — weighing as much as 210 pounds — he naturally wanted to play on his school’s team. But when his seventh grade season came, the coaches never played Butler. They said he wasn’t good enough; he wasn’t smart enough. Adding insult to injury, he was just about the only player not receiving playing time. “I remember one night I was sitting down in my room crying because I wanted to quit,” Butler said. “I felt like I really did suck based on the feedback from the coaches because they’re supposed to be the ones evaluating you and letting you know if you’re good or not.” Although Butler’s father, Clarence, didn’t spend much time playing football, he was a member of the Air Force for more than 20 years, so he knew what being surrounded by a team meant. Furthermore, Clarence knew that quitting was not an option, and he instilled that in his son.
SPORTS THE VANDERBILT HUSTLER u WWW.VANDERBILTHUSTLER.COM “My dad, he came in the room and asked what was wrong, and I told him I wanted to quit, and what the coaches had to say to me, and why I wasn’t playing. I remember he and my mom after the (next) game probably stayed about two hours. I could hear them arguing with the coaches saying how much potential I had,” Butler said. Hearing that support from his parents moved Butler. His entire attitude changed: He would work until he dropped in order to earn a scholarship. And in due time, Butler became a very good football player. As an offensive lineman, he was a two-time first-team 5A All-District recipient, and Rivals.com ranked him among the top 50 prospects in Texas. Duncanville High School made such a large impact on Butler that he got a Panther — the school’s mascot — tattooed on his left bicep. “I love that high school,” Butler said. “It changed my life. I loved the coaching staff at that high school. They actually took me in and shaped me and molded me into the player I am today. They actually sat down with me and worked with me, made sure I knew what I was doing and made sure I understood the game plan.” The school also taught a young Butler some important life lessons. “They taught that football is a way of life; it’s not just a game. In football you need discipline, and in life you need discipline. In football you need to be on time to everything. In life you have to be on time to ev-
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My goal isn’t to be cool, it isn’t to be famous, to be that guy who’s always in the spotlight. I could care less about that. That’s just who I am, a happy person. erything or you’ll lose your job,” Butler said. Having gone through those struggles early on in his playing life also made Butler into the character he is today. Remembering the days he was upset and in the dark, Butler considers every day a blessing for him, so he tries to make everyone else as happy as possible. “Adam has to be the funniest human being I think I’ve ever met,” said punter Colby Cooke. “He’s nice to everybody, he’s got a great sense of humor, he’s always laughing. I don’t think anybody can resist that laugh; when he starts laughing, it makes the whole room light up.” One of the attributes that makes him so endearing to the team is that he is goofy at times — almost like a little kid. Despite his hulking 6-foot-5, 305-pound frame, he loves Pokemon, Naruto and Dragon Ball Z. “I play Pokemon every day,” Butler said. “Every day. I don’t miss a beat whether it’s late at night, before I go to sleep after I’ve studied film, made sure I’m prepared for the
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next day. I play for a good 30 minutes; then I go to sleep. I’m really into Pokemon.” When he has time, Butler loves the competition of hunting for elusive shiny Pokemon and battling teammates like Cooke in their Pokemon X version, even going as far as to train to maximize certain stats and study which Mega Evolutions to use competitively. “If you like something, just go for it — why not? Have fun,” Butler said. “I’m sure there’s other people who want to do that but just don’t. They don’t want to not fit in with everybody else. My goal isn’t to be cool, it isn’t to be famous, to be that guy who’s always in the spotlight. I could care less about that. That’s just who I am, a happy person.” A happy person, indeed, but also a big lineman with a strong motor. And that strong work ethic paid off when the previous coaching staff identified him as a prime target to switch to the defensive line after he came to campus as an offensive lineman. Even without any time spent on the
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defensive line in about four years, Butler hit the ground running. He earned starts in six games, including the season opener against Ole Miss and the BBVA Compass Bowl, and he finished the season with 25 tackles, six tackles for loss, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. With coach Derek Mason’s new defensive scheme, Butler will have to make a second position change in as many years: going from 4-3 defensive tackle to 3-4 defensive end. He hasn’t had the chance to show off in any games yet, but Butler has already impressed the coaching staff to the point that he was one of three players chosen to represent Vanderbilt at the SEC Media Days. “I picked guys to go to Media Days who I thought were guys who were representative of work that was being done this summer,” Mason said. “Adam had a good summer; I think he’s a really good football player.” Mason added a few wise words for the future, too. “I know this: He can line up, and he can play in the SEC as he’s shown, but in order for him to be a dominant player, he’s got to continue to put in the work. It’s the sun-ups and sun-downs that allow good players to be better,” Mason said. Knowing Butler’s tireless work ethic and the way coaches and players speak glowingly of him, it may be a matter of “when” and not “if” he reaches that level.
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