the vanderbilt hustler 1-20-16

WWW.VANDERBILTHUSTLER.COM WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2016 VOL. 128, ISS. 2

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ILLUSTRATION BY VIVIAN SAXON/ THE VANDERBILT HUSTLER

OPINIONCressler’s journey down SouthSPORTS

Commodore guard Nolan Cressler spent two years at Cornell before fi nding a home in Nashville

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Debunking philosophySenior Charlie Woodlief discusses best practices for making it in one of Vandy’s most interesting majors

An in-depth look at Vanderbilt’s Living-Learning Com-munities as application deadlines approach

LIFE

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Housing with a mission

BOSLEY JARRETT / THE VANDERBILT HUSTLER

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RETHINKINGGreek Row

Faculty recommend shorter pledging, non-residential houses, promoting diversity

In 20 years, Greek Row could be entirely non-residential. In just a few years, Vanderbilt Greek houses could have their own Area Coordinator and programming from Faculty Fellows for each house. That’s if the administration adopts the recommendations put forth by the Greek Life Task Force report, released last week.

For the first time since 1998, members of the Faculty Senate — who serve as an advisory body to Vanderbilt’s administration — met over a two-year period to review the status of Greek life on campus, charged with studying all aspects of the Greek system from a “holistic perspective” and making recommendations to ensure the Greek system supports the university’s mission.

“Our job is to look into the crystal ball… and try to look into

the future of higher education at Vanderbilt and in the U.S.,” said David Weintraub, Greek Life Task Force chair.

The Greek Life Task Force has produced a final report complete with goals and recommendations that were presented to the full Faculty Senate on Jan. 14 and, if approved, would be sent to the provost and chancellor’s offices for potential implementation.

In the past, recommendations in similar reports released about every 20 years have led to drastic changes in Greek life on campus, such as switching to the on-campus Greek Row housing system during the 1950s. Other past recommendations, such as deferring pledging until sophomore year urged by reports from both the 1950s and 1990s, however, have been ignored by the administra-tion.

According to Weintraub, the recommendations are usually seriously considered by the administration. He said the task force aimed to only include recommendations that were data-driven,

and the most realistic and likely to be well-received by the Faculty Senate and the Greek community.

The report relied on data collected by an analytics sub-group commissioned by the task force to determine the main differ-ences between Greek and non-Greek students. The group found that while affiliated students were happier with their social lives and had higher GPAs, they reported drinking alcohol and using recreational drugs at higher rates than non-Greek students and are more likely to be Caucasian than unaffiliated students, according to statistics cited in the report.

Weintraub said he did not expect any of the points to be particularly controversial, and emphasized that the task force’s ex-amination of Greek life did not imply that Greek life had problems that had to be addressed— rather, the task force review was part of a routine review every two decades or so.

To determine the recommendations in the report, the task force

2 WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2016 THE VANDERBILT HUSTLER u WWW.VANDERBILTHUSTLER.COM

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DESIGNERSALLIE GROSSEDITOR-IN-CHIEF

ABBY HINKSONPRIYANKA KADARI

COPY EDITORS

ZOE SHANCER — NEWS EDITORKARA SHERRER — LIFE EDITOR QUEEN STEVENSON — OPINION EDITORBEN WEINRIB — SPORTS EDITOR

JOSH HAMBURGER — MANAGING EDITORBOSLEY JARRETT — DESIGN DIRECTORANNA BUTRICO — WEB EDITORZIYI LIU — PHOTO DIRECTORKATHY YUAN — CHIEF COPY EDITORCOLLIN ZIMMERMAN — CHIEF WEB DEVELOPERMATT LIEBERSON — FEATURES EDITOR PRIYANKA ARIBINDI — AUDIENCE STRATEGISTKATHY YUAN —ASST. PHOTO DIRECTOR

SHARON SI — ASST. DESIGN DIRECTORJACK SENTELL — ASST. LIFE EDITORSARAH FRIEDMAN — ASST. NEWS EDITORPRIYANKA KADARI — ASST. OPINION EDITORROBBIE WEINSTEIN — ASST. SPORTS EDITOR

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news

By ALLIE GROSS, SARAH FRIEDMAN AND MATT LIEBERSON

Editor-in-chief, Assistant news editor and Features editor--------------------

Faculty Senate’s Greek Life Task Force presents report outlining visionWhat will Greek life look like in 20 years?


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met with stakeholders in the Greek experience, such as Offi ce of Greek Life staff, the main Greek organizations’ presidents, VSG and several campus organizations’ leadership, Weintraub said. He emphasizes that faculty hold a more holistic view of Vanderbilt than students.

“Faculty are engaged with the university in a different way than the students are because the faculty are here for a lifetime,” Wein-traub said. “I’ve been here for 25 years. Students are here for four years. So we have a very different perspective on both the history, what’s going on now and the future.”

GREEK LIFE AND THE RESIDENTIAL COLLEGE SYSTEMGenerally, the recommendations of the task force’s report aim

to align Greek life with the university’s overall strategic vision for residential life. Vanderbilt’s Academic Strategic Plan, released last fall, prioritizes making all of Vanderbilt a part of the College Halls system. Piloted last year with the opening of Warren & Moore Col-lege Halls, the system would place all undergraduates in residen-tial living and learning communities similar to the Commons for their last three years at Vanderbilt.

In regard to Greek housing, currently, six offi cers of each chap-ter are allowed to live in each Greek house. But Weintraub said that the task force was concerned that students living in Greek houses — although physically on campus and on university property — are treated like those students in off-campus housing by the Offi ce of Housing and Residential Education.

According to Weintraub, the task force thought students living in Greek (and off-campus) housing should have access to the same ResEd resources as those in other campus housing — from programming to Resident Advisors trained in safety, confl ict man-agement and directing people to resources.

“Students who live on Greek Row and the students who live off campus should not be neglected, in effect, the way they’re cur-rently neglected,” he said. “They should be incorporated into the overall community of Vandy as much as possible.”

To address this concern, the report recommends that an area coordinator be hired for the Greek houses as well as off-campus residents. The report also suggests that three graduate RAs live on Greek Row, and that non-residential Faculty Fellows be assigned to each Greek chapter. These Faculty Fellows would serve similar roles to their counterparts in the Commons houses. Another rec-ommendation urges chapter presidents to go through RA training to provide residents with resources Greek houses do not currently have.

To ensure students have an opportunity to spend time living in the residential communities, the report says that only juniors and seniors should be allowed to live in the Greek houses, effective in the 2019-2020 school year. Once the chancellor’s College Halls project has been completed, the report suggests that the Greek houses should become entirely non-residential. Weintraub said that project could take up to 20 years, if it is completed at all.

“But if they do it, if Vanderbilt University makes that kind of strategic investment and we say we think that is a critical part of Vanderbilt education, then all the students who come to Vander-bilt should benefi t and participate fully in that component of the Vanderbilt education,” Weintraub said.

According to Weintraub, because the College Halls are a goal of the university, all students should participate in that part of the Vanderbilt experience.

DIVERSITY IN GREEK LIFE: A CRITICAL CONCERNWeintraub identifi ed diversity and inclusivity as the most criti-

cal concern for Greek life moving forward.“When someone takes a picture of Greek life, it ought to be rep-

resentative of Vanderbilt,” Weintraub said. “It’s not. It’s only repre-sentative of part of Vandy. That’s not OK. That’s got to change.”

The report refl ects this goal by suggesting that the Panhellenic Council and the National Pan-Hellenic Council create “public dec-larations in support of full inclusivity” similar to the one already created last year by the Interfraternity Council.

He stressed that the task force is not trying to defi ne why Greek life isn’t currently diverse or impose a solution — rather, the report just recommends increasing diversity and inclusion as a goal for Greek life.

The report also claims that another problem for Greek life in the coming decade is the divide it creates between those who can and cannot afford to go Greek, saying that Greek life should aim to

increase socioeconomic equality in its members by 2025. In this section, the report suggests preventing the chapters from

using funds provided through Experience Vanderbilt and other similar funds, which are intended for the student body as a whole. This is already a stated restriction for Experience Vanderbilt, a VSG initiative which funds student extracurriculars and was launched this semester. While the report approves of alumni donations as a possible solution, it does not support setting up an endowment through the university. Additionally, the report suggests the cre-ation and distribution of a publication entitled “Affording Greek Life,” which would provide actual, honest estimates of the costs of Greek life for potential new members.

RESTRICTING PLEDGING HOURSAnother suggestion is that the Greek organizations lower their

maximum number of “new member education” hours — pledg-ing — per week from 30 to 20. To defend this suggestion, the report includes references to the NCAA maximum practice time per week, capped at 20 hours. Additionally, the report claims that based on the “traditional academic rule” that students should spend at least three hours per week studying for each hour spent in class, thirty hours would value Greek life the same way as a 7.5 credit hour class.

“The real issue that led to this recommendation was a concern that came from the Commons. That [concern] was that when pledging happens in the spring, the communities in the Com-mons are disrupted in a very major way,” Weintraub said.

Although addressing sexual violence was identifi ed as a priority in the task force’s interim report, because there was no data to ex-press a link between Greek life and sexual violence on Vanderbilt’s campus, Weintraub said the task force decided to focus on other areas in its fi nal report.

REACTIONS FROM CAMPUS LEADERSAlthough the task force consulted Greek leaders on campus

throughout its two-year review, some students were critical that the process left out important perspectives.

Weintraub presented the report to the Vanderbilt Student Gov-ernment (VSG) Senate on Jan. 13. Several senators said that there was a lot of questioning and pushback from senators about the report’s process and recommendations.

VSG President Lizzy Shahnasarian and IFC President Kevin Groll said that students should have been more heavily involved in the process.

While she agreed with some recommendations, Senator Lizzie Hinson said that it seemed to her that the task force didn’t do adequate research into certain aspects of Greek life before making the recommendations. For example, she said older graduate stu-dents already live in most of the Greek houses as “house moms” or “house dads.” She also said that Alpha Delta Pi is already piloting a “Faculty Fellow” program to see if it could be expanded to other houses.

Senator Jami Cox said the report leaves out multicultural organizations, such as those in the NPHC, which is comprised of historically black organizations.

“I thought it was interesting that the policies were about Greek Row... and that the policies would not reach the multicultural organizations that aren’t located on Greek Row,” Cox said.

Shahnasarian echoed these concerns, saying that the report did not adequately consider the separate needs of each type of Greek organization.

“Something the report does is lump the three councils together, stripping them of their identity,” Shahnasarian said. “They func-tion very differently, and there was defi nitely a lack of communi-cation and research and understanding of the Greek community and the overall Vanderbilt community in the process.”

Mwamba Mvula, president of NPHC organizations, also felt that the task force did not adequately address NPHC concerns.

“We are a unique council in terms of size and design and pur-pose,” Mvula said about the NPHC. “And a lot of the goals interfere with it and would cause a lot of detriment to our council.”

Because of NPHC’s unique structure, several of the recom-mendations don’t apply to the organization. For example, because of the smaller size of the NPHC chapters, they reside in one-bedroom apartments instead of houses. Therefore, she said the recommendations related to housing aren’t realistic for this setup. Additionally, an NPHC organization can be comprised of

only sophomores, making it ineligible for housing at all under this requirement.

However, Weintraub said NPHC organizations may not have only sophomores in the future.

“These organizations have several years to work with the Offi ce of Greek Life to help solve this problem,” he said. “Assuming that these organizations will always have only sophomores as mem-bers is to assume that the present defi nes the future. The task force is not willing to accept that logic.”

“That’s a very real possibility, very very real,” Mvula said. “We don’t get a lot of resources, but that’s one resource that is auto-matically taken away. Yet, the report says no exceptions.”

Further, the setup of new member education for NPHC orga-nizations includes members attending three-day conferences off-campus, which would put pledging activities well over the 20 hours prescribed in the report for that week.

“If you were to simply multiply the number of weeks times 20 hours, we probably don’t go over that as a whole, but there are certain weeks where it might take up more than 20 hours,” Mvula said.

Weintraub was receptive to the idea that the 20 hour pledging limit can be fl uid based on events like the conferences, though.

“Exceptions can be made for unique and special situations and events. In my view, the 20 hour/week limit should be understood to apply to the regular, on-campus activities, and I think an excep-tion can easily be made for travel to a conference,” he said.

Other concerns with the report include issues with the goal of eliminating Greek residential life. Without members living in the houses, several members of Greek life expressed concerns that they would lose part of the culture of a fraternity or sorority, or a sense of ownership of the house.

“I feel like it’s part of the essence of being Greek, having the opportunity to have a house, a place to go, and just feel at home in that place,” said Senator Damonta Morgan. “And by taking away the opportunity to have your brothers and sisters live in the house, it really takes a piece of ownership away from the house so it’s just like it becomes a facility... what’s the difference in that case between meeting [in Sarratt] and in your house?”

With regards to an inclusivity declaration, Shahnasarian and Panhellenic President Jen Warner felt that the council did not take

• Inclusion• Accountability• Alignment with university ResEd mission• Purposive programming

GOALS

• 20 hours max for pledging• Area Coordinator and Graduate RAs for

Greek houses• Greek presidents to have RA training• Faculty Fellows for Greek houses• Public inclusivity declarations for NPHC

and Panhel• 2019-20: only juniors/seniors in Greek

housing• When College Hall system is complete —

no more Greek housing• By 2025: address socioeconomic problem• ‘Aff ording Greek Life’ publication

RECOMMENDATIONS

— continued on page 4


Reports of exploding batteries in hover-boards have caused Vanderbilt to ban one of the country’s hottest new gadgets from resi-dence halls and Greek houses on campus, in some cases searching for and confiscating hoverboards left in residential rooms over break. The new policy took effect on Dec. 16 via email from Associate Provost and Dean of Students Mark Bandas.

Students that own a hoverboard on campus will either need to take it home or store it off campus, a service being arranged by VUPD’s Emergency Preparedness and Plant Operations. To do so, these individuals must reply to the original email sent out in December.

Although Vanderbilt offered this storage off campus, only five students utilized this service, Jim Kramka, Senior Director of Housing Operations said. In addition, two boards were seized over break during room inspections and also stored off campus.

Senior Anna Childress had left her board

in her room on campus during break and came back afterwards to find it no longer there. However, she wasn’t too concerned about it or the ban in general.

“I wouldn’t really use the hoverboard at home,” Childress said, expressing how she didn’t rush to find out what had happened to her board. “It was a bit unexpected at first but I’ve come to terms with it now.”

While the university cites safety as their main concern, some board owners aren’t happy with the new policy.

“I was pretty disappointed, because now there’s not too much I can do with it,” junior Ellen Bley said.

Conveniently for Bley, the ban took place just a day before she was leaving for winter break, allowing her to bring it home.

Meanwhile, junior Phil Hawkins, who co-owns the board with Bley, also feels her sentiments but understands the university’s reasoning.

“I was a little upset, but if they are causing as many fires as it seems like, the rule really makes sense,” Hawkins said.

The battery problem has occurred most

when charging the boards, where the battery can overheat and cause an intense fire that can be difficult to put out. Damage from these explosions has ranged from minor fires to burned-down houses.

Vanderbilt is hardly the first university to institute a ban, as many others, includ-ing Louisiana State University and George Washington University, have implemented a similar suit, in addition to “jurisdictions, shipping companies, [and] airlines,” Bandas said in the email notifying students. Ama-zon, where many students purchased their boards, also pulled several models from their website over safety concerns.

All board owners need not worry however, as Vanderbilt still allows students to ride them on campus if they can store their boards somewhere off campus. Nonetheless, Dean Bandas is certainly aware that this was disappointing news for many students.

“I’m sorry to be the bearer of this news, and ask your cooperation and understand-ing as we sort through this issue while doing our best to keep the campus safe,” Dean Bandas wrote in his school-wide email.

By JOSH HAMBURGERManaging editor

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

Hoverboards confiscated from dorms In light of reports of exploding batteries, Vanderbilt has prohibited the use and storage of hoverboards in residence halls and Greek houses


into account the efforts already underway from Panhellenic and NPHC, such as a Panhellenic task force devoted to a creat-ing a comprehensive plan to promote inclusion.

“Telling these councils to do this when they were already doing this undermines the councils,” Shahnasarian said. “I think they should have recognized the efforts that are already in place, which again shows a lack of research from the task force.”

One of the final issues raised was related to the way the re-port addressed costs of Greek life. While the report emphasized the importance of accountability and financial independence, Shahnasarian said several of the recommendations could in-crease costs of membership, making independence more dif-ficult. For example, she said members residing in Greek houses pay normal Vanderbilt housing fees to live there. Shahnasarian pointed out that this money goes towards costs such as heat-ing the house and other maintenance tasks. If no members lived in the house, these maintenance costs could increase normal membership dues, making Greek life less affordable.

Additionally, the report recommends that scholarships given to students through the Experience Vanderbilt scholar-ship fund should not cover costs associated with Greek life, emphasizing that Greek costs should be funded “with private dollars” because some students are excluded from the system. However, some students said that the organizations cited in the report as being covered by Opportunity Vanderbilt also exclude several students, such as Alternative Spring Break.

NEXT STEPS FOR THE RECOMMENDATIONSStill, student leaders seem encouraged that Faculty Senate

leaders are willing to engage in ongoing dialogue about the recommendations moving forward. VSG Speaker of the Senate Jackson Vaught said that Greek life student leaders and the VSG Executive Board will be meeting very soon to discuss how VSG can best support Greek life in tackling the issues they have raised with the report. Vaught added that three members of the Greek Life Task Force will be hosting a focus group with VSG Senators next week to continue to solicit student feedback.

Panhellenic President Jen Warner wants more Greek and non-Greek student involvement in the re-envisioning of goals for Greek life, saying that involving more voices and more dialogue can strengthen the recommendations.

“Even though the recommendations aren’t right for us — we don’t feel that they’re right right now — people are willing to keep working with us and I really think that that’s essential, and I think the leaders are doing the correct thing there,” Warner said.

Weintraub anticipates the Faculty Senate having one or more motions presented at its March meeting. That’s the soonest the Senate could act on the matter, according to chair-man Professor Richard Willis. But the Senate doesn’t have any enforcement power — implementation would be up to the administration.

In an email to the Hustler, Director of Greek Life Kristin Tor-rey did not answer specific questions regarding the report, but offered the following statement: “I look forward to ongoing col-laborative conversations with student leaders and the Faculty Senate leadership to ensure the recommendations that are advanced are in the best interest of a thriving Greek commu-nity for both current and future members.”

Although Weintraub said the task force is done with its work, the Faculty Senate as a whole can determine what parts of the report it will choose to endorse.

“They are a deliberative body that can do whatever they want with the report and the recommendations therein,” he said.

He said that the task force believes the recommendations will make Vanderbilt a better place to ‘go Greek’ than it is now.

“Truly, the task force has tried to put together a set of recommendations that it believes will enable students who go Greek to become healthy members of those Greek communi-ties while also allowing them to be even healthier members of the larger Vanderbilt student community, academically and socially, than they are now,” Weintraub said.

For the full report, visit vanderbilthustler.com

— continued from page 3

“Philosophy is all about the arguments.” Delivered on the heels of a dramatic pause, these were the fi rst words I ever heard in a college lecture, my pro-

fessor’s opening line to a room of freshmen. Almost four academic years later, I still disagree with him. Philosophy is all about the questions.

Curiosity begins with ‘wh-’ words: Who? What? Why? You could spend a lifetime grappling with the questions these words pose. These ‘big questions’ – who am I? how should I live? etc. – motivate the business of philosophy from the outset. Arguments only matter once you’ve got-ten out of bed in the morning.

At Vanderbilt, you’re in the lucky position of having a four-year shelter from real life to drill down on your curiosity and ask the big questions as a member of an intellectual community. After four years of successes and hard lessons, I want to share some advice on the ‘how’ of this process – personal thoughts on how to make room in your life for philosophical thoughts. As they comprise what I have to say for four years of my life, I hope my do’s and don’ts will be useful for more than just prospective philosophy students.

You are probably kind of weird. Weird has a range of meanings, maybe a political, religious, artistic or identity-based eccentricity, but I’ve never met anyone curious about philosophy who wasn’t kind of weird. Even if you weren’t weird, when you tell people you study philosophy, the mythology around it will usually make them project an aura of atypicality onto you. Though this atypicality only rarely carries a stigma, you will periodically have to live with feeling different. You also want healthy social connections, which can make for a balancing act. The trick is to own your difference without letting it become a pretentious gimmick.

There are two things to avoid. The fi rst is what I’d call Zooey Deschanel syndrome: propagandizing a social image of phony quirkiness to vie for superiority over normality by vainly exaggerating your distance from it. Philosophy has a certain loftiness that can make it tempt-ing to defi ne yourself through scorn for ‘the normals’ by embellishing your differences. Difference for its own sake is no good. Don’t be like Zooey Deschanel.

Second, never let philosophy be Ralph Lauren for your thoughts. People dress their inner thoughts up in clothes just as much as they do their physical bodies. Some will use a Polo pony on their shirt to pull rank on people whose shirts don’t have Polo ponies. And some philoso-phy students will do the same with the books they’ve

read, hoping to brand their thinking above that of anyone without an extensive repertoire. If you have a deep un-derstanding of Plato, defi nitely share it, but if you use it for self-aggrandizement, you’ll wind up alienating people without the background to dress their thoughts up in the same clothes. Whether it’s Vineyard Vines or Friedrich Nietzsche, hiding behind brand names is a lonely life.

Owning your difference in good conscience means self-policing any pompous tendencies, but not everyone will recognize your efforts. The haters will certainly hate. For example, my sophomore year I wrote a column for

the Hustler arguing that too many people not in Greek life become defi ned by their opposition to Greek life. A friend of mine found a copy of that week’s issue with the words written in Sharpie across the article: “Charlie Woodlief is a huge faggot.” You’ll need to learn to exercise maturity to know when to ignore versus when to heed the voices tell-ing you to shut up. I still struggle with this a bit, because I like to talk at length, but I hate coming off as full of myself. For me, this means saving my I-hate-Zooey-Deschanel rant for later when someone tells me they like New Girl. That said, there’s no easy rule here, so approach it situ-ationally, be willing to make mistakes, and trust yourself to grow into the right balance with time. A little pompous-ness never hurt anybody.

Three last points: Learn to admit you haven’t read all the books and don’t know all the jargon. The humanities have books, books about the books, and jargon about the books about the books. Not even your professors know them all. Your life will be easier once you can let go of ap-pearances and say: “No, I haven’t read that.”

Don’t settle for fake diversity, because there’s a lot of it. Diversity means different perspectives challenging one another on a deep level. Genuine diversity is not something that will fi nd you; it’s something you seek out. If you fi nd yourself unrefl ectively using ‘good’ and ‘bad’ as synonyms for ‘us’ and ‘them,’ stop what you’re doing and put yourself in the way of someone you don’t normally get along with, whether it’s a Republican, Democrat or Bitcoin enthusiast.

Lastly, under absolutely no circumstances ever claim to be romantically attracted to someone for philosophi-cal reasons. Take my word for it that you aren’t, and that it won’t work. Ten times out of 10, you’ll be projecting your intellectual ego onto them, treating them like a prop in your self-image. As the great Slavoj Zizek says: “If you have reasons to love someone, you don’t love them.”

They say education is what you remember after you forget what you learned in school. Here’s one thing I’ll remember: Philosophy is a behavior. It’s a system of ideas and methods lived out by fallible, social, emotional hu-man beings. If you do study philosophy, go wild question-ing your being, but hold on to the human.

6 WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2016 THE VANDERBILT HUSTLER ◆ WWW.VANDERBILTHUSTLER.COM

opinion

vanderbilthustlerThe Vanderbilt Hustler Opinion page aims to stimulate discussion in

the Vanderbilt community. In that spirit, columnists, guest columnists and authors of letters to the editor are expected to provide logical argument to back their views. Unreasonable arguments, arguments in bad faith or arguments in vain between columnists have no place in The Hustler and will not be published. The Hustler welcomes reader viewpoints and o� ers three methods of expression: letters to the editor, guest columns and feedback on vanderbilthustler.com.

The views expressed in lead editorials refl ect the majority of opinion among The Hustler’s editorial board and may be supposed to represent the opinion of The Vanderbilt Hustler at the time of publication. They are not necessarily representative of any individual member.

Letters must be submitted either in person by the author to The Hustler o� ce or via email to [email protected]. Letters via email should come from a Vanderbilt email address where the identity of the sender is clear. With rare exception, all letters must be received by 2 p.m. on the Sunday prior to publication. The editor

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

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

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

The Vanderbilt Hustler (ISSN 0042-2517), the o� cial student newspaper of Vanderbilt University, is published every Wednesday during the academic year except during exam periods and vacations. The paper is not printed during summer break.

The Vanderbilt Hustler allocates one issue of the newspaper to each student and is available at various points on campus for free. Additional copies are $.50 each.

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

QUOTE OF THE DAY“The latest popular wanderlust slogan I’ve seen is “Collect memories, not things.” Yet collecting memories that are only focused on you

and where you’ve been is just as selfi sh as hoarding items that will only collect dust. ” PAUL SNIDER, SENIOR

CHARLIE WOODLIEFis a senior in the College of Arts and Science. He can be reached at [email protected]

ALLIE GROSS, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF [email protected]

EDITORIAL BOARD

ZOE SHANCERNEWS EDITOR

[email protected]

QUEEN STEVENSONOPINION EDITOR

[email protected]

KARA SHERRERLIFE EDITOR

[email protected]

BEN WEINRIB SPORTS EDITOR

[email protected]

Warnings and advice about an often misunderstood majorLetter to a young philosophy student

Di� erence for its own sake is no good. Don’t be like Zooey Deschanel.

’’’’

From summers in Aix-en-Provence to Mayme-sters in New Zealand, to international intern-ships in London, the students at Vanderbilt

are well-traveled. More than 40 percent of Vanderbilt students choose to study abroad. We learn about host cultures, try local food and drink, practice foreign languages and make friends from around the world. Despite these exotic experiences, we return as better conversationalists who can show off our worldliness rather than better citizens of the world. We may be well-traveled, but when we travel, we don’t become well-connected.

This week marks a year since I had the opportunity to leave school for 10 days and travel to Turkey to work at a conference. Our team connected through Istanbul to Antalya, a resort city on the Mediterra-nean coast and the location of the conference center. With a busy schedule, and most other conference-attendees hailing from America or Eastern Europe, I didn’t spend a lot of time getting to know Turkey itself. I really enjoyed the trip and loved everything that I experienced, but I don’t think I could claim leaving a piece of my heart behind.

Fast-forward to Tuesday last week: a suicide bomber in Istanbul killed 10 people and injured 17 others. He detonated his explosives in the midst of a German tour group, in the historic Sultanahmet Square. Despite the time I spent in Turkey, I don’t feel

a huge connection to the people of Turkey. As a result, I don’t have much natural empathy for the terror they must be experiencing after this attack. I can con-sciously think of how horrible it must be, but it’s easy for me to internally lump this event in with all other deaths connected to ISIS. You might say that I just

didn’t spend enough time there to develop a bond, but I know you can go a summer or a full semester somewhere and still not feel a connection with the local people. The problem is that we are, in general,

more attached to the places we journey to and the pictures we return with than the people that we leave behind.

There’s so much potential for our trips overseas. When we travel, we can learn fi rsthand about issues that might not reach our ears in Nashville and meet people directly affected by them. Our campus can become an international summit where we bring perspectives we’ve learned from other nations. More than this, we can discover parallels between societ-ies and better understand our common humanity. Practically speaking, if you’ve already gone abroad, fi nd a way to reconnect with your host country. Mes-sage people you’ve met or read local news stories. If you’re going abroad, think of it as more than just a four-month vacation in a place where the legal drink-ing age is 18.

The latest popular wanderlust slogan I’ve seen is “Collect memories, not things.” Yet collecting memo-ries that are only focused on you and where you’ve been is just as selfi sh as hoarding items that will only collect dust. We should aim to better ourselves and our communities through the connections we make. That slogan may be a poignant way of saying travels are better than toys, but there is defi nitely something better than both. In an ever-shrinking world, you could be one small connection that draws two distant corners closer together.

THE VANDERBILT HUSTLER ◆ WWW.VANDERBILTHUSTLER.COM WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2016 7

Thoughts on how we can better engage with the world when we go abroadBring back more than just pictures

Warnings and advice about an often misunderstood majorPAUL SNIDERis a senior in the College of Arts and Science. He can be reached at [email protected].

Letter to a young philosophy student

Remembering why you serve keeps your drive alive The heart of service

We all had to do some kind of service in high school. Or else, we wouldn’t be here. Yes — I’m talking about the hours through National

Honor Society or volunteering at the hospital or the soup kitchen. I personally disliked these sometimes superfi cial service acts in high school, but I did it anyway because it would look great on my resume for college. But, after only a semester at Vanderbilt, my perspective on service has shifted radically. For the fi rst time, I found a project to which I wanted to commit entirely because it fi lled me with a sense of drive and fulfi llment. And, as students, whenever we become jaded or stressed, we need to remember the more fundamental reasons for why we participate in clubs and organizations.

About two weeks ago, I stumbled upon the website for Project RISHI, a chapter-based charity focused on bringing self-sustaining solutions to problems faced in rural Indian villages. I asked one of my friends about starting a chapter here at Vanderbilt, and as of last Friday, we were already freaking out. We had no idea how to plan a trip to India, whom to ask for funding or where to fi nd reliable people to participate. The energy with which we began the endeavor took a hit.

As luck would have it, on that same Friday, I listened to a speech that kickstarted my determination. In his talk re-garding injustice within the legal system, Bryan Stevenson spoke a great deal about how to purposefully and effective-ly engage in service. As he emphasized remaining proxi-mate, engaging in the uncomfortable and holding onto hope, he orated with enthusiasm and encouragement. He

included stories of the individuals whom he impacted and braided a breathtaking story of survival and service.

Hearing him speak fl ooded me with refreshing realiza-tions that allowed me to fi nally escape my own limited, self-centered views of Project RISHI’s diffi culties. He forced me to sit straight up, furrow my eyebrows and dig in my heels. I walked out of the auditorium knowing that I would do whatever possible to make Project RISHI a success. I would travel to India, I’d send the necessarily passive-aggressive emails, I would host however many meetings it took. I decided then that I simply would not let anyone stop me.

Project RISHI feeds me energy, purpose and fulfi llment, and it helps me remain lighthearted amidst the struggles of everyday life. It leaves me smiling at night, when I plan for the villages we might visit. My days have a strange, new sense of direction fi lled with buoyancy. For me, this feeling is what service is about — the feeling that you are wrapped up in something beautiful and glorious that is far more important than yourself. I found this feeling through service, but that’s not absolutely necessary. Really, it applies to any walk of life in which you are completely absorbed; any organization of which we are a part applies, whether

it’s a cultural club or a sports team or a student publication. Each has a purpose and vision.

I think it is all too easy for us students to lose sight of this bigger picture, of why we participate in organiza-tions. Some of us start out as VUceptors or RAs or pre-med students or musicians. Inevitably, we are jaded after searching for internships, worrying about the MCAT or practicing music for hours on end. Even though we don’t mean to, amidst all the stress, I think we trample upon the feeling which drove us to participate in these clubs in the fi rst place. Instead, every time we become frustrated or discouraged, we should close our eyes, pause for a moment and draw strength from a quieter, deeper place. We cannot afford to become tired or trite.

Part of the beauty of being a college student is that we are incubators of energy. It’s not just about participat-ing in clubs that feed us — we also feed each other as we spark conversation and conduct meetings and discuss our viewpoints. And, we might think we survive the day just fi ne without thinking about all this feeding and energy, but I promise you, we don’t. When we fail at something or experience great hardship and struggle, this feeling will offer us solace and remind us that we are comprised of more than any one experience. Five, 10 years down the road, when we refl ect on college, we won’t remember the specifi c positions we had or the titles on our resumes. We will remember that feeling that made us smile at night and colored our days with a permanent hue of brightness. And, so, we need to chase it, breathlessly and fearlessly, every day that we can.

The problem is that we are, in general, more attached to the places we visit and the pictures we return with, than the people that we leave behind.’’

’’PRIYANKA KADARIis a fi rst-year in the College of Arts and Science and the Assistant Opinion Editor of The Vanderbilt Hustler. She can be reached at [email protected].

We cannot a� ord to become tired or trite.’’

’’


life GO DO

THISLiving Learning Community (LLC) Week ScheduleThursday, 1/21 MCGILL OPEN HOUSE – 6:30 p.m., Commons CenterTuesday, 1/26 LLC INFO TABLE – 5:30-6:30 p.m., Commons CenterWednesday, 1/27 MAYFIELD OPEN HOUSE – 7:30 p.m., Commons CenterThursday, 1/28 LLC INFO TABLE – 5:30-6:30 pm, Commons Center; MCTYEIRE OPEN HOUSE - 6:30 p.m., MCGILL SHOWCASE – 6:30 p.m.

The basics of the Living-

Learning Communities

What they are and how to get involved By Dallas

Shatel, Life reporterFor students looking for engagement within a community

of equally motivated students, the Living-Learning Communi-ties offer exactly that. But what exactly are the LLC communi-ties?

LLCs are communities at Vanderbilt which are based around a specifi c project. Each community has a set of goals and values upheld by the members which are achieved through events within the community. The more established LLCs are the three M’s: McGill, McTyeire and the Mayfi elds.

THE MCGILL PROJECTThe McGill Project is centered around dialogue amongst

people who wish to share their political and social views and embrace differences in others’ perspectives. Members attend a series of discussions called the McGill Dialogue Hours Series; a guest speaker presents their view on a current issue, whether it be on a global or local scale, and the community presents and discusses their views on it. McGill students emphasize freedom of expression and celebrate the different perspectives offered by their peers. Each fl oor of the McGill house has its own culture, such as the topless fourth fl oor where shirts and bras are optional. Other aspects of the house include coffeehouses in which students can perform and hold debate forums.

“With McGill they do an individual and group process, because they do function in a lot of debate and hot topics, and so it is important to kinda see what the group dynamics could look like in the community,” said Director of Residential Education Traci Ray about McGill’s application process.

McGill also offers a buddy system called the McGill Satellite program, in which fi rst-years have a chance to pair up with a McGill resident and participate in the community in hopes of fi nding a niche within it.

THE MCTYEIRE PROJECTThe McTyeire Project, the international LLC, emphasizes

the use of a foreign language (among other aspects) in order to give students a taste of a new culture. Students are required to speak their designated language at community events and can experience different cultures through the foreign cuisine offered in McTyeire’s dining hall. The program requires mem-bers to work within a group environment while speaking in a foreign language about topics relevant to that culture. Thus, a large part of the program is focused on communication.

“The language component is important, and how you communicate with other people,” said Ray about the com-munication aspect of McTyeire. Thus, the program requires a group interview in addition to the individual interview and application.

THE MAYFIELD LODGESThe Mayfi eld Lodges are a group project in which 10 stu-

dents live in one house in an effort to collaborate on a single project. The project is overseen by a faculty advisor chosen by the members, but the students have the freedom to make the project into whatever they desire, as long as it meets the requirements set forth by the program. This allows students to fi nd a community of like-minded individuals who share com-mon interests and goals and work together as a community. The program requires a group application in which the appli-cants present their project idea to a panel. Some current proj-ects include monthly parties that integrate foreign cultural holidays, hosting creative writing workshops and studying the therapeutic effects of music during open-mic nights.

WARREN AND MOORE... AND MORESome students may be surprised to learn that Warren and

Moore Colleges at Kissam are technically considered LLCs, even though they are part of the housing ballot. The halls host various student-led programs open to the public and vary from musical performances to guest speakers presenting information on global issues.

Upperclassmen may recall other LLCs from previous years, including the Vanderbilt Interest Project (VIP), Creative Campus Residential Fellows and Leadership Hall programs, all of which were located at Vanderbilt-Barnard Hall. These communities were established during the renovation of Kis-sam to allow students in that community to continue their involvement. However, once Kissam reopened last year, these programs were set aside, although VIP will be making a come-back soon after being restructured over the past few years.

“We let [VIP] die down to bring it back in a different way based on what the current student population wants and re-acted to,” said Ray. Unlike the three M’s, newer programs like VIP were not so heavily based on a location, and so this newer incarnation will not be housing-based.

As far as the demographics of who joins the LLC communi-ties, Ray noted that it varies quite a bit.

“It’s very very mixed. I would say it’s organic,” Ray said. “A big thing we fi nd for the Mayfi elds ... especially for the rising sophomores, oftentimes a project might be driven by a group that all lived in the same [Commons] house.”

For students interested in applying or learning more about the communities, Jan. 21-28 is LLC Week, where students can visit roadshows set up by the communities, attend open houses and also take a guided tour through the houses.

Attending events during LLC Week and other acts of dem-onstrated interest greatly help your chances of being accepted into a program, according to Ray. For example, attending a preproposal meeting with a member of the Mayfi eld panel to discuss your project or signing up for the Satellite program at McGill improves your application. For those interested in ap-plying to live in LLCs, applications are due by Feb. 5.

ZIYI LIU / THE VANDERBILT HUSTLER

The twenty Mayfi eld Lodges on Highland Quad are just one of the many living-learning options for students.

To learn more about McGill in particular, check out web editor Anna Butrico’s online podcast “This Vanderbilt Life: The McGill Project” from Nov. 17.

Home of subversive pop icon Miley Cyrus, host to the annual Pilgrimage Music Festival, defender of the title as #1 small town in the state: Franklin, Tenn. may not be Nashville, but the nearby little town certainly has its own appeal. Franklin’s history runs back to the 19th century, and the quaint town is notable for its preservation of historic buildings and architectural styling of the Civil War period. Located just a half-hour long drive from Vanderbilt, Franklin is the perfect chance for an afternoon getaway from campus before papers and tests begin to pile up.

FOODWhile the small town naturally boasts fewer restaurants

than Nashville, Franklin’s food quality still competes with that of Music City foodie joints. If you’re ready to challenge one of Nashville’s most well-known dishes, check out Big Shake’s Hot Chicken & Fish, which offers heat levels ranging from “Cry Baby” all the way up to the “Executioner.”

On the other hand, if you’re seeking to especially treat yo’self, Red Pony Restaurant, which serves sophisticated Southern food, might be worth your while — and your dol-lar. You can top off lunch or dinner with post-meal coffee and desserts from Honest Coffee Roasters or drinks at the popular bar The Casual Pint, which features a wide array of American craft beers.

SHOPPINGIf shopping is more your speed, Philanthropy: Fashion +

Compassion might be the place for you. Located on Main Street, Philanthropy is a clothing store that carries apparel that embodies the carefree wardrobe of Nashvillian style.

True to its name, the story pledges at least 10% of its profits to dedicated causes.

Main Street houses many other appealing stores that are unique to Franklin, such as Avec Moi, which offers new and vintage gifts and home decor, and The Shoppes on Main, which features work from many different artisans. Those looking to satisfy their inner kid should check out the Main Street Toy Shoppe before it closes or relocates in Febru-ary; after years of being a Franklin mainstay, the store has been forced out of the downtown area by a 50 percent rent increase.

HISTORICAL SITESFranklin boasts several historically significant sites in

its vicinity, mostly dating from the Civil War period. For instance, the Lotz House, a Civil War museum, was used as a makeshift hospital after the Battle of Franklin in 1864, while the nearby Carter House was turned into the Union head-quarters during the battle.

The neighboring Carnton Plantation also became a large temporary field hospital after the Battle of Franklin, which is believed to be the bloodiest clash of the Civil War. All three houses are open to tours, and a bulk ticket for the three sites is available for $30. The McGavock Confederate Cemetery, which is located adjacent to the Carnton Plantation, is open to the public free of charge during daylight hours.

TRANSPORTATIONIf you have a car on campus (or a friend with a car on

campus), Franklin is just a 20-mile straight shot down Interstate 65. Driving yourself on weekends is your best bet, as users of carpool-sharing services such as Uber and Lyft can expect their fares to round out to about $24-32 one-way during off-peak hours. With a group of four friends, the cost of travel averages out to be $15 per person on round trip transportation alone.

However, if you can carve out time to get to Franklin on a normal weekday, you can travel there and back for free: The Franklin Express, a direct bus line on the Nashville Metropol-itan Transit Authority, runs 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday. Students can find the pickup sites for this bus route on either the 21st Avenue and Children’s Way stop or the 21st Avenue and West End stop. Just like any Nashville public bus throughout the city, the Franklin Express is free to Vanderbilt students with their Commodore Cards.


Tucked away by the University Club, McTyeire International House stands apart from the other residen-tial quads. But the residence hall isn’t just set apart by its location: as the international Living-Learning Community, McTyeire immerses its residents in foreign language learning programs year-round. If you’re considering applying to Mc-Tyeire before the Feb. 5 application deadline, here are some fun facts you should know before housing registration.

1. MCTYEIRE WAS ORIGINALLY BUILT AS A WOMEN’S DORMITORY.

“McTyeire was built in 1939-40 as a women’s dormitory,” said Anja Bandas, Director of McTyeire. “The building was remodeled and opened as ‘McTyeire International House’ in the fall of 1981. A dedicated team of Deans and professors established the McTyeire handbook and the program has been successful ... ever since.”

2. MCTYEIRE HAS REQUIRED LANGUAGE DINNERS, ITS OWN CAFETERIA AND A MEAL PLAN.

McTyeire residents attend required language dinners served Monday through Thursday evenings in McTyeire’s own dining room. For senior Caroline He, attending lan-guage dinners “feels like a dinner that you’d have with family at home. It’s just really fun being in the hustle and bustle.”

Head resident Arrush Choudhary said dinners play a big role in crafting sense of community in McTyeire. “Because everyone is required to be at dinners four days a week, the community just forms inherently,” Choudhary said. “There’s so much going on, and everyone’s doing them together. It probably has, I can almost comfortably say, the strongest residential community on campus.”

3. STUDENTS MUST SPEAK FOREIGN LANGUAGES DURING DINNERS AND STUDY BREAKS, EXCEPT FOR THE INTER-NATIONAL HALL.

McTyeire offers programs in French, German, Japanese, Chinese, Spanish and Russian, as well as a program in Eng-lish for students interested in international topics.

For sophomore Wendy Yu, language dinners helped her

get over the fear of speaking German. “I know that when I took French in high school, the biggest problem I had was speaking. I was afraid to do it because I’d make so many mis-takes,” said Yu. “But even though I still make mistakes during dinners, I think it has helped me get over that fear.”

4. EVERY HALL HAS WEEKLY STUDY BREAKS TO LEARN ABOUT ITS RESPECTIVE COUNTRY.

The weekly study breaks, which are organized by a team of three students, fall into two categories: cultural and language learning. Cultural breaks teach students about history and culture, while language breaks teach students about vocabu-lary and grammar.

Junior Anissa Alexander said that “it’s really interesting to have a different perspective, like Anja [hall coordinator]’s perspective on things that happened in the past or different things as far as what’s current in German culture right now.”

“Our next study break is going to be about swear words in French,” said sophomore Yiran Chen. “We watched movies, learned songs and played games about French celebrities. We learn lots of things from a perspective of a native.”

More information about McTyeire is available online.

Getting to know the international Living-Learning CommunityBy SOPHIE JEONG

Life reporter--------------------

Four facts you didn’t know about McTyeire

PHOTO COURTESY OF WILLIAMSON COUNTY CONVENTION AND VISITORS BUREAU

Your guide to planning a day trip to Tennessee’s No. 1 small townA field trip to Franklin

By SARA ERNSTLife reporter--------------------

Visitors walk down Main Street in Franklin, Tenn. The historic small town features many local shops and restaurants.


Winter circuit workouts

Working out more is a popular New Year’s resolution... which means that the Rec is always super crowded once school resumes in January. If you want to avoid the masses of people lifting weights or colonizing the cardio machines, the fi eldhouse offers a great alternative space to get in a bodyweight workout in a timely and effi -cient manner. Repeat the circuit workouts below to work different muscle groups, or mix and match them together for a total body routine.

*For a beginner level, repeat each circuit four

times with a 30 second rest in between each circuit.

*For an intermediate level, repeat each circuit six times with a 20 second rest in between each circuit. Consider adding higher reps or advanced additions to some circuits.

*For an advanced level, repeat each circuit six times with a 20 second rest in between each circuit. Use higher reps, added weights from a medicine ball or hand weights, and advanced challenges in most to all circuits.

Stay warm and keep your New Year’s workout resolutions with these fi eldhouse routines By Gianna Strand, Life reporter

1. MOUNTAIN CLIMBERS (10 PER LEG).2. AB BICYCLES (20 PER SIDE).3. ROTATING AB TWISTS (25 REPS). Sitting with knees bent, feet on the fl oor, lower your torso with a straight back to a 45 degree position with engaged abs into a V shape. Twist your torso to the right side, then back to center. Twist your torso to the left side, then back to center. This is one rep. ADDED CHALLENGE: Raise your legs o� the fl oor, keep-ing the ankles and knees together, for deeper ab work. For even more of a challenge, add a medicine ball or light handweights under 5 lbs.4. LEG RAISES (20 REPS). Lying fl at on your back, raise your legs to a 45 degree position. If needed, place hands under the small of your back for support. Raise legs to a 90 degree position, hold for two counts, then engage your abs to lower legs back to a 45 degree posi-tion. This is one rep.ADDED CHALLENGE: Beginning with legs in a 45 degree position, engage the core muscles to lower legs so they hover only one to two inches above the ground. Hold for two counts, then slowly raise legs back to the 45 degree position.5. PLANK (30 SECONDS). After each circuit, add on 10 seconds to the plank to slowly increase the di� culty and really work the deep inner-core muscles.

*ADVANCED ADDITION: RAISED-LEG TWISTED SIT-UPS (15 PER SIDE). Lying fl at on your back, raise your legs to a 45 degree position. You can use a bench to rest your heels on for an intermediate level, or for an ad-vanced challenge, engage your abs to hold your legs in the air. Do a sit-up, and at the top of the sit-up, reach the left hand towards the right ankle (it’s okay if you can’t actually touch your ankle). This twist should come from the abs, not from the shoulders or upper body. Release back to the fl oor, then do another sit-up extending the right hand towards the left ankle.ADDED CHALLENGE: Do 15 twists on the left side fol-lowed by 15 twists on the right side instead of alternat-ing.

You will need to use the benches around the edge of the fi eldhouse for moves 1 and 2.

1. TRICEP DIPS (20 REPS).2. INCLINE PUSH-UPS (15 REPS). Keeping your abs engaged so your back doesn’t arch, place your hands on the bench shoulder-width apart with your body in a 45 degree plank position and do a regular pushup.3. HIGH-LOW PLANKS (10 REPS). Start in high plank position with arms straight, but do not lock elbows. Slowly release the right arms so that the forearm rests on the turf. Then release the left arm so the left forearm rests on the turf and you are in a lowered

forearm plank. Hold for 5 seconds then place the right hand on the turf followed by the left hand and push up into the starting high plank position. Hold for 5 seconds, then repeat. This is considered one rep.5. BURPEES (10 REPS)

*ADVANCED ADDITION: DECLINE PUSH-UPS (15 REPS). Beginning on your hands and knees, carefully place both feet onto the bench so you are in a high plank position. Using your abs to keep your back from arch-ing, bend your arms to lower your chest to the fl oor. Without locking your elbows, push yourself back up to the starting position.

1. WALKING LUNGES (15 PER LEG). ADDED CHALLENGE: Do walking lunges in reverse (going backwards) for increased hamstring work.2. JUMP LUNGES (10 PER LEG).3. SUMO SQUATS (10 SQUATS). Keep a wide-leg stance dropping as low as possible without extending knees over ankles.

4. JUMP SQUATS (15 REPS).5. BULGARIAN SPLIT SQUATS (10 PER LEG). Even though they’re called squats, this exercise really looks more like a lunge. Place your back leg on an elevated surface, such as a bench, with your front foot planted fi rmly on the ground. Lower yourself down as far as you can go like a regular lunge.

1. CROSSING JUMP SQUATS (10 TOUCHES ON EACH SIDE). In a low squat position, twist from the core to touch the right hand to the left ankle. Use your legs to push up into an extended-leg jump, landing again in a squat position. Twist from the core to touch the left hand to the right ankle.2. SIDE-TO-SIDE SQUATS (3 REPS). With feet hip-dis-tance apart, do one squat. Extended the right leg out to a wide-legged position, do one squat. Bring the right leg back to hip-distance, do one squat. Extend the left leg out to a wide-legged position, do one squat. Bring the left leg back to hip-distance, do one squat. This group of 5 squats is one rep.3. TUCK JUMPS (10 REPS). Try to get your knees to touch your elbows (if possible).4. 10 MOUNTAIN CLIMBERS + 2 PUSH-UPS (5 REPS)5. PLANK (30 SECONDS)*To increase di� culty, add fi ve more reps to each exer-cise and/or 15 seconds to the plank.

1. 5 MIN. JOG. Use 50% max e� ort.2. 1 MIN. RUN. Use 65% max e� ort.3. 30 SECOND SPRINT. Use 80-90% max e� ort.4. 30 SECOND JOG. Use 30-40% max e� ort.5. REPEAT 30 SECOND SPRINT/JOG SE-RIES 4 TIMES (4 OF EACH, FOR A TOTAL OF 8 INTERVALS).6. 1 MIN. RUN. Use 65% max e� ort.7. REPEAT 30 SECOND SPRINT/JOG SERIES 2 TIMES (2 OF EACH, FOR A TOTAL OF 4

INTERVALS).8. 1 MIN. SLOW JOG. Use 20% max e� ort.9. 2 MIN. WALKING COOL DOWN.

(These are known as M workouts, and are often used by distance runners to build up endurance. The intensity begins going “up” the fi rst part of the M, then dips slightly with a short recovery jog in the center, then climbs back to the second peak of the M, then falls for the cool down.)

If you want to work your... LEGS

If you want to work your... ABS

If you want to work your... WHOLE BODY


If you want to work your... HEART

If you want to work your... ARMS

12 WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2016 THE VANDERBILT HUSTLER ◆ WWW.VANDERBILTHUSTLER.COM

Vanderbilt’s men’s basketball team does not often take transfers, but a basketball star over 700 miles away at Cornell University caught the eye of head coach Kevin Stallings.

Playing for one of the top high school basketball teams in Pittsburgh and dominating the Ivy League at Cornell University, Nolan Cressler has been a top player for the last few years.

Leading the Big Red in scoring with 16.8 points per game with a 36 percent shooting on three-pointers shot during his sophomore year, Cressler made himself known as Cornell’s top basketball player. However, Cressler’s strong performances were often in vain due to Cornell’s 2-26 record in the 2013-14 season.

And yet, Cressler, now a junior guard for Vanderbilt, decided he wanted more and made the decision to transfer to the SEC school with similar academics.

“Being at Cornell, I didn’t want to leave the academics,” Cressler said. “Between the schools like Michigan and Notre Dame, I chose Vanderbilt because my visits were great experi-ences and the players were already treating me like I was a part of the team.”

Ron Richards, Cressler’s basketball coach at Plum High School, backed up Cressler’s drive for continued success.

“He went and sought another challenge, and I think Vander-bilt provided that for him,” Richards said. “I’ve known Nolan and his family since he was fi ve or six years old. They moved into the community right when I started coaching at Plum. Even from elementary school or junior high, you could tell he had a drive to succeed.”

Cressler’s drive and optimism did not go unnoticed by Rich-ards.

“He was a great teammate, he was liked by everyone in the building, every group of kids and his teacher,” Richards said. “You would’ve never known he was a basketball player the way he carried himself in the hallways.

“He decided real early that he wanted to be successful. He had a drive to work incredibly hard to make himself the player he is. He worked at it. It wasn’t easy with the combination of athletics and academics but he just worked.”

Even though an NCAA transfer rule forced him to sit out for the entirety of last season, as he watched games from the bench, Cressler committed himself to working everyday at basketball.

“I’ve always prided myself on my work ethic,” Cressler said. “I’m always working during practice, on off-days. I really worked hard last year too when I was sitting out. That’s all I could really do.”

Cressler’s dedication to improvement could not exist without a great attitude. Despite his struggles so far this season, Cressler remains optimistic about what his future brings.

“Finding my rhythm has been the most challenging part. Sitting out a season, you don’t really know what to expect,” Cressler said. “I haven’t really missed a game from injury, so sitting out a season affected me more than I antici-pated. I could feel bad for myself, but I’m not going to do that. I just need to stay working with the team. It’s going to be cool looking back 10 years and saying, ‘Wow, I was a part of a team that did something really special and more importantly, I was with a great group of guys.’”

Cressler’s transfer from Cornell has certainly not been without its challenges and unde-sired results. As he works his way into more minutes and a possible starting spot, his points per game (5.3) and three-point shooting (29.5 percent) have fallen since his Cornell days.

Despite Cressler’s initial struggles, he remains focused on practicing, putting faith in his work ethic. Richards remains optimistic about Nolan’s future, reminiscing on his favorite memory of Cressler’s capabilities.

“When he was a sophomore, we went to a tournament in Florida with a lot of really great teams,” Richards said. “We knew they were playing physically late in the game, but Nolan came and pulled up in front of a guy — four inches taller and some pounds heavier — and drilled it right in his face. And I’ll never forget looking at Nolan with just a big smile on his face.

“He ended up scoring 34 points in the game. He took big shots, was always up to the challenge and played physical. He just wants to get better and better.”

Stallings recognizes Cressler’s potential to be a true star and has seen those fl ashes at times.

“Nolan’s a great kid; he’s a hard worker and a team guy,” Stall-ings said. “We always want those guys to succeed. We’re excited he’s here and hopeful that he can start doing the things we’ve seen in practice.“

Starring at Plum High School and Cornell University, Nolan Cressler has already demonstrated his incredible drive and phenomenal attitude. Cressler’s optimism colors his outlook on both his own struggles this year, and the struggles of the Com-modores as a whole.

“We just got to stay enthusiastic, our coach always says noth-ing great was accomplished without enthusiasm. We know what we are capable of and there are signs that we know what we are doing.”

A look at the story of junior Nolan Cressler and his transfer from Cornell

sports THE BIG STATPercent of NBA players younger than sixth-year center Josh

Henderson. This includes All-Stars Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving. 27

Cressler’s dedication to improvement could not exist without a great attitude. Despite his struggles so far this season, Cressler remains optimistic about what his future brings.

“Finding my rhythm has been the most challenging part. Sitting out a season, you don’t really know what to expect,” Cressler said. “I haven’t really missed a game from injury, so sitting out a season affected me more than I antici-pated. I could feel bad for myself, but I’m not going to do that. I just need to stay working with the team. It’s going to be cool looking back 10 years and saying, ‘Wow, I was a part of a team that did something really special and more importantly, I was with a great group of

Cressler’s transfer from Cornell has certainly not been without its challenges and unde-sired results. As he works his way into more minutes and a possible starting spot, his points per game (5.3) and three-point shooting (29.5 percent) have fallen since his Cornell days.

Despite Cressler’s initial struggles, he remains focused on practicing, putting faith in his work ethic. Richards remains optimistic about Nolan’s future, reminiscing on his favorite memory of Cressler’s capabilities.

“When he was a sophomore, we went to a tournament in Florida with a lot of really great teams,” Richards said. “We knew they were playing physically late in the game, but Nolan came and pulled up in front of a guy — four inches taller and some pounds heavier — and drilled it right in his face. And I’ll never forget looking at Nolan with just a big smile on his face.

“He ended up scoring 34 points in the game. He took big shots, was always up to the challenge and played physical. He just wants to get better and better.”

Stallings recognizes Cressler’s potential to be a true star and has seen those fl ashes at times.

“Nolan’s a great kid; he’s a hard worker and a team guy,” Stall-ings said. “We always want those guys to succeed. We’re excited he’s here and hopeful that he can start doing the things we’ve seen in practice.“

Starring at Plum High School and Cornell University, Nolan Cressler has already demonstrated his incredible drive and phenomenal attitude. Cressler’s optimism colors his outlook on both his own struggles this year, and the struggles of the Com-modores as a whole.

“We just got to stay enthusiastic, our coach always says noth-ing great was accomplished without enthusiasm. We know what we are capable of and there are signs that we know what we are

Percent of NBA players younger than sixth-year center Josh Henderson. This includes All-Stars Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving. 27

&&From the Big Red to the &From the Big Red From the Big Red

&From the Big Red

& GOLDBLACK

By EVAN MERCERSports reporter--------------------

Left: Cressler (24) attempts a layup against Austin Peay in an early-season matchup.Right: Cressler, who averages 5.3 points per game on 42.9 percent shooting.


ZIYI LIU / THE VANDERBILT HUSTLER

One of the most noticeable issues plaguing the Vanderbilt men’s basketball team this season has been fouls, con-tributing to a disappointing 10-7 start.

Opponents seem to enter the bonus and double bonus quite quickly against the Commodores. Out of the 346 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball teams this season, Vanderbilt is tied for 245th in personal fouls per game at 20.5. That means that, on average, opponents will be in the double bonus in every half they play against Vanderbilt.

So why is this happening, and who are the worst offenders?

There are any number of reasons why Vanderbilt can’t seem to keep their

opponents off the foul line. First, the team has been generally frustrated as of

late, with turnovers and losses to teams they could beat. Frustration generally leads to fouls, and Vanderbilt is no exception.

On top of that, the NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel issued recommendations to offi cials for areas of focus when it comes to fouls. According to a press release from June 2015, offi cials were told to pay special atten-tion to perimeter defense, especially on the ball handler, physicality on the blocks down low, moving screens and block-charge plays.

Those areas are, unfortunately, ones that

Vanderbilt is strong in. They set a lot of ball screens to free up some of their sharpshoot-ers, like Riley LaChance, and will see some tough defense on the perimeter as a result. The Commodores are also aggressive in the paint, as they boast three big men that can post up and put the ball in the basket.

This convergence of circumstances has contributed to Vanderbilt’s foul trouble. However, the issues seem to mostly be on the blocks. Center Damian Jones has been the most notable victim of foul issues. He is often forced to sit out big chunks of impor-tant games because he has too many fouls.

Jones had played 16 minutes or less in three of the six games leading up to the victory over Alabama on Saturday. In the win over Auburn last week, he played just 13 minutes. In addition, in Vanderbilt’s last four losses, Jones fouled out in three of them and picked up four fouls in the other one. The touted NBA prospect has now played fewer minutes per game than fellow big man Luke Kornet. Despite all of that, he sits second on the team in rebounds per game and points per game. That could be an indicator of how skilled he is and the numbers he can put up, even with restricted playing time.

All of this is not lost on head coach Kevin Stallings, who, according to the Tennessean, has reached out to the SEC’s head of offi cials and complained about unnecessary fouls called against Jones, claiming that he is be-ing whistled for fouls he didn’t even commit. On the fl ip side, Stallings acknowledged that the majority of the fouls were Jones’ fault and that he has watched fi lm with him to try and prevent bad fouls on his end. That work, coupled with the hope for better offi ciating, might just solve the foul issue, according to Stallings.

If Vanderbilt wants to right the ship and keep their tournament hopes alive, they’ll need to learn to adjust to the new offi ciating focuses. The extra points from free throws

go a long way in deciding who wins these games, and there’s no doubt Vanderbilt will play plenty of close games down the stretch. The Commodores just need to fi nd a way to cut down on their fouls.

Or, at the very least, just foul less than the other team.

THE VANDERBILT HUSTLER ◆ WWW.VANDERBILTHUSTLER.COM WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2016 13

Will Vanderbilt’s inability to stay out of foul trouble hurt them?

A FOUL PROBLEM

By CUTLER KLEINSports reporter--------------------


One of the most noticeable issues plaguing the Vanderbilt men’s basketball team this season has been fouls, con-tributing to a disappointing 10-7 start.

Opponents seem to enter the bonus and double bonus quite quickly against the Commodores. Out of the 346 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball teams this season, Vanderbilt is tied for 245th in personal fouls per game at 20.5. That means that, on average, opponents will be in the double bonus in every half they play against Vanderbilt.

So why is this happening, and who are the worst offenders?

There are any number of reasons why Vanderbilt can’t seem to keep their

opponents off the foul line. First, the team has been generally frustrated as of

late, with turnovers and losses to teams they could beat. Frustration generally leads to fouls, and Vanderbilt is no exception.

On top of that, the NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel issued recommendations to offi cials for areas of focus when it comes to fouls. According to a press release from June 2015, offi cials were told to pay special atten-tion to perimeter defense, especially on the ball handler, physicality on the blocks down low, moving screens and block-charge plays.

Those areas are, unfortunately, ones that

Will Vanderbilt’s inability to stay out of foul trouble hurt them?

MEN’S BASKETBALL (10-7, 2-3 SEC)

at TennesseeWednesday, Jan. 20 at 8 p.m.

Knoxville, Tenn. TV: SEC Network

Consecutive home wins over Auburn and Alabama have quickly erased the Commodores’ 0-3 start to SEC play, as Vandy hits the road to visit its two biggest hardwood rivals this week. Tennessee and new coach Rick Barnes are also 2-3 in conference play and, on paper, lack the size to contain Vanderbilt’s o� ense. However, anything is possible when these two teams meet, most recently in last year’s SEC Tournament opener when the Vols upset the Dores 67-61 at Bridgestone Arena.

at No. 23 KentuckySaturday, Jan. 23 at 3 p.m.

Lexington, Ky. TV: ESPN

VU’s week away from home continues with the fi rst of two regular season matchups with Kentucky, one of Vanderbilt’s new permanent home-and-home men’s basketball opponents along with Tennessee and Florida. The Wildcats have fallen 21 spots in the AP Poll from their No. 2 preseason ranking, already holding four losses on the season. Kentucky’s 75-70 loss to lowly Auburn on Saturday likely represents a low point in their season, a dark patch which the Commodores will be seeking to prolong.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL (13-4, 2-2 SEC)

at No. 18 TennesseeThursday, Jan. 21 at 6 p.m.

Knoxville, Tenn. TV: SEC Network

Vanderbilt women’s basketball and the Lady Vols will take the court in Knoxville just 22 hours after their male counterparts battle on the same fl oor, with just as much on the line. The Commodores have won two straight after an 0-2 start to conference play but lack a resume-building win, which a dub against their archrivals would provide.

vs. AlabamaMonday, Jan. 25 at 6 p.m.

Memorial GymThis Monday night matchup is a rematch of

a 54-48 Vanderbilt victory in Tuscaloosa just two weekends ago. Christa Reed scored 15 points in the second half of that game to give Vandy its fi rst SEC win of the season.

This week in Commodore sports

By MAX HERZSports reporter--------------------

BASKETBALL WOESBY THE NUMBERS

348personal fouls,

the ninth least in the SEC

23.0personal fouls per game

in Vanderbilt's losses, com-pared to 18.7 in wins

5.2personal fouls per

40 minutesfor Damian Jones this season,

compared to 3.5 last season

Johnny McCrary’s time at Vanderbilt was short-lived, but the redshirt sophomore will have two more years of eligibility after graduating from Vanderbilt before the 2016-17 season starts.

The next question becomes “Where?”McCrary will be eligible to play immediately as a gradu-

ate transfer and should have a pick of several intrigu-ing schools. He could follow in the footsteps of former teammates Josh Grady (Florida) and Stephen Rivers (Northwestern State) and choose a big-time school to be a backup, or a smaller school with a greater chance to start, respectively.

Despite his up-and-down performance throughout his 12 starts over two seasons, there’s no denying McCrary’s present skill set. Recruiting website Rivals.com rated him a four-star recruit and the 10th best dual-threat quar-terback in the nation out of high school, and he’s shown flashes of greatness at times.

McCrary hasn’t publicly announced any details about where he will end up but has dropped several hints, lead-ing to this list of six potential schools for the former Com-modore quarterback.

GEORGIA

This seems like the biggest long-shot, but there’s plenty of reason to believe that McCrary could return to his home state. New head coach Kirby Smart has no loyalty to incumbent starter Greyson Lambert, who was a far lower recruit than McCrary, and Smart could be looking for a

new starter.Furthermore, when McCrary announced he was gradu-

ating and not returning to Vanderbilt on Instagram, it was with a picture from Vanderbilt’s home game against Geor-gia in 2015 with the geotag “Athens Ga.” Is it a hint where he’s going? Has he already talked with Smart? Who knows.

PENN STATE

This connection makes sense for several reasons, and the Nittany Lions would be as good of a team as any he could transfer to. Head coach James Franklin recruited McCrary out of high school to Vanderbilt and is still one of his highest recruits at any school.

With projected first-round pick Christian Hackenberg expected to declare for the NFL draft, the Nittany Lions are left with just sophomore Trace McSorley, another former Vanderbilt recruit, at quarterback. McCrary was a far better recruit than McSorley, who has only completed 13 of 51 career passes.

McCrary posted a picture of him and Franklin from the 2013 Black and Gold spring game on Instagram two days before announcing he would not return to Vanderbilt with

the caption “Wait A Sec... No Wait... Oh Bet...” that he later took down. Is this saying he will reunite with Franklin? Is he posting a picture of the first time he played in a Vanderbilt uniform before he announces his exit? Was it just a picture he likes? Who knows.

WESTERN KENTUCKYNow we’re getting into schools that

seem more likely. Western Kentucky had the third-highest scoring offense last season led by the nation’s passing yardage leader, sixth-year senior Bran-don Doughty.

With Doughty moving on and no clear replacement for him, McCrary could slide in and take over the ex-plosive, up-tempo offense that would mesh well with his abilities. Better yet, he would face off against Vanderbilt in the Commodores’ fourth game of the season just 70 miles north in Bowling Green.

MEMPHISThere will be plenty of turnover

in Memphis next season with head coach Justin Fuente leaving to coach Virginia Tech and projected first-round pick Paxton Lynch declaring for

the NFL draft.The Tigers hired former Arizona

State offensive coordinator Mike Norvell as their new head coach, but he doesn’t have any connections to in-house quarterbacks. With Brady Davis the lone quarterback on roster to receive even a three-star rating, Nor-vell may have his quarterback of the future three hours east. Norvell runs an offense similar to Gus Malzahn at Auburn, which would work well with McCrary.

GEORGIA STATEMcCrary grew up in Ellenwood,

Ga., a short drive from Georgia State’s campus in downtown Atlanta. It seems likely that McCrary would re-turn home to a smaller school some-where in Georgia, and the Panthers are a solid fit.

With senior quarterback Nick Ar-buckle graduated, McCrary could be a significant upgrade over the rest of their roster and improve the Panthers in their fourth year of playing Division I football.

TENNESSEE STATEThe Tigers aren’t necessarily a great

fit on paper since they’re an NCAA Division I FCS team, and McCrary can probably get an FBS offer from some teams. However, he has led a trail of clues on Instagram that may or may

not mean anything at all.McCrary has posted four pictures

over the past two days with geotags at Tennessee State’s campus, including one at their multi-purpose athletic center. Does this mean he’s consider-ing transferring across town? Is he just visiting friends? Again, who knows?


Where in the world is Johnny McCrary(going to be next year)?

By BEN WEINRIBSports editor--------------------

A reunion with former coach James Franklin at PSU is one possiblity among many for the redshirt sophomore


backpageTODAY'S CROSSWORD

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

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

Answers to last week’s crossword

TODAY'S SUDOKU

PHOTO OF THE WEEK

Civil Rights icon Rev. James Lawson delivers the Keynote Address to a sold-out audience in Langford Auditorium on Monday, Jan. 18. The address closed a weekend commemorating the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. through guest speakers, teach-ins and a march through Nashville.

JULIA ORDOG / THE VANDERBILT HUSTLER

the vanderbilt hustler 1-20-16

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