The Vanderbilt Hustler 1-13-16

vanderbilthustler WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2016

Can this season be salvaged?

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VOL. 128, ISS. 1

Despite Vanderbilt basketball’s No. 18 preseason ranking, the team is just 9-7 PAGE 8

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ZIYI LIU / THE VANDERBILT HUSTLER

NEWS

OPINION

Med Center addresses LGBTQI health issues through Trans Buddy program, research and education

Columnist Naeha Haridasa argues that service trips offer rich potential for personal development

VUMC supports LGBTQI health In defensePAGE of ‘voluntourism’ 6 PAGE 2

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LIFE

New year, new goals

Tips for meeting four common New Year’s resolutions while in college

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ILLUSTRATION BY VIVIAN SAXON/ THE VANDERBILT HUSTLER

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WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2016

news

JAMES TATUM / THE VANDERBILT HUSTLER

Med center serves as leader in LGBTQI healthcare

Program for LGBTI Health makes Med Center more inclusive through Trans Buddy program, research and education

By SARAH FRIEDMAN Assistant news editor --------------------

The Vanderbilt Medical Center Program for LGBTI Health, a leader in its field, trains and educates practitioners and provides personalized care to patients in order to make the Med Center a more inclusive and comfortable place for all of its patients.

The program was founded four years ago with the goal of making the patient experience at the Med Center more attentive to the unique needs of LGBT patients. Certain types of cancers and sexually transmitted diseases as well as mental health issues are more common among the LGBT community, and their healthcare should reflect those needs, said Jesse Ehrenfeld, director of the program.

For example, a man who has sex with men should receive the HPV preventive vaccine, which is not necessarily offered to every patient.

Inspired by a similar program started at the University of California-San Francisco, the Program for LGBTI Health combines education, critical care and research into one comprehensive program. Because of the program, Vanderbilt Medical Center is now the only hospital in the state of Tennessee to hold leadership status in the Healthcare Equality Index, a tool created by the Human Rights

vanderbilthustler STAFF

ALLIE GROSS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Campaign to evaluate healthcare providers based on their attentiveness to LGBT patients.

Among several initiatives taken by the program staff to increase the quality of care for LGBT patients, the Trans Buddy Program stands out as one that is a pioneer in its area. A volunteer-based service, this program pairs trans patients with a trained “buddy” who can accompany the patient to appointments and make sure they receive the appropriate care and that the appointment runs smoothly. The buddy may call in advance of an appointment to let the center know a trans patient will be coming in for care, help the patient fill out paperwork and even come into the examination room with the patient.

The program is helpful because many doctors are unfamiliar with the preferences and needs of trans patients because medical schools place little to no emphasis on them in their courses of study, Ehrenfeld said.

“At the end of the day, you might only see a transgender patient every few months or once a year, and so people want to do the right thing, but sometimes it’s just hard because you’re only doing it every now and then and are just not sure what to say,” Ehrenfeld said.

A trans patient visiting the Med Center can contact the program using their 24-hour hotline for emergency visits or via email to ar-

range to be paired with a buddy in advance. Trans buddies can help patients with all kinds of needs, including appointments related to transition, such as preparation for surgery or hormonal therapy or routine care visits.

The Program for LGBTI Health also participates in research on the LGBT medical experience and educates practitioners on how they can better serve their LGBT patients through modules and trainings. While it isn’t realistic for every graduate of the medical school to focus on LGBT health, the program aims to assure that each graduate has at least a basic understanding of the issues the patients face and the resources that can help them.

Now, Ehrenfeld and his colleagues are helping the medical centers at other universities, such as Johns Hopkins and University of Pennsylvania, start similar initiatives. Harvard also launched a similar program several weeks ago.

“My philosophy as a leadership role is that it’s perfectly appropriate for us to shame other hospitals and universities into following suit, and we have had some success in that,” Ehrenfeld said.

Anyone interested in utilizing the program’s services can email LGBTI.health@vanderbilt.edu. Those interested in being paired with a Trans Buddy can call the 24-hour hotline at 615-326-5185.

JOSH HAMBURGER — MANAGING EDITOR BOSLEY JARRETT — DESIGN DIRECTOR ZOE SHANCER — NEWS EDITOR ANNA BUTRICO — WEB EDITOR KARA SHERRER — LIFE EDITOR ZIYI LIU — PHOTO DIRECTOR QUEEN STEVENSON — OPINION EDITOR KATHY YUAN — CHIEF COPY EDITOR COLLIN ZIMMERMAN — CHIEF WEB DEVELOPER BEN WEINRIB — SPORTS EDITOR 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 DESIGNERS COPY EDITORS ZACH BERKOWITZ ABBY HINKSON KAREN CHAN PRIYANKA KADARI ALAN WILMS AUSTIN WILMS YUNHUA ZHAO ANGELICA LASALA

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VSG mid-year report

As VSG heads into a new semester, President Lizzy Shahnasarian updates the Hustler on accomplishments from this past fall and plans for the spring By Zoe Shancer, News editor PRESIDENTS' ROUNDTABLE

COLLABORATION INNOVATION FUND

SEXUAL ASSAULT AND AWARENESS PREVENTION

Shahnasarian was excited to start the fall semester with the first Presidents’ Roundtable, which brought student leaders into contact with one another to create a strategic vision for the academic year. “I think that was a really good precedent and something I hope to see continue,” Shahnasarian said.

Another success, according to Shahnasarian, was the collaboration innovation fund, which gave money from an $8,000 fund to student organizations who are collaborating with one another. “It encourages organizations to work with partners that they might not necessarily work with, and we have seen a lot of groups collaborate … and I think that is a good model for Vanderbilt to move towards,” Shahnasarian said.

VSG established the Sexual Assault and Awareness Prevention program as a standing committee in September. “It is a promise to the student body that VSG is going to continue to work on raising awareness about sexual assault and continue to offer education about sexual assault and sexual assault prevention,” Shahnasarian said.

VSG will continue to make sexual assault prevention and awareness a priority with another official “It’s On Us” pledge signing.

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TRANSPARENCY

EXPERIENCE VANDERBILT

VSG attempted to increase its transparency this semester by publishing both their line item budget and a quarterly report for the first time in VSG history. VSG’s new website has also given those outside of VSG a chance to see what initiatives and changes are taking place, Shahnasarian said.

VSG’s biggest accomplishment of the year, according to Shahnasarian, was raising the funds through contributions from donors, the office of the Dean of Students, and VSG reserves for Experience Vanderbilt. Students can now apply for funding for all extracurricular activities except Greek life, which is not open to all students. A committee of four students and three faculty advisors will review applications anonymously, determine financial need and allocate funds to students.

P HOUSING FORUMS VSG will hold town hall meetings in different residential areas so that students can give feedback regarding housing as the university makes decisions about which dorms to tear down. “This will be an opportunity for students to provide feedback on residential housing, what they think is going really well, what they think needs to be improved as we continue to convert into a residential college campus,” Shahnasarian said.

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GENDER INCLUSIVITY AND AWARENESS FORUMS This semester VSG also plans to hold joint student and faculty forums regarding issues of gender inclusivity and awareness, from discussions of pronouns to class rosters and gender neutral housing. “This will serve as a really good model to have students and faculty members collaborating on issues that are really important to students,” Shahnasarian said.

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MENTAL HEALTH INITIATIVES Shahnasarian hopes to continue to make mental health a priority and to expand these efforts by having a PR campaign to raise awareness about eating disorders. “A lot of Vanderbilt students are suffering from eating disorders, but it’s not something that is talked about,” Shahnasarian said.

EXTERNSHIP PROGRAM At the end of her term, Shahnasarian hopes to launch an externship program, which would allow first-years to go out into the Nashville community and participate in an internship between the last day of finals and graduation.

“A lot of people can’t find an internship they’re interested in that is paying for a summer, so oftentimes they have to forgo their “dream internship” to do something that pays, so this would be a four or five day internship that would expose you to the field,” Shahnasarian said.

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2016

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VSG Executive Board placed on semesterlong probation for spending violations Judicial branch says it will hold VSG to a higher standard this spring

By ZOE SHANCER News editor --------------------

Vanderbilt Student Government (VSG)’s Judicial Court has implemented a one-semester probationary period as of Dec. 2 for the Executive Board of VSG due to statutory violations last semester related to the budget. The Executive Board includes President Lizzy Shahnasarian, Vice President Jay King, Speaker of the Senate Jackson Vaught and Chief of Staff Julia Gabriel.

According to Blake Ligon, chief justice of the Judicial Court, the probationary period means that if the Judicial Court becomes aware of any serious violations of the constitution or statutes committed by the Executive Board during the next semester, they will immediately launch an investigation into the matter with potential grounds for removal from office.

The advisory opinion says that the offenses committed last semester do not warrant removal of any Executive Board members, but that the court will act swiftly and decisively if violations occur in the future.

“The Constitution and Statutes are the governing documents of this organization, not the illegal precedents of previous administrations,” the opinion reads.

The advisory opinion responds to four alleged statutory violations: the maximum allocation of funds toward general VSG Co-Sponsorships, the maximum allocation of funds toward the VSG Co-Sponsorship of the Month, the Executive Board’s ability to re-allocate VSG funds, and the Executive Board’s usage of the Contingency Fund. Ligon said he found out about the budget violations — which included excessive funding for co-sponsorships and more than $1,000 allotted to an unregistered student group — from the Hustler article released on Monday, Nov. 2.

Upon review of the statutes and constitution, the court found that funds were allocated in excess of the general co-sponsorship cap as well as for the Co-Sponsorship of the Month cap. The court determined that the use of the Contingency Fund to cover last year’s allocations to a group called Vanderbilt Traditions did not violate the statutes, but did violate the constitution, because although the treasurer is to administer and maintain the budget, he did not oversee this particular spending transaction.

According to Ligon, this probationary period will add an extra level of accountability to VSG. “We are being looped in on co-sponsorship correspondence, while also maintaining oversight over spending decisions,” Ligon said. “In addition, the new treasurer will be much more aware of their specific duties to oversee and administer spending decisions, and we will aid in that.”

VSG will benefit from being held to a higher standard, according to Ligon.

“The executive branch has done a great job with a lot of things, but they have a big job, a lot of things to juggle, and I think this … will hold them to a higher standard and make that great work that they are doing more effective,” Ligon said.

VSG President Lizzy Shahnasarian echoed Ligon’s sentiment.

“I think that the report that the judicial board released was really positive and is going to push VSG forward, and it’s going to make sure that budgetary violations don’t happen in the future,” Shahnasarian said.

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WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2016

QUOTE OF THE DAY

opinion What ‘voluntourism’ critics fail to understand “Every major on this campus is as easy or hard as we make it.”

THOMAS SHANNAN, JUNIOR

Seeing service trips as opportunities for personal development can make voluntourism a valuable experience

NAEHA HARIDASA is a sophomore in the College of Arts and Science. She can be reached at naeha.haridasa@ vanderbilt.edu.

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KARA SHERRER

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to empathize and feel a strong sense of compassion for the individuals I had met. While it disappointed me that I couldn’t continue the service over a longer period of time, I was grateful for the opportunity to broaden my perspective and ask more critical questions about privilege.

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V

oluntourism refers to travellers who participate in service work during a trip, and it has exploded as a way to offer both a travel and community service experience. However, alongside its rise in popularity, criticism of voluntourism has garnered a lot of attention. Critics point out that voluntourism detracts from the effect of aid and improperly portrays impoverished areas as tourist attractions. While the controversy sparks important questions about our approach to service and aid, most opposition articles don’t acknowledge the positive outcomes of such trips. As someone who has been profoundly changed by community service, I believe the notion of voluntourism ought to be re-examined and its impact contextualized. Voluntourism shouldn’t be compared to national and professional service organizations. Rather, its potential for change should be understood within the realistic reach of these trips, and their impact should be assessed at the individual level as well as the community level.

Last spring, I traveled with Alternative Spring Break to San Francisco, Calif. and worked in local homeless and poverty shelters across the city. Through our stay, we served food at local churches, organized art and music programs with recovering substance abusers and created healthy meals for inhabitants of various centers. By interacting with individuals, we learned about the ways in which income inequality, lack of education and affordability of housing severely limited the ability of low-income individuals to provide for themselves. Having grown up in the Bay Area, I was surprised at my lack of understanding of the economic disparities in my hometown. I spoke with countless individuals who earned advanced degrees yet remained homeless simply because they could not find a job. Others suffered from mental illness, which resulted in a dearth of well-paying jobs. Most impactful, however, were the numerous stories of systematic socioeconomic poverty — individuals who grew up in families that were poor and who could never seem to rise above the line.

Although we were only there for six days, I began

Engage in the the service you’ve signed up for, but more importantly, be observant and aware of your surroundings.

’’

My experience with ASB is not vastly different from that of participants of other “voluntourism” trips.

Typically, individuals are recruited to spend a week or two in an impoverished area working with an organization for relief or aid. After their stay, volunteers leave and a new set of volunteers replace them. Critics of voluntourism often denounce this brief volunteering time by stating that it is not long enough for volunteers to make a true difference. They also argue that travelling for service is unwarranted when volunteers can create change at home. However, critics fail to

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

acknowledge that though the work is brief, the process of interacting with individuals of an entirely different background and perspective can be eye-opening. And yes, while “eye-opening” doesn’t necessarily do much good immediately, it ultimately inspires individuals who are compassionate and willing to engage in more intentional acts of service. This opportunity of challenging one’s own perspective gives voluntourism the credibility it deserves.

While I acknowledge that not every individual leaves with this sort of understanding, there are certainly ways to make these trips more intentional and create a realistic and beneficial result. If the goal of these trips transitioned from not only providing benefit to the community but to also focusing on encouraging critical thinking and reflection amongst participants, voluntourist trips would be more effective and less wasteful. Challenging our previously held notions about communities and privilege makes our efforts at service more meaningful. However, we often aren’t presented with these challenges unless we take initial steps to expose ourselves to different settings and populations. Voluntourist trips, though costly and scattered, allow us to have that initial opportunity for exposure. When we see these trips as a chance to gain insight and spend ample time preparing for and understanding the environments we work with, they can shift our frame of thinking and create even more impactful methods of service.

To all individuals who have been or are pursuing service trips that are considered voluntourist, do let the criticism of the program affect the ways the program inspires you. Engage in the service you’ve signed up for, but more importantly, be observant and aware of your surroundings. Talk to individuals and seek to understand their experiences. Be humble and allow the conversations to challenge your perspective and inspire empathy within you. Most importantly, don’t let your contribution stop when you leave your trip.

Transform your experience into meaningful dialogue and service projects which can begin to have a real effect.

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.

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WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2016

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When planning becomes excessive Learn to expect the unexpected in a new semester and beyond

ALICE LI is a first-year in the College of Arts and Science. She can be reached at alice.y.li@vanderbilt. edu.

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T

ime flies.

Last year at this moment, we were taking other classes, worrying about different problems and living in another residence hall. In fact, I had only recently finished all of my college applications, and I was still nervously awaiting the admissions decisions that would arrive. After I arrived here for my first semester, forgetting to stay flexible made my life more difficult as I struggled to adapt to the unexpected challenges of living away from home and the rigor of a college-level workload. Reflecting on my early expectations, I’m amazed by not only how much I failed to predict, but also my overconfidence in what I thought was predictable. Now that I realize how much I didn’t anticipate about my first semester, I’m beginning to accept that regardless of how much we plan ahead for our future classes and commitments, it’s unlikely that we will execute those plans without needing any adjustments.

Of course, that doesn’t mean that all planning is useless or futile. Rather, the tendency of many Vanderbilt students to plan ahead reflects the strength of our academic backgrounds. We come from the overachieving mentality that gave us our high SAT and ACT scores, that made us rank in the top percentiles of our graduating high school class, and that motivated us to apply to one of the most selective universities in the nation. During the school year, there never seems to be a week in which we don’t have meetings to attend, exams to study for and essays to prepare.

On top of our daily assignments and extracurricular

activities, we have long-term tasks to worry about that range from acquiring enough AXLE credits to fulfilling pre-med requirements to figuring out what we want to do after graduation. Without a certain degree of careful planning, we wouldn’t have made it this far in our academic careers.

We should realize that the best way to prepare ourselves for the many months and years stretching ahead is to stay flexible when planning ahead.

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However, excessive planning — that is, planning too far into the future without considering the possibility of unexpected changes — has its downsides. For instance, it can make us unable to cope with the un-

anticipated events that often occur in the whirlwind of college life. Such events might include a schedule conflict that jeopardizes the on-time completion of our AXLE credits, or an unexpected strain on our family’s financial resources or even the realization that we’ve lost our passion for our declared major.

Worse, in the long run, excessive planning could make us unwilling to accommodate the cultural and technological changes that will inevitably have occurred by the time we complete our education and join the workforce. As young adults hoping for future employment, we might be especially wary of upcoming technological developments. Computers and robots have already rendered millions of jobs obsolete, and as technology advances, it isn’t unreasonable to wonder if the jobs we’re currently preparing for might be in decline by the time we’re ready to work. As much as we might wish otherwise, the fast-paced nature of the modern world makes it almost impossible to accurately predict future political, economic and technological changes.

With this perspective in mind, we should realize that the best way to prepare ourselves for the many months and years stretching ahead is to stay flexible when planning ahead. That means trying to be openminded in our social and academic choices, as well as striving to acquire as many diverse experiences as possible. We might not be able to predict the future, but by learning to expect the unexpected, we can at least prepare ourselves to embrace alternatives when things don’t go as planned.

A ‘major’ debate

The STEM versus humanities fight doesn’t benefit anyone

A THOMAS SHANNAN is a junior in the Peabody College of Education and Human Development. He can be reached at thomas.g.shannan @vanderbilt.edu.

s a general rule, I tend to avoid the “Vandy Secrets” Facebook page, a campus forum dedicated to sharing anonymous posts and secrets.

It’s often filled with hurtful or rude comments, and I almost always disagree with what’s said. However, as fate would have it, one such post appeared in my news feed during finals week while I was taking a study break. A friend of mine had liked update #1213 from Vandy Secrets, which stated the following: “I’m sorry but this has to be said...having a liberal arts/ education major is absolutely NOT as hard as having a science major.”

This sort of statement is nothing new on Vanderbilt’s campus. Time and time again, comments like this are made and the student body is pitted against each other to debate who works harder at this and who is better at that. But why do we do this to ourselves? Why do we constantly try to delegitimize the efforts and interests of other students to make our own seem superior? Whether it’s bashing an English major for “only having to read books” or analogizing a HOD major’s hard work to a young child coloring, this belittling attitude is all too prevalent from our campus. So, for those out there who feel that their major is objectively harder than another, read this carefully: you are wrong.

Every major on this campus is as easy or as hard as

we make it. Take an education major, for instance. It’s a common misconception that these are the easiest degrees on campus because “those who can, do; those who can’t, teach.” This is incorrect, though. Education majors are put through multiple credit hours of practicum experiences, with about one credit of practicum equaling countless hours of preparation in and out of the classroom. What’s more, education majors are constantly evaluated on their potential as a future teacher, and they can ultimately be dropped from their program at any time if their professors don’t think they’re cut out for the career. This forces these students to spend even more time practicing their classroom skills, reading up on the latest educational theory, and developing the best, most detailed lesson plans they can. If they don’t, they could find themselves searching for a new major after two and a half years and worrying about how they’re going to graduate on time.

Every major has a similar struggle, and it’s unacceptable for anyone to discount a fellow student’s hard work and effort. Instead of focusing on who has the harder major, each of us should make it our top priority to find a field that we’re passionate about and learn as much as we can.

It’s hard to leave this sort of academic competition behind us after years of peers and parents pressur-

ing us into believing that becoming number one in school is all that really matters. But this competition is no longer necessary now that we’re at Vanderbilt. We don’t need to compete with each other anymore on the most trivial of things just to feel validated about our intelligence and our worth as a person.

To the original poster of #1213 and, presumably, many other Vanderbilt students, I’m sorry that your experiences thus far in your major haven’t been as pleasurable as you had hoped. But know that calling out other majors and persons on unfounded claims only perpetuates negative stereotypes. It creates a precedent for future Vanderbilt students that tells them it’s okay to mock Peabody majors for doing “easier” work or even that a career in the liberal arts is inferior to one in the sciences.

Instead, let’s place more of an emphasis on the strengths of every major. Let’s find a field that we love and put everything we have into gaining as much knowledge as we can in that subject. Because that is enough, regardless of whether your GPA is a 3.7 or a 2.0.

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MEN’S BASKETBALL VS. ALABAMA

WOME

With an SEC win finally under their belts, the Commodores continue their two-game minihomestand Saturday evening against Alabama. Crimson Tide fans are just remembering that Bama has a basketball team, now led by former Dallas Mavericks and Brooklyn Nets head coach Avery Johnson.

In their pr and beat in the SEC presentin

SATURDAY, JAN. 16 AT 5 P.M.

5thatfatal fl aws could ruin the season

By MATT LIEBERSON Features editor --------------------

Vanderbilt entered the season ranked No. 16 in the AP poll, but so far the team has not played up to that potential. Here are five things that have gone wrong this year for Vanderbilt, and may prevent them from getting an NCAA Tournament berth.

1. Damian Jones hasn't played as well as expected — or stayed on the floor Center Damian Jones was supposed to be Vanderbilt’s best player this season, as well as a potential first round pick in the NBA Draft. So far, he hasn’t looked like either. Jones has averaged 13.0 points and 6.6 rebounds per game this season, basically on par with last season’s averages of 14.4 points and 6.6 rebounds per game. Jones’ biggest problem so far has been staying on the floor. In Vanderbilt’s losses to No. 14 Purdue, Arkansas and No. 22 South Carolina, Jones fouled out. Furthermore, Jones only played 15 minutes against Purdue and 16 against South Carolina. Kevin Stallings voiced his displeasure following the South Carolina game, saying that Jones fouling out with seven minutes left in the game was “a joke” and that he “can’t do that” to his team. While Luke Kornet’s return from injury bolsters Vanderbilt’s front line, Jones on the floor playing aggressive basketball makes Vanderbilt a better team.

2. Vanderbilt's big men haven't pulled down enough rebounds It’s possible that Kornet’s return will help solve this problem, but Vanderbilt has been severely beat on the boards in critical games. Baylor had a ridiculous 20 offensive rebounds in their December win over Vanderbilt to the Commodores’ three. LSU outrebounded Vanderbilt by 11. South Carolina outrebounded Vanderbilt by eight, with Kornet back on the floor (though probably not yet at full strength). If Jones, Kornet and stretch-4 Jeff Roberson can work harder on the glass, the Commodores can score more second-chance points and prevent long possessions from their opponents, but that has yet to happen.

3. Riley LaChance hasn't shot the ball well at all

When Riley LaChance makes shots, Vanderbilt is extremely hard to defend. Opponents have to respect him as an outside threat, stretching the defense for Jones to work inside and the Commodore guards to attack the basket.

Unfortunately, LaChance’s shot has been off all year. His field goal percentage is .406 so far this season — compared to .436 last season — with notably poor shooting in losses against No. 25 Baylor, Purdue and LSU. If LaChance can start to be more effective, he could possibly be the sparkplug to renewed team offensive success. So far, though, LaChance hasn’t followed up on his strong freshman performance as hoped.

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4. The bench has yet to make a notable impact The Commodores were hailed as a deep team going into the season, but that hasn’t been the case. Part of this, again, was due to Kornet’s absence forcing Jeff Roberson into the starting lineup. Kornet’s absence has shown itself to be a major problem for Vanderbilt, as it exposed the team’s actual lack of depth. Josh Henderson has been forced off the bench to play 14.2 minutes a game, which most likely was not what Coach Stallings hoped for. Nolan Cressler, becoming the primary scoring option off the bench, has only chipped in 5.6 points per game. Notably, Cressler has seemed to disappear in losses, scoring 4.1 points per game in losses. Joe Toye has added some energy when he comes into the game, shooting 64 percent on the year, but he hasn’t gotten much action. Maybe the solution is more Toye, and maybe Camron Justice’s return from a groin injury will make a difference, but the bench’s lack of contribution has meant an unbalanced scoring attack led solely by Wade Baldwin IV so far.

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Vanderbilt’s losses this year have seemed to follow the same script. In every loss, Vanderbilt has held a lead either at halftime or late in the second half. Then, the shots simply stop falling, and the team can’t seem to hold onto the ball.

It’s extremely confounding that a team with so many talented shooters and scorers cannot make shots to stop a run from an opponent. This is the most frustrating thing about this year’s Vanderbilt team. They seem to be in a position to win every game, and simply cannot do it. Stallings recently called the Commodores “a team low on confidence.” Whatever it is, the team cannot close. Since the beginning of last season, in games decided by five points or less, Vanderbilt is an embarrassing 1-13. If the team can’t reverse this pattern, they won’t be making the NCAA Tournament.

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5. Vanderbilt just cannot find a way to hold onto leads or win close games

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WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2016

EN’S BASKETBALL VS. LSU

SDAY, JAN. 14 AT 7 P.M.

previous two games, Vanderbilt women’s basketball nearly upset No. 2 South Carolina Alabama for its first conference win of the season. LSU has the lowest-scoring offense C thus far and only mustered 35 points in their loss Sunday against Texas A&M, ng a favorable matchup for the ‘Dores, who have also struggled to put up big numbers.

ER15E? ILT BASKETBALL

5 strong points that show there’s still hope

By ROBBIE WEINSTEIN Sports reporter --------------------

Although Vanderbilt put together a dreadful first half of the season, hope still exists.

A 9-7 record to start the season falls far short of preseason expectations, but there are multiple reasons to think a turnaround is coming. These are five of the biggest reasons to expect a better ending to Vanderbilt’s season.

1. The schedule The NCAA Tournament committee routinely rewards teams that play a difficult schedule, particularly out of conference, and the Commodores fit this description. With an overall strength of schedule ranking of 28 according to RPI and 35 per Ken Pomeroy, Vanderbilt doesn’t necessarily need an abundance of wins to sneak into the Big Dance.

The Commodores’ NCAA Tournament hopes are still very much alive if they can claw their way to 10 SEC victories. Last season’s NCAA Tournament field included five at-large teams with 12 or more regular season losses, with these squads settling for an average seeding of 8.8. Vanderbilt’s remaining conference slate offers multiple opportunities for resumebuilding victories, and that’s before considering the SEC Tournament in early March. Based on the tournament committee’s selection process that leans heavily on quality wins and strength of schedule, the Commodores still have an opportunity to make their way into the NCAA Tournament by a comfortable margin.

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2. The returns from injury Fans expected a better season than that of a fringe tournament team, but the return of a couple of Vanderbilt’s key players from injury should help.

Camron Justice’s five games out with a groin injury cut into the Commodores’ already questionable depth, so his return should add bench scoring for the Commodores. An even bigger story was starting power forward Luke Kornet’s five-game absence due to a torn MCL. “[Luke]’s probably the toughest guy on our team,” head coach Kevin Stallings said following a Dec. 9 loss to Dayton in the Commodores’ first game without Kornet. “He’s our best defender, but we don’t have him now.” With him back in the lineup, the Commodores will be a better team.

3. The pattern from last year The Commodores have experience climbing out of big holes following last season’s SEC turnaround.

After stumbling out to a 1-7 SEC start in January, Vanderbilt won eight of its last 10 conference games to finish 9-9 in the league and grab a postseason berth behind improved defense and greater overall consistency. A soft second half of the SEC schedule contributed to the run, and the Commodores currently face three straight games against conference bottom feeders that serve as opportunities to build confidence. The players say they are committed to turning the team around, and based on last season’s February renaissance we should know better than to count this group out with more than 15 games left to play. “We’re far from done,” Wade Baldwin IV said following a Jan. 2 loss to LSU. “Change needs to obviously happen. … There can definitely be a turnaround, I can assure that.”

4. The competitive nature of the team All the close losses have been frustrating to watch, but the Commodores have shown they can consistently compete with high-level NCAA Tournament teams. Five of Vanderbilt’s losses have been to likely NCAA at-large teams, and none have come via blowout. Computer rankings such as KenPom and Sagarin still peg the ‘Dores as a borderline top 25 team, while the former lists Vanderbilt as the unluckiest team in all of Division I. Strong performances away from home against the likes of Kansas and South Carolina suggest that the Commodores have the talent to claw their way back to a winning record in the SEC. At some point, some of these close games will start to go Vanderbilt’s way.

5. The defense Vanderbilt’s offense struggled against Arkansas and South Carolina, but the defense still ranks as one of the best in the country this season. With Kornet back in the fold, the Commodores held both the Razorbacks and Gamecocks below their respective season averages in shooting percentage. Similarly, VU ranks third in the entire country in effective field goal percent defense, which accounts for the extra value of three point shots, according to KenPom.com. The offense has been up and down, but the team’s strong defensive performances with Kornet in the lineup have been consistent no matter the opponent.

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NEW SEMESTER’S RESOLUTIONS

Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption

Langford Auditorium; Friday, Jan. 15 from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Bryan Stevenson is visiting campus this Friday as part of the Chancellor’s Lecture Series. The lawyer, whose memoir “Just Mercy” received widespread acclaim, will kick off this year’s Martin Luther King Jr. Commemoration with a lecture on the justice system. There will also be a reception and book signing before the lecture, from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Both are free and open to the public; seating is first-come, first-serve.

WHAT WE WISH WE COULD DO:

EAT HEALTHY HOW TO ACCOMPLISH THIS: Eating healthy is complicated. There are so many variables in a healthy diet besides calories and fat, like carbs, sugar and vitamins. This year, focus on what you are actually putting in your body by cutting out chemicals, preservatives, hormones and dyes. Vanderbilt Dining makes this an easy task, as all the main dining halls serve many fresh foods at each meal. Swap the dressings at the salad bar for oil and vinegar and avoid any thick sauces, as well as products that could be frozen such as onion rings and french fries. If you get hungry in between meals, instead of going for Oreos, Doritos and Coke in Munchie Marts, replace them with Dove chocolate, Kettle Brand chips and Simply Lemonade products instead. Additionally, several local restaurants, such as Fido and Frothy Monkey, make clean eating an important component of their menus.

How to realistically accomplish your New Year’s resolutions while maintaining a busy college lifestyle IMPROVE TIME

By Sarah Friedman, MANAGEMENT Assistant news editor WHAT WE WISH WE COULD DO:

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HOW TO ACCOMPLISH THIS: Vanderbilt always has something going on, and getting distracted is inevitable. For some students, making a homework schedule works well, but for those who have unpredictable jobs or extracurriculars, following a strict schedule isn’t realistic. An effective way to maximize your time management and still be able to act spontaneously is to make a list of what you aim to accomplish the following day before you go to bed. Whether it be on your phone, a whiteboard or in your math notebook, check the list before you go to bed and make sure you’re on track. Additionally, take advantage of the slow slump at the beginning of the semester and add all of your major assignments and exams to your schedule, so you know which days you’ll have a lot going on and can plan accordingly by getting ahead. Be sure to take advantage of small pockets of time instead of dismissing them, such as those 45 minutes between class and work. Being productive around the clock makes it possible to go to that Melodores show or new club meeting on a whim.

WHAT WE WISH WE COULD DO:

MAINTAIN A BETTER BUDGET HOW TO ACCOMPLISH THIS: Instead of making restaurants such as Starbucks and Bruegger’s part of your weekly routine, make eating out a treat and set a quota for how many times you can eat out each week based on your income. If you know you’re eating out for a friend’s birthday, plan accordingly. Bi-weekly trips to Target or a grocery store are the best way to avoid high Munchie Mart prices on food items such as granola bars and snacks (keep your clean eating goals in mind, too). To avoid spending money on clothes during that halfway semester slump, try a clothes swap with your friends. Chances are one of your friends is dying for that shirt you haven’t worn in a year, and she’s willing to give something equally valuable to you. Lastly, fill your time with free events instead of dropping money on expensive dinners and concerts. In Music City, there’s never a lack of free live music, so try venues such as Nashville Crossroads and The Wheel, both conveniently located on Broadway, for all the music at none of the cost. Additionally, campus organizations offer free events nearly every night of the week, and some offer free food as well.

Check the Hustler’s “Plan Your Week” every Sunday and update your calendar so you always have an alternative to the expensive events your friends suggest.

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WHAT WE WISH WE COULD DO:

EXERCISE MORE

HOW TO ACCOMPLISH THIS: First of all, decide why you want to exercise more often. Do you want to lose weight? Get stronger?

Gain endurance for a race or competition? Just feel like you should get off the couch every once in a while? Each of these goals requires a different routine, so make sure you decide which one you’re shooting for and make a realistic gym schedule. If you’re not a morning person, don’t exercise in the morning. If you hate running, try a new class at the Rec instead. If you hate the cold, wait until after 5 p.m. so you can take a Vandy Van to the Rec. Additionally, finding a workout routine that affects your lifestyle could make working out feel like less of a chore. For example, yoga provides a focus on breathing and relaxation that is applicable to every stressed-out college student, and nearby Shakti Power Yoga offers $5 community classes several days each week.

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A ‘Melo Little Christmas’ at the White House

From the Oval Office to the Today Show, the Melodores spread holiday cheer to national audiences

By ADRIENNE ALDERMAN Senior life reporter --------------------

President Obama told the Melodores to “Make Vanderbilt proud” before their performance at the White House. And from DC to NYC, the members of Vanderbilt’s most well-known a cappella group did just that during winter break.

Senior Justin Riele, the president of the Melodores, was contacted via email by the White House just prior to finals.

“I actually receive[d] contact from the Office of the First Lady,” Riele recalled. “They reached out and said they had heard of us, and wanted to know if we were willing to perform at the White House for a Christmas party that included a guest list of executives and government officials.”

The Melodores knew that they would be performing for a group of important politicians at the White House, but there was no guarantee that they would sing for the president or first lady.

“We had to decide whether or not we wanted to go, whether or not the Obamas would be there, but it was a no-brainer,” Riele said.

“Performing at the White House is a once-in-alifetime opportunity.”

At first, the Melodores were told that they would sing for four hours, serenading guests as they entered and exited the East Wing of the White House. The a cappella group performed the six holiday songs off their newest album, “A

Melo Little Christmas.”

“After performing for quite a while, we were pulled aside and they gave us a break,” Riele said. “We toured the White House and saw the Christmas decorations. Then a White House employee came by and let us know we had 10 minutes to prepare our best 60 seconds to perform for the Obamas.”

After a few minutes of deliberation, the Melodores selected “All I Want for Christmas Is You” with junior Jamal Marcelin as the soloist. As they sang an abridged version, the Obamas snapped and danced along, while Secret Service stood alongside them, observing the scene.

Performing at the White House was a goal that the Melodores have aimed for since the group’s beginning. “The founding members in 2009 made a list of goals and this was one of the main ones,” Riele said. “They were as excited as we [current members] were about the opportunity.”

While it’s hard to top performing for the president and first lady, the Melodores followed up their White House debut with a Today Show performance of “This Christmas,” led by senior James McHugh, the next weekend. Some Melodores had been part of the group that won The Sing-Off a capella competition, but the three new members — sophomore Mason Boudrye and freshmen Willy McNamara and Theo Kandel — got their first taste of television performance.

“The newest guys were really excited and got a kick out of the experience,” Riele said. “We were escorted to the studio at Rockefeller Center and felt like movie stars.”

COURTESY OF THE MELODORES

The Melodores pose with Barack and Michelle Obama after their performance.

While the Melodores do have the option of breaking off from the Vanderbilt campus — like Straight No Chaser and other former collegiate a capella groups have done — Riele acknowledged that “at the heart, [the Melodores] are still a university group. Our best memories are from on-campus gigs and concerts.”

However, the Melodores still plan to continue their ambitious touring schedule, and Riele said the group will be performing in Europe over

spring break, with stops including destinations like London and Switzerland. Not only will they be performing at international venues, but the Melodores will also be meeting with alumni and serving as ambassadors for the admissions office by performing at prep schools in London.

“We are not a for-profit group, and hope to help serve as a face for the university to support admissions and campus life,” Riele said.

Month in Music: January

While it’s important to start the semester strong academically, it’s equally important to start the year strong musically.

The Hustler highlights five concerts so you can begin 2016 on the right foot By Jack Sentell, Assistant life editor CHROME PONY JAN. 19 — EXIT/IN

JUKEBOX THE GHOST JAN. 21 — MERCY LOUNGE

RAYLAND BAXTER JAN. 23 — EXIT/IN

MACKLEMORE & RYAN LEWIS JAN. 30 — GRAND OLE OPRY

DIERKS BENTLEY JAN 31 — WALK OF FAME PARK

Chrome Pony is part of Nashville’s exciting alternative scene, but the group appears poised to break out of Music City as well.

The band played Bonnaroo last summer after winning the “Road to Bonnaroo” competition — a local battle of the bands that sent three acts to perform on The Farm in 2015. Chrome Pony recorded a session with Audiotree last spring and opened for Cage the Elephant in East Nashville last month. With a sound that falls somewhere between garage-rock and progressive rock, Chrome Pony plays powerful music with just enough melody to keep the audience singing along.

Jukebox the Ghost plays music that perfectly fits their fun, lighthearted name. The D.C. trio’s strain of indie pop incorporates a variety of instruments, but the piano’s upbeat chord progressions tend to be at the center of the tracks.

The group’s 2015 self-titled album — their fourth and most recent release — is full of pop-meetsQueen-meets-a-bit-of-Broadwaysounding tracks that consist of intriguing and hooky melodies.

Fans looking for a fun concert to start off the weekend need not look any further than Jukebox the Ghost’s happy tunes.

Rayland Baxter seems to embody the melting pot of music that is Nashville. His songs are firmly rooted in country music — the city’s main export — but also feature strands of rootsy, Black Keys-sounding blues, Grateful Dead-ish melodies and Americana folk music. The result is an addictive brand of alternative country that is catchy and danceable.

At a small venue like Exit/In, the unique singer-songwriter’s music — including songs from 2015’s “Imaginary Man” — will be on full display.

It’s not uncommon for some of the biggest names in music to play free concerts in Music City, and Dierks Bentley is the next artist to join that list. The concert comes courtesy of the 2016 National Hockey League All-Star Weekend held at Bridgestone and will be held outdoors at Walk of Fame Park. The lineup also includes country radio mainstays Eli Young Band and “Love Me Like You Mean It” singer Kelsea Ballerini. Any diehard country fans willing to brave the cold will find themselves holding one hot ticket free of charge.

Must Listen: “Hollywood”

Must Listen: “Mr. Rodriguez”

After two years off the road, a standard comeback tour would have felt like a letdown for fourtime Grammy winners Macklemore & Ryan Lewis. Instead, the popular duo is touring the country and playing famous, intimate venues in anticipation of their forthcoming album with a stillundetermined release date.

While hip hop at the Grand Ole Opry may seem like an odd combination (and it probably is), the concert will provide a unique opportunity to see Macklemore & Ryan Lewis at an iconic venue and join in the excitement of their return to the stage.

Must Listen: “White Witch”

Must Listen: “Downtown”

Must Listen: “Riser”

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House for sale/rent near Nashville!

Nashville Real Estate 1727b 3rd Ave, Nashville, TN 37208 MLS # 1691738 Please call for further details 615-496-5095

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backpage TODAY'S CROSSWORD

Answers to last week’s crossword

YEARBOOK PORTRAITS FEB. 8-12 and FEB. 15-19, Sarratt 110

Visit www.thecommodoreyearbook.com to learn more and to schedule your Senior portrait.