The Vanderbilt Hustler 10-8-14

vanderbilthustler WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2014

VOL. 126, ISS. 25

WWW.VANDERBILTHUSTLER.COM

Living legacies Vanderbilt graduates succeed in a variety of fields — from extreme sports to culinary arts. We catch up with alumni who divulge details about their time at Vanderbilt and reflect on how it shaped their stories Class of 1964 — PAGE 4 Professors as students — PAGE 8 Young entrepreneurs — PAGE 10 Athletes gone pro — PAGE 13 ‘American Ninja Warrior’ contestant — PAGE 15

CAMPUS & OPINION

Perspectives on cultural appropriation The selection of Iggy Azalea as a headliner of Commodore Quake has sparked dialogue on campus about the problems associated with cultural appropriation

PAGES 2 AND 7

CAMPUS

LIFE

Experience Vanderbilt

New VSG initiative seeks to provide need-based subsidization of extracurricular involvement in club sports, Greek life and service trips

PAGE 3

Quake Richter scale We rank the Commodore Quake artists based on how much we expect them to shake Memorial Gym

PAGE 11

BOSLEY JARRETT / THE VANDERBILT HUSTLER

2

THE VANDERBILT HUSTLER u WWW.VANDERBILTHUSTLER.COM

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2014

campus

QUOTE OF THE DAY “You see differences in what students are able to do here on campus based on their socioeconomic profile.

We are looking to erase that.”hat. TANNER OWEN, STUDENT BODY PRESIDENT

Student groups concerned with choice of Iggy Azalea as Quake headliner Choice of Iggy Azalea as Commodore Quake headliner prompts Vanderbilt’s NAACP chapter to move forward with discussion of the larger implications of cultural appropriation

By AADITI NAIK News reporter --------------------

While Quake artist Iggy Azalea sings about being the “realest” in her hit single “Fancy,” some groups on campus have criticized the choice of Azalea performing at the Commodore Quake concert, saying she has displayed behavior that mimicked and branded African-American culture.

“Iggy Azalea attempts to relate to a struggle she will never directly understand in performing hip-hop. She is branding blackness, or what America views as blackness,” said Akailah Jenkins, president of Vanderbilt’s chapter of the National Association for Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). “Instead of respecting culture, she’s branding it so it can be used for her benefit. It’s commodification of a culture and so you’re inherently commodifying people, which is just wrong.”

Jenkins said that Azalea attempts to portray a stereotypical image of a black female hip-hop artist through her mannerisms onstage.

“She (Azalea) changes her voice, she is extremely provocative, she glorifies her body in ways that the black female body is typically viewed and puts on this voice that is typically associated with black womanhood,” Jenkins said.

Azalea’s invitation to Quake this year triggered dialogue about the larger issue of cultural appropriation. Vanderbilt’s NAACP chapter decided to hold an event on cultural appropriation that had been under consideration for some time but was brought to the forefront after news of Azalea’s upcoming performance broke. According to NAACP Social Chair Jordan McNary, the event has defined cultural appropriation as the adoption of cultural intellectual property, expression and customs for exploitative interests.

The event, called Cultural Appropriation vs. Cultural Appreciation, was created with the intention of making students more conscious of the branding and commodification of culture, with a focus on hip-hop, according to Jenkins.

NAACP social chair Jordan McNary explained that hip-hop’s cultural significance springs from its original role as a form of

vanderbilthustler STAFF

TYLER BISHOP EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

BRIAN CASSELLA / CHICAGO TRIBUNE / MCT CAMPUS

protest to things happening to and within the black community, creating a way for African-American people to give a voice to their struggle. Jenkins said that Azalea’s use of the genre without proper understanding of its history made her work an example of cultural appropriation.

“It’s college students who are involved in movements,” Jenkins said. “College is the time where you really begin to think about things in a way you haven’t before. So I think it’s important that they understand why Iggy Azalea is problematic for certain minority groups.”

To get these ideas across at the event, the NAACP board members have planned a presentation on the history of hiphop and examples of cultural appropriation throughout history and in the present, with Iggy Azalea as one of these examples.

They also invited professors from the College of Arts and Science to discuss cultural appropriation through music and film, as well as other influential members of the Vanderbilt community such as Traci Ray, associate director of Residential Education, to lead discussions in small groups so that everyone at the event would have a chance to voice their opinions on the issue.

“Issues like these are important because when people are allowed to take facets of other people’s cultures and mass-produce it, it teaches the people whose culture is being branded that your culture isn’t good enough unless someone who is white is doing it,” McNary said.

As the NAACP worked to further the discussion on cultural appropriation, other groups on campus, such as Vanderbilt Students of Nonviolence (VSN), also partook in the conversation.

“Iggy Azalea is from Australia. If you listen to her talk, though, she is appropriating the accent of a black woman, a Southern black woman,” said VSN member Joshua Everett.

KELLY HALOM — NEWS EDITOR PRIYANKA ARIBINDI — LIFE EDITOR MOLLY CORN — OPINION EDITOR ALLISON MAST — SPORTS EDITOR

SAARA ASIKAINEN — MANAGING EDITOR

KARA SHERRER— WEB EDITOR SOPHIE TO — CHIEF COPY EDITOR

“Black women are degraded and get called hood rats for having it, but when it comes in a white aesthetic, Iggy Azalea makes millions for appropriating someone else’s culture.”

VSN member Shawn Reilly also said that she was offended by Azalea’s tweets, which commented on homosexuals, Asians and other marginalized groups.

“She’s (Azalea’s) racist. She’s homophobic,” Reilly said. “If you look at her old Twitter account, there are all these tweets that are very offensive to marginalized groups. And when she was asked about these tweets, she didn’t even apologize. She said that she shouldn’t be judged on what she said before she became famous. Those tweets were just meant for her friends and family.”

Although brought to the forefront by a very modern artist, cultural appropriation has existed for centuries in its various forms, according to Jenkins. In calling students to action to combat this issue, the NAACP hopes to make students think more critically about culture.

“Taking from other cultures, destroying those cultures and making them into what they want it to be — it’s happened with literally almost every culture that white Europeans have come into contact with,” Jenkins said. “It’s happening today, people just don’t see it. Just because it exists in different forms doesn’t mean that it doesn’t exist.”

Dwayne Elliott, director of Arts & Campus Events, declined to comment on the student criticism following the choice of Iggy Azalea as a performer at Commodore Quake.

The NAACP in conjunction with Warren and Moore HOT TOPICS will present Cultural Appropriation vs. Cultural Appreciation on Wednesday, Oct. 8 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the Kissam Center MPR.

BOSLEY JARRETT — PHOTO DIRECTOR JENNA WENGLER — ART DIRECTOR

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

DESIGNERS

COPY EDITORS

ZACH BERKOWITZ KAREN CHAN ZOE SHANCER KATHY ZHOU ALEXA BRAHME HAN DEWAN AADITI NAIK CHRISTOPH SPROUL

ALEXIS BANKS ANDREA BLATT RACHAEL GRAHAM WESLEY LIN BRITTANY SHAAR

THE VANDERBILT HUSTLER u WWW.VANDERBILTHUSTLER.COM

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2014

3

VSG initiative seeks to subsidize student participation Experience Vanderbilt, a new project

by VSG, aims to provide need-based funding for students unable to pay for campus extracurriculars on their own

By ZOE SHANCER News reporter --------------------

Students who are unable to participate in activities such as club sports, service trips and Greek life because these require additional costs may soon be able to as a result of a project led by Vanderbilt Student Government (VSG) called Experience Vanderbilt.

According to Student Body President Tanner Owen, VSG is hoping to expand upon the idea of Vanderbilt’s program Opportunity Vanderbilt, which replaces need-based loans with grants and scholarships. Opportunity Vanderbilt provides aid for 50-60 percent of the student body, according to Owen.

“But Opportunity Vanderbilt just covers getting you here, getting you in the door,” Owen said. “It covers tuition, room and board and books on occasion. For anyone who goes to school here, you know that the Vanderbilt experience is a lot more than that.”

VSG hopes to provide funding for students to take advantage of education outside of the classroom. Owen’s goal is to institutionalize the subsidization of extracurricular activities, essentially eliminating the socioeconomic factor related to

JAMES TATUM / THE VANDERBILT HUSTLER

Students learn about Alternative Spring Break (ASB) at ASBBQ. Experience Vanderbilt aims to subsidize student activities such as ASB for students unable to join due to cost. joining clubs and organizations.

“You see differences in what students are able to do here on campus based on their socioeconomic profile,” Owen said. “We are looking to erase that. We think it’s another step in Vanderbilt’s commitment to providing for all students regardless of where they come from.”

VSG has commissioned a student committee of non-VSG members to aid in the development of this project, and hopes to have a proposal completed by the end of December. Once the approval is done, it will need to be approved by a number of different offices on campus, according to Owen.

“Once it’s approved by them, we would work with de-

velopment to try to identify individuals that see the merit in something like this that might be able to look back and think, ‘Well, I wasn’t able to do something like this when I was at Vanderbilt because of these factors. I think this is great,’ ” Owen said. “And that’s what we’re looking for.”

Owen’s goal is to get Experience Vanderbilt approved and to secure some initial funding from alumni donors so that his successor can continue fundraising and implement the project. Owen describes this project as the most ambitious VSG initiative in history.

“It’s pretty unprecedented,” Owen said. “Harvard does a little bit of this. Princeton does a little bit of this. I don’t know of anywhere else that would have it as institutionalized as this proposal is planning to put forward.”

VSG chose to cover funding for club sports, service trips and Greek life because it has identified these as the most prominent and costly extracurriculars. Owen is open to suggestions, however, for other organizations to be included in the proposal.

A student survey will be sent out soon by VSG to gauge student responses to this project. Initial responses have been positive thus far, according to Owen.

“Those (socioeconomic) barriers from person to person are pretty much knocked down because everyone realizes that every single person is here on their own merits, and they are just as smart as the person right next to you no matter what background they come from, and their potential is just as high,” Owen said. “So we really believe that students are going to be excited about this, to see those barriers brought down to where interactions will be that much easier.”

4

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2014

CAMPUS

THE VANDERBILT HUSTLER u WWW.VANDERBILTHUSTLER.COM

Peabody’s tie to South Korea: a long history bound in stone The discovery and restoration of a rare statue highlights an unknown connection between South Korea and Vanderbilt

By COLLIER BOWLING News reporter --------------------

Hidden behind shrubbery and bushes at Vanderbilt’s Peabody College, a small stone statue stood near Payne Hall — many may have passed by without giving it a second look. But after recent graduate Jae Lee reached out to the South Korean government for the statue’s appraisal, the university is now restoring this rare Korean funerary statue to be placed in Cohen Memorial Hall.

Dr. Willard E. Goslin, former Peabody professor and administrator, was gifted the statue by the Korean government after he and a team of educators helped restructure the Korean educational system after the Korean War. After Goslin’s death in 1969, his widow offered the statue to Peabody College, and since 1970, it has been at the northwest corner of Payne Hall.

“Probably when it was placed in 1970 it was a little more prominent,” said Joseph Mella, director of Vanderbilt University’s Fine Arts Gallery. “However, landscaping changes over time, and there were some adjacent bushes to it. It is relatively modest in scale, especially as it had retreated a bit into the landscape.”

Because the statue had become less visible on campus over time, the Vanderbilt University Korean Alumni Association began efforts to restore it this summer. The association reached out to recent graduate Jae Lee, who was living in Nashville at the time, to aid them in their effort.

“After being unable to find any information about the statue, I contacted the South Korean government and about a week later the government sent me back an email saying it believes the statue is an old Korean relic from the late 17th century,” Lee said. “With the help of Professor Klint Alexander of the Political Science Department, I was able to get in contact with Dean Benbow of Peabody College, who was surprised when I told her about the statue, and she said

she would protect it with her best effort.”

After contact with the Overseas Korean Cultural Heritage Foundation, it was discovered that the statue is a “Si-jah Seok” (attendant figure) from the 17th century. The statue is likely to have been one of a matched pair of statues that was part of a larger group of pieces.

These pieces may have been associated with an altar table used for rituals at royal tomb sites.

Vanderbilt University Professor of East Asian Art and Architecture Tracy Miller recommended that the statue be placed in Cohen Hall, as the building was designed to be an art museum for Peabody College.

“When the statue was outside, there was no identifying information placed next to the sculpture, so people walking by it wouldn’t know its age or significance,” Miller said. “There was some awareness of the statue, but it was just tucked away in the shrubbery and basically became a piece of lawn sculpture. It was kind of just forgotten.”

With the statue weighing between 600 and 700 pounds and firmly planted in the ground, the university hired an outside group to excavate it before it could be placed in Cohen Hall.

“When it was placed next to Payne, there was no cement footer underneath it and so it had sunk a bit,” Mella said. “Consequentially, there was some staining, weathering and other issues that have contributed to the statue’s need for conservation treatment, which is really the next step after we put in on temporary display. Being inside, it is going to have a much longer life.”

After the temporary display and planned conservation treatment, the statue will probably be placed in the foyer of Cohen Hall permanently.

Beyond its aesthetic value, the statue has much meaning for Vanderbilt University. While Vanderbilt currently does not have coursework associated with Korea, it has had longstanding ties with South Korea since the late 19th century when a Korean student first

SUSAN URMY / VANDERBILT

A rare Korean funerary statue was excavated from near Payne Hall at Peabody College and is currently being restored in Cohen Memorial Hall. attended Vanderbilt. Lee said that he feels Vanderbilt should refocus on the long history it has had with South Korea: “I think that this statue symbolizes the history between Vanderbilt University and South Korea that we have forgotten for a while.

But this history is something that we as members of the Vanderbilt community should be proud of.”

A reception to honor the artifact and Vanderbilt’s longstanding partnerships with Asia will take place Thursday, Oct. 9, 3:15-4 p.m. in the Cohen Memorial Hall atrium. The event will be followed by an alumnus lecture on Chinese funerary art in the adjacent lecture room (203).

50 years later: Reunion Weekend board reflects on Vanderbilt experience Ann Marie Mathis McNamara, Class of 1964 Weekend co-chair

Spence L. Wilson, Class of 1964 Weekend fundraising chair

Marc Hamburger, Class of 1964 Weekend cochair

Ann Marie McNamara describes coming back to Vanderbilt for her 50-year class reunion as bittersweet.

“It’s the last year that our class will have its own party,” McNamara said.

Back in the 1960s, the male-to-female ratio was around five men to every woman. The Commons didn’t even exist. McNamara stayed in an all-women’s house, called McTyeire, with all of the other Arts and Science female students. Branscomb Quadrangle was opened during McNamara’s junior year. Women, at the time, had strict dress requirements.

“We couldn’t wear pants on campus without a trench coat on. It was the good ol’ days. We never questioned it,” McNamara said.

There were also strict curfews, especially for first-year students.

McNamara said that during the week students has to be in their dorm at 8 p.m. and on weekends at 10 p.m. They were allowed two date nights per week for which curfews could be extended.

McNamara graduated from Vanderbilt in 1964 with degrees in political science, psychology and sociology. She was an active member of her sorority, Pi Beta Phi, and served as house chairman there. She wrote for The Hustler and frequently wrote for the “Society Column” of the paper.

“We would report on parties, who went to which party with whom, that kind of thing,” McNamara said.

After graduating from Vanderbilt, McNamara stayed connected to the university, serving as president of the National Vanderbilt Club and serving on the Alumni Board for two nonconsecutive terms. She and her husband were also head of the College Cabinet, a society for donors.

“All of those things have kept me connected not only to Vanderbilt but to graduates from all different classes,” McNamara said.

Wilson said that his 50th reunion brings fond memories of the university, whether they be of the “atrocious” beanie hats the undergraduate men had to wear, or meeting his wife of 46 years when speaking at the Student Christian Organization.

While the undergraduate population has nearly doubled since Wilson was here, he applauds the administration for maintaining its “small-school” feel.

“The freshman Commons has been a tremendous addition. In the ways that Vanderbilt has gotten larger, it has been able to keep its smaller feel because of that Commons and the kind of bonding that goes on there, and the academic experiences that come out of that,” Wilson said.

Wilson also acknowledged the difference in the school’s demographics since he graduated.

“Vanderbilt is much more diverse than we were: economically, socially, racially, Vanderbilt is much better because of that, because we have all these histories of individuals when they come to Vanderbilt,” Wilson said.

“Even though we had a good range of social and economic individuals in our class, we didn’t have that racial mixture. I’m confident that our social and economic range was probably much narrower than it is today.”

After graduating, Wilson joined the Tennessee Air National Guard and received his M.B.A. from Harvard University. He has now served on the Board of Trustees at Rhodes College in Memphis for more than 40 years.

Wilson credits Vanderbilt for providing him with so many opportunities.

“Life, business and everything is about communicating well and making connections so that people trust you and want to understand what you have to say, and hopefully have to work with you. I felt that Vanderbilt helped me in that regard,” Wilson said.

50 years ago, Marc Hamburger was editing for The Hustler and pulling pranks on his Zeta Beta Tau brothers, and this weekend he will be returning to his alma mater.

“I have so many feelings, starting with ‘where did all the time go?’ I think people come to reunions because they want to reunite with friends and with the people they know, but they also want to reunite with their Vanderbilt selves,” Hamburger said.

Hamburger said that he is excited to return to Vanderbilt and see how much has changed.

“Everything changes, but nothing is different,” he said. “You can go to certain parts of the university where it’s unchanged. Rand Hall just opened when we were there. Parts of the library are still there, the stadium is pretty much the same and the quadrangle. It used to be called Women’s Quadrangle. Now it’s called Branscomb.”

Despite any changes, Hamburger said one thing in particular has always stayed the same.

“I think Vanderbilt has a certain character. My perception is Vanderbilt has sense of history, sense of fair play, sense of integrity. I think Vanderbilt has a reputation of being a very honorable place, very honorable school,” Hamburger said.

After graduating, Hamburger spent 33 years in marketing. At one point, he served as vice president of Coca-Cola’s international marketing division.

Serving on the Alumni Board for two four-year terms, Hamburger said that he worked to expand Vanderbilt’s student body more globally.

“When I was a student, Vanderbilt was just emerging from being a sleepy, southern, monocultural institution. We really didn’t have people outside of the South, much less international people,” Hamburger said.

—Story by Anna Butrico, News reporter

—Story by Anna Butrico, News reporter

—Story by Sophie Jeong, News reporter

THE VANDERBILT HUSTLER u WWW.VANDERBILTHUSTLER.COM

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2014

5

6

THE VANDERBILT HUSTLER u WWW.VANDERBILTHUSTLER.COM

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2014

opinion YIK YAK

ROUNDUP:

QUOTE OF THE DAY “However, appreciation should be the driving force behind the blending that is inherent to the American experience.”

SHAWN ALBERT AND NICK DRESSLER

College radio isn’t dying — it’s evolving

BILL NYE

Although stations across the country are losing their space on the airwaves, college radio isn’t ready to be buried LOGAN WILKE is a junior in the College of Arts and Science and is the general manager of WRVU. He can be reached at logan.a.wilke@ vanderbilt.edu.

Will be attending Bill Nye vicariously through yik yak Reason I hate going to Belmont: 1. No Bill Nye The real question is, would Bill Nye have skipped seeing Bill Nye to study for midterms?

Is Bill Nye here? Oh right... Never would have guessed Prepare your newsfeed for Bill Rarely watched Bill Nye as a kid, but if Ms. Frizzle came to talk then I would be front row for that shit Currently taking applications for cuddle buddies to get me over the depression of not having a Bill Nye ticket BILL BILL BILL BILL BILL BILL NYE THE SCIENCE GUY! Imagine seeing Bill Nye on Tinder

vanderbilthustler vanderbilthustler EDITORIAL BOARD EDITORIAL BOARD

TYLER BISHOP, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF ANDRÉeditor@vanderbilthustler.com ROUILLARD, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

editor@insidevandy.com KELLY HALOM PRIYANKA ARIBINDI

NEWS EDITOR HANNAH SILLS news@vanderbilthustler.com NEWS EDITOR

LIFEHALOM EDITOR KELLY life@vanderbilthustler.com LIFE EDITOR

OPINION EDITOR ERIC LYONS opinion@vanderbilthustler.

OPINION EDITOR com

SPORTS EDITOR ALLISON MAST sports@vanderbilthustler.com

news@insidevandy.com MOLLY CORN

opinion@insidevandy.com

life@insidevandy.com ALLISON MAST

SPORTS EDITOR sports@insidevandy.com

GUEST COLUMN

T

his past June, Georgia State’s college radio station, WRAS 88.5 FM, lost its daytime programming to Georgia Public Broadcasting. This is not an isolated case; college radio stations across the country are facing similar changes. In June 2011, despite the efforts of members and alumni, WRVU lost its FM license and moved programing entirely online to http://wrvu.org.

I’m here to argue that after a few years of supposedly lying dormant in its grave, WRVU is very much alive, and anyone involved would be able to attest to that. In my taking over as general manager this year, part of my goal is for us to make it apparent that our wounds have healed, that the body of the station is fully resurrected and that the soul of WRVU — the community — is breathing and here to stay.

In any industry or organization reliant on technology, change is inevitable. Across the board, the biggest reason for failure is an unwillingness to adapt to change.

In business (and radio) the ability to be forward-thinking and proactive is the foundation upon which organizations achieve the greatest success.

Thinking about this in terms of radio, I challenge any reader to go and ask any millennial where they get their music and come back with an answer that isn’t “the Internet.” While radio is unlikely to go away any time in the near fu-

ture, as it undoubtedly continues to offer convenience and value, it’s clear that the current and future home of music is online or on a smartphone. At WRVU, we’ve embraced this future and have been adapting our entire model to it. Furthermore, the range of opportunities that have opened up for WRVU as an organization since devoting ourselves to online-only radio has been immeasurable, specifically in terms of student opportunity and overall student experience.

With the sale of the FM license, we now have an opportunity to focus entirely on the core of what participants and listeners alike admire about our organization: the community, the experience and the music.

While nobody doubts some of the values of college radio — it offers exposure to local and upcoming bands, it serves as one of the easiest entry points into a subculture and it keeps us in touch with our communities — I get the sense that most people don’t believe these values can continue without an FM broadcast. However, these values are all absolutely consistent with what we do at WRVU, and none of that has changed since our going online-only. Is it slightly less of an easy entry point?

Probably, yes, because it does now take extra effort on the listeners’ part; however, with so many easy ways to regularly listen — be it on one of our apps, on our website or on iTunes — any perceived loss is likely based more in nostalgia than in reality.

The Vanderbilt Vanderbilt Hustler Hustler Opinion Opinion page page aims aims to to stimulate stimulate discussion discussion in in The the Vanderbilt Vanderbilt community. community. In In that that spirit, spirit, columnists, columnists, guest guest columnists columnists the and authors authors of of letters letters to to the the editor editor are are expected expected to to provide provide logical logical and argument to to back back their their views. views. Unreasonable Unreasonable arguments, arguments, arguments arguments argument in bad bad faith faith or or arguments arguments in in vain vain between between columnists columnists have have no no place place in in in The Hustler Hustler and and will will not not be be published. published. The The Hustler Hustler welcomes welcomes reader reader The viewpoints and and offers offers three three methods methods of of expression: expression: letters letters to to the the editor, viewpoints guest columns and feedback on InsideVandy.com. editor, guest columns and feedback on vanderbilthustler.com.

The views views expressed expressed in in lead lead editorials editorials reflect reflect the the majority majority of of opinion The opinionThe among The Hustler’s board are not necessarily among Hustler’s editorialeditorial board and mayand be supposed to represent representative of any individual member. the opinion of The Vanderbilt Hustler at the time of publication. They must be submitted eitherofinany person by themember. author to the areLetters not necessarily representative individual Hustler email toeither opinion@insidevandy.com.

Letters via Lettersoffice mustor bevia submitted in person by the author to The email should Vanderbilt email address where theLetters identity Hustler office come or viafrom emailato opinion@vanderbilthustler.com. of the sender is clear. exception,email all letters must be received via email should comeWith fromrare a Vanderbilt address where the by 1 p.m.ofon editor reserves the right all to letters edit andmust condense identity theTuesday. sender The is clear.

With rare exception, submissions for2 length well as clarity. be received by p.m. onasthe Sunday prior to publication. The editor

The loss of our broadcast didn’t signal any sort of death. We’re still creating the same quality content as well as continually engaging in community-building activities.

We’re able to fund group outings to concerts, offer internship opportunities through our local NPR station and host pretty much whatever campus events we want.

Ultimately, we’re still able to offer students an experience and a community that seem to be written off as secondary to any benefit to listeners. And even then, that benefit is only an app download or URL entry away.

For all the mourning about the death of college radio, I’ve still yet to see any solutions offered other than fighting “The Man” and keeping airwaves at all costs.

Technological and social change is inevitable, and the only way for an organization to come out unscathed is to adapt and continue to evolve right along with it.

Of course I would still love to be on air for all of Nashville to hear; I want more than anything to share our music and to give listeners access to our community and our awesome cohort of DJs; however, there’s no point in mourning a loss when instead we can focus on doing everything we can to thrive with what we have.

The heart and soul of college radio is the community; it’s the past, the present and the future of radio, and that will never die.

Lengthy letters focus an issuesubmissions affecting students mayas bewell reserves the right that to edit andon condense for length considered as clarity. for a guest column at the editor’s discretion.

All submissions become of The Hustler andmay mustbe Lengthy letters that focusthe on property an issue affecting students conform tofor thealegal Vanderbilt Student Communications, considered gueststandards column atofthe editor’s discretion. ofAllwhich The Hustler is a division. submissions become the property of The Hustler and must The Vanderbilt Hustler (ISSN of 0042-2517), student newspaper conform to the legal standards Vanderbiltthe Student Communications, ofwhich Vanderbilt University, is published every Wednesday during the of The Hustler is a division. academic year except during periodsthe andofficial vacations.

The paper is The Vanderbilt Hustler (ISSNexam 0042-2517), student not printedofduring summer break. is published every Wednesday newspaper Vanderbilt University, The Vanderbilt Hustler one issue the newspaper to each during the academic year allocates except during examofperiods and vacations. student is available at various pointsbreak. on campus for free. Additional The paperand is not printed during summer copies are $.50 each.

The Vanderbilt Hustler allocates one issue of the newspaper to Thestudent Vanderbilt is a at division ofpoints Vanderbilt Studentfor free. each and Hustler is available various on campus Communications, Inc.$.50 Copyright Additional copies are each. © 2014 Vanderbilt Student Communications.

The Vanderbilt Hustler is a division of Vanderbilt Student Communications, Inc. Copyright © 2014 Vanderbilt Student Communications.

THE VANDERBILT HUSTLER u WWW.VANDERBILTHUSTLER.COM

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2014

7

IGNORANT ART Money is the motivation behind widespread appropriation SHAWN ALBERT is a junior in the College of Arts and Science.

He can be reached at shawn.c.albert@ vanderbilt.edu.

NICK DRESSLER

is a masters candidate in Peabody College.

He can be reached at nicholas.a.dressler@ vanderbilt.edu.

GUEST COLUMN

T

he term appropriation has become a buzzword these days.

Cultural appropriation is the adoption or theft of icons, rituals, aesthetic standards and behavior from one culture by another. It often occurs without any real understanding of why the original culture took part in these activities — thus converting significant artifacts, practices and beliefs into “meaningless” pop culture, or giving them a significance that is completely different from or less nuanced than they would originally have had.

Cultural appropriation has been endemic to the American experience almost from the start. To some extent, given the ideals surrounding the founding of our country, chiefly the American Dream, it was almost inevitable that cultural appropriation would rear its head. The convergence of a multitude of cultures onto a relatively small geographic area, coupled with the baked-in dominance of White male privilege — there were no women or people of color participating as active members of the Constitutional Conventions — created an environment that was ripe for appropriation. That said, cultural appropriation is not unique to the American experience, nor did it originate in the United States. Throughout history, dominant cultures have appropriated facets of those deemed inferior in some way.

Something increasingly common, though, seemingly happening at a more prolific rate than it has in the past, is the appropriation of culture by mainstream celebrities without their even realizing (or so they claim) that it was highly offensive to the group that was the subject of the appropriation. Julianne Hough wearing blackface as part of her Halloween costume last year, dressing up as Crazy Eyes from “Orange Is the New Black.” Macklemore holding a concert while wearing a prosthetic hooked nose, fake beard and thick black wig, harking back to stereotypical images of Hasidic Jews. Katy Perry wearing grills and cornrows in her music videos. Beyonce in her “Single Ladies” music video using a form of dance known as J-setting, which is unique to Southern Black gay culture. And that brings us to the Hot 100 artist du jour: I-G-G-Y.

We like Iggy Azalea. Her music is catchy, and we do not find it much of a surprise that her work is scaling the Billboard Hot 100. We are not resentful of her work, nor are we bitter of her fame, but a discussion of her skyrocket to success is appropriate.

This discussion leads to questions about race, submission and assimilation, all aspects of culture that transcend popular music. These are factors involved in an interplay that is pervasive in all aspects of Western culture, and the trend poses a threat to the uniqueness of people that do not fit the mold of the majority. This is the danger of appropriation. The accumulated traditions accrued over the course of generations are picked over for their appealing portions, the leftover pieces deemed not significant enough to be acknowledged.

The results, though in most cases unintentional, are severe. The history of a people is discarded as the “why” behind traditions is ignored.

When it comes to celebrity, there is but one reason for appropriation: the almighty dollar. In a recent interview with her mentor, T.I., Iggy describes her music as “ignorant yet artistic.” T.I. builds on this: “ignorant, artistic belligerence set to music,” and then goes for the jugular: “And you know what, we’re going to make millions upon millions until billions of dollars off of it.” This, in conjunction with the increasing commonness of seeing some artist appropriating some aspect of a culture other than their own, points to an aura of glamor that has been associated with cultural appropriation in the mainstream media. In commodifying it, mainstream media has made cultural appropriation almost desirable. This is decidedly a problem.

Once again, this is not an indictment of Iggy. This is a call to awareness of a larger dynamic that is widespread and damaging. We have heard it time and again; America is the great melting pot. However, appreciation should be the driving force behind the blending that is inherent to the American experience.

It is through a consistent respect and admiration for the cultures of others that we can continue to grow and learn from differences.

Iggy Azalea’s music is misguided — but so are our criticisms of it

T

he daughter of a comic artist and a custodian, Amethyst Amelia Kelly grew up on humble but comfortable means in Mullumbimby, New South Wales.

She spent her teenage years an avid fan of hip-hop and would eventually cite Tupac Shakur as a significant influence.

In 2006, she left Australia to ANGELICA explore the genre she’d fallen in love LASALA with — to be in closer proximity to is a senior in the College its most prominent voices, to see its of Arts and Science. newest talents rise in real time and She can be reached to take a stab at entering that arena at angelica.i.lasala@ herself. vanderbilt.edu.

Developing into the artist we now know as Iggy Azalea, the budding rapper failed to grasp the racial and socioeconomic realities underlying her craft. To talk about hip-hop without acknowledging the struggles inherent to growing up black in Compton, Chicago, New York City or Atlanta is to provide a sanitized account of the genre’s history.

With tweets such as “Owwww studio. Me chief. You indian. I speak…

You listen” and lyrics like “When it really starts I’m a runaway slave … master,” Azalea exemplifies this revisionism.

What makes the rapper’s ascent so problematic is this: She kept being a fan of hip-hop without ever becoming a true student of it — and her shallow engagement with the art form is, unfortunately, much of the appeal.

If you’re going to Quake on Thursday, you’ll see this concept in practice.

Memorial Gym’s floor will consist largely of Vanderbilt students rapping in unison with Azalea’s bastardized Southern accent. They won’t be listening to her tunes in search of heady themes or rhythmic complexity — that’s not the reason they’re at Quake. They’re at Quake to decompress after a week of midterms, to kick Homecoming Weekend into high gear, to turn up without having to think about the implications.

It’s an ignorance afforded by privilege — and if you’re outraged, you have every right to be.

Sadly, today’s Top 40 landscape has a fetish for the ignorant. Miley Cyrus twerks with an entourage of

Cultural appropriation: Cultural appropriation is the adoption or theft of icons, rituals, aesthetic standards and behavior from one culture by another.

unnamed black “homies.” Selena Gomez wears a bindi on her forehead while leaving her music video’s Bollywood dancers in the background. Katy Perry cycles through aesthetic traditions as if they are Halloween costumes, parodying Egyptian royalty one day and Japanese geishas the next.

Appropriation is an unfortunate reality of the pop culture industry, and the contention that comes along with it is a valid one. If people fear that their cultural expression will be mangled and put on the wholesale market, of course they’ll have apprehensions about expressing themselves in the first place.

Much of the dialogue I’ve seen on cultural appropriation comes in the form of Facebook and blog posts that essentially say “shame on you” to those complicit with the status quo, be they icons like Azalea or fans intoxicated by the chart-topping Kool-Aid. All too often, alienating language — biting words that stem from a genuine hurt running generations deep — clouds well-reasoned discourse.

However, we must be careful not to discourage cultural exchange while holding artists and audiences accountable for harmful rhetoric.

When we tell people to “take a seat,” we shut them out of the conversation. The dialogue turns into a vindictive monologue. We flip the script on being silenced, perhaps to instill a sense of empathy among transgressors and bystanders — a role reversal that, despite fair intentions, does little to promote mutual understanding.

For instance: If racist audiences didn’t ogle at Irish immigrants performing blackface in minstrel shows — the oppressed mocking the oppressed to entertain the oppressor — tap dancing wouldn’t exist.

Without the Aztecs’ ollamalitzli and its adaptation to westernized sport vis-a-vis colonialism, we wouldn’t have basketball. If Elvis didn’t steal from African-American soul music, rock ‘n’ roll wouldn’t exist.

Are these instances of cultural theft abhorrent as ever? Absolutely.

Still, herein lies the hope that cultural exchange — however botched — can beget creative innovation.

And that immense possibility is reason enough to stay optimistic rather than jaded, rightfully upset though we may be.

THE VANDERBILT HUSTLER ◆ WWW.VANDERBILTHUSTLER.COM

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2014

life '60s

Professors’

Paul Dokecki

picks

Professors who graduated from Vanderbilt share theirI-65favorite hangouts from when they were on campus By Virginia Norder, Emma Witherington, Shreya Shanker and Gianna Strand, Life reporters, and Matt Lieberson, Asst. life editor ROSA L

BLVD. PARKS

Stables We used to go down to Printer’s Alley, which I think still functions, but it was a bit more wide-open and daring to go down there back in the early ‘60s … You could bring a bottle in but to buy a drink in a restaurant was illegal in Nashville until the late ‘60s … When I was a student, you kinda had to go and be sneaky. There was a place in Printer’s Alley where we used to go, called Stables. We used to go for a meal, a steak and a drink.

28TH AVE. N.

Professor emeritus, Department of Human and Organizational Development, Peabody College Graduated from Peabody College in 1968 with a Ph.D. in clinical psychology

CUMBER LAND RIV ER

8

Jimmy Kelly’s

Jimmy Kelly’s There was a place called Jimmy Kelly’s on Harding and West End. It still exists; it moved to Elliston Place. We used to go to Jimmy Kelly’s all the time because they also had alcohol by the drink. So that was number 2.

Rotier’s

Charlie Nickens’ Barbecue (There was) a barbecue place called Charley Nickens’ that was at the foot of the Jefferson Street Bridge. I have friends from New York who will say, ‘You know what I remember from Nashville when I was there? It was Charley Nickens’ Barbecue — it was really good.

Cherrie Clark '70s Director, Program in Managerial

CHARLOT

I-40

Rotier’s Restaurant My favorite place to eat was Rotier’s. It was always crowded, so sometimes we couldn’t get in. It’s a lot less crowded today, but the menu hasn’t changed.

Springwater

Fraternities At night we just stuck around campus going to fraternity parties … Once in a blue moon you might go down to Broadway. The problem was (Broadway) was a whole lot seedier then … It was not somewhere you would think of going.

Cafe Coco

31ST AVE. N.

I-440

Studies, and associate professor, Practice of Managerial Studies, College of Arts and Science Graduated from Vanderbilt in 1978 with a B.A. in business administration

TE AVE.

EDGEHILL AVE.

WEDGEWOOD AVE.

Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge I did go to Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge. I actually met Tootsie at the time … It was quite the little tiny bar. She would laugh if she saw what it’s turned into.

ND WEST E

AVE.

Professors weigh in

“Since I was a student, they’ve made a big investment in beautifying campus. The buildings are in much better shape than they used to be. Commons has also really changed the feel ... Some things haven’t changed, though. I mean I still go back to The Pub sometimes now. When I was here, the drinking age was 18, so that made a difference with most everything, but it was an old hangout too.” - Gary Kimball (‘85)

8TH AVE.

S.

on how Vanderbilt has changed through the decades

“I got offered a job in ‘69 at Vanderbilt in the psych department and I turned it down.

The next year I was offered a job here (at Peabody) and accepted it … A feeling that we Peabodians had (was) that Vanderbilt back in the ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s was ‘so tight that it squeaked.’” - Paul Dokecki (‘68)

THE VANDERBILT HUSTLER ◆ WWW.VANDERBILTHUSTLER.COM

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2014 Gary Kimball

'80s

Associate professor, Practice of Managerial Studies, College of Arts and Science Graduated in 1985 with a B.S. in economics (also was a linebacker on the football team when he went here)

2nd Ave downtown

Jonesy’s Jonesy’s was a former hangout of mine. It was a cinder block building behind Wendy’s, right near the football stadium. It was just a dumpy dive beer joint. I think it was about 30 feet by 40 feet; it was a total sardine can.

We ended up there most nights. I think it went out of business in the late ‘80s.

Waxy’s Over on Elliston Place where Calypso Cafe was, Waxy’s was really popular. It was similar to Jonesy’s. They were both just dives, places just to go get beer. Luckily it was a little bigger than Jonesy’s, but it was in the same vein.

Sub Stop Right across from Towers there was a place called Sub Stop. You could go over there and get a sandwich and a pitcher of beer for really cheap. The big thing about it was that it was when MTV was coming into being, so we used to go there and watch music videos. That was when MTV even showed music videos compared to whatever it is they show now.

Printer’s Alley

Graham Hemingway

D RIVER

AN CUMBERL

Night Rhythms Night Rhythms was a little lax when it came to checking IDs, so it was the place to be freshman year.

LEBANON PIKE

o

'90s

Adjunct instructor in Engineering Management and General Engineering Graduated in 1999 with a B.S. in computer science and mathematics

Tootsie’s

Springwater Springwater, (a dive bar) by the McDonald’s near Centennial Park, was really popular when we were underclassmen.

2nd Avenue downtown I spent most my time as an upperclassman downtown.

While I visited Buffalo Billiards most often, Havana Lounge was another, more upscale option.

I-40

Joshua McGuire

'00s

Senior lecturer in Musicianship, Blair Graduated in 2003 with a B.Mus. and B.A. in music and English

I-65

MURFR

NOLE

“In the ‘90s, Nashville wasn’t a great city. Students didn’t leave campus as often as they do now … Neighborhoods around Nashville … you’d run into little pockets of crime. Now they’re all up-and-coming neighborhoods.” - Graham Hemingway (‘99)

E

LE PIK

NSVIL

“(Students) get out and about in Nashville. We really didn’t get out of our ‘Vandy bubble,’ though we didn’t call it that.”

- Cherrie Clark (‘78)

EESBOR O PIKE

PHOTOS VIA GOOGLE MAPS

“All this stuff is even more accessible now than it was then … They would talk about being in the ‘Vander-bubble.’ They used to tell us, ‘Don’t be in the Vander-bubble,’ and I think we were … (but) I think that the Vander-bubble is a little more permeable now. It seems to me that when I talk to my students now they know about more of the music opportunities downtown or of the concerts and cultural things and galleries and you-name-it.” - Joshua McGuire (‘03)

Greek life I do feel like Greek life was much more prevalent at the time (when I was on campus).

It was before The Commons ... and so it was a very different experience in that everybody was sort of on their own. You studied and went to class and came back. In many ways it was less social I think that it is now.

Cafe Coco “(Fido, Cafe Coco and Pancake Pantry) were going strong then, too, though Cafe Coco was a little smaller and rougher around the edges then.

Nashville Symphony We would go to the symphony and the opera a lot. That was the main thing for us. Now I go down to the Honky Tonks and the Opry. Now I have taste.

9

LIFE

10

THE VANDERBILT HUSTLER u WWW.VANDERBILTHUSTLER.COM

CLASS OF '07

Q&A with Danielle Snyder Jewelry designer discusses her entrepreneurial path and staying connected to Vandy

By PRIYANKA ARIBINDI Life editor --------------------

Danielle Snyder headed to New York City to pursue a career in fashion after graduating from Vanderbilt in 2007.

After a few years, she and her sister Jodie co-founded the jewelry line DANNIJO that is now sold in department stores around the world, but Nashville still remains in her heart. The Hustler spoke with Danielle about her experience becoming an entrepreneur.

The Vanderbilt Hustler: Did you do anything related to fashion or entrepreneurship while you were in school?

Danielle Snyder: I majored in psychology and Spanish, (but) I made jewelry in my dorm room while I was at Vanderbilt and used to have trunk shows at the sororities.

VH: Did Vanderbilt and your time here prepare you for your industry and entrepreneurship in general, or was it something that you took on yourself?

DS: Vanderbilt really helped shape me and taught me a lot about myself. Chancellor Gee became a very dear friend and mentor to me during my years at Vanderbilt, and I learned a lot from him as an entrepreneur and businessman. Also, my time working to reinvigorate Students for Kenya through fundraising for the village of Lwala (we raised nearly $30k at an on-campus gala) really taught me about my ability to inspire and execute. I knew I would pursue a creative career and that I was a capable leader.

VH: What types of things did you see your friends go into after school? Were you similar to them, or did you see

yourself going down a different type of path?

DS: Some of my friends went on to continue their education at grad school, while others pursued jobs in finance. I had a very entrepreneurial path from the get-go and a different approach from most of my peers.

VH: You spoke at Accelerator this summer — what type of presentation did you give?

DS: I made a PowerPoint presentation and spoke candidly about what I learned at Vanderbilt, my entrepreneurial journey and the importance of building a brand with an online presence and an understanding of social media. I also showed a few DANNIJO short films.

VH: What’s your favorite part of being an entrepreneur and running DANNIJO? Would you recommend that to students considering it?

DS: Being my own boss and interacting with some of the most inspiring minds. I always say if you have a vision and a conviction about your vision and, most importantly, it makes you happy, then you should pursue it. If it doesn’t work out, you have an incredible education and you can always get a job.

VH: Do you have any advice for students who want to start a business or go into fashion but are studying different things in school?

DS: Start locally. Share your product or idea with your friends and family and gauge their interest to see if your concept has legs. Get an internship in fashion to get an understanding of the industry and the different roles.

PHOTO COURTESY OF DANIELLE SNYDER

VH: As an alum, what’s your relationship to Vandy like now?

DS: I had a great time speaking at the Accelerator Program in June, and I hope to come back for more opportunities. Some of our current employees and interns are from Vanderbilt. It’s very near and dear to my heart.

VH: What do you say to the idea that college is the best four years of your life?

DS: It’s only the beginning. Chancellor Gee gave everyone in my graduating class a copy of “Oh, The Places You’ll Go!”.

That book has more and more meaning with each year.

CLASS OF '06

Dan the Mac Man

Vanderbilt graduate Dan Stephenson ditches the office to hit the road in a food truck

By PAXTON GAMMIE Life reporter --------------------

While growing up in Cleveland, Ohio, Dan Stephenson, CEO and founder of Dan’s Gourmet Mac & Cheese, loved nothing more than experimenting in the kitchen with his brother. Six years after graduating a semester early from Vanderbilt in 2006, with a degree in economics and corporate strategy, Stphenson was able to take his love for culinary creation and turn it into a product that’s now available in 1,300 stores across 34 states.

Stephenson’s love of mac and cheese started from a young age. “My brother and I would have mac and cheese competitions with blue box mac and cheese,” Stephenson said. “We’d throw different stuff in. At first it was real cheese, and then it became meats, and then different vegetables and spices, and we got to the point where we were making the blue box way more than the blue box.”

Although he always enjoyed putting together these culinary creations, Stephenson did not delve right into the food business upon his graduation from Vanderbilt. However, after a few years working in Nashville, he began cooking and freezing his variations of gourmet mac and cheese to sell at farmers markets, and his business was born from there.

“The farmers markets were basically beta testing for what I planned to launch in grocery stores,” Stephenson said.

Despite his initial success at the farmers markets, it wasn’t until June 2013 that he went full-time with Dan’s Gourmet.

PHOTO COURTESY OF DAN STEPHENSON

Since then, Stephenson has experienced widespread success. Just last week, he was informed that within the next six weeks, Dan’s Gourmet Mac & Cheese will be on the shelves of 100 of the biggest Krogers on the East Coast.

Stephenson feels that his knowledge of how business and economics work played just as much of a role in getting his company started as his culinary creativity did. “I think that

those experiences, going from Laffer into Ingram Industries, where I worked in treasury and corporate finance, really are the foundation for why I can make this business successful today,” Stephenson said.

In addition to selling frozen mac and cheese, Stephenson has invested in a food truck, which was parked on Greek Row before the South Carolina game this year. One of the food truck’s main uses is in Dan’s Gourmet’s summer tour.

The summer tour takes on four to six college students as “macterns” who are raising money toward their tuition and allows them, aspiring entrepreneurs, to be exposed to and immersed in the logistics of entrepreneurship.

Currently, students can find Dan’s Gourmet at any Munchie Mart on campus as well as at the Whole Foods in Nashville. As for the future, Dan’s Gourmet plans to continue lining the shelves of grocery stores and college campuses.

“Vanderbilt sparked an awareness for what the college market could be, and so I want to be in all 2,400 college and universities around the country and their convenience stores,” Stephenson said.

As for Stephenson’s feeling about his alma mater, he couldn’t be happier about the foundation his experience at Vanderbilt laid for his business pursuits.

“Vanderbilt was an awesome place to go,” Stephenson said. “I wouldn’t be where I am today without Vanderbilt and the network I’ve connected with here that has supported me.”

THE VANDERBILT HUSTLER u WWW.VANDERBILTHUSTLER.COM

LIFE

Quake Richter scale

Vanderbilt’s annual homecoming concert returns to Memorial Gym this Thursday, and in preparation, The Hustler has ranked each artist on our modified ‘Richter scale’ to get an idea of just how much Quake will rock Memorial By Elisabeth Katz, Life reporter

Here’s a list of the “must-listen” songs for each artist to get you pumped for the show: “Black Widow” -Iggy Azalea “Problem” -Ariana Grande ft. Iggy Azalea “Fancy” - Iggy Azalea “Work” - Iggy Azalea “Bounce” -Iggy Azalea “Change Your Life” -Iggy Azalea “Yeah!” - Usher, Lil Jon, Ludacris “My Chick Bad” - Ludacris “How Low” -Ludacris “Money Maker” -Ludacris “Runaway Love” -Ludacris “Party Girls” -Ludacris “What’s Your Fantasy” -Ludacris ft. Shawna “Down on Me” - Jeremih and 50 Cent “Don’t Tell ‘Em” -Jeremih and YG “Birthday Sex” - Jeremih

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2014

Iggy Azalea Australian rapper Iggy Azalea burst onto the mainstream American hip-hop scene in 2013 with her debut single, “Work.” Skyrocketing to success, she currently holds the title for female rapper with the longest-leading Billboard Hot 100 single for her song “Fancy,” featuring singer Charli XCX. At one point this past summer, Azalea simultaneously held the top two spots on the Hot 100 list, with “Fancy” at No. 1 and Ariana Grande’s “Problem” (featuring Azalea) at No. 2.

Richter scale rating: 9.4 Miley may be the resident twerk queen of mainstream music, but Iggy’s proven that she can shake it at least as well on stage.

Ludacris Iggy Azalea may be a relative newcomer to mainstream American music, but Quake’s other headliner Ludacris is an experienced veteran. Rising to popular success in the early 2000s, Ludacris is known for his popular songs like “Money Maker” and “How Low.” He is also a featured artist on many well-known tracks, including Justin Bieber’s “Baby,” DJ Khaled’s “I’m So Hood Remix” and Fergie’s “Glamorous.” Ludacris holds three Grammy Awards, three VMAs and nine BET Awards.

Richter scale rating: 9.0 Luda may have some slowed-down R&B jams thrown in there, but we guarantee that he’ll have you shaking your money maker like somebody’s boutta pay ya with his upbeat performance style.

Jeremih R&B artist Jeremih has replaced “2 On” singer Tinashe as Quake’s opener. Jeremih came to fame in 2009 with his debut single “Birthday Sex,” which hit No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 list. This past summer he released a free collaborative EP with electronic producer Shlohmo, and will release a new album “Late Nights: The Album” on Oct. 7.

Richter scale rating: 8.0 Jeremih’s a pro at getting his crowd moving, providing a mix of upbeat and downbeat jams to get you pumped for the headlining performers.

Hear our Quake playlist at vanderbilthustler.com

11

12

THE VANDERBILT HUSTLER ◆ WWW.VANDERBILTHUSTLER.COM

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2014

sports SEC POWER RANKINGS: WEEK 7 Each week, I rank the teams in the SEC 1-14. This week, America is proud of the state of Mississippi for the first time in history, Auburn reclaims its spot at the top of the mountain (for now) and, in the spirit of Commodore Quake tomorrow, I make a lot of Ludacris and Iggy Azalea references (sorry Jeremih).

By ANTHONY TRIPODORO Sports reporter --------------------

1. No. 2 Auburn Whoooa don’t slip up or get got! (Why not, man?) ‘Cause Auburn’s comin’ for that number one spot! Actually, this spot could have easily gone to Mississippi State or Ole Miss, but I’ll give it to the Tigers for now by virtue of their being initially ranked the highest and demolishing LSU. Plus, Auburn has to play both Mississippi teams this month, so we’ll know soon enough who really deserves it.

2. No. 3 Mississippi State Kenny Trill and A&M were pimpin’ all over the world the first five weeks until they ran into Dak Prescott, aka the right-handed Tim Tebow, who was seen Saturday truck sticking Aggies into the end zone on three separate occasions and yelling, “MOVE — GET OUT THE WAY, GET OUT THE WAY — GET OUT THE WAY.” On a more serious note, I don’t think I’ve seen a team that looked more complete in each of its games thus far this season than Mississippi State. Auburn vs.

Mississippi State next week is going to be (first things first) the realest.

3. No. 3 Ole Miss Hotty toddy goin’ in on the verse ‘cause they never been defeated and they won’t stop now. What a day for the state of Mississippi. First State took it to A&M, then the Rebels put Nick Saban on foot patrol (how you like me now?). Ole Miss vs.

Mississippi State on the last week of the season is shaping up to be as pivotal and heated as last year’s Iron Bowl.

4. No. 7 Alabama Saban, Lane Kiffin, Blake Sims, T.J. Yeldon, Amari Cooper and the rest of the Tide were shown zero Southern hospitality by Ole Miss when they visited the Grove. Looks like they’re no longer in the murda bizness ‘cause they were held down (by Ole Miss) like they were getting lessons in physics.

5. No. 14 Texas A&M Now Kevin Sumlin’s only 50 years old / He’s trying to figure out why his QBs are so bold / Why Johnny Football had to trade autographs for the money sign / Kenny Trill getting beat up by the Bulldogs’ D-Line / The Aggies’ defense is missin’ and nobody will listen / Kyle Allen spittin’ game while A&M wasn’t even winnin’ / Nothing else to do but get some clothes and pack / Sumlin says he’s ‘bout to run away (to chill with Manziel and Drake) and never come back.

THE BIG STAT Minutes of game time since the Vanderbilt soccer team has last scored a goal

Bringin’ it

BACK

463

Homecoming brings about feelings of nostalgia, especially in the sports world. This week, The Hustler sports staff catches up with some of Vanderbilt’s past shining stars

LEE JENKINS ('98)

Breaking the big stories Vandy alumnus and Student Media Hall of Fame member Lee Jenkins reflects on his career, his interviews with some of the best athletes in the country and his time as a Vanderbilt student

By MATT LIEBERSON Asst. life editor --------------------

Lee Jenkins wrote the biggest sports story of 2014. Oddly enough, it was the easiest piece he’d ever written. “I really just wrote in LeBron’s voice; I wrote down what he said and the way he said it. Besides sequencing and editing, the story wrote itself for me,” he said.

That story was LeBron James’ famous first-person letter announcing his return to the Cleveland Cavaliers after four years playing for the Miami Heat. A senior writer for Sports Illustrated since 2007, Jenkins, Vanderbilt class of 1999, scored the exclusive interview with James after weeks of speculation on who would sign James in NBA free agency.

Jenkins credits his relationship with James for the scoop.

“He has always had a relationship with Sports Illustrated.

I had done five pretty significant interviews with LeBron since 2012,” Jenkins said. “They coincided with incredible moments in his career, like his two titles, and I was in a position to take advantage each time.”

In May 2014, Jenkins, inspired by similar letters from

Sports Illustrated, pitched the idea of the first-person letter to James’ camp. “There is a tradition of these first-person pieces with athletes.

Magic Johnson did one.

Jabari Parker announced he was going to the NBA with us.

Jason Collins’ coming out is another recent example.”

With no expectations of the story actually happening, Jenkins got a call on July 4 saying that there was a chance a story would materialize. “He was holding a camp in Las Vegas. At this point I had no idea if anything would come of it, but I cleared my next week,” Jenkins said.

That next Wednesday, July 9, Jenkins took a gamble. “I flew to Vegas and waited. I had no idea if he would talk to me; I just went out in hope that he would.” After a 24-hour waiting period and after James had met with Miami Heat staff, Jenkins got the go-ahead to interview him Thursday.

While countless sports reporters were in Las Vegas scouring for any nugget of information on James, Jenkins was able to simply ask the man himself. “I went up to his hotel room (at the Wynn Hotel) to find him calmly eating

PHOTO COURTESY OF LEE JENKINS

Above: Lee Jenkins, when he served as Editor-in-chief of The Vanderbilt Hustler in 1998. Right: Jenkins is inducted into the Student Media Hall of Fame in 2011. breakfast. He was relaxed and at ease, and he just explained where he was going to play and why. It was no different from the other interviews I’d been able to do with him.”

Jenkins likes an old-fashioned approach in his interviews, and he believes that it keeps someone like James at ease. “I don’t go in with a camera or anything. It’s just my notepad, a tape recorder and me. For a player who is always in front of the camera, that old-fashioned approach can be more comfortable. When the cameras are off, he is a very thoughtful and expansive guy.”

After finishing the story Thursday, Jenkins finally let his editors in on the news. “That goes against every single-

journalistic instinct I learned writing for The Hustler, which is that when you have news, you share news. It was a really unusual arrangement. I let them know really late in the game.” As the basketball world stopped on its axis waiting for James’ decision, Jenkins sat on the most valuable scoop in sports until the next day.

Once the letter was finalized with his editors, he let the world know. “I went to the airport to fly to Cleveland to do the cover story for the magazine. I was about to get on the plane, so I just got it off my phone. I knew it would be a big reaction, but I wasn’t truly prepared for what happened.

People in the terminal started to realize. My phone

THE VANDERBILT HUSTLER ◆ WWW.VANDERBILTHUSTLER.COM

CHRIS HONIBALL / THE VANDERBILT HUSTLER

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2014 started buzzing in my hand like crazy, but there was no Wi-Fi on the plane. So once I landed, I was overflowing with texts and emails.”

Jenkins will always be fascinated by the mind of James and superstar athletes like him.

“They have such a vast mental catalogue of everything they’ve seen. That’s one reason why they’re such great interviews,” Jenkins said. After his 2013 Sportsman of the Year piece on Peyton Manning, Jenkins remained especially impressed

by Manning’s ability to “diagnose situations so quickly. His memory bleeds into his personal life too.”

As impressed as he was, Jenkins made sure to remind Manning of his collegiate loyalties.

Manning played at the University of Tennessee while Jenkins wrote for The Hustler in the late

1990s. “We actually gave him a lot of problems on defense. He beat us, but those games were tight, and he remembers that. We always gave him some trouble, which I’ve made sure to mention in the past,” he said.

Jenkins makes sure not to forget his Vanderbilt roots. “Some of my best friends and writing role models came from The Hustler,” he said. Jenkins, a Hustler staff member from 1995 to 1999, wrote at Vanderbilt with media presences like New York Times baseball writer Tyler Kepner and Washington Post sports writer Dave Sheinin. “For a lot of us, it was our defining experience at Vanderbilt. It was our little sports writing lab.”

One lesson from his days at The Hustler remains: “We just pushed each other to write as well as we could. I still do that today.”

JORDAN MATTHEWS ('14)

13

SEC POWER RANKINGS: WEEK 7 CONTINUED 6. Arkansas A pig in a blanket, a smoke and a pancake / The Razorbacks did not play this week for their fans’ sake.

7. No. 13 Georgia The ineptitude of the rest of the SEC East is going to allow the Bulldogs to GET BACK GET BACK YOU DON’T GURLEY LIKE THAT into the race for the SEC Championship. Not going to harp too much on the demolishing that Todd Gurley laid on Vanderbilt between his rushing, hurdling and even passing, but, needless to say, he shook his money maker all over us.

8. LSU Following LSU’s drumming at the hands of Nick Marshall and Auburn, head coach Les Miles was asked, “Coach, what-what’s your fan-ta-ta-sy?” to which Miles replied, “To have Zach Mettenberger back.”

9. No. 23 Mizzou

Flying high in Philadelphia

By DANIEL GERBER Sports reporter --------------------

After graduating from Vanderbilt as the SEC’s all-time leader in receiving yards and receptions, wide receiver Jordan Matthews has not missed a beat in his transition to the NFL. Twenty-two-year-old Matthews was drafted in the second round of the 2014 NFL draft by the Philadelphia Eagles this April with the 42nd selection overall.

Matthews enjoyed an extremely successful career at Vanderbilt, as he was named to both the first-team All-SEC and third-team All-American teams during his senior season.

His consistently stellar performances for the Commodores placed some lofty expectations upon him as an NFL rookie, and Matthews has justified the Eagles’ faith in him with several strong performances already in the young season.

Matthews had a breakout performance in Week 3 of the NFL season, as he burned the

Washington Redskins secondary for 10 catches, 59 yards and two crucial touchdowns en route to an Eagles victory. Through the Eagles’ first five games, Matthews is tied for the secondmost receptions on the team with 19 catches, and his two receiving touchdowns are also the second-highest total of any Eagles receiver thus far. Don’t be surprised if Matthews’ strong play eventually forces Head Coach Chip Kelly to consider giving him former University of Florida receiver Riley Cooper’s spot in the Eagles’ starting lineup.

With his tenacious play and universally praised work ethic, Matthews was the foundation of the Vanderbilt football program for the last several years. His departure has left a huge void that the team is still struggling to fill. While Matthews, a native of Madison, Alabama, was a clear leader on the gridiron, he was also an exemplary student during his time at Vanderbilt, graduating with a degree in economics.

BOSLEY JARRETT / THE VANDERBILT HUSTLER

Missouri was M.I.A. this week, just like Ludacris has been since ‘06.

10. Kentucky

Kentucky may not have looked very impressive in its win over Vanderbilt, but the Wildcats are feeling so fancy now after pulling off the big comeback and beating Steve Spurrier and South Carolina to start the year 4-1.

11. South Carolina I was right last week. South Carolina does kinda suck.

12. Florida It’s Treon Harris. Uh. What you got? Smart money bettin’ they’ll be better off without Driskel. In no time, they’ll be forgettin’ all about Driskel. Saying that you know, but I really, really doubt you understand, Florida can actually win when Florida ain’t around Driskel.

Except Treon Harris is now being investigated for sexual assault and is suspended. So Driskel is probably going to get another shot. Too bad this happened at Florida and not Florida State, where it’s apparently ok for the quarterback to be the target of rape allegations and steal crab legs as long as he doesn’t shout anything obscene near the student union.

13. Tennessee Where’s Peyton Manning when you need him? Justin Worley’s success against Georgia did not last. He’s got throws in different area codes this week. He got picked off twice, and the Tennessee offense was just generally all over the place against Florida. Things are about to get real ugly for the Volunteers, who play Ole Miss next.

14. Vanderbilt How. Low. Can we go? How low.

Can we go?

14

SPORTS

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2014

THE VANDERBILT HUSTLER u WWW.VANDERBILTHUSTLER.COM

SONNY GRAY ('11)

Finding his way out west

By JOSH HAMBURGER Sports reporter --------------------

Behind enemy lines Breaking down this weekend’s homecoming game

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

While the Commodores limp back to Nashville for homecoming, the Buccaneers enter with a perfect record and a week of rest. On Sept. 27, they pulled off an overtime victory to beat the Charlotte 49ers 47-41. The Charleston Southern offense, which is averaging 35.6 points per game, posted 617 total yards and 32 first downs. The Commodores have 1,593 total offensive yards in six games this season.

Quarterbacks Austin Brown and Dalton Saunders have appeared in all five games this season, and Daniel Croghan III has played in all but one. With 859 passing yards, Brown appears to be the biggest threat at the position. He also has the most rushing yards among Buccaneer quarterbacks, with 123. Brown, however, is just one of 11 Charleston Southern players who have carried the ball this season, so expect their running game to be the largest component of their offense.

Defensively, Charleston Southern has impressed this season, allowing an average of 17.6 points per game. They’ve held their opponents to an average of 292 yards, fairly evenly split between rushing and passing. Linebacker Aaron Brown leads the team in tackles with 42, and he also has a team-leading four tackles for a loss. The Buccaneer defense has been able to intercept passes and recover fumbles at key moments, so the Commodore offense will need to be alert to avoid a homecoming upset.

ABOUT CSU Record: 5-0 (0-0 Big South) Rank: No. 24 in FCS Coaches Poll Charleston Southern University Location: North Charleston, South Carolina Students: 3,000 Nickname: Buccaneers Conference: Big South

Baseball fans who were not familiar with Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Sonny Gray last year certainly learned much about what he is able to accomplish this season. After being called up last year and accumulating a 5-3 record with a 2.67 ERA through 12 games, he showcased further talent and received greater league-wide recognition this year.

Gray started the season opener for the Athletics in an impressive fashion, previewing what he had in store for the rest of the year.

Sonny Gray dominated the first half of the season, in which he went 12-3 with a 2.65 ERA through the end of July. Gray had climbed to the top of the pitching elite through this time, but he struggled down the stretch along with the rest of the team. He

remained fairly consistent in the second half but lost several close games, ultimately finishing with a 14-10 record.

Although the youngest on one of baseball’s most powerful pitching rotations, Gray led the A’s in games started (33), innings pitched (219.0), ERA (3.08) and strikeouts (183). When the A’s found themselves in a must-win situation on the last day of the regular season, they turned the ball over to Gray with extreme confidence. The Vanderbilt product and Tennessee native did not let them down. He tossed a six-hit shutout against the Texas Rangers to secure the second American League Wild Card spot for the Athletics.

Although the A’s ultimately lost the Wild Card game to the Kansas City Royals, ending their 2014 season, Sonny Gray is widely considered one of the best young arms in baseball.

BECK FRIEDMAN / THE VANDERBILT HUSTLER

DAVID PRICE ('07)

Big move to Motor City

By BEN WEINRIB Asst. sports editor --------------------

For the last five seasons, David Price has been the best left-handed pitcher east of Clayton Kershaw, and 2014 was no different.

But even with Price’s dominance, his Tampa Bay Rays could not stay competitive; they won nine of 11 games leading up to the trade deadline but were still two games below .500.

With their small chance of making the playoffs added to their financial struggles, the Rays ended up trading their ace to the Detroit Tigers one year before he was set to hit free agency.

“Compared to the other possibilities, it was by far the most prudent thing that we could do,” said Rays general manager Andrew Friedman after the trade. “If you look ahead to next year, it would have been really challenging to be as good as we want to be within our situation, with David taking up that meaningful of a percentage of our payroll.”

Once he made it to Motor City, Price formed one of the most formi-

dable rotations with Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer, the last three reigning American League Cy Young Award winners. But although the Tigers’ rotation was star-studded, they barely squeaked out a division title by one game over the Kansas City Royals.

In the Division Series, the Tigers lost their first two games to the Baltimore Orioles in close fashion, leaving their season’s fate in Price’s hands.

Price pitched quality starts in 24 of his 34 starts, and he did it again in Game 3, giving up just two runs over eight innings. But his offense, which was second in the majors at 4.7 runs per game, scored just one run, saddling Price with the seasonending loss.

Price still has one year left on his contract with Detroit projected around $20 million before he hits free agency in the winter of 2015.

And if he keeps pitching the way he has been, he figures to be one of the highest-paid pitchers in baseball history, with a deal close to Kershaw and Verlander’s seven-year deals with $215 million and $180 million, respectively.

PHOTO BY KEITH ALLISON

THE VANDERBILT HUSTLER u WWW.VANDERBILTHUSTLER.COM SPORTS

MEAGAN MARTIN ('12)

Commodore pole vaulter makes her mark on ‘American Ninja Warrior’

By JOSH HAMBURGER Sports reporter --------------------

Many Vanderbilt alumni go on to accomplish incredible feats in all facets of life, but Meagan Martin, class of 2012, has set herself apart in a field much different from that of any other graduate. The former Vanderbilt record-holding pole vaulter has enjoyed a recent career as a professional rock climber, participating in competitions all over the country. However, earlier this year, Martin showcased her impressive talent on the extremely challenging obstacle course show American Ninja Warrior.

Shocking the world in her first attempt in the Denver Qualifier, Meagan Martin became the third woman ever to finish the course, in an incredible 4:46.29. In the process, she passed the Devil Steps obstacle, being the first woman to accomplish this feat, which requires an astonishing amount of upper body strength. Standing at an extremely built frame of 5 feet 4 inches, 135 pounds, Martin secured a Wild Card spot for the Las Vegas National Finals. Yet again, Megan set another feat, becoming the first woman to make it through the Jumping Spider, in which she especially utilized her rock climbing skills.

Although it was a unique course, Martin explained, “I figured that my experiences as a gymnast and pole vaulter would help me get through the course along with just being a professional climber.” She noted that her intensive training schedule of five to six days a week, two to fours hours a day for climbing remained her main method for preparation.

Not to be outdone, she said, “During the two months that I had American Ninja Warrior stuff going on, I also had three big climbing competitions.”

Though climbing and the American Ninja Warrior course have some similarities, including having only one shot to complete each challenge, Martin noted that there are several differences. “The American Ninja Warrior course has so many different obstacles that are meant to test many different things.

In climbing, it doesn’t always come down to how strong you are or how hard something is, but it is more about figuring out the sequences,” she said.

Martin climbs out of a pure passion for everything that the sport entails, including the pressure, excitement and determination. For her, climbing is no longer simply just a hobby, but her livelihood. The most rewarding part for her is when “you complete something.”

She explicitly explained some of the graphic images of results from her profession, including “falling over and over again in the bitter cold with your hands aching and bleeding from the sharp holds.” For Martin, these painful experiences that might seem horrible to others make the success that much more meaningful when it happens.

PHOTO COURTESY OF MEAGAN MARTIN

Martin makes a living out of rock climbing, both by teaching it and competing in rock climbing competitions.

‘‘

Having to work through those years really prepared me for the highs and lows that I have as a professional athlete.

’’

When Martin is not climbing or training, she spends her time as a coach for children at a climbing gym in Boulder, Colorado.

This job allows her to constantly remain around rock climbing, while teaching others necessary skills for the sport. While she is currently in the works of a five-year strategic plan, she hopes to continue her professional climbing career for the next few years, along with another appearance on American Ninja Warrior.

Martin pays homage to her time spent here at Vanderbilt as a student-athlete. While she could not continue climbing on such a regular basis until her senior year, she attributed pole vaulting to her smooth transition back to climbing afterward. As a pole vaulter, she stated that her first years were tough, but she ultimately became Vanderbilt’s all-time record holder, clearing 3.95 meters at the SEC Indoor Championships in 2012.

“Having to work through those years really prepared me for the highs and lows that I have as a professional athlete,” Martin said — and in addition, the sport keeps her in great shape.

Many Vanderbilt students and alumni have supported her along the way, which she greatly acknowledges as an important aspect of her career accomplishments and aspirations.

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2014

15

16

THE VANDERBILT HUSTLER u WWW.VANDERBILTHUSTLER.COM

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2014

backpage TODAY'S CROSSWORD

TODAY'S SUDOKU

Answers to last week’s puzzle

Answers to last week’s puzzle

WANT MORE NEWS? VISIT: VANDERBILTHUSTLER.COM