The Vanderbilt Hustler 11-11-15

vanderbilthustler WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2015

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VOL. 127, ISS. 28

2015 Basketball Preview

DO YOU BELIEVE

IN MAGIC? ’Dores ranked in preseason for first time since 2011 PAGE 6

BOSLEY JARRETT / THE VANDERBILT HUSTLER

OPINION

NEWS

Silencing Swain?

Guest columnist Jeff Greenberg reopens conversation on free speech and student life

PAGE 5

LIFE

BreakingPAGE down 6 tenure

In light of the petition against Professor Carol Swain, here’s how tenure works at Vanderbilt

PAGE 3

Healthy meal plan swaps

Find out whether a brookie or a brownie is better for you, and other surprising switches

PAGE 12

ILLUSTRATION BY VIVIAN SAXON/ THE VANDERBILT HUSTLER

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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2015

news Three sexual assaults reported last week Understanding the VUPD email alert system for sexual assaults

Fashion magazine showcases minority students

By PATRICK ZINCK Assistant news editor --------------------

In the past week, Vanderbilt University Police Department (VUPD) notified students of three sexual assaults on campus.

These notifications are sent out in compliance with the Clery Act, which requires universities to notify students of certain crimes. According to the Department of Education Handbook for Campus Safety, in order to trigger a notification, a sexual assault must be reported to a campus security officer or campus police. A notification can also be triggered if university officials decide that the crime represents a serious or continuing threat to campus.

Not all sexual assaults or cases of sexual misconduct result in a campus wide alert — in fact, the vast majority of sexual misconduct reports do not trigger VUPD warnings, according to the Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action and Disability Services (EAD) office.

If a report is received weeks or months after the assault occurred, then a university official may decide that it does not constitute an ongoing risk to campus.

For example, a student was sexually assaulted on Oct. 15, but did not report the assault to VUPD until Oct. 30, according to the VUPD Crime Log. Due to the delay in reporting, the assault did not trigger an alert.

According to VUPD’s daily Crime Log, the first of the three reports from this past week involved a student and occurred on Oct. 29 in a residence hall.

The assault was subsequently reported to VUPD on Nov. 5. The second assault also involved a student and took place on Oct. 31 in a residence hall. The incident was reported to VUPD on Nov. 2. The third incident occurred at Vanderbilt’s Psychiatric Hospital on Nov. 2 and was reported to VUPD on Nov. 3.

Sexual assault is defined as some form of forcible penetration with any object or body part. Other forms of sexual misconduct such forcible fondling or unwanted sexual contact do not fall into the category of sexual assault.

These reports came as Vanderbilt Student Government (VSG) launched their “It’s On Us” campaign to prevent sexual assault on campus this week.

PHOTO COURTESY OF PEARL

The creators of PEARL magazine from left to right: Kayla Bartee, Jamal Pace, Robyn Du, Bridgette Brown, and Guy Russo.

Five Vanderbilt students create PEARL Magazine to express minority beauty in an era of Eurocentric media

By MORGAN MARQUEZ News reporter --------------------

The first edition of PEARL, a fashion magazine that will showcase minority students, will be released in January. It was created by sophomores Robyn Du, Bridgette Brown, Kayla Bartee, Jamal Pace and Guy Russo.

The Charleston Church shooting that killed nine African Americans and the cases of Trayvon Martin and Michael Brown inspired Du and Brown in June to create the magazine. Du and Brown realized the inequalities in the way minorities are represented in the media.

“There’s this constant whitewashing in the media,” Du said, adding that few leading Hollywood actors and fashion models are members of minority groups.

The goal of the magazine, according to Du, is to showcase non-Eurocentric standards of beauty to show that minorities are beautiful.

“When you look in a magazine, what do you normally see on the cover?” Brown said. “A thin person, normally pale skin, straight hair, narrow nose. If you flip through the magazine, that’s what you see in models.

Normally those features are not seen on minorities. We just want to showcase people who don’t have those features.”

PEARL will feature articles about different minority students, their stories and their versions of fashion. Articles will also address social issues relating to fashion, such as why hair textures vary among races and differing standards of beauty around the world.

The name of the magazine, “PEARL,” is an acronym that stands for “Per-

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ALLIE GROSS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

ception. Exception. Acceptance. Realization. Love.” According to Brown, the magazine’s founders were also inspired by the idea that an oyster must be opened for the pearl hidden inside to be seen.

“We’re going to have just your average Vanderbilt student of color and have them model and have photoshoots of them and have them tell their story because everyone has their unique experience,” Du said.

The magazine’s staff have promoted the magazine through its Facebook page “PEARL Magazine” with photos of students and teasers. The magazine founders are looking for anyone interested in participating in the magazine’s five committees: media relations, editing, design, planning and public relations. Aiming to eventually print a 12-page edition twice a semester, the magazine staff will start with just one edition for the spring semester.

Brown hopes the magazine will serve to help bring together minority students, whether Hispanic, Black, Asian, or any other race.

“On campus, you have the different multicultural orgs but you don’t always see them come together,” Brown said. “We kind of also want this magazine to be a unifying thing that all orgs can be a part of, have their share in and be affected by.”

The founders hope the magazine leaves a legacy after they graduate from Vanderbilt.

“The only way you can enact change is if you start talking about it,” Du said. “We want this magazine to start a conversation. We’re here to show ‘hey, this is the reality of it, and we’re going to open up channels of conversation so that people can act upon them.’”

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 WESLEY LIN — 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 PATRICK ZINCK — ASST. NEWS EDITOR DESIGNERS COPY EDITORS ZACH BERKOWITZ GEORGIA WILSON AUSTIN WILMS ALAN WILMS YUNHUA ZHAO

KATHY YUAN PRIYANKA KADARI

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TALKING TENURE with Provost Susan Wente Here’s how tenure works at Vanderbilt, in light of the controversy involving tenured Professor Carol Swain by Zoe Shancer, News editor Academic tenure refers to the University’s commitment to continue a faculty member’s appointment as professor or associate professor until the faculty member voluntarily terminates the appointment or until retirement, permanent disability or dismissal for cause, according to Vanderbilt’s Faculty Manual.

WHEN IS TENURE AWARDED? According to Susan Wente, provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs, tenure is awarded for excellence in three areas: teaching, research/scholarship and service.

Teaching refers to the quality of education given to undergraduates or graduate students. Research and scholarship can refer to accomplishments in an area of creative expression.

“If they are a musician, do they have national recognition?”

Wente said. “If they’re an English professor, have they published books that have they gotten recognition by the national or international community? Or if they are an engineer, or a physicist or a scientist, have they published papers and gotten extramural grant support to support their work?”

The third area, service, can refer to both service within the university, such as being an advisor or serving on a committee, and service in the local community.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF TENURE? Tenure of faculty members guarantees due process in the case of potential dismissal, according to Wente. It provides a sense of security, commitment and sustainability in one’s career.

There are many faculty members at Vanderbilt who might make a lot more money in their given profession or in a profession outside of the university, Wente said.

“Think of somebody in political science working for a policy think tank in Washington D.C., think of an English professor who might go to work in publishing,” Wente said. “They’ve chosen to be here because they enjoy discovery and learning and they have a real passion about that. This provides them with something of security in place of that, compensation if you want to say.”

Tenure means the university has made a long-standing commitment to a faculty member.

HOW DOES A FACULTY MEMBER BECOME TENURED? If a faculty member gets hired as an assistant professor on the tenure track, they start on a tenure clock, according to Wente.

“That department then evaluates the person every year,” Wente said. “There comes a point in that tenure clock between 5 and 7 years where they do that evaluation that would put them forward for tenure.”

Within each school, the tenure process starts at the department level. There is a promotion and tenure committee in each department that consists of full tenured professors in that department.

If the department votes yes, the appointment is forwarded to the dean of the school, who reads and evaluates it before it goes to the Promotion Tenure Review Committee (PTRC). The PTRC is made up of representatives from each school and must approve the proposal before it goes to Wente, who has to approve it before it goes to Chancellor Nick Zeppos. If Zeppos approves, it goes to the Board of Trust.

In that period of time, a faculty member must have demonstrated excellence in the three areas discussed above to move forward in the promotion.

“If you don’t demonstrate excellence in those three categories in that period of time, your position will be terminated and

you will actually have to leave the university if you do not get tenured,” Wente said.

The university must give due notice to tenure track faculty who are not receiving tenure so that they have time to find another job or position.

“But we can recruit faculty from the outside, from another institution, where they may have already been working as an assistant professor on the tenure track, and we will count a certain number of those years towards their tenure clock here,” Wente said.

Or if a faculty member is at another institution and they already hold tenure, they submit a dossier that would be judged for whether or not they should receive tenure at Vanderbilt.

“So just because somebody has tenure at another institution does not necessarily mean they would get tenure at Vanderbilt,” Wente said.

Becoming tenured is a highly involved process, Wente said.

“It takes a whole academic year, almost,” Wente. “The person who is being approved puts together a large dossier, a portfolio of all their achievements and accomplishments during that probationary period.”

IN WHAT CASES CAN A FACULTY MEMBER BE REMOVED FROM TENURE? A faculty member can be removed from tenure under certain circumstances, according to Wente.

The grounds for a reprimand, a probationary period, suspension or dismissal include professionally incompetent performance or neglect of duty, gross personal misconduct rendering the person unfit for association with students or colleagues, misconduct in research and conduct employing unlawful means to obstruct the orderly function of the university or to violate rights of the others, according to the Faculty Manual.

According to Wente, confidentiality is key throughout the entire process. An appeal process exists for faculty members who are being investigated for violations, one that is similar to that used in the Office of Student Accountability for student cases.

The removal of an employee from tenure is rare, Wente said.

“We really try to do a very good job of recruiting and evaluating, but there are certainly factors that can change over time,” Wente said. “There are certainly personal things that can impact a given faculty member’s performance in certain situations.”

TENURED FACULTY BY SCHOOL, 2014 SCHOOL Arts and Science: Blair: Engineering: Peabody: Divinity: Law: Owen: Nursing: Medicine: TOTAL

T E N U R E D TOTAL FACULTY FACULTY 301 21 64 61 18 31 27 6 376

570 58 144 145 30 46 47 262 2,438

905

3,742

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2015

Petition against Swain alters its demands The petition to suspend Carol Swain now calls for a temporary suspension period pending an investigation

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

The student-writtten petition to suspend Professor Carol Swain from her tenured position as a political science and law professor has undergone changes since its original posting on Sunday, Nov. 8.

According to junior Nick Goldbach, who is a writer of the petition, the petition initially urged for the “firing” of Swain, then advocated for her permanent “suspension.” The petition now asks the university to temporarily suspend Swain pending an investigation into her conduct.

The petition cites Swain’s Facebook posts and a column she wrote in the Tennessean last January. The petition claims Swain has “become synonymous with bigotry, intolerance, and unprofessionalism.”

The current petition asks that Vanderbilt confer with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) to create and mandate diversity training for all faculty, including Swain. It further asks that Vanderbilt conduct an investigation of student allegations that Swain has shared individual students’ personal information or private profiles on her public media pages. According to the petition, Swain’s sharing of this information has attempted to shame, defame or intimidate these students.

The petition gathered 1,385 signatures as of Tuesday evening and calls for a review of Swain’s Facebook page to confirm that she is not misrepresenting herself as a speaker for Vanderbilt, but rather as a public figure in a space unaffiliated with Vanderbilt.

According to Goldbach, he did not expect to actually suspend Swain and realized it was best to remove this part of the original petition.

“The community let us know via their comments on social media that the original petition’s wording contained some minor oversights that needed to be addressed,” Goldbach said. “The basic premise of the petition has not changed in a substantial way, but the way we convey the message to the administration has been revisited in order to organize our calls to action more clearly.”

Goldbach has attempted to use social media to notify signers of the change in wording and thinks altering the petition was the right move.

“I also realize that many of the signers’ original comments on the petition still apply regardless of the changes made,” Goldbach said.

Sophomore Chelsea Ankenbrandt is satisfied with the changes that have been made to the petition since she signed it on Sunday.

“I think it’s more well-organized and clear now than it was at the beginning,” Ankenbrandt said.

Senior Harry Garrett supports the new petition goals, but has some concerns about the changes.

“The idea of signing a petition for something with your name and then it being easily changed by the original supporters is a bit unsettling,” Garrett said. “... But all social movements and activist campaigns adapt and change. It’s inevitable.”

Garrett understands why the writers of the petition originally asked for Swain’s suspension and have since taken a step back.

“The original demands were a bit unrealistic, but it can be smart to start a discussion at an extreme and have authority figures come to the middle,” Garrett said.

Overall, Goldbach believes the new version of the petition more clearly addresses Swain’s right to free speech and outlines a path for the university resolve the requests made.

“We are currently looking into several ways to create an online forum for members of the community to safely and respectfully interact on these issues,” Goldbach said.

Swain has not replied to a request for comment from the Hustler.

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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2015

QUOTE OF THE DAY

opinion Feminism that excludes is not true feminism

“Valuing intersectionality should mean understanding how different facets of our social identities overlap and change how we experience the world and that no singular experience can be considered representative of the ‘female’ experience.”

LUCY DAVIES-KUMADIRO, FIRST-YEAR

Activism must be open to all for the movement to work

is a first-year in the College of Arts and Science. She can be reached at lucy.t.davieskumadiro@ vanderbilt.edu.

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

ZOE SHANCER

KARA SHERRER

NEWS EDITOR news@vanderbilthustler.com

LIFE EDITOR life@vanderbilthustler.com

QUEEN STEVENSON

BEN WEINRIB

OPINION EDITOR opinion@vanderbilthustler. com

SPORTS EDITOR sports@vanderbilthustler.com

hierarchy are black women, whose gender renders them even less powerful in a patriarchal society.

Instead of engaging with this broader discussion, she told me that my point was irrelevant, and that it was anti-feminist for me to listen to misogynistic music, regardless of how much I might identify

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LUCY DAVIESKUMADIRO

For me, feminism is not a dirty word. I grew up around women who used it positively. It was just about wanting gender equality, never a scary phenomenon.

However, there has been a recent trend towards the moral policing of women who consider themselves feminists. If you don’t believe in x, y and z, you cannot be a feminist.

There should not be a set of beliefs that all feminists have to subscribe to before they “enter the fold.” The belief that men and women are equal should be the only requirement. Whilst moral debates regarding issues that specifically involve women are hugely important, feminists should not be expected to agree on everything. Feminist activists, especially female activists, face an ever increasing list of what does and does not constitute a “good feminist.”

I have friends who have been told that they cannot consider themselves feminists because they wear a hijab or want to be a stay-at-home parent.

They all believe in gender equality. They all believe that women should be free to make their own choices regarding these issues. Nobody should be telling them that they are not feminists.

Feminism should be inclusive, based on promoting equality and the right to choose what to believe, rather than attempting to ensure collective agreement. Whilst I have been extremely impressed by the active feminists’ work on this campus, I have also been somewhat disappointed by some of the statements activists have made in the name of feminism.

During a discussion about misogyny in hip-hop, a student involved with feminist activism implied that I couldn’t possibly be a feminist and listen to hip-hop. I respectfully disagreed, but I broadened the discussion to how I viewed misogyny in hiphop as most damaging to black women. In a society where black men are oppressed because of their skin color, the only people below them in the social

We cannot afford to exclude people whose identities, beliefs and lifestyles may not match our own by attempting to mold their every belief to fit a certain type of feminism, or by attempting to use them as tokens.

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with it because of “racial issues.” Somebody who claimed to value intersectionality pitted my racial identity against my gender identity.

This experience echoed another when a feminist activist encouraged me to join feminist activism on campus because this year’s focus was intersectionality. I jokingly asked whether I would be evicted from the club once the year was up. Completely missing the point, she told me that, as a woman of color, I would make the group more “intersectional.” Her intentions were wholly positive, but it was clear she didn’t fully understand the meaning of intersectionality, which should always be about more

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.

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than merely having a racially diverse membership.

Valuing intersectionality should mean understanding how different facets of our social identities overlap and change how we experience the world and that no singular experience can be considered representative of the “female” experience. It would have meant understanding, for example, that black women should not be rendered mere tokens within a white frame of feminism. Achieving true intersectionality would make our feminism braver and more influential. However, to do that, it needs to be more than this year’s buzzword.

Feminism is hugely important; we need everybody who wants to be involved. We cannot afford to exclude people whose identities, beliefs and lifestyles may not match our own by attempting to mold their every belief to fit a certain type of feminism, or by attempting to use them as tokens.

As British journalist Caitlin Moran wrote, “we’re all working on a massive patchwork quilt called ‘A Better Future’ here — anyone can pull up a chair and have a go.”

I am a feminist, but I choose to be so on my own terms. I should not be expected to affirm other women’s choices as “feminist” choices, merely because they have been made by women. The selfproclaimed radical feminist Finn MacKay asserted that “there is nothing inherently feminist in making decisions.”

Instead, the focus must be on working for girls’ education worldwide, fighting to end sexual violence and ensuring women have equal opportunities to succeed in the workplace. There is too much at stake, we need each other.

It’s important to note that the experiences I referenced were conversations involving individual activists rather than Vanderbilt Feminists as a wider organization, which does lots of important work on campus. It is not my intention to undermine the importance of this organization or the valuable commitment of many of the individuals involved.

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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2015

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Vanderbilt, do not sign away your right to free expression The petition against Carol Swain stifles campus dialogue

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is a junior in the College of Arts and Science. He can be reached at jeffrey.a.greenberg @vanderbilt.edu.

The petition organizers should think twice before retroactively changing a contract signed by over 1,000 people, thereby rendering its demands effectively worthless and misrepresenting themselves to those that signed a different version.

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correctness and the eerie, unified silence permeating American universities. At Yale, we’ve seen students attack professors for, somewhat ironically, defending their right to wear the Halloween costumes they choose. At University of New Hampshire, public outrage this summer forced the administration to take down a “Bias-Free Language Guide” that, among other things, argued the words “American” and “mothering” were “problematic.” At Wesleyan, students recently attempted to boycott and defund the Argus student newspaper for exercising editorial control over its opinion section and made a campus pariah out of one of its staff writers.

At Vanderbilt, I supported last year’s protests because

they added to the campus dialogue and brought to light the opinions of those who felt genuinely troubled by Professor Swain’s comments. When I asked the protesters if they thought she should be fired, the majority said no, which comforted me. I assumed we had avoided the sort of creeping censorship which had afflicted so many other schools.

Perhaps I spoke too soon. This past weekend, a group of students drafted a petition to “Terminate Professor Carol Swain.” While still linked to Google under the name as of the time of this writing, the creators of the petition have since engaged in a series of revisions, first changing the title to “Suspend Professor Carol Swain” and recommending Swain attend mandatory “diversity training” to retain her position at Vanderbilt, and then further changing their rhetoric to mandate diversity training for all professors and Swain’s suspension “pending an investigation” into her conduct.

Perhaps they changed the petition’s rhetoric because Swain’s rhetoric in no way constitutes an offense worthy of termination, or because the official university response was fundamentally incompatible with the original document.

The petition organizers should think twice before retroactively changing a contract signed by over 1,000 people, thereby rendering its demands effectively worthless and misrepresenting themselves to those who signed a different version. Regardless, this petition remains, at its core, intellectually bankrupt. Instead of analyzing the content of her comments, the knee-jerk reaction of many students, and now the calculated attempt of some, is removing Swain from the conversation entirely by labeling her as bigoted and unprofessional. This approach adds nothing to the critical discussions we need to have about various issues which affect this campus. It suppresses rather than fosters intellectual growth.

The petition provides tenuous evidence to substantiate its demands, recognizing blind moral outrage was not enough to achieve its end goal. The argument that Swain’s use of her job title on personal channels could be construed to represent university views is logically inconsistent. Does the fact that a man’s Facebook page says “U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders” mean that the entire Senate supports democratic socialism? Does another man’s page, called “Dr. Ben Carson,” reflect the views of the Johns Hopkins Medical Center? This is flawed thinking. It reflects a general position of the activists in this greater debate: That people should be judged chiefly by their group affiliations rather than their individual opinions and characteristics.

The petition also claims minority students feel that Swain has assessed them unfairly in her classes, a troubling claim if true. Yet, to suspend her until these allegations are proven false represents another common trope in these arguments — a “guilty until proven innocent” mentality. Does the fact that Swain is more outspoken than other professors (on the left or right of the political spectrum) mean she is more biased in her grading? Perhaps, or perhaps not. Under this idea, the university would have to systematically search and monitor the grading records of every professor on campus in order to ensure they do not meet the subjective expectation of bias. This is a frightening prospect.

In the Hustler’s coverage of the petition, one article quoted an organizer who wrote that Vanderbilt cannot

be an “unsafe” environment for students. Yet, Swain’s words have created no physical damage or security concern on this campus. This idea of emotional rather than physical safety seems difficult to codify without infringing on the rights of others. If a student feels emotionally “unsafe” due to the words of a different professor, one that these petitioners don’t have any problem with, does that student also have a right to call for that professor’s termination or suspension? If so, who is next? What opinions are safe to hold? What

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JEFFREY GREENBERG

Last spring, I wrote an op-ed for the Hustler in which I argued we, as a student body, ought to defend speech and expression with which we disagreed. I argued: 1. Defending provocative speech assures that the same protections are granted to us in the future, 2. There is no objective standard to determine offensiveness, and 3. Debating and discussing volatile arguments openly ensures they can be (if necessary) soundly defeated, rather than left to “fester.” I wrote that op-ed in response to last year’s protests of Professor Carol Swain and the campus climate that emerged in their wake.

Now, the same issue has spurred me to write again.

It’s an interesting time to be a college student. The Atlantic regularly publishes articles discussing “the coddling of the American mind” or “the new intolerance of student activism” while The New York Times’ columns highlight a growing environment of political

There are in fact silenced voices on college campuses, those of the students who want to enter the dialogue, but who feel they can’t do so without being labeled as part of the problem.

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are we allowed to say without risking our careers and livelihoods?

Therein lies the problem. Yes, this petition has already changed its consequences from outright termination to the hackneyed meme of diversity training.

But, by giving in to the petitioners’ demands at all, the administration would give students the moral authority to act as ideological insurgents. The university would open up a door not be easily closed and give students the power to regulate those whom they find offensive, regardless of the merits of their arguments.

In my first op-ed, I felt the need to include a disclaimer at the beginning of the piece pointing out that I do not agree with Professor Swain’s views on these issues, and I ought not to be associated with her for defending her right to express them. I again reaffirm my earlier views, but I shouldn’t have to. There are in fact silenced voices on college campuses, those of the students who want to enter the dialogue, but who feel they can’t do so without being labeled as part of the problem.

Thomas Jefferson wrote, “I have sworn upon the altar of God eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man.” Vanderbilt, hold your rallies, fight your battles — debate and discuss and analyze. Depending on the issue, I’ll be there by your side or I won’t. But the right to pick sides is what I’m most concerned about, and so I ask you, please, do not sign away your right to free expression. As I said before, and I’ll say again, I’m confident that we can do better.

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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2015

sports

THE BIG STAT

Vanderbilt Men’s Basketball’s ranking in the preseason AP poll, their highest since Nov. 17, 2011 when they were also ranked No. 18

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2015 Basketball Preview

THE TWO SIDES OF

DAMIAN JONES With massive expectations for himself and

his team, Damian Jones is focused on being himself, on and off the court -------------------By MATT LIEBERSON Features editor --------------------

BOSLEY JARRETT / THE VANDERBILT HUSTLER

Damian Jones is a preseason All-SEC center, and he has already announced that he plans to enter the 2016 NBA Draft. So while he’s certainly not the traditional Vanderbilt student, he still has some traditional college indulgences.

“Cookout is pretty great,” said Jones with a laugh. “I haven’t been there yet this year, but it’s real solid.”

Jones is a bit of an outsized personality, often visible around campus off the basketball court. With his days numbered at Vanderbilt, he takes every opportunity to meet people from around campus. Jones can often be seen talking with dining workers in Rand, or with students in the Towers lobby.

“I like talking to people. I don’t like a set group,” Jones said. “I like to hear other people’s stories.”

Junior Jude Cohen can attest to Jones’s extroverted personality.

“It’s so unexpected, but he’s the goofiest person I know,” said Cohen. “I don’t even know when we started becoming friends. We tried to trace it back recently but couldn’t. He just kept saying hi, and it developed into being real friends.”

Jones’s goofiness is evident on his Twitter profile, where his bio includes a link to the Cartoon Network show, “Regular Show.”

Cohen added that whenever she is with Jones, he is always friendly, willing to talk to everyone he sees. She also pointed out one of Jones’ most surprising traits.

“He gives really great hugs,” Cohen said.

Even with the pressures and lifestyle of being a star athlete,

Jones said that he likes to try to be a regular college student. Jones, the Vanderbilt Student-Athlete of the Month for November, has stayed vigilant about his schoolwork, even though his calling is outside the classroom. For Jones, it’s about keeping a routine.

“I just continue my regular habits, and that [includes] study habits,” Jones said. “Doing work, studying at night, stuff like that.”

Jones, an engineering science major, still wants to get his degree.

“Eventually, I’ll graduate,” Jones said. “I don’t know when, though.” Graduation, though, will be on hold until after his hopeful NBA career.

Jones made the decision following last season to leave after his junior year, which was recently reported by the Tennessean. While he consulted his family and coach Kevin Stallings, the decision was mostly his own.

“After last year, I felt like I would need one more year and I would be fine,” Jones said. “It was a personal decision.”

Stallings felt that Jones handled the situation extremely well.

“He went about it very maturely,” Stallings said. “He told me what he wanted to do, and asked me if I thought that was appropriate. I told him I thought that was probably very wise.”

Stallings heard whispers that Jones may have been a first round draft pick following last season, but doesn’t like to push players into the draft early before they are likely a surefire high pick.

“There are no guarantees if you’re not drafted in the first round of the NBA Draft, so anybody that’s a borderline, late-first/early-

second round pick, I’m not for those guys going,” Stallings said.

“If you’re rock solid in the first round, and that first contract can financially set your life up, then I’m all for it.”

Jones wants to take advantage of the extra year to develop his skillset. Over the summer, Jones participated in the Nike Skills Academy, a high-profile basketball camp. By competing against top talent, such as possible 2016 top draft pick Ben Simmons from LSU, Jones learned a lot about improvements to make for both the NBA and the Commodores this year.

“Playing with a motor, rebounding, all that stuff. Every team needs that,” said Jones about where he focused on improving his game at the camp. Jones, as an inside presence, hopes to be the key to Vanderbilt’s offense, especially with all of the shooters on Vanderbilt’s roster.

“It helps having an inside presence for the outside game. When [defenders] come down, I can always kick it out, or if they doubleteam me, [shooters] will be open on the outside,” Jones said.

Stallings said that since getting to campus, Jones has looked “a lot more ready” for the NBA and the upcoming season.

As a potential first round pick, and with the Commodores ranked 18th in the preseason AP Top 25, there is a lot of attention on Jones this season. But Jones doesn’t find himself distracted.

“It really sharpens your focus. You have a target on your back,” Jones said. “People want to be in your position, but you also want get higher. You want get to number one.”

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Coming to America: The story of Djery Baptiste

Haitian-born center draws comparisons to former Commodore Festus Ezeli and looks to make an impact in the future ZIYI LIU / THE VANDERBILT HUSTLER

By ISABEL FUTRAL Sports reporter --------------------

Djery Baptiste arrived in America when he was 15 years old, leaving behind the poverty-stricken city of Gonaives, Haiti to take his education and life elsewhere. The city he once called home had survived rioting, a violent rebellion and multiple devastating hurricanes during his childhood.

After feeling like there was very little opportunity for a brighter future in Haiti, America seemed like something of a promised land for Baptiste.

“There’s a lot more hope here,” he said. “You can chase your dreams.”

Basketball wasn’t part of his original dream for the Vanderbilt center, but with his 6-foot-10 frame, it didn’t take long for him to get involved with the sport. At Prestonwood Christian Academy in Plano, Texas, he drew scouts for his physical prowess and was eventually tasked with deciding between UConn and Vanderbilt.

Just two weeks after visiting Vanderbilt for the first time, Baptiste signed, saying he felt it was the right fit. He didn’t know it at the time, but many other international students had the same feeling about the school.

Vanderbilt’s basketball program has had great success in recent seasons with recruiting foreign players, many of whom moved to America during their high school years. Head coach Kevin Stallings said the foreign recruitment isn’t entirely intentional, but it has worked out well for the program.

“If they’re good enough kids, good enough players, good enough students, then we want them. I don’t care where they’re from,” Stallings said.

Australian-born Andrew Ogilvy had a big impact during his three seasons with the Commodores from 2007-2010. With the strength of his inside game at center, Vanderbilt was a No. 4 seed in the NCAA tournament in 2008 and 2010.

Cameroonian James Siakam, who just graduated in 2015, also found success during his time here. As the only senior on the squad, the power forward led the Commodores to their first winning season since 2012.

However, the most notable of Vanderbilt’s international recruits in recent memory has been center Festus Ezeli, who spent five years with the Commodores from 2007 to 2012 and now plays in the NBA for the Golden State Warriors.

In fact, Baptiste cited seeing Ezeli play as a factor in his decision to come play for the Commodores. Ezeli had little basketball knowledge when he arrived, but the coaching staff was patient in teaching him and allowing him to develop on his own timeline. For Baptiste, who has the physical capabilities to excel but lacks the years of basketball experience his teammates have, this patience felt like a crucial component.

After joining the Commodores, Baptiste was also able to meet with the player whom many believe he will emulate.

“I talked to Festus when he came back with the trophy. I learned a lot about his story and his experience at Vanderbilt,” he said.

Comparisons between Baptiste and Ezeli come up naturally.

The Nigerian-born center came to Vanderbilt in 2007 barely knowing how to play basketball but with an athleticism that could not

be ignored. Baptiste, with only a couple seasons of high school basketball under his belt, is in a similar position.

“He reminds me very much of when Festus Ezeli was here,” said Stallings. “Very raw, but very full of potential.”

The coaching staff is ready to mold that potential into something great.

“I’ve never met a kid that was more interested in learning, that had a greater desire to learn and get better,” explained Stallings.

Baptiste agreed that his first season with the Commodores will be about learning. The transition from high school to college basketball is a huge jump. A lot of the teaching comes from his fellow teammates. He spoke of center Damian Jones, who has declared his intention to enter the NBA draft this year, as someone to learn from and compete against in practice.

The Commodores treat practice like games, and Baptiste’s competitive nature comes out on the court.

“Festus’ red-shirt sophomore year, he started showing some dominance in practice and it was very apparent that he was going to be really good,” Stallings said. “Djery has already given us reason to see and believe that it will all come together.”

Baptiste isn’t expecting big minutes this season, but he knows that with work, minutes will come.

“I’ll be ready whenever coach needs me to do what I do,” said Baptiste.

Preseason polls have the Commodores ranked in the top 20 this season, and Baptiste is an indicator of the team’s future success.

Said Stallings, “He’ll make his mark here, much like Festus did … Djery will have a great impact on our team at some point in his career and we’re really excited about it.”

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Experienced Commodore lineup to

BOSLEY JARRETT / THE VANDERBILT HUSTLER

ZIYI LIU / THE VANDERBILT HUSTLER

WADE BALDWIN IV

RILEY LACHANCE

MATTHEW FISHE

As a freshman, Baldwin IV was the primary ball-handler and creator for the Commodores, leading the team with 4.4 assists per game. Additionally, he was the team’s third leading scorer and most efficient three point shooter, checking in at 9.4 points and 1.23 3-pointers per game, while shooting a scorching 43.9 percent from beyond the arc. Look for Baldwin to expand his offensive role in his sophomore season, as he has the combination of shooting and ball handling that can turn him into a consistent scoring threat. If Baldwin can take that offensive leap while remaining a lockdown defender (1.4 steals per game, a whopping 29 percent of Vanderbilt’s steals last season), he could be the top point guard in the conference.

The sharpshooting sophomore started turning heads last season with his scoring ability and playmaking. He started all 35 games for the Commodores last season, and averaged 12.3 points per game, along with 2.9 assists per game. On 3-pointers, LaChance was spectacular. He was second in the SEC in threes made by a freshman and led all SEC freshmen in scoring, all of which led him to be named to the 2014-15 SEC All-Freshman Team.

This season, with a little more experience, and a fantastic supporting cast, LaChance should continue to drain shots from beyond the arc and lead the Commodores to new heights, as he takes on more ball handling responsibilities.

Touted as one of the premier freshm Davis was as good as advertised, leadi 3-pointers made per game and finishi .401 3-point shooting percentage. Last sively in catch and shoot situations an the arc with just a .176 shooting perce ing responsibility this season after fini points per game, especially considerin over the team’s final 11 games.

Sophomore Hometown: Belle Mead, New Jersey Height/Weight: 6-3/194 lbs.

Position: Guard

- Torben Ginsberg, Sports reporter

NOLAN CRESSER

Junior Hometown: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvannia Height/Weight: 6-4/210 lbs.

Position: Guard

Sophomore Hometown: Brookfield, Wisconsin Height/Weight: 6-2/182 lbs.

Position: Guard

- Cutler Klein, Sports reporter The Cornell transfer is eligible and ready to contribute after sitting out the 2014-15 season per NCAA transfer rules. The duo of Cressler and Matthew Fisher-Davis will split time at small forward, strengthening Vanderbilt’s scoring depth with their range and accuracy. The Pittsburgh native averaged 16.8 points per game at Cornell as a sophomore in 2013-14, and will start his redshirt junior season on Friday, 616 days after his last Ivy League game in Ithaca.

As he goes from hype man to jump man, Cressler will be counted on as a major scorer and vocal leader in his first season as an active Commodore.

- Max Herz, Sports reporter

Sophomore Hometown: Charlotte, Nor Height/Weight: 6-5/185 lb Position: Guard

- Ben Weinrib, Sports editor

JEFF ROBERSON

Sophomore Hometown: Houston, Texas Height/Weight: 6-6/220 lbs.

Position: Forward

Afte son to aged 4 from t speed post a has als ting up Expec dores

- As

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o take big step forward in ’15-’16

BOSLEY JARRETT / THE VANDERBILT HUSTLER

ER-DAVIS

ZIYI LIU / THE VANDERBILT HUSTLER

ZIYI LIU / THE VANDERBILT HUSTLER

LUKE KORNET

rth Carolina bs

Junior Hometown: Lantana, Texas Height/Weight: 7-1/240 lbs Position: Forward

DAMIAN JONES

man shooters in the nation, Fishering conference freshmen with 2.1 ing second in the conference with a t season, he was used almost exclund struggled at times shooting inside entage. He should take on more scorishing just sixth on the team with 7.2 ng he averaged 11.0 points per game

With an expected expanded role on both offense and defense this year, forward Luke Kornet will continue to bring a unique blend of height and shooting to a more experienced Commodore squad. The junior averaged 8.7 points and 3.4 rebounds per game with a .495 field goal percentage, which was third best on the team for players with at least 600 minutes played. Although Kornet may be fighting for more playing time with a roster loaded with other forwards, he surely looks better fit into his frame ever since freshman year.

Had Damian Jones declared for the draft last year, he likely would have been a first round pick. Fortunately for the Commodores, he decided to return for his junior season and will look to improve on an already stellar resume. As a sophomore, Jones averaged 14.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per game, resulting in an All-SEC first-team selection. In October, Jones was selected as a player to watch for the Jabbar Award for the nation’s best center. With the national spotlight on both him and the team, Jones will look to lead the Commodores to their first NCAA tournament berth since 2012.

- Josh Hamburger, Managing editor

er starting in 24 out of his 33 games he played, look for Robero make a big splash on the court this season. Roberson aver4.7 points and 3.1 rebounds per game, shooting 48.5 percent the field and 45.5 percent from three. His 6-foot-6 height and d contribute to his prowess on the break and allowed him to an impressive career-high eight rebounds twice last season. He so proven that he can perform in high-pressure situations, putup 10 points in the first round National Invitation Tournament. ct Roberson to have a wide-ranging impact for the Commothis season as he plays more stretch four.

shley Davis, Sports reporter

Junior Hometown: Baton Rouge, Louisana Height/Weight: 7-0, 245 lbs Position: Center

- Karim Oliver, Sports reporter

CAMRON JUSTICE Freshman Hometown: Hindman, Kentucky Height/Weight: 6-3/180 lbs.

Position: Guard

A 3500-point scorer in high school who ranks third in Kentucky history with 389 career three pointers made, Justice gets buckets.

The 6-foot-3 scoring guard has looked good in fall practices and possesses star potential thanks to his nifty ball handling and deep range from three. With Vandy’s guard-heavy roster, however, Justice has a fight on his hands just to get on the court. Justice could add even more depth on the perimeter for the Dores if he can limit his turnovers and play adequate defense early in the season.

- Robbie Weinstein, Sports reporter

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2DRILL MINUTE

This weekend in Commodore sports

By MAX HERZ Sports reporter --------------------

FOOTBALL (3-4, 1-3 SEC) vs. Kentucky Saturday, Nov. 14 at 3 p.m.

Vanderbilt Stadium Fresh off putting a scare into No. 10 Florida in Gainesville, Vanderbilt football returns to Nashville for two straight home games starting with a matchup against the Wildcats on Saturday.

Kentucky (4-5, 2-5) has conference wins over Missouri and South Carolina but limps onto Dudley Field with a four-game losing streak. UK’s last three losses were by 26, 31 and 24 points, respectively. Vanderbilt running back Ralph Webb has 90 or more rushing yards in five of his last six games.

No. 18 MEN’S BASKETBALL (0-0, 0-0 SEC)

BOSLEY JARRETT / THE VANDERBILT HUSTLER

Jeff Roberson goes up for a shot in the post against LSU last season. He will be making the transition from small forward to power forward this season.

Vandy embraces small ball revolution Despite the Commodores’ elite size, Stallings looks to small lineups for boost

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

vs. Austin Peay Friday, Nov. 13 at 7 p.m.

Memorial Gym

vs. Gardner-Webb Monday, Nov. 16 at 7 p.m.

Memorial Gym Vanderbilt men’s basketball opens the 2015-16 season against local rival Austin Peay on a Friday night at Memorial Gym, then faces GardnerWebb at home on Monday. The 18th-ranked Commodores return six of their seven leading scorers from last season, which ended in the NIT Quarterfinals. Junior center Damian Jones has already declared for the 2016 NBA Draft after leading the Commodores with 14.5 PPG last season and will provide balance in an offense built around the 3-point shot.

As the trends and conventions of college basketball evolve, teams must adapt or risk being left behind. Fans will see this adjustment from Vanderbilt men’s basketball coach Kevin Stallings this season as the Commodores will rely on smaller lineups that break the SEC tradition of putting as much size on the court as possible.

Known widely as “small ball,” this strategy is currently en vogue in the NBA and its use has trickled down to college basketball as well.

Across the country, teams look to push the pace and space the floor so as to open up the court and take advantage of advantageous matchups. “[Small lineups] create good matchups for us, especially in a lot of non-conference games,” Stallings said. “It also gives us a way to be quicker and faster and maybe pick the speed of the game up if we need to on a night where we’re sluggish or struggling.”

These small lineups may be something of a misnomer, as the only change comes at power forward following the graduation of James Siakam, last year’s primary starter. 6-foot-6 sophomore Jeff Roberson will play the vast majority of his minutes as the 4 [power forward] after playing mostly the 3 [small forward] as a freshman.

“I think pretty much all of [my minutes] are gonna be at the 4, considering we have Joe [Toye], Nolan [Cressler] and everybody at the

3,” Roberson said. “We’ve got a lot of big guards so a lot of people can play the 3.”

Roberson proved himself as an outside shooter last season in shooting 45.5 percent from three, albeit on 33 attempts, and Stallings anticipates Roberson’s perimeter skills can help stress opposing defenses by punishing slower power forwards.

“I think the 4 will be well-suited to Jeff especially from an offensive standpoint for him because Jeff’s a good driver of the basketball, he’s a good shooter,” Stallings said. “4-men are gonna have to come out and play him and that’s gonna give him some opportunities to attack the goal that he might not otherwise have if he was playing the 3.”

While the shift to small ball could help the Commodores’ offense, Roberson’s adjustment to guarding bigger, stronger players will play a key role in allowing these lineups to flourish defensively. Roberson spent considerable time in the offseason working to improve his ability to defend larger players by utilizing his quickness.

“He’s just gotta be able to neutralize the guy he’s guarding,” Stallings said of Roberson. “He’ll do a good job boxing out and he’ll be a little bit undersized, but we’ll double team the post sometimes if we need to if he’s playing against a guy who’s good in there. So we’ll have some ways to combat the things that could pose potential problems for him, but he’ll create some issues for other people, and that’s what we’re looking for.”

Playing defense without fouling may represent the biggest point of emphasis for Roberson when it comes to defense. With the NCAA’s decision to more strictly enforce fouls this season, Stallings knows there could be an adjustment period early on.

“Jeff’s got some work to do there,” Stallings said. “Jeff’s gotta use his quickness … and his speed and his feet and his head and not rely on trying to muscle up against everybody. There’s an art to that and that’s something he’s in the process of learning.”

Roberson himself knows that one good way to avoid fouls is by preventing the man he is guarding from ever getting into the paint in the first place.

“I’m a little bit smaller than most 4s and 5s, but I feel like I have a lot better foot speed,” Roberson said. “My job is just kind of be quick and get around them, don’t let them get the ball and if they do try to keep them out of the pain and handle my business.”

Changing positions after only one year may represent a sacrifice on Roberson’s part, but he isn’t worried about it. Whatever most helps the team, Roberson is willing to do.

“My mindset isn’t changing, I’m just playing against people who are a little big bigger but a little bit slower,” Roberson said. “The game’s evolving right now, … just being multifaceted and trying to affect the game in as many ways as possible.”

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life

GO DO

THIS

s i h t t a E

By SARAH FRIEDMAN The freshman 15 is nothing, especially when the trek to and from Commons is a part of your daily routine. Let’s talk about the sophomore 15, the junior 20, or (worst of all) the senior 25.

But just because you’re very hungry or craving comfort food doesn’t mean that your meal has to be high-calorie and highfat. Staying healthy while eating on campus can be as easy as a quick switch, one that usually doesn’t affect the taste of the food. Find out what entrees and sides you should always avoid, and which ones are surprisingly good for you — and maybe save yourself over a day’s worth of fat or calories in the process.

COMMONS

Some stations are better than others. The wok station and Chef’s Table are almost always a better call than the grill, pizza or pasta stations. The salad bar is a good option of course, provided you avoid creamy dressings like caesar and ranch. Try eating a small salad before dinner to prevent pigging out on fattier options when you’re starving after a long day.

Easy swaps: • spaghetti with marinara vs. spaghetti with meatballs: Adding the meatballs adds 27 grams of fat and 429 calories. If it’s protein you’re seeking, place some tofu or chicken breast on your side salad from the salad bar.

• egg whites vs. regular eggs in an omelette: Next time the chef asks if you want regular eggs or egg whites, think twice. A regular egg omelette holds 70.7% of your daily cholesterol, compared to 0% in egg whites, not to mention the 8g difference in fat and equal amounts of protein.

• brownie vs. brookie: The famous brookie is the same size as the brownie, but it packs 7 additional grams of fat and 144 calories.

Red lights: philly steak pizza (85% of daily saturated fat and 98% of daily sodium), all casseroles, grilled four cheese and pesto Green lights: all fish options and roasted vegetables at the Chef’s Table, soups that aren’t chowders or bisques

Rand 308; Wednesday, Nov. 11 at 6:30 p.m.

Following the Diwali Showcase last Saturday, Vandy Karma and SACE are hosting a Diwali puja on the night of the festival itself. Come to the free celebration and learn about the history and traditions of the Hindu festival, hear fellow students share their own Diwali stories, eat dinner catered by Woodlands Indian restaurant and make your own Diya (or oil lamp) to light during the puja.

not that

PHOTOS BY THOMAS STILSON / THE VANDERBILT HUSTLER

Assistant news editor --------------------

Diwali Puja: Festival of Lights Celebration

RAND

Vanderbilt dining halls edition

The Randwich can be a great option if you know how to make it, and the Tex Mex station makes for a low-fat, highprotein meal. At the salad bar, don’t be fooled by the glutenfree dressings — they have just as much calories and fat. Try the fat-free balsamic vinaigrette: with only 10 calories and no fat, it’s actually healthier than using olive oil and balsamic. If you have a sweet tooth, try the apple pie or the brownie, but steer clear of the rice krispie treats and cheesecakes.

Easy swaps: • sandwich vs. wrap: Wraps have just as many (sometimes more) carbs than bread, as well as more fat and more calories. Plus, they’re a better vehicle for packing in the high-fat, high-calorie spreads. Go for the white or wheat bread, or even the herb focaccia.

• pepperjack vs. cheddar cheese: Pepperjack is the best cheese by far, with only 40 calories and 3 grams of fat. Cheddar, the fan favorite on the Randwich, has double the calories and more than double the fat.

• rotisserie vs. fried chicken: We know we’re splurging when we pick the fried chicken, but do we know how much? Fried chicken packs over twice the fat (29 grams), placing you at nearly half your daily value.

Red lights: cheesecake and chocolate peanut butter pie (80% daily saturated fat each), grilled ribeye (50% of daily saturated fat), tomato bisque (75% daily saturated fat), turkey and tomato with parmesan sandwich (110.7% daily sodium, 75% daily saturated fat) Green lights: fried rice (160 calories and 1 gram of saturated fat), grilled chicken with apple compote (200 calories and 1 gram of saturated fat), beef stew (187 calories and 2 grams of saturated fat), minestrone soup (100 calories, 0 saturated fat)

variety of healthy choices. On other nights, such as Floribbean, Thai and Mediterranean, you can’t go wrong.

Easy swaps: • Mediterranean night: chickpea salad (1 gram of fat) vs. beet salad (15 grams of fat): Beets are a dieter’s fan favorite, but the 170 calories in this beet salad don’t justify the surprisingly low amount of vitamins. The chickpea salad has similar calories and almost no fat. If you’re asking me, it tastes better anyway.

• French night: green beans (34 calories and 0 grams of fat) vs. mushrooms (177 calories and 8 grams of fat): Don’t take solace in the fact that you’re eating a healthy portion of vegetables. Some veggies, such as mushrooms, hold enough oil to pack 5% of your daily saturated fat.

• Italian night: parmesan polenta (103 calories 15% of fat) vs. ciabatta bread (612 calories and 45% of saturated fat): It may be hard to believe that the creamy, cheesy polenta is healthier than the plain bread, but it actually has a third of the fat and a sixth of the calories.

Red lights: chicken quesadilla (1300 calories and 185% of daily saturated fat), chicken and spinach manicotti (100% daily saturated fat), new orleans french toast (1018 calories and 155% of daily saturated fat), clam chowder in bread bowl (576 calories and 70% of daily saturated fat), chocolate french toast (67.3% daily cholesterol, 135% daily saturated fat) Green lights: frito pie (221 calories and 7 grams of fat), cherry butter cake (160 calories and 2 grams of fat), bok choy (50 calories and 4 grams of fat, but 93% of daily vitamin A), rice pudding custard (60 calories and one gram of fat)

THE KITCHEN AT KISSAM

Note: The nutrition information for all 21 campus dining locations is included in the Nutrition-Vanderbilt app available for iPhone and Android. All percentage daily values are based on a 2000-calorie diet, but this may vary depending on your gender, height and weight.

Kissam is full of healthy, low-fat menu gems, but watch out for some fatty comfort foods. On some nights, such as Italian and Mexican, the healthy options are so limited that you may be better off making the trek to Rand for a greater

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Calling all Commodore

gamers Vandy_LAN’s e-sports tournament takes over Featheringill Hall

By DALLAS SHATEL Life reporter --------------------

Walk into Featheringill Hall this Friday, and you’ll see a collection of students bitterly competing for glory in the Vanderbilt gaming community. This uncommon laughter and shouting at the School of Engineering will be thanks to the fourth semi-annual Vandy_LAN tournament.

Headed by Vandy_Lan president Jason Mayer, the tournament allows students to test their gaming skills by competing in a variety of video games including League of Legends, Super Smash Bros. Melee and Destiny. The tournament will also include its first time-trial competition with Forza Motorsports 6.

For students who don’t want to compete, there will also be a free play room to hang out and game more casually. In addition, Vandy Game Craft will sponsor a board game room.

Gamers of all ability and interest levels are invited. Some competitors take the event very seriously, while others participate casually for fun.

“I’ve played Smash forever … but never competitively or anything,” said Jason Pevitt, senior and competitor. “I’m not really a big gamer. Smash is one of two or three games that I play pretty regularly, mostly just for fun.”

All equipment used in the event is either donated from

Student gamers compete at last year’s Vandy_LAN held in Featheringill Hall. the Vanderbilt community or is brought in by members of Vandy_LAN from their own homes, Mayer said. The group’s funding goes toward food for the event as well as the prizes for the winners of the competition and raffle. The raffle prizes range from t-shirts to a PlayStation 4 bundle, and tournament prizes include shirts and gift cards.

As a testament to how much the event has grown, Red Bull, which recently funded a downloadable expansion for Destiny, reached out to Vandy_LAN and offered to provide TVs and consoles in exchange for including Destiny in their tournament.

The name Vandy_LAN originates from the LAN server, a popular method of online gaming from the organization’s early years. The underscore was added during the second incarnation to hint at the organization’s newer online presence. Many people associate Vandy_LAN with the semi-annual tournament in Featheringill, but it’s actually an organization that is looking to host other smaller, more frequent events as well.

“As president something that I’ve been investing in is smaller events called hangouts to just foster a gaming com-

ALEC MYSZKA / THE VANDERBILT HUSTLER

munity here, rather than just have everybody go and do their own thing and come here once a semester,” Mayer said.

“We’d really have a tighter-knit community of people who just want to spend their Friday playing games and stuff.”

Originally started back in 2006, the Vandy_LAN organization disbanded in 2012 as a result of internal disputes. They group was eventually reformed in 2014, but Mayer says that Vandy_LAN was more popular during its earlier incarnation than it is now. He believes that gaming culture at Vanderbilt is rather small compared to other universities, which may have contributed to Vandy_LAN’s reduced popularity over the years compared to the earlier incarnation.

“I feel like [gaming culture] is really segmented,” Mayer said. “You’ll have your League players here and your Smash players there. I’m trying to kind of [bring] those together and build a stronger gaming culture. I really want there to be place on campus for gamers.”

Including free pizza and drinks, the event begins 6 p.m. and ends 11 p.m., leaving students plenty of time to go out afterwards. Admission to the event is free for students and alumni and $10 for others.

VPAC PRESENTS: FANFARE

PHOTOS BY ALEX JUSTICE / THE VANDERBILT HUSTLER

The Vanderbilt Performing Arts Community hosted their firstever Fanfare event on Sunday evening in the Moore Great Room at Kissam. More than a dozen on-campus performing arts groups, such as JPAC and Harmonic Notion, came together to perform multiple collaborations utilizing the constructed stage as well as the balcony overhead. Students crowded into the great room to enjoy the performances and the free caramel apples and hot cider.

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From Visions groups to Neely’s stage ‘City of Songs’ tailors Commons Reading to Nashville

By LEAH SPANN Life reporter --------------------

VUT’s latest production, “City of Songs,” emerged from the creative efforts of Brian Granger, the Fred Coe Artist-in-Residence in the theatre department, and the student cast. The show centers on Burger Bomb, a restaurant in east Nashville owned by the Albanian Firari family.

Stephanie Skinner, who plays Firari family matriarch Rovena in the show, describes “City of Songs” as “a play with music” rather than a musical. Rovena and her husband, Isidor, narrate the tale while the majority of the action revolves around their children.

Senior Harrison Kenum delivers the standout performance of the play as Fatos Firari, the hard-working and single-minded

son of the Firari family. Kenum takes a potentially grumpy, uncompromising character and transforms him into someone with whom the audience can sympathize as he tries to provide for his family in the best way possible.

The production lives up to its designation as a “play with music,” interspersing the songs (most of which were composed by the cast themselves) throughout the production.

At times, the music provides levity during a tense moment; for example, the “Burger Bomb” song takes the audience on a giggleinducing side-step into a whimsical world in which the cast literally sings the praises of the restaurant.

However, at other times the introduction of a song breaks the flow of the action. One of the most poignant moments in the show occurs when Fatos and the cook Reynaldo,

BOSLEY JARRETT / THE VANDERBILT HUSTLER

Students helped co-write the adaptation of “Madonnas of Echo Park,” and each actor or actress influences the development of his or her character. played by sophomore Will Sox, clash over money. The scene ends with Reynaldo marching off stage while Fatos laments the difficulty of making decisions that are both practical and fair. Fatos’s song, while welldelivered by Kenum, seems oddly placed in a show that otherwise uses music more as a secondary plot device than a direct narrative contributor.

“City of Songs” is loosely based on “Madonnas of Echo Park,” this year’s Commons Reading for the Class of 2019, and like the book, the play deals with many serious

topics. Skinner highlighted the play’s variety of themes, stating: “it is about family, the refugee crisis, immigration … what it means to be part of a nation.”

Reynaldo’s history as a Cuban refugee particularly showcases these themes. In a scene where he calls his mother back in Cuba, he speaks entirely in Spanish, relying on emotional cues to convey his mother’s lack of recognition of her own son’s voice. While this decision minimizes the non-Spanish speaking theatergoers’ ability to understand the scene, it adds a layer of authenticity.

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