The Vanderbilt Hustler 09-03-14

vanderbilthustler WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2014

VOL. 126, ISS. 20

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Telling the

Fuller story

Former Commodore Kyle Fuller divulges controversial stories about his time at Vanderbilt SEE PAGE 12 OPINION: EDITORIAL

Concentrated education is not effective Vanderbilt should require ongoing education and training on the issue of sexual misconduct and other forms of power-based personal violence PAGE 6

CAMPUS AND LIFE

Warren and Moore: The first weeks

A look at the features and plans for the first main campus College Halls system and student opinons on the first few weeks as residents

PAGES 4 AND 8 PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY BOSLEY JARRETT / THE VANDERBILT HUSTLER

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WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2014

campus

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“The concept that someone should be happy at all times creates a really uncomfortable expectation, because then people feel like it’s not okay to be who they are and to have difficult times.”

CATHERINE FUCHS, DIRECTOR OF THE PSYCHOLOGICAL & COUNSELING CENTER (PCC)

HOW HAPPY ARE WE?

A LOOK AT THE PRINCETON REVIEW RANKING

The Princeton Review named Vanderbilt the college with the “happiest students” on Aug. 6 — based on one survey question. Students respond to the methodology used to obtain this result and reflect on its accuracy

AROUND CAMPUS Students define what makes them happy at Vanderbilt “I’m really happy as a Vanderbilt student. I think everyone here is really friendly, and for the most part makes an effort to just reach out to people if they’re maybe not having the best day or maybe don’t have a lot of friends. I mean, I feel comfortable sitting with almost anyone for lunch here at Vanderbilt, which is often a necessity because Rand is so crowded. I think everyone’s really approachable.”

- Becky Mueller, junior “I’m surrounded by a lot of intelligent people who are very motivated to doing what they want to do and that motivation kinda spreads to everyone.

Everyone’s challenged, everyone’s involved. No day is dull here, there’s always something going on.

Now that has a second side to it in that everything is challenging and there is no break -- people have trouble sleeping, people have trouble finding time to relax. But I enjoy the challenge, so that works for me.”

-Alberto Perez, junior “I like meeting new people and I like all the opportunities that it has for you. I feel like you can create whatever you want at Vanderbilt.”

-Khloe Gordon, sophomore CORRECTION In the Aug. 27 issue, a report, “The Red Zone,” referred to the Greek LEAD program. The program referenced was actually the Greek Leaders Retreat.

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First-years run across the field prior to the Vanderbilt vs. South Carolina football game on Aug. 30, 2012.

By KELLY HALOM News editor --------------------

If you logged onto Facebook Aug. 6, it would be surprising if you missed the news that Vanderbilt was ranked the college with the “happiest students” in the country. While many Commodores reposted articles celebrating Vanderbilt’s high spirits, others were left wondering how such a designation came to be.

Methodology The Princeton Review publishes a book each year with various categorical rankings of colleges, as well as school profiles created based on interviews of current students. Vanderbilt students were ranked “happiest” based on a survey of more than 130,000 students across the nation about their college experience, averaging

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roughly 340 students interviewed per institution, according to David Soto, co-author of the book. Though the survey included 80 questions, only one question was used to measure student happiness.

To determine the “happiest students,” the survey asked students “How happy am I at my school?” with the choices “I’m miserable,” “I’m not that happy,” “I’m happy,” “I’m very happy” and “I love it here.”

While schools in the top 20 of a categorical list are typically very close in their scores, Soto acknowledges that the number one school is usually distinct from the others.

“The groupings for schools on the top 20 are generally pretty tight. What we do see is that (for) the number one school, there generally is overwhelming positive sentiment in every survey response. That number is generally extremely strong within any given category,” Soto said.

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Students cheer for incoming first-years at the annual Founders Walk on Aug. 18, 2013.

Some students were surprised to learn that the ranking was based on one survey question.

Sophomore Kendall Tamler felt that the claim was strong compared to the data to support it.

“I think that saying that Vanderbilt has very happy students is pretty accurate, because I feel that the people that stay here and endure the four years love every moment of it, but I’m premed — I’m a neuroscience major — so hearing that they formulate an opinion or come to a conclusion based on one question of an opinion really throws me off, because that seems so biased and so flawed, like there’s no validity to that,” Tamler said.

Junior Pranjal Gupta also felt the measure might be skewed due to the nature of the question.

“Internally, you want to feel like you’re feeling good at school, even if you’re not, so by telling other people that you are — telling a survey that you are — kind of makes yourself feel better,” Gupta said. “You tell that to people and you feel happy yourself. So honestly, I don’t think that’s a good question if that’s the only question they asked.”

While one data point might seem insufficient to some, Soto believes that it does convey a very strong sentiment.

“We think that that question, as simple as it is, (is) a valuable metric in telling prospective students and parents what the overall culture at Vanderbilt is and what the quality of life is on campus,” Soto said. “I can’t think of going to an administrator or going to any third-party data source to get at that information. We think going directly to students to report this information is a value to those prospective students.”

Soto also noted that the ranking is validated by the quality of life ranking, which factors in 12 different data points, ranging from beautiful campuses to how smoothly the school runs.

Vanderbilt was ranked 10 on this list.

Students respond to being labeled “happiest” Student reactions to the rankings were mixed. While some felt the claim was warranted, others were more skeptical, based on personal dissatisfaction or the often stressful environment of an academically rigorous university.

Junior Caroline Saunders said she was surprised by the news because she thinks Vanderbilt is a stressful school.

“It seems like everyone’s really busy all the time, and it’s also just a very high-pressure environment, like in terms of the social laws of needing to look good and go out a lot. I think

there are a lot of good things about Vanderbilt, but I think it’s a high-pressure place and so I was a little surprised,” Saunders said.

Though senior Allie Khodadadi was initially surprised, she feels that students at Vanderbilt are often able to find happiness through their extracurricular activities.

“I was surprised too, mostly because the environment can be very stressful with just classes and stuff, but the more I thought about it, we really do have a tight-knit community here and a student can really find their niche throughout their four years, and I feel like a lot of schools don’t have that,” Khodadadi said.

While stress may abound at Vanderbilt, sophomore Waleed Shaban noted that the typical Vanderbilt student is poised to manage that stress.

“You have these extracurriculars, you have these high academics, you have everything, but the student body is able to handle that and they handle it so well. They can juggle all these different aspects of life, and it’s really cool just to see everybody be able to thrive,” Shaban said.

Defining happiness Director of the Psychological & Counseling Center (PCC) Catherine Fuchs also acknowledges that Vanderbilt students’ ability to manage their stress might contribute to the Princeton Review’s claim. Fuchs noted that a healthy campus is not one that is necessarily happy all the time, but one that is able to handle the stressors of life.

“I think it’s important to think of happiness in terms of the ability to manage the ups and downs of life, so that a healthy person developmentally has enough sense of who they are and ego strength that when there are stressors or things do not go well, they’re still able to maintain confidence in themselves and manage the stress while moving forward,” Fuchs said.

Fuchs also said that it is important to not let rankings such as those of the Princeton Review create unrealistic expectations of campus life.

“The concept that someone should be happy at all times creates a really uncomfortable expectation, because then people feel like it’s not okay to be who they are and to have difficult times,” Fuchs said.

Fuchs noted that the PCC has led several initiatives to help develop stress management techniques among students, including the Mind Body Lab, which offers mindfulness exercises that can be done online or at the PCC.

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WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2014

CAMPUS

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College Halls: a community driven by students Many students have expressed that the College Halls community has not been fully defined. However, faculty and resident advisors have several initiatives in place to allow residents to shape their community

By EMILY STEWART News reporter --------------------

Charged with the new emphasis of bringing the residential college model to main campus, the College Halls — Warren and Moore — opened their doors to residents for the academic year in mid-August. Many new residents expressed their excitement to pioneer a community for upperclass students, though some uncertainty still surrounds the College Halls.

Professor Douglas Fisher, associate professor in the Vanderbilt University School of Engineering, is the faculty director of Warren College, while Professor Jim Lovensheimer, associate professor of musicology in the Blair School of Music, resides as the faculty director of Moore College.

Both Fisher and Lovensheimer emphasized the novel concept of student-driven programming in the College Halls.

“This is not The Commons anymore. This is about your programming; this is about your ideas for what you want to see, for what you want to learn about,” Lovensheimer said.

Fisher described the faculty director role as that of “a facilitator with resources that I can give to students if they propose things that are interesting and meaningful.”

According to emails to residents, the faculty directors plan to host 10-15 students at faculty director-hosted dinners and give all residents the opportunity to attend one this year.

In accordance with the student-driven model, Warren residents received an email asking for input on what they would like dinners to look like in terms of discussion topics and special dinner guests.

However, Fisher does acknowledge his own role in shaping programming, citing student-faculty dinners on Sunday nights and “Harry Potter”-inspired high dinners as two programs that he hopes will invariably engage residents from the top down.

On Sept. 1, College Halls residents received another email from graduate fellows with a link for submitting College Hall program proposals, encouraging them to submit ideas.

Warren College is also in the process of selecting student representatives for an internal government. According to an email to residents from Fisher, nominations for Warren representatives were due Aug. 29, and after the application process, the representatives will be notified Sept. 8.

Moore residents said they had not yet received information about becoming representatives. But Melina Prentakis, head resident of Smith Hall in Moore College, said that the process for student leadership is in motion.

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Warren and Moore Colleges, a $115 million project, are the first installation of Vanderbilt’s College Halls system on main campus; the first phase of College Halls began with the 2008 opening of The Commons, a living learning community for first-years.

“I think it’s really hard to judge anything at this point because it’s been maybe two weeks, but I think that people are very excited to be living here, and that’s bringing people together in some ways,” Prentakis said.

Sophomore Catie Mitchell agreed that the College Halls will start to become more of a community once the internal governance is set up.

“I think once we have a structure in place and start having community events, the community will develop, because right now — unless you already know people — people haven’t been going out of their way to be knocking on doors introducing themselves to people in the halls,” Mitchell said.

Most students said they envision the College Halls being similar to The Commons.

“I like the Commons experience. I liked Dean Wcislo’s dinners and everything, so I guess this is kind of an extension of that,” said sophomore Jimmy Pan. “But it’s also a little bit different in that … when you’re a freshman, I guess everyone just kind of instinctively becomes a lot closer with their floor because those are the first people they meet in college. Here, we already have our own friend groups and everything. So there’s still a floor environment but it’s not as tightly knit, which is ok.”

Residents listed floor meetings to facilitate community bonding, faculty head dinners, open houses, guest speakers and events similar to the Aug. 29 Courtyard Carnival as events they’d like to see the College Halls host in the future.

Senior Sherry Chen said she has already noticed that the community atmosphere differs from that of other dorms.

“People are more prone to be friendly for some reason, because we are living in this environment where the emphasis is on community,” Chen said.

On one floor in Warren, a group of students, including senior Bobby Lux, knocked on doors to offer neighbors homemade cookies in an effort to meet fellow College Halls

residents.

“We really wanted to get to know people and make ourselves available. The first step is usually the hardest, and so we wanted to be the ones to make it,” Lux said.

Senior Zach Karlinski also noted the distinct atmosphere of Warren and Moore, asserting that it feels like more of a community than other residence halls.

“We have the big community rooms, (and) everybody is always out there doing something,” Karlinski said.

The faculty directors also add to the communal feel of the College Halls. “(Professor Fisher) and I have both been recognized for being involved with students outside the classroom setting … and bottom line, I like students. I like the energy, the ideas,” Lovensheimer said.

Fisher’s previous role as the faculty member in residence at McGill Hall motivated him to apply for the faculty director position of Warren College.

“Vanderbilt has been good to us, and this seemed like the next natural step. I thought it was time for a change to see what this role brought,” he said.

Questions remain, but it seems the creation of student governance will create the community that students and faculty alike desire. For now, students seem excited for the year ahead.

— Allie Gross contributed to this report.

For student opinions on the features of College Halls, see page 8.

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Project I Am helps students of color acclimate to life at Vanderbilt

In its first semester on campus, Project I Am has created a mentorship program to assist students of color as they adjust to life at Vanderbilt

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

New to campus this year, Project I Am seeks to reach out to students of color and help them transition to Vanderbilt.

“For a lot of students of color, coming here can be a culture shock,” said Robb King, Vanderbilt senior and Project I Am cofounder. “During MOSAIC weekend, many minority students get here and they fit into one side of Vanderbilt, and they wind up coming here for school. When they get here, it’s kind of different from what they experienced at MOSAIC.” While the purpose of the organization is to help students of color adjust as a whole, Project I Am places a major focus on developing strong leaders, networking appropriately and communicating with others, among other beneficial skills for Vanderbilt and beyond college.

King said that the motivation for forming the organization arose last spring during a conversation with Wil De Los Santos of the Office of Student Leadership Development. King said he felt Vanderbilt lacked a student organization that helped students of color become leaders and adjust to campus life.

“For me personally coming here, I grew up in Mississippi in a predominately white neighborhood in the poor side of the spectrum,” King said. “And so I didn’t necessarily have all the tools and resources that a lot of people who wind up coming here have, and so I kind of had to learn it on my own. I lucked out because I wound up finding the right people at the right time here on campus that kind of taught me. If it wasn’t for them, I wouldn’t have accomplished the things I have accomplished while being here at Vanderbilt. So, the idea was I wanted to replicate the process and experience I had for students who come from similar

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Dean Wcislo talks to students at the Project I Am interest meeting at the Dean’s Residence on Aug. 24, 2014. backgrounds.”

King described three main programs that carry out the purpose of Project I Am. The first, called I Am a Protege, is a mentoring program that is based on a family dynamic. Each senior mentors either a junior or a sophomore, who then mentors up to two freshmen. This dynamic provides members with a range of experiences to learn from and provides students with support from multiple upperclassmen.

The second program, I Am a Work in Progress, consists of personal and professional developmental programming events. The program is built on four tenets: “The first one is success and understanding what that means for you as an individual,” King said. “The second one is understanding your identity, specifically racial and ethnic, and how that

plays into your social climate and how to navigate that. The third one is being willing to stretch yourself, so be willing to have new experiences and meet new people. The last one is understanding diversity and the benefits that it brings to your life.”

The last program, I Am the Future, allows students to attend informal faculty and staff dinners, which are scheduled to feature various guest speakers. King notes that many students of color face difficulty getting letters of recommendation for various applications. He hopes that interactions with faculty through these dinners will provide a basis for students to start building a network system outside of their normal social and academic circles.

Project I Am is seeking around 30 mentors this fall, ranging from sophomores to seniors, and 30 mentees. Mentors are expected to have contact with their mentorship families at least twice a month, with one of those contacts being in person. Additionally, the mentors must attend all of the mentor and mentee activities, and they have to attend training in early October. “(Training involves) the basics of how to deal with crisis situations (and) understanding how to recommend people to the people they need to go to,” King said. “But mostly (the training focuses on) listening to and understanding your mentee and making sure they have what they need and that they feel comfortable here.”

Applications for Project I Am can be accessed on Project I Am’s Anchor Link page and are due by 11:59 p.m. on Friday, Sept.

12. Students of all racial backgrounds are eligible to apply, and mentoring relationships will be made based on mutual fits. More information about Project I Am can be found on the Project I Am at Vanderbilt Facebook page, or interested students can go to office hours at the Bishop Joseph Johnson Black Cultural Center, Room 015. Office hour times will be posted on Project I Am’s Anchor Link page later in the week.

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opinion

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“If it is indeed true that men are now putting more consideration into sexual encounters when they feel someone is too intoxicated to make proper decisions, that is a step in the right direction.”

EDITORIAL BOARD

Concentrated education is not effective education Vanderbilt should require ongoing education on sexual misconduct and other forms of power-based personal violence THE EDITORIAL BOARD

We’re lucky the university is even telling us what happened. The administration has a history of trying to hide shit like this.

It probably has something to do with the federal investigation going on

is composed of the editor-in-chief and the four section editors of The Vanderbilt Hustler.

The opinion expressed represents the view of The Vanderbilt Hustler.

I just want wholesome, consensual sex.

Just like everyone else So proud of the girl for reporting the assault. As a victim who regrettably chose to say silent, I’m amazed at her strength and courage.

The lack of accountability for sexaul assault and the culture of protectionism around the frats is DISGUSTING and inhuman I’m downvoting every victim blaming yak and you should too

The Vanderbilt Hustler does not endorse any opinions expressed in these “yaks.”

vanderbilthustler vanderbilthustler EDITORIAL BOARD EDITORIAL BOARD

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

editor@insidevandy.com KELLY HALOM PRIYANKA ARIBINDI

NEWS EDITOR HANNAH SILLS news@vanderbilthustler.com NEWS EDITOR

LIFEHALOM EDITOR KELLY life@vanderbilthustler.com LIFE EDITOR

OPINION EDITOR ERIC LYONS opinion@vanderbilthustler.

OPINION EDITOR com

SPORTS EDITOR ALLISON MAST sports@vanderbilthustler.com

news@insidevandy.com MOLLY CORN

opinion@insidevandy.com

life@insidevandy.com ALLISON MAST

SPORTS EDITOR sports@insidevandy.com

EDITORIAL “Vanderbilt has been in the spotlight on the issue of sexual violence” is a phrase that has become almost cliche in the last year — from the criminal case involving four former football players, to the Title IX complaint and subsequent federal compliance review, and most recently the “Girl that ratted” controversy.

These instances have been covered on our pages over the last year, inciting differing opinions and perspectives on administrative policy, student attitudes and efforts against the ongoing problem and collegiate “rape culture.”

Following the campus security alert regarding an alleged assault on Monday, Aug. 25, social media outlets — particularly Facebook and the anonymous message board Yik Yak — and campus conversations were inundated with student reactions. Given the drivel that anonymous forums routinely churn out, the general tone of posts on Yik Yak was especially positive, with most posts offering words of support for the victim — rather than the slut-shaming or the rape-apologetic commentary Vanderbilt has witnessed on the likes of Collegiate ACB. One anonymous user even noted, “So proud of the girl for reporting the assault. As a victim who regrettably chose to say silent, I’m amazed at her strength and courage.”

Our conversations with students over the course of the last week have reflected a student body mixed with individuals well-versed on the problem of campus sexual violence, some who recognize that there is an issue but are less active — and few who reject that there is a problem. Each student, regardless, has a place on campus and contributes to the larger dialogue (or lack thereof) that is often referenced on our campus and on all campuses across the country.

Given the direction of this dialogue and of these expressed student opinions — both encouraging and discouraging — one thing is clear to us: Despite a clear spike in attention to the issue, both at Vanderbilt and nationally, more is still not enough.

Require ongoing education on power-based personal violence Members of the Vanderbilt community received notice Aug. 20 that the “Sexual Misconduct and Other

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

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

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

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

Forms of Power-Based Personal Violence Policy” had been updated. The policy, which outlines the university’s prevention, education and training measures, victim resources and processes for adjudicating reports of violence, was clarified and fleshed out. Among the education, training and prevention measures enumerated in the policy are VU PETSA, True Life at Vanderbilt, Vanderbilt Visions, AlcoholEdu and Green Dot. Upon our review of the policy, one thing particularly stood out to us: Every measure required of all students occurs within the first few months on campus. Students are expected to complete VU PETSA and AlcoholEdu prior to arrival on campus, Vanderbilt Visions and True Life occur within a student’s first few months on campus, and Green Dot sessions or training are not required of every student.

It is important, though, to recognize that a number of students are required by activities or organizations with which they are affiliated to complete further training or education on the issue of power-based personal violence — typically through Green Dot. Resident advisers and student VUceptors are required to complete a full six-hour Green Dot certification. A handful of student organizations and residential halls host Green Dot sessions. Some organizations, such as Vanderbilt Students for Nonviolence, have prevention at their very core. Additionally, all Greek organizations have vowed to host a Green Dot session for their members each year. The list goes on, and the number of students receiving ongoing education increases — that’s great.

We do not seek to doubt the efficacy of these programs. Rather, the problem that we seek to bring to light is the fact that first-years and those involved in activities or organizations that separately require a form of additional training or education is not an allencompassing set of students.

Dissenters might — and have — raised potential counters to our view, namely that the topic of sexual violence is already highly forced in campus dialogue, and that additional educational requirements will have no positive effect. In a recent Bloomberg article about hookup culture, William Pollack, a psychologist at Harvard Medical School, said that media attention has created a “witch hunt” environment that scares the wrong people, instead of targeting the small

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

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

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

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THE VANDERBILT HUSTLER u WWW.VANDERBILTHUSTLER.COM number of perpetrators who are typically repeat offenders. He mentioned a patient who terminated a “makeout” session at a party out of fear of being accused of sexual assault. In the same article, Oscar Sandoval, a senior at Stanford, said that he has become more hesitant to hook up with people when alcohol is involved, for fear that someone might change their mind in the morning.

If it is indeed true that men are now putting more consideration into sexual encounters when they feel someone is too intoxicated to make proper decisions, that is a step in the right direction. Not because it protects them from being falsely accused of assault — incidences of false accusation are relatively infrequent — but because it shows that the expected standard of consent is being elevated and the increased dialogue and education on the issue is having the desired effect of raising awareness about power-based personal violence and consent.

Despite this bit of encouragement, it is clear to us that there is still significant room for improvement. Considering the plethora of information and programming thrown at first-years in the first few months on campus, it should be no surprise to learn that many students forget the conversations had in Visions or the important tips displayed on their computer screens while clicking through online modules.

Concentrated education is not effective education — it’s a point we hear professors make every semester when we are advised not to cram for exams. The idea is that the more these tough topics and conversa-

tions are forced, the more present the issue of sexual violence, and the risks thereof, will be on the minds of every student. And awareness, dialogue and continual consciousness of the issue among everyone — regardless of student organization affiliation or class year — can only benefit the Vanderbilt community.

We recognize that this is not the silver bullet that will end the problem of sexual misconduct or other forms of power-based personal violence at Vanderbilt. But we hope that the administration will see the benefits of an education or training process required of all students each year.

EDITOR'S NOTE This editorial is intended to focus on the education and training of students with regard to powerbased personal violence. We recognize that training of staff, faculty and administrators is also an important aspect of prevention on campus. We additionally recognize that no single report or editorial can capture all of the intricacies that the issue of sexual violence or other forms of power-based personal violence entails, but believe in the importance of covering the issue — both particular instances and in general.

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2014

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Vanderbilt's prevention, education and training programs Personal Empowerment Through Self-Awareness (VU PETSA), which has been required of all incoming students since fall 2013, is an online training module intended to frankly address power-based personal violence (intimate partner violence, sexual assault, stalking, identity-based targeting and bullying).

True Life is a program during VUcept (first-year orientation) during which mini-skits of potentially challenging situations are played out for students with the intention of fostering an environment in which students keep each other “safe, healthy and well.”

Vanderbilt Visions is the program through which first-year students discuss issues of importance on campus with faculty and student VUceptors.

AlcoholEdu is an online module required of all new students; it addresses risk factors associated with alcohol and drug use — one of which is increased risk of power-based personal violence.

Green Dot is the university’s overarching educational program hosted in the Project Safe Center that emphasizes bystander intervention and is used by a number of organizations for additional education and training on the issue of power-based personal violence.

Don’t lose yourself ‘Work hard, play hard’ social standards can be all-consuming QUEEN STEVENSON is a sophomore in the College of Arts and Science. She can be reached at queen.o.stevenson@ vanderbilt.edu.

A

s the opening of the frats comes upon us, I feel compelled to write about identity crisis.

Vanderbilt has long touted its “work hard, play hard” lifestyle, and getting turnt in true fashion is at the cornerstone of weekend activity. Which is fine. Everyone is entitled to unwinding in their own way (mine just involves soft shirts and hardback books. Yours might involve Netflix. Or poetry readings. Or long winded conversations borne of spontaneity in Rand at 2:37 a.m.). Whatever. What matters is that you’re being yourself, however cliche that may sound (everything I needed to know I learned in kindergarten!). Let me paint you a picture: It was his first party as a college student, and he’d already heard snatches of conversation, mostly slurred but detailed hookup predictions about the upcoming night. To be honest, he felt … uncomfortable. He had never felt compelled to vigorously sow his royal oats.

But in his group of friends, he felt an unspoken expectation to mindlessly and maniacally sleep with women, and as many women as possible. And he just wasn’t into it.

Tonight was the night when she shed her claustrophobic skin; tonight was the night when she reinvented herself. All through high school, she was the goody-good: She overachieved academically, conducted car washes and bake sales, and built volunteer troupes from the ground up. Everyone knew what to expect from her and knew that it was nonthreatening. And she was tired of it. So as she pulled her hem up and tugged her bodice down, she offered up a limply exuberant and forcibly nonchalant

‘‘

Don’t walk out of that party with less of yourself than you walked in with, whether you’re leaving with someone or you’re not.

’’

“Oh, what the hell” to no one in particular. And wished so much that she was into it.

Although it’s just the beginning of the year, you probably already have expectations of Vandy’s “hookup culture.” Raunchy nights, sordid accounts and plans of debauchery, have colored many of the college films you’ve seen, and Vanderbilt seems to be the shining pinnacle. You now reason that in order to be an accepted member of Vanderbilt’s society, you must partake in this hegemonic culture. I argue that it’s way more important to maintain your sense of self, whatever that looks like.

In my Sociology 272 class — Gender Identities, Interactions, and Relationships — taught by Dr. Richard Pitt, we learned on the second day of class the concepts of egoistic and altruistic suicide (stay with me here). In sociology, suicide is approached as neglect of self-preservation. And the society you’re in can cause you to break down your “self” in

two ways: egoistically, where society is too “weak” and fails to offer you opportunities to feel like you belong (being on a team, exec board, or a dance group), or altruistically, where society is too “strong” and prioritizes itself before your well-being.

Keeping in tradition with these definitions, I can see Vanderbilt culture as dually natured: In the midst of all its student organizations and opportunities for uber-involvement, it can be fragile and neglect to give you a role or a position, making you feel useless or purposeless (how I felt my first year here), or it can be too all-consuming and elevate its values before your comfort, its esprit de corps before your raison d’etre.

For example, in the infamous thread titled “ The Girl That Ratted,” the words absolutely brim with indignation at the fact that someone would “dare” pose personal opposition to an apparently longstanding and accepted (but dysfunctional) culture. It is “never” okay to suppress another human being’s voice and identity in favor of perpetuating a predatory tradition devoid of repentance or remorse. Any culture that promotes the silencing of your “self” is a waste of society space.

Moral of the story: “Remember who you are,” whoever that is. (And yes, I did read that in the requisite Mufasa voice). Don’t feel either pressured or judged for preserving your sense of self. Don’t let Vanderbilt’s culture suck you dry or swallow you whole. And if you will be participating in this weekend’s frat activities, don’t walk out of that party with less of yourself than you walked in with, whether you’re leaving with someone or you’re not.

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WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2014

life

GO DO

THIS

Jason Mraz at the Ryman On Wednesday, Sept. 10, two-time Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Jason Mraz comes to Nashville to perform at the Ryman Auditorium. As part of his world tour in conjunction with the release of his fifth studio album “Yes!,” Mraz and rock-folk band Raining Jane are playing acoustic sets — the sound of which will be enhanced by the venue’s noted acoustics.

More money,

Moore problems

Though residents of the newly constructed College Halls are enjoying the experience of Warren and Moore, problems with features like showerheads, trash cans and camera placement are affecting student opinions FREDDO LIN / THE VANDERBILT HUSTLER

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

The College Halls are technically dorms, but using the same term we apply to Towers or Branscomb just feels wrong. The complex itself comprises two residential colleges, Warren and Moore — conjoined

by Kissam Center, which houses a Munchie Mart, cafeteria and various lounge, eating and study spaces.

Housed in the halls are singles, doubles and suites of four, five and six occupants, but some suites are duplexes, which feature two bathrooms instead of just one.

“It’s beautiful compared to Branscomb.

There’s new furniture, a lounge area with chairs and sofa, a kitchenette — no stove, which is kind of annoying — but there’s a communal kitchen in the halls that’s relatively clean,” said junior Renee Zhu, who lives in a six-person suite.

Senior Brian Hoster finds the condition of the facilities to be a big plus in comparison to other campus housing options.

“It’s really clean since it’s new. I was in Towers last year, and it’s older so it’s more dirty,” he said.

Unlike the other upperclass residence halls of its size, the College Halls were designed to function as residential colleges — a model that serves to foster a dynamic community and integrate the students with the residential staff and faculty members

living alongside them. The system also places emphasis on student-driven programming.

Sound similar to The Commons? To many residents, it does.

“Memorial had a very personal community, and I feel like Kissam is attempting to do the same thing,” said sophomore Chance Robischaud.

While he enjoys the similarities between the two, others don’t feel the same way.

“It’s a different vibe,” Zhu said. “In Towers, it’s very college-esque. Everyone’s loud and going out. I had people over (in Moore) for a housewarming and RAs told everyone to leave. The culture of it seems like they’re trying to make it be less rowdy. … We’re upperclassmen, but we’re treated like freshmen again.”

Surveillance cameras and security With respect to most things, the College Halls experience seems to be an extension of the Commons philosophy, albeit with more student-driven programming initiatives, but a notable difference in the atmosphere arises from security and surveillance within the complex.

On a single stretch of hallway leading to Zhu’s suite in Moore College, there are four cameras, spaced merely a few feet apart.

“There’s a weird feeling of being watched,” she said. “It’s eerie.”

Hittinger echoes a similar sentiment.

“There are cameras every 3 feet,” he said. “It

seems kind of absurd.”

“I feel like you have to scan like, three different times to actually get to your room,” Hoster — who lives in a single in Moore — said. “In all the other (residence halls) you don’t have to swipe to get onto the first floor. Here you could theoretically get trapped in the staircase, because you need to swipe.”

Though there is increased presence of security in terms of cameras and card access, the physical presence of guards in the halls and Kissam Center resembles that of other residence halls.

The amenities In the two weeks that it has been open, Kissam Kitchen has already garnered attention for its uniquely themed menus. The times that it’s open — 7:30-9 a.m. Monday through Friday for breakfast and 6-8 p.m.

Sunday through Thursday for dinner — have also gained a reputation of their own.

“The timings are tough,” Robischaud said. “But I love the food.”

The convenience of having a dining hall within the complex itself isn’t lost on residents, whose meal plan options start at 12 meals a week.

“It’s nice not having to leave the building,” Hittinger said.

Because halls in Warren and Moore are comprised of singles and doubles as well as suites, each hall has a communal bathroom and at least one gender-neutral bathroom

with its own shower stall. Though the size of the communal bathrooms is a source of complaints for some residents, the lack of trash cans and unadjustable showerheads has caused them considerably more problems.

“The bathrooms are pretty bad,” Hittinger said. “We complained enough that they finally put in trash cans.”

Until recently, all the bathrooms in the halls lacked trash cans, and even now some halls still do not have trash bags available.

The showers have also caused problems for students. “Everything about them is bad,” Robischaud said. “It’s either bullets of steaming hot water or a mist. It gets dark, too — the lights randomly go out every 30 seconds if they don’t detect motion.”

Zhu agrees, citing the angle of the showerheads a source of discomfort. “You can change the pressure, but you have to stand really close to the wall,” she said.

While gripes about card-swiping and showerhead angles may persist, the overall outlook of residents toward Kissam seems to be positive, though they were explicitly encouraged not to refer to it by that name.

“They were really adamant that we don’t call it Kissam,” Zhu said. “They were like, ‘No, you live at the College Halls of Warren and Moore.’”

For more student perspectives on the College Halls community, see page 4.

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WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2014

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LIFE

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2014

The Hustler’s picks: healthy eats

Nashville is often described as a foodie’s paradise, and now that the health food craze has taken hold here, enjoying a meal in Music City doesn’t mean you have to indulge in extra calories.

This week, The Hustler tracked down some of the tastiest of all the healthy options the city has to offer By Dana Alloy, Margaret Macon and Emily Torres, life reporters Fit Food Revolution

Recently opened at Green Hills, Fit Food Revolution is redefining health food for the on-the-go consumer, with refrigerated pre-prepared meals that provide perfectly balanced options for the busy student. This up-and-coming urban eatery is run by a chef who studied at Le Cordon Bleu, but uses local ingredients to put a Southern twist on healthy gourmet eats. Cooked daily, these refrigerated (but never frozen) meals provide plenty of gluten-free and paleo options that are ready to serve within minutes. This healthy venue is further enhanced by the addition of a juice and smoothie bar that offers a variety of fruit and protein-based bowls. Its unique and exotic ingredients include dragon fruit, goji berries and coconut whipped cream, which bring tons of flavor along with health benefits.

The Hustler’s pick: the Pitaya Bowl. Made with raw pitaya (dragon fruit), pineapple, banana and coconut milk, and topped with buckwheat granola, coconut flakes and banana slices, the Pitaya Bowl is a fresh and fruity option for breakfast or a midday snack. Photo by Margaret Macon/ The Vanderbilt Hustler

Run this town

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Sunflower Cafe

This hidden gem, located about four miles away from campus in Berry Hill, is housed in a small, refurbished home and offers some of the best veggie burgers in the Nashville area. The variety of meal options includes salad bowls topped with veggie burger patties and unique daily specials to accompany set menu entrees. Most of the entrees and sides are gluten-free or vegan, and everything is labeled for those who have dietary constraints. This spot is ideal for lunch because you can choose to either take your meal to go or sit and enjoy the homey atmosphere and friendly staff.

The Hustler’s pick: the Sunflower Burger. Unlike other veggie burgers, the Sunflower Burger is made entirely of vegetables as well as the cafe’s characteristic sunflower seeds, and the vegan and gluten-free Cookie Dough Parfait is a surprisingly delicious option to finish off your meal with something sweet. Photo by Dana Alloy/The Vanderbilt Hustler

The Urban Juicer

With a location in 12 South and a distinctly modern feel, The Urban Juicer lives up to its name and has become a local favorite for quick smoothies, wraps, salads and, of course, juice. Though a bit pricey — for example, $6 for a 16-ounce smoothie — the large array of juices and smoothies offered are filled to the brim with fresh fruits and veggies, and the shop’s convenient location is perfect for quick grab-and-go stops, though there are spaces to enjoy your food inside the storefront. The “frushies,” or healthy takes on classic slushies, also incorporate lots of bold fruit flavors and offer a tasty alternative to help you stay cool.

The Hustler’s pick: the Cold Buster juice. It’s week three, which means that the Commons Plague has arrived and is here to stay for the rest of the semester, but if you wake up feeling under the weather, all hope isn’t lost thanks to the Cold Buster. Swing by The Urban Juicer for this apple, grapefruit, lemon and ginger juice and bust the plague before you catch it.

Photo by Morgan Ransom/The Vanderbilt Hustler

To celebrate National Running Month, The Hustler found the best races and places to have a good time while you hit your stride — so grab your sneakers, suits, chocolates and neon apparel, and hit the ground running By Savanna Walker, life reporter

Steps of Success 5K

The Original Mud Run

Glow in the Night 5K

5K Chocolate Party Nashville

Run in style in this year’s GQthemed Steps of Success 5K while decked out in the recommended attire of a full-on suit and sneakers. The attire honors the race’s founder, Demetrius Short, who wore a suit while walking from his college campus to his internships, often up to three miles. Now a successful member of the Nashville business community, Short founded the run to benefit mentoring programs and scholarship opportunities for local students.

Runners can get down and dirty in either a 5K with 18+ obstacles or a 10K with 30+ obstacles in Franklin this weekend. Both are militarystyle obstacle courses, with most obstacles containing water or dirt (and often both). None of the obstacles are impossible, but they all require a decent level of fitness and strength. If you choose to run, know that boots and cargo-style pants are required. You can preview the obstacles on the website in case you want to see what you’re getting yourself into, but skip the whites for this one.

In this next-level night run, volunteers use cannons and hoses to spray glow powder on runners at various intervals throughout the course. It’s completely safe — the volunteers know to aim so that the runners do not get hurt or hindered — but some runners choose to wear bandanas or goggles just because of the sheer amount of glow powder. Once you finish, you’re invited to a rave-style afterparty with the other runners.

The entire event benefits Autism of Hendersonville.

If this sounds like the best 5K imaginable, that’s probably because it is. For this one, runners get chocolate from Ghirardelli stands along the way and then get even more chocolate in their goodie bags. This is a familyfriendly, laid-back run, open to children and runners of all ability levels. And once you finish the race, there’s a chocolate-themed after party with — you guessed it — plenty more chocolate. Treat yourself.

When: Saturday, Sept. 6, 8 a.m.

Where: Shelby Bottoms Park, Nashville How much: $30/person

When: Saturday, Sept. 6, waves start at 9 a.m.

Where: Tap Root Farm, Franklin How much: $45-$75

When: Saturday, Sept. 20, 8 p.m.

Where: Drakes Creek Park North, Hendersonville How much: $40/person, $30/person for teams of 4 or more, $50/ person on the day of

When: Sunday, Oct. 19, 9 a.m.

Where: Memorial Park, Hender-

sonville

How much: $30/person

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WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2014

Your guide to LP tailgating

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The venue change for this weekend’s football game against Ole Miss at LP Field is already proving to be a game changer, with major implications for tailgating and transportation — and for anyone who carries a purse By Matt Lieberson, life reporter Why is this game at LP Field?

1.

Steve Walsh, director of marketing for Vanderbilt athletics, said that the opportunity arose from a combination of LP Field’s having an open weekend during a marquee matchup and Vanderbilt’s ending up with an extra home game compared to the usual seven. “We work hard to make Vanderbilt Stadium our home, so it was more a unique opportunity than a regular occurrence,” Walsh said. “We wanted to be able to give Vanderbilt fans the experience of downtown Nashville.”

How do we get there?

2.

Vanderbilt has shuttles running every half hour from 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., with stops at Branscomb and The Commons to take students to and from LP Field. The service ends an hour and a half before kickoff, which is scheduled for 3:30 p.m., and will resume at the beginning of the fourth quarter to take students back to campus. For those who don’t want to take the shuttles, parking will be available at LP Field in lots R and T for $25.

What can I expect at the SEC Nation show?

4.

The new show, on the SEC Network, is hosted by SEC football experts and personalities, such as Tim Tebow and Paul Finebaum. With an environment modeled after “College Gameday,” students can get on television if they head down early with a memorable sign. This is a unique opportunity for students to appear on national television and be a part of one of the first episodes of this SEC pregame show.

Can we tailgate?

5.

In the traditional sense, yes. Vandy Fanatics is running a student tailgate with free food and live music starting at noon just outside of LP Field. Tents will be set up for students who want to claim spots to get game-day-ready with friends, but these are first-come, first-serve, so get downtown early if you want one. However, if visiting Greek row is an integral part of your pregame ritual, you may be disappointed to know that no fraternity tailgates are allowed on campus.

Why would I want to go at 7:30 in the morning?

What can we bring downtown?

3.

6.

The SEC Network is staging its SEC Nation pregame show, a “College Gameday”like show specific to the Southeastern Conference, from downtown Nashville on Saturday morning. It will be directly outside LP Field’s south endzone and runs 9-11 a.m. The first 500 students who make it to the broadcast will receive Vanderbilt visors, and anyone boarding the shuttles between 7:30 and 8:30 a.m. will get free Chik-fil-A on board.

A grill, snacks, drinks and games are encouraged for those who are claiming a tent.

However, NFL policy is that bags are not allowed into stadiums, and since LP Field is running the gate, the policy applies. Regarding alcohol, there is a BYOB policy for those who are of age, but alcohol isn’t allowed on the shuttles, so anyone looking to bring it with them from campus should find another way to do so. It is also worth keeping in mind that Metro Police is patrolling the tailgates.

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WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2014

sports SEC POWER RANKINGS: WEEK 1 Each week, I rank the teams in the SEC 1-14. This week, America prematurely declares a Heisman winner, Nothing Was the Same except for Texas A&M quarterbacks still crushing college football and the rest of the Vanderbilt student body joins AEPi in hating Temple.

By ANTHONY TRIPODORO Sports writer --------------------

THE BIG STAT Number of both turnovers and points for the Vanderbilt football team during Thursday’s 37-7 loss to Temple

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Kyle Fuller promises to tell all in new book Fuller recounts details of a darker story from his time as a college athlete in an exclusive chapter of ‘Below the Rim’

1. No. 2 Alabama Alabama is going to top these power rankings all season if it stays undefeated, but that may be a bigger “if” than anticipated. West Virginia quarterback Clint Trickett told reporters last week that his first kiss was Kristen Saban — yes, the daughter of Nick Saban. I fully expected Coach Saban to unleash the full force of the Crimson Tide and kill the Mountaineers after that, perhaps literally killing Trickett in the process.

But the game remained close into the second half.

Sims played well at QB, but Coker still has the better arm. Alabama certainly does not appear to be unbeatable at the moment.

2. No. 6 Georgia The Dawgs jump all the way up to the number two spot this week after a decisive victory over No. 16 Clemson. If the season were only one week long, Todd Gurley would have won the Heisman and, while that may seem like a pointless statement to make this early in the year, enough people agreed to get #GurleyforHeisman to be the top trending topic nationally on Twitter during the Georgia rout.

3. No. 5 Auburn We may never know what Nick Marshall did to get himself benched for the first half of Auburn’s 45-21 victory over Arkansas, but we now know that the Tigers possess a quality backup in Jeremy Johnson, who went 12-16 for 243 yards and two touchdowns. The running game didn’t miss a beat either, and running back Cameron Artis-Payne will have people forgetting about Tre Mason sooner rather than later if he keeps rushing for 177 yards each week.

4. No. 9 Texas A&M It only took quarterback Kenny Hill one game to break the legendary Johnny Football’s passing record at A&M by putting up 511 passing yards in a beat-down of No. 9 South Carolina. When asked about what he does in practice with his quarterbacks to make them so unstoppable, head coach Kevin Sumlin opened his mouth to reveal his secret but was interrupted by Drake, who burst into the press conference demanding to celebrate the victory with his lifelong best friend and member of the OVO crew, Kenny Football.

5. No. 12 LSU The Tigers earned a very impressive come-from-behind victory over No. 14 Wisconsin in the most exciting game involving an SEC team in week one. Running back Kenny Hilliard’s 110 yards and the thrill of the comeback overshadowed the disappointment resulting from the 18-yard performance of highly touted freshman running back Leonard Fournette.

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

Kyle Fuller was never one to shy away from speaking his mind while he played at Vanderbilt — and that’s not changing after his four years as a Commodore.

Fuller, last season’s starting point guard, is in the middle of writing a book, “Below the Rim,” which he hopes will be an authoritative guide to what the life of an SEC athlete is like. The book touches racy topics like sex, drugs and shady agents as well as more serious subjects like race and gang violence.

“This is not a book about me ratting somebody out,” Fuller said. “It’s not making Vanderbilt look bad in any way. It’s just my experiences and what I feel like a lot of high D-I college athletes experience.

I want everybody who reads this book to know that we’re not just who you see on the field or on the court. We have lives, we go through things and we are 18-through22-year-old kids who have to change our lives immediately the moment we step on campus — no matter where you came from.”

Although little about the exact content of the book has been revealed, the first chapter to be released was provided exclusively to The Vanderbilt Hustler: Entitled “Dixieland,” it tells the story of a racially fueled confrontation at a party hosted at Lipscomb.

Race is an issue close to Fuller’s heart, especially considering where he was raised. Fuller grew up in Moreno Valley, Calif., a city of 200,000 located an hour east of Los Angeles. The population is 73 percent black or Hispanic — a stark difference from Vanderbilt’s student body, which is nearly two-thirds Caucasian.

“After a while, you kind of get used to it,” Fuller said. “If you go to parties around here, most likely you’re going to be the only black person there.”

Before coming to Vanderbilt, Fuller talked with his family about what it would mean to be a black athlete in the South. Luckily, he immediately found that Vanderbilt had a different feel — people were more welcoming, and he never encountered any real racism.

However, he said that when he left the Vanderbilt bubble, things sometimes got out of hand. Growing up in Moreno Valley,

Fuller gets emtional after a close loss to Arkansas last season. he would always wear his emotions on his sleeve, but now that he was attending a respected institution, especially as a student athlete, he could not let that boil over into physical violence. He had to learn to bottle up his emotions at times.

The college envrionment was very different from where he was raised, where violence was an accepted part of life.

Fuller was first chosen to play in pickup games in his neighborhood, Woodland Park, at age 12, and when his team won, the 18-year-old who guarded him challenged him to a fight. Fuller lost, but his father, who stood by and watched, was proud of him for not backing down.

“By my sophomore year, I started learning,” Fuller said about handling racists and hecklers as a black athlete in the South.

“When you get to that point where they tell you all those things, the first thing you want to do is react, fight, say something

JAMES TATUM / THE VANDERBILT HUSTLER

else racist back. But you just can’t do that.”

Race is just one of many subjects broached in “Below the Rim,” although much of the book, which is expected to be released next summer, will be more lighthearted.

In preparation for the book’s release, Fuller and co-authors Jerry Castro and Eric Schulman, a Vanderbilt graduate and current senior, respectively, have made promotional videos to offer more insight about the book.

There will also be a Kickstarter campaign launching Oct. 27, with a launch party featuring a popular local artist on Oct. 30. More information and videos can be found at zoomfuller.com.

In the meantime, Fuller will be starting his professional career overseas. He’s choosing between offers from teams in Spain and Italy for the upcoming season starting in October.

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DIXIELAND The following is an excerpt from Kyle Fuller’s upcoming book, “Below the Rim.” Names have been changed to protect the identities of those referenced. Warning: This excerpt contains potentially offensive language and derogatory slurs.

It is getting close to sunset on a calm Friday afternoon when my boy Trey and I are invited to a party at Lipscomb University, a small Christian school in Nashville. The invite comes courtesy of Maddy, a Lipscomb athlete that Trey has been hooking up with for a while. We’ve never been to a Lipscomb party so it seems like the right move.

That night I shower, put on a fresh V-neck and throw on some Sperrys.

Just as we’re about to head out, we get a strange call from Maddy. “So don’t freak out if the party seems a little bit racist, they aren’t actually like that.”

We are pretty confused and ask her to explain. She tells us not to worry about it and that we will understand in person. Regardless of the strange phone call, I am still pretty hyped for this party because according to Trey, Lipscomb girls are cute like Vandy girls and down like Belmont girls.

Trey calls the cab and it arrives fifteen minutes later. Before long we pull into Lipscomb. Maddy waves us down and

we follow her to Fanning Hall. Outside I hear them blasting Thrift Shop by Macklemore. It sounds just like a Vandy party. We walk in and I quickly scan the room. There must be 25 people here and all of them are white. It feels like each and every one of them is trying to sneak a glance over at us while failing miserably at being sneaky. But hey, we go to Vandy, we are used to being the only black guys at a party. We aren’t however used to showing up to a place like this.

To my right I see a poster of the movie Django Unchained, you know the one where Jamie Foxx is a slave that escapes and goes on a killing rampage to get revenge? Yeah, except in this one Django is all chained up.

Directly in front there is a big poster of a skinhead-looking white dude doing the iconic Black Power salute except this poster has “WHITE POWER” in big bold letters running down the guy’s body.

And finally to my left, hanging above all the alcohol, is a giant Confederate flag.

I’m not gonna lie, I feel somewhat uncomfortable, but I’m a grown man, so I try not to think about it. It’s not my way to let someone else’s ignorance ruin my night. I walk up to the flag, grab a beer off the table and move on. Despite our initial discomfort, we make an effort to show that we are actually pretty friendly dudes.

Trey and I talk to the other people at

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2014 the party and they are all surprisingly nice given all the hatred on the walls.

The girls are particularly interested in us and we see no problem with flirting and getting a couple numbers.

It seems like it’s going to be a fun night after all. That is, until Trey and I see a group of dudes in the corner talking to each other and throwing strange glances at us. They burst out laughing as one of them awkwardly turns around to face us from across the room. He looks anxious, hesitating for a moment until one of the dudes nudges him forward.

Watching him come towards me, I feel uneasy about the situation, though I’m not really sure why. Maybe, it’s because they’re all staring at us.

“Hey, uhhhh how you guys doing ummm we were wondering if it’s alright with y’all if we say the word ‘nigga’ like joking around or in songs and stuff?”

It is beyond awkward but Trey keeps his cool.

“No. To be honest with you I wouldn’t say that word around me, especially with all that shit you guys have on your wall.”

“Ok. That’s fine. No problem.”

Everyone backs off and for a few minutes everything is fine. Until the song “My Nigga” by YG comes on.

For the full excerpt of “Dixieland,” visit vanderbilthustler.com.

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SEC POWER RANKINGS: WEEK 1 CONTINUED 6. No. 21 South Carolina Following the game, I received a text from coach Steve Spurrier. It said, “Well, I guess you could say that game went from 0 to 100, real quick. LMFAO. Did you see Drake was here?!?!?!”

Much like the rest of America, the Old Ball Coach did not see Kenny Football coming. Only Drake did.

7. Florida In a cruel twist of fate, Florida’s game against Iowa was suspended due to severe weather, meaning coach Will Muschamp and quarterback Jeff Driskel must wait yet another week to try to end the Gators’ eight-game losing streak dating back to last October. Said one disgruntled UF fan, “I’m just saying, games never got rained out when we had Urban Meyer and Tim Tebow. That’s all.”

8. Ole Miss The Rebels beat Boise State like they were supposed to, and Bo Wallace passed for 387 yards and four touchdowns. He also threw three interceptions though, as mistakes continue to be a theme for Hugh Freeze’s team.

9. No. 24 Mizzou No disrespect to Maty Mauk and company, but beating South Dakota State 38-18 tells us almost nothing about how good your team really is. Show us something this week against … wait, Mizzou doesn’t play a meaningful opponent until week five at South Carolina.

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WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2014

SEC POWER RANKINGS: WEEK 1 CONTINUED 10. Miss. St. Mississippi State beat Southern Miss. 49-0. I’d like to give them more credit for doing everything right, but … Southern Miss. Much like Mizzou, Miss. St. will have to wait a few weeks for a real test.

11. Arkansas Arkansas leapfrogs Tennessee and Kentucky even though the Razorbacks lost and both the Volunteers and the Wildcats won easily. Call me crazy, but I was actually more impressed by Arkansas putting up 21 points against national runner-up Auburn than I was by Tennessee and Kentucky beating Utah State and UT Martin, respectively.

12. Tennessee Enjoy the win while you can, Vols. Facing a schedule that includes Oklahoma, Georgia, Florida, Ole Miss, Alabama, South Carolina, Mizzou and Vanderbilt (LOL), victories are going to be hard to come by this year.

13. Kentucky “Whoop-de-doo, we beat UT Martin! Go Wildcats! Now we won’t be in last place in The Hustler’s power rankings!” — A Kentucky student with too much free time … hold on, Kentucky students can read? Zing.

(Weeks without a basketball joke: 1)

14. Temple Had to be done.

15. Vanderbilt There is literally no way for me to justify ranking our team anywhere else. I know, I’m sad too. Can I get a refund on the Derek Mason shot glass I bought at the bookstore? I swear it’s only wet from my tears.

SPORTS

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A need for continuity in the wake of a lopsided defeat For successful transition into ‘Mason era,’ first-year coach must lead with consistency

COLUMN

By PATRICK BURR Sports writer --------------------

Thursday night’s thunderstorm came and went over the course of a few soggy hours, leaving little evidence of its game-delaying influence aside from a damp playing surface. After a 37-7 drubbing at the hands of an electrically paced Temple Owls team, however, the outlook for a fresh-faced Commodore squad remains cloudy.

Judging from first-year coach Derek Mason’s early second-quarter yanking of starter Patton Robinette from a 7-7 game, the recently resolved quarterback battle was not as settled as he made it out to be just one week ago.

“Pulling (Robinette) … that makes no sense; that doesn’t inspire any type

of confidence,” Mason said in an Aug. 21 interview just after the decision was made.

Yet in the throes of an early-season battle just one week later, Mason ate his words — Stephen Rivers, the 6-foot-7 graduate student and LSU transfer, trotted onto the field after just five Vanderbilt possessions. Less than 20 minutes of game time had ticked off the clock, and already the cauterized gash of personnel indecision had begun to bleed from the home sideline.

Neither Robinette nor Rivers presented a strong case as to why he should be the starter come next weekend — the former appeared harried in the pocket even at the best of times, his restlessness culminating in a lessthan-graceful moment in which he tripped over the feet of a lineman and gifted the Owls their third sack of the night, while the latter coughed up a

fumble that was returned for a touchdown and heaved an interception late in the game after re-entering the fray to replace Johnny McCrary.

Yet it can be argued that neither player was fully responsible for the offensive struggles that defined week one’s disappointment. Three of Vanderbilt’s first five drives ended with Robinette pinned to the turf in his own backfield beneath a Temple defender; on the Rivers fumble, defensive lineman Avery Ellis slid through the Vanderbilt O-line like a hot knife through butter and popped the unsuspecting quarterback on his blind side.

The Owls recorded four sacks total, all of which came in the first half.

“We’ve got to get better all across the board,” said center and co-captain Joe Townsend. “I take great pride as an offensive lineman, and I didn’t play as well as I needed to to allow the rest of the guys to make plays.”

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THE VANDERBILT HUSTLER ◆ WWW.VANDERBILTHUSTLER.COM Linebacker Kyle Woestmann, a cocaptain who finished the game with three tackles, echoed Townsend’s sentiments concerning the lackluster performance.

“It was on us as players. … We didn’t execute on the field,” he said.

With these frank statements from two team leaders in mind, it becomes easier to remove the quarterback battle-blinders and to view the issue as one extending beyond the man under center. There’s the 3-for-14 (21.4 percent) third down conversion rate. There are the seven turnovers, two of which came on muffed punt or kick returns.

Mason voiced as much in his postgame press conference: “Offensively, we couldn't sustain drives. We couldn't find any rhythm. Defensively, there were too many plays. We didn't do a good job of setting edges. We had seven turnovers. It was a rough night at the office.”

Having said that, if Rivers and Robinette constantly face the daunting task of being reintegrated into the starting role, how will this lack of continuity affect the offense, and by association, the rest of the team? Units may be on the field at different times, but teams hold like glue or flake like wafers in milk depending on the efficiency of each set of 11 men. An offense’s struggles to hold the ball can stretch thin even the strongest of defenses; questions surrounding one position can draw a team’s focus away from more pressing matters. A team’s most valued

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2014

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offensive player should not be its punter — nor should its only points come via the opponent’s long snapper.

To his credit, Mason intimated his readiness to stand face-to-face with Thursday’s letdown.

“We'll learn from this and watch film,” he promised. “I have been here before. …

We'll coach our guys.”

Based on the boos that swarmed the team after a puzzlingly disjointed first half and considering the proverbial crickets that chirped throughout Vanderbilt Stadium when the scoreboard finally turned off after the mentally exhausting 30-point loss, the most prudent thing a young Vanderbilt team can do is focus on Ole Miss. As Mason points out, “We have nine days until the next game."

PASSING STATS Cmp-Att Yds Sack

Rivers

12-25

186

1

Robinette 4-6

38

3

McCrary

0

0

0-3

BOSLEY JARRETT / THE VANDERBILT HUSTLER

Quarterback Steven Rivers (17) is pressured by two Temple defenders in the Commodore 37-7 loss.

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