Tunnel Vision Issue 23 • Fall 2015

Issue 23 • 23 FALL Issue H 2015 FALL 2015

UPDATES GALORE … Several of your former staff members and classmates give a glimpse into their lives since their Vanderbilt days … see page 3.

tunnelvision A publication for alumni of student media at Vanderbilt University

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PAST LEADERS

VTV AND MY CAREER

Justin Smith discusses the value of Vanderbilt Television to his career and his support of Vanderbilt Student Media … page 9

TIERRA JOHNSON B.A., 2015 see page 7…

NOMINATE ALUMNI FOR HALL OF FAME If you or someone you know would be a great addition to the Vanderbilt Student Media Hall of Fame, please email nominations to selection committee chair PaigeClancy at paige.clancy@vanderbilt.edu.

Nominations ideally should include a brief description of the nominee’s participation in student media, class year and details of personal and/or professional accomplishments.

HALL OF FAME CRITERIA To be considered for induction in the Hall of Fame, candidates must meet the following criteria: Candidates are not required to be currently working in journalism or the media.

• Last worked with Vanderbilt student media as a student staff member at least 10 years prior to their potential Hall of Fame induction date; • Contributed in a significant way as a staff member to one or more of Vanderbilt’s print or electronic student media organizations; • Distinguished themselves through their work and acts at a level that merits recognition of the highest honor bestowed by Vanderbilt Student Media.

HHH

photo courtesy of CNN

THIS IS SAM FEIST

Feist and his role as CNN Washington bureau chief

by MICHAEL WARREN, Class of '10 There’s no question around CNN’s Washington bureau that Sam Feist ('91) is seen as the top dog, numero uno, the guy in charge.

Everyone acknowledges him as he walks around the bureau, with hellos and waves and nods. While I’m waiting in the CNN green room, I tell one employee I’m meeting with Feist, and he steps back.

“Oh, the big boss,” he says.

But when the personable and unassuming Feist walks me through the studio where CNN will broadcast the primary and general election-night result programs, he’s more like a big kid, excited to show off his cool gadgets. He beams as he points out the giant screen that wraps around the entire studio, from where we stand into the side where Jake Tapper is currently broadcasting his weekday afternoon

program, The Lead.

“Ultra-high resolution,” Feist says, his hands spreading out to show the screen’s magnificence. He adds that CNN has the only one like it in cable news. On each election night in 2016—from the Iowa caucuses on February 1 to November 8—the screen will deliver realtime updates on vote totals and exit-poll results. “Until people vote, you want to talk to the voters, you want to talk to the candidates, you want to talk to the candidates’ staff,” Feist says. “But once the votes start coming in, it’s really about the numbers. The numbers are the story on election night.”

With the results displayed in ultra-high resolution, the cameras will be able to sweep across the studio to look at a vast array of data SAM FEIST, continued on page 8

Maraniss to chair Student Media's capital campaign Vanderbilt Student Media announces a new chair for the Create the Future capital campaign. Neil Skene ’73 is passing the baton to Andrew Maraniss ’92.

“Andrew bridges multiple generations of Vanderbilt student media through his remarkable book [Strong Inside] on Perry Wallace, and I am delighted he will be assuming this role to help Create the Future,” Skene said.

Skene was instrumental in helping to plan and launch the campaign. He traveled to Nashville, Washington, DC, and New York City to host campaign and alumni events. Thank you, Neil!

A note from Andrew Maraniss: “When I think about my time as a student at Vanderbilt, what stands out as the most significant and rewarding was my experience at the Hustler. This is where spent most of my time, made most of my friends, developed my skills as a writer, gained the

confidence to approach coaches, professors and administrators and interview them, and prepared myself for a career as a journalist, author, and public relations practitioner. I know that the Vanderbilt Student Media experience has been equally valuable for thousands of other students over the years. As an alum, I realize now more than ever how the experience of covering Vanderbilt as a student journalist gave me a deeper understanding of the history of the school and an enduring connection to the university. I owe so much to this experience, and I’m eager to help a new generation of students. The quality of Vanderbilt Student Media is exceptionally high right now, and it’s an honor to be involved in this campaign.

I don’t usually get excited about fundraising campaigns, but this is one I support wholeheartedly and I suspect many other alums feel the same way.” H ANDREW MARANISS

A partner at McNeely Pigott & Fox Public Relations in Nashville, Andrew studied history at Vanderbilt University as a recipient of the Fred Russell – Grantland

Rice sportswriting scholarship, earning the school’s Alexander Award for excellence in journalism and graduating in 1992. He then worked for five years in Vanderbilt’s athletic department as the associate director of media relations, dealing primarily with the men’s basketball team. In 1998, he served as the media relations manager for the Tampa Bay (Devil) Rays during the team’s inaugural season, and then returned to Nashville to join MP&F. The son of Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and best-selling author David Maraniss and trailblazing environmentalist Linda Maraniss, Andrew was born in Madison, Wisconsin, grew up in Washington, D.C. and Austin, Texas and now lives in Brentwood, Tennessee, with his wife Alison, and their two young children. Follow Andrew on Twitter @trublu24 and visit his website at andrewmaraniss.com.

A New York Times bestseller, Strong Inside is the first book by Maraniss. Strong Inside was the recipient of the 2015 Lillian Smith Book Award and the lone Special Recognition honor at the 2015 RFK Book Awards. H

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bright lights

an alumni column…

Bloom, Bayless, Woodward & Bernstein and Jim's Farm

by Irvin Muchnick, '76

Like my friend Bob Costas, the late Peter Jennings, and assorted journalistic and media betters, I’m a proud member of the fraternity of college dropouts. This is not to be confused with the Amalgamated Association of Morons in the Three Stooges episode “HalfWits Holiday.”

I “attended” Vanderbilt from 1972 to 1976 on the Grantland Rice Memorial Scholarship, thanks in part Irvin Muchnick to a recommendation letter from a previous recipient (and my Hustler editor-in-chief forebear) Roy Blount Jr. Decades later, Roy and I would be on opposite sides of a landmark legal dispute, when he, as president of the Authors Guild, supported a global class-action copyright settlement to which I, as a former assistant director of the National Writers Union and freelance rabblerouser, objected. This case would go all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court under what I must admit is a most tasteful name: Reed Elsevier v. Muchnick.

During my years on Nashville’s western border, I dreamed of becoming as great a writer as Nathanael West, and I beat a path from my dorm to the Hustler offices, the non-alcoholic saloon of my misspent youth. Evidently, I didn’t spend nearly enough time with my nose in textbooks exploring whether Freud had a mancrush on Marx.

One semester I got the bright idea of scheduling my classes to start every day at 8 a.m. and end by noon. This way, I could fight all the way through even if I were just completing a Hustler production night on Sunday or Wednesday, or just returning from the printer in Murfreesboro on Tuesday or Friday. Let’s just say this plan didn’t work out so good, either.

My colleagues were folks like John Bloom (today more famous as drive-in movie critic and redneck street philosopher Joe Bob Briggs) and Skip Bayless (today more famous as … Skip Bayless).

Dan Bischoff, my ex-best friend, did most of the deep thinking as managing editor during my junior year, while I was editor-in-chief, mostly preening. Bischoff, whose own professional journey has included a stint as art critic for the Newark Star-Ledger, was quoted in the recent New York Times obituary of Ionel Talzapan. (You can look it — and him — up.)

An editor at Versus during that period was a smartass by the name of Alex “I Am Not Chancellor Alexander Heard” Heard. In a further display of the clout of the Sarratt Tunnel mafiosi, Alex, as executive editor of Outside magazine, last year interviewed me about my current obsession: the under-covered scandal of widespread sexual abuse at USA Swimming and other Olympic Committee-sanctioned youth sports programs. There isn’t a doubt in my mind that this is a story of global, Catholic Church scale. And maybe before too much longer I’ll find a book publisher who agrees.

For me, life at Vanderbilt was mostly long nights of Woodward & Bernstein imitations. That, and hanging out with a tight group who enabled my lack of social development. We loved to wax outraged about this or that. My kids don’t quite believe me when I say that, upon encountering news of the “Saturday Night Massacre” — soon-to-be-impeached President Richard Nixon’s sacking of special prosecutor Archibald Cox — on the WRVU teletype machine, I actually thought the times they were a-changing.

As others have more eloquently written, our paterfamilias was James Turner Leeson Jr., former Associated Press reporter and Race Relations Information Center director, who was the vaguely defined “advisor” to the Vanderbilt Student Communications entities. The highlights were times spent at ALUMNI COLUMN, continued on page 12

tunnelvision Tunnel Vision is published by Vanderbilt Student Communications, Inc.

Edited by: Brian McGuire and Paige Clancy Photos by: Ziyi Liu and Ann Marie Deer Owens Layout and Design by: Jeff Breaux Printed by: Franklin Web Printing, Co. Please send address updates via mail, phone, fax or e-mail to: Vanderbilt Student Communications Attn: Alumni Mailing List • 2301 Vanderbilt Place • VU Station B 351669 • Nashville, TN 37235 615-322-7166 (p) • 615-343-2756 (f) • brian.mcguire@vanderbilt.edu • www.vandymedia.org

Immersed in Comedy

photo by Ziyi Liu

Vanderbilt and Comedy Central alum returns to address new students Zhubin Parang ’06, Emmy award winning writer for Comedy Central’s Daily Show, delivered the keynote address for this year’s Media Immersion, the program offered to incoming students to introduce them to student media at Vanderbilt.

Parang gave some great advice to students looking to pursue their interests in Vanderbilt Student Media: “Be fun to be around, work hard, network, and be able to take criticism. You can beat out someone who has more talent, skill and ability if that person is a dick to be around. People hire people they like,” he said.

“Work hard and do lots of different things,” Parang said. “If you like writing that’s great, but

maybe try producing.”

Parang said the media business is all about networking. “People don’t give jobs to people they don’t know, so network and find people that do the things you like.”

“In order to get better at producing media, you must be able to take criticism. Don’t let your ego get in the way of getting better,” he said.

Parang is a former Vanderbilt Hustler and Orbis writer and contributor. After graduation, he earned a JD from Georgetown law. After “four miserable years of being a mediocre corporate lawyer,” he moved to New York and pursued his career in comedy. H

The Class of 2015: Eric Etheridge, Amy Buckner Chowdhry, Georgia Stitt and Roy Neel. photo by Ann Marie Deer Owens

HALL OF FAME CLASS OF 2015 INDUCTED

Vanderbilt Student Media inducted four outstanding alumni into the Student Media Hall of Fame on October 23, 2015, at the John Seigenthaler Center. The class included Amy Buckner Chowdhry, co-founder and CEO of AnswerLab, which consults leading world brands to improve the digital user experience; Eric Etheridge, photographer, editor

and author of Breach of Peace: Portraits of the 1961 Mississippi Freedom Riders; Roy Neel, an adviser to former Vice President Al Gore who worked at the White House during extraordinary times; and Georgia Stitt, lyricist and composer of award-winning musicals who performed in NBC’s The Sound of Music Live! H

Issue 23 • FALL 2015

distant voices

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alumni updates…

A glimpse into a few lives that helped shape student media at Vandy 1949 Jerry Niles Jordan H B.E., 1949 (Commodore yearbook, Vanderbilt Masquerader, V Square) Jordan lives in Dallas, TX, and said: My business card reads "Retired Attorney at Last".

Other than looking for keys, cell phone and wallet, I spend quality time volunteering with Global North Texas, a 501C(3) organization (globalntx. org).(If you check it out, you can see my smiling countenance. In that role I get to meet guests of the State Department from all over the world who are participants in the International Visitor Leadership Program. There are over 90 organizations like ours scattered across the US. A slogan is we make friends for the US one handshake at a time. See if you can find an organization in your state or area. It will be worthwhile to join.

1954

Surgery, University of Tennessee.

Presently, Supreme Editor Xi Psi Phi International Dental Fraternity. Member editorial review board, American College of Dentists.

1962 Diana Clark Hudgens H B.A., 1962 (The Vanderbilt Hustler) Hudgens lives in Raleigh, NC, and said: I love living in Raleigh, but get back to Nashville fairly often. My husband, Tom Hudgens BA '59, died a couple of years ago, and I am writing a book about him...basically about a happy marriage that lasted more than fifty years.

I continue to work in real estate and am busy this year as junior warden at my church. I have signed up for woodworking classes to make use of Tom's woodshop.

1965

George Frederick Dettwiller H B.A., 1954 (The Vanderbilt Hustler) Dettwiller lives in Nashville, TN, and said: Recently elected as CEO of the Tennessee Safety and Homeland Security Foundation.

1957 Robert R Buntin H B.E., 1957 Buntin lives in Baytown, TX, and said: My wife Carolyn (VU class 1960) and I stay busy with activities of 11 grandchildren, eight of whom live here in Baytown. We also remain active at our Methodist church here. We have had many travel adventures since retirement but now we prefer to stay close to home. Call us if you come our way!

Thomas Barber H B.A., 1965 (WRVU) Barber lives in Houston, TX, and said: Retired from Schlumberger in 2011, continued as contractor through 2015. Fully retiring 1/1/2016.

Moving to Albuquerque, NM. Mid spring. I recently spent a week in Norway lecturing to physics and engineering students at University of Bergen on "real world applications". My entire career in applied physics has been enhanced by being a WRVU announcer, and developing the "announcer's voice". People do listen to that voice! One thing I found in Bergen was that about 2/3 of the combined undergrad-grad students attending my lectures were women. I think

1958 David Halpern H B.A., 1958 (WRVU) Halpern lives in Santa Fe, NM, and said: An Exhibit of my photography as artist-inresidence at Bandelier National Monument in 2014-15 will be featured at Verve Gallery in Santa Fe from Feb. 12 through April 16, 2016.

University of Bergen Physics Students

1959 Wilton (Will) Wright H B.E., 1959 (Blue Pencil Club) Wright lives in Mobile, AL, and said: Married 54 years to same lady. Have 4 children, 6 grandchildren. Retired in 1998 from International Paper Co. after 35 years. Served 4 years in USMC after graduating from NROTC program. Am an avid runner, still going after 35 years. Write articles Will Wright after winning age group (75+) in for Running Club 2015 Senior Bowl 10K. Newsletter. Jesus is the Lord of my life and sustains me in my fight with a blood cancer going on 5 years now.

Bergen may have some information to share with American universities about attracting women to the hard sciences.

Daisy Catherine Blanton H B.A., 1965 (Commodore yearbook) Blanton lives in Lookout Mtn, GA.

Me - Daisy Blanton, Jewel - dog

1968

1970

Barbara Crosby H B.A., 1968 (The Vanderbilt Hustler, Commodore yearbook) Crosby lives in Minneapolis, MN, and said: I am semi-retired as an associate professor in leadership at the Humphrey School of Public Affairs, University of Minnesota. I've recently completed a book entitled Teaching Leadership: An Integrated Approach.

William E. Livingston H B.A., 1970 (The Vanderbilt Hustler) Livingston lives in North Omsted, OH, and said: The Cleveland Plain Dealer

1968 George Morton H B.A., 1968 (Commodore yearbook) Morton lives in Naples, FL, and Leavenworth, KS, and said: Recently inducted into the Missouri Valley Heart of America Tennis Hall of Fame (Nov 2015).

David Douglas Sproul H B.A., 1968 (The Vanderbilt Hustler) Sproul lives in Houston, TX.

1969 Ingrid Lundahl H B.A., 1969 (Commodore yearbook) Lundahl lives in Telluride, CO, and said: My art/history/photo/ fun book, "TELLURIDE | The Outlaw Spirit of a Colorado Town," continues to sell The mysterious Hombre del Oro to all lovers of pulling a gun on me, right in front of the sacred Parrochia of San Telluirde, oldMiguel d'Allende, Mexico timers, newcomers, tourists. You can buy it on my website, ingrid@ingridlundahl.com or on Amazon. I prefer website.

I am presently in San Miguel d'Allende, MX with a bunch of ex-pats. Outlaws seem to find me, wherever I roam. Last night, this curious Hombre del Oro pulled a gun on me in front of the sacred Parrochia and Arbol de Navadad. So I shot back.

Robert R. Moore H B.A., 1969 (The Vanderbilt Hustler) Moore lives in Oswego, N.Y., and said: I recently retired after 37 years as an English Professor and, in the final 12 years, as Director of the college Honors Program at the State University of New York, College at Oswego.

My wife, Barbara, and I have been enjoying traveling, visiting our daughters, who now live in Pittsburgh and Toronto, respectively,and relaxing on the shores of Lake Ontario — when the snow isn't flying. I haven't been back to Nashville since 2013, but I follow the fortunes of Vanderbilt online and through the national media.

Joe Stamper H B.A., 1969 (Commodore yearbook) Stamper lives in Cleveland, TN, and said: A long-shot request. The University

1960 George P. Ford H B.E., 1960 (The Vanderbilt Hustler) Ford lives in Gadsden, AL, and said: After working in business several years, I earned a law degree, and have practiced law for 43 years. Am now semi- retired.

Lewis H. Conner, Jr. H B.A. J.D., 1960, 1963 (The Vanderbilt Hustler) Conner lives in Nashville, TN, and said: The John C. Tune Award, the highest honor of the Nashville Bar Association, was presented to Lewis H. Conner, Jr. on December 3, 2015. It is given to a person "who exemplifies the highest degree of dedication to his or her work as a lawyer and to the betterment of his or her community." It is not awarded annually.

1966 Murray Bern H B.A., 1966 (Commodore yearbook) Bern lives in Santa Fe, NM, and said: I retired from medical practice of hematology and oncology in Boston, MA, in June 2014. Nancy and I moved to Santa Fe, NM upon retirement, where we built a new home. We have two grandchildren.

Ellen Eisendrath McGeady H B.S.N., 1966 (V.U. Theater) McGeady lives in North Charleston, SC, and said: I have retired to North Charleston, SC and am enjoying the temperate climate. I enjoy working in my garden, voraciously reading, singing in two choirs with solo work, and watching quality television which brings theater to me.

1961

Sebelius

Carl L. Sebelius, Jr. H B.A., 1961 (WRVU) Sebelius lives in Memphis, TN, and said: Retired Professor Emeritus, Oral and Maxillofacial

1967 Michael R. King H B.A., 1967 (The Vanderbilt Hustler, Versus magazine, Commodore yearbook, VSC Board member) King lives in Nashville, TN.

Bill Livingston at signing of "George Steinbrenner's Pipe Dream."

ran the following excerpts from my book, "George Steinbrenner's Pipe Dream -- The ABL Champion Cleveland Pipers." The book was also named one of the five must-read books of the week by the New York Post. And Tony Kornheiser and Mike Wilbon publicized it on ESPN's "Pardon the Interruption." LeBron James also has a copy and might (please, please, please) Tweet about it.

Available at Amazon.com and KentStateUniversityPress.com.

1971 Andrew McKinnon H B.A. M.B.A., 1971 (Versus magazine, Commodore yearbook) McKinnon lives in Washington, DC.

Andrew McKinnon

Leon Marshall Munday H B.A., 1971 (The Vanderbilt Hustler) Munday lives in Kansas City, MO, and said: After 26 years as a public defender in Kansas City, I became deputy director of the trial division of the Missouri State Public Defender System in 2014, helping to oversee 33 offices and more than 300 lawyers.

Laurence Bradley H B.A. Ph.D., 1971, 1975 (WRVU) Bradley lives in Mountain Brook, Alabama, and said: I really enjoyed representing Vanderbilt at a college fair held at John Carroll High School in Birmingham, Alabama in May 2015. I'm now beginning to work on a plenary talk I've been asked to deliver at the Rheumatology-2016 conference in Alicante Spain in June 2016. I'll discuss our research on ethnic differences in pain among persons with knee osteoarthritis.

1973 Mary Frances Bristow H B.A. J.D., 1973 (WRVU) Bristow lives in Brentwood, TN. William B. Hays H B.E., 1973 (Versus magazine) Hays lives in Goodlettsville, TN, and said: Recently retired after 41 years in transportation and municipal engineering, including the last 16 with Barge, Waggoner, Sumner, and Cannon, Inc. My experience at Versus in the early 1970's was invaluable in handling many William B. Hays career demands later.

As an engineering major I always enjoyed teaching English majors how to write!

Me in the woods with the Jeep.

has no records of students that attended "Vanderbilt in Spain" in the Fall of 1967. I have contacts with Vandy students but none for those that came from other schools to participate in our program. Anyone have information?

Otherwise, life is okay, even good. Ready to retire if anyone is interested in a high end furniture business...........LOL!!

UPDATE your contact information at

vandymedia.org

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alumni updates‌ Sports Information Directors of America Hall of Fame and worked while a student at Vandy for the Nashville Tennessean with the famed John Bibb, David Climer, Al Gore, Garry Summers, Bud Burns, Bill Hiles, and several other VU luminaries.

All Vanderbilt grads: Son-in-law Tommy '03, daughter Ginger '05, wife Betty '75 and granddaughters Polly and Louise, future Commodores.

Cleve Latham H B.A., Ed.D., 1973 (The Vanderbilt Hustler, Versus magazine) Latham lives in Chattanooga, TN, and said: Cleve continues to teach at McCallie School: Contemporary Literature, American Literature, Southern Voices, and Fiction Writing. Since returning to the classroom full-time after serving as Dean of Studies, Cleve has also revived his writing, recently working with the School of Letters at the University of the South and publishing short stories in literary journals. A novel is in the works. He is currently involved in the 200-hour training that will certify him as a yoga teacher.

Thomas Stuart McCloy H B.A., 1974 (The Vanderbilt Hustler) McCloy lives in Vine Grove, KY, and said: Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney for 46th Judicial Circuit (Felony prosecutor in Grayson, Breckinridge and Meade Counties in Kentucky).

Nick Archer H 1975 (WRVU, Versus magazine) Archer lives in Franklin, TN, and said: After a radio career that included WSM FM and WLAC AM and FM in Nashville, I've been in the audio and voiceover studio business since 1979. Highlights include working

WLAC alums Bill Wolfenbarger, Lee Stevens, Spider Harrison, David Tower, and Nick Archer at the 2015 Tennessee Radio Hall of Fame Banquet in Murfreesboro TN.

to work at NEWSCHANNEL5, WTVF-TV, the CBS-affiliate in Nashville. I have had a couple of service breaks over the years, but I've been at the station over three decades of that time. That includes now beginning my 10th year hosting INSIDE POLITICS, a weekly political interview/ talk show on NEWSCHANNEL5+, Channel 5's cable channel. I am also beginning my 15th year of writing CAPITOL VIEW, a column on local, state and national politics posted every Friday on NEWSCHANNEL5's web site.

Douglas Swan H B.A., 1975 & 1976 (The Vanderbilt Hustler, Versus magazine, Commodore yearbook) Swan lives in Oaklyn, New Jersey, and said: I am ashamed to report that I was unable to persuade either of my kids to even apply to Vanderbilt. Oddly enough they were both happy in their college choices.

1977

Carlton Gass

Carlton S. Gass H B.A., 1977 (Commodore yearbook) Gass lives in Miami, FL, and said: Carlton S. Gass, Ph.D. was named Fellow of the National Academy of Neuropsychology for his contributions to the field of clinical neuropsychology.

Craig Jacobson H B.A., 1977 (The Vanderbilt Hustler, WRVU) Jacobson lives in Encinitas, CA.

the FUN Media Group Inc. a broadcast company and flagship station WAFN-FM (FUN 92-7)in Arab/Huntsville AL. The station recently completed the transition to an all-digital delivery both on-air and online.

April Ingram H B.S. J.D. M.S., 1977, 1980, 1996 (WRVU) Ingram lives in Franklin, TN, and said: I work in downtown Nashville as the inhouse environmental attorney for Louisiana-Pacific Corporation, and love my job. My husband of 16 years, Jon Young, has a recording studio and our family includes lots of rescued dogs and cats.

I like making mixed media art and that's what I'll be doing in retirement. Life is wonderful and I am very grateful for blessings and opportunities I've been given.

traveling abroad for fun and letting my partners run the show. I dabble in radio news every 4 years to cover presidential races having been in the White House Press pool and winnng an AP award and a Golden Microphone award for my work a few election cycles back in New Hampshire covering the primary.I am an alumni of the elite FBI Citiens Academy and am looking forward to a possibilty of becoming a life coach to teach and give back that which I have learned.

1980

1982 Valorie Cannon Rowe H B.A., 1982 (WRVU) Rowe lives in Naples, FL. David Linn H B.E. M.S., 1982, 1999 (Commodore yearbook) Linn lives in Nashville, TN, and said: I married the former Denise N. Statham on August 29, 2015 and we live in Nashville. She is a 1984 graduate of Georgia Tech and works as the Technical Director at VF Imagewear, a Nashville-based division of a large garment manufacturer. I remain a computer systems administrator serving the community of the VU School of Engineering and in October 2015.

I celebrated my 25th anniversary as full-time staff at Vanderbilt.

1983 Michael Conger H B.A. J.D., 1983 (The Vanderbilt Hustler) Conger lives in Rancho Santa Fe, CA, and said: Practicing law in San Diego area.

Donna A. Parramore H B.A., MDiv, 1983 (The Scrivener) Parramore lives in Franklin, TN, and said: I also was a DJ at WRVU for about 5 years after graduation in the days when alumni could take the air.

David, Caryn, Ben, Marc and Jason at Yellowstone and Jackson Hole 8-2015.

Jason Bernstein H B.S., 1980 (WRVU) Bernstein lives in Alpharetta, GA, and said: I'm proud to have a sophomore pre-med son at Vandy, as well as a junior at Tufts and a third in high school. I'm an attorney with the Atlanta office of Barnes & Thornburg, where my practice is focused on data security and privacy, as well as technology transactions with an intellectual property flavor.

Richard A. Schwartz H B.A., 1980 (WRVU) Schwartz lives in Louisville, KY.

Richard A. Schwartz

Emmet Schwartzman H B.A., 1980 (WRVU) Schwartzman lives in Key Biscayne, FL. Amie T. Sims H B.A., 1980 (The Vanderbilt Hustler) Sims lives in Memphis, TN.

1981

Scott D. Hornaday

Scott D. Hornaday H B.A., 1981 (The Vanderbilt Hustler) Hornaday lives in Owensboro, KY, and said: I am married to the former Kathy Lantz (Peabody 1982) and our daughter Katherine is a sophomore swimmer at Vanderbilt.

Robert Hutchinson H B.S., 1981 (Commodore yearbook) Hutchinson lives in Boulder, CO, and said: At Vandy one of my best "escapes" was taking black and white photos for the yearbook and then disappearing into the darkroom. Here in the Rockies 35 years later, I still enjoy photography, much changed and digital, even more so now that my kids are into it as well, one a blogger-photographer and the other more on the artistic side while on long backpacking trips. Thank you Vandy!

With my bride-kentucky appellate Judge Janet Stumbo.

Chicago. Managing Gigabit broadband rollout in Chicago for Comcast. Planning a Christmas wedding in the Caribbean to my future wife, Maria.

Bruce Peoples H B.A., 1983 (WRVU) Peoples lives in Roswell (Atlanta), GA, and said: I am still conducting face-to-face customer research for a variety of companies, big and

Ned Pillersdorf H B.A., 1977 (The Vanderbilt Hustler, Versus magazine) Pillersdorf lives in VAN LEAR, Kentucky, and said: Practicing law in Floyd County, Kentucky.

1974 Bo T. Carter H B.A., 1974 (The Vanderbilt Hustler, Commodore yearbook) Carter lives in Carrollton, TX, and said: Bo Carter continues to work professionally as a consultant/columnist with the National Football Foundation, Texas Sports Daily, Sports Page Dallas/ Fort Worth, The DFW Senior Voice magazine, and he worked his 30th annual Goodyear Cotton Bowl as a media assistant when Alabama met Michigan State on Dec. 31, 2015, at AT&T Stadium. Carter is a member of the College

Sailing in Sweden which I do now every sumer for 18 years.

on the first satellite broadcast of the Grand Ole Opry to Europe, recording the New Testament with Johnny Cash, producing hundreds of audiobooks for Knowledge Products, and thousands of radio commercials for clients everywhere. I'm also the archivist for the Tennessee Radio Hall of Fame, dedicated to finding and preserving the history and artifacts of radio in the Volunteer State.

Louis Michael Anzek St John H B.A., 1973 (WRVU) St John lives in Arab, AL, and said: Michael St John (Anzek) and wife Melanie own

Louis Michael Anzek (St John) BA73 and Melanie Anzek-St. John.

Fred Katz H B.A., 1979 (WRVU) Katz lives in Nashville, TN, and said: I am now starting the 20th year of my marketing company which has a volume average of 10 million dollars a year or higher. I spend a lot of time

1975

Patrick Joseph Nolan H B.A., 1973 (WRVU Commodore yearbook VSC Board member) Nolan lives in Nashville, TN, and said: 2015 marked the 40th anniversary of when I first went

The photo is taken on the set of INSIDE POLITICS during my interview with Nashville's new Mayor, Megan Barry.

1979

Michael Thompson H B.A., 1981 (WRVU, Versus magazine) Thompson lives in Chicago, Illinois (IL), and said: Enjoying life in

Bruce Peoples playing at a Grateful Dead tribute at Steve's Live Music in Atlanta.

small, helping them solve their marketing challenges. I talk to consumers about a wide range of topics, including carpeting, banking, eyecare products, and french fries. I like the variety of topics and clients- like reading the news at WRVU. In the spare time, I have started playing guitar and singing at local open mic events. At first it was scary, but now I enjoy it very much.

Dees Stribling H B.A., 1983 (The Vanderbilt Hustler, Versus magazine, VSC Board member) Stribling lives in Schaumburg, IL, and said: I'm a writer and content provider for the commercial and residential real estate industry these days, have been for 10+ years, after working as a trade magazine editor 20+ years. Oldest daughter Lilly going to college next fall, youngest daughter Ann in junior high.

Philip Andrew Tate H B.A., 1983 (The Vanderbilt Hustler, WRVU, Commodore yearbook) Tate lives in Charlotte, NC, and said: Philip Tate, APR, Fellow PRSA has been elected chair of the College of Fellows for the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA). He continues his work as senior vice president with Luquire George Andrews (LGA), a fullservice advertising, public relations and digital Philip Andrew Tate agency in Charlotte, N.C.

1984 Mike Jensen H B.A., 1984 (The Vanderbilt Hustler, Versus magazine) Jensen lives in Philadelphia, PA, and said: Sometime in November of 2014 I figured out when I had spent half my life at the Philadelphia Inquirer, to the day. I was lucky to land there in 1988, and luckier to stay. Philadelphia turned out to be a great city to raise three daughters, and an unparalleled place for a sportswriter. I ended up with all sorts of assignments I never imagined but also kept my hand in covering college sports, staying on the path that started at the Hustler, where my first beat was the rugby team. (That remains, unfortunately, the only beat where I drank a beer while conducting post-game interviews).

Issue 23 • FALL 2015

Stephen Rudner H B.A., 1984 (The Vanderbilt Hustler) Rudner lives in Rowayton, CT, and said: I was published three times in 2015 as a columnist in Mortgage Banking Magazine.

Thanks to my editor at The Hustler in 1981 who told me to say it all in the first sentence.

Julie Yates Walton H B.A., 1984 (Versus magazine, VSC Board member, Editor of The Scrivener, short story anthology) Walton lives in Littleton, CO, and said: Despite my father's dire predictions about majoring in English, I actually use my degree every day. I've been writing since graduation, as an advertising copywriter and freelance book critic for The New York Times, Publishers Weekly and Child magazine. Since 2008, I've worked as Copy Director for a Denver luxury resort marketing company. David and I have been married for 31 years. Kids are 25, 22 and 18, and May will bring a college and high school graduation. Theoretically an empty nest...we shall see!

5

'86, narrates and co-wrote the documentary "Karski & The Lords of Humanity," which had its English-language premiere and Oscar-qualifying LA and NYC theatrical runs in November. The film, based on the subject of Tom's book "Karski: How One Man Tried to Stop the Holocaust," opened on 52 theatrical screens across Poland in April and received wide critical acclaim in Jan Karski's native country. It includes animation of Tom's interview sessions with Karski, the Polish Roman Catholic who risked his life to carry news of the emerging Holocaust to the West in 1942.

1987

1985 Robert Franke H B.A., 1985 (Versus magazine, Commodore yearbook, VSC Board member, Sarratt Film Committee) Franke lives in Nashville, TN, and said: After 20 years working as a screenwriter and WGA member in Los Angeles, working on dozens of feature films and TV shows, I have returned to Nashville to be a Professor of Writing in the Cinematic Arts Department of David Lipscomb University. I am enjoying sharing my vast professional experience and knowledge with a new generation coming up.

Louis Gardner Landry H B.A., 1985 (VSC Board member) Landry lives in Houston, TX, and said: "The Song of Songs" - an essay by Gardner Landry (VSC board '82-'85) - is appearing in the fall/winter issue of Cream City Review, the literary journal of the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee.

Richard Johnston H B.S. M.D., 1985, 1989 (WRVU) Johnston lives in Atlanta, Ga, and said: I am an Orthopedic surgeon in Atlanta.

1986 Robert Black H B.E., 1986 (The Vanderbilt Hustler, WRVU Versus magazine, Commodore yearbook, The Vanderbilt Review) Black lives in Moorpark, CA, and said: The third book in my "Mathematical Nights" series, Night of the Eerie Equations, was released in November, well ahead of the schedule I was expecting. My publisher wanted to take the entire trilogy to the National Association for Gifted Children's convention in Phoenix. The books are available on my publisher's website, http://www.rfwp.com.

Beth Rives Chesterton

Beth Rives Chesterton H B.A. M.A., 1987 (The Vanderbilt Hustler) Chesterton lives in St. Louis, Missouri, and said: I am excited about my daughter, Sandy, being a Freshman at Vanderbilt. I am even happier to report that she would like to write for the school paper!

Greg Pohl H B.A., 1987 (The Vanderbilt Hustler, Commodore yearbook) Pohl lives in Venice, CA, and said: Currently with RE/MAX ESTATE PROPERTIES selling and leasing residential and commercial properties in Los Angeles. If I can help you with any real estate questions, please call me at 615 260-3978. In addition, I am an investor and Greg Pohl advisor to a start up smart lock company in Nashville. Check us out at Havenlock.com.

James Versfelt H B.A., 1987 (The Vanderbilt Hustler, WRVU, Versus magazine, Commodore yearbook, The Vanderbilt Review) Versfelt lives in Oakland, CA, and said: My new restaurant project has brought me from Miami Beach back to San Francisco after 20 years. Nearly a year-and-a-half later, we finally have new details on the restaurant, including a name: ATwater TAvern. As previously reported, the multi-level space will feature views of the ballpark, north across Willie McCovey Cove, as well as plenty of outdoor seating (see the renderings below).

The food will be inspired by San Francisco classics like cioppino, steamed mussels and other seafood dishes, along with meats cooked over a wood fired Santa Maria grill. Executive chef Versfelt worked alongside James Beard Awardwinning chef Tony Mantuano at the chef’s now closed Lorenzo Enoteca. We are looking forward to opening before the start of 2016 MLB season with our next door neighbors the SF Giants. One and all Dore alumni come by, say hi, and have a drink! @ ATwater TAvern, 295 Terry Francois Blvd. Pier 50, SF, CA.

tank to provide a forum and exchange on the subjects driving the European and global Internet economy. Although I've now been living in Berlin for 18 years, thanks to Facebook I get a daily dose of VU Tunnel Rats and other Nashville friends.

1989 Susan Jarboe H B.S., 1989 (The Vanderbilt Hustler, WRVU, Slightly Amusing, Vanderbilt Political Review) Jarboe lives in San Francisco, CA, and said: Hi, I live right outside of San Francisco while continuing to work in the city. Due to the challenges of work and life I often work from my home office. Currently, I work as a Major Account Manager and in Business Development. I would like to see my Vandy family more than I do but try staying in touch with the core group of friends (Kim, Steph, Vero, Patti, Lisa...Nancy). Please never hesitate to contact me as I could not have enjoyed a better experience than my VU years.

Marleen Sylvia McClure H B.S., 1989 (WRVU) McClure lives in Nashville, TN, and said: Utilization Review Coordinator at Cumberland Heights. Graduate student at Edinboro University & intern with Musicians' Track & IOP programs at Cumberland Heights. Annual Box Office Manager every April with Nashville Film Festival.

Chris Holsinger H B.A. M.D., 1990, 1995 (Versus magazine, The Vanderbilt Review) Holsinger lives in Palo Alto, CA, and said: Chris Holsinger is Professor and Chief of Head and Neck Surgery at Stanford University Medical Center, where Chris Holsinger he also leads the multidisciplinary Head and Neck Oncology Program at the Stanford Cancer Center. From 2003-2013, Dr. Holsinger worked at the Department of Head and Neck Surgery at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center where he founded and led the Program in Minimally Invasive and Endoscopic Head and Neck Surgery and co-directed the program in Minimally Invasive Technology in Oncologic Surgery. At Stanford, he founded the Program in Robotic Surgery, which coordinates clinical operations, as well as provides education to residents, fellows and staff. This multidisciplinary program is also studying the value and cost of robotic surgery across several organ sites, measuring the impact of reduced length of stay and postoperative dose reduction of adjuvant therapies. At the Cancer Center, Dr. Holsinger has led several efforts to transform cancer care delivery. He leads the initiative to improve the quality of multidisciplinary tumor boards across the Cancer Center and serves as a physician leader for the multidisciplinary care coordinator program, focusing cancer care on the patient, rather than the care team. Dr. Holsinger’s surgical practice focuses on the surgical management of benign and malignant diseases of the thyroid, as well as head and neck cancers. His surgical practice focuses on thyroid surgery, robotic head and neck surgery, and conservation laryngeal surgery. Dr. Holsinger's research focuses on surgical innovation, clinical trials, and genomics. He leads several prospective clinical trails, through NCI-funded cooperative groups.

Laurie Houston H B.A., 1991 (The Vanderbilt Hustler, WRVU Vanderbilt Television) Houston lives in Knoxville, TN, and said: Still working at Jupiter Entertainment, a Knoxville-based television production company.

I'm the Pre-Production Manager for "Snapped" on Oxygen - a documentary crime series about women accused of a violent crime. It's now in production for its 20th season on Oxygen!

Meanwhile, I'm at work on two new manuscripts that continue my Mathematical Fiction project, which uses storytelling to teach math concepts.

These books will cover probability and statistics.

E. Thomas Wood H B.A., 1986 (The Vanderbilt Hustler, WRVU Versus magazine, Commodore yearbook, The Vanderbilt Review) Wood lives in Nashville, TN, and said: E. Thomas Wood,

Chef James Versfelt

Andy Kravetz H B.S., 1992 (The Vanderbilt Hustler, WRVU) Kravetz lives in Peoria, IL, and said: I work as the legal and military writer at the Peoria Journal Star, a mid-sized paper in Illinois. While a small town, the city never lacks for news as I have covered a terrorist linked to the 9/11 attacks, two serial killers and several deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan.

Hope everyone is well and hope to make it back to campus someday to check out how things have changed.

Gara Pryor H B.S., 1992 (The Vanderbilt Hustler) Pryor lives in Nashville, TN, and said: Chief Human Resources Officer for Kirkland's, Inc.

1990

1991 Over Thanksgiving, I was a visiting author for my niece Leyna's fifth grade class in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Here I am with Leyna and her teacher.

Elizabeth Goodwin Frein

Marnie Lambert Zrike H B.A., 1991 (The Vanderbilt Hustler, The Vanderbilt Review) Zrike lives in Houston, TX, and said: Managing the retail business and marketing for a residential design firm. Enjoying motherhood (one 15-yearold son). Looking for more hours in the day.

Gara Pryor

Mark Aaron Widerman H B.S., 1992 (The Vanderbilt Hustler, Versus magazine, Vanderbilt Television, Slightly Amusing) Widerman lives in New York City, NY, and said: Hi all. I’m still incredibly lucky to be recording and performing music full time. Last year I released my 7th Mark Aaron James studio album, “Play Harder.”

I performed my first shows in Asia and continue to tour throughout the US and Europe. I’ve been

The back cover of my current CD, Play Harder.

honored to do quite a few house concerts for fellow Vandy alums. (House concerts are a huge movement among acoustic musicians and my favorite way to perform these days). That said, I still do several shows a month in regular venues, as well. I recently joined a weekly writing group in NYC that has resulted in a lot of new material.

So, I will be recording again in the New Year for a project that I hope to have released before the end of next year. I look forward to seeing many of you out on the road. Please find my music online via MarkAaronJames.com, YouTube, iTunes, Pandora, Spotify or wherever you like to listen, and say “hello.” I really appreciate the support and hearing from old friends.

1993 Mitch Light H B.A., 1993 (The Vanderbilt Hustler) Light lives in Nashville, TN, and said: I've been working at Athlon Sports in Nashville since 2001 and have been the managing editor since 2008. I also work on the Vanderbilt football radio network as the sideline reporter.

1988

Jan Karski and biographer Tom Wood, as seen in an animated segment of "Karski & The Lords of Humanity."

Clark Parsons H B.A., 1988 (The Vanderbilt Hustler, WRVU, Versus magazine) Parsons lives in Berlin, Germany, and said: After 8 years of building the Berlin School of Creative Leadership as its Managing Director, I just took a new position leading the newly-founded Internet Economy Foundation. We're building a think

1992 Elizabeth Goodwin Frein H B.S., 1992 (The Vanderbilt Hustler, Versus magazine) Frein lives in Nashville, TN, and said: Currently, I teach art in Nahville Public Schools. I have 3 children with husband, Jay Frein.

Working the sidelines during Vanderbilt's home game against Georgia.

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alumni updates‌ 2000 Jackie Ross H B.A., 2000 (The Vanderbilt Hustler) Ross lives in San Francisco, CA, and said: Jackie Ross recently joined executive search firm Russell Reynolds Associates and focuses on biotech, pharma and other healthcarerelated searches. She credits her experience with the Vanderbilt Hustler for developing her investigative reporting abilities and people-profiling skills, all integral to executive search.

(L-R) MJ, Bobbi, Doc and Michael.

Bonnell just after the finish line in Kona, Hawaii.

October 10th, 2015.

1994 Jon Bonnell H B.S., 1994 (The Vanderbilt Hustler, Versus magazine) Bonnell lives in Fort Worth, TX, and said: I am currently the Executive Chef and owner of 3 restaurants in Fort Worth, TX, after attending the New England Culinary Institute. I am also the stadium chef at TCU for all clubs and suites, a culinary instructor, and instructor of wine and I just completed my 2nd Ironman Triathlon at the World Championships in Kona, Hawaii. 140.6 miles.

1995 Diego Rosenberg H B.S., 1995 (WRVU, Versus magazine, Slightly Amusing) Rosenberg lives in Los Angeles, CA, and said: Currently writing a book, "Selling the American Muscle Car: Marketing Detroit Iron in the 60s and 70s," which is about how the different manufacturers promoted performance cars roughly 1960-74. At this very moment I'm finishing revisions so it will be available through Amazon and "finer bookstores...." sometime in 2016.

Martin Wilson H B.A., 1995 (The Vanderbilt Review) Wilson lives in New York, NY, and said: I recently sold my second novel, We Now Return to Regular Life, to Dial Books for Young Readers. It will be published Summer 2017. I am currently a Senior Publicity Manager at HarperCollins in New York City.

her big brother Doc are doing great. A Jesse H. Neal award-winning senior journalist and manager based in Washington, I am now responsible for leading Aviation Week's business coverage of the aerospace and defense sector. I also help organize and host conferences while representing Aviation Week & Space Technology at outside conferences, speeches and in interviews (see you around?). Come 2016, I'll celebrate 12 years on staff at Aviation Week.

Katherine Ann McCall H B.A., 1997 (The Vanderbilt Hustler) McCall lives in Houston, TX, and said: For the last 17 years I worked on the air, in television news, as an anchor/ reporter, in Tucson, Houston, and Chicago.

I currently Katie McCall reside in Houston and am taking a break from the hustle and bustle of news, to rest and relax. I'm enjoying having availability to do a lot of things that didn't fit into my news schedule. I'm interested in writing a book, producing and narrating documentaries, and doing voice overs and communications consulting.

Ben Snowden H B.A., 1997 (The Vanderbilt Hustler, WRVU, Versus magazine, Slightly Amusing) Snowden lives in Raleigh, NC, and said: Ben is a clean energy and environmental lawyer with Kilpatrick Townsend Stockton in Raleigh. He and his wife Rebecca have two little girls and are expecting a third next May. Stephanie Storey H B.A., 1997 (The Vanderbilt Hustler, Versus magazine, Slightly Amusing) Storey lives in Los Angeles, CA, and said: My debut novel, Oil and Marble, will be out on March 1, 2016 from Arcade. It is historical fiction based on the real rivalry between Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo, which drove the artists to create two of the most iconic works in history: The Mona Lisa and David. Visit my book blog for more information and a schedule of events (I hope to get back to Nashville for a signing!): www.OilandMarble.com

1998

2002 Parwana Ashari H B.S., 2002 (Versus magazine) Ashari lives in Washington, DC, and said: Parwana has recently launched a fashion blog, and was featured on The Zoe Report for

Steve Nelson H B.A., 2004 (The Vanderbilt Hustler, The Vanderbilt Review) Nelson lives in Burlington, VT, and said: Living in Burlington, Vermont these days. Frequent contributor to At the Americas Society Amherst's literary magannual benefit supporting translation of works azine The Common, in politically comprised former slush pile readregions. er at The New Yorker, and Currently at work at a novel called DISTRICT OF CAMELOT.

2005 David Barzelay H B.S., 2005 (The Slant, Vanderbilt Television, The Torch, The Vanderbilt Review) Barzelay lives in San Francisco, CA. D'nelle Throneberry Dowis H B.A., 2005 (The Vanderbilt Hustler, Commodore yearbook, Orbis, The Vanderbilt Review, VSC Board member) Dowis lives in Nashville, TN, and said: 2015 was a

Parwana has been traveling regularly between LA (pictured at Paul Smith on Melrose in West Hollywood) and the east coast this year, shooting style features and working with clients.

a fall style editorial with the Rachel Zoe Studio team. In addition to her day job as a healthcare consultant, Parwana works as a fashion blogger and personal stylist to clients in Washington, DC, New York and Los Angeles.

Francis Chan H B.E., 2002 (The Vanderbilt Hustler, Commodore yearbook) Chan lives in Leeds, UK. Michael John Minihan H B.S., 2002 (The Vanderbilt Hustler, WRVU) Minihan lives in Orange, CA, and said: Now an executive producer for an experiential marketing agency in LA managing Tesla Motors' marketing & special event needs globally.

2003 Alex Douglas Shoor H B.A., 2003 (Orbis) Shoor lives in San Jose, CA, and said: After three and a half years as a Policy Aide for Santa Clara County Supervisor Ken Yeager, Alex began a new position on October 5 as the Director of Government Affairs for a Bay Area nonprofit organization called Fresh Lifelines for Youth (FLY) that strives to reduce crime and incarceration among juveniles.

Me, my husband Chris and our dog, Cecelia, who didn't seem to get the joke when we put her in a shirt with our faces printed on it.

banner year for me. After lots of springtime travel and hard work over the summer, this fall my husband and I bought a house in East Nashville. I'll still be running my internet marketing company, Berry Interesting Productions, from home, but now I finally have my own office... with a door!

I'll be spending the coming months doing some serious adulting to prepare for October 2016, which will mark 10 years for me as a business owner. When I'm not building websites, you can catch me at the dog park, at a WordPress Meetup or a WE Nashville meeting.

2004 Jodi Edelstein Barry H B.S., 2004 (VSC Board member) Barry lives in Boston, MA, and said: Jodi Edelstein and Joseph Barry were

2006 Maureen Rogers H B.A., 2006 (WRVU) Rogers lives in Madison, WI.

2008 Martin Wilson

Jennifer Bennett H B.A., 2008 (Versus magazine) Bennett lives in Nashville, TN, and said: I am designing and building apps for tiny pocket computers alongside alum Jonathan Wiley (BE '07). We currently co-own a Nashville mobile development company - LunarLincoln.

Learn more at LunarLincoln.com

1996 Michael G. Earthman H M. Music, 1996 (Vanderbilt Television) Earthman lives in Houston, TX, and said: Ordained a Roman Catholic Priest in 2007. On the Formation Faculty of St. Mary's Seminary & the University of St. Thomas in Houston, TX since 2011. Teaching courses on the Sacred Liturgy and Ritual/Sacramental Practica. Whilst directing the seminary "schola cantorum," have written Michael G. Earthman liturgical music for the seminary community. As Formation Director, have been mentor for seminarians preparing for Ordination to the Diaconate and the Priesthood.

1997 Michael Bruno H B.A., 1997 (The Vanderbilt Hustler, Vanderbilt Television) Bruno lives in Washington, DC, and said: We welcomed our daughter this year, Bobbi. She and

Jodi and Joseph Barry.

married in October of 2015. The ceremony was held in Chittenden, Vermont. After two weeks’ vacation in New Zealand, the couple will reside in Massachusetts.

Hot mama in center-me!, Handsome husband-Kendale Tymony. Children (l to r) Jada, Mason, and Jordan.

Chrishana Ogilvie H B.S., 1998 (Commodore yearbook) Ogilvie lives in Wichita, KS, and said: I am an Allergy/Immunology physician at Via Christi Clinic in Wichita, KS. My husband and I got married in May 2014. Our marriage is a second one for both of us, and we now have a blended family of three fabulous kids.

Jacob Grier H B.A., 2004 (The Vanderbilt Hustler, The Slant, The Torch, VSC Board member) Grier lives in Portland, OR, and said: My first book, Cocktails on Tap: The Art of Mixing Spirits and Beer, was published

by Stewart, Tabori, and Chang in March of 2015. The book explores the history and many uses of beer as an ingrediThis is the cover to my ent in mixed drinks. book.

Tian Song H B.A., 2008 (Versus magazine) Song lives in Santo Domingo, D o m i n i c a n Republic, and said: Tian Song is the Resident Director in Santo Domingo, D o m i n i c a n Republic for CIEE: Council Tian Song at a charity on International boxing event in Shanghai, E d u c a t i o n a l China.

Exchange.

She has worked for CIEE since fall 2011 and previously served as Manager of Student Services for the CIEE Shanghai Study Center before joining the Santo Domingo team in summer 2014. Born in Chengdu, China, Tian grew up in the United States and completed her B.A. from Vanderbilt University with High Honors

Issue 23 • FALL 2015

in English and a minor in Piano Performance.

In 2009, she received an M.S.Ed. in Higher Education Management from the University of Pennsylvania. Prior to joining CIEE, she worked in the Global Education Office at Vanderbilt University as a Study Abroad Advisor and oversaw the Vanderbilt Undergraduate Exchange Student Program.

2009 Katie DePaola H B.S., 2009 (The Vanderbilt Hustler, Versus magazine, InsideVandy.com) DePaola lives in Washington, DC, and said: Part modern-day goddess and part priestess in training, Katie DePaola is rapidly making her way into the spiritual scene.

She brings coaching and community together through Inner Glow Circle (IGC), her dynamic new coaching sisterhood with members across the world. It's a paid version of her original Goddess Circle, which she's hosted in her crystalinfused penthouse for over a year and is now making its way into living rooms all over the globe. After years of listening to her one-on-one clients share their desire for deeper sisterhood,

7

Chris McDonald H B.A., 2011 (The Vanderbilt Hustler, Versus magazine, InsideVandy.com, VSC Board member) McDonald lives in Richmond, VA, and said: I currently serve as Special Advisor for Energy Policy to Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe and his Administration. In this capacity, I work primarily in solar, wind, and nuclear energy policy, advise on workforce development matters, and administer energy-related, state-sponsored financing programs.

conversation, I was lucky enough to complete an internship there after I graduated in 2013. That experience launched me to my first on-air job in Wausau, Wisconsin. Spent a year and a half there and now I'm in Vegas. I was looking into starting an alumni chapter out here but I don't think there's enough of us! So I'll settle for inviting anyone who's ever in town to look me up.

Would love to meet some fellow Commodores.

Anchor down!

Gracie Smith H B.A., 2011 (Vanderbilt Political Review) Smith lives in New York City, NY, and said: I have been with Morgan Stanley for almost 3 years now, working in both

2015 Scott Head H B.A., 2015 (Vanderbilt Television, VSC Board member) Head lives in Los Angeles, CA, and said: After graduating in May, I drove cross-country to start a career in television in Los Angeles. I'm all settled in with Maddie Hughes (PA, Cast), Julia Seales (Director, Writer, Producer, Cast), Rachel Brittain (Director, Writer, Producer, Cast), Lauren Mandel (Director, Writer, Producer, Editor, Cast), Krista Lehnhoff (Director of Cinematography), Brian Cooper (Cast)

since having graduated Vanderbilt in May! In August I began working in New York City as a Page at NBCUniversal, where I will spend the next year rotating throughout the company in various assignments in production, business and consumer. In addition, The Delivery Girl, a short film that I starred in, wrote, directed, and produced with fellow VTV alum Rachel Brittain and Julia Seales premiered in the Big Apple Film Festival. We all attended the screening together in New York, which was great fun! When I'm not working at NBC you can usually find me over at The Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre where I have joined the producing team for the theater's monthly late night talk show, "Night Late."

Gracie Smith

the FX sales and public finance banking groups during my time with the firm. I joined Morgan Stanley after completing two years with Teach For America in Memphis, Tennessee, where I taught math at Melrose High School.

Me­—see update!

2013

Katie DePaola

Katie took action and founded IGC. The head goddess had a very clear mission: make the power of coaching widely accessible, provide high-level support and structure to any woman wanting to manifest her dreams, and promote collaboration over competition, encouraging sisterhood on a global scale. IGC offers a weekly schedule of group coaching calls led by her team of 15 Certified Glow Coaches, which cover personal branding, business, wellness, spirituality and more. Still a life and business coach with a deep spiritual focus, Katie maintains a fruitful private practice. Her clients are landing dream jobs, enjoying $35K+ months and reinventing their lives in magical ways. Get to know Katie and her Inner Glow Circle at www.innerglowcircle.com.

Pete Madden H B.A., 2009 (The Vanderbilt Hustler, InsideVandy.com) Madden lives in New York, NY, and said: Pete Madden is a senior producer for Sports Illustrated covering the PGA Tour and an adjunct professor of journalism at Westchester Community College.

Dustin James Swysgood H B.E., 2009 (WRVU) Swysgood lives in Philadelphia, PA, and said: My wife and I recently moved to Philadelphia, PA, to take advantage of new opportunities. I currently manage all of our downstream chemical business in Philadelphia while my wife is in the M.Arch Program at UPenn.

2010

Lauren Mandel H B.A., 2015 (The Vanderbilt Hustler, Vanderbilt Television, VSC Board member) Mandel lives in New York, NY, and said: It has been an exciting few months

Rachel Lauren Abeshouse H B.A., 2013 (The Vanderbilt Hustler, Vanderbilt Television) Abeshouse lives in New York, NY, and said: Rachel Abeshouse is growing up! I recently moved from my first job at Nick Jr.'s "Dora the Explorer," to Nickelodeon's new show, "Welcome to the Wayne." Check it out in 2016, no matter how old you are!

a reality production company, doing extraordinary things like being put inside a cardboard box with a toilet seat, glass eye, and prosthetic limb all for TV magic. I'm learning lots, with the ultimate goal of becoming a challenge producer for competition shows.

Tierra Johnson H B.A., 2015 (Vanderbilt Television) Johnson lives in Memphis, TN, and said: I started working as Production Operator at WREG News Channel 3 in Memphis

Anthony Joseph Tripodoro H B.A., 2015 (The Vanderbilt Hustler, InsideVandy.com) Tripodoro lives in New York, NY, and said: I am currently working in investment banking at Deutsche Bank in New York City.

Kathryn Marie Williams H B.A., 2015 (The Vanderbilt Review, HerCampus) Williams lives in Washington, DC, and said: After graduation in May 2015, I moved to Washington, D.C. and started working as an editorial assistant at National Geographic Kids. I've learned all about

Murphy E Byrne H B.A., 2013 (The Vanderbilt Hustler) Byrne lives in Minneapolis, MN, and said: Have a job with both a wedding studio and city of minneapolis doing photography. Continuing to build my own freelance visual storytelling business.

Harrison Dreves H B.A., 2013 (InsideVandy.com, VSC Board member) Dreves lives in Boulder, CO, and said: Harrison is now working as a content producer for the College of Media, Communication and Information at the University of Colorado Boulder, where he is creating content for the new college's website and social media platforms.

Brad Golder H B.A., 2013 (The Vanderbilt Hustler, Vanderbilt Television) Golder lives in Rochester, MI, and said: I've begun a new career as a financial adviser with Prudential, helping to guide individuals and companies to reach their financial goals. I still work as a sports broadcaster, calling games for Oakland and Saginaw Valley State Universities.

David Schuman H B.A., 2013 (The Vanderbilt Hustler, Vanderbilt Television) Schuman lives in Las Vegas, NV, and said: I recently moved to Las Vegas to be an on-air reporter with KTNV, the ABC affiliate here. It's been such

Angela Grace Booker H B.S., 2010 (The Vanderbilt Hustler) Booker lives in Hermitage, TN, and said: Currently, I am a Program Coordinator with Metro Nashville Parks and Recreation. I am a proud mother of a brilliant 6 year old and expect another child in July 2016.

Tierra Johnson

a few months after graduation. Now, I am about to start working as an Assignment Editor at WREG. I am most certainly looking forward to learning new skills in a new position and advancing my career.

Kathryn Marie Williams

children's books and educational publishing, and sometimes my coworkers bring bunnies to the office. H

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT

CAROLINE COLLINS McKENZIE, Class of 2005

2011 Quintin Lundy H B.A., 2011 (Vanderbilt Television) Lundy lives in Los Angeles, CA, and said: I recently accepted a position as the Visual History Coordinator/Video Editor at the Directors Guild of America. My job mainly consists of editing video of Q&As of our directors and placing them on the DGA.org website. I also coordinate and edit the Visual History interviews of DGA members (directors, AD/SMs, AD/UPMs) speaking about their careers. It's really fun and challenging work, and I'm excited to be apart of it all. I've been able to cut together Q&As featuring Martin Scorsese, Steven Speilberg, Paul Thomas Anderson, and Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu.

I feel very lucky.

McKenzie, 2005

David Schuman

a great experience and I'm really looking forward to calling this place home for the next couple years. My start in TV news actually came from a chance meeting at Vanderbilt Parents' Weekend during my senior year in fall 2012. At the Career Center I met the executive producer at KSDK, the NBC affiliate in St. Louis and through that

Country Living has promoted Caroline Collins McKenzie (2005) to executive editor. Previously she served as the magazine's deputy editor. McKenzie has also held staff positions at Southern Living and Martha Stewart's Body+Soul. Her editorial work has earned numerous awards including a final-

McKenzie, 2015

ist position in the 2014 ASME National Magazine Awards. Country Living moved into the brand’s new headquarters in Birmingham, Alabama. The new home base for the magazine’s edit team is located in Pepper Place, in the heart of the city’s design and creative district. H

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SAM FEIST, continued from page 1

throughout the evening. It’s pretty cool, and as CNN’s Washington bureau chief, it’s all within Feist’s domain. The bureau covers more than just politics: the White House, national security, crime and justice, and even aviation and transportation news. But in a presidential election cycle, politics gets the biggest spotlight, and Feist, a political junkie, is hoping to keep and maintain CNN as the number-one outlet for 2016 coverage.

It’s a job Feist has been preparing for his whole career. At Vanderbilt, he spent much of time in the Sarratt tunnel, working at the Hustler in various roles and on a political-issues program that aired on Vanderbilt Video Productions (the precursor to Vanderbilt Television). He earned an internship at CNN in Washington after his sophomore year, then another at CNN’s London bureau after his junior year, in 1990. The advent of the Gulf War that summer extended his time in London with CNN for another month to help in the coverage of the first war of the satellite TV era Feist graduated from Vanderbilt in 1991 and started at CNN at the Atlanta bureau before moving up to the Washington bureau a few years later. Over the next 24 years, he did just about every job imaginable at the cable network, from guest booker to embed reporter to assignment editor to associate producer. He continued working in political journalism as a producer for CNN’s weekend programs like Capital Gang and Evans and Novak. In 2000, Feist had his first stint working alongside Wolf Blitzer on a nightly primetime special on the presidential recount. And somewhere along the way, he earned his law degree at Georgetown University.

But it was the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks that Feist says changed his journalism career forever. “It hasn’t been quiet in the news, it feels like, since then,” he says.

A year later, Feist was producing CNN’s prime-time political debate show Crossfire, and in 2004 was put in charge of political programming, later political director. By 2011, after 20 years at CNN, he was named Washington bureau chief.

The current presidential election cycle is his seventh at CNN, and Feist says he and the network had a goal to make CNN’s digital political operation the “number-one destination for politics” on the internet. “We hit that goal in March 2015,” Feist says proudly.

They haven’t relinquished it since. That’s due to significant staffing, investments in on-the-trail reporting, and Feist’s view that in a world of opinionated cable-news options, CNN is seen as a neutral source. “We do not pick sides in elections,” he says emphatically.

Perhaps the biggest development for CNN’s political coverage this cycle has been the outsized importance of the primary debates, particularly on the Republican side. The CNN-hosted Republican debate on September 14 earned 23.1 million viewers, making it the most-watched event in the network’s history. A lot of the credit has gone to the draw of the Donald Trump spectacle, but Feist says Republican voters are getting more out of the debates than just entertainment.

“I think the debates are maybe the most important event in a campaign,” he says. “It’s the only time when the voters get to see their candidates for president on the same stage answering similar questions, and you can compare them to one another.”

Feist attends all the debates, not just those airing on CNN. He’s even got a personal role at his network’s debates: walking each candidate through the layout of the debate hall before the big event.

“CNN takes debates very seriously. The amount of preparation we do is incredible and significant,” he says. That preparation includes everything from building the set to crafting the questions the candidates will answer. During our interview, held a couple weeks before CNN’s second Republican debate on December 15, Feist says his team has been meeting daily to discuss question ideas.

“I see primary debates as opportunities for, say, Republican primary voters to size up their candidates against each other. So the questions we ask, we try to ask questions that Republican voters are interested in,” he says. “There is a time for general-election debates, but that’s not until the fall. During the primaries we want to ask Republicans about issues that are important to Republicans.

We want to ask Democrats about issues that are important to Democrats.”

That view of debates draws fire from partisans who say the other side’s candidates aren’t getting asked tough questions. “Sometimes we will be criticized by Democrats for not asking about a particular subject in a Republican debate,” Feist says as an example. “I have to remind people that that’s not for a Republican debate, that’s for a Democratic debate.”

The criticism doesn’t end there, and in his role as bureau chief Feist is often the brunt of it, from campaigns, congressional offices, government officials, and the rest. The complaints, he says, are about unfair coverage, lack of coverage, too much coverage—all the things, he adds, that the various powers and institutions he and others covered as a student at Vanderbilt complained about.

“Journalism is not really very different at the college level than it is here. The same issues on a different scale, but they’re still the same issues. The same ethical issues that you have to consider in journalism every day. What’s your approach to a story? What’s your lead to the story? How do you frame a story? Have you been fair? Have you been complete?” Feist says “All of those questions we struggled with in the tunnel, and they’re no different. It was great training then.”

As we discuss his career, Feist notes that he’s always proud to tell people he’s made a living in journalism without having attended a journalism school.

“I learned a lot about journalism at Vanderbilt,” he says. “I just didn’t learn it in a classroom.” H

Feist works with presidential candidates Ben Carson and Carly Fiorina prior to CNN's Republican debate at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Sept. (photos courtesy of CNN)

Student Media alum, Mike Warren, interviews Sam Feist Michael Warren ('10), former editor of The Vanderbilt Hustler and Torch and a VSC Board Member, is a staff writer at the Weekly Standard. A 2012 Robert Novak journalism fellow, he has also written for the Wall Street Journal, the Washington

Times, National Review Online, City Journal, and the Washington Examiner. He makes frequent appearances on radio and television, including Fox News, CNN, MSNBC, and C-SPAN. He lives in Arlington, Virginia, with his family. H

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We need your help to Create the Future DONORS! THANK YOU

by BRIAN McGUIRE, Director of Development and Alumni Relations

Exciting, challenging, growing – that is the best way I can describe the development and alumni relations effort since I arrived in August, 2014. Since my arrival, we have launched a capital campaign, created endowed funds to support our core mission, developed an investment policy statement, and seen our endowment grow.

The Create the Future capital campaign to ensure the viability of Vanderbilt Student Media is underway. Through donations and capital appreciation, we have seen our endowment grow by more than $40,000. This is progress as we go forward to our goal of completely endowing the operation. As is true with any college or university, the best way for alumni to show appreciation for their experience and to have an impact on the future is to make a major gift to create an endowed fund.

The same is true at Vanderbilt Student Media.

The alumni relations effort continues to grow, and we have made significant steps in reaching out to our valued alumni.

We had three wonderful receptions with alumni and current students in Nashville, Washington, DC, and New York City. As someone who has worked in and around higher education for

most of my life, it is very gratifying to see how natural it is for the alumni to interact with the students. This indicates to me that the experience here is educational, fraternal and enduring.

The endowed funds we created will support our core mission of providing the best possible experience a student can pursue outside of the classroom.

An icon in Vanderbilt Student Media who embodied that idea was Jim Leeson, and we have created two endowed funds to honor his legacy. The income from these funds will provide unique journalism training and will also provide for an award to recognize students who exemplify excellence in journalism.

The governing board of Vanderbilt Student Media drafted and approved an investment policy statement, which will provide for a structure in investing the endowed funds going forward. The capital appreciation of our endowed funds has already outpaced both the broader market and the diversified benchmark the board identified in the investment policy statement.

These efforts represent our priorities in development and alumni relations at Vanderbilt Student Media. If I have not already met you either individually or at our alumni events, I look forward to hearing your story, and I would love to see how you might be able to contribute time, talent or funds to help us create the best possible experience for the students. H

ALUMNI DONOR SPOTLIGHT

What do I owe Vanderbilt Television?

Professionally and personally, I owe “a great deal" to VTV and Student Media

Justin and Matthew (2003)

by JUSTIN SMITH, Class of 2003

Twelve years after graduating, this is my current position in life. Professionally, I head operations for the CBS series “Undercover Boss.” We’ve launched Season 7, which will bring the 100th episode milestone. At home, I’m recently engaged to an incredible woman, who (I like to say) was introduced to me by Bob Saget. I just said goodbye to my longtime roommate and fellow Vandy classmate, Matthew Saul. After a dozen years at the talent agency William Morris Endeavor, he’s moved on to opportunities he’ll share in a later edition of Tunnel Vision.

Social norms typically don’t dictate two 35 year-olds living together for ten-plus years, but we have the setting of a beautiful home in Beverly Hills, and Matthew and I are as close as brothers. To hell with social norms!

How did I get here? The tide took me. Let’s pick up my story at Vanderbilt. More specifically, it began in the first week of school at the Student Activities Fair. It’s a wonderful event where students can get drunk on freewill and over commitment to all the after class activities. When I came to the Vanderbilt Television booth, I found it sexy like most do when thinking about “Hollywood.” I was naive at the time, but I signed up.

The first meeting brought 30 freshmen. The second meeting brought 3 (typical of the time). In that second meeting, I met Matthew. It was all a chance encounter, but as my father says “it’s the Vanderbilt dividend.” My father believes that a textbook education can be administered anywhere. It’s the experience that happens in the margins of that textbook education that defines the educational, social, and budding professional experience.

Countless hours were spent working in the station, then located in the basement of Branscomb. It was a laboratory in adventure, organization, collaboration, communication, storytelling, troubleshooting, time/expectation

Justin and Matthew (2015)

management, and at times, public humiliation. What was then, still is for me today. I’m hooked.

I have many fond memories of Vanderbilt Television.

Undoubtedly, my favorite memories are the trips to the nationwide conferences. Since VTV administration was small, Matthew and I self elected ourselves to the titles of “Station Manager” and “Director of Programming.”

We punched our tickets to New York, New Orleans and Orlando. We would listen to lectures from those who would later become colleagues. Of course, we found ways to entertain ourselves “in the margins of that textbook education.”

When I graduated, I looked for entry-level television work in Nashville. Fortunately, I called the right place at the right time to be linked into the second season of “Nashville Star.” I did well enough that the producers asked that I move to LA and work with them. With Matthew already in LA, I did. I spent 5 years under the “Star” executive producer before hitting the freelance market. I built a solid network, and met my fiance along the way. Ultimately, I stumbled onto the production company of “Undercover Boss.” We remained loyal, and ultimately I rose to head of operations. While my time on “Boss” has been rewarding, I stress to anyone interested in my field that the most valuable asset is your name. You must build it, by challenging yourself with humbleness, thoughtfulness and self-reflection. Then, you must protect it, because it will forge, or derail, your career path. This exercise doesn’t begin at graduation; it’s already underway at school.

I like saying “the tide took me here.” It was a chance encounter with Vanderbilt Television and its people.

Vanderbilt Student Media has my support in return for all it’s given me. I wish it well, as I know it too has grown since that second meeting in 1999. H

Vanderbilt Student Media is grateful to its alumni and other donors whose contributions help support alumni outreach efforts such as this newsletter and our Hall of Fame events. With your help, we are better able to maintain a strong and active network and help our students achieve their media goals. Vanderbilt Student Media is in the midst of a capital campaign with the goal of endowing our programs at Vanderbilt University for students forever.

OUR THANKS TO OUR DONORS: Lamar Alexander ‘62 Lena Anthony ‘03 Bill Armistead Bob Armistead Kevin B. Barnard ‘80 Kathleen Barry ‘80 Skip Bayless ‘74 Abigail Beckel ‘00 Jacquie Berger ‘10 Roy Blount Jr. ‘63 John Boys ‘61 Catherine Bowling ‘60 Laurence Bradley ’71, ‘75 Jeff Breaux staff Medora Brown ‘10 Michael Bruno ‘97 Fred Buc ‘79 Ann Carroll ‘74 Chris Carroll staff Paige Orr Clancy ‘98, staff Corinne Cookson ‘07 Charles Cook Dawson ‘65 Katherine Degerberg ‘85 Tony Divino ‘98 Robert C. Eager ‘67 T. William Estes ‘54 Sam Feist ‘91 Richard Geyer ‘70 Jay Graves ‘93 William W. Gwinn Jr. ‘77 L. John Haile ‘67 Steven Hall ‘84 G. Marc Hamburger ‘64 Brad Hammond ‘74 Jim Hayes staff Richard Hoffman Mark Hoover ‘81 Marion Horsley ‘68 Don House ‘75 Laurie Houston ‘91 Sally Houston ‘82 Jerry N. Jordan ‘49 Patricia Kobor ‘80 Irwin J. Kuhn ‘76 Paul Kurtz ’68, ‘72 Juliann Schwan Larimer ‘88 Marni Lessa ‘92 Edyth Lasky Malin ‘47 Michelle Manzo ‘92 Curt Jeffrey Mayer ‘05 Rachel McAllister ‘57 Geoff McClelland ‘62 Kevin McDonald ‘78 Brian McGuire staff Hugh J. Moore ‘66 Steve Oggel ‘64 Paul Pirillo ‘86 Harry Howe Ransom ‘43 Alexis Readinger ‘96 Raleigh Romine ‘71 Tom Rosenblatt ‘74 Daniel & Jennifer Schiffer ’04, ‘03 Kurt Schmalz ’78, ‘83 David C. Scott ‘88 Carl L. Sebelius Jr. ‘61 Sean Seelinger ‘07 Jeffrey D. Segal ‘75 Justin Seibert ‘99 Thomas Shattuck Robert Lawrence Shaw ‘04 Justin Stephen Smith ‘03 Kara Smith ‘00 Alison Ruth Scholly Summy ‘90 Sky Stipanowich ‘76 Margaret Tarpley ’65, ‘66 Robert Thompson ‘71 John H. Turner ‘62 Jim Tart ‘64 John Travis ‘50 Eugene Vaughan ‘55 Jay Young ‘66

To make a tax deductible donation with a credit card or bank draft to Vanderbilt Student Media, please go to www.vscdevelopment.org and fill out the online form, or contact Brian McGuire at brian.mcguire@vanderbilt.edu.

Thank you! H

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Vanderbilt Student Media's

College Media Institute New division offers training to college students, advisers and staff across the country For years Vanderbilt students have been the beneficiaries of accomplished alumni working in media who visit campus to share their expertise. Thanks to a new outreach program launched this fall, these unique learning opportunities are available to students and staff across the country.

College Media Institute, a new division of the Vanderbilt Student Communications, was created to offer college media students and advisers incomparable educational and training opportunities. Workshops offered throughout the year are designed to provide value to attendees, who attend to learn, develop skills and network.

"Long before VSC’s term as the headquarters for College Media Association, we offered specialized media workshops for Vanderbilt students and made extra seats available to students/advisers from nearby schools,” said Chris Carroll, director of student media. "We typically use alumni instructors and partnered with groups like Association of Opinion Journalists, National Press Photographers Association, etc. My reasoning has always been since we’re incurring the expense and planning for an event for our students anyway, why not open it to others?”

CMI has simply expanded and formalized what we’ve been doing for years, Carroll said.

"We think students with a focused media interest benefit from an immer-

sive experience in that interest area. So all our workshops are topical,” Carroll said. "We think students benefit from one-on-one networking encounters with media pros. That’s why our workshops are small.

“Last year we watched sports students from as far away as Alaska line up for an hour to spend one-on-one time (and take selfies) with Buster Olney from ESPN, Tyler Kepner from The New York Times, Dan Woken from USA Today, Rob Shaw from Facebook, and many more, all Vanderbilt alumni, who take time to come back to Nashville and share their expertise. For many student attendees, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime highlight to meet a media hero. We want to make that experience possible for others.

"We’re extremely lucky to have our alumni. Last March our students met Wolf Blitzer in his CNN studio, sat with NPR Morning Edition hosts, and met Washington Post Executive Editor Marty Baron. We want to share those types of experiences with others."

CMI workshops this fall included a political journalism summit in Washington, DC (see below), and hands-on multimedia training.

Upcoming events in February will cover sports, investigative reporting, music reporting, multimedia and a summit to discuss the future of college media.

See www.collegemediainstitute.com to learn more. H

Covering Politics + Power with Vanderbilt Alums More than a dozen of the nation's top political journalists, including many Vanderbilt Student Media alumni, spoke to student journalists at a fall seminar in Washington, D.C.

Student Media advisers organized the Oct. 16-17 event, which featured journalists from a wide range of media outlets for an audience of students from around the country. Held at the Hilton Garden Inn Washington, D.C./U.S. Capitol Hill, the college media seminar "Covering Politics + Power" was part of a series of events hosted this academic year by Vanderbilt Student Media's new training division, College Media Institute.

College students interested in covering politics, politicians and the legislative process attended. Vanderbilt Student Media provided funding for 12 Vanderbilt students to travel to D.C. and attend the seminar. The Vanderbilt students also participated in a private tour of the CNN Washington Bureau with alumnus Sam Feist, who serves as bureau chief there.

Alumni speakers included: Tyler Bishop, The Atlantic Sam Feist, CNN Jillian Hughes, CBS News Bridget Kelley, NPR Mike Warren, The Weekly Standard Other speakers included: Talia Buford, The Center for Public Integrity Amy Bugno, Vanderbilt's Center for Student Professional Development Chris Cillizza, The Washington Post Amita Kelly, NPR Bill Nichols, Politico Ron Nixon, The New York Times Megan Wilson, The Hill

Feist meets with students at CNN and Mike Warren shares advice with students in DC.

To learn more about Vanderbilt Student Media's new College Media Institute, please visit collegemediainstitute.org.

Issue 23 • FALL 2015

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New Student Media Alumni Directory Update your directory record, connect with classmates and share your news Student Media alumni now can update their information and connect online with other alumni through the Vanderbilt Student Media Alumni Directory at vandymedia.org.

You should have received an email from us with an initial login key. Once logged in, you may change your password, update your profile with personal or professional information and search for your tunnel friends. If you don't see them in there, you are able to send "invitations".

There's no better way to stay in touch with fellow Vanderbilt Student Media alumni than to keep your own record up-to-date and searchable! Hopefully, the directory will be a useful social media tool to keep up with tunnel friends and to network profes-

sionally. If you need help logging in, please contact Vanderbilt Student Media Alumni Relations at 615-322-7166 or via email at brian.mcguire@ vanderbilt.edu.

vide VSC and fellow alumni with current personal information and professional or academic accomplishments. You can also indicate that you might be looking for job opportunities or that you may have opportunities available.

SEARCH THE ALUMNI DIRECTORY You can perform either a simple search or an advanced search using one or all of the search fields provided. The more information you enter, the more refined search you can perform.

INVITE OTHERS If you know of others who were involved in Vanderbilt Student Media, you will have the option to invite others to join the alumni database.

UPDATE YOUR INFO View your alumni directory listing and use the update feature to send any contact, business, or activity changes to VSC. This is an easy way to pro-

SUBMIT A BRIEF BIO Do you have news to share with fellow Vanderbilt Student Media alumni — a job status, family information, or other news? Post it here! You can also see what other alumni are doing. H

Before visiting the Directory for the first time, please use the auto login key that we emailed you to set up your account.

If you did not receive the email with the login key, please contact me at brian.mcguire@vanderbilt.edu

visit

click here www.vandymedia.org

Two new groups launch in Student Media VANDERBILT HISTORICAL REVIEW

PEARL

Student Robert Yee started the Vanderbilt Historical Review this year to publish original historical research of undergraduate students. The publication aims to promote historical research and recognize the exceptional work of undergraduates. Yee works closely with faculty at Vanderbilt's Department of History, and he has recruited a staff of fellow students who are working to produce the first edition. H

A group of students this fall started media organization PEARL (Perception Exception Acceptance Realization Love) to celebrate diversity and non-Eurocentric beauty on campus while exploring current social justice issues. Student Robyn Du is leading the PEARL staff to publish content in print, online and social media. According to Du, PEARL will be one of the first collegiate nonEurocentric beauty and social commentary magazines in the U.S. H

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VANDERBILT STUDENT MEDIA STAFF MEMBERS RECEIVED THE FOLLOWING REGIONAL AND NATIONAL AWARDS IN 2015:

THE VANDERBILT HUSTLER CMA Apple Award Second Place Best Newspaper Four Year School 5-10k Enrollment 2015

TN ASSOCIATED PRESS First Place Online Multimedia Coverage for “Is 10 minutes enough” on walking across campus between classes (Maddie Hughes) 2015

TN ASSOCIATED PRESS First Place Newspaper News Story for “The Red Zone: First-years most vulnerable to sexual assault” (Tyler Bishop) 2015

TN ASSOCIATED PRESS First Place Online Specialized-Topic Reporting for “Plug Pulled on LOTL 2014” on campus concert coverage (Angelica Lasala) 2015

TN ASSOCIATED PRESS First Place Newspaper Sports Reporting for “Scarred star on the road to recovery” (Ben Weinrib) 2015

TN ASSOCIATED PRESS First Place Online Sports Reporting for “Vanderbilt Baseball Looking back, looking ahead” (Patrick Givens) 2015

TN ASSOCIATED PRESS First Place Newspaper Photojournalist - Bosley Jarrett 2015

TN ASSOCIATED PRESS Second Place, Online Sports Program for VU Sports Wired (Allison Mast, Ben Weinrib) 2015

TN ASSOCIATED PRESS First Place Multimedia Journalist - Tyler Bishop 2015

TN ASSOCIATED PRESS Second Place, Newspaper Investigative/In-depth Reporting for "Between brats and bigots" (Angelica Lasala, Aditi Naik) 2015

TN ASSOCIATED PRESS First Place Online Ongoing Coverage for the Vanderbilt rape trial coverage (Tyler Bishop, Allie Gross) 2015 TN ASSOCIATED PRESS First Place Online Spot Coverage for “This is what democracy looks like” (Tyler Bishop, Bosley Jarrett, Allie Gross) 2015

TN ASSOCIATED PRESS Second Place, News Graphic/Illustration for "Professors' Picks" (Design Staff) 2015 TN ASSOCIATED PRESS Second Place, Online Investigative/In-depth Reporting for "Admin puts stricter regulations on 'create your own major' program" (Saara Asikainen) 2015

TN ASSOCIATED PRESS Third Place, Newspaper reporter (Allie Gross) 2015 TN ASSOCIATED PRESS Third Place, Specialized-Topic Reporting for "Fall into fitness" (Priyanka Aribindi, Matt Lieberson) 2015 TN ASSOCIATED PRESS Third Place, College Media Website for vanderbilthustler.com 2015 CMA Pinnacle Award Third Place Best Newspaper Sports Page/Spread 2015 ACP Newspaper Pacemaker Finalist 2015

TN ASSOCIATED PRESS Honorable Mention Best Sports Program (VU Sports Wired) 2015 CMA Pinnacle Award Second Place Best Entertainment Program (Commodores Kitchen) 2015

VANDYRADIO CMA Apple Award Third Place Best Radio Promo 2015 TN ASSOCIATED PRESS First Place Best Sports Coverage 2015

VUFINDER

TN ASSOCIATED PRESS First Place Best Specialized/Topic Reporting 2015

CMA Pinnacle Award First Place Best Viral Video 2015

TN ASSOCIATED PRESS Second Place Best Sports Reporting 2015

VTV

CMA Pinnacle Award Third Place Best Radio Newscast 2015

TN ASSOCIATED PRESS Second Place Best Videographer (Scott Head) 2015 TN ASSOCIATED PRESS Honorable Mention Best TV Feature Story (Dance Marathon) 2015

CMA Pinnacle Award Second Place Best Radio Sportscast 2015 CMA Pinnacle Award First Place Best Radio Special Event Coverage 2015 ★

ALUMNI COLUMN, continued from page 2

Benoit, in turn, was a wedge into traumatic brain Jim’s farm in Franklin, which featured horse Sister and dog Fraulein. A few years after not graduating, I stayed injury in sports and entertainment. That is the subject there for a weekend while I was hitchhiking around. Jim of both my new book and the current movie Concussion, and I made homemade ice cream and blasted Blondie in which Will Smith affects a bad West African accent in his portrayal of my NFL records. whistleblower friend Dr. It took a while to get Bennet Omalu, the piomy muckraking career “For me, life at Vanderbilt was untracked. This owed to a neer of contemporary research on chronic trauperiod of househusbandmostly long nights of Woodward matic encephalopathy. ing, but even more to my & Bernstein imitations. That, and May I brag about my abject incompetence at kids? cajoling editors and pubhanging out with a tight group Jake just started lishers. In 2007, ECW Press with the Brooklyn pubof Toronto published my who enabled my lack of social Wrestling Babylon: Piledriving lic defender’s office. He was news editor of the Tales of Drugs, Sex, Death, development. We loved to wax and Scandal, basically a colColumbia Daily Spectator before two years as a Teach lection of pieces, some of outraged about this or that." which had been cover stoFor America foot soldier at ries in major magazines. arguably the toughest high Almost immediately, WWE star Chris Benoit went on a school (now defunct) in West Philadelphia. While at double murder-suicide rampage that, for a few weeks, NYU Law, he commuted to Alabama on death penalty was honey to the flies of cable news. I went mano a cases for the legendary Bryan Stephenson’s Equal Justice mano with the host of The O’Reilly Factor and ECW com- Initiative. missioned me to write Chris & Nancy: The True Story of Nate (who was named after Nathanael West, and the Benoit Murder-Suicide and Pro Wrestling’s Cocktail of coincidentally born on the 50th anniversary of West’s Death (2009). death) is living, traveling, studying, and working in

China following graduation from UCLA. He’s sharpening his fluency in Mandarin, which of course is poised to become the lingua franca of the 21st century.

Mara, now at UC Santa Cruz (where she will major in some combination of anthropology, art history, and feminist studies), was electrified by her month in Cuba last summer. She wanted to go there before WashingtonHavana relations got fully “normalized.” Mara declined comment on whether this is because her wayward parents don’t do normal.

Lia Fu Hao is in fifth grade. We were gifted with her on my birthday, and just before her own first, in Jiangxi Province. In other words, Lia is the gift that keeps giving. Who knows -- maybe some day she’ll graduate from Vanderbilt. ★ Irv Muchnick is a widely published journalist whose work has appeared in The New York Times Magazine, Sports Illustrated, People, and many other major magazines and newspapers. He has been interviewed on forums as diverse as Fox News’ O’Reilly Factor and National Public Radio’s Fresh Air with Terry Gross.

He is the author most recently of Concussion Inc.: The End of Football As We Know It — which is dedicated to Jim Leeson.

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STUDENT PROJECT SPOTLIGHT

'This Vanderbilt Life' as told by others

Highlighting interesting groups of people, issues and secrets that make up campus

by ANNA BUTRICO, Class of 2018

I’m an avid podcast enthusiast and someone who unashamedly “never shuts up.” As the web editor for The Hustler, I am used to running around campus for interviews, poking my nose in stories, asking one too many questions, writing, and writing, and writing. When I ended up withdrawing from Computer Science 101 at the beginning of the semester, I found myself with a lot of time on my hands, ending class at 10 a.m. every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. I was frustrated, bored, and eager to find ways to let my love of “chatter” and journalism fill that empty space.

Then, the idea for “This Vanderbilt Life” was born.

Modeled off of Ira Glass’s nationally acclaimed “This American Life” podcast, this project would highlight interesting groups of people, issues, and secrets that make up the campus I call home.

This is a very different type of journalism from what I was used to. Rather than use Microsoft Word and our online publishing system, I would have to use a recorder and Garageband. Instead of scribbling up notes, transcribing quotes, and writing the piece myself, I would let other voices tell the story. I would have to hone my interview skills (as my responses were all recorded), be prepared, and learn how to ask the perfect follow-up questions.

I began by focusing on McGill House, a place that prides itself on expression, freedom of thought, and creativity. Hailed as the “hippy dippy house,” it is notorious on campus for its topless floor and its “red smoking table” out front. As a sophomore student, fresh off of Commons, I didn’t know a single person who lived there, but decided that was all the more reason to figure that mysterious place out.

Two months later, 13 interviews, and 8 hours of audio later, I began the editing process, telling the story of McGill through eccentric, compassionate, wonderful “McGillites.” I paired my article with a small written syn-

opsis and photograph, and released it to the world Nov. 17th. With just under 400 hits since then, it received warm responses from the Vanderbilt community and from McGill house.

My next focus isn’t a group of people, but rather a topic: What is success at Vanderbilt? I interviewed athletes, students from all colleges within the university, professors, the director of the Psychological Counseling Center, the director of admissions, three of the Outstanding Seniors, among many others. In light of this ending semester and the beginning of the next (when seniors stress about job applications, freshmen stress about being integrated into Greek life, and when

all undergraduates look toward internship season), I felt this was an important conversation to have.

This podcast is the most terrifying, yet rewarding project I have ever embarked upon. It has taught me to be quiet and listen to the story being told. I have learned so much about the craft of storytelling through not being the active, over-bearing writer, but rather the one who asks questions and pieces together the narrative begging to be told. I am living my Vanderbilt life through this podcast, and I can’t wait to continue these episodes as my college career continues. H

STUDENT PROJECT SPOTLIGHT

Broadcasting Radio for all of Vandy VandyRadio continues to find its groove on campus and compliment WRVU

by JEFFREY GREENBERG, Class of 2017

At only three years old, VandyRadio has finally found its footing as an important branch of student media and as an integral part of the Vanderbilt community. It seems as if each week the station partners with a new student organization or plays broadcasts in a new student center. The campus has expressed a true and lasting desire for mainstream and talk radio programming, and I feel privileged and honored to be a part of the station’s growth.

Since I took over as station manager for VandyRadio, we’ve tripled our total staff from around 20 to more than 60 hosts. With over 40 shows on the air, Studio C’s lights remain on for most business hours every day. Our signal plays in the Commons Center and throughout the Rand Dining Hall, and we plan to expand to the Student Recreation Center. We have exclusive rights to First Year Move-In Day and Commons Cup programming – an exciting way to increase listenership and recruitment.

In sports, we broadcast Vanderbilt Soccer and Lacrosse games throughout the season. In music, we have agreements with the Vanderbilt Programming Board for future interviews with Rites of Spring and Commodore Quake artists. And in broadcast news, we’ve recorded interviews with prominent leaders in technology, politics, and religion.

I dare say that I would not be a good representative for the station if I did not contribute to it in practice as well. This year I’ve continued with two radio shows of my own. For those alumni from the class of 1979 or

before, you’ll be happy to know that Jeff’s Jams airs every Friday afternoon bringing Vanderbilt the best music of the ‘60s and ‘70s. My news talk show, the Anchor Watch, continues to broadcast important campus cultural and political issues such as activism, free speech rights, student government, and other hot button topics. This year I’ve also welcomed freshmen to campus, moderated a debate between the College Democrats and College Republicans, interviewed the director of Google’s foreign policy think tank, hosted a student knowledge bowl, and called a flag football game live from Vanderbilt Stadium.

All the while, I keep in mind the importance of increasing the VandyRadio brand and making us a ubiquitous name on campus.

I like to think my leadership had some role in these changes over the past year, but I know that in reality the station could not function as it does without an incredible executive staff helmed by our program director Joshua LeBorious. These individuals, students like myself, work long and hard solely for the joy that producing and broadcasting radio brings to them. I believe we’ve set up the station to succeed long after we all graduate in the coming years.

Yes, the future looks bright for VandyRadio. It’s been an exciting adventure leading the station so far, and I can’t wait to see how far we can get our signal to reach in the future. H

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STUDENT PROJECT SPOTLIGHT

Bringing a curiosity for cooking to campus

Christie Bok serves up Commodores' Kitchen to Vanderbilt Television and to campus

by CHRISTIE BOK, Class of 2016

My curiosity for cooking and television started in January of 2008, and it's a time that I can remember perfectly. I was sitting at home around 4 p.m. watching Everyday Italian when I would have normally been at a five-hour dance practice. However, after a serious injury, I had to forgo the ballet studio for a new type of creative space: the kitchen. Despite my initial disappointment, I ditched my pointe shoes for a whisk and spatula, grabbed some flour and sugar and started baking.

By the time I transferred to Vanderbilt in 2013, I developed a major interest in cooking and media and had always toyed with the idea of creating a cooking show. As a relatively shy individual, imagining myself on camera was definitely a stretch. But when my friend, Lauren Mandel — a VTV producer who graduated in 2015 — encouraged me, I decided to just go for it.

Learning the ropes of video production had its challenges. After watching the initial full cut of our first episode, however, I had no doubt that I wanted to continue Commodores’ Kitchen. In fact, it was the entire creative process that really transformed this “test episode” to a passion project that has since become the center of my extracurricular work at Vanderbilt.

Whether it’s researching and developing recipes, writing the script, learning how to edit or working with our graphic designer on logo iterations, I absolutely love leading the “CK Team” and producing consistent content that reflects our overall brand.

Our team is also what makes Commodores’ Kitchen such a fun and rewarding project. Without all of their individual hard work, the show would not be what it is today. Though it’s changed each year due to graduating seniors and first year students, our team always consists of an amazing group of cinematographers, editors, productions assistants and chefs who either love food, video production, or both!

As a senior, I’ve reflected on Commodores’ Kitchen as my most cherished memory and best learning experience at Vanderbilt. Refining our content from 15-minute episodes to 2 to 3 minute episodes that are better fit for the digital space has definitely been an important part of the show’s development. This year we added restaurant features, similar to Guy Fieri’s Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, and allow us to connect with Nashville’s greater food community.

Though it’s difficult to define moments that are more special and exhilarating than our shoot days — eat, film, edit, repeat as I like to say, — there’s once instance that I’ll always remember about Commodores’ Kitchen.

About a week after I produced our first episode themed “Valentine’s Day Brunch”—which featured Overnight Pecan Praline French Toast, Poached Egg Salad and Mini Donuts — I got a text from my friend: “Christie, I’m running on the treadmill in Alumni Gym and I can’t focus!” When I replied “why?” I received an answer that

STUDENT PROJECT SPOTLIGHT

was absolutely priceless. “Because you’re making mini donuts on TV!!”

Despite being nervous that other students may have watched the show while also getting in their workout, I couldn’t help but laugh and smile. Though I had my initial doubts as someone with very little production experience, I’ll forever be grateful that I let my passions and Vanderbilt Television guide me to create Commodores’ Kitchen. H

Hey, you’re the free food guy!

by MATT LIEBERSON, Class of 2016

That was the refrain I constantly heard throughout my week of eating only free food on campus. I was living off of free food for a recent project I did for The Vanderbilt Hustler, #FreeVU. The goal of the project was to find out if it was possible to survive on free food offerings at events around campus for a week. While the idea started as more of a dare from my fellow Hustler staffers, after some discussion we realized I could do something unique and captivating with this project.

The #FreeVU project brought me to corners of campus I never had experienced. One of my stipulations for the week was that I had to participate on some level in the events where I was eating. I went to a seminar on body hair and gender expectations. I went to a Latin cultural showcase where I learned how to salsa dance. I went to a lunch on publishing scholarly books … and I was the only student there. One of the professors I met during the week remarked that by interacting with so many facets of campus that I may not have otherwise, I had the ideal college experience packed into one week.

The piece pioneered some new types of content for

the Hustler. Live-tweeting from events each day enabled me to simultaneously promote and create content, as well as engage with interested Twitter users. I saw an increase of about 50 Twitter followers during the week.

We also took advantage of our new online layout system at thevanderbilthustler.com for my daily posts to have a lively feel with embedded photos and tweets. Lastly, we partnered with Vanderbilt Television to produce video content from a few of the week’s events. Being able to create dynamic multimedia content is critically important in today’s media landscape. Hopefully, doing this collaborative project for the Hustler and VTV will set an example for future projects.

Vanderbilt Student Media has meant a lot to me for countless reasons, but this piece made me realize just how fun immersing myself into an initially peculiar project can be. I also felt like this project allowed me to take full advantage of the opportunities that Student Media provides. The vibrant campus at our fingertips is full of exciting events, people, and stories, and I loved getting to find so many of them during my #FreeVU project — even if it was only for a meal. H

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STUDENT PROJECT SPOTLIGHT

Play-by-Play SEC Sports for VandyRadio Max Herz gains valuable experience in unique role with Vanderbilt athletic department

by MAX HERZ, Class of 2017

I am a Vanderbilt junior and the Sports Director for VandyRadio. Through the first semester of this school year, VandyRadio made even greater strides as a destination for professional caliber coverage of all Vanderbilt sports teams. I served as play-by-play announcer in our second year broadcasting all Vanderbilt soccer home games, during which we broadcast all 11 home games.

We added a studio host for the first time. Adding a new voice to our broadcast team went a long way in upgrading our pregame, postgame, and halftime coverage.

Early in the season, the Vanderbilt athletics department approached the station and asked us to host a soccer coach’s show featuring new head coach Darren Ambrose. The Darren Ambrose Show debuted in September on VandyRadio and aired weekly for the rest of the season. The team reached the SEC Tournament for the first time since 2010, and we look forward to growing our coverage next season along with the team’s continued success.

VandyRadio was also the only broadcast of Vanderbilt baseball’s Black and Gold intrasquad series in October, which was our second year covering the event. Baseball is my passion, and doing play-by-play for the best college baseball team in the country is always my favorite broadcasting experience. This baseball season, I will again serve as the Dugout Reporter for Vandy baseball broadcasts on SEC Network+, an opportunity I would have never received without my experience from hosting shows and announcing games on VandyRadio.

I chose Vanderbilt because it was the best school academically that had Division One sports, which I knew I wanted to pursue in one way or another. As a junior, I already feel like a professional sportscaster because of the amazing experiences I have had, none of which would have been reality without VandyRadio, and many of which have occurred on air at the station. H

TOURING the TUNNEL Vanderbilt Student Media hosted a “Tour of the Tunnel” during Reunion Weekend 2015.

Jeff Greenberg, VandyRadio station manager and Logan Wilke, WRVU station manager, show Jeff Davis (Hustler, ’70) and Joanna Foley (Hustler, ’65) around VandyRadio and WRVU studios.

Issue 23 • FALL 2015

tunnel vision the alumni newsletter for student media at vanderbilt university

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FRANKLIN, TN PERMIT NO. 357

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Vanderbilt Student Media's new website H www.vandymedia.org

creating the future One of the best ways to maximize the tax advantages in your charitable gift to Vanderbilt Student Media is to donate appreciated stock. This is because 501c(3) groups do not pay capital gains taxes. So, instead of selling a stock and making a cash gift, please first consider donating the stock directly. As the example below illustrates, your gift bypasses the capital gain tax, but still gives you the full income tax deduction for the dollar amount of the stock.

Amount of Gift: Capital Gain Savings Income Tax Savings Total Tax Savings

Cash $10,000 — $2,800 $2,800

Appreciated Stock $10,000 (i.e., 100 shares at $100 per share) $750 $2,800 $3,550

This example assumes 38% tax bracket and a stock that has appreciated by 50% To make a gift of appreciated stock, please contact brian.mcguire@vanderbilt.edu for our brokerage account number and DTC number.

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