The Vanderbilt Hustler 3-30-16

vanderbilthustler WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2016

VOL. 128, ISS. 11

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BEYOND THE STATISTIC A special issue featuring stories authored by survivors of sexual assault PAGE 2

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opinion

Letter from the project’s editors QUEEN STEVENSON is a junior in the School of Arts and Science and the Opinion Editor of the Vanderbilt Hustler. She can be reached at queen. o.stevenson@ vanderbilt.edu.

YOKO KANAI is a junior in the School of Engineering. She can be reached at yoko.m.kanai@ vanderbilt.edu.

The Opinion section serves to open up conversations that are uncomfortable, and to provide a platform to give students a voice. As Sexual Assault Awareness Month approaches in April, we hope that this special feature will shed light on the fact that sexual assault is a highly prevalent issue, even and especially at our beloved campus. We hope to give a voice to victims and survivors, and to help make an issue that is often portrayed with abstract statistics into something tangible and real — by sharing the actual experiences of our peers on campus. We hope to show that there is no singular, template “rape story.” Our stories are as diverse as we are, and they all deserve respect. And most of all, we’d like to reflect on the fact that the impact of violence goes beyond the incident itself.

These submissions represent a broad spectrum of experiences, from both undergraduate and graduate members of the Vanderbilt community. We see tales of guilt, of support, of trauma and recovery, of gaining the courage to speak out. In just our own campus, we have helped uncover ten very different stories that serve to touch upon the innumerable ways in which personal violence affects our lives and the world around us. As project editors, our own expectations of what it means to look, act and feel like a survivor of violence were challenged by these ten individuals, each complex and brave, yet wildly different.

Sexual assault is traumatic because it strips you of control over your own body. Someone else demands and exerts control over your most intimate parts, without your consent. Thus, the most important part of recovery is to regain that control and independence. Along every step of the way, we’ve been motivated by one major goal: to help survivors re-establish ownership over their own experiences. Too often, stories of sexual assault are told in stats and surveys; we wanted to go beyond the numbers and directly illuminate the power of the human perspective.

This project began as a brainchild of the Vanderbilt Student Government Sexual Assault Prevention committee (VSAP), spearheaded by committee member and Hustler columnist Yoko Kanai. Yoko and I established open lines of communication with each and every writer, the majority of the interactions taking place face-to-face and the rest over email. This project has been six months in the making, starting with a very simple idea: We don’t really know what it means to be a survivor of sexual violence on Vanderbilt’s campus — what if we could show people?

Through the tireless efforts of writers, editors and campus partners, we have been able to make this proposal a reality.

On behalf of Yoko and myself, we would like to extend our sincerest acknowledgments to the following individuals: Cara Tuttle Bell (Director of the Project Safe Center), Sheree Wright (General Counsel), Kevin Davis (General Counsel), Chris Carroll (Director of Student Media), and the VSAP committee for their support and legal counsel. Without their guidance and constant reassurance, this project would never have seen the light of day. From the bottoms of our hearts, thank you.

And to our ten writers: thank you for your beautiful stories. We have continually learned and changed as a result of this project, and we know others will as well. You are the true stars of this project, and we commend your bravery.

Queen Stevenson, Opinion Editor Yoko Kanai, Opinion Columnist Editor’s Note: The following stories contained in this essay series contain sensitive material and language. Content may present considerable triggers for sexual assault survivors.

vanderbilthustler EDITORIAL BOARD ALLIE GROSS, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF editor@vanderbilthustler.com

ZOE SHANCER

KARA SHERRER

NEWS EDITOR news@vanderbilthustler.com

LIFE EDITOR life@vanderbilthustler.com

QUEEN STEVENSON

BEN WEINRIB

OPINION EDITOR opinion@vanderbilthustler. com

SPORTS EDITOR sports@vanderbilthustler.com

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

The views expressed in lead editorials reflect the majority of opinion among The Hustler’s editorial board and may be supposed to represent the opinion of The Vanderbilt Hustler at the time of publication. They are not necessarily representative of any individual member.

Letters must be submitted either in person by the author to The Hustler office or via email to opinion@vanderbilthustler.com. Letters via email should come from a Vanderbilt email address where the identity of the sender is clear. With rare exception, all letters must be received by 2 p.m. on the Sunday prior to publication. The editor

reserves the right to edit and condense submissions for length as well as clarity.

Lengthy letters that focus on an issue affecting students may be considered for a guest column at the editor’s discretion.

All submissions become the property of The Hustler and must conform to the legal standards of Vanderbilt Student Communications, of which The Hustler is a division.

The Vanderbilt Hustler (ISSN 0042-2517), the official student newspaper of Vanderbilt University, is published every Wednesday during the academic year except during exam periods and vacations.

The paper is not printed during summer break.

The Vanderbilt Hustler allocates one issue of the newspaper to each student and is available at various points on campus for free.

Additional copies are $.50 each.

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

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stories of survival

-------------------By KELSEY CLINTON --------------------

’’

Support from other survivors gives me courage and comfort

W

henever I tell someone I was sexually assaulted, it’s like I’ve dimmed some internal switch controlling their body. Everything about them descends. The color drops from their face, their eyebrows knot downward in concern, their voice lowers a few decibels, and they get visibly smaller in front of me as they shrink with discomfort.

However, this only happens when I talk to people who have never experienced sexual assault. When I tell someone who has been sexually assaulted that I have been also, they grow stronger. The mutual connection of this terrible occurrence fills us with hope. There’s a little voice that says, here’s someone who can truly understand, from the perspective of empathy. Someone who knows what it’s like to lose your autonomy at the hands of another.

With people fortunate enough to not have experienced sexual assault, there’s often a question of “What happened?”

Followed by the realization that this may be an off-limits subject and then a quiet “... if you want to talk about it.” With a survivor, there’s no explanation required. They understand everything without my needing to say it. They understand the pain I feel, knowing someone stole a little bit of my innocence, eradicated that tiny trusting part of me that always believed in the good of people, and I will never fully get that back. They understand my shame afterward, and still now sometimes, like it was somehow my own fault, like I somehow asked him to take advantage of me, like somehow me saying no wasn’t a clear enough message.

They understand the inadequacy I felt for months; every time a guy would get angry because I didn’t feel comfortable letting him touch me, when I’d cut the date short because I couldn’t bear the thought of someone’s hands on my skin again. They understand why I believed for a very long time that I would never be able to fall in love or get married, because who would want to marry the damaged girl with intimacy issues? Who would want to fall in love with someone who would never be able to get physical beyond kissing?

They understand why that last semester, when the boy at the party tried to slip his hand up my skirt, I turned around and screamed in his face because to me, that touch wasn’t playful — it was a painful reminder of what happened, what could happen, and what does happen every day.

After my sexual assault, I convinced myself for a long time that it had been mutual. He told me I wanted it, so I must have wanted it, right? I ignored the fact that I’d told him no repeatedly, and the fact that I had physically removed his hand from my pants more than once, and focused on the fact that I didn’t leave. “I didn’t leave, so I must’ve wanted it,” is what I told myself. But that isn’t true. I didn’t leave because I was concerned that if I did, he would tell his friends I was a prude or a stuck-up bitch or psychotic, and I would be the bad guy. I was also concerned about losing him because I loved him and I thought he loved me. And if we were in love, it had to have been consensual. But it wasn’t. It was painful and degrading, but it wasn’t consensual. The silent crying in his bathroom afterward, the subsequent trips to the doctor because I had a UTI and vaginal tearing, the knowledge that I had no say in when I lost my virginity — those were not consensual. With the help of some supportive friends, I finally came to terms with what happened. I finally gathered the courage to talk honestly and openly about that night with both survivors and people who have never experienced sexual assault.

I wish I could say that I don’t get the chance to talk to fellow sexual assault survivors very often, but I’d be lying.

We are everywhere, whether you know it or not. We are an army, drafted against our will into service by a society that teaches girls to watch how they dress or act because that same society doesn’t teach boys that they can’t take some-

We are the army that has been called into service to fight this epidemic of sexual assault, but you can join too.

’’

thing that doesn’t belong to them just because they want it or just because it looks like fun. We are the army that has been called into service to fight this epidemic of sexual assault, but you can join too.

You can help fight this war by speaking up when you see something that doesn’t seem right, and speaking out against this rape culture that finds it easier to blame the victim than to hold the perpetrator accountable. You can also help by supporting and listening to us. Some of us are ready and willing to share our stories, but some of us are still trapped in the silence of fear, shame and anger. Some of us hide behind smiles and jokes because we don’t want to admit what happened to us. Just know that even when we aren’t ready to speak up, we are there, fighting our own internal battle against self-blame and denial. Be ready to listen when we finally reclaim our voice.

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special feature

-------------------By SYDNEY SILBERMAN --------------------

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‘I’m not the problem’

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e know the numbers.

1 in 5 cisgender women will be sexually assaulted during her college career.

1 in 16 cisgender men will be sexually assaulted during his college career.

1 in 4 transgender individuals have experienced sexual assault since enrolling in college.

These statistics plague individuals across the nation — invading their thoughts, contributing to their fears and preventing them from feeling as though they can fully live their lives the way they want to. These numbers, repeatedly presented in articles and plastered over timelines and feeds, drive individuals to address the issue of sexual violence on campuses across the nation and globe. Especially at Vanderbilt.

Students are disgusted and upset by these numbers. At this moment, Vanderbilt is at its activist peak: The number of students, faculty members and organizations working towards making positive cultural and systemic changes is the highest it’s ever been. Initiatives aren’t being shot at administration via ball machines; it’s a back-and-forth game between students and faculty — a game students are proving they can win.

But it’s not always this easy. The difficulties associated with activism aren’t always related to the time and effort it takes to effectively implement change on Vanderbilt’s campus; anyone who is a member of a group or an organization knows this. The students working towards these cultural and systemic changes know the numbers — they’re angry and in pain over this issue, both its presence on Vanderbilt’s campus and in the world as a whole. Sometimes, though, involved students have personal connections to the issue.

I’m one of those students, and I have my own set of numbers that reside in the back of my mind, tormenting me.

I was raped on Dec. 5, 2014. It’s been over 475 days and I’m still not comfortable with this statement. I’m not comfortable using the word “rape” when it applies to me in general.

This is something I won’t ever forget, but this is also something I have no control over. It happened. That’s it. I can’t go back in time and change this. I can’t get back the time I’ve spent convincing myself it was my fault and I had no reason to feel guilty and upset. I can’t pretend this hasn’t exacerbated the problems I’ve developed after being the target of domestic abuse for almost 10 years. I can’t re-live my college experience — the college experience I intended to have and was so excited for.

Maybe if I had known what I know now, I wouldn’t have let myself be stepped on by the EAD. I reported the incident on April 13, 2015, four months after the incident. It took me four months to realize my feelings of guilt and sadness weren’t going away, and even then I wasn’t fully convinced what happened wasn’t my fault. Overall, I’m thankful I reported the incident, but the investigation itself was almost as traumatic as the reason for it. After a total of 325 days — which consists of the original investigation and the formal appeal process — I was told there was insufficient evidence to conclude that the individual was in violation of Vanderbilt’s Sexual Misconduct Policy. Twice.

It’s done. Over. I’ve reached a dead end. There’s nothing left I can do or say to make the university recognize that what he did was wrong and violated their own policy. When the university stole my remaining hope for justice, the security blanket I’ve had draped around my shoulders for years was stolen, too.

As each trauma-filled year passes, the list of “Sydney’s Problems” gets longer and longer. My arm twitches whenever I get anxious. I jump whenever there’s a loud noise or someone surprises me from behind. Sleeping well is nearly

Not treating each and every human equally and with respect is the problem.

’’

impossible, even on the nights I don’t have bad dreams. The ability to concentrate isn’t an option either. Things that once meant the world to me, such as reading and going out with friends, no longer appeal to me. I’m not sure if a positive future is even an option. I don’t feel in control anymore.

Out of all of my problems, though, the most significant one is that, to this day, I tell myself I’m the problem. I’m not the problem. The individual who assaulted me is the problem. The EAD investigation process is the problem.

Vanderbilt culture is the problem. Not wanting to be seen as “one of those schools” is the problem. Rape culture is the problem. Lack of proper education about consent in sex education is the problem. Entitlement is the problem. Forcing people to believe they have to engage in hookup culture is the problem.

Not treating each and every human equally and with respect is the problem.

At this time in my life, all I can say is this: I don’t know. I don’t know when I’ll be better, if I’ll be better, or how I can get better quickly. I’m taking each day at a time and working through it slowly. But, regardless of where I’m at in my life, I will never resign from my position as a member of the Vanderbilt community. I can’t do anything to change what happened to me, but the students on this campus can certainly implement change to prevent others from sharing these experiences.

I’m not okay, but the Vanderbilt community will help me get there.

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stories of survival

’’

His popularity was not my consent I

always found it odd that, when discussing how men don’t have the right to a woman’s body, I never assumed that a man would try to claim the right to mine. As a man, most people don’t believe you can be sexually assaulted. As a gay man, most people would say you got lucky. I don’t know about other people, but the fact that I can only remember bits of that night doesn’t seem very lucky.

I remember being at just another pregame, trying to keep up with friends taking shots. But even before we left for the party, I knew I was well past mildly intoxicated. I came out to these people, and even ended up telling them a few secrets.

I kept myself near another gay guy I met at the pregame.

After arriving at the party, he immediately took me upstairs to get another drink. We danced, we kissed, I took another sip. Eventually he asked me to go back to his place, to which I replied: “I’m not sure. I don’t want to mess things up with this other guy I’m talking to.”

He looked at me with confusion and continued to dance with me. I finished my second drink, my third drink, and he would ask two more times to take this back to his room. I kept my response, and I remember almost falling down the stairs as he led me by hand to be served another drink. I remember asking them to serve me less alcohol; he responded

with a sarcastic smirk as his friend poured more into my cup.

I don’t remember making it down the stairs. I don’t remember leaving the party. I remember him leading me by hand across a street. I remember my clothes being off. I remember slight music. I remember him getting on top of me. I don’t remember getting home.

I woke up confused. I didn’t know where I was or what had happened to me. Seeing people from the party only increased my confusion: I was greeted with praise, instead of answers. I felt uncomfortable and nauseated. Some told me that I needed to pursue this “connection.” Since they were older, I followed what I felt was their best advice. I thought, “Maybe I’m thinking about this wrong. Maybe I should be happy about this.” I even tried asking him to get coffee to see if it would make me feel better. He didn’t want that. I didn’t want that.

Still, even my close friends do not know what happened. I tried to avoid him as much as possible, and did my best until we found ourselves in the same circles, and I was forced to be around him. It was hard to tell people I was uncomfortable being near him when they loved him. It wasn’t until I was crying in a restroom almost two years later that I had a few mutual friends actually try to understand my situation. Instead of telling more people, I have just been waiting silently for him to go away. I was scared people would not believe me because he seems harmless, because I was drinking, because of the way I was dancing, or because I left with him. But, none of that was my consent. My sexuality is not my consent. I don’t remember giving my consent.

’’

-------------------By SAL MIRANDA --------------------

I was greeted with praise, instead of answers.

’’

Facing the stigma of self-shaming -------------------By ANONYMOUS --------------------

A

s a junior, freshman year feels like it happened long ago — freedom from home, parties every week and always meeting new, interesting people. As an extrovert and a girl who loves a good time, I was thrilled. I went out and I made it my goal to be best friends with as many people on campus as possible. I met and befriended a tall, handsome athlete who lived in my dorm. We would hang out occasionally; we were vastly different but conversation flowed easily. If his friends came around to chill he would pull me onto his lap — I always left before it went any further.

A night in the fall, I enjoyed a few too many drinks at an off-campus party and stumbled back into my dorm. I staggered up to my friend’s room to gossip about the happenings of the night and binge on lukewarm pizza rolls. After struggling through starting the microwave I tottered into the hall to fill a much needed glass of water, and there at the drinking fountain was my athlete friend. I enthusiastically began chatting with him and he invited me back to his room to listen to a song he thought I would like. He tells me to sit down on the bed as he puts the song on then jumps up next to me.

I sway along and laughingly confess that I am thoroughly

I am far from an innocent girl, but innocence is not a requirement for basic human rights.

’’

wasted. He does not respond. He pushes my shoulders and I stare up at the spinning ceiling.

He kisses me. I kiss him back. He shoves his hand up my shirt and grabs at me. I turn away from him and tell him my pizza rolls are probably ready. He does not respond. I tell

him I want to leave. He does not respond. I say please. He forces his mouth on mine and I am silenced. He pulls down my pants and his are somehow already down. He shoves himself inside of me. I push against him with all my force but the tall athlete is strong and weighs much more than I do — who would have guessed?

He walks me back to my friend’s room. I am crying but I am unsure when the tears started. My friend opens the door and asks what happened. The athlete tells him he has no idea and I just start crying. He leaves. I cannot speak at all. I cry in my friend’s room for the rest of the night. I do not tell my friends what happened for many months.

As a junior, freshman year feels like it happened long ago but that night is often on my mind. Years later I still struggle with blaming and shaming myself for what happened. I should not have flirted, I should not have been drunk, I should have fought him off harder than I did. This awful self-shaming is a result of society telling women that rape isn’t rape if she led the man on with her suggestive or even seductive ways. The damage of this stigma has impacted me more than the night itself. I never reported what happened and even many of my good friends still do not know. I am far from an innocent girl, but innocence is not a requirement for basic human rights.

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special feature

-------------------By ANONYMOUS --------------------

’’

‘This is how society treats rape victims’

M

y personal hell has become never-ending. Months ago, someone I knew and trusted raped me in my apartment. The shock of the trauma caused such severe mental and physical impairment that I walked into the Psychological and Counseling Center (PCC) three days later and got help. A group of brilliantly supportive women at the PCC, Student Health and Project Safe helped me navigate the immediate repercussions of the crisis. For them, I am eternally grateful.

However, as soon as I went to the ER to get a rape kit and report the assault, the support vanished and I was treated like a liar. After being put in a room, a doctor came in and told me he had called the specialty nurse who needed to perform the examination. Then Vanderbilt police came in.

After telling them what happened, they called in the Metro police. During questioning, one of the officers told me, “You need to be sure this is a real rape because we could send him to prison.” I was also asked questions about my reaction to being raped insinuating that I had not done enough to try and stop it. Nonetheless, I showed the officers text messages of a conversation my rapist and I had before the incident where he indicated that he knew I wasn’t comfortable having sex at this point in our relationship. I also told them that I had verbally said no and pushed him away several times as I was being assaulted. Apparently this wasn’t very good evidence of a lack of consent and I was repeatedly asked if I wanted to move forward. Finally, my case was assigned to a sex crimes detective, who then came to visit me in the ER. After re-questioning me about the assault, he proceeded to lecture me on how I needed to be more assertive and value myself more. I was discouraged from pressing charges since I didn’t have concrete evidence. Six hours later I left the ER without having received a rape kit.

I set up a meeting with the detective a week later at his office downtown. We did a controlled phone call, during which I called my rapist and confronted him while the detective listened in on the line. We needed him to admit there wasn’t consent, otherwise, my case was futile. Unsurprisingly, he fervently denied that our encounter wasn’t consensual and called me crazy and insane. The detective then told me I could press charges if I wanted to, but since he wouldn’t admit to anything my case would be nothing more than wasted time. He reminded me to value myself and be more assertive.

I left the office and gave up on the justice system.

But my nightmare was far from over. I developed severe post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) from living in the apartment where I was assaulted. I was getting two hours of sleep a night and when I did sleep, I had vivid, terrifying nightmares. I was delirious and unable to function during the day. As a graduate student, my professional life was crumbling, as I could hardly be productive at work. I somehow managed to continue living in the apartment for four months while receiving treatment, but my sleep wasn’t improving. Finally, I decided that I couldn’t live there anymore, and with permission from my department, I broke my lease, gave up my stipend, and moved to another state to live with my parents. I began seeing a new therapist and living off my savings account. I was then financially mistreated by that medical office due to their predatory business practices, and have stopped seeing a therapist due to my lack of income.

This week I received a bill for my ER visit back in September to get the rape kit. I called my insurance company and was told that rape was not a valid reason to go to the ER. I am appealing this decision.

There isn’t a single day that goes by that I am not affected by the assault. It affects every aspect of my life. My saving graces have been an incredibly supportive group of family and friends who have helped me through this relentless

After re-questioning me about the assault, he proceeded to lecture me on how I needed to be more assertive and value myself more. I was discouraged from pressing charges since I didn’t have concrete evidence.

’’

ordeal. I have managed to pick up the shambles of my career and write my thesis and find a job. I am under substantial financial stress due to being unemployed. On a personal level, I have struggled with forming relationships, even friendships with men. PTSD rears its ugly head in unexpected ways and I do my best to cope. But none of this would be as hellish if the infrastructures of society would validate my assault. Not only will my rapist refuse to admit his wrongdoing, but the justice system and medical systems have both failed me.

At this point I no longer care about justice, I just want to be left alone to move on with my life. When will this waking nightmare be over?

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7

stories of survival

’’

My stolen childhood hen I pass by a group of young schoolchildren, I always smile at their carefree exuberance. They’re just learning to read, just learning to write, but already veterans at having fun. That’s their job. Children skip and jump and chase each other around, wearing their emotions on their sleeve, with nary a shred of self-consciousness.

I see this mindset carried over into many of the Vanderbilt undergraduates. As a member of the graduate community, I see these young men and women as studious and committed, and yet their childhood exuberance extends strongly into their nascent adulthood, helping them along as they begin the long road of adjustments towards the real-world burdens of self-sufficiency, responsibility and careers.

It’s that ability to forget oneself in the moment — to trust so completely in one’s surroundings that all you feel is joy at being alive — that I miss the most. “Miss” might be a poor word at this point in my life: My having such a blithe mindset is but a memory of a memory of a memory.

I was seven. A second-grader. He was a neighbor. Bigger and older, but still a kid himself. Someone I, of course, thought I could trust. He took me into the trees behind his house. In an instant, the weightless exhilaration of childhood and discovery was pinned beneath the inexorable, crushing weight of fear, self-consciousness and self-loathing.

I hated myself. Why did I let that happen? I shouldn’t have let that happen. I was now a Bad Boy, and this was much worse than when I broke a window that one time, in innocence. This was something about which I’d have to answer

In an instant, the weightless exhilaration of childhood and discovery was pinned beneath the inexorable, crushing weight of fear, selfconsciousness and selfloathing.

’’

to menacing panels of serious men in uniforms, and even to God Himself.

I hated my neighbor. Why did he do that to me? He was a friend. He shouldn’t have done that.

I hated my family. Family events became a blur, as people laughed and talked and played around, while I stayed to myself, no one ever around me. People muttered, “The kid’s just introverted.” I just hoped for enough peace of mind to forget myself in a book or a game, even if for just a little while.

A victim’s guilt I

-------------------By ANONYMOUS --------------------

remember, I think, I forget. Therefore, I am. FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK. Guilty.

Sitting, watching people walk by — I suddenly become aware of my breathing. Am I breathing too little? Sit straight.

Shuffle. Look busy. Adjust my hair.

I realize I’m not breathing enough so I swallow in as much air as my flared nostrils can take in without making myself look like a yogi. I try to shake it off but I can’t because suddenly everything that I’m doing in that moment becomes oddly connected to my breath.

You did this to me.

You were kicked out of school. Justice, whatever the fuck that word is supposed to mean, prevailed. Some would say.

Me? I don’t fucking know.

You fucked up my sense of boundaries.

“Is this man trying something? Am I being paranoid?”

Wait, let me backtrack — “Not everyone is out there to get me.”

I FUCKING KNOW THAT BUT I CAN’T HELP IT. AND YOU DID THIS. I typed ‘I hate you’ five times before I erased it because I don’t know if I do. Do I hate you? I barely even know you.

It took me less than five minutes to move from acceptance to guilt to anger to guilt again. You make me feel guilty. I took away your Vanderbilt degree for doing that to me. I think.

Did your actions warrant being stripped away from your education? I took away the opportunities that you could’ve had with this degree, the places you could’ve gone, the great things you could’ve done because I couldn’t be okay with what happened. Maybe if I had just learned how to deal with the night. I mean, some would say that, because of one night, I took away your life.

My best friend says it’s different. She says you deserved it. I want to believe her. FUCK, HOW BADLY DO I WISH TO BELIEVE HER. But sometimes sitting, watching people walk by, I suddenly become aware of what happened. Am I breathing too little? Take deeper breaths. Sit straight. Shuffle.

Look busy. Adjust my hair.

It’s not your fault.

I hated my parents. Why didn’t they protect me? And why can’t they see there’s something wrong now? I was afraid to tell them, afraid of the consequences. And now they aren’t here for me. They don’t even notice or care. Here I am, sitting at the same dinner table, and yet these two pillars of my existence are now as distant and foreign as the ruined pillars of the original Parthenon.

It’s that chasm to which I can trace back a lot of my difficulties in adulthood. From that moment onward, the entire world was a looming threat. I was alone. Books were my escape. Through them I could be free to experience the joys and excitement of life, without subjecting myself to the risks.

All I had to do was close — and lock — my door.

I’ve done fine, professionally. I’ve succeeded in many disparate areas. I sometimes feel like I’ve dramatically underachieved my abilities, but don’t know if that is reality, or just my splintered self-image rearing its ugly head.

I never went to prom. My life has been a series of failed and stillborn relationships. Relationships require trust, openness and familiarity, components for which the opportunities to establish are proffered and whisked away by the maelstrom of normal social interaction in the blink of an eye.

But I am resilient. I have mentored many children towards hopefully having much healthier, happier and more fulfilling lives. I am on a very positive career trajectory that I hope will allow me to reach out and help as many children as possible.

I am on the search for a patient partner with whom I can share this life goal. And with whom I may even be able to forget myself.

I am worth it. As are the millions of abused kids who may not yet know it.

’’

W

-------------------By ANONYMOUS --------------------

It took me less than five minutes to move from acceptance to guilt to anger to guilt again.

’’

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special feature

-------------------By ANONYMOUS --------------------

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The sexual assault conversation must include all experiences

I

arrived at Vanderbilt just two months after our extremely public rape incident, in the midst of an emerging national conversation about sexual assault on college campuses. Even within my first few weeks on campus, I was inundated with online modules, Green Dot stickers and posters in my dorm denouncing “sex without consent.” As a survivor of sexual abuse in middle and high school, I really did appreciate this positive messaging.

However, in every documentary I watched, awareness training I took part in and PR campaign I witnessed, not once did I see my story represented. With all of the conversation about campus sexual assault, there was not one mention of students who were assaulted before they got to college.

The increased attention paid to sexual assault is a promising sign of a larger culture shift on our campus, but we must recognize that all survivors’ stories have equal importance in order to truly make this change. The recent Campus Climate Survey was the first time I had seen any acknowledgment that a significant number of students experience sexual assault before they come to Vanderbilt (17.5 percent of all survey respondents, and 20.3 percent of undergraduate females — the category I fall into). Administrators and fellow students alike seemed shocked by this statistic. Their reaction compelled me to share my story, in order to ensure that my perspective is no longer silenced.

I was twelve years old when I met my assailant; he was two years older. As an innocent, self-conscious, bullied girl who had never so much as held hands with a boy, his initial attention flattered me and made me feel special. Over the course of the next few months, his attention grew less doting and more obsessive. I became his “Lolita.” He would send me his vulgar, erotic fantasies when I was too naive to even know what he was describing.

All the while, he became extremely controlling. He cut me off from all of my family and friends, threatening to kill himself if I told anyone what was happening. By the time I turned thirteen, his thoughts turned into actions, and he began molesting me on an almost daily basis. I began to believe it was normal to want to scream, cry, burn my clothes and shower after every sexual encounter. Through controlling tactics and extreme manipulation, I felt too trapped to speak out and too alone to turn against him. Almost two years after we first met, his physical abuse culminated with him forcefully and violently raping me, gagging me as tears streamed down my face and I gave up trying to say no.

After I was raped, I was finally driven to cut off all communication with him, but vowed that I would never tell anyone.

His threats still imprisoned me and convinced me that it was all my fault for not stopping him before his behavior got that far. I began exhibiting symptoms — later diagnosed as PTSD — that made me think I was crazy, that my body was punishing me for what I had done.

With every panic attack or flood of anxiety, I cut off more and more communication with my loved ones and sought refuge in my schoolwork and the promise of leaving for college in just a few years. Everywhere I went contained some sort of trigger, and I felt like I couldn’t escape my own skin.

It wasn’t until a sociology class my senior year of high school that I finally learned the definition of consent and realized what had truly happened to me.

When I came to college, I vowed to pretend that nothing had ever happened, and hoped that my crippling anxiety would vanish in this new setting. It did for a few months, but by that spring, the PTSD came back as a whole new monster, now taking the form of depression. I self-medicated by staying as busy as possible, loading up my schedule so that I never had a free minute to reflect on what was happening to

I felt too trapped to speak out and too alone to turn against him.

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me, slowly losing control of my life. I drank too much and ate too little, always consumed by the need to escape my past.

By the summer after freshman year, this all had taken an extreme downward spiral. I got a little too drunk at a party one night, went home with a male friend and woke up with bruises around my neck and an inescapable ache all over my body. I had, once more, been sexually assaulted. My first thought upon realizing this was that I had assumed sexual assault was like chicken pox, that once you had been through that trauma you were immune from another attack — irrational as that sounds. My second thought was that at least it happened to me rather than someone else, since I had already learned how to handle it.

What I didn’t realize is that the effects of assault do not occur rationally, nor do they occur in isolation. All of the pain and anger I had suppressed since my rape five years earlier resurfaced with a vengeance. I became addicted to selfharm, extremely reckless, and yet so depressed that I often could not get out of bed. Being assaulted again was the ultimate trigger. As I began to open up to more friends and seek the necessary support, I finally began to feel comfortable in my own skin and envision a future that was better than my past. This experience made me realize how important it was to actually talk about and process what I had experienced so many years ago. I finally began truly opening up about what had happened, and finally started to heal.

This brings me back to the reason why I made the vulnerable, terrifying choice to write down and share my story publicly (albeit anonymously). After sharing my story at last year’s Spectrum Survivor Speak-Out, one individual approached me afterwards and thanked me for what I said. She explained that she had been through a similar experience in middle school, but didn’t think her story “counted” since she was so young and no one ever talks about experiences like that.

I don’t know exactly how many people reading this have been through the same thing as that girl and me, but I do know that no one should ever feel like their story doesn’t count. By sharing this story, I am begging you all to change that. We need to open up the conversation about sexual assault to be inclusive of everyone’s experiences. We need to provide ample resources for any Vanderbilt student that was assaulted before coming to college, during their time here, or both. We owe it to every survivor out there to listen to their story and tell them they matter.

It has now been eight years since I met my assaulter and six years since I was raped, but I still experience nightmares that he is coming to find me. My heart still jumps every time I hear a name that sounds remotely close to his, and I still have flashbacks when I think of that time in my life. I may not be able to control those effects, but I can try to change the narrative surrounding sexual assault. We need to erase any messages that encourage silence and fill that space with hope, healing, and empowerment. Only then will all survivors be able to feel like their voice is heard, and only then will everyone know the power of their story.

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stories of survival

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Sexual assault doesn’t always mean rape Every time I tell the story of my sexual assault, I find that this is how I start: “I was sexually assaulted. But it wasn’t rape. Or attempted rape.” I find myself qualifying what happened, for fear that people have been so conditioned to see rape as the only form of sexual assault that I must prepare them to hear a different story.

I was sexually assaulted in the fall of my first year at Vanderbilt. I had gone out to a party with some friends to blow off steam after a really difficult day. On the way back we started talking to some fellow first-years on the Vandy Van. I made the choice to make out with one of the guys on the van — not my finest choice, but if the events of the night had ended there I wouldn’t be writing this piece. I consented to kissing, but by no means does a kiss count as consent for anything else. As we got off the van, our group decided to take a picture.

We stood in a group and I held my phone to take the photo. I felt a hand grab my vagina unexpectedly, and pushed it away. The hand went away, I remained where I stood, but two hands came back in its stead. The hands grabbed at my breasts, and I did not know what to do. I never asked to be touched, and yet there these hands were. In the time it took to take two selfies, I felt myself being violated and grabbed at. I tried to leave once the photo was done but my friends, who had noticed nothing, were talking to several boys. As they tried to convince us to visit the Munchie Mart with them, I couldn’t wait any longer and I ran back towards my

The fact that what I experienced was so traumatic and yet doesn’t read as automatically identifiable as sexual assault is incredibly problematic.

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room as one friend followed me. As I got ready for bed that night, I texted one of the friends who was there: “his friend grabbed my vagina when we took a selfie which is not okay.”

The next day I cried as I walked to class, texting my best friend from camp as I tried to process what happened. It was she who pointed out to me that what occurred was more than just “not okay,” that the reason I was feeling so uncomfortable was because I had been sexually assaulted.

The fact that what I experienced was so traumatic and yet doesn’t read as automatically identifiable as sexual assault is incredibly problematic. This notion — that my experience wasn’t legitimate — persisted even through my process of

Victim blaming has broken me -------------------By ANONYMOUS --------------------

A

fter it happened to me, I immediately noticed how often our society blames the victim. And every time I hear someone blame the victim, I feel my body break a little more.

When he tried to rape me, I went into shock. I couldn’t move. I couldn’t yell. I couldn’t kick or hit or push. I shut down. I sounded like a zombie, saying “no” over and over again. But he wouldn’t stop. He pinned me down. He slid one hand up my shirt and another down my pants. He only stopped when he heard footsteps outside. He pulled his pants back up and pretended like nothing had happened.

And so did I. I was ashamed. I was embarrassed. I was disgusted — not with him, but with myself. If I didn’t scream for help or put up a fight, then I must have wanted it. I must have consented. It must have been my fault.

These were all things I had heard before: online, in the news, in person. They were now engraved in my head. I was the victim, and I was blaming myself, just like everyone around me was doing.

I didn’t report what happened. I didn’t even tell someone until a couple of months had gone by. My psychologist explained to me that fight or flight aren’t the only two options when it comes to escaping danger; sometimes, we just freeze. We wait for the danger to go away. And then we are left to pick up the broken pieces and move on.

I did not report the man who sexually assaulted me. I did not want to be told I was a liar. I did not want to be told it was my fault. I did not want to spend years fighting a battle that, more than likely, I would lose. But every day, I wonder if he will hurt someone else. Every day I wonder if, by reporting him, I could have prevented it from happening again.

And every day I wish our culture wasn’t so cruel towards victims; that our justice system wasn’t so flawed. If my story helps to solve either of these problems in any way, then maybe I can put all of this behind me and move on.

reporting to the EAD. I felt as though the EAD was treating cases according to a hierarchy of trauma, because I felt like my case wasn’t taken as seriously. This notion persisted as I watched movies like “The Hunting Ground” and “It Happened Here,” as I saw portrayals of case after case of violent rape, but not a single instance of sexual assault that even reminded me of my story. And worse yet, it persists in my mind each and every day as these experiences lead me to question if I have the right to be upset, the right to be traumatized by what happened last fall.

Until recently, I have felt isolated — that I was the only one experiencing this form of sexual assault. The experience left me feeling incredibly alienated, wishing that someone else would speak out about a similar event so I would feel less alone. However, stories like this are not addressed by the media or even by activists despite the data proving that such instances happen all across college campuses. I’ve constantly victim-blamed myself, believing lies such as “If only I was less drunk or hadn’t chosen to kiss that guy,” “Why didn’t I run,” “I’m probably just overreacting, reporting was unnecessary” and “I shouldn’t feel this much when other acts are so much worse.”

I knew what had happened to me was wrong and that my pain was valid. I knew I had done nothing to cause this, and yet I raged a constant battle to convince my emotions that that was the truth. I wish that feeling upon no one. And I hope by sharing my story there is someone out there feeling a little less alone, feeling like their experience is just a little more recognized.

’’

-------------------By SARA STARR --------------------

I was ashamed. I was embarrassed. I was disgusted — not with him, but with myself. If I didn’t scream for help or put up a fight, then I must have wanted it.

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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2016

special feature

Sexual assault on campus: reporting and resources A look into Vanderbilt’s current reporting and investigation processes that follow a sexual assault

By ANNA BUTRICO Web editor --------------------

Vanderbilt’s 2015 Campus Climate Survey found that only 34 percent of students understand the formal procedures for investigating sexual violence. Here are some common questions and answers that attempt to demystify the reporting policies and procedures.

WHAT IS THE PROJECT SAFE CENTER? WHERE IS IT, AND HOW DO I ACCESS IT?

The Project Safe building is located by the Old Gym Admissions Office on 304 West Side Row. It’s by Towers 1, behind McGill House, in a row of brick buildings, adjacent to the K.C. Potter Center. Their office is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Their hotline is available 24/7 and can be reached at 615-322-SAFE (7233).

The Project Safe Center, under the direction of Cara Tuttle Bell, has three Prevention Educator/Victim Resources specialists. The Prevention Educator facet of that title is about campus programming: These specialists run Green Dot Bystander Intervention Training sessions and host Effective Consent Informational Programs, Survivor Solidarity Workshops and programs like the Escalation Workshop on how to effectively navigate relationships. The Victim Resource part of their job is to support any person affected by power-based personal violence.

“A lot of times folks think that Project Safe is just a resource for students who have experienced sexual assault, which absolutely we are, but we also do a lot of other things.

[We support] any student who is currently, or has been, in a dating violence or a domestic violence relationship, students experiencing any kind of harassment, students experiencing stalking… any kind of sexual violence. So it doesn’t have to be rape, it can be other forms of sexual assault as well,” said Sarah Jordan Welch, a Prevention Educator and Victim Resource Specialist.

The Project Safe Center will also help students who are in relationships that they’re unhappy with. Welch says she assists students through the ends of abusive relationships and students who have had photos posted on the Internet without their consent.

Additionally, Project Safe assists students in getting housing reassignments after an instance of power-based personal violence. The Project Safe Center can prompt stay-away orders. These orders are not punitive; they simply mandate that those two people cannot have contact with one another: students can’t send messages or have friends

attempt to communicate for them. These stay-away orders only become punitive when they are broken. The Project Safe Center also provides academic accommodations, such as rescheduling an exam or pushing back deadlines. They can assist a student in obtaining Dean’s notifications during that time.

The Project Safe Center is also available for hospital accompaniment.

“If a student has experienced assault and wants a rape kit or a sexual assault exam, we will meet them at Vanderbilt hospital and help them through that process as well,” Welch said.

The center also ensures that students are connected with resources, whether that be ongoing help through student health services or assisting students to meet with either the chaplain or an ongoing therapist at the PCC. The Project Safe Center doesn’t just help those who have been directly affected by power-based personal violence; they will also assist friends and family of survivors to support their loved ones through trauma.

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A PRIVATE AND A CONFIDENTIAL RESOURCE?

The majority of the resources on campus are private resources. These resources are typically mandated reporters, which means they are required to relay any information they receive about sexual assault to Vanderbilt’s Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action and Disabilities Service Center (EAD).

This information provided to the EAD will be used to gather statistical information about sexual assault cases (to detect patterns and ensure campus safety) and potentially utilized if the EAD decides to launch an investigation.

A confidential resource, however, does not have to relay this information about an incident to campus authorities — unless, as Welch said, “you are thinking of harming yourself or someone else, or if there is a larger threat to campus.”

These larger threats to campus include information about serial perpetrators who repeatedly instigate cases of powerbased personal violence.

Currently, the three confidential resources on campus are the Psychological Counseling Center, Student Health Services and a university chaplain acting in the capacity of a chaplain. If a chaplain is teaching a class, then he or she is considered a professor (and therefore a mandated reporter).

The Project Safe Center, in the fall of 2016, will be designated a limited confidential resource as well. A limited confidential resource will keep a student’s identity anonymous, but will relay statistical information about the sexual assault to the EAD for safety purposes.

WHAT IS TITLE IX?

Title IX is a federal law that’s part of the Education Amendments of 1972. It says that “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.”

Title IX was intended to prohibit discrimination based on sex at educational institutions that receive federal funding — which includes Vanderbilt. This law is commonly known for aiming to create tolerant classroom environments and for funding college athletics. Title IX has since been reinterpreted by the courts to include sexual assault on campus as a form of sex-based discrimination, requiring colleges to investigate and adjudicate reports of sexual assault. If a student has been sexually assaulted, the student may claim that they cannot take advantage of their university environment, according to Robin Wilson in the Chronicle of Higher Education’s report on campus sexual assault.

“If colleges don’t handle such reports promptly and fairly, they may be blamed for violating the rights of alleged victims and creating a hostile environment for learning according to the U.S. Department of Education, which is charged with enforcing the law,” wrote Wilson.

Welch says that Title IX coordinators (whose responsibilities are to investigate sexual assault cases) are housed within the EAD to ensure all students an accepting academic environment.

“A student should be able to exist on this campus, learn, have access to education and university activities and not be hindered by experiences of sexual violence, specifically,” Welch said.

Vanderbilt is currently under investigation by the federal Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights for potential violations in the Title IX policy.

WHAT IS THE EAD?

Vanderbilt’s Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action and Disability Services Center (EAD) is housed in Suite 808 in the Baker Building, across the street from Warren and Moore Colleges. Within the EAD center is a Title IX coordinator. This team conducts investigations after a student has experienced instances of sexual assault under specific circumstances: when they receive information from either the student themselves or from a mandated reporter, and if they have sufficient identification information to look further into a student’s assault.

The EAD, if given sufficient identification about a

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stories of survival

victim-survivor of sexual assault, may choose to conduct an investigation. Additionally, they may reach out to the perpetrator if they receive that information. Regardless of if a victim-survivor wants the EAD to conduct an investigation, or if they want the EAD to even reach out to the perpetrators, the EAD often must follow through with the process in order to uphold Title IX requirements. However, a victim-survivor can choose not to be a part of an investigation launched by the EAD.

tatives from Project Safe, the EAD office, all four undergraduate colleges within the university, as well as members from the Nursing School, the Owen School of Management and the Divinity School.

After the 2015 Campus Climate Survey was released in January of this year, the Task Force created a list of recommendations for the university to combat the problem.

WHAT IS THE CLERY ACT?

While the EAD office conducts the investigations, the Office of Student Accountability has the authority to charge and sanction students. Once the EAD has determined a verdict to the cases, the Office of Student Accountability will deliver the consequences.

The Office of Student Accountability has standard policies that determine that certain actions will receive certain consequences to ensure consistency and fairness. In addition, these policies also set expectations for the student body and give them an idea of the consequences of these actions.

The Clery Act, signed in 1990, requires that college campuses report information about crimes on campus. They must disclose this information and are legally enforced to do so by the United States Department of Education.

Many of Vanderbilt’s resources are mandated reporters in order to comply with the Clery Act. Project Safe’s designationdistinction as a limited confidential resource, in the fall of 2016, will ensure that Vanderbilt is still upholding its Title IX and Clery requirements. The Project Safe Center will still disclose the legally required statistical information, while being able to keep the identities of the victim-survivors confidential from the EAD upon request.

WHAT IS VSAP?

Vanderbilt’s Sexual Assault Prevention Committee (known as VSAP) is housed within Vanderbilt Student Government. This grassroots student committee is brand new this year, and is now led by senior Kait Spear. The committee is composed of 11 undergraduate students and has 2 main initiatives: to publicize the national “It’s On Us” campaign and to create a Student Perspective Report that is an exhaustive analysis of current EAD reporting and investigation processes and current campus policies. This will be released in early to mid-April.

WHAT IS THE PROVOST’S TASK FORCE FOR SEXUAL ASSAULT?

Provost Susan Wente convened the Task Force, composed of 18 faculty members, to help tackle the issue of sexual assault on Vanderbilt’s campus. The task force has represen-

WHAT ROLE DOES STUDENT ACCOUNTABILITY PLAY IN THIS PROCESS?

HOW DOES THE UNIVERSITY INVESTIGATION PROCESS DIFFER FROM A CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION PROCESS?

The EAD’s investigation process is completely separate from the police investigation process. Students may choose to file a criminal investigation after a sexual assault on their own. They can contact law enforcement separately from the university if they wish to pursue this criminal investigation.

These criminal investigations typically take longer than oncampus EAD investigations.

Vanderbilt University does not wait for the outcome of a criminal investigation before it conducts its own investigation. The investigations may go on concurrently, or a student may choose to undergo a criminal investigation before or after the university has concluded their investigation.

The EAD looks for violations in Vanderbilt’s Sexual Misconduct and Other Forms of Power-Based Personal Violence, while criminal investigations look for violations of the law.

These two processes have completely different standards in sanctioning and charging students. The EAD functions

on the preponderance of evidence standard. If the evidence shows there is greater than a 50 percent likelihood that a sexual assault has occurred, students are charged. Conversely, the criminal process operates on the “beyond a reasonable doubt” standard, meaning it must be determined beyond a reasonable doubt that the sexual assault occurred. The most severe consequence a student receives from the university is expulsion; criminal consequences can often be more severe.

Vanderbilt, much like many universities, uses a completely separate vocabulary when determining sexual assault cases. Vanderbilt uses the terms “non-consensual sexual intercourse and non-consensual sexual contact,” instead of their legal equivalents, “rape and sexual battery.” Since Vanderbilt’s investigation is not part of the legal system, they do not use the same legal definitions.

A criminal investigation case often takes years. The retrial for Vanderbilt’s highly publicized 2013 rape case will commence next week on April 4. Welch highlights the drawn-out investigation process: “That’s another thing that have to consider: ‘How long do I want to be spending time on this?’ Particularly considering the likelihood (or not) of justice, whatever that means to the survivor. They could very likely expect to be cross-examined by defense, and the job of the defense is to make them seem not trustworthy. A lot of folks are not trained in the neurobiology of trauma and understanding why a person might forget chunks of an event or why they didn’t talk to the police initially.”

Listen to Anna Butrico’s podcast, “This Vanderbilt Life,” which explores more deeply the issues of consent and sexual assault at Vanderbilt, at vanderbilthustler.com.

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news

CAMPUS UPDATE Dean of the Commons Vanessa Beasley will deliver “A Lecture on Life” today at 4 p.m. in the Student Life Center Ballroom C.

COURTESY OF THE THE ETA BETA CHAPTER OF ALPHA KAPPA ALPHA FRATERNITY

Current members of the Eta Beta Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha fraternity.

A look inside NPHC Members of NPHC chapters discuss what makes their

chapters unique, what they do and the future of NPHC

By AMANDA NWABA News reporter --------------------

This is Part II of a series exploring what it means to be a part of National Pan-Hellenic Council, the historically African American fraternities and sororities. In Part I, “NPHC: Building on a legacy,” the Hustler explored the importance of the history of NPHC and its declining membership on Vanderbilt’s campus. In this second installment, current students in NPHC talk about what their chapters mean to them as well as their visions for NPHC’s future.

vanderbilthustler STAFF

ALLIE GROSS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

When 17 students in Rand were asked about NPHC, 6 had heard the term “NPHC” before and knew what it meant. A light bulb went off for many students when NPHC was described as the “black frats.”

“NPHC? No… the black frats, yes,” one student said.

Few students were able to say what activities those in NPHC organizations take part in or what they do on a daily basis. While many of the students outside of NPHC don’t know what it is, those involved form tight-knit groups with memberships that last a lifetime.

“It’s an affiliation that you wear at all times,” Nate Marshall ’12, who is a member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. said. “In that way it functions differently than IFC and Panhel. It was very

ZOE SHANCER — NEWS EDITOR KARA SHERRER — LIFE EDITOR QUEEN STEVENSON — OPINION EDITOR BEN WEINRIB — SPORTS EDITOR

common for us to go to Fisk, Tennessee State, Middle Tennessee State, and really travel all over to connect with brothers at other institutions.”

From the chartering of Vanderbilt’s first NPHC organization chapter in 1971 to the founding of its most recent chapter in 2000, Vanderbilt’s NPHC organizations have fostered leaders and provided mentors for many of Vanderbilt’s black students for decades.

Vanderbilt at one time was home to 84 NPHC members and also to eight of the nine NPHC organizations. With 36 current members in six active chapters, the population of NPHC students is on the lower end, but members of the current chapters remain hopeful for the future of NPHC on this campus.

JOSH HAMBURGER — MANAGING EDITOR BOSLEY JARRETT — DESIGN DIRECTOR ANNA BUTRICO — WEB EDITOR ZIYI LIU — PHOTO DIRECTOR KATHY YUAN — CHIEF COPY EDITOR COLLIN ZIMMERMAN — CHIEF WEB DEVELOPER MATT LIEBERSON — FEATURES EDITOR PRIYANKA ARIBINDI — AUDIENCE STRATEGIST KATHY YUAN —ASST. PHOTO DIRECTOR

SHARON SI — ASST. DESIGN DIRECTOR JACK SENTELL — ASST. LIFE EDITOR SARAH FRIEDMAN — ASST. NEWS EDITOR PRIYANKA KADARI — ASST. OPINION EDITOR ROBBIE WEINSTEIN — ASST. SPORTS EDITOR ABBY HINKSON — ASST. COPY EDITOR DESIGNERS

ALAN WILMS YUNHUA ZHAO KAREN CHAN

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Timeline of NPHC organizations on Vanderbilt’s campus

WHAT ARE THE “BLACK FRATS”?

NPHC chapters are traditionally small, as former Vanderbilt NPHC president Jordaan McGill ‘16 stated last year that the ideal would be for all of Vanderbilt’s NPHC orgs to have anywhere from three to 10 members. As Eta Beta president Makayla Williams ’16 stated, the groups become so tight-knit because of their smaller sizes.

Each NPHC organization has a plot on campus, an area decorated with the letters of a sorority or fraternity, outside the NPHC fraternity house that is dedicated to each of Vanderbilt’s chapters.

These plots, erected in 2011, were a way for NPHC organizations to increase visibility on campus, but the conversation to create them was one that spanned years.

Although many of Vanderbilt’s 36 current NPHC members are seniors, many of the organizations are scheduled to bring in new members in the coming weeks, so the numbers will likely rise significantly in the coming weeks.

The current chapters range from two to 14 members, and although many members of Vandy’s NPHC agree that the numbers are lower than ideal, six of the seven active organizations are functioning and functioning well.

“We’ve heard a lot about the state of Greek life, but I think that NPHC is not changing,” Williams stated. “The foundation of it will never change, and I think that it’s up to the current members to continue that energy.”

Jacob Sealand ’16, president of Omega Psi Phi’s Theta Beta chapter, also explained that having small chapters requires the strong involvement of each member as well as the cooperation of not only other NPHC groups on Vanderbilt’s campus, but of brothers or sisters at other universities.

“That’s huge within any NPHC organization,” Sealand said.

“You’re supposed to roadtrip to go meet people from other universities within your organization. NPHC stands by itself and it stands unified.”

“Your undergrad chapters are never alone,” Omega Pi president Kiara Rhodes ’17 said. “When we have events you will probably never see less than five of us.”

Rhodes’ chapter currently has two members, but she explained that they work very closely with their sister chapter at TSU, Kappa Gamma, which is sponsored by the same graduate chapter as Omega Pi and helped found the chapter. There are also currently other chapters on campus that have three and four members.

Each organization on campus has certain annual events, many of which are held by chapters across campuses nationwide.

Marshall spoke of Kappa’s annual Halloween party, for example, which was brought to Vanderbilt when he was an undergraduate, and still takes place. Students from around and outside Tennessee attend the event, he said.

“A party functions differently when you’re not a part of the majority of the mainstream culture,” he stated. “It becomes a way that a lot of black students, Greek or not, are able to make social connections with each other.”

Sigmas and Zetas are the only NPHC organizations that are constitutionally bound together in a formal brother and sister bond. Rhodes stated that many times the Sigmas and Zetas on campus function as a joint chapter. They hold events together, such as the Blue and White formal and the Blue and White Fish Fry, which is an event in the beginning of the school year to welcome first-year students to campus. They sometimes stroll together, they support each other, and most visibly, they share each other’s colors and even some letters, being Zeta Phi Beta and Phi Beta Sigma.

Some of these events have even inspired organizations on Vanderbilt’s campus to begin similar traditions. Williams spoke about events on campus that were inspired by the Eta Beta chapter, such as the BSA’s Black Affair and VPB’s Casino Night, which were inspired by the Jade Awards and AKAsino, respectively. She also said that they plan to bring back the All White Affair, hosted in conjunction with Alphas, once Kappa Theta is reestablished.

Each organization on campus also holds and co-sponsors many events throughout the year, and they hold either a full week or two mini-weeks during the year consisting of service, social events, discussions and educational programming.

In this past year the Zetas have had their Straight Outta

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2016

Theta Beta chapter chartered - March 1, 1971

COURTESY OF KIARA RHODES

The Spring 2015 line of the Omega Pi chapter of Zeta Phi Beta sorority, incorporated.

1920-themed Finer Womanhood week, the AKAs their Pink Panther-themed “SkeeWeek”, and the Deltas their “Deltagram”themed mini-week (with Instagram themed event titles). The Kappas’ mini-week, “All Jokes Aside,” is currently underway. In addition to multiple service and educational events, these weeks have social aspects, such as the Zetas’ laser tag event and the AKAs’ “Pie an AKA” philanthropy event on the Rand Wall.

In addition, NPHC members also participate in events together, one of which is Terrace Thursday, hosted in conjunction with the BSA. “It’s great because it not only brings the Greeks together but it brings all the black community together,” explained Taylor McMahan ’17, AKA and current president of BSA. This year, NPHC hosted a special Terrace Thursday on the Commons to welcome the prospective students during Mosaic Weekend, which many of Vanderbilt’s NPHC alumni said originated from what used to be “Black Student Weekend.”

When asked about his favorite memory as an undergraduate, Marshall described a step show during his sophomore year when Richard McCarty, the Provost at the time, joined the Kappas on stage. He later joined the fraternity.

“He was a surprise guest and we had him set off a step,” Marshall explained. “That was pretty legendary. People talked about that for years.”

Two of Omega Pi’s founders, Zainab Muzaffar ’01 and Lydia Idem Finkley ’00, described the Blueberry Study Break, an event the Zetas used to hold in the Towers lobby that was open to all students before finals. The dean of students and students representing all parts of campus would attend to mingle and eat waffles in what they described as one of the few events on campus at the time with a diverse group of students.

“We set the bar. We really wanted to come to campus and shake things up and provide programming, not just for our community, but actually for the greater Vanderbilt community,” Muzaffar explained.

NPHC VALUES “We use adjectives a lot to describe people in NPHC and I think that’s because it’s a testament to all the things they had to go through,” stated Eta Beta president Makayla Williams ‘16. “We are the Elegant Eta Beta chapter and that’s because these women, despite having their backs against the wall, in the way in which they carried themselves, they were very articulate, very respectful, and they had a vision.”

Especially integral to all NPHC organizations are service and

— continued on page 14

The first NPHC organization to be chartered on Vanderbilt’s campus was the Theta Beta chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. (Omega) in 1971. Their motto is “Friendship is essential to the soul.” Theta Beta chapter was recently revived when the most recent line crossed on April 3, 2015.

“All four of my line brothers, I know their parents’ names, I know their birthdays,” stated Theta Beta president Jacob Sealand ’16. “It’s a true brotherhood.”

Since 1999, every single brother to go through Theta Beta has gone on to continue his education beyond Vanderbilt.

Eta Beta chapter chartered - Nov. 11, 1972 Then in 1972, the Eta Beta chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. (AKA) was chartered on Peabody’s campus.

President Makayla Williams ‘16 described AKA women as women with a “certain presence and poise” who are very business-oriented and to whom presentation is a priority.

“My sisters can call my phone at any time during the day, whether it’s business or social, because they hold the same weight in my mind,” Williams stated. “AKA business never stops.”

Motto: By culture and by merit.

Kappa Theta chapter chartered - April 26, 1975 In 1975, the Kappa Theta chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. was chartered on Vanderbilt’s campus. The fraternity’s motto is “First of all, Servants of All, We transcend all.”

Although currently suspended, the chapter will be eligible to return to campus in 2018 at the earliest, at which time the Office of Greek Life will work in conjunction with local, state and regional leaders within the organization to determine if the chapter is able to be re-established.

Mu Rho chapter chartered - Dec. 10, 1975 Later in 1975, the Mu Rho chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. was chartered on Vanderbilt’s campus. The motto of the sorority is “Intelligence is the torch of wisdom.”

Ekua Davis ‘12 explained how when she attended Vanderbilt, Mu Rho generally was home to student leaders on campus. She was the president of the Vanderbilt’s National Society of Black Engineers and of its African Student Union during her undergraduate years, for example, and the Black Student Association (BSA) had a Mu Rho president for five years in a row.

“I don’t think it’s a coincidence that that happened, partially because these chapters look for leadership in people that they consider for membership,” she explained. “If you’re around people that are doing that, it’s kind of contagious.”

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community. The members of these organizations are constantly going out into Nashville to help the community. Sealand said that his favorite moments with his brothers were all spent serving. He spoke of a canned food drive for Second Harvest Food Bank and holding fundraisers to raise money for children with pediatric cancer.

“Having a service-oriented community as strong as NPHC here is a really good look for the university and a really good look for the minority part of Vanderbilt,” he said.

Community also means support, a huge component within the sororities and fraternities. Each of the members talked about how much joining their respective organizations expanded their social circles and gave them their best friends. The bonds they have with each other run deep.

“For me, crossing (joining) Kappa was one of the things that really allowed me to understand what it meant to build strong emotional bonds with men…” Marshall said. “And even though my father is not Greek it improved my relationship with him.”

Membership in an NPHC organization is a lifelong commitment in which people are expected to remain active in their sorority or fraternity both through financial support and by participating in what other members of the organization are involved in.

“For IFCs stereotypically when they graduate they’ll say, ‘In college I was this’... I guess that’s cool, but for NPHC organizations it’s a lifetime commitment, and once you’ve made it, there’s no going back,” he said. “The true work starts once you’ve crossed.”

NPHC TRADITIONS Many of the NPHC traditions, such as the calls, have significant meanings that are shared among the members of the specific organizations. Rhodes explained that “people must earn the right to learn [the traditions].” As far as etiquette for non-Greeks at these events, members had similar comments.

“Don’t try to stroll with us,” Alpha Gamma Alpha president Ahmed El-Sadek ’18 stated, explaining that it is a matter of respect. “Don’t try to step, do our call, use somebody’s emblems.”

In addition to “strolling,” Sigmas also step, which El-Sadek explained consists of more precise movements than strolling, as it can stand on its own without music, and is unique to Sigmas nationally.

Each NPHC organization performs both chapter-specific and universal strolls in which they generally dance in a line to certain popular songs. For example, imaginary mirrors are used by the ladies of AKA, shimmies are a staple of Kappas, Sigmas have crazylegs, and Omegas incorporate their hops into their strolls.

Some reasons members gave for choosing their organizations were their inspirations and mentors when coming to campus, being a legacy of the organization, or having NPHC-affiliated teachers or coaches before coming to Vanderbilt who helped them realize that joining an NPHC organization was right for them. Although many members came into college knowing what org they wanted to join, other current members have a variety of reasons for joining.

“It’s a norm for people in Mississippi to stay in Mississippi, so coming to Vanderbilt I knew no one,” explained El-Sadek, who wasn’t exposed to NPHC before Vanderbilt. “They took me in as a brother,” he said of the Sigmas on campus.

The process of becoming a member of an NPHC organization is an educational one that is specific to each fraternity or sorority.

Each organization is non-pledging and non-hazing, and the membership selection process culminates in a New Member Presentation, which is commonly referred to as a probate.

“When the buzz starts going around about probates, people are really interested because NPHC has such a ‘behind the scenes’ [component]. ‘Who’s going to be there, how many people,’” Sealand explained. “If you’ve ever played a sport it’s the same feeling.

It’s your moment. It’s your coming out party.”

Because of this “behind the scenes” aspect of NPHC, Sealand advised that for anyone interested in joining, discretion is key.

“For those interested or [who] want to learn more it’s definitely a personal conversation to have,” he said.

Nu Rho chapter chartered - Feb. 25, 1989 The Nu Rho chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. was chartered in 1989, and the fraternity’s motto is “Achievement in every field of human endeavor.”

“The history of our organization is to provide a social oasis for black folks, and we take that very seriously,” stated Nate Marshall ‘12. “A Kappa man is one who is committed to achievement; a man who is cultured, clean, always polite and a consummate gentleman.”

Alpha Gamma Alpha chapter chartered - Oct. 7, 1994 COURTESY OF KIARA RHODES

Members of NPHC organizations peform together during homecoming in 2015

A PRESENCE ON CAMPUS Moving forward, members would like to see even more Greek unity in the future, within both the NPHC community and Vanderbilt’s greater Greek community.

“The overall campus suffers in the absence of a strong NPHC,” sociology lecturer Rosevelt Noble stated. “A lot of the issues that we have had come up recently, we’ve always had that… but when I come to a campus where the black community is not as strong and I’m not as welcomed in the white community, then I start to complain a lot more.”

“When you look at the national trends on college campuses today, NPHC can easily serve as the leader in those dialogues, because most of those members are involved and have a front line opportunity to educate others,” James Crawford, Vanderbilt’s coordinator of Greek life, explained, citing the recent events at the University of Missouri as an example.

Many members expressed some disappointment in the way NPHC is treated within the Vanderbilt community. For example, the Faculty Senate Greek Life Task Force released its report in October of 2015 and some felt its focus seemed to mainly be on IFC and Panhellenic Organizations.

“Whenever NPHC sat down to read it, we felt like it was constructed for IFC and Panhel,” El-Sadek stated.

“They made eight amendments [from the original report] and only two of them had a possibility of applying to NPHC,” Sealand said. “They didn’t acknowledge us. They didn’t do any type of research. They didn’t talk to any of us. There’s a lot of frustration there.”

In addition to the report, many NPHC members spoke about how many people on campus who don’t know about NPHC hold on to their preconceived notions about the organizations.

“We’re viewed as aggressive, outspoken, loud,” Sealand explained. “But there’s a whole different side of us. We also sit in the classroom. We handle our business.”

These grievances, however, are in no way new to Vanderbilt’s NPHC community. Some founders of Vanderbilt’s Omega Pi chapter of Zeta explained some of the challenges of being part of the NPHC community in the early 2000s, including distinguishing the identities of the organizations and finding girls who were committed to the sorority and not just interested for the opportunity to be a charter member.

“They didn’t hire someone to manage NPHC organizations, and I think it started to grow after we said we wanted to come on campus,” said Muzaffar. “We had a relationship with the dean of students and I think that kind of carried through.”

Although all part of NPHC, each organization is significant and unique in its own way. They have the general goal of enriching the community and promoting the importance of education.

“I encourage people who are not NPHC to always come and talk to us about it. Come to our events,” El-Sadek suggested, “see what we’re all about.”

Members made suggestions such as doing research, going to

Then in 1994, the Alpha Gamma Alpha chapter of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. was chartered. Their motto is “Culture for Service and Service for Humanity.”

“The history of our organization is to provide a social oasis for black folks, and “We’re very open people,” Alpha Gamma Alpha president Ahmed El-Sadek stated, “We don’t put any kind of front up.”

El-Sadek also described how his chapter embodies what their chapter was founded upon.

“We base ourselves on diversity,” El-Sadek explained.

“I’m Egyptian, Carluto’s Haitian, Cam is half-white, halfblack. That’s what our founders really wanted when we were instilled, and that’s what we’re carrying on today.”

Omega Pi chapter chartered- March 18, 2000 The Omega Pi chapter of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. was chartered on March 18, 2000. The sorority’s motto is “A community-conscious, action-oriented organization.”

Kiara Rhodes ‘17, Omega Pi president, described the importance of building upon the legacy of their founders and holding true to their sorority’s values. Motto: community conscious, action oriented organization.

“We’re all over the place in our industries, but whatever we’re in, we’re leaders,” Kirstie Kwarteng ‘09 said.

Sigma Delta chapter chartered- Nov. 19, 2009 The most recent NPHC organization to be chartered on Vanderbilt’s campus was the Sigma Delta chapter of Sigma Gamma Rho in 2009. The sorority’s motto is “Greater Service, Greater Progress.”

events, and making an effort to meet the sisters or brothers of the organizations for those who wanted to learn more.

“We’re here, and we’re going to stay so you might as well be comfortable. Ask questions. We’re not shy, we don’t bite,” Sealand joked.

There are numerous reasons why the “Divine 9” were founded and have survived as the collective National Pan-Hellenic Council, Inc. since the council’s national founding in 1930. Whether it’s because of the support, the focus on education or the importance of serving the community, the values that are at the heart of these organizations have time and time again attracted devoted strong, valuable members. The men and women involved are building on legacies of resilient, hard-working and passionate innovators and will continue to do so.

“Those who are called on in the end have a duty to uphold,” Williams said. “And I believe that NPHC will stand the test of time.”

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life

Wining, dining & lining up in Nashville

How to spend an entire day at the city’s worst-kept secrets By Adrienne Alderman, Senior life reporter

GO DO

THIS

MLC Presents: InVUsion 2016 Alumni Lawn; Saturday, April 2 from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m As MLC’s capstone event, InVUsion features presentations from MLC organizations on their missions and cultures. In addition, the event has free catered food from a variety of Nashville’s ethnic restaurants. The festival also features a dance competition between the best dances from each organization’s cultural showcase during the year. And to top it all off... there will be free t-shirts.

Ask any Vanderbilt student about the Nashville bars, cafes and restaurants on their bucket list, and the responses are likely to include the same few places. Unfortunately, almost every Nashvillian and tourist alike usually have the same ideas, and most of these familiar Instagram-famous places boast ridiculously long wait times. If you’ve ever wanted to spend an entire day waiting to eat at Nashville’s most popular eateries, check our full itinerary for a long-lines tour of Music City.

BREAKFAST: PANCAKE PANTRY Conveniently located just off campus in Hillsboro Village, this tourist standby boasts lines that extend down the block nearly every weekend morning. If you have time to stand in line for an hour and a half, the prize inside is a wide selection of pancakes, the most popular being chocolate chip. A bonus feature of Pancake Pantry is the complimentary coffee available for the cranky breakfast-goers as they wait in line.

LUNCH: THE PHARMACY Across town in the hipster haven of East Nashville stands Music City’s signature biergarten and burger parlor. Featuring a variety of beers from around the world as well as handcrafted sodas and unique burgers, this restaurant has plenty of options to please young and old burger lovers alike. Unfortunately, for peak times at both lunch and dinner, the line can be as long as forty minutes to an hour and a half. (Pro tip: there is an equally famous taco restaurant across the street, Mas Tacos Por Favor, where your party can soothe their hunger pangs as they wait.) Pharmacy boasts that because of its German-influenced menu, it is Nashville’s “wurst-burger” joint. But it just may be Nashville’s “wurst” place for lines as well.

DINNER: LOVELESS CAFE Called a Nashville favorite by many guide books, this homey Southern cafe — a half hour’s drive from campus — serves up American favorites, but does so at a time premium. With the wait ranging anywhere from forty-five minutes to an hour and a half, hopeful restaurant-goers must patiently wander the small property and nearby surrounding shops as friends take turns getting just the right selfie angle in front of the iconic Loveless Motel and Cafe sign. Once inside, customers can finally stop being hangry (hungry and angry) and eat breakfast all day, or pick a daily special of some meat and three variation.

DRINKS: PATTERSON HOUSE From the nondescript exterior, this speakeasy-inspired bar looks to be a hole-in-the-wall that anyone could spontaneously walk into without any concern about waiting. Yet a peek inside tells an entirely different story. This posh, 30-seat bar features dozens of exotically-named cocktails from the “Reverse Tailspin” to the “Best Stuff on Earth.” Patterson does not allow reservations or standing room, which leads to fairly common hour-plus waits (even at traditionally off-times). Regulars recommend getting your name on the waiting list, grabbing your first drink elsewhere and then returning in time for your reservation. Yet given the restaurant’s excellent reviews, many seem to think the wait becomes worth it once they enter and find themselves in the world of Gatsby-style charm and decor.

DINNER AND A SHOW: ACME FEED AND SEED If you’re looking to add a little live music to your long-lines tour, this three-story restaurant and entertainment venue on Lower Broadway offers both attractions. With a different menu for each floor, ranging from pulled pork to falafel to sushi, any visitor is bound to find an option they will like, though it may take a trek up the stairs to reach it. Sadly, the line situation for this venue is especially complicated. First, customers line up to order their food at the entrance.

Then, they are instructed to get their drinks and seat themselves, which is easier said than done and usually requires a team effort to scout out a table. Finally, the seats are situated around a stage, so that once seated, visitors find quality entertainment in addition to their food and drinks.

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Five pranks to play for April Fools’ Harmless, practical ‘Vanderlism’ to pull on your friends on the funniest holiday of the year

By JONATHAN VAN LINDEN Life reporter --------------------

With the most prominent troublemaking day of the year just two days away, it’s time to start planning your April Fools’ pranks (if you haven’t already). If you still need ideas, look no further than these Vanderbilt-based pranks sure to entertain yourself and playfully inconvenience others.

1. COVER YOUR ROOMMATE’S SIDE IN PICTURES OF CHANCELLOR ZEPPOS. Our beloved and esteemed chancellor deserves recognition every day of the year, but this is the day when a student can combine pranking with showing Zeppos admiration.

Print out as many pictures of the chancellor as humanly possible and tape them over every conceivable possession your roommate owns. Hide Nicholas Zeppos in their shoes, drawers, bags, everywhere. To give our esteemed chancellor the respect he deserves, make sure it is a particularly flattering headshot.

2. SEND YOUR FRIEND ON A VANDERBILT-SPECIFIC SCAVENGER HUNT. Our school has a proud, rich history which many students are criminally unaware of. To remedy this, borrow a possession of your friend’s (one that you are confident they will not urgently need any time soon) and hide it in a secure place on campus. Come up with a series of clues based around Vanderbilt’s campus and history that eventually lead said friend to the location of their object. Bonus points if you can hide it somewhere in their room where they can’t find it until reading the final clue.

3. TEXT A FRIEND HEAVILY INVESTED IN VANDERBILT ATHLETICS THAT A FIVE-STAR PROSPECT HAS JUST COMMITTED TO THE BASKETBALL TEAM.

object you cover is also the subject of the aforementioned scavenger hunt, as crossing pranks is heavily encouraged.

5. RAND PAUL WALL Vanderbilt loves its puns. Sure, some are creative and little bit witty. But for every solid one, like “DoreWays,” there’s at least five “VUceptors.” Lucky for you, literary revenge has never been so simple. First, print out a picture of former Republican presidential candidate Rand Paul. Official headshots are probably best, so people know who it is. Then, tape it somewhere along Rand Wall. Now, instead of being Rand Wall, it becomes Rand Paul Wall. Do you get it, Vandy?

Though this is especially harsh considering the general woes that have surrounded certain athletic programs of ours, April Fools’ Day was not made for the faint of heart. Put some effort into it — look up actual prominent high school athletes, get positions straight, etc. — and there should be substantial payoff. Send it in the morning or late at night, when said friend is not functioning at his or her full capacity for logical reasoning.

4. PLACE A FRIEND’S BELONGINGS IN BLACK AND GOLD JELL-O. A classic prank courtesy of “The Office,” this trick is also relatively straightforward to pull off. Acquire a sizable amount of black and gold Jell-O (however much you need to cover the object you have chosen) and encase your roommate’s possession in it. Bonus points if you manage to cover more than one object. Double bonus points if the

Music City celebrations Highlighting five of Nashville’s most unique festivals

By CLAUDIA WILLEN Senior life reporter --------------------

Your college packing list probably didn’t include a Renaissance bodice dress or Stephen King’s “It” makeup. However, after calling Nashville your college town for a couple of years, you‘ve probably figured out that Nashville has way more quirks and eccentricities than you initially picked up on. The best part? These fetishes and obscure fascinations are celebrated city-wide here. Here’s a rundown of some of the funkiest, most random Nashville festivals that you never knew existed.

The Nashville Cherry Blossom Festival (April 9) If you thought cherry blossom trees were only celebrated in D.C., then you’re in for a pleasant surprise. These Japanese trees have their very own annual festival in Nashville put on by the Japan–America Society of Tennessee. Held in Nashville Public Square, the Nashville Cherry Blossom Festival features tents dedicated to food, art and culture and also a Cherry Blossom Walk. The event aims to promote positive relations and community outreach between Japanese and Tennesseans, as well as work toward the 10-year goal of planting 1,000 trees in Nashville. Donations go toward the Cherry Tree Planting Project.

Tennessee Renaissance Festival (May 7-30) Step back to the 1500s in the village of Covington Glen at the annual Tennessee Renaissance Festival as you dress in costume, eat a turkey leg and take a tour of the Castle Gwynn, the main attraction of the festival and replica of a castle filled with historic objects to make you feel as though you are in the Renaissance. Everything you would expect to find in a Renaissance Festival is here, including manpowered rides. The event takes place in May and recently instituted new rules. For example, attendees may not bring an unsheathed sword or firearms into the festival (which apparently was not banned before?!). Look at the Realm of Rules for more Renaissance advancements.

Jefferson Street Jazz and Blues Festival (June 20) Hosting its own musically rich Golden Age in Nashville, Jefferson Street has deep roots in jazz and blues. From the 1940s to the 60s, Jefferson Street was a melting pot of sounds and regularly hosted names like Jimi Hendrix and Ray Charles. This year’s 15th Annual Jefferson Street Jazz and Blues Festival will be held at the Tennessee Amphitheatre in Bicentennial Capitol Mall. The event kicks off on the 19th to set the mood with the Bridging the Gap Mixer on the John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge. Food, drinks and live music are in abundance at the jazz festivals. Performers include headliners Angela Winbush and Phil Perry and other local jazz musicians.

The Iroquois Steeplechase (May 14) A Nashville tradition since 1941, the annual Iroquois Steeplechase was created to honor Nashville’s mid-century pasture history and bring the community together. More than 25,000 people dress in their pastel bowties and floppy hats to watch some of the fastest horses and jockeys in the world race around the track (and also to tailgate). The 75th Annual Steeplechase will be held at the Percy Warner Park Equestrian Center and donations go to Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt. To get a taste of traditional Southern culture and charm, make a point to stick around campus after school ends for the event.

Cumberland River Dragon Boat Festival (Sept. 10) Ever wonder if the colorful dragon boats on TV were real?

This fall, they’re actually coming to Nashville. Benefitting the Cumberland River Compact, the festival hosts teams of boaters to race on the Cumberland. With more than fifty teams competing and hundreds of spectators cheering them on, get a killer adrenaline rush and a new view of Broadway and Nissan Stadium. In addition, the profits go towards maintaining a clean, healthy water system from the river.

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sports

THE BIG STAT

Errors by opponents in the last two games against Vanderbilt’s baseball team

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The Stallings Era: A Look Back Examining Kevin Stallings’ impact on Vanderbilt basketball, his legacy and why his departure was timely ZIYI LIU / THE VANDERBILT HUSTLER

By CUTLER KLEIN Sports reporter --------------------

No relationship lasts forever. Whether short or long, turbulent or successful, no individual or party is immune to outgrowing a relationship.

This was the status of Vanderbilt’s 17-year marriage to Kevin Stallings.

On Sunday, Pittsburgh announced that it had hired Stallings as its new head coach, bringing Stallings’ 17year tenure at Vanderbilt to an end. At the end of this past season, many in the Vanderbilt community called for Stallings’ job, and they may have had a case following a disappointing First Four exit from the NCAA Tournament. However, this final disappointment should not completely cloud Stallings’ legacy at Vanderbilt.

Yes, Stallings has frequently coached teams that haven’t lived up to expectations, like this past season and in 2012. Yes, he saw the program go through three first-round NCAA Tournament exits in four years. Yes, he

brought in multiple NBA talents like John Jenkins, Festus Ezeli and Matt Freije without getting further than the Sweet 16 in the Tournament.

But if you look at the state of the program right now relative to when he took over, Vanderbilt is much better off thanks to Stallings. Current students who celebrate his departure don’t know the context in which Stallings took over and what he did with the program from there.

When Stallings took over in 1999, Vanderbilt had been to the NCAA Sweet 16 just twice since the tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1985. After just eight years with Stallings at the helm, the team made two more Sweet 16s.

Stallings also led Vanderbilt to more NCAA tournament berths than all of the modern-era coaches preceding him did combined. He made trips to the NCAA Tournament an expectation, not a goal.

He is the winningest coach in Vanderbilt history with 332 victories. He only had two losing seasons in his entire tenure at Vanderbilt. In an era dominated by star-studded Florida, Kentucky and Tennessee teams, he managed to beat all of them in their primes (Florida in

2007, Tennessee in 2008 and Kentucky in 2012). Vanderbilt basketball had been good in the past, but it reached new heights under Stallings.

Still, however, it was time for Vanderbilt to part with Stallings. Seventeen years is a long time to be a coach at the same school, unless you’re one of the legends, like Mike Krzyzewski or Roy Williams. Based on the team’s performance this year and the surrounding rhetoric, it felt like Stallings’ time was just up. He ran his course.

Stallings had the ability to get Vanderbilt to where it is today, but not much further than that.

Vanderbilt basketball has graduated high school, and it’s time to move on to bigger and better things. So you don’t have to celebrate the fact that Stallings is gone. You also don’t have to lament it. Now, a new face will pace the baseline at Memorial Gym, and a new era of Vanderbilt basketball will begin. Whoever gets hired should be thankful for what Stallings set up at Vanderbilt.

It’s a fact of life: programs, much like people, outgrow relationships.

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Commodore coaching search commences After 17 seasons of Kevin Stallings, Vanderbilt seeks new leader to guide program

By ROBBIE WEINSTEIN Asst. sports editor --------------------

As an athletic department that prides itself on stability, Vanderbilt now faces the challenge of selecting a new men’s basketball coach for the first time since 1999. Following a disappointing 19-14 season that ended in the first game of the NCAA Tournament, head coach Kevin Stallings departed for Pittsburgh, leaving the program with an opportunity to start fresh.

At a Monday afternoon press conference, Director of Athletics David Williams noted that over 100 potential applicants had already been in contact with university officials regarding the job. Williams suggested that the search would be narrowed down to “five or six” possibilities, so let’s take a look at a few coaches who could become serious candidates.

Gregg Marshall, Wichita State Arguably a pipe dream for Vanderbilt, Marshall has been regarded as one of the best coaches in college basketball since leading the Shockers to the Final Four as a No. 9 seed in 2013.

After arriving in Wichita from Winthrop in 2007, Marshall began to build what has become a dynasty of sorts in the Missouri Valley Conference as the Shockers have lost just three conference games in the past three seasons. Each of Marshall’s last six Wichita State squads have finished ranked in the top 25 of statistician Ken Pomeroy’s rankings, and this year’s group was rated as the top defense in the entire nation.

Wichita State has earned nine NCAA Tournament victories in Marshall’s past five seasons, but the impending graduation of star guards Fred VanVleet and Ron Baker suggests Marshall could be faced with his weakest roster since 2009-10. With a whopping $3.3 million salary according to Gary Parrish of CBS Sports, Vanderbilt must put together an impressive financial package if it hopes to lure Marshall to Nashville. Marshall has reportedly turned down multiple offers from power conference schools in the past, so some aspect of his situation at Wichita State might need to have changed for him to consider jumping to Vanderbilt.

King Rice, Monmouth A former assistant at Vanderbilt from 2006-11 under Stallings, Rice’s familiarity with the administration and the recruiting territory represents one of the most intriguing aspects of his résumé. Rice has had significant success as a head coach as well, helping Monmouth upgrade from the Northeast Conference to the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference in 2013 and leading the Hawks to a record-setting 28 wins this past season. While Monmouth was passed over for a spot in the 2016 NCAA Tournament, Rice’s ability to build a roster that should be the heavy favorite to win the MAAC in 2017 has him in the conversation, considering the Hawks suffered five straight losing seasons prior to his arrival. Rice’s teams play fast — Monmouth has ranked in the top 50 nationally in tempo in three of his five seasons — which could appeal to Williams, who confirmed the new coach’s impact on ticket sales would be among the factors considered during Vanderbilt’s search. Perhaps the strongest characteristic of Rice’s profile is that there are few doubts he would accept the job if offered.

Bryce Drew, Valpariso Well-known for his days as a standout guard at Valpo and in the NBA, Drew has established himself as one of the nation’s premier mid-major coaches during his five seasons as the Crusaders’ head coach. While Valpo was already in good shape when Drew took over for his father, Homer, in 2011, the Crusaders program has since reasserted itself as a perennial NCAA Tournament contender. Drew has posted a winning record in the Horizon League every season since becoming head coach and reached 13 conference wins or better in four out of his five seasons. Trips to the Big Dance in 2013 and 2015 ended in a pair of first round losses as No. 14 and No. 13 seeds respectively, but a tight loss to Maryland in 2015 suggests Drew has amassed enough talent to at least compete with power conference schools. One drawback in hiring Drew lies in the form of his lack of experience outside Valpo, as all of his coaching experience has come with the Crusaders since originally being hired as an assistant in 2005. While it’s unclear how much interest Drew has in moving to a major conference, it’s worth noting that his brother, Scott, jumped from Valpo to Baylor after only one season as the Crusaders’ head coach.

Will Wade, Virginia Commonwealth A Nashville native who led VCU to the 2016 NCAA Tournament in his first season, Wade’s candidacy for the job is in doubt after he signed an eight-year extension with the Rams on Tuesday. Prior to VCU, Wade spent two seasons as the head coach at Chattanooga in turning the Mocs around and putting together the core of a roster that went 29-6 and won the Southern Conference championship in 2016 under Matt McCall. Wade’s VCU team overcame a slow start to the season to win a share of the Atlantic 10 regular season championship despite being picked fifth preseason by the conference’s coaches. Similarly, Wade facilitated major statistical improvements by VCU’s JeQuan Lewis, Mo Alie-Cox and Justin Tillman while successfully integrating transfer wingman Korey Billbury into the Rams’ lineup. A proponent of pressure defense, Wade’s style would certainly represent a change from the Stallings era, and his stock is likely to skyrocket if VCU can stay near the top of the A-10 over the next few years. VCU’s commitment to winning — evidenced by the contract extension plus a newly finished $25 million practice facility — and passionate fan base mean Wade seems unlikely to take the job. Wade’s record as a head coach and his understanding of VU’s academic restrictions from his time as an assistant at Harvard, however, suggest he’s a great fit for the program if he does want the job.

Matt McCall, Chattanooga With only one season of head coaching experience, hiring McCall would require quite a bit of courage on the part of Williams. McCall led Chattanooga to 29 wins and an NCAA Tournament berth this past season, but the majority of the roster was assembled by Wade over the two previous years.

At the same time, McCall led the Mocs to road wins over Dayton, Georgia and Illinois and kept his squad afloat even after a season-ending injury to star guard Casey Jones in December. Having served as an assistant at Florida under Billy Donovan from 2011-15, McCall knows the SEC and its corresponding recruiting territory which could help him adjust a bit quicker than candidates from other parts of the country.

Hiring McCall certainly wouldn’t constitute a “splash,” but there is something to be said for trying to snag a young and promising coaching prospect before more prestigious programs come calling.

HEADSHOTS COURTESY OF EACH INSTITUTION RESPECTIVELY

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The Vanderbilt Commodores defeated the Belmont Bruins 8-2 on March 29 at First Tennessee Park. Collin Snider earned the win on the mound, while six different Commodores each drove in a run during the game.