The Vanderbilt Hustler 11-5-14 by The Vanderbilt Hustler

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VOL. 126, ISS. 29

BASKETBALL PREVIEW

Remaking Memorial With both fresh faces and returning talent, the men’s basketball team looks to bring back ‘Memorial Magic’ SEE PAGE 8

Also Inside: rape trial update, gluten-free report card and an opinion on McGill’s ‘toptional’ floor BOSLEY JARRETT / THE VANDERBILT HUSTLER

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campus

CAMPUS STAT Instances of sexual violence reported to VUPD since August 2014 VUPD crime log

Changes bring new perspective to Women’s Center A new director and the separation of Project Safe from the Margaret Cuninggim Women’s Center allow for a reconceptualization of the center’s programs By AADITI NAIK News editor --------------------

Senior Madeline Gootman’s three years at the Margaret Cuninggim Women’s Center makes her the center’s longestserving employee. Gootman, who has assisted on projects and researched new ideas for the center, has witnessed many of the changes over the past few years. Gootman has worked under three different directors during her tenure, including interim director Kayce Matthews. After only three months of service, the center’s most recent director, Adale Sholock, left her position in Oct. 2013. Even though the director position has been vacant for more than a year, the remaining staff has continued working toward fulfilling the center’s mission of “celebrating women, empowering all,” according to Program Coordinator Alexandra Hollifield. “Each time there is a director turnover, there is a question of what direction the center will go in and a sense of not knowing what’s going to happen next month,” Gootman said. “It is the people here who always provide a positive attitude and continuity that even if there is no director, we continue to work on a day-to-day basis to fulfill the mission of the center.” Professor Rory Dicker will officially become director of the Women’s Center as of Jan. 1, at which time she will also renounce her position as associate director of the women’s and gender studies department. “Taking on the leadership of the Women’s Center seemed like a very interesting challenge,” Dicker said. “I was actually a member of the search committee that brought Sholock to Vanderbilt. After she left and another search didn’t produce a director, I had one of those light bulb moments where I realized, ‘Oh, I could do this job.’” In addition to the introduction of Director Rory Dicker, graduate assistant Alexandra Hollifield was hired as program coordinator in September, and a second program coordinator is in the process of being hired. But the high turnover of full-time staff in the past few years is only the beginning of the changes taking place at the Women’s Center. This fall the Women Center’s jurisdiction over issues of power-based personal violence was moved to the newly created Project Safe Center in an attempt to offer more concentrated support surrounding these issues to students. The Green Dot program, which promotes bystander intervention in high-risk situations, also moved from the Women’s Center to Project Safe. Without these programs under the Women’s Center purview, the center has been able to highlight its programming surrounding gender equity. “Before, part of the overarching goal was to provide a

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safe space for students dealing with power-based violence,” Gootman said. “We still provide a safe space, but it isn’t as large of a part of what we do. Now it’s more of a safe learning space where students can explore issues dealing with gender and learn outside of the classroom.” Dicker sees the separation of Project Safe from the Women’s Center as an opportunity for the center to bring attention to other issues such as gender inequality on campus and professional development for women. She also plans to do more outreach to educate students and inspire conversation in their living and learning communities. “People think the center is mostly for undergraduates, and now we can focus on other constituencies on campus,” Dicker said. “I am talking to staff, faculty and graduate students and trying to bring them in, too.” Though Dicker anticipates that her first semester as director will be a time to continue with the center’s ongoing work and determine what the new staff’s role will be, she plans to later rebrand and reconceptualize programs like VanDIY — which teaches students practical skills and does not currently directly relate to gender equity issues — in order to better address the center’s mission. Dicker would also like to work on developing partnerships with the Office of Active Citizenship and Service and the Center for Student Professional Development to create new internship opportunities for students interested in gendered issues. “I’d like to see the Women’s Center serve a wide variety of people,” Dicker said. “Everybody would like to have men involved in the goals of the Women’s Center and for people to understand the continuing relevance of feminist issues.” To aid in this reconceptualization, research intern Jill Wright is currently doing a needs-based assessment of the campus which will be completed by the end of the semester in order to find out what students, faculty and administrators want from the Women’s Center. “Jill’s research will be very useful to find out what voices are missing and who we are leaving out so that we can reach out to those groups,” Hollifield said. Hollifield also anticipates a major focus on wellness from the Women’s Center as she looks forward. After giving miniworkshops on self-care and holistic wellness to some sororities, Hollifield is currently getting feedback, although she can see wellness becoming a larger topic for the Women’s Center to tackle. “A big issue among undergraduate women is effortless perfection and constantly trying to be the perfect ‘Vandy girl’ by continuously running yourself into the ground,” Hollifield said. “This is a conversation among women that we need to have.” The Women’s Center offers resources for everybody who is part of the Vanderbilt community, including formal pro-

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

JOHN RUSSELL / VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY

Rory Dicker will take over as director of the Margaret Cuninggim Women’s Center in Jan. 2015. grams on topics spanning from gender inequity on campus to sex education. Besides attending scheduled programs, anyone in the Vanderbilt community can also make an appointment to talk to someone at the center about issues pertinent to their lives. In addition, the center is home to a library and study space. “This is definitely an underused resource that I want more students to interact with. I see women on campus dealing with issues related to body image, eating disorders and relationships, and they talk about it outside the center while being unaware of all the great resources they could access here,” Gootman said. “The biggest thing we provide is the incredible people who work here and the ways in which students can build relationships with them.”

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 KAREN CHAN—ASST. ART DIRECTOR

DESIGNERS

COPY EDITORS

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

ALEXIS BANKS ANDREA BLATT RACHAEL GRAHAM WESLEY LIN BRITTANY SHAAR

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CAMPUS

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Rape trial delayed, another sexual assault reported on Commons By TYLER BISHOP Editor-in-chief --------------------

The trial for former Vanderbilt football players Brandon Vandenburg and Cory Batey, accused of raping a female student in Gillette Hall in June 2013, was delayed Tuesday morning because a defense attorney for Batey, Worrick Robinson, said he must undergo invasive surgery for a shoulder injury. Jury selection for the trial, which will resume in early January, had begun Monday afternoon. The trial was expected to last around two or three weeks. Upon hearing Robinson’s request to be given time to recover, the state asked to sever the cases of Vandenburg and Batey so that Vandenburg’s case could continue this week. The request was not granted by the judge, however, because the defense said they had already prepared for a joint case. Many details about the events of June 23, 2013, including information about the specific involvement of each defendant, are expected to emerge during the trial. The case delay was not the only news related to campus sexual violence to emerge on Tuesday. Students were notified by the Vanderbilt University Police Department (VUPD) shortly before 3 p.m. of a sexual assault reported by a female student to a Campus Security Authority (CSA). She said a male

acquaintance assaulted her in his dorm room on the Martha Rivers Ingram Commons early on the morning of Saturday, Nov. 1. At Vanderbilt, assaults that are reported to CSAs are investigated by the Office of Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action, and Disability Services (EAD), which works with the director of the Office of Student Accountability in adjudicating the claim. The university says that the EAD staff is trained each year on issues related to sexual misconduct and other forms of power-based personal violence, preparing officers to conduct investigations such that the wellbeing of the complainant is emphasized. Vanderbilt policy on sexual assault and other forms of power-based personal violence can be found in the university handbook, which is available on the school’s website. Victim resources, including the Project Safe Center and the Psychological and Counseling Center (PCC), among others, are available to those who wish to seek assistance. For The Hustler’s full coverage on the topic of sexual violence, visit vanderbilthustler.com. —Assistant News Editor Allie Gross contributed to this report.

BY THE NUMBERS

instances of sexual violence reported to VUPD since August

6* classified as rape 3 classified as fondling 1 classified as sexual assault 1 classified as sexual assault with an object

*1 of the reported rapes was unfounded by VUPD

Notable statistic: 4 instances of stalking have been reported to VUPD —Statistics from the VUPD Daily Crime Log

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CAMPUS

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2014

Student committee formed to advise Strategic Plan implementation By ALLIE GROSS Asst. news editor --------------------

According to Vice Provost for Academic Affairs John Geer, the implementation of the Academic Strategic Plan, released in August by Chancellor Nicholas Zeppos, has begun with the formation of faculty and student committees. The plan outlines the university’s vision for the next decade, based in uniting all 10 of Vanderbilt’s schools behind the themes of the undergraduate residential experience, education technologies, healthcare solutions and transinstitutional programs. The committees’ first priorities are the Immersion Vanderbilt Initiative, which would require all students to participate in a “creative and independent” project; the Cross-College Teaching Initiative, which will bring faculty from different schools and departments into classrooms together; and the Trans-institutional Programs (TIPs) Initiative, whose aim is for schools and departments to advance discovery and learning through interdisciplinary collaboration. On Monday, Zeppos sent an email to the Vanderbilt community about the launch of the $50 million TIPs initiative. Faculty committees for Immersion Vanderbilt, crosscollege teaching and TIPs have all been formed. In addition, Geer recently convened a Student Advisory Committee to serve as a “sounding board” throughout the implementation process, as part of the effort to make the process “bottomup.” “That’s the way Nick Zeppos set up the original strategic

plan. It was very much driven by faculty, staff and students. The implementation process is as well,” Geer said. Senior Sam Adkisson will serve on the committee along with 13 other students selected by the deans. He said that at the committee’s first meeting, they reviewed the strategic plan and discussed preliminary thoughts. “We had a good wide-ranging discussion on some of the specific ways that TIPs could be implemented, some of the specific ways you could bring different colleges in the university together,” Adkisson said. “On the whole students were overwhelmingly supportive of the idea of bringing faculty from diverse fields and diverse schools together in the classroom.” He added that students were also supportive of Immersion Vanderbilt, noting that the program could benefit some students who may not be “in the loop” with opportunities like research and internships, and that it could give students an edge in the job and academic markets. “I think it’s tremendous that the provost’s office is making a concerted effort to reach out to students and to incorporate our perspective,” Adkisson said. “As a student, having the opportunity to shape an institution which has given so much to me is extremely gratifying.” Geer said that while the “bottom-up” approach means that implementation will likely take several years, it also will legitimize and improve the programs. Geer said the Student Advisory Committee and committees for the three initiatives (Immersion Vanderbilt, cross-college teaching and TIPs) will be continually meeting to advance the implementation. Geer said, “Our students are the best in their country, and

now we’re going to create a set of rules to allow them to take advantage of all those skills, talents and interests.”

BASICS OF THE STRATEGIC PLAN HISTORY: The last Academic Strategic Plan was released in 2002 and laid the groundwork for various programs including The Martha Rivers Ingram Commons, the no-loan policy, and faculty recruitment and retention efforts. CURRENT PRIORITIES: Immersion Vanderbilt: Each Vanderbilt student will create an individualized project or immersive experience of their choosing — from studying abroad to researching at the VUMC Cross-College Teaching Initiative: Vanderbilt will exploit its unique position of having 10 schools in close proximity on campus by offering courses co-taught by faculty from different colleges Trans-institutional programs: $50 million initiative to establish interdisciplinary centers and partnerships like the already-existing Robert Penn Warren Center for the Humanities — faculty can submit proposals for TIPs until Dec. 2

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opinion

QUOTE OF THE DAY “The social and political gendering of toplessness is one part of a larger system of gender inequality and rape culture.”

KAIT SPEAR

‘Toptional’: exhibition or expression? Protecting female-bodied people’s equal right to freedom of expression KAIT SPEAR is a junior in the College of Arts and Science. She can be reached at kaitlin.p.spear@ vanderbilt.edu.

y now, many people have heard that McGill is working on an initiative to make the fourth floor of the building “top-optional.” What does that mean? Most folks seem to be of the opinion that McGill is going to be even more of a den of debauchery than they already thought it was, and that there will be bare breasts at every turn. Well, sorry (not sorry) to burst your bubble: the Toptional Initiative is not a spectacle. As someone who is working very carefully on this, I can tell you that it does not seek to overturn a formal university policy banning female toplessness, since no such ban exists (and under Title IX, no such ban could theoretically exist) — there are simply supplementary policies, like the public lewdness ban, which could be disproportionately levied against femalebodied people. Perhaps more importantly, it is not a frivolous exercise in sexual exhibitionism — in fact, it is the opposite. “Toptional” is a natural outgrowth of the McGill Project’s mission statement — to “inspire community, open discussion, free thought, and creativity on Vanderbilt University’s campus through … an ongoing tradition where participants are pushed to express themselves culturally, socially, politically, and intellectually.” It aims to protect femalebodied persons’ rights to freedom of expression and autonomy as non-sexual beings in a culture that relentlessly imposes sexuality on all aspects of their lives. Female-bodied people should feel secure in the ability to determine when, where and how their sexuality is expressed. The initiative’s goal is to offer that security for those people who challenge the idea that a man can remove his shirt while playing soccer for the simple reason that he is more comfortable without one, while a woman cannot. Additionally, while this initiative is primarily meant to normalize and desexualize female and diverse bodies, it also serves to protect the expression of one’s gender in whatever way an individual is most comfortable. This allows non-binary individuals, particularly trans* and intersex individuals, to affirm their identities as they see fit, without being policed by the community or the university. Why is normalizing the female body important?

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

The social and political gendering of toplessness is one part of a larger system of gender inequality and rape culture. Rape culture is seemingly elusive to define, because rather than being a singular, unified force, it is more like a pyramid, composed of many smaller parts that together create an environment that systemically promotes and defends rape. At the bottom of the rape culture pyramid are seemingly irrelevant things, often perpetuated by “public sensibility.” These bricks are numerous, but some of them include the gendering of toplessness, gendered school dress codes that identify female bodies as distracting, the framing of catcalling as harmless complimenting, and victim blaming in cases of sexual misconduct. What we’re saying with these small bricks is that “male” is the starting point for our concept of human and “male interests” are the primary interests that our system defends. The farther we get from this baseline for humanity, the less human — the less pertinent — we consider individuals. Dehumanization is the first step toward violence against a group, and often, this dehumanization is perpetuated by the seemingly benign “public sensibility.” These bricks set the foundation for legal discrimination and systemic dehumanization, particularly of women. Legal discrimination could include police harassment of people who have experienced sexual misconduct, or it could look like the Iowa Supreme Court decision that bosses can fire employees they see as threats to their marriages, even if the employees are just trying to work and have not engaged in inappropriate behavior. This system of rape culture is complex and diverse, but its effect is ultimately to perpetuate violence against women. While the Toptional Initiative does not purport to end rape culture, it does take away one brick of the rape culture pyramid by promoting small-scale equality across all genders and sexes and provoking discussion of larger cultural changes. The McGill community is certainly not homogeneous in our response to this initiative, but as a diverse community committed to critical and respectful discussion, we’re looking at integrating diverse opinions as prompts to widen the scope of the initiative. This will create a

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

strong culture that both respects where people are in terms of comfort with challenging social norms and defends everyone’s right to freedom of expression. We hope that by taking a step toward normalizing and desexualizing diverse bodies, we can effect a small but meaningful change, and, in conjunction with critical dialogue and more initiatives that challenge the components of rape culture, we can create a safer, freer and more inclusive community.

*Editor’s note: The asterisk* is used to acknowledge the diversity of narratives and identities under the trans* umbrella

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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Just another thug

Victims of Ferguson’s racial violence demonized by police ERIN LOGAN is a sophomore in the College of Arts and Science. She can be reached at erin. logan@vanderbilt. edu.

hen I first learned about the shooting of an unarmed 18-year-old in Ferguson, Missouri, I did not worry. I believed in the American justice system. Then I discovered he was black. I was haunted by the memory of Emmett Till and the countless number of black men whose white killers either failed to be prosecuted or received a mere slap on the wrist. But in that moment, regardless of what happened in the past, I choose to be optimistic and trust the system. That faith died the night Antonio French, a St. Louis alderman, was wrongfully arrested. I decided to call the police department to ask why French was arrested and when he would be released. After I finally got through, a man, who refused to identify himself, entertained me for less than 30 seconds, then hung up the phone. Angry and annoyed, I turned to social media and discovered that I was not the only person concerned about his well-being. Black Twitter was on fire and all of Tumblr was in an uproar. The night of French’s arrest was the night all hell broke loose in Ferguson and in black America. After two journalists were wrongfully arrested and media coverage picked up, tension in America escalated. I told myself there was no way the Ferguson Police Department (FPD) could flip this story to cause people to feel sympathy for the murderer, Officer Darren Wilson. But much to my dismay, FPD figured out how draw attention away from

the murder and toward the notion that Brown caused his own death. What should have been seen as the murder of an innocent teen quickly became a game of vilifying the victim. Soon after, FPD released video surveillance of a young man who fit the description of Brown stealing from a local store. The release of the video insinuated that Wilson had stopped Brown because Brown was a suspect in a robbery. Why else would they release this video? Regardless of the video, however, I did not believe 10 gunshots was an appropriate punishment for stealing a box of cigars. A few hours after the release of the video surveillance, Ferguson Chief of Police Thomas Jackson told the world that Officer Wilson had no knowledge of the video or the young man in the video seen robbing the convenience store when he pulled Brown over. He told the press that he released the video because the FPD “got a lot of FOI requests.” The release of this surveillance video was the beginning of FPD’s attempt to “niggerize” Brown and cut off white sympathy. The term “nigger” is synonymous with criminalistic, violent and uneducated. The portrayal of Brown as just another “nigger who got what he deserved” has caused many to see Brown as anything but a human being wrongfully murdered by a police officer. It seems as if the only way a black man’s white killer can be fully convicted under the law is if that black victim is a saint. This is nearly impossible seeing that by

nature, humans make mistakes. I do not think FPD sees value in black lives. FPD treated Brown like an animal. An ambulance was never called. Instead, a sketchy black van came to take the body away. They let his body lie in the street for hours before eventually covering it with a black tarp. They let a police dog urinate on Brown’s memorial. In their eyes, blacks have no value. No matter how many witnesses come forward with the same story and no matter how many videos are released proving that Brown had his hands up before he was gunned down, FPD will do whatever they can to exonerate their white cop because of their inability to see black people as their equals. America needs to wake up. The murders that have transpired over the past the few decades, including Oscar Grant, Amadou Diallo and Eric Garner, are not isolated events. They are the product of a ubiquitous system wherein minorities are subjugated, commodified and deemed nefarious. Dr. King once wrote, “We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny.” In saying this, he brought forth the truth that there is “interrelatedness of all communities and states.” No one is unaffected by the reality of violence plaguing minorities in this country.

‘All About That Bass’

Polarized beauty ideals leave women taking turns to feel good about their bodies AADITI NAIK is a first-year in the College of Arts and Science. She can be reached at aaditi.g.naik@ vanderbilt.edu.

et another week closed off with Meghan Trainor’s “All About That Bass” retaining its top spot on the Billboard Hot 100. Wondering why, and in the mood to feel the self-love, I listened closely as Meghan Trainor told me that “every inch of you is perfect from the bottom to the top.” I couldn’t help but be excited about a song that finally told women to love their bodies and stop comparing themselves to an ideal. That brief glow of positivity was shattered when I heard Trainor proclaim that she wouldn’t be “no stickfigure silicone Barbie doll” and tell listeners to “go ahead and tell them skinny bitches that.” Suddenly the words left a sour taste in my mouth, as I realized that the self-love Trainor was advocating wasn’t meant for me. If you look back through history, the “ideal” woman oscillates between being a curvy goddess and a slender supermodel. Consider the flappers of the 1920s who wore loose dresses and even bound their breasts in order to shrink their figures; a few decades later, binding breasts was out of the question, as women strove to emulate curvaceous beauties like Marilyn Monroe. In the ‘60s, women once again reverted to counting calories. After a brief flirtation with curves in the ‘70s, the ‘90s and early 2000s brought back the skinny supermodels lining the pages of fashion magazines and the

consciousness of girls. This overview shows that we tend to oscillate between two different versions of feminine beauty, alternating between “womanly” curves and “girlish” slenderness. We are currently in the middle of an oscillation, as more and more people are fighting to move away from the “size zero” obsession and toward an era reminiscent of Marilyn Monroe’s. This is evident as songs like “All About That Bass” and sayings like “real women have curves” attempt to shift the beauty standard. But is it really necessary to abandon one rigid beauty standard by embracing its opposite? In order to make some people feel secure in their own body, why should we make others feel insecure? I believe that the current push to make young girls believe that they don’t have to lose weight to feel pretty is important, but making them believe they need larger breasts and more curves is hardly helping the matter. Instead of switching between two beauty standards that are both unattainable for most of the population, we need to eradicate the notion of a beauty ideal or standard. Beauty standards only benefit the executives of the fashion, beauty and diet industries, as their paychecks depend on creating an insatiable desire for an unattainable beauty. There will never be one ideal type of beauty, and nor should there be. It is time

that we ended the oscillation and taught girls that there is no all-encompassing definition of beauty, and we need to do it without putting down any body types. Though beauty standards seem like a larger societal ailment, it only takes a glance around Vanderbilt to see symptoms closer to home. Almost everyone takes time out of their already-fartoo-busy schedules to go to the rec. At any hour, runners can be seen doing laps around campus. The popularity of campus dining spots like Grins is a testament to students’ focus on healthy eating. Coming to Vanderbilt was like rehab for a junk food addict like me; even without the desire to lose weight, I found myself caught up in the craze to work out and watch my diet. What could possibly be powerful enough to put an entire student body on a health kick? “All About That Bass” gave me my answer, as I realized how pervasive beauty standards truly are. If self-love is really what we want, maybe a step in the right direction would be to stop saying things like “I’m all about that bass,” because bass, on its own, doesn’t make good music. It takes more to create beautiful music, which is why I am all bass and treble, along with every note in between.

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sports

BASKETBA

specialfeature

34 SHELBY MOATS Senior Hometown: Waconia, Minnesota Height/weight: 6-8/221 Position: forward

35 JAMES SIAKAM Senior Hometown: Duoala, Cameroon Height/weight: 6-7/225 Position: forward

3 LUKE KORNET Sophomore Hometown: Lantana, Texas Height/weight: 7-0/240 Position: forward

14 CARTER JOSE Junior Hometown: San A Height/weight: 6Position: guard

Moats, the only remaining member of the 2011 recruiting class, enters his final season as a Commodore with something to prove. Although Vanderbilt found itself with only seven scholarship players last year, Moats failed to make a big impact, averaging 1.5 points and 1.6 rebounds per game. He started only one game but appeared in all 31. With the departure of Rod Odom, Moats becomes one of the most experienced forwards on a guard-heavy roster. As he is a self-proclaimed sharpshooter, look for Moats to take shots behind the arc when he has the green light. But in order for the Commodores be successful this season, they’ll need Moats to have a presence inside. —Allison Mast, Sports editor

With the departure of Eric McClellan, Rod Odom, Kyle Fuller and Dai-Jon Parker, Siakam should have an expanded role for the Commodores this season. Siakam played in all 31 games last season and started 28 of them while leading the team in field goal percentage with a 58.9-percent success rate. Of the Commodores’ top six scorers from last season’s 15-16 squad, only Damian Jones and Siakam remain. Consequently, Siakam will be counted on not only to improve upon his averages of 7.2 points per game and 5.3 rebounds per game, but also to provide the Commodores with experience and leadership. Although there may be some uncertainty as to who will be in the starting lineup this season, one thing is for sure: Siakam will man one of the forward spots and try to end his Vanderbilt career on a high note. —Daniel Gerber, Sports reporter

After adding some weight during the offseason, Kornet looks to expand upon his playing time with a starting role on the team. Appearing in 30 games last year and starting two, Kornet averaged four points, 2.3 rebounds and 0.8 assists per game. Blending a unique combination of height and pure shooting, Kornet provides an extremely versatile and dynamic skillset for the team. Thus, Vanderbilt will have options for where to play him, as he can serve on the inside or around the perimeter. Last year, Kornet showed flashes of what is to come in his limited playing time, and with more experience, he will become more of a consistent threat. He might not lead the team in major statistics, but he has the ability to provide a wide variety of skills for any given situation. —Josh Hamburger, Sports reporter

Josephs played in 20 g started one (Ole Miss) score during the 2013averaged 1.1 assists an game. In the Commod Josephs played signific 16.3 minutes per game Commodores to a win 22, playing 16 minutes assists. Josephs played No. 1 Florida, where he high three rebounds w assists and a steal. His former starting point g Josephs a scholarship —Virginia

So ... who’s our second best player? By BEN WEINRIB Asst. sports editor --------------------

For the third season in a row, Vanderbilt basketball goes into the season with a young team looking to rebuild. However, this season is unlike the past two because the upperclassmen talent is almost all gone with few recognizable names left on the roster. With the graduation of Kyle Fuller and Rod Odom and the dismissal of Eric McClellan and Dai-Jon Parker, the Commodores have lost four of their top five scorers and four of their top five players. But that’s not to say that Vanderbilt is at a loss of talent;

they’re just at a loss of experience. The team already knows who its best player is — Coach Kevin Stallings said as much at Vanderbilt’s media day — and that’s Damian Jones. The sophomore center was named to the SEC All-Freshman Team after averaging 11.3 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game last season. “Damian needs to be our best player because he is,” Stallings said. “Damian still has a significant amount of growth to make, and I talk to Damian about it frequently. There are some things he has to get better at, but Damian isn’t a guy who

really needs to be motivated. “He’s unlike many of the post players that we’ve had here. His athleticism is so unusual, and I think that’s a separator for him.” After Jones, though, it’s pretty unclear where the rest of the players fit in. For one thing, there’s only one scholarship guard returning — Carter Josephs — and he was a walk-on until he was given a scholarship this August. This brings up an awfully interesting question: Who is the second-best player on Vanderbilt’s basketball team?

The favorite: James Siakam, F, Sr. It feels as though Siakam has been a breakout candidate every year he’s been on campus. Entering his sophomore year, Siakam posted 22 points and 17 rebounds in an exhibition against St. Xavier, but that would end up being the high point of his season. He only averaged 2.0 points and 1.9 rebounds per game, making one start and averaging 8.8 minutes per game. Last season was somewhat of a breakout season, where he averaged 7.2 points and 5.8 rebounds, while leading the team with 58.9 percent shooting over 28 starts.

Besides Jones, Siakam returning player with mor starts last year. That alone top candidate to be the te player. But he does have h weaknesses. Chiefly among those is is very undersized for a po senior is listed at 6-foot-7, closer to 6-foot-4 and lack jump shot. Then again, for Lance Goulbourne was ge 6-foot-8, and he finished 1 rebounding his senior yea

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ALL PREVIEW

EPHS

Antonio, Texas -0/180

games last season and ). Although he did not -14 season, Josephs nd 0.3 rebounds per dores’ last six games, cant minutes, averaging e. Josephs helped the n at Auburn on Feb. s and dishing out nine d 20 minutes against e grabbed a careerwhile also adding two s strong play behind guard Kyle Fuller earned p during the offseason. a Norder, Sports reporter

m is the only re than three e makes him a eam’s second-best his fair share of

s that Siakam ost player. The , but he is much ks a consistent ormer Commodore enerously listed at 11th in the SEC in ar.

30 DAMIAN JONES Sophomore Hometown: Baton Rouge, Louisiana Height/weight: 6-10/248 Position: center

5 MATTHEW FISHER-DAVIS Freshman Hometown: Charlotte, North Carolina Height/weight: 6-5/173 Position: guard/forward

0 SHELTON MITCHELL Freshman Hometown: Waxhaw, North Carolina Height/weight: 6-3/186 Position: guard

Jones is looking to build off a stellar freshman campaign that saw him garner SEC AllFreshman Team Honors while scoring 11.3 points per game and leading the team with 5.7 rebounds per contest. The 6-foot-10 center from Baton Rouge started 28 games, showing flashes of brilliance that included a 19-point performance in his first collegiate game, a school-record-tying seven blocks in a game, and five double-doubles. With the departure of several key guards, Jones will likely be the focal point of both Kevin Stallings’ offense and opponents’ game plans. If Jones responds by taking strides forward, he could experience a huge sophomore season. —Patrick Givens, Sports reporter

Fisher-Davis hails from Charlotte, North Carolina, where he spent two years at Charlotte Christian School, the alma mater of sharpshooters Stephen and Seth Curry. And much like the Currys, Fisher-Davis is known for his sharpshooting stroke more than anything else. During his senior year at Butler High School, Fisher-Davis shot 67.5 percent from the field, 49.1 percent from three and 96 percent from the free-throw line. His sweet stroke and impressive size for a guard helped him average 22 points, 13 rebounds, five assists, two steals and two blocks per game. Fisher-Davis figures to immediately find his way into the rotation because the Commodores really lack size in the backcourt. —Ben Weinrib, Asst. sports editor

Another North Carolina native, Mitchell averaged 19.2 points, 4.6 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game his senior year at the historic Oak Hill Academy, where NBA stars Carmelo Anthony, Rajon Rondo and Josh Smith also played. Mitchell was the highest recruit in the 2014 recruiting class, ranked 76th in the nation. Mitchell is a guard who primarily runs the point, and although he isn’t a consistent shooter yet, his court vision and athleticism should earn him playing time off the bat. Mitchell, Fisher-Davis and the other two freshman guards (Wade Baldwin IV and Riley LaChance) should all see time on the court to start the year, with only one returning scholarship guard (Carter Josephs). —Ben Weinrib, Asst. sports editor PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY BOSLEY JARRET / THE VANDERBILT HUSTLER

The dark horse: Luke Kornet, F, So. Kornet is by far the most unique player on the roster and the one with the most room to grow. Although Kornet is the tallest Commodore at 7-foot, he plays more like a wing player than a big man. That’s largely because he grew eight inches between his sophomore and senior year of high school and played as a guard for most of his life. After Odom, no Commodore took more three-pointers per minute last year than Kornet.

He wasn’t too successful, though, only connecting at a 23.6 percent clip, but should he improve, Kornet would become an incredibly useful weapon. It’s unlikely that Kornet will bulk up enough this year to become a true post player, but it’s not out of the question for him to develop a better shooting stroke in this short time span. If that is the case, the Commodores could be looking at a taller Rod Odom.

The underdog: Carter Josephs, G, Jr. Josephs is the most veteran member of the Commodores’ backcourt, but he didn’t score a single point last year. However, Stallings liked his character and his skills as a change-of-pace guard — enough to give him a scholarship for this season. “Carter embodies everything that we value here,” Stallings said at the team’s first meeting of the year. “Everything. Integrity, great teammate, unselfish. I could go through the list over and

over and over.” Josephs finally got playing time down the stretch, averaging nearly four assists per game in the final six games of the season, where he played double-digit minutes per game. Considering how Stallings tends to play veteran players, especially to start the season — Jones didn’t start the first three games of last season — Josephs will get a shot to make that scholarship count.

The mystery candidates (Insert Freshman Guard Here), G, Fr. Stallings landed the 25ththe nation. In comparison, Jones ranked recruiting class in the entered Vanderbilt as the 77thnation, according to Rivals.com, ranked player in the class of 2013 which featured four guards last season. ranked in the scouting service’s Mitchell is a point guard with top 150 players. Last year, one of impressive passing skills and Vanderbilt’s best players ended athleticism, but he won’t be up being a freshman, and with an the only one seeing the court. inexperienced roster; that very Matthew Fisher-Davis and Riley well could be the case this year LaChance are impressive shooters as well. but fairly one-dimensional right The leading freshman candidate now, and Wade Baldwin IV is more is Shelton Mitchell, who comes of a slashing guard who is already in as the 76th-ranked recruit in a tough defender.

SPORTS

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2014

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COLUMN

On strength of schedule and standards By PATRICK BURR Sports reporter --------------------

Who’s ready for some Power 5 conference hoops? After a long and arduous summer, your Vanderbilt Commodores are ready to take to the sunken-stand court versus a stout Trevecca Nazarene squad. The Trojans, who finished a disappointing 7-19 last season — a record capped on March 6 by a 105-56 loss to the ever-formidable Kentucky Wesleyan College, and helped along by a 20-point thumping at the hands of perennial powerhouse Alderson Broaddus University — will be looking to improve their position in the dog-eat-dog Division II landscape with an early-season scalping of the hosts in Memorial Gymnasium. Whether this game is scheduled in order to boost the profile of a newly initiated NCAA conference lies beyond the point. Such support is achievable through a lateOctober or early-November exhibition game, rather than sacrificing one of the 12-14 open dates on the calendar to pander to a woebegone local program. All could be easily forgiven and forgotten if the rest of the schedule did not evolve accordingly. Of all the Big Ten and ACC teams the Commodores could have challenged, the program settled for Rutgers, Purdue and Georgia Tech. The Scarlet Knights, who haven’t made a postseason tournament since 2006, suffered a November 2013 loss

to Farleigh Dickinson en route to a final-day 92-31 thrashing courtesy of Louisville and a 12-21 record; the Boilermakers ended the season on a 2-12 slide to finish dead last in the league. Meanwhile, the Yellow Jackets, whose record stands at nine games below .500 since 2011, eked out a single-digit home win over North Carolina A&T before going 6-12 in conference and finishing third-tolast among the 15 teams. That the most-anticipated game (aside from the mandatory confrontations with Florida and Kentucky — the only ranked opponents on the docket — and the conference-facilitated SEC-Big 12 Challenge matchup with Baylor) comes on New Year’s Eve at St. Louis doesn’t cut it for a program of Vanderbilt’s stature — no slight to the Billikens. And it’s more than a one-year trend; last season’s strength of schedule rankings, per ESPN, sandwiched the Commodores in 70th, seven slots below Oakland — that’s Oakland, Michigan — and the San Francisco Dons (of what, we’re still not sure). Part of the weakness has to do with the SEC’s insouciance towards basketball outside of Lexington and Gainesville; last season, the conference sent just three teams to the 68-team NCAA tournament, matching a record low since the tournament expanded in the mid-1980s. This attitude has seeped into Memorial and affected both the style and standard of play. Yet as any Division I coach whose team sits within touching distance of March Madness can relay — and as

BRING ON THE NON-CONS 2014-15 NONCONFERENCE SCHEDULE 11/6 vs. Illinois-Springﬁeld 11/11 vs. Sewanee 11/16 vs. Trevecca Nazarene 11/20 vs. Lipscomb 11/23 vs. Tennessee State 11/25 vs. Norfolk State 11/28 vs. Rutgers* 11/29 Virginia/LaSalle* 12/4 vs. Baylor 12/13 vs. Purdue 12/16 vs. Western Carolna 12/20 at Georgia Tech 12/22 vs. Penn * 2014 Barclays 12/31 at Saint Louis Center Classic 1/3 vs. Yale

Brooklyn, N.Y.

Seth Greenberg communicated for countless years in his close-but-no-cigar time at Virginia Tech — the substance of a season rests in the out-of-conference scheduling. To win the big game, you first need to pencil it in on the schedule. With a top-25 recruiting class and few other male varsity sports to divert funding and attention away from the hardwood, Vanderbilt has no excuse for its basketball team’s underperformances over the past two decades; that the program makes no visible effort to improve the quality of opposition is a slap in the face to alumni and students alike. Even if the team performs a minor miracle this season and makes the NCAA tournament, what experience will it draw upon to prepare for the round of 64, let alone the Sweet Sixteen? Hope springs eternal on the bubble; to get there, however, a program must play to its strengths against the best possible opposition. As the SEC’s academic powerhouse located in the blooming metropolis that is Nashville, why can’t Vanderbilt storm the NCAA’s golden gates and conquer the city of college basketball? Stallings has shown his ability to procure top-line recruits from across the globe; he would do well to force his young charges out of their comfort zone upon their arrival in Nashville — that is, if he strives for more than the past 15 years’ steady mediocrity would suggest. But hey — who’s ready for some Power 5 basketball?

HOW STRONG WE REALLY ARE RPI: .6203 NCAA SOS Rank: 15

RPI (Rating Percentage Index): quantity used to rank teams based on a team’s wins and losses and its strength of schedule RPI: .6117 NCAA SOS Rank: 5

NCAA SOS (strength of schedule) rank: team’s rank in terms of its strength of schedule compared to all NCAA Division I teams

RPI: .5290 NCAA SOS Rank: 49

2010-11

2011-12

2012-13

RPI: .5229 NCAA SOS Rank: 70

2013-14

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Vandy’s best player just got better By MAX HERZ

Sports reporter -------------------Vanderbilt men’s basketball coach Kevin Stallings knows who his best player is. He also knows that his best player can, and will, improve in every facet of his game. That standout is sophomore center Damian Jones, who was sometimes overmatched in the paint and often overextended in terms of playing time during his freshman season. “Damian needs to be our best player because he is,” Coach Stallings said on the team’s media day. “Damian’s still got a significant amount of growth to make. I talk to Damian frequently, and he knows there are some things he has to get better at.” Many have Jones as a potential NBA firstround pick in the near future, projections mostly based upon his rich potential. He starts the 2014-15 season as the squad’s top returning scorer (11.3 PPG) and rebounder (5.7 RPG), but one major factor will make this year’s Damian Jones significantly better than last year’s. He has a true backup at the center position. Junior Josh Henderson started the first three games of the 2013-14 season at center but quickly gave way to Jones, who started the fourth game and held that starting spot through March. Henderson tore his ACL on Dec. 5 against Marshall, ending his season just eight games in. Jones was left without a true

backup, leading to an immediate increase in his court time. This season, Henderson returns to the team as a senior and is ready to reignite the one-two punch at center that never fully blossomed a year ago. “It’s really gonna help,” Jones said on Henderson’s return. “I’m going to play fewer minutes so I’ll have more rest time, and it’s gonna be a huge impact inside and outside. Playing defense, it’s going to be good.” While playing excess minutes in SEC games, the freshman often found himself in foul trouble, stopping him from utilizing his peak physicality on defense. Jones fouled out of three games last season, and was one foul away from ejection on 14 occasions. “For Damian, he doesn’t have to be worried about getting fouls. Also, he can go as hard as he can,” Henderson said. “We had Luke (Kornet) coming in; he was doing a good job. But at the same time, the more bodies the better. I’ll be coming in, playing as hard as I can — I’ve been here for a while so I know how it works.” Though he made great strides with his inside game over the course of the season, the sophomore Kornet is not a natural center like Henderson. However, Henderson’s health is no sure thing. Just 11 months after suffering the injury, a recently torn knee ligament is a constant concern for the 6-foot-11 athlete. The senior believes that he’s ready to compete once again.

BOSLEY JARRETT / THE VANDERBILT HUSTLER

Damian Jones (30) attempts a dunk during the second half of the game against Tennessee in Memorial Gymnasium last season. The Commodores defeated the Vols 64-60. “Right now it’s a process; recovering from an ACL takes a while. It feels good, I’m going through all the practice and taking everything full contact. Just trying to keep my eye on it and take care of it.” Coach Stallings shared that he is as concerned with Henderson’s health as he is with his output. “We just hope that Josh can come back and be healthy — he deserves it for all the

time and effort he spent. We just hope that Josh has an injury-free year.” An injury-free year for Henderson means a foul-trouble-free year for Damian Jones, as the two will look to establish a productive rotation at center this season. With Josh Henderson taking on a major supporting role, Vanderbilt’s best player will get even better.

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life

Gluten-free facts • Celiac disease is a condition that prohibits a person from eating wheat, barley and rye because gluten, a protein found in those foods, causes damage to the stomach lining in affected individuals. • While most people with celiac disease will become ill from eating glutinous foods such as bread or pasta, some can even get sick from food with trace amounts of gluten or food that has been prepared on contaminated surfaces. • Students who are gluten-intolerant are advised to email the main cafeterias ahead of time to arrange for GF meals to be prepared and left in either a fridge or a hot box for them to pick up upon their arrival.

Gluten-free report card Rand and Commons The two main dining halls have fairly decent gluten-free options. While emailing ahead to have GF food prepared usually works out well, mixing and matching hot and cold dishes is difficult because the plate is kept at one temperature. Although the options are somewhat limited and emailing ahead of time can be a pain, both locations are go-to’s for those who are GF.

Bamboo Bistro Nothing but the fruit at Bamboo Bistro is truly gluten-free, although some gluten-sensitive people don’t have reactions to the pho. Either way, there are better options on campus.

Pub The Pub has no real gluten-free options. Ordering a chicken sandwich or burger without the bun is theoretically GF, but because all food is cooked on shared equipment, there is no guarantee anything will not be contaminated.

Last Drop The option of gluten-free bagels and muffins makes Last Drop stand out as a GF-friendly coffee shop above most nearby chains like Starbucks, but the status of syrup flavors for the drinks is unknown.

Rocket Subs

The fact that Rocket Subs has gluten-free bread available is impressive, and equally impressive is the fact that it actually tastes like regular bread. The downside is that crosscontamination can easily occur, especially when a sandwich gets toasted on shared equipment. The other problem with Rocket Subs is that the GF status of many sauces is unknown. For those very sensitive to gluten, Rocket Subs is very risky. However, if cross-contamination doesn’t bother you, a sauceless sandwich is a good option.

Kissam Munchie Mart From the wide selection of frozen entrees, to GF groceries such as bread and pasta, to the variety of GF snack foods, the Kissam Munchie Mart is the holy grail of GF dining options at Vanderbilt.

In the spirit of National Gluten-free Diet Awareness Month, The Hustler has graded campus dining concepts on the dining experiences they offer for GF students By Joshua Timm, Life reporter

Kissam Kitchen For its size, Kissam Kitchen has quite a few GF options. The food on the line is not guaranteed to be gluten-free, but on certain days, there are so many GF dishes being served that cross-contamination isn’t a huge worry. For those who are not extremely sensitive, dropping in at Kissam for food without emailing ahead is a possibility, but does not guarantee food to be completely GF.

Leaf Being a salad bar, Leaf is generally a good pick for GF students. The major drawback is that the only GF salad dressing is poppyseed, although more options are available a short walk away at the Rand allergen fridge.

Grins While many of the options at Grins are healthy, there aren’t many things that are truly GF. “Wrapless” wraps are safe, and some of the sides qualify, but there isn’t much available aside from those.

Rand and Branscomb Munchie Marts Rand and Branscomb, as well as most of the other munchie marts on campus, have a good amount of GF snacks and microwaveable foods. However, most of the campus markets pale in comparison to the amount of GF options available at Kissam.

Food for Thought Cafe Most of the drinks at this library cafe are GF, although the status of certain flavored drinks is unknown, so it’s best to avoid them. Some of the sides are GF as well, but the lack of GF breads and pastries puts it behind Last Drop.

Rotiki The online menu for Rotiki doesn’t list any food as GF, and food that may actually be gluten-free is subject to crosscontamination. Because there are no guarantees of any food being safe to eat, Rotiki sadly fails as a GF-dining option.

GPA: 2.49

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The Hustler’s picks: gluten-free treats It is easy to assume that baked goods without gluten aren’t even worthy of being considered baked goods, but Nashville has a number of bakeries that make gluten-free (GF) treats that are even tastier than the original versions. These local companies provide snacks that can be enjoyed by all, glutenintolerant or not, and they can be found in coffee shops and cafes throughout the city By Dana Alloy, Life reporter

Artemis Breads The Post East in East Nashville just opened in June and is one of the only places in the city where you can expect almost everything on the menu to be gluten-free or vegan. Between smoothies, pastries, breads, salads and sandwiches, this makes for a lot of options. All of the GF products are made by Artemis Breads, a wholesale bakery which operates within The Post East itself, supplying the shop with freshly baked sweets like “The Best Banana Bread” and cinnamon rolls. The Hustler’s pick: the Amazing Delicious Bar. Made of almonds, vegan chocolate and coconut, this bar expertly combines a crunchy base with a creamy, chocolatey top.

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2014

The Kind Cake The Kind Cake, the newest of Nashville’s allergen-free baked goods lines, creates frosted cupcakes in various flavors that are gluten, dairy, egg, soy and nut-free, and their creations are sold at Atmalogy, Kay Bob’s, Ugly Mugs and more. While their offerings aren’t as diverse as other local companies’, they have found what they do well and stick to it, and their unique branding includes a kind message in the packaging of each treat. Their cakes come in a variety of flavors including carrot cake, chocolate, ‘nana bread, vanilla and a seasonal specialty, Mississippi spice.

Vegan Vee

The Hustler’s pick: the Mississippi spice. All of The Kind Cake’s cupcakes taste just as good, if not better, than ones made with regular ingredients, but this signature Southern flavor has a kick that sets it apart from the other tried-andtrue classics. Photo by Dana Alloy/The Vanderbilt Hustler

Vegan Vee is a line of vegan and gluten-free goodies baked fresh daily and sold wholesale to many local establishments, such as Atmalogy and The Wild Cow. The line includes cookie sandwiches, muffins, brownies and more, and though allergy-friendly desserts are becoming more and more popular, Vegan Vee distinguishes itself by creating unique flavors, such as Pistachio Rosewater. All Vegan Vee treats are moist and dense, which is a welcome departure from most other attempts at GF and vegan desserts, and they taste just the same as their gluten-filled counterparts The Hustler’s pick: pumpkin chocolate chip muffin. This muffin is moist, fluffy and seasonally appropriate — what more could you ask for? Photo by Margaret Macon/ The Vanderbilt Hustler

LIFE

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2014

A novel pick START

I can handle more than a few pages

How’s your attention span?

November is National Novel Writing Month, but for those of you who don’t have time to author your own, The Hustler created a flowchart to help you find a classic you can curl up with to get in the spirit By Andrew Mathes, Life reporter and Priyanka Aribindi, Life editor ...get going into over-drive

When the going gets tough, the tough...

I don’t think it’s — look, a squirrel! What’s your order at Starbucks?

Earthlings

What’s your idea of romance?

Where do you go to hit the books?

What’s your TV drama of choice?

How do you prefer your characters? Aliens

’

Douglas Adams (1979): This English novel, the first of five, is considered a feat of comic writing. Beginning with the end of the world, it takes you on a journey through the universe on a spaceship with a intergalactic crew. If you liked “Guardians of the Galaxy,” you’ll like this (or watch the movie that was actually based on this book).

Scandal

A Nicholas Sparks novel 50 Shades of Grey Stevenson

Junot Diaz (2007): This Pulitzer Prize-winning contemporary novel about race and coming of age is an engaging read about a New Jersey nerd and his family. It’s also chock-full of science fiction and comics references if you need extra incentive for reading a 300-page novel.

William Faulkner (1930): Faulkner wrote this novel about a family’s journey to bury their mother. He does so through a stream of consciousness, and while switching between the 15 narrating characters can be challenging, it’s a rewarding read for those who can make it through.

...get going to bed

Black coffee

Pumpkin spice latte

Central

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Kurt Vonnegut (1963): “Cat’s Cradle” is a quick read, and its humorous satire and commentary on science and religion even earned Vonnegut a master’s degree in anthropology from the University of Chicago.

Ernest Hemingway (1929): Set against the backdrop of World War I, “A Farewell To Arms” is the story of a love affair between an American ex-pat and an English nurse, and its release catapulted Hemingway to his status as a literary legend.

House of Cards

Vladimir Nabokov (1955): “Lolita” has been controversial since its release because of its sexual and pedophilic themes, but the book is considered to be one of the best, most complex examples of modern literature.

Charlotte Bronte (1847): This Victorian novel is about an orphaned girl who becomes the governess for the daughter of the ultimate Byronic hero, Mr. Rochester. If the movie version was any indication, there’s some serious chemistry here.

Robert Penn Warren (1946): This novel follows the rising career of a governor and the young political reporter who becomes his right-hand man in a tale of politics and corruption. You just have to read it: It’s election season, and it was written by the guy half the buildings on campus have been named after.

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Answers to last week’s puzzle