The Vanderbilt Hustler 3-23-16

vanderbilthustler WEDNESDAY, MARCH 23, 2016

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VOL. 128, ISS. 10

NPHC:

building on a legacy Part one of an exploration into Black Greek Letter Organizations PAGE 2

COURTESY OF THE BLACK CULTURAL CENTER

OPINION

Submit your survivor stories

Columnist Yoko Kanai stresses that stories can be more powerful than statistics about sexual assault

PAGE 6

SPORTS

LIFE

Nashville’sPAGE hipster haven 6

Your guide to what to eat, see and do in East Nashville

PAGE 8

Black & Gold Game watch list

The football team takes the field for the first time in nearly four months with several players to look out for

PAGE 13

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news

CAMPUS UPDATE Chabad is sponsoring a Purim carnival Thursday, March 24 from 4:30 to 7 p.m. on Alumni Lawn. The carnival will feature giant inflatables, free food, face painting, Megillah reading and more.

NPHC’s past and present

COURTESY OF THE BLACK CULTURAL CENTER

Members of the Omega Psi Phi fraternity in the 1980s.

Professors and alumni discuss the importance of history to black fraternities and sororities

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

It’s Thursday at noon, music is blaring and students are mingling on Rand Terrace, talking about classes and singing along with their favorite songs. All of a sudden, the song “Knuck if You Buck” comes on and student spectators form a circle, making sure they have a good view. A select few gather with their groups in the center, form a line and begin to move in synchronized motions. There are shimmies, hops and primping and preening in imaginary mirrors — depending on the chapter. There’s a stern grit on most of the students’ faces as they perform one of the most visual parts of the Greek experience. As the song comes to a close,

vanderbilthustler STAFF

ALLIE GROSS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

groups slowly fall off from one another and return to their earlier conversations.

To most students watching, these performances are an unexpected pause from their midday Chef James meal. For the members of National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC), however, performing their Greek stroll as part of Terrace Thursday, a probate or a yard show means much more. “[Students] only see these kids that come out shucking and jiving and stepping on the Rand Terrace every once in awhile,” said Dr. Roosevelt Noble, Vanderbilt grad, senior lecturer in Vanderbilt’s sociology department and member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. “That’s a very small glimpse of what it actually takes to be a member of those groups.”

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

For NPHC’s members, the routines are a window into a rich history and tradition. Known by some as just “the black frats,” NPHC organizations are historically African American fraternities and sororities that were incorporated in 1930 nationally and have been on Vanderbilt’s campus for several decades. Each chapter has its own values, but the organization overall emphasizes community, scholarship, leadership and activism.

In providing a community of support for black students, especially at a predominantly white institution, Vanderbilt NPHC has given its members access to social, academic and professional networks. Members are dedicated to serving their local communities, with one of their focuses being improving the lives of black youths in both the short and long terms.

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

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

ALAN WILMS AUSTIN WILMS YUNHUA ZHAO KAREN CHAN

COPY EDITORS ABBY HINKSON

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THE IMPORTANCE OF HISTORY In May of 1953, Vanderbilt admitted its first black student, Joseph Johnson, to the Divinity School. African Americans would continue to break barriers in the Vanderbilt community for close to two decades before the first NPHC chapter, Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, was colonized on campus on March 1, 1971. Since then, seven chapters of the eight other national organizations of NPHC have been established.

The first black students present on Vanderbilt’s campus did not feel as though they were a part of campus. When NPHC organizations were started, the groups provided a way for some of these students to make their marks on campus, enabling them to create a legacy for black students that would persist beyond their four years.

Every Vanderbilt student who’s in these NPHC organizations can easily recite their organization’s founding dates, how many founders they had, when their chapter was chartered and with how many charter members, in addition to the dates they crossed and other facts. After giving this information, junior Kiara Rhodes, member of Zeta Phi Beta, offered even more.

“Do you want my founders?” she asked, ready to name each of the “Five Pearls” who founded her sorority in 1920. For many members, the history of the national organization — their mottos, their values, their founders — is central to what their fraternities and sororities mean to them.

NPHC organizations are a part of Black history, and the members of these organizations know that history, the challenges that the founders of these organizations faced, and the legacy that they are now building on.

Tony Harris (‘91), member of Omega Phi Psi Fraternity, Inc., reminisced on a march organized by a group of black students, a significant portion of whom were NPHC members, to deliver a manifesto that consisted of a list of demands for Vanderbilt from its African American community.

“Everyone was pulling in the same direction. Everyone was active and vocal and a part of that march and that effort,” he explained. “I count it as a success. The university did listen, and they made an effort, but that didn’t happen without the students.”

In 1996, NPHC galvanized the Vanderbilt community to get behind the crowning of a black homecoming queen, Jackie Lopardo, a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. “You can’t have divisions in the black community to get a black homecoming queen,” Noble said. “You need everybody on board.”

The support to the black community did not end on campus for members of the NPHC organizations, who also took part in activism and community service outside campus.

“Our job is to build our community,” Sheila Jackson, a graduate student in the Divinity school and member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., said. “If we don’t do it, who else will?”

Members are proud of their association with leaders and notable figures who have emerged from their organizations.

“The history is not lying about the job that these organizations have done,” Dr. Frank Dobson, Assistant Dean of Students and Director of the BCC said of how these organizations raise leaders.

“Whether it’s King or Nikki Giovanni, Jesse Jackson, Benjamin Mays,” he listed. “You see that so many of these people were leaders in the black community at least in part because they got nurturance and guidance and mentorship through NPHC organizations.”

Noble pointed out the presence of NPHC members the day Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated. Of the four men with King on the balcony, there was an Omega, an Alpha, a Sigma and a Kappa — all members of NPHC fraternities. King, himself, was an Alpha.

“Not just on campus have our great leaders come from NPHC groups, but in real life as well,” Noble said.

DECLINING MEMBERSHIP? NPHC rests on how much its members value the history of the organizations. Some think, however, that this history isn’t under-

stood or appreciated at Vanderbilt.

“We have a heritage. We have tradition. We want you to know what it is you’re building on,” Jackson said. “I don’t feel like Vanderbilt knows the history enough to support it.”

Jeff King, who began working at Vanderbilt 11 years ago, has been a member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. for 34 years. He is currently the associate director of the Bishop Joseph Johnson Black Cultural Center. He believes this lack of understanding of the history of NPHC has led to a decline in its membership — even as the number of black students on campus has grown.

“It’s harder and harder to recruit more students,” King said.

“Vanderbilt students are not interested and don’t have that sense of history or legacy.”

The number of black students in other Greek organizations now outnumbers the NPHC members on this campus, according to both Dobson and King, who have both worked at Vanderbilt for over 10 years.

James Crawford, Vanderbilt’s coordinator of Greek life, doesn’t believe that low numbers necessarily means bad news for NPHC. He cited the different criteria that factor into who can and cannot become a member that may be affecting membership levels, such as class level, academic standing, and other organization-specific requirements for membership. For example, some NPHC groups don’t allow first-years to join.

King echoed Crawford’s sentiment, saying that these numbers vary from year to year for many reasons.

“When you have an organization that has 16 members one year and four the next, it makes a lot of things more difficult,” King said. “It’s not necessarily the demise of NPHC, but of NPHC being from time to time on the brink.”

As Vanderbilt and other campuses push for campus diversity, some worry that black students are encouraged to be a part of other organizations rather than the historically-black NPHC groups.

“It’s sad and lamentable,” Dobson said. “Because we’re looking at strengthening some of our other organizations, maybe our NPHC organizations have been rendered somewhat invisible.

Not on purpose, but just because we’re looking at inclusivity and diversity.”

Noble, Dobson and King also agree that there has been a shift in the type of black students who are coming to Vanderbilt. There are many students who may not have been exposed to NPHC at home and may not realize that it’s an option for them — and therefore come to Vanderbilt and gravitate towards other organizations that may be more visible.

“Part of me wonders if this is the effect of this idea of a ‘postracial America,’” Nicole Malveaux, a graduate student working in the BCC who has been a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority, Inc. for 18 years said.

According to Dobson, increased exposure to options like NPHC for black students may have prevented the multiple cases of black students who rushed and dropped because they didn’t feel at home in the other Greek organizations.

Crawford explained that functioning with few members in a chapter has its challenges, but that students have prospered through strong alumni involvement and through interaction with the Office of Greek Life. There is a lot of pressure because members want their chapter to survive on campus, but also must manage the stress of being a student.

Jackson said predominantly white Greek organizations are limited in what they can and do offer for black students, meaning that although diversity may improve upon the outward image of predominantly white organizations and include more types of students, there may not be outlets for black members to cater to their mental health within those spaces.

“What about my mental health?” Jackson said, “What about my spirit? What is that organization doing for my community?”

Looking forward, Dobson proposed working more closely with students of color who come to campus to better educate them about what NPHC can do for them. Also, he said increasing exposure, support and access to funds could allow the Vanderbilt NPHC chapters to grow, and would give them more of an opportunity to excel even further.

“Students who come to Vanderbilt are not necessarily looking at

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Currently, 36 students at Vanderbilt are members of NPHC organizations. The height of NPHC involvement was in the spring of 2010, when there were 84 NPHC members on campus.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 23, 2016

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COURTESY OF ROOSEVELT NOBLE

Roosevelt Noble poses with his three line brothers from Alpha Phi Alpha at a wedding in 1997. Noble is a Vanderbilt graduate and senior lecturer in Vanderbilt’s sociology department.

We have a heritage.

We have tradition. We want you to know what it is you’re building on.

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Greek life as something that’s important to them, and feel that the white organizations are just as viable for them as NPHC, which is something that we didn’t think about 30 years ago,” King said.

“We have several examples through history that when integration of something happens, the black equivalent of that group suffers tremendously,” stated Noble.

These are the people who might need to be introduced, because they may not have been exposed to what NPHC stands for and what it does for students before they came to college, according to Jackson.

“Our students need it, and frankly our institution needs it,” Dobson stated.

For its members, NPHC has for decades provided opportunities for growth, leadership and a sense of community — all that founded in traditions and a rich history of inspiring individuals.

Although the NPHC community may be smaller than it has been in the past at Vanderbilt, that doesn’t mean that these pockets don’t shape the Vanderbilt experiences of some individuals.

“I cannot imagine what it would have been like attending a ‘Vanderbilt’ 40, 50 years ago as a black woman, in a segregated southern city like Nashville,” Malveaux said. “I don’t think sometimes that the African American students understand that they are standing on the shoulders of giants.”

In the next installment, current students involved with NPHC talk details about what their chapters mean to them, from chapter culture to steps and calls — as well as their visions for NPHC’s future.

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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 23, 2016

Senior fights for social justice through urban issues

KATHY YUAN / THE VANDERBILT HUSTLER

Ingram and Truman Scholar Caylyn Perry works to build equality

By CATIE LAMBERT News reporter --------------------

Two summers ago, Caylyn Perry was standing in front of a building in Birmingham, Alabama, discussing its architecture and its relationship to the city. It was part of an internship with the Birmingham Land Bank Authority, and it was where she discovered a passion for urban land-use issues that has shaped her life ever since.

This past fall, the Ingram and Truman Scholar carried out a case study for Nashville Metropolitan Development and Housing Agency (MDHA), looking into options for the establishment of a land bank, a large body of land held for future development or disposal in the city.

According to Perry, land banks are a way for a city to repurpose vacant land or run-down properties and put them to use.

“When you leave houses, you can lose money because no one’s paying taxes,” Perry said. “The idea is that if you create a land bank, then you can take those properties and clear the title, clear the deed and then sell them off.”

The properties can be sold to either private real estate companies for development or neighborhoods so the property can remain locally owned and the city can avoid gentrification, but the property is also maintained.

For her case study, Perry analyzed policy of pre-existing land banks in Chattanooga and Memphis, which represent two different types of land banks, and looked at how they were formed and what effects had been measured so far.

The study was sent to the mayor’s office and is currently being reviewed.

Perry’s introduction to land banking came in Birmingham, where she helped write policies and bylaws for the creation of a land bank and brainstormed “what-if situations” to ensure the policies would hold up. She said zoning issues can tie into race issues when zoning boards decide where to locate certain aspects of the city infrastructure.

“I had always recognized zoning and land as a very segregated issue, and it was always interesting to me to understand the race dynamics to it,” she said. “A lot of things that I had realized in my service both when I was in the mayor’s office in Birmingham and in Nashville was how impactful it is in people’s lives, but how the people who are impacted have no say. When you ask people who’s on your zoning board, who’s dictating the fact that you’re living in an area that has a waste dump next to it while the wealthy people aren’t, people can’t tell you.”

Perry’s boss in Birmingham was an architect and would take her on tours around the city to look at how different buildings, such as those without ramps, can discriminate against people or reflect sharp wealth disparities.

“It’s a lot of conversations about how the urban space can help people but also how it can literally discriminate against people,” she said.

Another benefit of a land bank is that the city can decide to attach stipulations to its development to ensure that it includes lower-rent housing in order to fight gentrification, Perry said.

“If you have a land bank and you sell a piece of property to a company and you tell them ‘yes, you can build apartment buildings,’ you can also add stipulations to that,” she said. “So yeah, you can build apartment buildings, but 50 percent of it has to be affordable, so that you can ensure

that you’re maintaining some level of economic stability.”

The problem with this method, Perry said, is that it is often retroactive, occurring after poorer residents have already moved to less favorable areas. She plans to go to law school next year with the goal of becoming a city attorney and furthering her role in issues of urban land use. Eventually, she said she would like to open her own real estate development firm that focuses on ethical development from the beginning.

“What the government is doing in Nashville is not completely proactive, especially if you’re having a conversation about affordable housing after the fact,” she said. “But I feel like a large part of it is that if there was more ethical development, then this wouldn’t necessarily be that big of a problem.”

On top of her work with land use, Perry also works with Nashville’s Park Center, which provides day centers for the mentally ill, Community Food Advocates (CFA), which finances a mobile market that sells fresh food in areas that lack access, and Poverty and the Arts, which provides creative opportunities and community support to people experiencing and transitioning out of homelessness. She tutors in astronomy, math and reading at the Park Center and runs training programs for CFA’s mobile market.

In August 2014, Perry also launched a newsletter for colleges and universities who lack the resources to help their students find or finance government internships. It was acquired by AskNot America, a student-run organization advocating for service opportunities for college students, last June. In August 2016, she’ll be starting grad school in a new city, but by no means will that be the end of her social and urban advocacy.

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SENIORS YOU’RE ALMOST ALUMNI! Stop by the Grad Fair TODAY! Wednesday, March 23 on Sarratt Promenade from 10am-2pm to pick up your FREE guide to Life After Vandy!

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opinion Submit and share your survivor stories QUOTE OF THE DAY

“When will we recognize that it is just as wrong to afford special privileges to people born in a certain place?”

AADITI NAIK, SOPHOMORE

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Stories help us humanize the statistics about sexual assault at Vanderbilt

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

f Vanderbilt undergraduates who have experienced sexual assault, 25.3 percent tell no one.* Not a friend, not a roommate, not even family and definitely not law enforcement. In fact, according to Campus Climate survey results, so few people reported telling a campus sexual violence advocate/ counselor that disclosing a percentage constituted a confidentiality risk.

As university students and as peers, why don’t we share these tales? Maybe it’s because we think it’s a personal matter, or maybe we just don’t want to be known as “the girl that got raped” — or The Girl That Ratted. In any case, it’s clear something is keeping survivors from sharing their stories with anyone else, even the folks put on this campus for the express purpose of providing aid to victims of sexual assault.

Two different versions of the Campus Climate survey were distributed to students: the EverFi and EAB surveys. According to the EverFi survey, of those who have experienced assault, but told no one, 46 percent reported “Thought I would be blamed for what happened” as a reason behind their decision. Let that sink in: nearly half feared being held responsible for a crime committed against them, and that fear kept them from telling a single soul.

We know sexual assault happens. We’ve all heard the “one in five” statistic, and we’ve all gone through some version of personal violence prevention training — but how many students do you know have experienced power-based personal violence? The EAB survey results state that 28 percent of undergraduate females and 5.9 percent of males have experienced sexual assault. Do you see that reflected in your intimate circles? Why or why not?

We think it’s time for those stories to be shared.

Stories are important. Stories give us a framework by which to understand the world around us. We cannot understand human experiences without narratives through which we can relate and feel. This is why stories about friendship make us laugh, stories about war make us cry, and stories about love make us feel all warm and fuzzy inside. It is by relating to other people through their stories that we learn what it

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

Why must we talk about sexual assault?

Because it’s something that can never fully be encapsulated by a statistic.

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SUBMIT YOUR STORY To ensure that these stories are coming from real Vanderbilt students and that writers are a part of the conversation about any necessary editing, all submissions are to be emailed to Vanderbilt Hustler Opinion Editor Queen Stevenson (queen.o.stevenson@gmail. com) or Opinion Columnist Yoko Kanai (yoko.m.kanai@gmail.com). The submission process will be confidential — however, it is critical that we can verify authors’ identities.

means to be human.

This is why it is so crucial that we hear the stories of survivors. We cannot understand the nature of assault at Vanderbilt, its scope or the gravity of its aftereffects if we are not exposed to our community’s narratives.

Why must we talk about sexual assault? Because it’s something that can never fully be encapsulated by a statistic.

Recently, the Hustler launched an essay project: a means by which members of the community can share their stories about sexual assault. We hope that by providing a platform and enabling anonymity, we might coax a few more voices out of the woodwork.

Opinion Editor Queen Stevenson and I will be collecting submissions until this Saturday, March 26. *EAB survey results.

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

Please include the following information with your submission: 1) Would you like your story to be published anonymously, or would you like your name attached to it?

2) Was this incident reported to Project Safe, the EAD and/or the police? If so, did you pursue an investigation? If so, what was the result of the investigation (or, is it ongoing)? (Note: If you choose to be published non-anonymously, but have not reported the incident, a Title IX coordinator will likely contact you. You may or may not participate in an investigation.)

Submissions provided without this information will not be reviewed. After you have sent a submission, we will provide you with more information about whether your essay has been chosen for publishing, and any necessary edits.

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

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

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

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

The paper is not printed during summer break.

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

Additional copies are $.50 each.

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

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You didn’t earn your rights as a citizen

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Your citizenship status means nothing, yet gives you everything

A

AADITI NAIK is a sophomore in the College of Arts and Science. She can be reached at aaditi.g.naik@ vanderbilt.edu.

midst the chaos of the presidential election season, I keep hearing people saying, “Don’t forget to vote.” And with President Trump being a very real possibility, I agree that it is essential for college students to go out and vote. Yet it is also essential to remember that not all college students have the luxury of voting: it is a privilege only afforded to American citizens.

Considering that this campaign season has focused so heavily on immigration, it is ironic that most of the people who will be affected by the future president’s policies on the issue also have no voice in electing the president. If Trump is elected president and decides to intern all immigrants (of course, this wouldn’t be the first time America has interned a minority), immigrants will not be able to do anything about it because we have no voice in the political process. We have to pay taxes and follow the laws of the country, and yet we have no voice in any of these laws. Taxation without representation — sound familiar?

In reality, citizenship is empty and devoid of any real value. It doesn’t inherently make one person in America more worthy than another. Since the process to obtain that citizenship is so difficult and arbitrary for immigrants, it has become a social construct that serves to create and maintain divisions. Yes, immigrants can apply for citizenship, but it isn’t easy. In reality, it distinguishes between an ingroup and an outgroup, an “us” and a “them.” It is another way for the dominant group to stay in power and continue to feel

superior to someone else. It ties us to a history of “American values” like democracy and “liberty and justice for all.” Do you see the hypocrisy? A country that was formed by a minority in order to escape tyranny from the majority now practices the same authoritarian rule over a different minority. The cycle of oppression continues, as we do not have a voice in the immigration policies that affect us.

If you are a citizen, think about how you got that title. Did you earn those special privileges? Did you do something that immigrants have not done in order to obtain the right to vote? No. The only difference between a citizen and an immigrant is that a citizen was born here or had the privilege to be able to afford the naturalization process. Yet country of birth is such an arbitrary characteristic – just as arbitrary as eye color, height, or skin color. When the law afforded special privileges to people of a certain race, we recognized that it was wrong. When will we recognize that it is just as wrong to afford special privileges to people born in a certain place? Being born in the United States does not create any special bond to this country. I know immigrants who have more American patriotism than some U.S.-born citizens. Neither does being born here indicate any extraordinary merit. So why do we base so many rights and privileges on such an arbitrarily chosen characteristic?

As you vote this year, please think about why you have the ability to vote. On issues of immigration, think about how the people whose lives are directly

In reality, it distinguishes between an ingroup and an outgroup, an ‘us’ and a ‘them.’

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affected by any changes in immigration policy can do nothing more than watch Trump incite hatred on the television and pray that they do not become the victims of the next internment camp or genocide.

Think about your citizen privilege and consider using that privilege to be an ally to immigrants. After all, nobody controls where they are born. If you were born somewhere else, you might not be able to vote either.

Your citizenship does not make you special; it simply makes you responsible for exercising the rewards you have reaped from an unjust system in the least oppressive manner possible.

Remember the importance of intellectual diversity IMPACT Symposium highlights the value of addressing all sides of every issue

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JEFFREY GREENBERG

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

s a member of the Vanderbilt University Speakers Committee, I’ve had the opportunity and the privilege to participate wholeheartedly in this year’s IMPACT Symposium, focused on “the future of the American Dream.” It serves as a reminder for all of us to embrace intellectual diversity and remain open to a broad diversity of opinion.

If you attended the IMPACT lecture on Monday evening, you’ll surely remember a riveting narrative from critically acclaimed Iranian-American author Azar Nafisi, who discussed the importance of the arts in fostering a better society and her views regarding what makes the United States a beacon of hope for people all over the world. Nafisi was joined by Brittany Packnett, a Black Lives Matter activist and the director of Teach for America’s St. Louis branch, who provided attendees a striking discussion of race relations and education in working to ensure the American Dream for all of our citizens, not just a privileged few.

If you went last night, you heard the unique perspective of “Academy Award-winning filmmaker, Brooklyn resident and Knicks fan” Spike Lee. He discussed a wide array of topics running from his film Chi-Raq’s portrayal of the issue of gun violence in Chicago’s South Side to his own story of how hard work and focus took him from a “D+, C- student” to an acclaimed director.

Finally, if you attend tonight, you’ll hear from the 53rd Speaker of the House, John Boehner, whose journey from being one of 12 children in a two-bedroom house in Cincinnati to being leader of the House of Representatives ought to inspire each and everyone one of us to aspire to greatness. As our co-chair on the committee has pointed out each night, this year’s lineup is one of the most diverse in the symposium’s history in terms of race, gender and background.

It’s also diverse in something I believe to be much more important. This year’s symposium reflects a variety of unique and differing perspectives on how to ensure and protect our national ethos of freedom and opportunity for all Americans. This intellectual diversity, while surely influenced by the various backgrounds and experiences of the speakers, stands alone. Hearing what are sure to be wildly differing perspectives from Nafisi, Packnett, Lee and Boehner back-to-back allows us to weigh the speakers’ claims against each other.

It forces the speakers to present themselves based on the merit of their ideas. It encourages a critical reflection of our own assumptions about the issues at hand, and it constructs a dialogue which stands in contrast to the echo chambers we often construct for ourselves in our choice of extracurricular activity or academic course. It makes us better citizens, and in

this case, helps us to collectively ensure a bright future for the American Dream.

This is the type of discussion we ought to have on campus about every pertinent issue, one that welcomes diverse viewpoints and ideas, that celebrates diversity of opinion without the possibility of demagoguery or the fear of intellectual ostracism. Too often during my time here have certain students taken to shutting down this process of discussion and dialogue, instead favoring attempts to deny individuals the opportunity or ability to speak on campus. These arguments, such as those put forward to disinvite Mayor Rudy Giuliani from speaking at this same symposium last year, miss the mark, and their sponsors fail to realize that the only way we can fix a problem is to address it head on and from all angles.

As John Stuart Mill points out, just because a viewpoint is in the majority does not make it correct. We ought to be able to defend and articulate our points of view at any time, in any place and against any obstacle. IMPACT allows us to hone our ideas, refine them and build upon them for a productive future.

I’m proud of our university for welcoming this year’s speakers — and the array of viewpoints they represent — with open arms, and I encourage all of you to attend the culminating night of Impact 2016 this evening.

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life

GO DO

THIS

Café con Leche: VU Vision

Langford Auditorium; Saturday, March 26 at 7:30 p.m.

The signature event for the Vanderbilt Association of Hispanic Students, Café con Leche is an annual performance that features a variety of Latin American dances from salsa to merengue to many more. If you think you’ll be hungry before the show, you can grab a bite to eat beforehand at the SLC from 5 to 7 p.m. if you buy the dinner + show ticket for $15 (tickets for just the show are $10). Tickets can be bought at Sarratt Box Office and at the door.

NASHVILLE NEIGHBORHOODS

A guide to Nashville’s

HIPSTER HAUNT

If you’ve ever watched the show “Nashville,” you’ve probably wondered where Connie Britton and Hayden Panettiere are in all the trendy music venues and club scenes. Many of the episodes are filmed in one of Music City’s hippest neighborhoods: East Nashville. The area’s history of raw musical and artistic talent even led lifestyle website Thrillist to name East Nashville as one of the coolest neighborhoods in the United States. Take that, Manhattan.

This low-key, effortlessly cool section of Nashville has a ton of hidden gems to eat, explore and play. Starting with food, most Vanderbilt students are already familiar with The Pharmacy Burger Parlor and Beer Garden. The legendary burgers, tots and housemade sodas and shakes make this a favorite spot for undergrads and locals alike. For a quick bite, the I Dream of Weenie food truck (or rather, vintage Volkswagen bus) offers delicious hot dogs to munch on while you grab a beer at a local bar.

To get a real taste of Nashville, delve into the hot chicken trend at Pepperfire Hot Chicken. Don’t be intimidated by the heat, as the joint offers ranges of hotness and dishes from chicken and waffles to the Tender Royale, a pepper cheese topped with three tenders. For authentic Mexico City tacos, visit Mas Tacos Por Favor. Started in an RV that served cheap tacos to drunkards, these quality tacos grew in popularity and earned their own permanent spot in East Nashville.

ALEC MYSZKA / THE VANDERBILT HUSTLER

How to eat, explore and play in East Nashville

By Claudia Willen, Senior life reporter

Don’t believe the hype? Just check out their feature on Food Network’s “Diners, Drive-ins and Dives” show.

If you’re looking for a sit-down environment instead, Japanese pub Two Ten Jack has a distinct vibe plus authentic ramen and sushi selections, while Holland House offers a unique farm-to-table dining experience. Holland House’s menu features dishes from many different types of cuisines, including empanadas and sweet potato gnocchi. Additionally, vegetarian restaurant Wild Cow opened earlier this year, and they make their own sauces and dressings in-house.

Although this neighborhood is characterized by its art and music, residents like to kick back and enjoy a drink at night.

The back patio at Rumours East offers the perfect setting for a glass of wine or beer on a warm summer night. For a funky environment, stop in at The Family Wash. Housed in a former laundromat, this restaurant offers great music, a cozy environment and the best shepherd’s pie you’ll ever taste.

In classic East Nashville fashion, even the cafés and bakeries are trendy. Located in East Nashville’s historic Five Points district, Marche Artisan Foods is a European cafe that offers all three meals in an elegant setting. Just around the corner, its refined older sister Margot Cafe & Bar offers full-course French and Italian dining. For more sweets, East Nashville provides baked goods at Sweet 16 and cake pops at Nashville Sweets.

Despite the many quality restaurants in the area, only mentioning East Nashville’s food scene would be cutting this cultural neighborhood short. Five Points has a variety of art galleries close enough to walk between. Every year, the owners of the Art and Invention Gallery run the Tomato Art Festival, which celebrates the tomato in late summer. The celebration includes floats, costumes, tomato art, vendors and even a “beautiful tomato contest.” Sound obscure? The Tomato Art Festival attracts around 45,000 people to “celebrate unity in the fruit/vegetable,” according to the website.

Only in East Nashville.

Shopping-wise, East Nashville boasts a ton of boutiques and unique stores. One-of-a-kind vintage clothes are abundant at The Hip Zipper, while those looking to “thrift” for a used instrument can check out Fanny’s House of Music. At the former, you’re guaranteed to find different pieces that come from all time periods and walks of life to spice up your wardrobe. As for other places to buy clothes, the environmentally responsible store The Green Wagon sells clothing made from eco-friendly materials to promote environment sustainability.

Put on some ripped jeans, brush up on your music knowledge and head to East Nashville to discover hidden nooks in this enchanting neighborhood. You never know; you might end up in the background of the next “Nashville” episode.

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puts part-time work just a tap away New app aims to turn smartphones into the newest campus job board

By Sara Ernst, Life reporter

Most seniors are focused on finding a job, but four students are spending their last few months at Vanderbilt making jobs instead. This year, seniors Justin Riele, Mitch Masia, William Doran and Connor Smith chose to dedicate their last few months as college students to a new startup app called Taskloop.

CEO Justin Riele, until now known mostly as the president of a cappella group The Melodores, describes Taskloop as “your campus task feed.” Example task feeds include big names such as Craigslist, TaskRabbit or even the old classified sections in the back part of newspapers. However, Taskloop sets itself apart by specifically targeting college students, following the path that smash-hit smartphone apps like YikYak have so successfully paved for others. Riele says that Taskloop is a way “for college students to outsource anything they need completed.”

HOW IT WORKS

Using Taskloop is fairly easy: Post a task, set a price and any other student can proceed to complete the task. Taskloop users fall into two groups: those who post the tasks (posters) and those who complete the tasks (taskers). The benefits between the two groups are intended to be mutual. Posters can save valuable time by submitting tasks that cover anything from last-minute grocery shopping to important package pick-ups, spanning a whole laundry list of possible errands. Meanwhile, taskers can make quick and easy money in a customizable way that suits their own personal time and terms. “[Taskloop] meets this need that I feel exists on campus,” Riele explained. “There’s this demand for ‘Oh, I wish I had a part-time job’ or ‘Oh, I wish I could make money really easily in five minutes.’ Taskloop is the end product.”

Marketed only to college students, Taskloop has the opportunity to ensure heightened security by restricting access exclusively to those enrolled in undergraduate school. Users of the mobile app must verify their association to the community by registering with a .edu email address, linking them to their university.

Payment works easily through a program similar to PayPal. Taskloop outsources the payment process through a third-party network called WePay. This promises complete and secure financial protection when using the app, as Taskloop itself — and especially its users — cannot access credit card and bank information.

HOW IT ALL STARTED

The team first conceived of Taskloop almost exactly a year ago in March 2015. The concept was inspired after Riele took Vanderbilt’s own Entrepreneurial Challenge course (MGRL 3300) with David Furse, a class in which students create a full business plan and learn to compete for investors.

Riele says that Taskloop is part of the grand movement towards the sharing economy. The idea and inspiration for Taskloop is founded from the positive response towards collaborative consumption services such as Uber, Lyft and Airbnb.

The team at Taskloop has taken advantage of many resources around town, most prominently the Nashville Entrepreneur Center, a business hub that extends mentorship connections to budding entrepreneurs. The team at Taskloop has held over 20 mentor meetings since August 2015, with experienced advisors in specialties from accounting to legal to marketing and more.

Taskloop is also looking forward to working with the Vanderbilt Innovation Center, an entrepreneurial tech hub planning to provide “programming, seminars and workshops … to help students … at any stage of development,” according to its website.

This center is brand new to campus and will open on April 1. It will be located in the newly constructed engineering building, near the Student Life Center on 25th Avenue.

Taskloop has already raised $12,000 in funding and are seeking angel investors for the future. As for the rest of the app’s future, Riele says that the team is keeping an open mind about possible developments and are trying not to force too many expectations on the app. “Maybe the market will surprise us, and Taskloop will turn into a serenade request service,” he said. “We have no idea. We don’t want to impose certain assumptions on the market.”

Taskloop will officially launch on two campuses — Vanderbilt University and Whitman College — in the next couple weeks, although Riele did not disclose an exact date. The app will be available to download on iTunes and Google Play.

COURTESY OF TASKLOOP

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sports

THE BIG STAT

Days between regular season series losses for the baseball team

The Tale of Two Teams

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Comparing the highly touted Commodore squads from 2012 and 2016

BOSLEY JARRETT / THE VANDERBILT HUSTLER

A tale of two teams

BECK FRIEDMAN / THE VANDERBILT HUSTLER

Comparing the highly touted Commodore squads from 2012 and 2016

By EVAN MERCER Sports reporter --------------------

Another dominating victory capping off a three-game winning streak. A crushing loss against a bottom-feeding team.

Hope rising toward the end of the season only to be dashed apart by another devastating yet unsurprising defeat. These are the ups and downs of the Vanderbilt Commodores not only this year but in seasons gone by.

Head coach Kevin Stallings has been the common factor among these past teams, being able to recruit well but falling flat in actual games played. Indeed, Stallings has had his fair share of success, as well as failure, throughout the 17 years he has coached at Vanderbilt.

This season certainly had high expectations, but four years ago marked the pinnacle of Stalling’s performance, earning the SEC tournament championship and a No. 5 seed in the NCAA tournament. Looking at Stallings’ 2012 and 2016 squads, the similarities between the two teams are striking.

As felt in the hearts of many Commodore fans, this season and offseason had built a mountain of high expectations for this year’s team. Coming in at No. 17 in the AP Preseason Rankings, the Commodores had retained nearly all of their starting talent, bringing back junior center Damian Jones and

sophomore guards Wade Baldwin IV and Riley LaChance.

Along with the development of Jeff Roberson and Matthew Fisher-Davis, this team should have been able to compete with any level of talent, as seen in their close loss to Kansas, currently the top seed in the NCAA Tournament, early in the season.

Similarly, the 2012 team managed to hold onto their talent of current NBA center Festus Ezeli, along with guards John Jenkins and Jeffery Taylor, all of whom were selected in the first 31 picks of the 2012 NBA Draft. With an excellent recruiting class containing Dai-Jon Parker, AP started the 2012 Commodore team at No. 7.

It would quickly become apparent that neither team deserved those lofty rankings. The 2012 squad lost their 2nd game of the season to Cleveland State and suffered backto-back overtime losses against No. 6 Xavier and No. 11 Louisville. The 2016 team started out hot in a 5 game winning streak before being broken by No. 5 Kansas, No. 25 Baylor, Dayton and No. 14 Purdue. The future of both teams appeared bleak going into SEC conference play.

Fortunately for Stallings, both teams were able to turn around their lackluster playing, managing to finish in the top five of the SEC. Sadly, the similarities end there as the 2012 team stepped up to the plate big-time. Taking down No. 11 seed Georgia and No. 7 seed Ole Miss in dominant defensive

showings, the Commodores had the opportunity to play No. 1 Kentucky for the SEC title. Instead of shying away from the pressure, the Commodores went all in and were able to defeat the Wildcats 71-64, securing their first title in 64 years, along with a NCAA tournament berth.

As a No. 5 seed, the 2012 Commodores defeated No. 12 seed Harvard in the first round before falling to No. 4 seed Wisconsin 57-60. A tragic ending to a spectacular season, but one that’s remembered fondly to this day.

With arguably the same level of talent, the 2016 squad went into the SEC tournament with hopes of running against Kentucky or Texas A&M. Instead, they fell face-flat in the opening round against No. 12 seed and rival Tennessee. Remarkably, the team managed to sneak into the NCAA tournament as a play-in game against the Wichita State Shockers. Rather than building on their past experiences, the Commodores were unable to compete in the second half and soundly lost 70-50.

Both Commodore squads boasted top-tier talent who had the potential to make deep runs in the NCAA tournament.

While the 2012 team made waves in the college basketball world, both teams ultimately fell short of the preseason expectations. Undoubtedly, it is difficult to predict the eventual results of these basketball programs, but the Commodores of recent have certainly underperformed.

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Who to watch for in the Black & Gold Game

By BEN WEINRIB Sports editor --------------------

By CALLIE MEISEL Sports reporter --------------------

Kilichowski’s solution for success

ZIYI LIU / THE VANDERBILT HUSTLER

The junior pitcher strikes out batters with his superstitions

By CALLIE MEISEL Sports reporter --------------------

“Ugh,” he hisses through his teeth while shaking his head, dumbfounded. The mere thought of stepping on the foul line when walking to or from the pitcher’s mound practically pains junior pitcher John Kilichowski. “There are certain things you just don’t do. It’s bizarre.”

Avoiding the dreaded bright white foul line is a common baseball superstition that has been around for quite some time now. The origin of this widespread superstition is unknown, but are superstitions ever rational with logical support? Of course not, that’s what makes them superstitions.

For Kilichowski, baseball and superstition go hand-inhand — one does not exist without the other.

Why? “I think with baseball, you just have so much free time,” Kilichowski said. “You have all this time to think.”

It all began in 2006 when Kilichowski was just 12 years old. While many preteen boys played capture the flag or video games, Kilichowski had his mind set on pitching. He developed a routine that — done regularly and properly — he believed would guarantee success on the mound.

“I used to step off the rubber, pull my hat forward and backward every time before every single pitch,” he said.

Reflecting now, Kilichowski chuckles and says: “Luckily I got out of that — now I’m not too bad.”

But his family would probably disagree with that statement.

“My family makes fun of me vigorously for being so superstitious,” Kilichowski explained.

Kilichowski has various types of superstitious practices.

There are several day-to-day routines that depend on past performance. Let’s say he matched all his career bests last week: he pitched seven innings and struck out nine guys.

On the following game day, Kilichowski can be found dressing the same way, eating the same breakfast and taking the same route to Hawkins Field. He may even itch his head the same way. Why stop a good thing?

While these rituals in general feel imperative, the specific makeup of these practices is less significant.

“If it doesn’t work one time, ‘see ya.’ It doesn’t count anymore. It’s not even real,” Kilichowski explains.

He describes these daily routines as “little superstitions.” Kilichowski saves the big ones for when he and the Vandy boys are performing well, be it striking out opponents, homering or getting a lot of guys on base.

When the ’Dores are playing well, Kilichowski responds in one of two completely opposite ways.

At times, Kilichowski sticks out like a sore thumb in the dugout. Most of the guys are casual and relaxed while cheering on their teammates, but Kilichowski is frozen and silent.

“I’ll lean on the dugout a certain way. I’ll hold the exact position. If you have video from UIC, our third game, I literally kept the same position the entire game. Even when Ro [Coleman] scored, I didn’t even look at Ro,” said Kilichowski. The only movement he makes is with his eyes: he looks at the batter, watches the pitch and repeats.

At other times, particularly when the game is a nail-biter, Kilichowski actively promotes a loose, excited environment in the dugout through what he calls “connection.”

“I started this thing where I’ll yell, ‘connection’ and everyone in the dugout gives each other high fives,” he said.

“I started it on the playoff run, when we won the national championship freshman year [2014].”

Kilichowski’s excitement about his team ritual is contagious. “Connection” is not only lucky, but it also allows the Vandy Boys to have a good time and not play too tight.

“I feel like it’s a power. It gives us a little extra boost,” he explains.

As it turns out, Kilichowski’s superstitious nature is not entirely unique to baseball. As a football player in high school, for instance, Kilichowski ate the same ham, egg and cheese croissant from Dunkin’ Donuts before every single game. As a football fan, he considers it bad luck for his beloved Tampa Bay Buccaneers if he wears a hat and glasses. At one particularly hot and sunny Bucs game, his dad made him wear a hat and glasses to protect his skin.

The Bucs threw an interception, so Kilichowski removed his sun protection. The Bucs then intercepted a pass. The rest is history.

Kilichowski, evidently, is inherently superstitious and takes his rituals beyond common baseball superstitions, such as avoiding stepping on the foul line. But not to worry — at least he is not “too bad.”

Vanderbilt students usually don’t need much of a reason to tailgate, but the athletic department is providing another good one: the Black & Gold Spring Game.

After an improved 4-8 campaign featuring two SEC wins, the Commodores will take the field in front of the public for the first time in nearly four months on Friday at 6 p.m. at Vanderbilt Stadium.

Like last season, the game will pit the offense against the defense with a modified scoring system. The defense won the Black & Gold Game in 2015 handily, 38-21.

The Commodores will be without several key players next season with linebacker Stephen Weatherly declaring for the NFL Draft and tight end Steven Scheu, center Spencer Pulley and defensive end Caleb Azubike graduating, but several younger players will get a chance to shine on Friday night.

JARED PINKNEY, TE Pinkney only played a handful of snaps last season before breaking his collarbone, allowing him to redshirt in his freshman year.

That was unfortunate for Vanderbilt because at 6-foot-4 and 250 pounds, Pinkney is built unlike any tight end in recent memory. He will be a serious downfield threat next season and is the biggest new name to watch out for.

NIGEL BOWDEN, ILB After leading the team in tackles in 2014, Bowden only picked up four tackles in parts of two games before missing the rest of the season due to a concussion. Bowden has been practicing this spring and has cut down his weight, allowing him to be faster and more explosive. Finally paired with Zach Cunningham at inside linebacker, the Commodores should have a terrifying linebacker duo.

C.J. DUNCAN, WR Vanderbilt gets back its top wide receiver from 2014, as Duncan returns from missing his sophomore season with a lower-leg injury. Coaches are happy with how Duncan has recovered, and he is practicing at full strength seven months after going down in training camp. He should form a dynamic duo next season with breakout star Trent Sherfield.

JOJUAN WILLIAMS, CB Williams joins fellow defensive back Zaire Jones and quarterback Deuce Wallace as early enrollees, but he is the closest to contributing next season. The Nashville native has great size for a cornerback at 6-foot-3, 200 lbs., which should help against the other big receivers in the SEC.

WADE FREEBECK, QB Kyle Shurmur ended the season as the presumed starter for 2016, but the strong-armed Freebeck has had perhaps the best spring among the quarterbacks. The team has yet to announce a starter for the Black & Gold Game, but they see the duo as 1 and 1A in the quarterback competition.

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TODAY'S SUDOKU

Answers to last week’s sudoku

Answers to last week’s crossword

PHOTO OF THE WEEK

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Academy Award-winning filmmaker Spike Lee meets with students following his talk in Langford Auditorium during Tuesday night’s IMPACT Symposium.