The Vanderbilt Hustler 3-26-14

vanderbilthustler WEDNESDAY, MARCH 26, 2014

VOL. 126, ISS. 11

WWW.INSIDEVANDY.COM

(Dis) ordered eating How students seek control through dieting pg. 8 CAMPUS

The Amp: Different opinions from around campus Nashville’s proposed bus rapid transit system has supporters and detractors at Vanderbilt

SPORTS PAGE 2

Baseball suffers big loss A blowout loss to Mississippi State showed cracks in the Commodores’ defense

PAGE 14

OPINION

Play your part It’s time to change the way audiences listen to live classical music

PAGE 6

2

THE VANDERBILT HUSTLER u WWW.INSIDEVANDY.COM

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 26, 2014

campus YOUNG ALUMNI TRUSTEE

Sid Sapru wins Young Alumni Trustee election

QUOTE OF THE DAY “Vanderbilt has advocated for several years to bring better and more mass transit to Nashville. We think that that would be good for a city that is growing and that is vibrant.”

BETH FORTUNE, VICE CHANCELLOR FOR PUBLIC AFFAIRS

ALL ABOUT THE AMP

Sid Sapru was announced as the winner of the 2014 Young Alumni Trustee election on March 24. He will now be recommended to the Board of Trust by the Vanderbilt Alumni Association. The Board’s approval of the elected candidate is the final step in the Young Alumni Trustee process.

Nashville is planning to bring proposed bus rapid transit system to West End in the next few years.

But opinions in the community and on campus are divided

BOSLEY JARRETT / THE VANDERBILT HUSTLER

SHOOTING INCIDENT

University explains silence on shooting near campus

By TYLER BISHOP

InsideVandy director -------------------Following a fatal police shooting on Elliston Place Friday, March 21, several students noted that they did not receive any communication from Vanderbilt about the incident.

Vanderbilt University’s Office of News and Communications, when asked about this concern, issued a statement to The Hustler: “AlertVU was not activated because there was not an immediate and ongoing threat to the Vanderbilt community.

The events last Friday transpired and ended quickly following Metro Police’s pursuit of a suspect from another area of the city to Elliston Place where they were in the process of apprehending the suspect when the shooting occurred.”

A news release from police says the man who was killed, later identified as 51 year-old Aaron Smith, was first encountered by a Smyrna police officer at America’s Motor Sports, a motorcycle store on 8th Avenue South. When the officer, who recognized Smith as a suspect in a March 13 car burglary and credit card theft, confronted him, Smith pulled a gun and fled.

Smith then carjacked a woman at gunpoint, driving her silver Buick Enclave from the scene, initiating a car and helicopter pursuit throughout Nashville until reaching Elliston Place, just a block from campus.

After parking the vehicle in a garage behind Chili’s, Smith ran toward an Elliston Place strip mall, where he was eventually converged on after pointing one of his two guns in the direction of police officers. A spokesman for Nashville Metro Police said they also did not want Smith entering businesses where innocent citizens were.

The five officers who opened fire have been temporarily reassigned to routine administrative duty while details of the case are wrapped up.

vanderbilthustler STAFF

ANDRÉ ROUILLARD EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

HANNAH SILLS / THE VANDERBILT HUSTLER

Several “Stop Amp” signs can be seen along West End Avenue right now as community members express their concern for the project.

By CHARLOTTE GILL Senior news reporter --------------------

Green “Amp Yes!” and red “Stop Amp” signs have dotted the front yards of Nashville neighborhoods for weeks now, as controversy over the proposed public transit system continues to divide locals.

While students may not be hyperaware of the issue, Vanderbilt is playing an important role in the ongoing drama, providing both supporting and dissenting voices.

The Amp is a proposed 7.1-mile Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system that will run along the Broadway/West End route from

HANNAH SILLS — NEWS EDITOR KELLY HALOM — LIFE EDITOR ERIC LYONS — OPINION EDITOR ALLISON MAST — SPORTS EDITOR

BOSLEY JARRETT — PHOTO EDITOR ALEC MYSZKA — FEATURED PHOTOGRAPHER

the Five Points area in East Nashville to the Saint Thomas Hospital area in West Nashville. Unlike typical BRT plans, which run curbside, the Amp is a bus system that will run through the middle of the road. To implement the project, the center of the street would be carved out for 12-footwide loading platforms at each stop, with 11-foot-wide designated bus lanes on each side of the platforms. Downtown, between 5th Avenue and the Woodland Street Bridge, the buses will run in mixed traffic instead of in the center of the road.

According to Metro Transit Authority (MTA) spokesperson Holly McCall, construction of the Amp will not begin until

DIANA ZHU — DESIGN DIRECTOR JENNA WENGLER — ASST. DESIGN DIRECTOR SENIOR DESIGNERS DESIGNERS

ZACH BERKOWITZ KAREN CHAN ZOË SHANCER KATHY ZHOU ALEXA BRAHME WOODY GRIFFIN HAN DEWAN EMMA BAKER HOLLY GLASS

at least mid-2015, depending on factors such as finalizing design and funding.

Construction is projected to be ongoing for several years.

While the current MTA bus route in Nashville has 51 stops, the Amp will stop only 16 times. This means that riders may have to walk farther from their place of origin to reach an Amp stop, but the tradeoff of less frequent stops should be a faster overall trip.

James McAteer, director of planning for MTA, said that Nasvhille’s MTA has been working on the project with the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy, based in New York, and has also

ALEX DAI — CHIEF COPY EDITOR COPY EDITORS ALEXIS BANKS KATY CESAROTTI WESLEY LIN

BRITTANY SHAAR KARA SHERRER SOPHIE TO

THE VANDERBILT HUSTLER u WWW.INSIDEVANDY.COM looked at different models both nationally and internationally to determine the best BRT system for Tennessee’s capital city.

“Our project, once complete, will be one of the shining stars of our country,” he said.

According to McCall, the Federal Transit Administration notified the Nashville legislature that it was planning to partially fund the Amp on Feb. 4 of this year. Although legislation opposing the project was introduced the following day, Nashville mayor Karl Dean has maintained his support for the Amp, McCall says.

“Mayor Dean has always been a champion of public transit and with MTA, (having) initiated a study of the Main Street/West End Corridor three years ago,” McCall wrote in an email to The Hustler.

Vanderbilt’s involvement Vanderbilt has also been involved with the planning of the Amp. McAteer noted that Vanderbilt has been working with MTA to have a Vandy Van stop near an Amp station.

“Vanderbilt has been integral in the planning process and we’ve met with representatives of the Office of Central Planning to discuss design and placement of the Vandy stop on West End near 21st,” McCall said. “As far as impact on Vanderbilt, the Amp gives students and employees another option for

traveling in Nashville — one that is fast, efficient and reliable.”

Vanderbilt’s Beth Fortune, vice chancellor for public affairs, serves as a member of the Amp Coalition Steering Committee.

“Vanderbilt has advocated for several years to bring better and more mass transit to Nashville,” Fortune said. “We think that that would be good for a city that is growing and that is vibrant. We believe that it would be good for Vanderbilt as a campus in terms of effectively, efficiently and safely transporting members of our campus community throughout the corridor and around our campus.”

Fortune also stated that improved public transportation would help Vanderbilt’s recruitment of faculty, employees and students.

Vanderbilt’s support of public transportation initiatives is not, however, limited to the Amp project. Fortune pointed to Vanderbilt’s continued support for these types of initiatives, as the university was a founding contributor to the Transit Alliance of Middle Tennessee in 2010.

“We committed to providing (The Transit Alliance of Middle Tennessee) $100,000 per year for three years, and then we renewed our commitment for another three years.

To date, we have contributed $500,000,”

Fortune explained.

She also noted an ongoing partnership with MTA that provided employees and graduate students free rides to and from work. The number of employees and graduate students using this service has risen from an average of 225 rides per day in 2004 to 2,050 this year.

Although she acknowledged the controversy surrounding the Amp, Fortune affirmed Vanderbilt’s support for it.

“Of course there are differing views on the Amp project … but we believe that because of our long-time advocacy and interest in bringing better and more mass transit to Nashville that it makes sense for Vanderbilt to be a proponent of this project,” Fortune said.

Criticism of the Amp The Stop Amp movement and opposition legislation in the state legislature form the backbone of community efforts criticizing the transportation project. Vanderbilt Professor Malcom Getz, associate professor of economics and director of undergraduate studies for the economics department, has been a leader in the opposition movement.

Getz, whose research focuses on urban economics and commuter transportation, criticized the Amp on multiple grounds,

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 26, 2014

3

including congestion, poor service to major destinations, environmental problems and the plan’s overall inefficiency.

According to Getz, the removal of middle lanes and left-turn lanes on Broadway and West End would increase congestion on a road that averages 46,000 weekday vehicle trips. He said that the rising population did not necessarily indicate a need for public transportation along this route; instead, increased housing downtown — where people would theoretically be commuting to work — limits the demand for the Amp. “Today there are three lanes for westbound traffic from 31st,” Getz noted. “A lane is lost in each direction; two lanes out of the seven are gone … dedicated to the bus service. The change will dramatically increase traffic congestion at this very busy intersection.”

This increased congestion will in turn have negative effects on air quality, Getz said. He cited the Music City Star, a train that runs from downtown Nashville to Lebanon, TN, as an example of a poor public transportation investment both economically and environmentally.

“We are certainly concerned about air quality, concerned about global warming … and the Amp will dramatically increase — Continued on PAGE 4

4

CAMPUS

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 26, 2014

— Continued from PAGE 3 traffic congestion and deteriorate air quality,” Getz said. “It is certainly not the case that public transportation necessarily improves air quality. It depends on the design and implementation.”

On the other side of the argument, Fortune said the reduction of vehicles and congestion around campus due to the Amp would be beneficial for the local environment.

Getz also said the Amp would provide “poor service to major destinations,” meaning the walking distance to large employers — like the Vanderbilt Medical Center — would increase for Amp riders as compared to the distance from the current bus system, which has more frequent stops.

“The concept of a limited stop bus service makes more sense for a longer route,” Getz said. The Amp, on the other hand, would cover only a relatively short total distance.

Getz also criticized the claim that Nashville’s soaring population growth necessitates the Amp project specifically, citing the fact that population growth will center around new employment centers in Franklin, Murfreesboro, Cool Springs, Rutherford County and Williamson County — areas outside of the Amp’s proposed route.

As alternatives to the Amp, Getz suggested low-platform, hybrid power buses; a longer distance for a limited stop bus service; dynamic control of traffic signals; GPS real-time signs and smartphone apps; and payment of fares at kiosks, shops or online before boarding to reduce the time passengers on the current MTA bus system must spend waiting for new riders to pay fares.

He said “bus at the curb” systems, in contrast to the Amp’s location in the middle of the road, work better because they cause less traffic congestion. He referenced the success of the BRT on Gallatin and Murfreesboro Roads, the M15 in New York City and the BRT in Los Angeles as examples in other cities. A rail system, however, would be too expensive and could not be supported by

THE VANDERBILT HUSTLER u WWW.INSIDEVANDY.COM

Nashville’s geology.

“The Nashville region is likely to grow, and how much of that growth occurs in the inner city versus how much occurs in the outlying areas of the region depends upon the quality of public transportation services, and, I would say, depends on spending money carefully,” Getz said. “A badly designed system will have negative effects, but a carefully cost-effective design would enhance economic growth of the middle of the region.”

Location, location, location The location of the Amp — Broadway/ West End— is another source of controversy.

Vanderbilt sophomore Zach Elliott, a civil engineering and public policy double major involved with the Transit Alliance of Middle Tennessee, and a supporter of the AMP, offered several comments about the location on Broadway/West End. “I know the West End corridor was controversial because it is so busy and because there is a lot of development among there already … that could be obstructed from this whole construction process,” he said. “I know Charlotte Pike … was considered just because it was lower-volume and probably would have put less strain on the city to build along there just because … it (has less traffic). It’s also a less developed area.”

Elliott said he thinks the Amp’s location linking West and East Nashville, however, would connect Nashville as a whole and be seen as a long-term, viable transportation option for all socioeconomic classes, not simply as a means of transportation for lower socioeconomic areas of the city.

“If you kind of are already limiting … your transit system to people who can only use (public) transit, then that basically tells people who might want to use (it) but have other means that they should just use their existing means,” he said. “I think it was really smart and bold for them to go ahead and do West End.” According to Getz, population density and the potential for economic growth, two

COURTESY OF METRO TRANSIT AUTHORITY

The proposed route for the Amp line stretches along West End and Broadway. criteria for federal funds eligibility, factored into the decision to put the Amp on the Broadway/West End route.

“Capital costs for the Amp is in the vicinity of $175 million,” he said. “Metropolitan Transit Authority’s plan is that $75 million will come from a federal grant program, $35 million from the state government, and $6065 million from the metro government.”

McCall attributed the choice of location to traffic patterns, growth and popular destinations — including Vanderbilt.

“The 7.1-mile West End to East Nashville corridor was chosen because it already has very dense traffic patterns and, based on planned development and predictions of population growth, is expected to get much worse over the next 20 years,” she said.

“Further, it’s really the ‘spine’ of Nashville, with so many destinations that residents and tourists go to, including a couple of hospitals, Vanderbilt, many businesses, hotels and tourist attractions.”

Students’ opinions Student awareness and support for the Amp, meanwhile, appears to be mixed. A

random survey of students in Rand Hall showed that many students are aware of the Amp project in general but are unsure of its specific implications. Many, however, voiced Nashville’s need for improved public transportation in the face of a growing population.

The Vanderbilt Student Government Senate debated a resolution in November that would have given the project VSG’s endorsement. The resolution, which was originally proposed by Student Body President Isaac Escamilla, Vice President Lucie Calderon and Speaker of the Senate Josh Landis, however, faced heavy opposition on the Senate floor and failed to pass.

Multiple senators, including presidentelect Tanner Owen, raised concerns about the transit system’s viability, due to factors like increased safety concerns and a lack of evidence that it will improve the lives of students or actually decrease area traffic.

In October 2013, the Nashville Business Journal conducted an online poll that saw 51 percent of the 2,702 individuals polled supporting the Amp proposal, while 47 percent opposed it and 3 percent were undecided.

WordsWorth welcomes library visitors

The story behind the exhibit on the ground floor of Central Library

By BRENT HUANG News reporter --------------------

When you enter Central Library on its ground floor, the first thing you see is a rippling projection of words on the ground, arranged in the form of one of Vanderbilt’s symbols: a V, an oak leaf or a star. This display, which has been in place since 2010, is the WordsWorth exhibit.

During renovations in 2010, the library staff decided they wanted something striking that was “open, warm, and inviting, that showcased the interactive library,” according to Associate Dean of Libraries Jody Combs. The inspiration for the WordsWorth exhibit came from Dean of Libraries Connie Dowell, who conceived of a word cloud that displayed

the top 25 search terms for DiscoverLibrary and ACORN. After some discussion, the word cloud was refined to its current form.

The WordsWorth exhibit pulls search terms from Discover Library and ACORN every 22 seconds, but it is optimized to look for new terms that are trending.

It then picks out terms of appropriate length, matching them with the width of the shape at specific points. An infrared camera on the ceiling of the fourth floor detects people walking across the exhibit, which causes the computer to scatter the words randomly. Otherwise, the words just move constantly in a gentle rippling.

After it was installed, the project stayed nameless for a year, with the librarians only calling it “the projection exhibit on the fourth floor.” However, in 2010, the

library reached out to the rest of the campus to find a suitable name.

More than 100 submissions were sent in, and “WordsWorth” was selected, both as a reference to the famous poet William Wordsworth and to the value of language.

In the future, after the exhibit has been around for a while, the library staff may do something to refresh it, but nothing is planned for now. In addition, they have talked about adding new shapes to the exhibit, but nothing has been agreed upon as of the present.

WordsWorth is a favorite of new students and tour guides. According to Combs, “The campus community loves bringing in visitors and friends to show them the exhibit.”

HANNAH SILLS / THE VANDERBILT HUSTLER

The Central Library exhibit shifts its shape every time someone walks through it. It also changes on a timed cycle.

THE VANDERBILT HUSTLER u WWW.INSIDEVANDY.COM CAMPUS

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 26, 2014

5

Final Chancellor’s Lecture features prosthetic technology

By WESLEY LIN News reporter --------------------

In the last of the Chancellor’s Lecture Series, Vanderbilt professor Michael Goldfarb delivered a talk titled “Minimizing Physical Disability with Robotic Arms, Legs and Exoskeletons” on Tuesday, March 25 in Light Hall.

Chancellor Nicholas Zeppos introduced Goldfarb as a professor of mechanical engineering, electrical engineering and physical medicine and rehabilitation who was recently recognized in Popular Mechanics as the one of the top “10 Innovators Who Changed the World in 2013.” Goldfarb is also the director of the Center for Intelligent Mechtronics at Vanderbilt.

In his talk, Goldfarb discussed three robotic systems the Center for Intelligent Mechtronics has developed: robotic knee and ankle prosthesis, powered exoskeletons for patients with spinal cord injuries and powered hand prosthetics.

Most current market leg prosthesis are passive (lacking motors), according to Goldfarb, so amputees walk more slowly, require more energy, stress joints that are still

intact and have major difficultly traversing uneven terrain. In addition, because of the lack of motors, transfemoral (above the knee) amputees expend 60 percent more energy to walk on flat ground.

Goldfarb explained that with new advances in lithium-ion battery technology, which allows for lighter batteries, and with better motor technology, it is now possible to include motors in prosthesis. The motorized, robotic leg prosthesis can both act and react to the terrain environment. Sensors on the robotic legs are able to detect patterns and anticipate the next course of action. The passive prostheses currently available work well on even, smooth terrain, but are insufficient for ascending and descending stairs and slopes, as well as for running. The actively powered robotic prosthesis, on the other hand, allow amputees to complete these more complex activites.

With the lack of motors in traditional passive prosthesis also comes a lack of reflexes. Unlike able-bodied people, who can usually stop themselves from stumbling, amputees fall frequently because of their lack of reflexes.

However, the new robotic prostheses are able to react to stumbles and prevent amputees from falling as often.

The next prosthetics Goldfarb worked on are upper-limb. Currently available hand prosthetics are body-powered prosthesis, utilizing the shoulder’s tensing or relaxing to close or open their hook. Myoelectric prosthesis — the type Goldfarb developed — detects muscle signal electrodes instead of relying on body movements, meaning the prosthetics operate based off nerve signals. Current hand prosthesics only have a single degree of freedom: opening and closing. With the wide variety of hand gestures and movements needed in everyday life, this is insufficient.

So, the Vanderbilt hand prosthetics is capable of eight types of grasps.

The hand has 9 degrees of freedom and preliminary tests show it improving amputees’ activities of daily living.

Last, but not least, Goldfarb described the Vanderbilt powered lower-limb extremity exoskeleton, called Indego. It is meant to aid paraplegia with mobility, although it is not intended to replace the wheelchair. The exoskeleton is

ALEC MYSZKA / THE VANDERBILT HUSTLER

The motorized leg prosthetic Goldfarb helped develop is demonstrated. constructed of five modular parts to allow for easy folding, and the battery allows for a four to six hours of use. Using microprocessors and sensors, Indego detects the user’s intention by his or her’s leaning motions. It ensures safety by requiring users to verify their intentions when it detects a leaning motion. The exoskeleton will vibrate before taking action, and if the user doesn’t continue the forward or backward motion, the

exoskeleton will not move in that direction. Some of its functions for paraplegia are walking, standing, and ascent and descent of stairs.

The equipment weighs 27 pounds.

As a recurring message throughout the speech, Goldfarb emphasized that every technological addition to any prosthesis must be justified with an increase in functionality — increase in complexity doesn’t necessarily mean better in every case.

6

THE VANDERBILT HUSTLER u WWW.INSIDEVANDY.COM

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 26, 2014

opinion

QUOTE OF THE DAY “I don’t think classical music speaks to the emotions we experience any less than folk, rock or pop. The problem is that we have stopped allowing ourselves to respond to what we feel while we listen.”

HAN DEWAN

Please talk while I play

A violist advocates challenging the passive role of classical music audiences

T

HAN DEWAN is a freshman in Blair School of Music studying viola performance. She can be reached at meghan.s.dewan@ vanderbilt.edu.

he classical music world constantly talks about the need for outreach. Symphony orchestra audiences are greying, and more and more concerts are played to practically empty halls. The New York City Opera lowered its curtains for good in February, and even stalwarts like the Philadelphia Orchestra have threatened to go under.

Regional orchestras, like the Rochester Philharmonic, are operating on deficits of over half a million dollars a year. All over the world, performing groups are reaching out to college students and young families with cheap tickets and subscription programs. But most of these efforts are solely focused on getting these key audiences into the concert hall. It’s time to address the question of what happens once they’re inside.

Looking at it as the museum piece it has become, it’s easy to forget that classical music wasn’t always performed for a frozen public. Today, the audience sits silently in their plush seats, shrouded in the darkness, obediently waiting until the end of the piece to clap. Photography and video recording is prohibited.

Sneezing or coughing is to be refrained from at all costs. And God forgive the maladroit yokel foolish enough to talk during the performance.

It wasn’t always this way. As the name implies, chamber music was composed to be played in the parlors of the upper class. The musicians were there to create an ambience. They played through meals, dancing and card games. Some scholars say that listener’s etiquette wasn’t invented until the middle class wanted to woo the musicians away from their richer patrons. The middle class couldn’t offer as much money,

vanderbilthustler EDITORIAL BOARD ANDRÉ ROUILLARD

TYLER BISHOP

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF editor@insidevandy.com

INSIDEVANDY DIRECTOR director@insidevandy.com

HANNAH SILLS

KELLY HALOM

NEWS EDITOR news@insidevandy.com

LIFE EDITOR life@insidevandy.com

ERIC LYONS

ALLISON MAST

OPINION EDITOR opinion@insidevandy.com

SPORTS EDITOR sports@insidevandy.com

but perhaps the idea of an attentive audience was enough to win over the musicians’ hearts.

Well, it hasn’t won me over. I am tired of listening quietly, and I am tired of playing to a stonefaced public. And judging by the empty seats in the Schermerhorn, I’m not the only one. In order to move out of the shadow of stodgy elitism, we as musicians and audience members need to question the conventions we conform to. Why can’t we clap here? Why can’t we sing along to our favorite melodies? Why are the people who paid for the tickets denied the opportunity to participate in the musical experience beyond passive listening?

As a musician, my goal is to make the audience feel something. I don’t think it’s wrong for me to want instant feedback as to whether I am succeeding. When I play a silly passage, I want to hear laughs.

When I play something soulful, I could go for an “Amen” every once in a while. And I wouldn’t complain if my flashy, virtuosic lines provoked a few gasps. The way concerts are set up now, with the fourth wall between me and the listeners, I won’t know if what I’m doing is affecting anyone until after I leave the stage. Interaction be-

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 InsideVandy.com.

The views expressed in lead editorials reflect the majority of opinion among The Hustler’s editorial board and 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@insidevandy.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 1 p.m. on Tuesday. The editor reserves the right to edit and condense submissions for length as well as clarity.

tween the audience and the performer will improve the experience for all involved. Good actors adjust how they play their roles and time their jokes to fit the crowd, and if we allowed for more audience input during performances, good musicians would be able to do the same and custom tailor their performances.

Every other genre of music has realized that the more the fans feel involved in the performance, the more they enjoy it. Bands that are considered to be good live are the ones that get the crowd involved, clapping along and singing all the choruses. I don’t think classical music speaks to the emotions we experience any less than folk, rock or pop. The problem is that we have stopped allowing ourselves to respond to what we feel while we listen. It’s time for classical music to leave the recital halls and lose the rules.

If classical music wants to survive, audience members need to feel free to participate in the musical experience. Listeners are more than bystanders. They are as crucial to the performance as the performer on stage. There is no question that music generates authentic physical and emotional responses for people, and we should give ourselves permission to acknowledge and experience those reactions. To remain relevant in the future, classical music must go back to its roots and loosen up. Then, it might have a running chance.

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 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 u WWW.INSIDEVANDY.COM

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Remembering the legacy of Alexander Heard

ROBERT C. EAGER

is a graduate of the Class of 1967, former editor of the Hustler and chairman of IMPACT 1967. He can be reached at reager@ retiredpartner. gibsondunn.com

A

s the chairman of IMPACT 1967, it was a great pleasure to be back at Vanderbilt last week for the 2014 IMPACT program and to see how a grand tradition is going very strong. It is important at this 50th anniversary of IMPACT to remember clearly that IMPACT exists because of the vision, principles, courage and deep commitment of Chancellor Alexander Heard.

The five original IMPACT chairmen, all of whom attended the final night of this year’s program, wholeheartedly believe that this great campus institution stands today on the strong foundation established by Chancellor Heard.

And I must add that from one who experienced perhaps the most controversial program close-up, in 1967 Chancellor Heard’s courage and

commitment were repeatedly tested in very serious ways. I met with him one-on-one regularly throughout the year, and he knew in advance that we were inviting Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Stokely Carmichael (then the new “Black Power” head of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee) and Beat poet Allen Ginsberg. Yet at no time did he even hint that those invitations should not be sent. He was always the advocate for the Open Forum, a mentor to us and a fast friend of IMPACT. During the week before the 1967 IMPACT weekend, in the face of multiple front page editorials in the Nashville Banner against Vanderbilt hosting Dr. King and Stokely Carmichael, Chancellor Heard never wavered.

Undeterred by a resolution adopted by the Tennessee State Senate that week

questioning the University’s judgment for allowing IMPACT to bring these speakers, he never wavered. When a significant racial disturbance with the Nashville police in North Nashville during the evening after IMPACT further inflamed public feelings, the Chancellor never wavered. When his job was on the line at the May 1967 Trustees meeting, he never wavered.

Nor did he ever criticize or blame the students involved in IMPACT, not in 1967 or later.

At this 50th anniversary, the entire Vanderbilt community should pause and honor Chancellor Alexander Heard — a leader of vision and courage who empowered the students responsible for IMPACT to make the Open Forum a vital and long-lasting part of campus life.

What on earth is MOSAIC? CAROLYN PIPPEN is a graduate of the College of Arts and Science, Class of 2009, and an Admissions Counselor for Vanderbilt Office of Undergraduate Admissions. She can be reached at carolyn.pippen@ vanderbilt.edu.

W

hen I was a Vanderbilt undergrad, the level of student diversity on campus was not something I thought about very often. I didn’t know how student diversity could benefit me or my peers, or what efforts were being made to maintain the diversity around me. I certainly was not familiar with MOSAIC, and this overall lack of cultural awareness is one of the biggest regrets I hold regarding my Vanderbilt undergraduate career.

Based on the article published in The Hustler and on InsideVandy.com earlier this week, that unfortunate misunderstanding of the purpose of the MOSAIC program and the value of campus diversity still exists.

For those of you who don’t know, MOSAIC is an overnight campus visit program for students who (a) have been admitted to Vanderbilt and (b) either come from an underrepresented racial or ethnic background or have shown

dedication to social justice efforts at their high schools. The purpose of this program is not to advertise the diversity of campus to current and prospective students (though we certainly hope that is a byproduct), but rather to convince these high achieving and valuable students that Vanderbilt is the place for them. As a result, we hope that these students will enroll at Vanderbilt, fulfilling our institution’s dedication to campus diversity of all types.

Why is diversity important? From the perspective of an undergraduate admissions counselor, I now understand that maintaining a diverse student body is not about dispelling regional stereotypes or even boosting some key statistics, but about tangibly improving the academic and cultural experience of every single one of our students.

More than a few studies have shown that students at more diverse institutions acquire broader perspectives and stronger cultural competencies as well

as show higher levels of civic engagement after graduation.

Why do we need MOSAIC? Believe it or not, campus diversity is actually hardest to achieve at highly selective universities like Vanderbilt. AfricanAmerican, Hispanic and American Indian students are far less likely to enroll at such institutions than their white counterparts, and high achieving minority students are voraciously sought after by the schools to which they are admitted. Programs like MOSAIC are crucial to convincing these students, who would bring a wealth life experiences and perspectives to you and your peers, to choose Vanderbilt over every other impressive university that is recruiting them.

Editor’s note: An article ran in last week’s issue that stated that 300 students were invited to MOSAIC when in fact 750 students were invited. The article also stated that the program ran for three days when in fact it ran for two.

7

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 26, 2014

THE

RANT Something got you peeved? Irked? Honked off? The Rant is your place to anonymously vent your spleen on any issue you want. To get your rant on, visit the InsideVandy.com Opinion page.

Check out this week’s Rant on our Twitter account @InsideVandy.

The Music Group should learn a thing or two about quality lineups from the Speakers Committee, because IMPACT was effing fantastic.

The shelves where they keep drinks in the library cafe need to be kept colder… All of the bottles are practically room temperature.

No matter how hard one tries, genocide can’t be turned into art. History is thought-provoking enough on its own. The “Arbeit macht frei” incident reflects poorly on Vanderbilt. So much for “never again.”

So Vandy warns us to watch out when a guy gets caught jerking it in his car, but not when a carjacking suspect getting shot across the street from our campus?

Who thought it was a good idea to bring tours into the Central Library where people do their work? Don’t make my Vanderbilt experience worse for the sake of a marginally better tour.

There was not nearly enough Toto played at last week’s SS Rand. Those rains should have been blessed!

Congrats to Sid for becoming YAT (he’ll do a great job), but we really do need to change the election format. It’s currently an underground popularity contest overshadowed by the much less important VSG election!

8

THE VANDERBILT HUSTLER u WWW.INSIDEVANDY.COM

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 26, 2014

life

GO DO Design Day

THIS

Design for America will be hosting workshops teaching design skills (such as Adobe Photoshop and Adobe InDesign) from 12 – 4 p.m. this Saturday in Alumni Hall. Keynote Speaker David Owens, a professor in the Owens School of Management, will discuss how design can make the world a better place. The event is completely free and will include free Chick-fil-a and Jeni’s ice cream. To register for the workshops and event, visit dfavanderbilt.com/designday.

A culture of DISORDERED EATING

In Vanderbilt’s highly competitive environment, many students display eating disorder behaviors in an attempt to gain control. The Hustler breaks down this culture of disordered eating and Vanderbilt’s resources for combatting this issue.

By SAARA ASIKAINEN Life reporter --------------------

Disordered eating in college The Eating Disorder Coalition of Tennessee hosted a charity walk at Centennial Park on Saturday, as part of the National Eating Disorder Awareness Week, benefitting the National Eating Disorder Association (NEDA). It is a particularly important cause to junior Bailey Monarch, who participated in the event and helped raise over $1300 for the organization.

Having coordinated over three walks for NEDA in her hometown of Tampa during high school, Monarch has always been close to the cause and has continued to support it in her college years as well.

Majoring in HOD in the pre-nursing program, she has noted the prevalence of eating disorders at Vanderbilt.

Monarch said, “It’s really, really heartbreaking, and I definitely think that there are a lot of factors that go into that.”

Monarch feels that the general pressure felt by students on campus to look and act a certain way is a main cause for eating disorders at Vanderbilt.

“I think one of them would be just the stressful environment that a lot of people experience while at Vanderbilt,” Monarch said. “And a lot of times eating disorders can develop when people are really stressed and feel as if a lot of aspects of their life are out of control and food is the one thing that they can control.”

And when things are spinning out of control, sometimes people don’t even notice the unhealthy behaviors they are engaging in.

“A lot of times people don’t realize what has happened and is happening until they’re deep within the throes of their eating disorder,” Monarch said.

Go Figure, the student organization committed to promoting a positive body image, was also represented at the walk. Sophomore Kelly Tieu, a representative for the organization, has experienced and witnessed the effects of the culture around disordered eating at Vanderbilt.

“It affects the way people see themselves, the way that it affects their self-confidence and the way that we talk about body image around campus really affects that as well — the ‘Oh my God I feel fat today’ or ‘Do I look fat in this?’” Tieu said.

This type of negative-self talk is often associated with disordered eating. According to the National Eating Disorder Information Center (NEDIC), the general definition of disordered eating includes “a

wide range of abnormal eating.” It manifests itself through behaviors seen in disorders such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia that nevertheless do not warrant an eating-disorder diagnosis. An eating-disorder diagnosis is only warranted when a certain number of symptoms are expressed, but if a person only shows certain aspects of the disease they are seen as having disordered eating habits. Examples of disordered eating behaviors might include self-induced vomiting, skipping meals or unbalanced eating (e.g. restricting a major food group such as ‘fatty’ foods or carbohydrates).

Vanderbilt’s resources for eating disorders Cindy Green, the head of the eating disorder treatment team at the Psychological Counseling Center, feels that the best thing would be to intervene when the illness is in its developmental stages.

“I would love it if somebody came and said, ‘You know what, I’ve been going on a diet and I’m realizing that things have been drifting in a not great direction, so I’d really like to work on that.’ That would be ideal,” Green said.

Green considers eating disorders themselves as coping mechanisms that work until they don’t.

Green said, “That’s (anorexia nervosa) an eating disorder where there is a lot of ... confusion in the person’s mind about whether this is actually a problem or not. It’s like, ‘No, this is working great; being thin is what makes me happy — being even thinner would make me even happier.’ …The thing about an eating disorder is that it can give you a sense of control at a time in your life when you feel out of control about almost everything else.”

According to national statistics, college-aged girls are the most at-risk group for developing an eating disorder, often as a result of the stress from transitioning from high school into the more competitive collegiate setting. According to the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders, “25% of college-aged women engage in bingeing and purging as a weight-management technique, and 91% of women surveyed on a college campus had attempted to control their weight through dieting.”

Students at an institution like Vanderbilt might be particularly vulnerable to developing eating disorders.

“The same perfectionism that made it possible for people to get good enough grades to get into Vanderbilt in the first place also makes them at risk for this kind of thing,” Green said.

In Green’s caseload, anorexics are slightly more common because people are more likely to reach out on their behalf as their illness manifests itself more

NATIONAL YOUNG ADULT STATISTICS

25%

of college-aged women engage in bingeing and purging as a weight-management technique

91%

of women surveyed on a college campus had attempted to control their weight through dieting

1/2

1/3

Over of teenage girls and nearly of teenage boys use unhealthy weight control behaviors such as skipping meals, fasting, smoking cigarettes, vomiting and taking laxatives.

INFORMATION COURTESY OF NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF ANOREXIA NERVOSA AND ASSOCIATED DISORDERS

THE VANDERBILT HUSTLER u WWW.INSIDEVANDY.COM physically. According to her, bulimics are more likely to be at a normal weight and binge-eaters also do not worry other people as much.

“They’re not walking around ‘looking’ like a disorder,” Green said.

According to Green, eating disorders in general are becoming more and more prevalent on college campuses nationwide, but Vanderbilt is ahead of the curve by having a more comprehensive treatment program than most colleges and universities, only surpassed by Duke University that has a treatment center directly off-campus.

Disordered eating across colleges The culture of disordered eating is not unique to Vanderbilt.

Among the throngs of college girls in sweatshirts and leggings on the Saturday morning NEDA walk were Kathleen Trotter and Aven Chadwell, two Belmont students and survivors of eating disorders who had come to support NEDA because of their own on-campus advocacy work.

A senior majoring in entertainment industry studies, Trotter said her eating disorder was fixated on control.

“I knew I was good at restricting calories, I knew exactly how to transform my body, I knew exactly how many calories were in things I was eating and how many steps I could take to burn it all off,” Trotter said. ”So when other things weren’t going my way … for some reason, my solution to those problems, even though it had nothing to do with my grades, would be to lose weight.”

Both felt that Belmont students might be particularly affected by eating disorders due to many students’ desire to become employed in the entertainment industry.

“A lot of people are interested in being part of the music industry and the entertainment industry and that’s an industry that, you know, does place a lot of emphasis on outward appearance,” Trotter said.

Trotter lauded the university’s approach to inviting events about eating disorders, even if its prevention programming is minimal.

Chadwell, a recent graduate who studied art history and

dance, also praised the level of support she received as an undergraduate at Belmont from peers and faculty alike. When she felt healthy enough to talk about her disorder, she said she was greatly supported by the collegiate community.

“I have just never felt embarrassed speaking out and I think that’s something that is really, really special and partly unique to just what a great job Belmont does at fostering that sense of community and truly sharing a special connection with other students,” Chadwell said.

Chadwell sought treatment immediately upon entering college. After being treated by a general counselor at her high school, she found a specialist at Belmont through the school.

She considers herself lucky, but also thinks she is in the minority when it comes to the accessibility of the treatment facilities.

“I was really lucky to have a counselor that is on the nursing faculty as well as counseling, so I was lucky that I didn’t have to go off campus, and because it was through Belmont I didn’t have to pay for any outside fees,” Chadwell said.

Problems with Vanderbilt’s resources Bailey Monarch opined that she does not consider Vanderbilt’s resources adequate for students struggling with eating disorders.

“Honestly, I don’t think that the counselors at the PCC are qualified to deal with something as complex as an eating disorder, and, a lot of times, I know (patients) can only see the counselors at the PCC once every other week. A lot of times with eating disorders people need to see counselors at least once a week, maybe several times a week, because the beginning stages of getting treatment, there’s a lot of support that’s needed and a lot of things that need to be addressed,” Monarch said. “I don’t think that Vanderbilt has adequate resources and seeing a counselor every other week is not enough for that.”

Green does not see a problem with the frequency of appointments with individual counselors when they are supplemented with visits with other healthcare professionals and group therapy where the students practice identifying and dealing with triggers and the subsequent behaviors.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 26, 2014

9

“I think twice a week might be an overkill anyway, but certainly I have people who I see weekly who are really struggling,” Green said. “Between group and therapy, it would be possible to get treatment twice a week every other week.”

A student seeking treatment for an eating disorder at Vanderbilt is generally directed to the PCC or the Zerfoss Student Health Center where they will be directed to the other center’s holistic treatment. Besides the team at the PCC, the Student Health Center houses two internists and a nutritionist whose availability has caused some concern. The nutritionist only sees patients for three hours a week at the clinic and works at the Adolescent and Young Adult Eating Disorders Program at Children’s Hospital at 100 Oaks for the rest of the time.

A lack of resources is a problem for the PCC as there is a tremendous demand on the center. The center encourages patients requiring inpatient or intense outpatient treatment to look elsewhere, although overall Green considers the PCC’s resources usually adequate.

“I think that if someone needed to be seen more often than seeing a therapist here once a week or every other week, depending on the severity, seeing Janell (Pendergrass, the nutritionist at the Student Health Center), seeing a med provider here, seeing an internist at Student Health — that should be adequate for somebody whose eating disorder isn’t significantly getting in their way,” Green said.

Monarch advocates that students seek off-campus treatment if the disorder is particularly severe, but says that this is not always an ideal “Obviously they can go out into the Nashville community but that’s not feasible for some people,” Monarch said. “Freshmen don’t have cars and some people can’t pay for that.”

Though most can agree that disordered eating is a problem on Vanderbilt’s campus and that there are resources available for recover, a debate still exists whether or not enough is being done for the severest of cases on campus.

10

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 26, 2014

LIFE

THE VANDERBILT HUSTLER u WWW.INSIDEVANDY.COM

PHOTO ESSAY

CAFE CON LECHE La Fresh Princesa de Nashville brought 10 multicultural dance groups to Langford Auditorium on Saturday, March 22

BOSLEY JARRETT / THE VANDERBILT HUSTLER

HENRY MIN / THE VANDERBILT HUSTLER

BOSLEY JARRETT/ THE VANDERBILT HUSTLER

BOSLEY JARRETT / THE VANDERBILT HUSTLER

Performances clockwise from top left: Capoeira, Nilaja-Amari, Merengue, Tango and Nilaja-Amari.

BOSLEY JARRETT / THE VANDERBILT HUSTLER

THE VANDERBILT HUSTLER u WWW.INSIDEVANDY.COM LIFE

11

DERBY DAY

Dominate that Derby

POINT DISTRIBUTION

By PRIYANKA ARIBINDI Life reporter --------------------

It’s that time of year again — profile pictures are changing, sorority girls are scheming and nearly half the campus is irreparably sleep-deprived, as Vanderbilt seems to be taken over by another nationwide Greek tradition: Sigma Chi’s Derby Days.

From March 26-29, Sigma Chi’s Vanderbilt chapter is hosting its 86th annual Derby Days, which will benefit the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. LLS has been this campus’ specific Derby Days cause after a brother of a Sigma Chi was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in the fall of 2011. Since then, the chapter has raised more than $117,000 for the organization through Derby Days alone.

Participation in the event has always been high, but this year, Sigma Chi is introducing a new twist it hopes will encourage even more participation. While 50 percent of the money raised by each sorority through the event will go towards LLS, the other half will go directly towards each sorority’s official cause.

According to senior Sigma Chi Jordan

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 26, 2014

BOSLEY JARRETT / THE VANDERBILT HUSTLER

Sophomore Zach Ginn wears the derby, which girls hunt for points during Sig Chi’s Derby Days.

Zauderer, this change, brought along by the fraternity in cooperation with the Vanderbilt Panhellenic Council, will allow for more funds to be raised through Penny Wars and online donations, both of which were not allowed as part of the competition in last year’s event.

“The ideas we really are trying to promote are healthy competition, a mutually beneficial event and an emphasis on the most important thing here — raising money for many important causes to help save lives,” Zauderer said. “This is a positive aspect of Greek life, and we can channel our competitive nature in positive ways.”

This year, Sigma Chi’s fundraising goal

is $50,000, and according to Zauderer the fraternity strongly believes this is an attainable target.

Derby Days doesn’t just involve fundraising, though. The event spans three days, each filled with different competitions and activities, along with the hallmark “Derby Hunt” in which sorority members receive clues at 6 a.m. to hunt for the hidden derby on campus. From riddles to field games — even taking Instagram photos — Derby Days offers ways for every member to participate and earn points for her team.

To the right is a breakdown of this year’s events and point values.

For the first place in online fundraising: 5000 pts If more people donate than the size of half your chapter: 500 pts If you catch a boy wearing a derby: 50 pts If you find a blue derby (the blue derby will hold a clue for the black derby): 300 pts If you find the black derby: 2000 pts For ever coin dollar raised: 1 pt For every cash dollar another sorority donates to your sorority: -0.25 pts For the best community instagram each day: 200 points For the best individual instagram: 200 points For the most Facebook likes: 3000 points distributed by a weighted average For first place in the dance competition: 1000 points For second place in the dance competition: 500 points For third place in the dance competition: 250 points For every field event your sorority wins: 300 points For first place in the flag football tournament: 1000 points For second place in the flag football tournament: 500 points For third place in the flag football tournament: 250 points

12

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 26, 2014

LIFE

THE VANDERBILT HUSTLER u WWW.INSIDEVANDY.COM

Songwriters take the stage for Tin Pan South music festival

By ETHAN DIXIUS Life reporter --------------------

Beginning Tuesday, March 25, and ending Saturday, March 29, the 22nd Annual Tin Pan South Songwriters Festival promises a uniquely Nashville experience. With almost 400 songwriters performing, 92 individual shows and ten different venues over the fiveday festival, Tin Pan South is an expansive look at the essence of Music City.

The festival is put on by Nashville Songwriters Association International, a group that was formed in 1967 by 42 local songwriters. Senior Director of Operations for NSAI Jennifer Turnbow says that NSAI’s purpose is to create a community of songwriters and to advocate for songwriters.

Tin Pan South is one of the ways that NSAI pursues that goal.

“The whole purpose behind it is to celebrate and elevate the songwriter during the week while raising money for the work that the Nashville songwriters do,” Turnbow said.

Tin Pan South is unique in that the performers are all also songwriters, many of which may not be very well known.

“While we have some artists who play the festival, a lot of these people are the people behind the artists,” Turnbow said. “You may never have heard their name, but certainly when you’re listening to their songs you’re going to go, ‘Oh wow, that’s really cool.’”

Each show features three to four songwrit-

ers who play their music in an in-the-round setting, making every ticket a unique experience.

“You’re seeing several people together and it’s more like being in their living room because they’re just kind of hanging out and talking to each other … it’s very off the cuff.”

The festival encompasses a wide range of musical styles, offering not only country, Nashville’s specialty, but also rock, indie, pop and Christian music.

“You’ll see people like Trent Dabs, who couldn’t be anything farther from a country songwriter, and he’s fantastic, and he’s playing the festival this year,” Turnbow said. “But then you’ll definitely see Vince Gill who’s very country roots, Americana, so it’s a really wide range.”

A few of the shows on the schedule even feature secret special guests, who never disappoint.

For Vanderbilt students interested in attending, Turnbow pointed out that two of the venues, the Commodore Grille and Belcourt Taps, are within walking distance from campus. With so many artists to choose from, there’s also room for exploration.

“Maybe try something a little out of your comfort zone … sometimes that can be a way to find music that you really love that you didn’t know anything about before,” Turnbow said.

For anyone interested in songwriting, getting familiar with NSAI can be a great jumping-off point.

COURTESY OF NASHVILLE SONGWRITER’S ASSOCIATION INTERNATIONAL

From left to right, Anthony Smith, Marc Beeson, Paul Jenkins- and Matt Warren play a show at Winners Bar & Grill at last year’s Tin Pan South festival.

“Honestly, the best place for any songwriter to start is NSAI,” Turnbow said. “We have an open door policy over here, we charge a very modest membership fee and we will listen to songs and give you feedback and try to help you connect with the songwriting

community in Nashville.”

More information on show times and venues can be found at tinpansouth.com.

More information on the NSAI can be found on nashvillesongwriters.com.

SEE RIGHT FOR SCHEDULE

LIFE THE VANDERBILT HUSTLER u WWW.INSIDEVANDY.COM

TIN PATH SOUTH SCHEDULE Wednesday 3/26

Thursday

3/27

Mockingbird Sun, Tom Douglas and special guest

Your Own Personal Radio — 4 Men, 1 Woman & 20 Number One Songs

Where: B.B. King’s Blues Club When: Wednesday, March 26, 9 p.m.

Cover: $15 Why: Unlike most of the songwriters at Tin Pan South, Mockingbird Sun is also in the business of performance, and this one seems to be a band on the rise. Hit up B.B. King’s to see potentially the next big act in country music and expect the surprise special guest to bring extra energy as well.

Where: Listening Room When: Thursday, March 27, 9 p.m.

Cover: $15 Why: Some of the biggest country songwriters will be playing in the round for this show: Ken Johnson, Chas Sandford, Eliot Sloan, Brian White and Karyn Williams. Collectively, these writers are behind songs by Uncle Kracker, Stevie Knicks, Chicago, Tina Turner, Trace Adkins, Rascal Flatts and more.

Friday

Saturday

3/28

3/29

Classics to Current

Number Ones & Rock & Roll

Where: Douglas Corner Cafe When: Friday, March 28, 6:30 p.m.

Cover: $10 Why: Songwriters Buzz Cason, Austin Cunningham, Alex Harvey and Dickey Lee have written for some of the biggest acts in music — ever — from the Beatles and Elvis Presley to George Jones and George Strait. Come grab dinner at Douglas Corner Cafe, and watch some of the legends in the business play their stuff.

Where: Station Inn When: Saturday, March 29, 6:30 p.m.

Cover: $10 Why: These songwriters have penned some of the grittier songs in country music. The show will feature Earl Bud Lee, Don Pedigo, Bridgette Tatum and Phillip White, who are behind country classics like “Friends in Low Places,” “She’s Country,” “Loud,” “I’m a Survivor,” “I’m Moving On” and more.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 26, 2014

13

14

THE VANDERBILT HUSTLER u WWW.INSIDEVANDY.COM

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 26, 2014

sports

THE BIG STAT Number of runs given up by Vanderbilt pitcher Tyler Beede against Mississippi State on Friday, 6 of which were unearned

11

Bad news Bulldogs

Despite a hot start to their season, the Commodores hit a hard road bump with their first regular season series loss since 2012, beginning with a 17-2 trouncing from Mississippi State on Friday

JAMES TATUM / THE VANDERBILT HUSTLER

By ALLISON MAST Sports editor --------------------

When he is at his best, junior Tyler Beede is a top-five pick in the MLB draft and the next pitcher in a lineage that contains Opening Day starters David Price and Sonny Gray.

Beede, who was drafted in the first round as a senior in high school, works primarily with a two-seam fastball, a four-seam fastball and a breaking ball. His command of these pitches usually keeps runners off the base paths, but on Friday, Beede left the first game in a threegame series against Mississippi State with the bases loaded. He had given up a career-high 11 runs in just 2.2 innings. The Commodores went on to lose 17-2.

Beede has been known to “play with fire,” but never before had his wild tendencies resulted in so many runs. The All-American entered the game with a 0.84 Earned Run Average, having only forfeited 14 hits in his

first six starts. Despite Beede’s effectiveness against every other team the Commodores have faced this season, the Bulldogs found their rhythm early, collecting two singles in their first two at bats. Five walks, a wild pitch and a hit by pitch helped the Bulldogs’ cause.

Six of the 11 runs given up by Beede were unearned.

The Vanderbilt bullpen also looked uncharacteristically shaky, as Ben Bowden and TJ Pecoraro combined to issue four walks while only striking out six batters. Nine walks by the pitching staff in a game is a seasonhigh for the Commodores, who have generally been dominant from starter to closer.

Five of the batters who reached base on balls came around to score.

Pitcher support also came at a premium, as the Commodores combined for five errors, the most for a Vanderbilt team since 2012.

The sloppy play started in the second inning when Bryan Reynolds and Dansby Swanson committed fielding errors. Two errors

charged to catcher Chris Harvey led to five runs in the third inning, putting Mississippi State up 11-1. Freshman outfielder Nolan Rogers made the final Vanderbilt error in the seventh inning.

The Bulldogs, on the other hand, gave the Commodores very few opportunities to get on the scoreboard. Nine Vanderbilt batters were stranded, while only two batters reached home plate.

So, will this blowout loss set the tone for the rest of the season?

As Beede’s resume suggests, he has the talent to work through slumps. Despite struggling in the postseason, he was a finalist for the Dick Howser Trophy and Golden Spikes Award. Overall, Beede has shown better control of his pitches this season and should continue to make his case as a top MLB draft pick.

The bullpen’s struggles could be a concern, but Vanderbilt has the depth to make this concern minimal. Bowden and Pecoraro have

shown promise, but against top-notch pitchers like Preston Brown, the Commodores could have done themselves a service by relying on more consistent relievers like Carson Fulmer and Brian Miller.

In the case of Reynolds, Swanson and Rogers, the errors were likely a sign of their inexperience. Reynolds and Rogers are starting in the outfield as freshmen, while Swanson is taking the field at second base after spending most of last season on the sidelines with an injury. The team as a whole has been solid offensively all season, and the mistakes could have been the result of nerves. Harvey’s carelessness is a bigger concern, as pitchers need a reliable backstop to play with confidence.

However, freshman Jason Delay has not committed an error in his 13 appearances, and his batting average is just a few notches below that of Harvey.

Nearly everything went wrong for the Commodores on Friday, but these growing pains will likely subside as the season progresses.

THE VANDERBILT HUSTLER u WWW.INSIDEVANDY.COM

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 26, 2014

TYLER’S TUMULTUOUS STARTS

Tyler Beede is one of the top college pitchers in the country, but his stats don’t always look like the ace he is Innings pitched

Walks

Runs allowed

*all stats are from Beede’s starts as a Commodore, from Feb. 28, 2012 to March 21, 2014

15

Men’s tennis scores victory against in-state rival No. 15 Tennessee

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 JAMES TATUM / THE VANDERBILT HUSTLER

3/2014

3/2012

12 6

10

5

By CALLIE MEISEL Asst. sports editor --------------------

8

4

6

3 2

4

1

2

0

BOSLEY JARRETT / THE VANDERBILT HUSTLER

3/2012

3/2014

0

3/2012

3/2014

Women’s tennis nets important win over Georgia

By CALLIE MEISEL Asst. sports editor --------------------

KENNETH KHOO / THE VANDERBILT HUSTLER

“It was a hell of a SEC match,” said Vanderbilt women’s tennis head coach Geoff Macdonald after No. 11 Vanderbilt upset No. 3 Georgia 4-2 for the first time since 2006.

Although the Commodores initially lost two of the three doubles matches, the team quickly moved past this shaky start in singles competition. Most notably, Ashleigh Antal, Frances Altick and Sydney Campbell won challenging matches.

Antal clinched the first win at six singles in straight sets. After a close battle in the first set to tie the score four-all, Antal took control of the match and closed it out by winning eight straight games.

With Antal’s 6-4, 6-0 win, the Commodores and the Bulldogs were tied 1-1.

Next, Altick pulled through at three singles in one of the most competitive matches of the day and of Altick’s tennis career at Vanderbilt. After a promising start against No. 15 Silvia Garcia, Altick dropped five games in a row to lose her three-game lead. Altick, however, remained unfazed. She won two match points and two straight games to defeat Garcia 7-5. Altick used her momentum

from the tight first set to clinch the second set by a good margin, 6-2.

The entire match came down to Campbell’s singles match against her highest-ranked opponent yet, No. 21 Maho Kowase. At two singles, Campbell lost the first set 2-6, and the second set initially appeared to be heading in the same direction, as Campbell was down 2-4. She managed to work her way back into the match, tying the set five-all. She quickly won the match 7-5 and prepared to battle it out in a third set. Like Altick, Campbell held her momentum from winning the second set to help her cruise through the third set and defeat Kowase 6-3.

“Everybody was really mentally in it and willing to fight for each point,” Antal said.

Now tied for second in the SEC, the Vanderbilt women’s tennis team is feeling especially confident about the future of their season.

“It just shows we can do anything. We can go all the way if we just give our all every single point,” Campbell said.

Coach Macdonald could not agree more with Campbell. “We’re trying to become champions. I’ve done this a long time, and this is one of the best wins I’ve been around,” he said after the match.

“They’re an incredible group of fighters.”

As the No. 33 Commodores took on No. 15 Tennessee this past weekend, it seemed as though they would not be able to end their three-match losing streak. Anton Kovrigin and Rhys Johnson, at two doubles, proved to be Vanderbilt’s only doubles team to walk off the court with a win. The Commodores, however, managed to not lose hope. The close scores of the other two matches suggested that they had what it takes to beat Tennessee.

“We didn’t feel like we were in a bad place after losing doubles,” said senior Ryan Lipman.

In fact, they had more than what it would take to beat Tennessee. They bounced back after losing doubles to go undefeated in singles competition.

Kovrigin kept his momentum rolling and kicked off the winning streak with a win in straight sets, 6-4, 6-0, at five singles.

No. 102 Lipman kept the winning trend going at two singles in a match against No. 34 Mikelis Libietis. Lipman and Libietis were both 2013 All-American players and were ranked in the ITA preseason at one and four, respectively.

Despite the high-caliber opponent, Lipman quickly closed out the match in straight sets, 6-2, 7-5.

Johnson would be the player to close out the match for the Commodores at four singles. The sophomore grinded out a tough match but eventually sealed the deal 7-6, 6-4 for a team victory, 4-1.

This weekend’s victory marks Vanderbilt’s first win against UT since 2006. “(The team’s) energy clicked, and everyone kind of believed in themselves today, which was something that we were struggling with in the last couple of matches,” Lipman said. “My emotions are so high right now. It’s nice to say that we own this state.”

16

THE VANDERBILT HUSTLER u WWW.INSIDEVANDY.COM

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 26, 2014

backpage TODAY'S CROSSWORD

TODAY'S SUDOKU

Answers to last week’s puzzle

Answers to last week’s puzzle