vanderbilthustler WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2014
VOL. 126, ISS. 27
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Vote EDITORIAL
NO
on Amendment 1 Why Tennessee voters should vote down a measure that would empower the legislature to regulate abortion rights
SEE PAGE 6
LOST IN THE IVY Documenting unheard black experiences SEE PAGE 2 PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY BOSLEY JARRETT / THE VANDERBILT HUSTLER
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campus
QUOTE OF THE DAY “I had to realize I was someone with a disability and that didn’t make me less of a person; it just made me a different person.” KAMYL HARVEY, VICE PRESIDENT OF DISABILITIES AWARENESS PARTNERSHIP
LOST the IVY in
Vanderbilt Professor Rosevelt Noble seeks to document previously unheard black experiences on the Vanderbilt campus
BOSLEY JARRETT / THE VANDERBILT HUSTLER
Vanderbilt Professor Rosevelt Noble presents his project “Lost in the Ivy” during Vanderbilt’s Homecoming weekend. Noble received his Ph.D. from Vanderbilt in 2003 and is a professor of sociology at the university. He is well-known on campus for his class on the prisonindustrial complex.
By SAARA ASIKAINEN Managing editor --------------------
As a student in the mid-’90s, Rosevelt Noble made sure to wear something that identified him as a student-athlete when he walked back to his dorm late at night — otherwise, he feared, some students would feel threatened by his presence. For Noble, being a black student at Vanderbilt required a heightened sense of racial awareness. Two decades later, Noble is a professor in the sociology department working on a project that seeks to document previously unheard experiences like those he had as an undergraduate. “The thing about Vanderbilt is that there’s so much that goes (on at an) unconscious or subconscious level,” Noble said. According to Noble, without documentation of Vanderbilt’s African-American history, some members of the black community may be unaware of this aspect of the university’s roots. Noble’s project attempts to address this issue not only by illuminating the past through alumni’s oral histories, but also by documenting the present — Noble interviews graduating seniors every year. Noble recently created a website where his work exists as a multimedia project. It provides an archive of some of the interviews and events Noble and his team of student workers have captured over the last few years. He envisions making the interviews permanently accessible both to other scholars and the general public as a special collection in the Vanderbilt
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library system. Noble said that black culture at Vanderbilt has not been recorded or reflected historically in any type of print media or written text at the university. He first noticed this oversight in documentation when he read Paul K. Conkin’s history of Vanderbilt, “Gone in the Ivy.” Though the book was published in 1985, Noble found no mention of his historically AfricanAmerican fraternity, which was chartered in 1975. The book also contained only scant references to black historical milestones. He feels the black history of the school was left out, or “Lost in the Ivy” — the name of his project. “It became this quest of putting back — or adding — some of what I felt like was lost in this book on the history of the university,” Noble said. Noble began the project by making a list of what he calls “historical flagpoles,” or significant events that he felt particularly affected black students’ experience on campus. He then set out to interview people from around these events, as well as to capture personal memories of Vanderbilt’s black alumni. So far, he has reached roughly 160 alumni, stretching back to the second integrated class, the class of 1965. Ideally, he would like to include about 500 more people in the next four years. Though he started the project in 2007, he was granted funding from administrators in December 2013, which enables him to work on it full-time. According to Noble, the interviews with alumni, along with his own experiences over his two decades at the university, have shown that the black experience has changed significantly over the years — but also that some aspects haven’t changed at
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all. Though Noble has observed trends, he hesitates to generalize about the black experience. “I love and appreciate the uniqueness of every interview because it shows me that there is not … one universal black experience. And I think that’s even more so now than when I was a student here,” Noble said. He presented the findings of his project thus far during Homecoming weekend in Sarratt Cinema to an audience of mostly black alumni and students. Telling the story of how he came to the project, Noble showed clips from some of the interviews he had conducted, which ranged from poignant to humorous. One graduating senior recalled being told by her mother to not “scare the white people” with her mannerisms, advice that had Noble laughing behind the camera. Many clips included students speaking about becoming more racially conscious during their time on campus. “That combination of class, along with race, kind of forces a kind of smaller pocket of people to associate, and in doing so, people become a little more hypersensitive to issues of race and recognize that they do have a common shared experience,” Noble said. According to Noble, an increasing number of black students are coming from a greater range of geographical and socioeconomic backgrounds, a trend seen across the student body. He believes this contributes to their seeking experiences in racially mixed social circles — whereas he said that black students were more socially isolated in years past. — continued on PAGE 5
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PHIL DANTA — CHIEF WEB DEVELOPER MADDIE HUGHES — FEATURES EDITOR ANGELICA LASALA— SOCIAL MEDIA DIRECTOR ALLIE GROSS — ASST. NEWS EDITOR BEN WEINRIB —ASST. SPORTS EDITOR MATT LIEBERSON— ASST. LIFE EDITOR KAREN CHAN—ASST. ART DIRECTOR
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CAMPUS
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Disability Awareness Partnership sheds light on campus issues By KELLY HALOM News editor --------------------
As she was a dancer and track runner in middle school, junior Kamyl Harvey’s battle with arthritis has changed the trajectory of her college experience. After she was so active during her upbringing, maneuvering around campus in a wheelchair shocked Harvey’s pride. “I was the active track runner. I was the dancer. I was the choreographer. I was all of these different things, but I had to realize I was someone with a disability and that didn’t make me less of a person; it just made me a different person,” Harvey said. Harvey currently sits as the vice president of the Disabilities Awareness Partnership (DAP), a group in its second semester on Vanderbilt’s campus. The organization’s mission is threefold: Increase awareness of disabilities on campus through programming and outreach, create a community of students with disabilities as well as allies on campus, and work with the administration to improve the quality of life for Vanderbilt students. Though the group is relatively new to campus, Harvey feels that it is already impacting campus culture in a positive way. Harvey said that in her own experiences with a disability, it is necessary to constantly advocate for oneself, even in something as simple as getting food during the lunch rush at Rand. Harvey feels that DAP finds its strength in its collective voice. “When you have disabilities, you are just used to being kind of dusted under the rug,” Harvey said. “That’s why this group is so important, because now we have strength in numbers, and we are actually trying to do something.” According to Harvey, Vanderbilt’s campus has some structures in place that do not accommodate students with disabilities. For instance, she noted that the Commons house meant for students with disabilities does not have a laundry room. Additionally, she said that the door to Peabody library that is wheelchair-accessible locks after 7 p.m.
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As part of Disability Awareness Week, senior Emmie Arnold explains spoon theory, which is used by people with disabilities to describe their everyday living experiences when a disability results in a reduced amount of energy available for productive tasks. In an email to The Hustler, Anita Jenious, director of the Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action, and Disability Services Department, said that these concerns have not been shared with her office. “Students, or anyone for that matter, who needs reasonable accommodations or who has concerns about accessibility at Vanderbilt should contact our office,” she said. “Our Disability Programs staff is well-versed in engaging in the interactive process to assist persons, but the first step is to alert us so that we can begin to dialogue.” Rene Saldanha, president of DAP, said that she believes campus would be understanding of the problems that students with disabilities face, but often there is a lack of awareness. “Campus probably would be receptive, but we are just very structurally in a place that isn’t letting us move forward,” Saldanha said. This week marks the organization’s main outreach to allies, as they have programmed a Disability Awareness Week, which
includes events such as a presentation on service animals and a panel discussion on interacting with students with disabilities on Vanderbilt’s campus. During the week of programming, both Saldanha and Harvey are most excited for their Thursday event Dis Ability: An Arts Collaborative, which will showcase student art groups such as Momentum, Harmonic Notion and Vanderbilt University Theatre. “A lot of students use art to kind of express themselves and kind of communicate ideas, and they’re very receptive to that kind of communication more so than going to a lecture or something like that,” Saldanha said. The event will raise money for ChairScholars Foundation, an organization that gives students in wheelchairs scholarships so they can go to college. As Disability Awareness Week marks DAP’s first major event of the semester, Saldanha is excited to continue programming to create awareness of issues concerning disability on campus. The group’s executive board is considering starting a disabilities movie series to continue the dialogue. “By learning about the the different ways people function, accepting it, and learning to integrate that into the way we function as organized communities, that can really improve campus,” Saldanha said.
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS Tuesday, Oct. 21: Spoonopoly: Spoon Theory 101, Calhoun 203, 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 22: Who Let the Dogs In: A Service Animal Presentation, Alumni 206, 6:30 p.m. Thurday, Oct. 23: Dis Ability: An Arts Collaborative, Sarratt Cinema, 7:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 24: Students VU, Alumni 201, 6:30 p.m.
STAT T-shirt campaign raises awareness about mental health of students The Kefi Project’s most recent demonstration created a walking visual to represent students affected by mental illness By GABRIELLE TIMM News reporter --------------------
Four hundred twenty-two members of the Vanderbilt community wore matching T-shirts on Tuesday, Oct. 21, to visually represent the proportion of college students suffering from mental illnesses. Called STAT, the event was organized by the Kefi Project in order to raise awareness of mental illness on college campuses. Each of the 422 individuals wearing the T-shirt represented four students who have a mental illness on campus. Thus, the project represents one-fourth of the undergraduate population — which, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, is the proportion of students on college campuses who have mental illnesses. It is estimated that 15 percent of students seek help and 10 percent do not. “Mental illness is a huge issue on college campuses in general, but it is something that tends to be swept under the rug. At Vanderbilt, especially, there’s a lot of pressure to succeed in every respect, and it can tend to translate into a need to appear perfect before the world,” said Marissa Davis, the personal relations lead for Kefi.
According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, seven percent of college students consider suicide and suicide is one of the top three causes of death on college campuses in the United States. Common mental illnesses among students include depression, anxiety, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and various eating disorders. “Our main goal with this project is to bring something that is often kept hidden out into the open; we want people who are struggling with these issues to know that they are not alone. In addition to raising awareness, though, we also want to provide students with ready knowledge of resources such as the PCC that they can utilize if they or anyone they know is experiencing problems of this type,” Davis said. Not only did the Kefi Project bring awareness to this statistic, but they also broadcasted the phone number for the PCC and suicide hotline on the T-shirt to promote both as a resource for students with mental illness. Volunteers returned the T-shirts to be donated to a T-shirt drive by Thistle Farms, a social enterprise of women who have survived prostitution and drug trafficking. Kefi also hosted a discussion on mental illness, which included a guest from PCC LEAPS who spoke about mental health issues and on-campus resources at the end of the day.
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Students wore T-shirts that highlighted mental health statistics on college campuses throughout the day.
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‘Lost in the Ivy’ illuminates perspectives of black students and alumni — continued from PAGE 2 “We have a different type of student — that for them, their racial identification — while something that you can never completely (ignore), is just not something that’s at the forefront in terms of cards they may carry and play out of their wallets,” Noble said. As president of the Black Student Alliance (BSA), junior Nazharie Brandon is particularly aware that black students have varied experiences at Vanderbilt. She seeks to provide a community for such varied experiences. In her vision for “the new BSA,” the organization would function as a “safe haven” for all black students on campus. According to Brandon, black students come here for Vanderbilt’s esteemed academics over other aspects of the college experience: “Honestly, I think that if you asked most black students, it’d be because ‘I want this education, because it’s not like I can get the band experience I might get at Howard where they are super-lively in the stadium or an awesome football experience that I might get if I went somewhere else.’” Based on her previous experiences with programming aimed at increasing racial awareness, Brandon is apprehensive about how much of a wave Lost in the Ivy will actually make on campus. “I am excited personally to hear about it, but interested to see how the rest of campus will receive it and if it will even be a big deal, university-sponsored or not,” Brandon said. At Noble’s presentation, Jacqueline Lopardo, class of 1996
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Yes, you small person who came here for four years and then went back and never came back to the university, I want to know your story.
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Homecoming queen, found the project significant in passing on the experiences of former students. Back then, the Bishop Joseph Johnson Black Cultural Center was simply known as “the house” because of its familial atmosphere. “The growth of the Black Cultural Center was what we did have in the manifesto, so our work that went on before is being realized. However, it feels like some of the aura is
changed, and I’m always wondering how can we get the students to know what we used to feel when we walked into ‘the house,’” Lopardo said. Noble also voiced that the BCC is less central to some black students today. He said he has encountered black seniors who don’t know where the BCC is located. At the presentation, he illustrated the low returning rate among African-Americans for Homecoming by showing a picture of a group of six people. It was how many returned for Homecoming celebrations out of the entire class that year. “That’s not a Homecoming — that’s a gathering at Chili’s,” Noble commented. Noble believes this project will combat what he sees as “disenfranchisement” that keeps black alumni from returning to campus: “You are an alumni a lot longer than you are a student,” Noble said. Reaching out to alumni has also been important to those who have been interviewed. “I’ve learned that everybody has a story and it’s therapeutic — it does a lot of stuff for people when they learn and discover that somebody else is interested in them, and that’s really what one of the biggest objectives behind this project is,” Noble said. “Yes, you small person who came here for four years and then went back and never came back to the university, I want to know your story.”
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opinion
QUOTE OF THE DAY “However, the fact remains that the United States, along with many other developed nations, classifies abortion as a matter of bodily autonomy for the individual woman who is pregnant — protecting it as a right.”
EDITORIAL BOARD
Vote ‘no’ on Amendment 1
Why The Hustler endorses voting to protect abortion access in Tennessee from legislative regulation EDITORIAL
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THE EDITORIAL BOARD is composed of the editor-in-chief and the four section editors of The Vanderbilt Hustler. The opinion expressed represents the view of The Vanderbilt Hustler.
nitially we were skeptical about whether The Vanderbilt Hustler, as a student newspaper serving students from all over the world, should take a stance on a Tennessee-specific constitutional amendment. However, as a news source for many people who will be voting in — and affected by — the upcoming poll on Amendment 1, we feel that it is our duty to take a critical look at the amendment and the campaigns on either side of it. It is clear to us that the “Vote No on 1” campaign is not only promoting more accurate information but also seeking to empower individuals to make their own decisions protected by law — rather than attempting to put the power to regulate those rights in the hands of politicians. The legality of abortion in the United States is not at stake. The 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling set a federal precedent that classifies abortion as a right under current privacy laws. Regardless of religious values or individual beliefs about when life begins, abortion is a legal practice. However, because of the federalist system crafted by our Founding Fathers, individual states retain the right to make laws as they see fit in order to regulate state-specific issues. This system is intended to allow smaller-scale government solutions that work effectively according to the values of the majority population of the state. While the will of the people of each individual state is undoubtedly important, our federalist system of government does not allow individual states to overrule federal laws or mandates — such as the right to abortion. In this case, states with majorities who oppose abortion — particularly Southern states with deeply religious histories — are at odds with the national mandate issued in the Roe v. Wade ruling. But because they do not have the power to ban abortion outright, many of their conservative legislatures use strategies that introduce limitations on its practice for the sake of “common sense” and “safety.” For instance, it has been a common strategy in the eight states that border Tennessee to shut down clinics by requiring them to have admitting privileges to hospitals in case of emergency. While this does in fact seem like a “common sense” law, it rests on a false notion that abortion is unsafe and regularly leads to complications.
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
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Regardless of religious values or individual beliefs about when life begins, abortion is a legal practice.
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Abortion is by no means a simple issue, and we would undoubtedly like to see fewer of them performed across the board. However, the fact remains that the United States, along with many other developed nations, classifies abortion as a matter of bodily autonomy for the individual woman who is pregnant — protecting it as a right. As an organization devoted to keeping students informed about things that matter, we endorse the campaign that uses sound medical information, shows clear intentions and seeks to ensure that individuals may choose how and when to have children. As such, we recommend that registered Tennessee voters cast a “no” vote on Amendment 1.
Such efforts fail to recognize that legal abortion is one of the safest procedures in contemporary medical practice, according to the World Health Organization. In fact, death from a complication in childbirth is 14 times more likely than death from a complication from a legal abortion. This is not to say that giving birth is dangerous, but rather that risks associated with abortion are so few that they are classified as negligible. The “Yes on 1” campaign also cites Tennessee’s place as the third most common destination for out-of-state abortions — one in four abortions in the state is performed on non-Tennessee residents — as a reason that legislative regulation is necessary. The campaign claims that Tennessee has become a “destination” for women seeking unregulated abortions. While we don’t question the veracity of these statistics, the rhetoric fails to illustrate that Tennessee’s geography and the fact that it is bordered by eight states with some of the strictest abortion regulations might have something to do with this phenomenon. Yet a likely regulation that would result from Amendment 1 is a requirement of Tennessee residency. Such a regulation would adversely affect Vanderbilt students, considering 90 percent of undergraduates are not from the state. For instance, if a student from the Chicago area were to be confronted with an unwanted pregnancy and chose not to carry it to term, she would be forced to spend extra time and money to fly home for a safe, simple and legal medical procedure. This is an undue burden on medical access.
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
reserves the right to edit and condense submissions for length as well as clarity. Lengthy letters that focus on an issue affecting students may be considered for a guest column at the editor’s discretion. All submissions become the property of The Hustler and must conform to the legal standards of Vanderbilt Student Communications, of which The Hustler is a division. The Vanderbilt Hustler (ISSN 0042-2517), the official student newspaper of Vanderbilt University, is published every Wednesday during the academic year except during exam periods and vacations. The paper is not printed during summer break. The Vanderbilt Hustler allocates one issue of the newspaper to each student and is available at various points on campus for free. Additional copies are $.50 each. The Vanderbilt Hustler is a division of Vanderbilt Student Communications, Inc. Copyright © 2014 Vanderbilt Student Communications.
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Undeniable racism is a sophomore in the College of Arts and Science. She can be reached at erin. logan@vanderbilt. edu.
W
hen I was in elementary school, my second grade teacher showed my class a documentary on the civil rights movement. At the end of the film, she told us that the great leaders shown in the film were responsible for creating a society in which racism is inconspicuous. Until my second year of high school, I believed her. I was not in complete denial of the fact that racism existed. I did, however, view racism as a small problem that did not affect a large amount of people. Throughout my adolescence, I was proud to be part of a country that no longer legally backed Jim Crow. I was taught that racism, the fatal combination of prejudice and discrimination, was nonexistent because under the law, everyone has a means to experience upward social mobility. I was proud to call myself a natural-born citizen of a “post-racial country.” I mistakenly loved a country that I thought loved me back. My positive view of the world began to change on a rainy Monday morning in February of 2012 after my best friend informed me that the night before, an unarmed black 17-year-old male was murdered by a mixed-race civilian community patrol officer. Since that moment, I have gradually become acquainted with an America afflicted with racism. For decades, we have been taught that race relations have greatly improved since the 1960s. We have been taught that racism was a concern of our parents’ generation and that we are lucky to not have to live under such conditions. We have been taught that the racism seen in today’s society is a fluke and not a true depiction of our egalitarian America. We have been taught that racism is not systemic. But what if all of this is untrue? What if the racism observed in today’s society is not a fluke? What if racism is systemic? For years, racial minorities were repressed (segregation, literacy tests and Black Codes) with the support of legal entities. These injustices forced many minorities into poverty because there was little room for social mobility.The civil rights movement of the 1960s fought to improve the lives of minorities through equal protection under the law. But if the purpose of the civil rights movement was to improve the lives of minorities by making them equal to whites, then did the movement only achieve half of its mission? An alarming amount of minorities are still living the same lifestyles as their ancestors. In my opinion, the race “problem” has made no significant strides since the 1960s due to the existence of startling socioeconomic disparities between the privileged white majority and the underprivileged racial minorities. Furthermore, I believe the systemic inequalities that plague minorities will continue to infect our society until the white majority recognizes that within the borders of its egalitarian America, racism is alive and well. Proof of systemic racism can be identified by analyzing socioeconomic disparities. In 1984, the median income of white families was $90,851, while the median income of black families was $5,781. More than 25 years later, the median income of white families is $265,000, and the comparable black family’s income is $28,500. How can a society that is labeled “post-racial” truly be free from racial discrimination when the average income of a single mi-
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Systemic socioeconomic disparities plaguing racial minorities must receive opposition from white America ERIN LOGAN
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2014
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We have been taught that the racism seen in today’s society is a fluke and not a true depiction of our egalitarian America.
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nority is teetering on the poverty line? According to current trends, one in three black males will be incarcerated at some point during his lifetime. In fact, when arrested for the same crime as their white counterparts, black males are more likely to get harsher sentences. With this public information, America has somehow deceived its citizens into believing that as a society, we are impartial to the color of one’s skin. With the election of President Barack Obama, many believe that racism in America is almost nonexistent. If this is true, then why are there extreme socioeconomic gaps between races? American citizens need to become more educated about these issues. Furthermore, intellectual discussion between the white majority and racial minorities needs to take place so that we may truly become an egalitarian society. In order for progress to happen, a majority of society must demand justice. Due to their majority status, a significant number of white Americans must be included in this fight. In order for white America to join the fight for justice, it has to understand that many minorities are still being affected by inequality. A serious dialogue between the white majority and underrepresented minorities needs to take place on Vanderbilt’s campus. Through dialogue, white students, who are often unaware of the challenges faced by minority students, can begin to understand the social and economic hardships faced by many in our country. After understanding these challenges and acknowledging the existence of these systemic injustices, white students can engage in further dialogue about the current status of race relations. Through this discussion, white students can join the movement to end systemic transgressions. Many are fearful to enter into intellectual discussion because they fear that they may say something wrong. I encourage you to move past your fears and engage in the conversation so that you can educate yourselves and join the cause. If you would like to talk about this issue to a person of color who is hard to offend, feel free to contact me. In order to get out of the woods of oppression, we need to recognize that we are a society that is, in the words of Taylor Swift, “screaming color.”
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 vanderbilthustler.com Opinion page.
Why don’t we have an actual week for midterms instead of having to endure three weeks of torture? Get on it, VSG. Bring back my damn New York Times! Ridley, please just STOP. Your article just pissed off almost every female on this campus, Mr. Provider. J.R. Ridley should start calling his column “Ridley’s Believe it or Not, I’m Serious.” mold everywhere Ok so NAACP says a white girl can’t rap because thats “branding blackness” and “she glorifies her body in ways that the black female body is typically viewed” That’s a joke right? So now that hip hop is popular and it started with black people, they own it and no one else can do their own style of it? Bullshit pop music or not, anybody should be able to rap. Also, the only time its okay for a girl to twerk is if she’s black? If the football coaches are interested, I’ll have my playbook at flag football Monday night in the field house. I swear Vanderbilt is trying to kill all of us that didn’t leave for fall break. There were almost no campus dining options and they actually CLOSED SARRAT for all of Sunday! Stop the babykilling! Thank God for yoga-pants season. You really do exist. I am more ashamed than ever of my unathletic physique from all the stupid bikini photos from Gulf Shores
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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2014
life The Hustler’s picks: queso
GO DO
THIS
Best funky option
BOSLEY JARRETT / THE VANDERBILT HUSTLER
Relay For Life On Saturday, Oct. 25, Relay For Life, the primary fundraiser for the American Cancer Society worldwide, will take place on Vanderbilt’s campus. Food, entertainment and the relay itself will take place from noon to midnight on Alumni Lawn, and the organization’s goal is to raise $90,000.
Though Nashville sits a couple hundred miles north of Tex-Mex’s culinary epicenter, those craving chips and queso needn’t fear. Looking at flavor, texture, overall dining experience and — of utmost importance — chip-toqueso ratio, The Hustler breaks down nearby establishments serving this cheesy staple By Angelica Lasala, Social media director TACO MAMACITA
TAQUERIA DEL SOL Quoth Taqueria del Sol’s website: “We keep our operations and our menu very simple. We would rather do fewer things great than many things ‘just okay.’” Indeed, this unassuming spot on 12 South practices what it preaches. The taco selection makes multiple nods to Southern cuisine, featuring Memphis-style barbecue and fried chicken. The queso, though, adheres to Tex-Mex tradition — melted white cheese, corn tortilla chips, nothing fancy. Still, Taqueria del Sol takes the cake when it comes to chips done well, warm to the touch. The sauce here is a touch on the salty side, so take caution if you’re trying to cut back on the sodium. The chip-to-queso ratio errs low here as well. Still, at less than $4 an order, this spot’s a solid choice for those who want solid, unpretentious chips and queso at a great price. 2317 12th Ave. S., Nashville, TN 37204
Best gourmet
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ROSEPEPPER CANTINA Located in East Nashville, Rosepepper Cantina’s take on chips and queso is fittingly funky, eschewing the tortilla chip for what their menu calls “flour chips.” These chips, bearing a texture similar to wonton wrappers, bring a different kind of crunchy to the table. The downside? You’ve got less of them to work with and will likely end up with some surplus cheese. The sauce, also deviating from standard conceptions of queso, boasts a smoky buffalo flavor and fondue-like texture. It seems like a wonky combo, but the chips and queso pair nicely together. This appetizer, however, far outweighs any of the restaurant’s entrees in execution. Also, vegetarians beware: Rosepepper Cantina’s variation on this Tex-Mex classic comes topped with ground chorizo. All in all, this is the place to go if you’d rather share some quality chips and queso over drinks than have a full meal.
A short walk away from The Commons, Taco Mamacita is a great option for those without a car. Known for its creative spin on tacos, with variations ranging from the Creole-tinged Shrimp Po’ Boy BLT to the Thai-inspired General Homeboy, the restaurant’s take on chips and queso is comparatively basic. Taco Mamacita’s queso delivers on the fundamentals with a creamy white cheese sauce featuring mixed-in bits of jalapeno that provide much flavor and texture but very little heat. On top of that, this hip spot has the optimal chip-to-queso ratio down to a science, which means your chips won’t run the risk of a sauceless fate and you won’t be stuck with an awkward half-jar of wasted queso. The chips themselves come fairly standard and could afford to be served at a warmer temperature. Still, that’s a small complaint in light of a chipsand-queso dish that gets so much right. 1200 Villa Pl., Nashville, TN 37212
1907 Eastland Ave., Nashville, TN 37206
Best cheap
ST. ANEJO'S
Like many eateries in the Gulch, St. Anejo is trendy and a touch expensive. Here, BOSLEY JARRETT / THE VANDERBILT HUSTLER the chips and queso rings up to $8.50, with the option to add chorizo for $2 and spicy crab for $3. Don’t be deterred by the price tag, though — you get what you pay for. Chip-to-queso ratio is a non-issue, as each table comes with a bottomless bowl of fresh chips. Still, the real star of the show here is the queso, a creamy, well-spiced (but not spicy) sauce that delivers on texture and flavor in equal measure. Neither overly congealed nor watery and neither bland nor salty, this is the kind of queso that would impress even the pickiest connoisseur. The entrees here also do their hefty price tags justice, and the drinks epitomize girls’-night-out fare with margaritas and cocktails that, while sweet, still pack a punch. If you’re looking to splurge, you won’t leave St. Anejo underwhelmed.
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120 McGavock St., Nashville, TN 37203 ANGELIC A L ASAL
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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2014
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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2014
I’d (t)app that
LIFE
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The Hustler reviews four must-have apps By Adrienne Alderman, Life reporter
Waze
Bandsintown
Even with planning ahead and looking up driving routes to get to new locations, navigation apps can fall short. Rather than showing up late to a job interview or workout class, check out Waze to find your way around traffic jams. Waze is a user-run map and traffic application that provides navigation based on current traffic jams, police presence and accidents. As users drive, they can take advantage of information to avoid hitting slow spots on the road, and if they notice or witness a particular jam that hasn’t been listed yet, they can help notify other drivers by adding this information to the system. Price: free Availability: Apple and Android
In Nashville, one can discover music to satisfy any taste, but sometimes it takes a little searching. To help you avoid missing out on local upcoming concerts, Bandsintown compiles up-to-date information on who is in town and when, and organizes it neatly in one place. The application can sync with your music to tailor suggestions to taste, and it also has concert notification options as well as the ability to purchase tickets through the app. Price: free Availability: Apple and Android
Rock My Run
Dark Sky
Instead of going through the process of setting up your own playlist or putting up with hit-or-miss albums on Spotify, check out Rock My Run. This application offers running and workout playlists organized by length and beats per minute so you can match your pace to the beats of the music. The application syncs up with several other fitness applications like Nike+ and MapMyRun for seamless workout tracking. Price: free; premium membership from $2.99 per month Availability: Apple and Android
The weather in Nashville this year has been a little unpredictable to say the least. Even checking your iPhone’s weather app can’t keep you from getting caught in a downpour with what is supposedly a “0% chance of rain.” With state-of-the-art application Dark Sky, spontaneous weather problems are a thing of the past. This app offers minute-by-minute status updates on weather with detailed timetables and radar maps, and users can opt into push notifications to be alerted of incoming storms and changing conditions. Price: $3.99 Availability: Apple
LIFE
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Anchor down, bottoms up Take one sip if:
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2014
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After back-to-back nine-win seasons for Vanderbilt football, the current 2-5 record has been tough to stomach. With that in mind, The Hustler created a drinking game to make watching Commodore football a little more entertaining — or more likely help you forget about the game By Ben Weinrib, Asst. sports editor
Take two sips if:
Take a shot if:
Drink for as long as:
Finish your drink if:
The broadcast cuts to Derek Mason’s blank stare
James Franklin is mentioned on the TV broadcast
Either team blocks a punt
Darrius Sims is touching the ball
Vanderbilt changes quarterbacks
Vanderbilt throws an incomplete pass
Vanderbilt completes a pass
Vanderbilt turns the ball over
The TV broadcast pans over dejected Vanderbilt fans
Vanderbilt scores an offensive touchdown
Vanderbilt allows a first down on defense
Vanderbilt converts a first down on offense
Break out the champagne if:
Vanderbilt wins Editor’s note: Drinking games are illegal in Davidson County and are prohibited by Vanderbilt policy.
Break out the hard liquor if:
Vanderbilt loses
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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2014
sports
THE BIG STAT Number of birdies made by Hunter Stewart at the Tavistock Collegiate Invitational
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SEC POWER RANKINGS: WEEK 8 Each week, I rank the teams in the SEC 1-14. This week, ‘Bama lays the beat down, Georgia can’t stop —won’t stop — with or without Todd Gurley, and the middle of the pack in the SEC East continues to fight over who is the most mediocre.
By ANTHONY TRIPODORO Sports reporter --------------------
1. No. 1 Mississippi State After reeling off three straight wins against LSU, Texas A&M and Auburn, it’s safe to say that the No. 1 team in the nation deserved a rest.
2. No. 3 Ole Miss The Rebels took care of Tennessee this week, holding the Volunteers to a mere three points, just like they did the other team from Tennessee (that’s us!). Hugh Freeze’s team is currently the top defensive squad in the country, and it will need to remain that way with two crucial matchups against LSU and Auburn coming up next.
3. No. 4 Alabama Following Alabama’s 59-0 trouncing of Texas A&M, Nick Saban was seen going in for a handshake with Kevin Sumlin before shouting, “Psych!” and throwing up money signs instead as he proceeded to walk back into the Crimson Tide locker room, cackling into the wind along the way.
4. No. 5 Auburn Auburn, like Vanderbilt, had its fall break and its bye this weekend. However, Auburn students, unlike Vanderbilt students, would rather have a football game than fall break.
5. No. 9 Georgia Running Running back Nick Chubb has picked up right where Todd Gurley left off, rushing for 202 yards on 30 carries this week as Georgia handled Arkansas. The SEC East is going to come down to Georgia or Missouri depending on what both teams do the rest of the way. My money is on Georgia, even though they still have to face Auburn. Georgia seems legit enough despite the absence of Gurley, that it’s conceivable that Georgia could win the SEC East and upset a beat-up SEC West winner, sending Georgia to the College Football Playoff in a scenario that would beg for two SEC teams with multiple losses to be in the Playoff, causing a national uproar.
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Wide receiver CJ Duncan (19) fights through Charleston Southern defenders for Vanderbilt’s 21-20 Homecoming victory.
Pushing forward: analyzing the remainder of the season
With five games left in the season and the Commodores’ record sitting at a lowly 2-5, it looks as if Vanderbilt football’s three-year streak of playing in bowl games will come to an end. In order to qualify for a bowl, a team must win a minimum of six games. This means that the Commodores must win four of their last five games just to become bowl-eligible, which would be quite an accomplishment for this year’s squad. Considering that one of those five games is against No. 1 Mississippi State, the Commodores’ margin for error is extremely slim. Nonetheless, let’s take a look at Vanderbilt’s remaining games and see just how miraculous a fourth consecutive bowl bid would be By Daniel Gerber, Sports reporter
Saturday, Oct. 25: Vanderbilt at Missouri In an SEC East battle, Vanderbilt will travel to Faurot Field to take on the Missouri Tigers. After beginning the season 3-0, the Tigers have struggled lately, dropping two of their last three games, including a shocking upset defeat at the hands of Indiana. However, the Tigersstill possess a clear advantage over the Commodores in terms of sheer talent. Sophomore quarterback Maty Mauk has put together a solid season thus far and should find some success against a Vanderbilt secondary that has struggled to contain opposing receivers. On the defensive side of the ball, defensive lineman Shane Ray has been a stud for Missouri, currently ranking third in the nation with 10 sacks at the halfway point of the season. Despite Missouri’s superiority on paper, the Commodores will be fresh off of a bye week while the Tigers played the Florida Gators this weekend. While this rest may not help the Commodores earn their third victory of the season, it could make for a closer contest. The Tigers should ultimately come out on top.
Predicted final score: Missouri 35, Vanderbilt 17
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Running back Jerron Seymour rushes during Vanderbilt’s contest against Missouri on Oct. 5, 2013.
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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2014
Saturday, Nov. 1: Old Dominion at Vanderbilt Vanderbilt’s final non-conference game of the season is certainly the most winnable of the remaining matchups, as the Commodores will host the Old Dominion Monarchs at Vanderbilt Stadium. Old Dominion has lost its last three games and should be just as desperate as Vanderbilt for a victory. The Monarchs, led by senior quarterback Taylor Heinicke, have been potent offensively this season but have struggled mightily on defense, surrendering a whopping 36.9 points per game. Old Dominion presents a mirror image of the Commodores, as the Vanderbilt defense has improved its play over the last several weeks while the offense has continued to flounder. Look for this game to be a high-scoring shootout between two teams that are more evenly matched than it may seem, with Vanderbilt scraping by in the end to claim its third victory of the season.
Predicted final score: Vanderbilt 31, Old Dominion 28
Saturday, Nov. 8: Florida at Vanderbilt Will Muschamp’s Florida Gators will come to Vanderbilt Stadium following a tough matchup against the Georgia Bulldogs and shouldn’t be expected to overlook this game. After a 2-0 start, the Gators have dropped three of their last four contests, although two of their losses have come against traditional SEC powers Alabama and LSU. Unfortunately for the Gators, quarterback Jeff Driskel has continued to struggle despite their hopes that the junior would finally play up to his potential. Thus far, Driskel has thrown six touchdowns while tossing an astounding 10 interceptions, a total that is tied for sixth-most in the nation. The Gators’ successes this season have largely been a result of their stout defense, which is spearheaded by lockdown cornerback Vernon Hargreaves III. As a result, the Gators will likely load up against the run in this game, as Ralph Webb has been the Commodores’ most effective offensive weapon this season. When it comes down to it, it would simply be too much to expect of whichever quarterback Derek Mason decides to start against the Gators to lead the Commodores to victory against the Gators.
Predicted final score: Florida 27, Vanderbilt 10
6. No. 24 LSU LSU lacks a signature win, and it is unclear if Anthony Jennings or Brandon Harris is the better quarterback, but after a 41-3 victory over Kentucky, the Tigers are 6-2 with losses to Mississippi State and Auburn, both ranked in the top five in the nation. This is the ranking LSU deserves (but not the one it needs right now). The Aggies have lost three straight games — albeit to the top three teams in the SEC West. But they haven’t even put up a fight and, this week, they didn’t get to score in garbage time to make the final result look like it was a competition. The only reason A&M is still above Arkansas is that they actually beat Arkansas before the losing streak.
8. Arkansas
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The Commodores exit the field after a loss to Florida on Oct. 5, 2011.
Despite its 3-4 record, Arkansas is still a better team than the rest of the teams below it in these rankings, even after losing to Georgia. That’s based simply off of watching them. It isn’t the Razorbacks’ fault that they have to play against the rest of the SEC West. I’d take them over any team in the SEC East right now except for Georgia.
9. Missouri
Yikes. In their penultimate game of the season, the Commodores will travel to Starkville to take on the No. 1 ranked Mississippi State Bulldogs. The Bulldogs are enjoying one of the best seasons in their history, as dual-threat quarterback and Heisman candidate Dak Prescott has already amassed more than 2,000 total yards in guiding the Bulldogs to three consecutive victories over top-10 teams and a pristine 6-0 record. Prescott is complemented by standout running back Josh Robinson, who currently ranks second in the SEC in both rushing yards and rushing touchdowns. What makes the Bulldogs so tough to beat is their balance. Not only is their offense extremely prolific, but they also boast one of the stingiest defenses in the nation. Linebacker Benardrick McKinney and defensive lineman Preston Smith have terrorized opponents this season and will surely be licking their chops over the prospect of facing the one-dimensional Vanderbilt offense. The only positive aspect of this matchup for Vanderbilt is that the Bulldogs will be coming off of what is sure to be a hard-fought contest against Alabama while the Commodores will be coming off of a bye week. Unless Derek Mason and his staff can use the bye week to miraculously figure out a way to stifle the Bulldogs, don’t count on an upset in this game.
Predicted final score: Mississippi State 38, Vanderbilt 3
The Tigers showed that they are the clear No. 2 in the SEC East behind Georgia this week by blowing out Florida. In order to win the SEC East, Missouri will have to finish with at least the same overall record as Georgia and a better conference record since it lost the head-to-head matchup. Keep an eye on the Tigers the rest of the way. If they win out, things are going to get very interesting.
10-12. Florida, South Carolina, Kentucky (in no particular order) Let’s be clear: Each of these teams is not good. But determining where each lies within the range from least-not-good to most-not-good is damn near impossible. Florida has not beaten an SEC opponent by more than one score, but it did beat Kentucky. Kentucky has only lost to Florida and LSU but lost to LSU in blowout fashion and has not beaten anybody notable except South Carolina. And South Carolina has looked awful all season, including in its loss to Kentucky, but the Gamecocks did somehow upset Georgia. You decide who the biggest loser is.
Saturday, Nov. 29: Tennessee at Vanderbilt
Predicted final score: Vanderbilt 17, Tennessee 14
SEC POWER RANKINGS: WEEK 8 CONTINUED
7. Texas A&M
Saturday, Nov. 22: Vanderbilt at Mississippi State
Vanderbilt will square off against its in-state rivals, the Tennessee Volunteers, to finish off the 2014 season. The Volunteers have gotten off to a rocky start this season. After starting 2-0, the Vols lost their next three contests and were finally able to snap their losing streak with an emphatic 45-10 victory over visiting Chattanooga before losing to Ole Miss. Tennessee lost to Georgia and Florida by a combined four points, and could easily be 5-3 instead of their current record of 3-4. The Volunteers have one of the stingier defenses not only in the SEC but also in the nation, as they are allowing an average of only 21.3 points per game. Tennessee’s struggles, much like Vanderbilt’s, have come on the offensive side of the ball. Senior quarterback Justin Worley has been one of the lone bright spots for the Vols despite his inconsistency. This matchup should be a feisty, competitive affair that will still mean a lot to both teams, even if they aren’t competing for post-season bowl berths. I’d like to see the Commodores surprise some people and narrowly defeat the Volunteers to claim their fourth and final victory of an otherwise forgettable season.
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13. Tennessee
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Kyle Woestman (92) and Johnell Thomas (98) wave the Vanderbilt flag in celebration after defeating the Tennessee Volunteers in 2012.
Needless to say, the Commodores have their work cut out for them if they want to play in the postseason for a fourth consecutive year. While this may not be impossible, Vanderbilt’s performances in the first half of this season do not bode well for the second half. As much as I may want to, I just don’t expect to see Vanderbilt in any bowl games this winter. If they do qualify, I’ll be just as surprised as anyone.
I’m starting to get a little hopeful that Vanderbilt might actually hold this spot by the end of the season and make me not regret buying an early plane ticket back for when Tennessee visits two days after Thanksgiving.
14. Vanderbilt Gulf Shores was fun, amirite???
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SPORTS
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2014
Stepping it up Tight end Steven Scheu finds his big break in Mason’s ‘West Coast offense’ By KARA SHERRER Web editor --------------------
ZIYI LIU/ THE VANDERBILT HUSTLER
Steven Scheu was Vanderbilt football’s leading tight end last year, although it’s understandable if fans don’t recognize his name. Under former Head Coach James Franklin, the offense barely utilized tight ends, instead relying on players such as wide receivers Jordan Matthews and Jonathan Krause. During the 2013 season, tight ends accounted for just 23 out of 243 total receptions. (To put that in perspective, Matthews contributed 112 catches and Krause contributed 42.) In fact, Scheu only needed nine receptions to claim the distinction of the “leading” tight end of 2013. But 2014 is shaping up to be a big year for the 6-foot-5, 250-pound Indiana native. Under new Head Coach Derek Mason and new offensive coordinator Karl Dorrell, all tight ends (including Scheu) are seeing more action on the field. This change is largely thanks to Mason’s “West Coast offense” mentality, which places more emphasis on passing than on running. “Obviously, when you’re getting more snaps, getting utilized more in the passing game —
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that’s every tight end’s dream,” Scheu said. “I’ve been very, very happy with it. It’s been awfully refreshing being actually utilized in the passing game instead of maybe just running a 5-yard route over here or over there.” Scheu’s stats also reveal the difference. So far this season, he’s hauled in 19 catches, compared to nine in 2013 and eight in 2012. In other words, the redshirt junior has already made more receptions than during his previous two years combined, even though the 2014 season is barely more than halfway over. However, more playing time for the tight ends has come at a price: losing top receivers such as the record breaker Matthews and the dependable Krause. Matthews was the team’s top receiver for three seasons straight (from 2011 to 2013), and the team has struggled to fill the receiving void left behind in his absence. “Whenever you have two great talented guys like that, you can’t really replace them,” Scheu said. “You just got to have the whole unit become stronger and try to step in and fill that role because no one guy is going to be able to replace someone like Jordan.” Due to Scheu’s relatively minimal contributions over the past few seasons, many were surprised when Mason selected him to represent Vanderbilt football at SEC Media Days this July, alongside defensive lineman Adam Butler and safety Andrew Williamson. In fact, Scheu himself never expected to attend Media Days. “It was a dream come true, honestly. I never thought I’d get that opportunity after seeing guys before me go, like Jordan, and stuff like that ... I’ll remember it for the rest of my life,” Scheu said.
According to Scheu, Mason chose him in anticipation of the upcoming season, rather than based on past performance. “(Mason) just said that he really liked the way I was working in the spring, and that he thought that this year I was going to have an opportunity to fulfill a much bigger role than I had seen in the past,” Scheu said. “He just kind of wanted to help get my name out there and he thought I’d help represent the team well.” When asked for a little-known fact about himself during Media Days, Scheu revealed that doctors had expected him to be born blind. Even today, Scheu is still a bit mystified by the diagnosis. “The doctor we had also told our parents that my sister wasn’t going to be able to walk, because she kind of has messed-up hips, but she’s totally fine now. So he might need to be recertified or have somebody check his license or something like that,” he joked. “I’m really not sure, because I see fine now.” As for other little-known facts about him, Scheu actually has family ties to Vanderbilt football: His uncle Steve Ernst earned letters for the Commodores as a center in 1967 and 1968. However, Scheu says that there was no pressure to live up to his uncle’s legacy, although it did influence his decision to attend Vanderbilt. “He didn’t necessarily say ‘this is where I want you to go’ or anything like that, but I knew he would have been proud if I chose this school and kind of carried on his legacy here,” he said. “I definitely wanted to do that and make him happy, and I’m definitely glad with that decision.”
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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2014
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Rhys Johnson has big shoes to fill as he joins AJ Austin in the Aussie and Austin Junior No. 1 doubles team, replacing All-American Ryan Lipman. But so form formidable duo far, he has done just fine By CHARLIE OBRECHT Sports reporter --------------------
While the Commodores baseball team marched into a College World Series last spring, the No. 19 ranked men’s tennis team quietly lost to No. 16 Columbia in the second round of the 2014 NCAA Division I Men’s Tennis Championship. The Commodores graduated only one senior, Ryan Lipman, yet he leaves behind some large shoes to be filled. Lipman ended the season nationally ranked No. 59 for singles and No. 4 for doubles, and certainly represents a significant loss for the Commodores. The doubles team of Lipman and AJ Austin set several Vanderbilt tennis records, recording the most single-season doubles wins (30) and the most career doubles wins (36). Additionally, last spring Lipman became the first-ever three-time All-American in Vanderbilt men’s tennis history. Yet Rhys Johnson, the junior from Perth, Australia, is stepping in to fill the void left by Lipman’s departure. Johnson, a chemical engineering major with a 3.5+ GPA, has paired up with Austin to play the No. 1 doubles slot. Johnson and Austin have already had success in several tournaments this fall. The pair first found success in the ITA All-American Championships held in Tulsa, Oklahoma. In the first round, Johnson and Austin managed to decisively upset the No. 2 doubles team in the country, Ross Guignon and Tim Kopinski of the University of Illinois, 6-4, 6-3. Although they would lose in the Round of 8 to No. 19
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Rhys Johnson and AJ Austin win ITA Ohio Valley Regional doubles. Yannick Hanfmann and Roberto Quiroz from the University of Southern California, that first victory demonstrated the strength of the Commodores’ No. 1 doubles team. Vanderbilt hosted the USTA/ITA Regional Championships this past weekend in which Johnson and Gonzales, seeded second in the draw, powered through their matches and lost only a single set during the entire tournament. In the championship match, Johnson and Gonzales defeated No. 58
Chris Simich and Albert Wager of Louisville 6-4, 6-4. This win qualifies Johnson and Austin for the National Indoor Championship in New York, which will be held in early November. Johnson too plays a powerful singles game. He claimed a spot in the ITA preseason rankings, ranked No. 90. Austin, the only other ranked Commodore, claimed the No. 9 spot. Johnson will likely climb the ranks as the season goes on. Last year he recorded victories over the No. 50, 68, 76, 97 and 118-ranked players. Over his Vanderbilt career Johnson has racked up a 35-30 singles record and achieved a top rank of 57. Last year Johnson clinched the Commodores’ first win against Georgia in 10 years. The Commodores will also benefit from Ryan Lipman’s coaching. Currently recovering from a torn labrum, Lipman will help coach the Commodore team this season before pursuing a professional tennis career. His insight will surely help propel Johnson and the team up the rankings. Johnson has achieved success both on and off the court. He is a chemical engineering major and has been received several academic awards including nominations to the ITA All-Academic Team, the 2014 Spring SEC Academic Honor Roll and the 2013 SEC First-Year Academic Honor Roll. In order to qualify for the ITA All-Academic Team, nominees must earn a varsity letter and have a GPA of at least 3.50. Keep an eye out for Johnson in the upcoming season, for he and Austin will prove formidable opponents in both singles and doubles.
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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2014
backpage TODAY'S CROSSWORD
TODAY'S SUDOKU
Answers to last week’s puzzle Answers to last week’s puzzle
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