The Vanderbilt Hustler 9-24-14

vanderbilthustler WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2014

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VOL. 126, ISS. 23

‘Unashamedly gay, unashamedly Christian’ Religious leaders on campus weigh in on the intersection of the LGBTQIA and faith-based communities following Canterbury CIRCLE’s showing of a documentary about the first openly gay bishop of the Episcopal Church SEE PAGE 2

LIFE

Jewish life at Vanderbilt Members of the Jewish community reflect on changing demographics and the Jewish experience at Vanderbilt

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Mold infests Alumni Lawn residence halls Both students and Vanderbilt’s housing office are surprised by the resurfacing of mold in some of the school’s oldest dorms

OPINION

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Unsafe, unsound

Opinion Editor Molly Corn offers a critical perspective on campus security measures

CAMPUS

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CAMPUS UPDATE

campus

On Thursday, Sept. 25, the Vanderbilt Prison Project will host “Meet the Neighbors,” a panel discussion about the prisons near campus and opportunities to volunteer with them. The meeting will take place in The Commons Center Multipurpose Room at 6 p.m.

CIRCLE fosters religious dialogue concerning inclusion Campus religious leaders weigh in on the the intersection of religious life and the LBGTQIA community

By ALEXIS BANKS News reporter --------------------

“Unashamedly gay. Unashamedly Christian.” That’s how Bishop Gene Robinson describes himself in the documentary “Love Free or Die,” which tells the story of Robinson as the first openly gay bishop of the Episcopal Church. The documentary was shown on Sunday in Sarratt Cinema by a new religious organization on campus: CIRCLE. According to its Anchor Link page, CIRCLE (Christians of Interdenominational faith Realizing a Community of Love and Equality), is a campus ministry open to all students without regard to their denominational background. CIRCLE is supported by the Episcopal Diocese of Tennessee and St. Augustine’s Episcopal Chapel.

“It’s for undergraduates, graduates, people of all genders, sexualities, ethnic backgrounds and beliefs,” said CIRCLE co-president Rebecca Feronti. “I would say that if people are searching for what they believe in God, whether they’re agnostic, whether they practice a denomination, they are totally welcome.”

Feronti, who shares her position as president with Lindsey Sumners, explained that as a new organization, CIRCLE hoped that showing the documentary for their kickoff event would announce to the campus the nature of the group and its goals.

“What CIRCLE stands for, ‘Christians of Interdenominational faith Realizing a Community of Love and Equality,’ that is our mission and everything we do tries to lead back to that,” Feronti said. “That’s what this love and equality documentary was all about.”

The event was co-sponsored by St. Augustine’s Episcopal Chapel; the Office of Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Concerns (GABLE) in the Divinity School; the Office of the Dean of Students; St. Anne’s Episcopal Church; Project Dialogue; the Carpenter Program in Religion, Gender and Sexuality;

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TYLER BISHOP EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

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CIRCLE showed the documenarty “Love Free or Die” on Sunday in Sarratt Cinema; the film documents the experiences of the first openly gay bishop of the Episcopal Church.

Office of the University Chaplain and Religious Life; and the Vanderbilt Interfaith Council. Following the film, a reception was held in St. Augustine’s Chapel.

CIRCLE’s decision to show a film about religious inclusivity of the LGBTQIA community comes almost four years after two former members of the Vanderbilt chapter of Christian fraternity Beta Upsilon Chi (BYX) told The Hustler they were asked to leave the fraternity due to their sexual orientation.

An investigation of the fraternity’s compliance with the university’s nondiscrimination policies brought other religious campus organizations with constitutions outlining faith-based requirements for leadership positions under scrutiny for accordance with Vanderbilt’s all-comers policy.

The policy maintains that student organizations must be open to all students regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation or beliefs and that those distinctions are also not grounds for denial of a leadership position in a student organization.

The controversy sparked a national debate that came to a head in 2012 when a number of religious organizations,

KELLY HALOM — NEWS EDITOR PRIYANKA ARIBINDI — LIFE EDITOR MOLLY CORN — OPINION EDITOR ALLISON MAST — SPORTS EDITOR

SAARA ASIKAINEN — MANAGING EDITOR

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including BYX, decided to disassociate from the university and reject the all-comers policy, stating that they could not be a religious organization if they had to offer leadership to members who may not share the stated beliefs of the organizations.

The screening of “Love Free or Die” may be a means of continuing the conversation that the all-comers policy debates incited.

University Chaplain and Director of Religious Life at Vanderbilt Mark Forrester said that he thinks the campus will be better off if this documentary can stimulate discussion among student groups about thinking in larger terms of whom they accept.

“I believe that this particular documentary deals with seeing that same-sex relationships have just as much integrity, as we look at individuals who are committed to each other, that there is a way to welcome people into our organizational life without prejudice,” Forrester said.

Forrester said the film challenges people of all faiths as

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WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2014

CAMPUS

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Mold infests Alumni Lawn residence halls New residents are surprised by mold resurfacing in some of the oldest dorms on campus

By SAARA ASIKAINEN Managing editor --------------------

Two and a half weeks into the semester, junior Kyle Kahnweiler pulled a moldy shoe from under his bed and, in his own words, “threw a fit.” He immediately went downstairs from his fourth-floor room in Tolman and informed the head RA, eventually contacting housing directly. The following day, the Alumni Lawn area coordinator and a maintenance worker helped him scrub his room to rid it of its mold infestation. Kahnweiler then had to have his clothes dry-cleaned.

An increased number of students in the five residence halls surrounding Alumni Lawn have reported having mold in their rooms, according to the Office of Housing and Residential Education (OHARE). The office credits the phenomenon to an unusual level of humidity.

“This fall, August and September, were significantly more humid than the typical summer in Nashville. And while we keep those buildings air-conditioned all summer long to keep them dry, once students move in, doors are opening much more frequently, which lets moist air in,” said Jim Kramke, senior director of housing operations at OHARE. The office sees the mold and mildew problem as seasonal.

“We don’t see it as an endemic issue — it hasn’t been in the past. It tends to be spotty when it comes up. Again, this year I think caught us a little bit by surprise,” Kramke said.

Because of their age, the Alumni Lawn residence halls are more susceptible to humidity-related problems.

The office has responded to the problem by hiring an outside contractor to go through all the dorms and inspect the situation before cleaning the air conditioning units in the rooms that need it. The contractors specifically check the AC units because the units’ especially cold surfaces attract condensation, giving rise to mold. The inspections and cleaning efforts began toward the end of last week and have continued into this week.

The contractors and other staff are performing the inspections in all five residence halls surrounding Alumni Lawn — Cole, Tolman, McGill, Vanderbilt and Barnard halls.

Cole Hall has been most affected because of a downspout leaking water into an external wall in certain parts of the building. According to OHARE, four people have had their rooms extensively cleaned, and at least one person has moved out because of the mold in their room.

The buildings on Alumni Lawn all have external walls made of brick, a porous material that is especially vulnerable to absorbing moisture from sources such as water leakages and outside humidity. Because these buildings were constructed before air conditioning became the norm in residence halls, humidity has historically plagued the buildings.

Many students who have been severely affected by the mold are not happy with the way OHARE has handled their complaints about the issue.

Some friend groups living in areas that have a high concentration of mold find themselves choosing between living away from their friends or in mold-infested rooms. Some students expressed that they chose to live in certain housing to be near their friends and do not wish to seek housing elsewhere, as it would socially isolate them.

OHARE is not able to accommodate everyone’s request to move because residence halls at Vanderbilt operate at a very high level of occupancy. Kramke said that it is even harder to relocate groups of people.

Junior Maya Mason moved out of Barnard Hall into Cole over the weekend. She said the process of getting a dehu-

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Mold infestation in the Alumni Lawn residence halls has been especially prevalent in the air conditioning units because the coldness of the units attracts condensation, which can result in mold. midifier in Barnard Hall is difficult, and even upon receiving one, the humidity has continued to affect her everyday life.

“It just kind of smells of mildew and, actually, in moving here, I realized that some of my clothes I didn’t even wear that I kept in the drawer have kind of picked up that smell, so I’m actually having to wash a whole lot of clothes that are actually clean but they smell bad from being in Barnard,” Mason said.

Some students in Vanderbilt/Barnard said that they were unable to obtain dehumidifiers upon request because OHARE had run out of them. According to OHARE, the office has recently bought more dehumidifiers in order to accommodate student requests.

Other students have also vocalized their concerns about the mold’s effect on their health, especially in light of the flu season. Kahnweiler has asthma, allergies and currently the flu.

“I’m sick and I have no doubt that it’s tied to that, for being in a moldy room — I haven’t been able to get better,” Kahnweiler said.

Some students have also cited the lack of information from the university as a major problem. Residents were not notified about the possibility of mold, and some felt like they had been left to figure out on their own that there was a problem in the first place.

“It very much feels like they know there’s mold in here and you’re just waiting to find it,” said junior and Cole resident Hayley Kahn. “If you know there’s mold, do something about it before we come here.”

Several residents said they have received more information from maintenance workers servicing their rooms once the problem was known.

Kahnweiler felt slighted by the way the problem was handled by most OHARE representatives involved in his case.

“I did not feel at any point that ‘Oh, I’m sorry this is happening to you and we very much value your residency.’ I felt it was ‘This is a problem, we’re going to try to handle it, and this is business,’” Kahnweiler said.

Kramke said the question of being sympathetic toward students is more about communicating that OHARE is responsive to their needs.

“I know talking to the folks that I work with, no one feels that ‘Well, this is just too bad.’ It’s something we want to work on and want to get cleaned up and want students to not have this issue in their rooms, so we’ve really tried to be as responsive as we can with it,” Kramke said. “At the same time, we don’t want to alarm people needlessly about this.”

TIPS FOR MINIMIZING MOLD Don’t block the vents at the bottom or the top of the air-conditioning unit: It has the most cold surfaces and attracts condensation, which can result in mold Don’t position your bed or any absorptive material against the unit If you can, minimize the presence of wet clothes in the rooms —Tips from the Office of Housing and Residential Education

CAMPUS THE VANDERBILT HUSTLER u WWW.VANDERBILTHUSTLER.COM — continued from PAGE 2 well as the campus community in general to examine justice toward the LGBTQIA community. He added that the film may also be a step in dispelling misconceptions that people have about religious attitudes toward that community.

“I believe that most of our students that identify as religious are not anti-gay in the sense that often it’s portrayed,” Forrester said. “I think that sometimes religion gets a bad rep because the religious opponents of gay rights in our nation are often portrayed as spokespeople for the entire Christian faith. I think that’s unfortunate, and actually, it’s far from being accurate.”

Forrester said that in his conversations with student and professional leaders, he perceives the campus climate as being generally respectful and open to all students of any sexual identity.

Jocelyn Wildhack, president of Vanderbilt UKIRK, a college campus ministry supported by the Presbyterian Church, said that her organization shares the mission of CIRCLE and has responded positively to the film and the event; she added that the documentary’s message closely aligns with the Presbyterian Church from a theological standpoint, as they believe that all identity is created in God’s image.

“CIRCLE and UKIRK are the organizations coming forward and saying this is okay, and I think the challenge comes because there are a lot of campus ministries that wouldn’t necessarily agree,” Wildhack said. “They wouldn’t necessarily accept this position that you can be accepted by the church, you can lead a church, you can preach in a church and have this as your identity.”

Graduate student Sarah Smith is a seminary intern at St. Anne’s Episcopal Church, a co-chair of GABLE, and involved with the Carpenter Program, which works to promote conversation about religion, gender and sexuality. Smith said

‘‘

I think the problem a lot of times with whatever the phobia is, is we make people abnormal, different from us, and they become almost nonhuman. When you’re able to see someone as like yourself, it’s really powerful.

’’

that sexuality in the church is undergoing a major change in rhetoric and theological doctrine, including the Presbyterian Church’s June 2014 vote to include same-sex marriage in its definition of marriage.

“The big questions in the church are blessing same-sex marriage and ordaining queer folk. It’s kind of the next big social justice movement in terms of categories we’ve decided to place upon ourselves as human beings,” Smith said. “For a long time we didn’t let women have roles in the church, we didn’t let black folks be a part of the church, and now we’re having to face people that are othered in other ways.”

Harrison Nam, a Bible study leader within the religious organization the Navigators, recognizes that this “othering” has been a problem in the past toward the LGBTQIA community. However, Nam said that the Navigators want to be as inclusive as possible and believes that the relationship

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2014

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between the faith community and the LGBTQIA community is getting stronger on campus.

“I feel like that the LGBTQIA community has been very hurt and very ostracized by the church or by the faith community, so I think anything to kind of reconcile that is important,” Nam said.

When asked to provide their take on the intersection of the religious and LGBTQIA communities on campus, leaders of the religious organizations Reformed University Fellowship (RUF) and Cru declined to comment.

Lambda, Vanderbilt’s gender-sexuality alliance, declined to comment on the relationship between the LGBTQIA community and religious life on campus, but did note that they are providing intentional programming surrounding the issue. Lambda will be hosting a general body meeting on the intersection of faith and queer identity later in the year, and currently offer a Bible study every other Monday facilitated

by GABLE. Smith added that any step toward dialogue on campus is a positive step.

“I think (the film) does a great job of showing Bishop Robinson as a human with a family, and things affect him like anyone else,” Smith said. “I think the problem a lot of times with whatever the phobia is, is we make people abnormal, different from us, and they become almost nonhuman.

When you’re able to see someone as like yourself, it’s really powerful.”

CIRCLE meets every Wednesday at 7 p.m. in St. Augustine’s Chapel for dinner and worship. Tonight Lyndsey Godwin from the Carpenter Program will lead a discussion about gender and sexuality in the church.

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opinion THE

RANT Something got you peeved? Irked? Honked off? The Rant is your place to anonymously vent your spleen on any issue you want. To get your rant on, visit the vanderbilthustler.com Opinion page.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“The university’s security resources would undoubtedly provide better peace of mind for students if some of the guards were reallocated to patrol unsecure parking garages or “sketchy” areas along the walk to Highland Quad or Blakemore.”

MOLLY CORN

Unsafe, unsound

Increased security measures fail to ensure students’ peace of mind

U

What’s the point of getting new wifi if it doesn’t work?!?!?!

Why is Featheringill/Jacobs Hall so cold? Oh, it is because the thermostats are set to meat locker 71 degrees. Having to wear a jacket inside when it is 90 degrees outside is absurd.

For the love of Vandy, stay at the football games and support your team!!! I can’t stand it when people leave a game early just because we’re losing. Stop being so fickle.

VPB has NOT impressed me so far this year at all. From “apologizing” about the ‘Massacre UMass’ stickers to the suspiciously defensive response letter about LOTL, they seem to be stumbling through this semester ham-handedly and insincerely. Do better, VPB (and no, $100,000 and a week of service does not make you untouchable saints).

MOLLY CORN is a senior in the College of Arts and Science and the Opinion Editor of The Vanderbilt Hustler.

She can be reached at molly.e.corn@ vanderbilt.edu.

What the hell was going on with the brass band on Highland at 1 a.m. on Saturday?

I don’t like being asked why I speak perfect english #hiddendores how come the printers never work, like, literally anywhere?

I could have used Flulapalooza three weeks ago before me and everyone I love got sick.

People in HOD 1000, it’s not difficult to operate a forum. Yes, Blackboard’s forum is bad, but it’s not that hard. You are an adult living in 2014; you should know how an online forum works instead of taking up 20+ minutes of class time forcing the instructor to explain things you should have learned in Computers 101.

vanderbilthustler EDITORIAL BOARD TYLER BISHOP, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF editor@vanderbilthustler.com

KELLY HALOM

PRIYANKA ARIBINDI

NEWS EDITOR news@vanderbilthustler.com

LIFE EDITOR life@vanderbilthustler.com

MOLLY CORN

ALLISON MAST

OPINION EDITOR opinion@vanderbilthustler. com

SPORTS EDITOR sports@vanderbilthustler.com

ntil Sunday morning, I’d always felt safe on Vanderbilt’s campus. The subject line “VUPD Attempted Abduction - On Campus” immediately gave me chills. The fact that it took place on the corner of 25th and Jess Neely — a welllit, highly trafficked area, with blue lights nearby, that any of the approximately 1000 students who live on Highland Quad pass through every day on the way to main campus — only exacerbated my fear.

It’s clear that Vanderbilt takes security seriously; students must use their ID cards to enter most campus buildings after business hours. In addition to needing a student ID to enter most residence halls, students must also use their their IDs to access various floors of residence halls, and they cannot access certain floors of residence halls where they do not live. However, despite these precautions, even residence halls aren’t safe. In fact, less than 48 hours after the attempted abduction, students received an email about an alleged sexual assault (the second in a month) by an acquaintance in a residence hall.

Thankfully, there have been noticeable increases in on-campus security over the past three years.

During my first year only certain houses on Commons had security guards, and now there are security guards stationed in the lobbies of all the Commons houses after midnight. Another place where increased security has been added is the library; during evening hours you have to use your ID to swipe into the library and immediately show it to a security guard stationed 5 feet from the door where the card swiper is located.

Additionally, a friend of mine who was in Central Library one evening over the summer was not only required to go through these redundant measures but also interrupted by a security guard who demanded to see his card while he was clearly studying. The concept of the library as a potential crime scene, quite frankly, is a little ridiculous. Not only is the door secured in the evening hours, but it’s a quiet space generally occupied by more than a few focused, serious people intent on their studies.

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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Assailants tend to target people who are intoxicated and vulnerable, not students hitting the books. If a specific incident inspired the increased security in libraries, it certainly hasn’t been explained to the student body.

These increased security measures may be wellintentioned, but they’re clearly not well-thoughtout.

Some large parking garages such as Kensington and Terrace Place are unpatrolled and unsecured despite the fact that assaults have occurred in on-campus parking garages in the past. While I’m certain that they are routinely checked for parking violations and security reasons, the garages are typically empty. The university’s security resources would undoubtedly provide better peace of mind for students if some of the guards were reallocated to patrol unsecure parking garages or “sketchy” areas along the walk to Highland Quad or Blakemore.

While I definitely appreciate the security guards who monitor the entrances in the evening hours, they have no way of preventing the crimes that tend to occur in residence halls. Other than the nowforgotten Branscomb shower incident in October 2011, the majority of crimes that occur in residence halls are perpetrated by students who have IDs and aren’t under suspicion until an incident has already occurred. A security guard sitting in Towers has no way of knowing whether the male student bringing an obviously drunk girl into the dorm is a concerned friend taking care of her or a not-soconcerned acquaintance looking to take advantage of her.

In order to protect students, it is imperative that security measures are increased strategically, targeting both areas where students feel unsafe and unsecured areas where victims could be easily targeted, rather than adding a sitting figurehead to residence halls that are already secured.

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

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Back to square one

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A brand-new ‘Dore weighs in on the transfer experience

I LYLE LI is a sophomore in the College of Arts and Science. He can be reached at lyle.li@ vanderbilt.edu.

recall coming out of the 14th Street/Union Square station and turning my attention towards the Bobst Library, hoping to complete some of my work before the weekend settled in.

On the way to campus, I noticed a lot of tourists soaking in all that New York City has to offer and New Yorkers doing things that can only be deemed by other New Yorkers as normal. Regardless of what they might tell you, the city eventually takes its toll on you and, as with all things, begins to lose its charm.

I attended an all-boys Catholic high school in the city where out of the 130 students in my graduating class, I was one of the very few who decided to stay in New York state for college, let alone in New York City itself. Although very few places can match the excitement on every street, the diversity of the colossal infrastructure and the endless opportunities the city offers to smart, capable 20-somethings, I personally regretted staying.

The moment I saw the transfer acceptance on Vanderbilt’s portal, I swear Hunter Hayes’ “Wanted” began playing in my head. Yeah, I felt like a contestant on “The Voice.” Come to think of it, college admissions do mirror the structure of that show.

Fast-forward three months: My dad threw me

‘‘

Yet every transfer student decided at some point for academic reasons, social experiences or perhaps personal growth, to put a portion of his or her college days on pause to resume elsewhere.

’’

onto a Delta flight, and I was officially on my way to Music City. I had never visited Vanderbilt’s campus; in fact I had never even traveled to the South. Creatively modify the lyrics to Augustana’s “Boston,” and you’ve basically summed up my feelings.

These days I find a great deal of comfort in knowing that if I ever need company to grab lunch, hit the gym at 5 p.m. or maybe take a slightly stumbling stroll down Greek Row, I can simply press “up” or “down” on my dorm’s elevator. On every other floor, the first two suites are home to fellow transfers who, just like me, are adjusting to an environment different by varying degrees from their previous schools. Many have left institutions where they had been leaders of student organizations, top-percentile performers of their classes and recognizable faces on campus. Yet every transfer student decided at some point for academic reasons, social experiences or perhaps personal growth, to put a portion of his or her college days on pause to resume elsewhere. In retrospect, we needed to muster some amount of stupidity, or, as I would prefer, ardor.

As hard as it may be, a lot of transfers do wish to venture outside of our initial groups. We are not freshmen, but are more or less stuck in the same situation, having to braille our way through the greater Vanderbilt community. I know some friends who signed up for a dozen clubs at the fair, awkwardly strike up conversations during chem lab and even find bromance in the lifting room. This is me saying hello through The Vanderbilt Hustler.

Dorm discrepancies

Disparities in residential halls leave some students feeling bitter MEREDITH VITALE is a sophomore in the College of Arts and Science. She can be reached at meredith.o.vitale@ vanderbilt.edu.

O

ver the past couple of weeks, the residents of Warren and Moore have been inconvenienced by a series of fire alarms. But if you’ve ever stepped foot in Vandy/Barnard, you would know why its residents will never have that problem — any semblance of a fire would be snuffed out by the building itself because of the dampness in the air. Even though Vandy/Barnard has been fully renovated, it was first built in 1952, and the building’s interior, walls and carpets still show its age. This year marks the building’s 62nd birthday, making it officially eligible for retirement, but you’d be hard-pressed to find any current residents who would feel sentimental about its doors closing.

As a resident on the fourth floor of Vanderbilt Hall, I speak for many of my floormates who need to see improvements made. Most of our issues stem from the level of humidity inside the building. The university seems to be aware of this problem and has attempted to rectify the situation. Each floor is furnished with its own industrial-strength dehumidifier that runs for a significant portion of the day. Additionally, residents with more significant humidity problems in their rooms can request personal dehumidifiers.

Not everyone is complaining about the humidity; a gecko was found in a room on my floor last week, trying to make the best of the tropical environment. But unfortunately, the solution of dehumidifiers falls short of what is necessary for Vandy/Barnard’s human residents. Recently, the humidity has led to a more serious problem —

‘‘

I don’t believe everyone is entitled to a five-star dorm room, but there is a certain standard of housing that should be maintained.

’’

black mold. Black mold can enter buildings through ventilation systems and air conditioning units, and it thrives in buildings with excessive moisture. Exposure to black mold can cause nasal stuffiness, eye irritation, fever and shortness of breath, while severe reactions can lead to lung infection. Two residents in my hall recently requested a dorm reassignment after mold grew on their bedspreads. The primary concern of your college experience should be class, not health concerns brought about by your living arrangements.

I don’t believe everyone is entitled to a five-star dorm room, but there is a certain standard of housing that should be maintained. I have seen firsthand the amount of improvements that are needed to bring Vandy/Barnard up to the status quo one would expect at a top-20 university, and I don’t doubt there are students in other subpar

housing situations on campus who have similar feelings. It is especially important for these standards to be met at a university that requires its undergraduates to live on campus. While the unified housing rate is good in theory, on a campus with such a disparity in quality between the residence halls, this practice can leave some of us feeling bitter. It does not seem fair that the residents of Vandy/Barnard are required pay the same $4,696 per semester as the residents of the brand-new Warren and Moore. The unified housing rate allows Vanderbilt to justify secondrate housing by making the cost equal to better housing options. In combination with the lottery system, this allows Vanderbilt to place the blame on bad luck for students assigned bottom-choice dorms rather than make improvements. There are certainly challenges in finding the time and space to renovate dorms that are occupied three-fourths of the year, but if Vanderbilt continues the current housing assignment system with the choices currently available, more students should have the option to find housing off campus. In order to have a unified housing rate system in place, housing across campus should be more unified in its general condition as well.

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life

QUOTE OF THE DAY “I don’t know if it was a Jewish decision (to come to Vanderbilt), but ... 10 years ago I don’t know if this would have been the place for me.”

GRANT HANSELL, SOPHOMORE

An increasing Jewish presence On Rosh Hashanah, members of the Jewish community reflect on their experiences with Jewish life at Vanderbilt Things to know Hillel Hillel is a Jewish student organization that can be found at more than 500 universities and colleges in North America.

Vanderbilt Hillel aims to provide Jewish social, cultural and religious experiences for students through various programming events. In the last academic year alone, Vanderbilt Hillel hosted nearly 200 events.

Chabad The Rohr Chabad House is a Jewish organization that is part of a network of 4,000 Chabad houses worldwide, including those not affiliated with universities. Although the Chabad house at Vanderbilt is located off campus, it is still a registered student organization.

According to Rabbi Shlomo Rothstein, the mission of Chabad is to help Jewish students embrace their religion in a meaningful way.

Rosh Hashanah Rosh Hashanah is a Jewish holiday that marks the start of the new year according to the Jewish calendar. It is one of the most important holidays celebrated in Judaism, and falls a week before its partner holiday, Yom Kippur — the Day of Atonement.

According to Sarah Naids, vice president of religious life for Hillel, “The time between (Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur) is the time when you are supposed to think about everything you have done right and wrong in the past year, and how you can make positive changes in the year to come.”

Apples and honey are traditionally consumed on Rosh Hashanah in the hopes of a sweet new year. The holiday lasts one day for Reform Jews and two days for Conservative and Orthodox Jews. Both Hillel and Chabad host services during the day as well as a dinner on Wednesday night.

By MADDIE HUGHES Features editor

--------------------

In 1996, there were only 45 Jewish students in Vanderbilt’s graduating class.

As a Southern institution with ties to the Methodist Church in its foundation, Vanderbilt had never held a substantial Jewish population, with the number of Jewish students enrolled remaining at a fairly steady 3 percent until 2003, according to admissions statistics. In the last 10 years, however, that statistic has grown considerably, with the Jewish population now making up roughly 9.6 percent of the student body — around 700 students.

“I think Vanderbilt in the past recognized that, for whatever reason, Jewish students were selecting Vanderbilt less often than they were selecting our peers,” said Dean of Admissions Doug Christiansen. “In fact, we know that as recent as 2003, survey data showed that we were attracting and enrolling a percentage of students that identified as Jewish at just over half the rate of our peers.”

The rapid change between then and now is due in part to an active effort by the university to recruit more Jewish students. In a 2002 article published in The Wall Street Journal, then-Chancellor Gordon Gee was quoted as saying, “Jewish

students, by culture and ability and by the very nature of their liveliness, make a university a much more habitable place in terms of intellectual life.”

He also acknowledged that increasing the Jewish population at Vanderbilt was part of his “niche marketing” strategy to raise Vanderbilt to Ivy League status, in terms of ranking.

While his motives may have been controversial, in terms of the numbers Gee’s campaign was effective not only in bringing more Jewish students to campus, but also increasing the opportunities available to practice Judaism and to understand it from both a religious and an academic perspective.

During the same year, Vanderbilt released a larger-scale strategic plan, which aimed to better unify the university by focusing on the need for community, leadership and civility.

Robert Merlin, a member of the class of 1996, said that when he attended Vanderbilt he was one of only 45 Jewish students in his class. Coming from Long Island, he said that many people in his hometown were surprised by his decision: “A lot of people said, ‘What do you mean, you are going (to Vanderbilt)?’ It was not your typical school.”

While Merlin sought a new environment at Vanderbilt, he also remained active in his religion despite the limited opportunities. While there was a Jewish Student Union, it did — continued on PAGE 10

Percentage of students identifying as Jewish at Vanderbilt as compared to other very selective universities in the US 15%

11% 9.6% 8.1%

8.1%

5.8%

2003: 5.8% National average: 11%

2013: 9.6% National average: 8.1%

2013 (as reported by Hillel): 15% National average: 8.1%

Statistics, unless otherwise noted, come from Vanderbilt Admissions. Admissions does not dispute the percentage of students Hillel reports as Jewish. The descrepancy comes from the manner of reporting. Admissions numbers come from first-year Visions surveys. Hillel statistics come from students self-identifying to Hillel via event signups and email lists. There are no Hillel statistics for 2003.

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WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2014

1918: Zeta Beta Tau chapter founded at Vanderbilt — continued from PAGE 8 not have its own space available on campus, and so students wanting to practice their religion would reach out to local families to host holiday dinners or host them in their own dorm rooms.

While Merlin said that being Jewish did not negatively impact his time at Vanderbilt, he did say that the presence of Hillel would provide more support for Jewish students on campus.

In 2002, the Schulman Center for Jewish Life was opened on Vanderbilt’s campus as home to Vanderbilt Hillel, as well as Grins, the only kosher dining establishment in Nashville.

According to Ari Dubin, the executive director of Vanderbilt Hillel, the creation of a Jewish space on campus was instrumental to increasing the number of Jewish students choosing Vanderbilt.

“When the (Schulman Center) was built ... the numbers started to increase at that point and was on an upward trajectory for a number of years,” Dubin said.

Hillel is a student organization with the aim of providing Jewish social, cultural and religious experiences to students through various programming events.

For many Jewish students, having Hillel on campus

LIFE

1929: Alpha Epsilon Pi chapter founded at Vanderbilt played an important role in their decision to come to Vanderbilt. Sophomore Grant Hansell said that visiting Vanderbilt Hillel and hearing about the growth of the Jewish population at Vanderbilt were important factors in his consideration of the school while he was a prospective student.

“I don’t know if it was a Jewish decision, but … 10 years ago I don’t know if this would have been the place for me,” Hansell said.

Other Jewish students agreed that the presence of the Chabad House, another prominent Jewish life organization affiliated with Vanderbilt, factored into their decision to come to Vanderbilt.

“I came (to Vanderbilt) for the academic opportunities, but I made sure there was a Chabad,” said Ophir Ospovat, a sophomore and the president of Chabad.

As the only Orthodox Jewish student living on Vanderbilt’s campus, Ospovat has encountered unique challenges such as balancing the amount of work required of Vanderbilt students with the customary Jewish sabbath, a day of rest observed weekly from Friday evenings to Saturday evenings; conflicts between lab hours and religious holidays and the lack of variety in kosher food options available, but he counts Chabad as an invaluable

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Alpha Epsilon Pi and Zeta Beta Tau are identified as historically Jewish fraternities.

resource to him. “(The presence of Chabad) would have made it or broken it,” he said.

Chabad at Vanderbilt was founded in 2007, when Rabbi Shlomo Rothstein and his wife Nechama moved to Nashville from the Chabad House at Cornell University in order to establish one for Vanderbilt students.

“The Gift that Chabad (at Vanderbilt) brings is Jewish wisdom in a way that it practically enhances Jewish lives, as well as Jewish celebration and holiday celebration in a way that is meaningful to a university student. We want people to know we care about them as individuals instead of just as an organization,” Rothstein said.

When asked about the difference between Chabad and Hillel, leaders for both organizations were hesitant to draw a strong line between the two.

“They are two separate organizations, but it’s hard to speak about any difference … because we are both Jewish organizations on a college campus,” Rothstein said.

To some students, though, the distinctions are more visible.

Senior Sami Kopinsky, the current president of Hillel, said one of the distinctions can be found in the nature of the organizations on a national level. “Hillel is historically

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2002: Gee makes comments in WSJ article

2002: Schulman Center for Jewish Life is constructed

a campus organization, while Chabad (houses) are on campus, but they are also in Jewish communities, in cities and towns.”

Other students said Chabad has a family-style feel, owing to the fact that Rabbi Shlomo and his wife live in the Chabad House with their four children. Another distinction is that the Chabad House at Vanderbilt offers Orthodox Shabbat services, while Vanderbilt Hillel offers Reform and Conservative services.

Aside from campus organizations, both Jewish and non-Jewish students are able to learn about Judaism from an academic perspective through Vanderbilt’s Jewish Studies department. The department, founded in 2003, has since doubled in size and increased in breadth according to the director of the program, Shaul Kelner.

“Currently the (department’s) main strengths are (Jewish) history and literature, but there has been an interest among students for more courses on Jewish religion,” Kelner said. He added that this interest does not stem solely from Jewish students — that students from various backgrounds are drawn to the classes.

One of the benefits of having Jewish organizations on campus is the support they can provide to students who may be struggling with heavier issues.

2003: Jewish studies department formed

‘‘

A lot of people said, ‘What do you mean, you are going (to Vanderbilt)?’ It was not your typical school.

’’

For example, Dubin and Hillel Rabbi Joshua Barton are available to talk to students about current events, including issues in the Middle East. Dubin adds that Hillel provides an environment for students to engage in meaningful dialogue and respectful interactions among groups that may have different viewpoints.

Most students agree that the university provides a welcoming community for Jewish students at Vanderbilt, although students have acknowledged small incidents of

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2007: Vanderbilt Chabad House opens

racism, or microaggressions, on campus.

Junior Jason Basri says that anti-Semitism “isn’t a big issue on campus, but anywhere you go you are always going to hear bigoted comments and the occasional Holocaust joke, and Vanderbilt is no different.”

In the last year there have been incidents that have raised questions about anti-Semitism at Vanderbilt.

Last March, a student wrote “Arbeit Macht Frei” in silver duct tape on a wall outside of Stevenson Center.

The phrase translates to “work makes you free” and is well-known for its use by Nazis in concentration camps. While the student who wrote it later issued an apology, the incident was upsetting to some in the Vanderbilt community.

Kopinsky said that incident is the closest experience she has had with anti-Semitism on campus, though she recognized that the student had not intended to make an offensive statement.

Overall, Jewish students agree that Vanderbilt is a place that fosters support and community. Today itself marks the start of the Jewish new year Rosh Hashanah, a holiday that Vanderbilt’s Jewish community celebrates in a variety of ways. Services are offered at both Hillel and Chabad, with dinner celebrations following.

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sports

THE BIG STAT Number of rushing yards for running back Ralph Webb this season

378

SEC POWER RANKINGS: WEEK 4 Each week, I rank the teams in the SEC 1-14. This week, Alabama and Florida confuse me, Mississippi State (yes, Mississippi State) shocks the college football world and Vanderbilt almost does the same. Also, shout-out to Jordan Matthews for catching his first two of many touchdowns in the NFL on Sunday.

By ANTHONY TRIPODORO Sports reporter --------------------

1. No. 3 Alabama I’m leaving Alabama at the top, but I don’t know for how long. The jury still isn’t out on how good Florida is. Last week, the Gators needed triple overtime to beat Kentucky, but this week, they found themselves tied with Alabama, 21-21, in the third quarter before the Crimson Tide pulled away. Saban’s team just doesn’t seem as imposing as in years past. I’m sure it’s Lane Kiffin’s fault somehow.

2. No. 5 Auburn Auburn pulled out a tough win against a ranked opponent this week in Kansas State, something the Tigers seemed to have a knack for last year on their run to the National Championship. This team has a lot of fight, and with a little bit of luck (not Chris Davis in the Iron Bowl-level luck, but still), we could see Gus Malzahn and Nick Marshall in the College Football Playoff this year.

3. No. 6 Texas A&M Kenny Hill though. The Aggies have looked scary good this year, but they face a brutal schedule the rest of the way.

4. No. 14 Mississippi State The story of this week is Mississippi State. I’ve never really paid any attention to them, but that ends now.

Beating LSU on the road is more than good enough to have the Bulldogs up six spots from last week.

Quarterback Dak Prescott and running back Josh Robinson took all of the life out of Death Valley on Saturday. Prepare for SEC chaos if they play like this against Texas A&M and Auburn in the next two weeks.

5. No. 17 LSU LSU is not a bad team because they lost to Mississippi State at home. Mississippi State was that good this week, and the Tigers still almost pulled off a comeback at the end.

6. No. 12 Georgia Running back Sony Michel stole the spotlight from Todd Gurley this week with a ridiculous 155 yards on 10 carries in Georgia’s sacking of Troy. You would think winning 66-0 would be enough to prevent a team from moving down in any sort of rankings, but that’s not how the SEC works these days.

— continued on PAGE 14

READY TO RUN

By MATT LIEBERSON Sports reporter --------------------

In the midst of tough times for Commodore football, Ralph Webb hasn’t stopped working.

“He’ll get to practice and just start sprinting,” Coach Derek Mason said about Webb’s work ethic. “He’ll sprint 50 yards, 75 yards. He just shows up with his hard hat and his lunch pail, ready to get better.”

Webb has been one of the few bright spots this year for Vanderbilt, having shown promise in a generally moribund offense. Against Ole Miss, Webb accounted for almost 60 percent of the offense, rushing for 95 of Vanderbilt’s paltry 167 total yards. But Webb isn’t about to enjoy any of his personal success.

“It’s never individual,” Webb said. “The focus is on the whole offense, from the offensive line to the receivers to the QBs and running backs. It’s everyone, not just one person.”

Webb’s production, coupled with his work ethic, resulted in him being named a team captain against Ole Miss. As a redshirt freshman, Webb takes the honor from his teammates seriously. “It’s a great feeling, knowing that my teammates have that trust in me to lead. Especially as a younger guy on this team, that means a

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With a new staff and a new crop of players, running back Ralph Webb embraces his starting role

lot,” he said.

Coach Mason was impressed with the effort he saw from Webb as a captain, both on and off the field. “Ralph did what captains do,” Mason said. “He went out there and played a soldier’s game; he led his men into battle. He tried to do his part, but everybody has to do their part.”

With the uncertainty at quarterback, Mason also stressed the importance of getting the ball to Webb: “Ralph works on everything; he wants to be a three-dimensional player. He blocks, runs, catches the ball. We have to find ways to get him touches.”

Webb, for his part, tries not to focus on the quarterback situation. “It’s definitely frustrating, but we have a good stable of QBs here,” Webb said. “We just have to find the one to run with who can lead us.

The coaching staff just has to find the one they can stick with to lead this team.”

A redshirt last year, Webb broke out in the spring game with 114 yards rushing, including a 60-yard touchdown. The performance caught some by surprise, but not Webb. “I had been working my tail off all fall on the scout team. Coach Franklin used to preach emphasis on the scout team. Me, CJ (Duncan) and Johnny McCrary took great pride in working the scout team. We got the whole team ready for the next week,” he said.

As hard as Webb worked as a redshirt under Franklin, Mason’s arrival provided an opportunity for Webb to make a name for himself. “I just felt ready to earn my spot. With a new staff, everybody has an equal opportunity going in, so I was looking to seize my opportunity,” Webb said.

Webb’s athletic achievements also extend to the track. In 2012, at Gainesville High School in Gainesville, Florida, Webb won the long jump at his state track meet.

“My personal record was 23’8.” I just take the explosiveness I used to use there. Any good running back has to be explosive,” he said.

Being from Gainesville, Webb definitely has his eye on Vanderbilt’s Nov. 8 date with the Gators. He wouldn’t get into his recruitment process with the University of Florida, but noted that “every year, that game will be circled.”

Looking to get the team back on track, Webb has been impressed with what he’s seen recently at practice. “There’s been a lot of passion and energy on this field. The mood is getting more upbeat. We’re really working out here,” he said.

His advice for the team is simple: “We just have to play our hardest and let everything else take care of itself. That’s all we can do.”

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Already worth the wait Soccer’s Lydia Simmons spent her redshirt year honing skills and now reaps the benefits

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

Watching from the sidelines is never the first choice of any high-level athlete, but taking an extra year to prepare for game action is often in the best interest of both team and player. Lydia Simmons of Vanderbilt soccer accepted this situation with a positive attitude and a drive to improve her game. Her first eight collegiate matches have shown just how beneficial her training year was.

In high school, Simmons became a highlytouted recruit and had her choice among many top soccer schools. “Lydia was one of those kids who everybody knows and everybody wants to get,” said Sebastian Vecchio, assistant coach and recruiting coordinator.

Her high school accolades clearly articulate this distinction.

In 2012, she was named to the NSCAA Youth Girls All-America Team, which honored

the 41 best high school players nationally. As a senior, she was one of only 24 players at the U.S. Women’s National Team U17 development camp. Simmons’ rightful place among the nation’s best high school players was not in doubt at the time of her commitment to Vanderbilt.

When it came time for her transition to college soccer, however, Head Coach Derek Greene determined that she needed another year of training to “work out, get fit and be more physically ready for this level.”

Simmons weighed her options. The most reasonable choice at the time was to take a postgraduate year, during which she would train and play with her prep school in New Hampshire and arrive at Vanderbilt as a true freshman in the fall of 2014. However, as the Commodores’ Class of 2013 took shape, Greene identified that there would be extra money — allowing Simmons to take a redshirt year on campus rather than a postgraduate year if she so wished.

“In the beginning I was leaning towards a postgraduate year because I was closer to home, I was near all my friends, I was familiar with the soccer, but I decided to take a risk,” Simmons says. That risk was coming to Vanderbilt in August 2013 to begin training with the team and start her freshman year knowing that she would not see game action.

In hindsight, Simmons is delighted with her decision. “It was gonna be an easier transition because I was going to be familiar with the players I was gonna be playing with for the next five years, and I was able to get a head start with school,” she said. “So I’m definitely happy I chose to come early to school rather than take a postgrad year.”

“The fact that she came here prepared her better both physically and mentally,” Coach Greene said. “She knew what to expect coming in this fall.”

Simmons’ redshirt year was not a guaranteed success. Her attitude and demeanor are what turned her freshman year into a year of improvement.

Greene remarks that he thinks it was “very difficult for her at first. This is a kid who’s played every minute when she’s been growing up” — and is not used to sitting on the bench or staying home while the team travels for road games.

Watching and learning proved no problem for Simmons, however, as Vecchio notes that “even when she’s not on the field, she’s studying the game.”

Now that she’s seeing collegiate game action for the first time, Simmons is letting her play, along with everything she learned while redshirting, do the talking. “I think the transition is a huge component of why I’ve come in stronger this year,” the now-sophomore said. “Using last year as a building block or foundation really helped me start the year this year.”

Simmons has established herself as the premier ball-handler and passer on Vanderbilt’s roster and is the frequent centerpiece of the Commodores’ successful transition game.

Greene is the first to praise Simmons. “She just has a great knowledge of the game, better than most females, and that’s one of the things that we noticed … The quality of her first touch is outstanding. She can usually separate just because of a tremendous first touch,” Greene said.

Simmons said her style of play is “get-

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PHOTO BY BOSLEY JARRETT / THE VANDERBILT HUSTLER

ting the ball, controlling the tempo.” She singlehandedly sets the pace of play, and her inexperience at this level is not evident.

Her technical and tactical abilities, despite her redshirt freshman status, earned her preseason SEC Player to Watch honors, which surprised no one on the Vanderbilt coaching staff.

Vecchio describes Simmons as “the type of player who can see a play ahead of everybody else.” Her on-field abilities have shone through so far this season and certainly benefited from a training year done right.

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SPORTS

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2014

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SEC POWER RANKINGS: WEEK 4 — continued from PAGE 12 7. No. 13 South Carolina I could easily have let Ole Miss jump South Carolina this week after the Gamecocks struggled against Vanderbilt. We know what Vanderbilt has done this year. But I’m feeling chipper today so I’m going to say that Saturday’s game was close because Derek Mason and his team are finally starting to get their act together. We’ll just ignore that South Carolina has looked pretty mediocre in every game except its win against Georgia.

8. No. 10 Ole Miss Ole Miss is undefeated and lower in The Hustler’s power rankings than Mississippi State. Has that ever happened before?

9. Mizzou Let’s not forget about the other upset of an SEC team this week.

Mizzou lost to a nonconference opponent in Indiana. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul.

10. Florida I really don’t know what to do with Florida. They confuse the heck out of me. I’d still like to think they’re better than Arkansas, but I’m becoming less and less sure.

11. Arkansas Be patient, Razorbacks. If you beat Kenny Hill next week, I promise you will move up a lot in my power rankings. You could be next week’s Mississippi State.

12. Kentucky Kentucky didn’t play this week, which is good because I was getting tired of writing about how much they don’t suck this year.

13. Tennessee DONNNNTTTTTTT CAREEEEEEEEEEE (They had a bye, too).

14. Vanderbilt This team is a work in progress.

They are the worst team in the SEC right now, but they are not a bad team. The Commodores are inexperienced with a new coach and a lot of raw talent and a lot to learn about winning in the SEC. We saw what they could look like in the future when they led South Carolina 14-0 early on, and it was exciting. I only expect them to get better as the season goes on.

PHOTO BY BLAKE DOVER / THE VANDERBILT HUSTLER

Sept. 20, 2014 - Darrius Sims (6) celebrates after returning the opening kickoff for a touchdown in Saturday night’s game against South Carolina.

Returning to success

Darrius Sims’ record-setting two kick return touchdowns were the highlight of the 48-34 loss to South Carolina

By VIRGINIA NORDER Sports reporter --------------------

Although the South Carolina Gamecocks came away with the victory on Saturday, Vanderbilt kick returner Darrius Sims had the strongest individual performance of the evening. Sims became the first Commodore in school history to return two kickoffs for touchdowns in the same game. Not only did Sims make Vandy history, but he made NCAA history as well: Sims is the first player to accomplish this feat in the NCAA since 2012. Only 17 other FBS players have ever returned two kick return touchdowns in the same game.

Sims, a sophomore and Memphis native, returned the opening kickoff 91 yards for a touchdown. He followed this all-star performance with an even more impressive 100-yarder in the third quarter.

The last Vanderbilt player to return a 100-yarder was Preston Brown (1977 vs.

Ole Miss). This means Sims is now a corecord holder for the longest kick return in Vanderbilt history. Sims’ scores are only the 12th and 13th kick-return touchdowns for the Commodores since the statistic was first kept in the 1940s. If that isn’t already enough, Sims also broke a three-year streak of no kick-return touchdowns for the Commodores. Andre Hal was the last Commodore to return a kickoff for a touchdown

with a 96-yarder against Georgia on Oct. 15, 2011.

“Darrius Sims was incredible. He just opened up the whole game. It just lets you know that we have explosive players on this team,” said Vanderbilt Head Coach Derek Mason at a postgame press conference.

What does Sims himself have to say about his record-breaking Saturday night?

“It was a big accomplishment for me, but the win would’ve felt good. These are all just stepping stones for this team,” he said.

It is this kind of humble attitude that is sure to make Sims the Commodores’ go-to kick returner for the remainder of the season.

Sims leads the nation in combined kick/ punt return yards (391) and kickoff return touchdowns (two), and he ranks fourth in kick return average (36.5 yards).

Unfortunately, Sims wasn’t able to work his magic on every kick return this Saturday. Vanderbilt’s last four kick returns — all from squib kicks — ended in two kicks downed inside the 15, a lost fumble and a 12-yard return. According to coach Derek Mason, the Vanderbilt kick return team prepared for squibs during practice, but young players faltered when it was time to put practice into real-game action.

“I don’t think it was tough at all. I just think we made poor decisions on the ball,” Mason said. “We practice those things in practice, and we just have to be better.”

“We just have to be better.” These are

important words for the Commodores in the upcoming weeks. The Commodores (1-3, 0-2 SEC) visit Kentucky (2-1, 0-1 SEC) at 11 a.m. this Saturday and play at Georgia the following weekend. Vanderbilt has played 31 freshmen (19 redshirt, 12 true), many of them on the kickoff return unit.

Clearly there is a lot of young talent on the Vanderbilt football team this year. Now this young talent just needs to start showing up on the field.

“The blocks were there (on the touchdowns),” Mason said. “We worked hard all week, and what you saw was a pretty young group of guys up front — guys like (Trent) Sherfield and Emmanuel Smith. You saw freshmen up there getting blocks. (Sims) never got touched, either time.”

After his second touchdown, Sims downed a careening squib kick on the 5-yard line. On the next squib kick, he dropped to the ground well before the coverage team reached him at the 15. A third squib kick ricocheted off the legs of redshirt freshman tight end Nathan Marcus, resulting in a recovery by South Carolina. Dallas Rivers returned the fourth squib kick for 12 yards as Sims blocked.

“Any time we have a deep guy back, he is meant to get the ball,” Mason said. “But we will get it fixed. When we get it right, we are pretty good.”

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SPORTS

Week 5 football notebook

Although it wasn’t mentioned in the Tuesday press conference, Mason suspended junior running back Brian Kimbrow indefinitely for conduct detrimental to the team.

Kimbrow, the highest recruit in the class of 2012 recruiting class according to Rivals.com, rushed for 413 yards his freshman year and 341 yards his sophomore year, but only had one carry this year, which went for -6 yards and a fumble.

“No one player is bigger than the team,” Mason said on his radio show Monday. “We’re not going to comment on anything else. It’s always about the team.”

Mason also announced Tuesday that wide receiver Jordan Cunningham, the highest recruit in the class of 2013 recruiting class, is taking a leave of absence from the team.

The sophomore missed last week’s game and only has four catches for 27 yards this season. In his freshman campaign, he was fifth on the team with 15 catches for 123 yards.

“Jordan is taking a leave of absence from the football team for personal reasons. He spoke to the team this morning. It’s unfortunate, he loves his teammates, but really there’s some personal issues he’s trying to deal with,” Mason said.

3. Injury updates

By BEN WEINRIB

1. Quarterback situation

Despite sustaining a concussion in the second quarter of the South Carolina game, Patton Robinette is listed on the team’s depth chart as the starter with freshman Wade Freebeck listed as his only backup. Still, next week’s starter is far from decided because of Robinette’s health.

“Our quarterback situation is still up in the air a little bit,” said Head Coach Derek Mason. “Looking at what’s happening with Patton, he’s working through it right now. He’s still questionable. We’ll get a chance to see as the week progresses where we’re at.”

The coaching staff does not make the final decision on

15

2. Without Kimbrow and Cunningham

Highlights from the press conference for the Sept. 27 Kentucky game Asst. sports editor --------------------

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2014

PHOTO BY BOSLEY JARRETT / THE VANDERBILTHUSTLER

Head Coach Derek Mason looks on as Ole Miss defeats Vanderbilt 41-3 at LP Field on Sept. 6, 2014. whether or not the redshirt sophomore will be able to suit up — he has to be cleared by team doctors. However, Mason also stated that Robinette will not play unless he is at absolute full health.

“I think you always have to err on the side of making sure your guy is ready to go,” Mason said. “Nowadays, with what that position means to you, you need a guy, especially playing in SEC play, to be able to play at 100 percent. Playing at 85 percent just isn’t good enough, and really when you’re talking about concussions, you need to be fully passed, fully blown with something like that.”

After missing last week’s game and parts of the UMass win two weeks ago due to a leg injury, senior Kyle Woestmann returned to the depth chart as a starting outside linebacker.

Redshirt freshman Jonathan Wynn, who was starting in his place, is listed as an “or” starter.

The other starter who missed the South Carolina game, safety Oren Burks, is still out this week. Junior Jahmel McIntosh and freshman Tre Tarpley are filling in, but Mason is confident the redshirt freshman will return sooner rather than later.

“Oh yeah, we’ll get him back this season. We’ll get him back soon,” Mason said. “He looks good, he’s moving around. We’ll see how much he can do over the next week or so, but I hope to have Oren back in the next couple of weeks.”

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Answers to last week’s puzzle

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