Fifty yearsfor WRVU

INSIDE THIS ISSUE…

DO THE MATHIf you’d only spent that

much time on class papers,

who knows? Calculate the

investment of effort in VSC

by the numbers.

page 4

PRIME TIMEVTV has gone from few

staff in a small dark

basement room to many

staff in a big bright

basement room. Read

about the most watched

TV on campus.

page 7

TURN UP THE HEATFocusing attention on hot

button campus issues not

only guarantees readers,

it can inflame them. See

what The Torch staff

learned.

page 9

tunnel visionA publication for alumni of student media at Vanderbilt University

Issue 1 • Fall 2002 Vanderbilt Student Communications celebrates its 35th birthday in 2002 • WRVU gears up for 50th birthday celebration

ALUMNI

A LOOK BACKA major market sports

writer discovers lessons

learned on those long

Hustler nights paid off

page 3

WRVU staff from years past might find itdifficult to recognize the station today. But ifthey dial up 91.1 FM and listen, they’ll knowtheir legacy lives on.

Gone is the dark-roomed labyrinth of graf-fiti etched walls and sticky carpet, replacedwith new construction during the 1999Sarratt renovation, but the format of inde-pendent and non-mainstream music contin-ues as a Nashville fixture.

“WRVU exists to serve both its listenersand the artists whose music we play at thestation,” said Jennifer Sexton, station generalmanager and a junior biological sciencesmajor from Niceville, Fla. “Our mission is toexpose this area to music you cannot hearelsewhere.”

The staff of80 students,alumni andcommunity vol-unteers at thestation isreminded ofWRVU’s role bythe program-ming lineup,which includesa number ofshows broad-cast continu-ously for morethan 10 years.Programs like“George, the Bluegrass Show,” “Kynd VeggieShow” and “The Old Record Shop,” the latterwith host Ken Berryhill, a 1953 Vanderbiltand WRVU alumnus, provide younger DJs aglimpse of the station’s mission and roots.

“We appreciate and love what the alumnihave done before us,” Sexton said. “It’s thepeople who came before us and worked sohard that allows WRVU to be what it is today.What we do each day with a little piece ofbroadcasting time can change people’s lives.”

WRVU has been changing the lives of itsstaff and listeners since its first broadcast in1953. The station will celebrate its 50thbirthday with a concert on Alumni Lawn andspecial on-air programming on March 28(see related story on page 4).

As with so many past staff members,WRVU has become a home away from homefor Sexton.

“Some of my best days have been spent atthe station with some of the best people atVanderbilt,” she said. “Being general manag-er has taught me confidence, made me morefocused, more organized, and given me theopportunity to give back to the music thathas given me so much joy and happiness.

“Vice Chancellor Mike Schoenfeld (whocurrently shares a Wednesday morningWRVU slot with Vice Chancellor DavidWilliams) has said that all he ever needed toknow, he learned in college radio. That state-ment is true for me as well,” Sexton said.

Recently, Sexton and her staff were forcedto learn to deal with adversity when the rulesenforcing the Digital Millennium CopyrightAct of 1998 went into effect. The act estab-lished a new sound recordings performance

see WRVU, page 5

WRVU General Manager Jennifer Sexton.

HISTORY

TIME MARCHES ONFollow the Vandy student

media timeline and see

snapshots of moments

that changed lives

page 4-5

Hustler wins national awardThe 2001-2002 staff of

The Vanderbilt Hustler wasawarded its first ever ACPPacemaker at the NationalCollege Media Conventionin Orlando, Fla., in earlyNovember.

Associated CollegiatePress and the NewspaperAssociation of AmericaFoundation have co-sponsored the NewspaperPacemaker competition since 1971.ACP began the awards in 1927. ThePacemaker is often referred to in the stu-dent media arena as the “Pulitzer Prize”of college journalism.

Judges select Pacemakers based onthe following: coverage and content,quality of writing and reporting, leader-ship on the opinion page, evidence ofin-depth reporting, design, photogra-phy, art and graphics.

Newspaper Pacemakers are judged inthree categories: four-year dailies, four-year non-dailies and two-year papers.Pacemakers are selected by the staff of aprofessional newspaper in the host city

of the ACP/CMA NationalCollege Media Convention(2002 entries were judgedby the Orlando Sentinel).

Other 2002 ACPNewspaper PacemakerWinners include: AuburnPlainsman, AuburnUniversity; Golden Gate[X]Press, San FranciscoState University; Advocate,Contra Costa College;

Valencia Source, Valencia CommunityCollege; Sentinel, North Idaho College;Daily Egyptian, Southern IllinoisUniversity; Daily Illini, University ofIllinois; Daily Northwestern,Northwestern University; College HeightsHerald, Western Kentucky University;Hullabaloo, Tulane University; HarvardCrimson, Harvard University; Tech,Massachusetts Institute of Technology;Central Michigan LIFE, Central MichiganUniversity; Eastern Echo, EasternMichigan University; DailyPennsylvanian, University ofPennsylvania; and Advance-Titan,University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh.

We’re throwing a party!

You’re invited

to WRVU’s 50th

Birthday Bash!

See page 5

INDEX…

Director’s note 2Meet the advisers 2Versus 3Alumni list serve 3The Vanderbilt Review 4The Vanderbilt Hustler 5Commodore 6Orbis 8VSC online 9The Slant 10Spoon 11

Vanderbilt Student Communications, Inc.Celebrating 35 years

…OUR DEBUTWelcome to the first edition of Tunnel Vision,a biannual publication for

alumni of student media at

Vanderbilt University. In this

issue we’ll provide you a

glimpse of the 10 active

media organizations and the

students who lead them.

We’re proud of what we’re

doing at VSC and want you to

know that your contributions

and traditions carry on. And

we know you’re proud of

what you’re doing now, so

please, take time to fill out

the update form on page

11 and return it to us.

We’ll share your news with

current and former students

in our Spring 2003 issue.

So, who are these Vanderbilt student mediaadvisers, anyway, and what do they do? Not anuncommon question from students, current andpast, and from the occasional grumblingUniversity administrator. Alumni from before1998 might also ask, “and why are there three ofthem?”

By design, the industrious students runningVanderbilt media groups have enjoyed a great dealof autonomy. For most of the groups’ history,advising duties were handled by a variety of facul-ty and administrators. In 1977, 10 years after thechartering of Vanderbilt Student Communi-cations, Inc. the corporation hired its first consult-ing journalist, Jim Leeson.

Leeson worked as the first VSC employed advis-er until the mid-1980s, when Laura Hill was hiredto fill the part-time role. Midway through her 10-year tenure, Hill saw her job upgraded to a full-time position. Hill left the position in 1996. ChrisCarroll was brought on as media adviser inDecember 1996.

Each of these advisers was charged with thesame multi-faceted role, which centered primarilyaround providing journalism education, fiscalmanagement and student development.

In recent years as the quality, quantity and com-plexity of the students’ operations grew. Carrollrecognized both the necessity and benefit ofadding more full-time professional staff.Following financial decisions that resulted in dra-matically reduced expenses and increased new rev-enue, a second full-time adviser, Jeff Breaux, wasadded in 1998.

In 2001, after yet more successful fiscal manag-ment decisions allowed the opportunity, a thirdfull-time position was filled by Aleesa Ross.

Here’s a brief biographical sketch of the currentadvisers:

Chris CarrollFor six years, Chris Carroll has served as the

director of student media for VSC, Inc. He fills therole of general manager for the corporation, super-vising staff, managing legal and fiscal concerns,

working with the Universityand external communities andproviding training and careercounseling. He also serves asthe primary adviser to TheVanderbilt Hustler, WRVU, VTV,Orbis and The Slant.

Prior to VSC, Carroll hasserved as the director of stu-dent media at the University

of South Carolina in Columbia, S.C., director ofstudent media at Tulane University in NewOrleans, La., and journalism instructor and mediaadviser at Arkansas Tech University in Russellville,Ark. The media he has advised have been multipleaward winners on state, regional and national lev-els, including ACP Pacemakers and CSPA GoldCrowns.

In commercial media, Carroll served as areporter and later chief photojournalist for aregional daily newspaper, The Northwest ArkansasTimes in Fayetteville, Ark.

Carroll has been very active in regional andnational journalism education associations. Heserved as national vice president and then presi-dent of College Media Advisers, an associationrepresenting 550 colleges and universities. He alsoserved as president of the Southeast JournalismConference, an association of some 45 schools inseven states.

He has been awarded many of the profession’shighest awards, including the Student Press LawCenter Distinguished Service Award in 2000, theColumbia Scholastic Press Association Gold KeyAward in 1999, the CMA Distinguished Four-YearMulti-Media Adviser Award in 1997, The CMABroadcast Honor Roll Adviser Award in 1991, andthe CMA College Newspaper Honor Roll AdviserAward in 1989.

Carroll, a native of Arkansas, holds bachelor’sand master’s degrees in journalism from ArkansasTech University and the University of Arkansas atLittle Rock, respectively. He is married to MaryBeth Carroll, a former program coordinator in theDean of Students Office at Vanderbilt. They havetwo daughters, Sarah Harper, 3, and Lindsey Lee,18 months.

Jeff BreauxJeff Breaux joined the VSC staff in 1998 as the

marketing director for The Vanderbilt Hustler. Hisrole was later expanded to working with all of VSCas assistant director of student media.

Breaux’s primary responsibility is serving as thecorporation’s business manager, which includes

overseeing the Hustler’s adver-tising operations and theaccounting for each of the 10student divisions and theadministrative division.

Additionally Breaux servesstudents as a technology andgraphic design consultant. Heis also the primary adviser forthe magazine Spoon.

Before coming to VSC, Breaux served as thedirector of student media at Tulane University inNew Orleans, La. and as art director for studentmedia at the University of South Carolina inColumbia, S.C.

Breaux’s professional experience in freelancegraphics includes working as the creative designerfor the band Hootie and the Blowfish, and design-er for the National Orientation DirectorsAssociation scholarly journal. He also serves as aninstructor in yearbook design and organization foran independent national college yearbook work-shop.

He is active in national student media organi-zations and has served as the vice president ofSouthern University Newspapers, art director ofCollege Media Advisers’ flagship journal CollegeMedia Review and editor of CMA’s Best of CollegiateDesign.

Breaux’s work in student media was recognizedby his peers in 2001 when we was presented thenational CMA Distinguished Four-Year BusinessAdviser Award.

During his undergraduate career, he served assports editor, assistant editor and editor-in-chief ofThe Potpourri Yearbook.

Breaux, a native of Louisiana, earned a bachlor’sdegree in advertising design from NorthwesternState University in Louisiana and a master’s degreein media arts from the University of SouthCarolina.

Aleesa RossAleesa Ross is the newest addition to VSC’s full-

time staff. She has served as assistant director ofstudent media since August 2001.

Before coming to Vanderbilt, Ross was a highschool journalism and English teacher at FairviewHigh School in Williamson County nearNashville. While at Fairview, Ross advised the year-book and newspaper staffs and the student coun-cil. Under her leadership the students on the year-book staff revitalized the newspaper, The JacketJournal, and began printing issues again.

She is the primary adviser for Commodore,Versus, The Torch and The Vanderbilt Review. Because

of Ross’ high school advisingexperience, she serves as theexecutive director of the newlyformed Middle TennesseeScholastic Press Association.Ross also works on recruitingnew students for the staffs,serves as the VSC board ofdirectors secretary, maintainsall student association mem-

berships, critiques publications and assists withstaff training, media workshops and student careercounseling.

Ross, a native of Texas, graduated from TexasTech University in 1998 with degrees in journal-ism and English. During her college days, Rossworked on the La Ventana yearbook staff for threeand a half years, serving as reporter, section editor,copy editor and editor-in-chief. The volume Rossedited, the 1997 La Ventana, was an AssociatedCollegiate Press Pacemaker finalist. Additionally,she worked as a reporter and copy editor for TexasTech University’s student newspaper, The UniversityDaily, and was the assistant editor and editor-in-chief of the Amigos! New Student and FreshmanDirectory staff.

Ross is married to Brent Ross, assistant mediarelations director for the Vanderbilt UniversityAthletic Department.

tunnel visionA publication for alumni of student media at Vanderbilt University

Meet the VSC staff of advisers

Gaining our Vision

tunnel vision2

expanding the tunnel

a director’s note…

Consider this an unexpected call from an old friend youhaven’t heard from in a while. I hope it finds you doing well. I’meager to use it to learn where life has taken you. And it’s great tohave this chance to tell you that everything here is better thanever, though we still miss you sometimes.

Whether it’s been just a few months since you left us, or a fewdecades, I hope the time you spend reading this new publicationfills you with rewarding memories and a sense of pride. You’veearned both.

I’ve seen six classes of you graduate since the idea to create apublication for Vanderbilt student media alumni popped up inconversations with seniors during my first year working here.Well, guys, it’s finally here. In conjunction with this Fall’s 35thanniversary of the founding of Vanderbilt StudentCommunications, Inc., I’m proud to introduce you to TunnelVision. You old media tunnel dwellers will immediately recognizethe significance of the name, though you might not recognize itsnamesake. The 1999 Sarratt renovation may have sterilized thehalls, but the tunnel spirit remains.

For you graduates from 1996 and before, my name is ChrisCarroll, and I’m the media adviser for VSC. I’m the third to fillthis role, following in the footsteps of Jim Leeson and Laura Hill.You may learn more about me and my VSC colleagues in thestory to the right, but first, I want to let you in on a secret that Jim,Laura and I each know. This is the greatest job in the world. Letme tell you why.

First, it’s all about you. The students I work with at Vanderbiltrepresent some of the brightest, most talented, creative, passion-ate, respectful and dedicated people anywhere. You offer intellec-tual challenges, boundless energy, earnest curiosity, and veryoften high drama and rollicking entertainment.

And it is, after all, a time machine. Though I get older eachyear, the students in front of me stay pretty much the same age.Can’t put a price on that.

Then there’s Vanderbilt. Simply mention the name in highereducation circles and the well-deserved reaction you see says itall. Truly important things happen here daily. It’s humbling toshare in that magic. And maybe better still is to enjoy the auton-omy of VSC — Vanderbilt without the bureaucracy.

Next is the heart of this whole endeavor. The people whochoose to work with Vanderbilt student media make real differ-ences. Every day. You offer contributions to the campus, andbeyond, that are critically essential to the vitality of the commu-nity. The information you share and forums for debate you pro-vide are the foundations upon which academic freedom anddemocracy are laid. You serve as a catalyst for positive changewith a degree of impact that other student leaders and organiza-tions can only dream about.

But here’s the best. Whether it’s a former WRVU station man-ager who just graduated from medical school, a former VanderbiltReview editor fresh out of law school and clerking for a judge, ora former Hustler editor knocking them down in the big leagues ata major west coast paper, nothing beats hearing from a VSC alumthat his or her experience working in student media was amongthe most meaningful during a long Vanderbilt college career.

So, please let us hear from you. Email, call, fax or mail theform on Page 11 to us. We want to share your news with otheralumni and current students in the next issue. It’s time for us tocatch up. I promise it will only be six months, not six years,before you hear from us again. So, old friend, give us a call.

by Chris Carroll, Director of Student Media

Tunnel Vision is published by Vanderbilt Student Communications, Inc.

Edited by Chris CarrollStories by Chris Carroll and Aleesa Ross

Photos by Chris CarrollLayout 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

615-322-6610 (phone)

615-343-2756 (fax)

chris.carroll@vanderbilt.edu

VANDERBILT STUDENT COMMUNICATIONS, INC.

Student Media at Vanderbilt University

Student media alumni now have a new way to

keep in touch.

Want to re-live one of those long nights on

deadline with a fellow former publication staff

insomniac, celebrate or commiserate the latest

Commodore athletic outcome, or simply locate

and catch up with a former student media col-

league?

Vanderbilt’s Office of Alumni Relations has

created an email discussion list open exclusively

to former staff members of any of the

University’s student media. Alumni discussion

groups are designed for alumni with similar

interests, members of the same class year, or

members of the same student organizations.

Once subscribed, members of the discussion list

may read and post messages.

To join the list, point your web browser to the

Dore2Dore online community page at www.van-

derbilt.edu/alumni/onlineserv.htm. You will need

to log in (instructions are provided for first time

users), then click the link for alumni discussion

groups.

Next, click on group “vu-VSC (VU Student

Communications)” and follow the instructions

provided.

Reach out and click someone on new list

Campus student magazinesare known to suffer from theoccasional identity crisis. Not sowith Versus.

“In relation to the other pub-lications on campus, Versus islike the cool older sister,” saidEditor-in-Chief Kate Zabbia.“She’s been around for a longtime, but she still knows theplaces to go, people to meet,and restaurants to hang out andeat in. She’s the creative, artsyone who always seems to havesomething to say.”

Versus began as a weeklynewspaper in 1968 as a conser-vative alternative to themore liberal Hustler. In1972 Versus turnedfrom news to literatureand art, and then in1973 became focusedon counterculturalissues. Sometime in the1980s, Versus changedto its current tradition-al magazine format.

“There is a file cabi-net in the office with magazinesdating back to the early 1970s,”said Zabbia, a junior Humanand Organizational Develop-ment/Women’s Studies doublemajor from Ponchatoula, La.“We cherish that file cabinet.

“The decades of indexed mag-azines are a wealth of knowledgeand heritage that we do not takelightly,” she said. “We use the

cabinet for direction and inspi-ration.”

Versus has grown in both sizeand frequency compared to itsrecent past. The student staff ofabout 25 publishes eight issuesof 24 pages each year.

“Because our magazine is big-ger this year, my demand to therest of the staff is larger,” Zabbiasaid. “We sometimes have tobrainstorm more, stretch ideaslonger and spend more time inmeetings.

“Brainstorming is a key ingre-dient to our success,” she said.“Each meeting we brainstorm

with everyone present — editors,writers and designers. Togetherwe discuss openly what we wantpublished.”

And what is published isdescribed by the staff as abarometer of Vanderbilt culture.Recent cover stories have tackledtopics like diversity and academ-ic integrity.

“We write general interest sto-

ries that have to do withVanderbilt and Nashville com-munity,” Zabbia said. “We alsodo restaurant, web, movie,music and book reviews, opin-ions and in-depth interviews, allto reach the different aspects ofVanderbilt culture.”

In addition to the printedpublication, Versus has nowlaunched an active website,www.versusmag.org.

“The site allows people to seethe magazine from anywhere.Students abroad, parents, alum-ni and virtually anyone can seethe forum we have to present,”

Zabbia said.Zabbia said she grav-

itated to the magazineinitially looking for acreative outlet.

“I decided by themiddle of my sopho-more year that I reallyloved and respected themagazine, and I want-ed to take a leadershiprole within the divi-

sion.“Nothing motivates me more

than seeing the finished prod-uct, being able to rip open thebrown box when the printerdrops off the magazines and seestacks and stacks of the staff’sideas and efforts put into paperand ink,” she said. “That is agreat feeling.”

Sometimes, my friends and I break out our old bound vol-umes.

We thumb through the faded newsprint, with stories aboutPlayfair and the Provost, reciting our favorite headlines andlaughing at our most egregious typos.

We live in New York, in Atlanta and in Denver. From my apart-ment in Los Angeles, I call them whenever Vanderbilt’s footballteam blows a lead in the closing minutes, and I’m searching for

someone to share my rage.We’re all still in newspapers, trying to

re-create the fun we had in college, writ-ing the kinds of stories we pushed pasteditors at The Hustler. Of course, it wasmuch easier back then because we werethe editors.

Since graduating in 1999, I movedfrom the college paper to a mid-sizepaper to a large paper, where I now coverthe UCLA football and men’s basketballteams.

Though my weekly road trips nolonger take me to The Grove at Ole Miss

or The Swamp at Florida, I am constantly reminded of the experi-ences and relationships forged in the wee hours of productionnights at The Hustler.

We covered a plane crash, a suicide and a tornado, all of whichtaught us the importance of depth and the value of compassion.

We covered people bigger than ourselves, like presidents andchancellors and Nobel Prize winners, who taught us to grow upand act older than our age.

And we covered Vanderbilt students who reminded us that it’seasier to write about an audience when you’re one of them.

But we also fought for rights as reporters and respect as an inde-pendent medium. When our funding was cut in half, we went onstrike. And when no one seemed to care, we came back two weekslater, refusing any university assistance help. For many of us, thatmeant more than a diploma.

Since we couldn’t afford certain new-age computer equipment,we had to bring back some of the most old-school newspaper tra-ditions.

Before sending the paper to the printer at night, we would cutall of the pages with an exacto knife and then tape them to card-board sheets with glue sticks. The exercise, called "paste-up," feltlike high-level arts and crafts.

Since we were usually exhausted, and the exacto knives werealways sharp, we often gave blood to those pages. But we left withsomething more vital.

Although my Vanderbilt experience included creative writingclasses, fraternity parties and memorable Nashville nights, mostof my lasting memories and friendships came courtesy of TheHustler.

I remember my former editor, New York Times baseball writerTyler Kepner, reminding me to always make one more phone callto get a story straight.

I remember my managing editor, Greenwich Time reporter NeilVigdor, missing most of his classes so we could get the paper outby deadline.

And I remember fellow Grantland Rice scholarship winnerDaniel Wolken, who’s now a Colorado Springs Gazette sportswriter,penning his third story at midnight to help fill the last few inch-es.

I think about them -- not only when Vanderbilt loses a game -- but also when it’s late at night, and I’m sitting in an 80,000-seatstadium, and the sentences are starting to blur on my computerscreen.

That’s when I recall the sweet smell of Pancake Pantry on amorning after we worked all night.

And the words always seem to come easier.

Issue 1 • Fall 2002

Covering Vandy’s pastVersus grows in size, frequency

by Lee Jenkins, staff writer, Orange County Register

Jenkins as pictured in hiscolumnist’s photo inTheVanderbilt Hustler, 1998.

Versus Editor-in-Chief Kate Zabbia.

“Nothing motivates me more thanseeing the finished product, being ableto rip open the brown box when theprinter drops off the magazines and seestacks and stacks of the staff’s ideasand efforts put into paper and ink.” Kate

Zabbia

3

bright lights an alumni column…

Alumni are invited to submit their original poetry, fiction andart for consideration for inclusion in 2003 edition of TheVanderbilt Review.

The receipt deadline to send materials to be considered is Jan.6, 2003.

Contributors should send two copies of an original work, onethat includes the creator’s name, address, phone and email, andone copy with no identifying information. Art and photographysubmissions should be sent in the form of 35mm slides/trans-parencies.

All submissions should be sent to The Vanderbilt Review, 2301Vanderbilt Place, VU Station B 357016, Nashville, TN 37235-7016.

Questions may be directed to vanderbiltreview@hotmail.comor by phone to 615-322-6594.

Submit your work to the Review

To celebrate 50 years of broadcasting, the staff ofstudent radio station WRVU are inviting alumni,current students and area community listeners to abirthday concert on Vanderbilt’s Alumni Lawn onFriday, March 28.

The celebration is scheduled to include con-certs from 4-11 p.m. by local bands, a headlineact and performances from WRVU alumni nowworking in the music industry. The station willalso broadcast live from Alumni Lawn andinclude special guest DJs representingWRVU’s five decades of programming.

The celebration will also serve as the open-ing event for Vanderbilt’s annual Parents’Weekend event.

WRVU aired its first official program March30, 1953 at 8 p.m. Station Manager JimBuchman, Program Directors Ray Gill andDick Thorpe, and Head Engineer RaphaelSmith broadcast programming through theelectrical wires on campus to dormitories andmost fraternity and sorority houses.

Birthday organizers continue to seek spon-sors and volunteers to support the event. Tohelp, contact Station Manager Jennifer Sextonat jennifer.c.sexton@vanderbilt.edu.

The editor of The VanderbiltReview began this school yearwith the knowledge that she hadsome big shoes to fill. Her own.

For the first time in theReview’s history, this showcasefor prose, poetry and art is underthe leadership of a re-electededitor-in-chief, Jennifer Casale, ajunior English-creative writingmajor from Indianapolis, Ind.

“We’re very proud of lastyear’s edition. We worked hardto publicize the deadline, and inturn, we got more submissionsthan ever before and we wereable to produce a really strongbook,” Casale said. “Now wewant to continue to build on lastyear’s growth.”

One way to ensure thatgrowth, she said, is to include asmany voices as possible.

“I’m proud that we haveincreased the staff size from ninepeople two years ago to 23 stu-dents on staff today,” she said.“It is important for more stu-dents to get involved and it’sclear that the increase in staffhas had a successful and positiveimpact.”

Since its debut in 1985, theReview has developed an exem-plary reputation for quality. Thepublication has received manyawards, including multiplenational Gold Crowns from theColumbia Scholastic PressAssociation. Heading an organi-zation with these traditionswould be daunting to some.

“I have to admit that theresponsibility of continuing thelegacy is motivating,” Casalesaid. “Plus, I feel there are somany rewards. I get to learn howto handle myself in different sit-uations, I get to read and see alot of really talented people’swork from Vanderbilt, and I feellike the final product is a hugereward.

“There was nothing like open-ing that first box last springwhen the shipment of booksarrived,” she said. “Then to havepeople approach us to tell howmuch they appreciated the pub-lication and how much theyenjoyed reading it. The positivefeedback is an amazing reward

as well.”In past years, the Review has

featured interviews and workfrom writers such as RobertPenn Warren, Roy Blount, Jr. andBobbie Ann Mason. This year’sedition, available in early April,promises to make its own mark.

“We are going to have somereally great features in thisissue,” Casale said. “I don’t wantto ruin our surprises, but it willbe amazing, so don’t miss it.”

Special recognition is given ineach year’s edition, along with acash prize, to the student win-ners of the Vanderbilt Review ArtAward, Vanderbilt ReviewFiction Award and the GuyGoffe Means Poetry Award.Faculty members in the

University’s art and Englishdepartments serve as judges forthe competition.

The Review was formed as aconsolidation of three previouspublished vol-umes of stu-dent work: ThePoetry Review,The PhotographyReview, andS c r i v e n e r .Staying true toits roots, theReview acceptssubmissions ofpoetry, shortfiction, non-fiction, photogra-phy and art from Vanderbilt stu-dents, faculty, staff and alumni.

This year’s staff is working to

initiate some traditions of itsown, Casale said.

“Some of our staff volun-teered to work at The SouthernFestival of Books,” she said. “It

was a great opportunity to con-nect with the Nashville commu-nity and to have the staff mem-bers involved with such a huge

literary event.”Though the role of editor of

the Review is not new to her,Casale said the second termexperience is equally meaning-

ful.“I would say

that every chal-lenge that hascome up has beenan amazing learn-ing experience,”Casale said. “Thelessons we arelearning together,from meetingdeadlines to solv-

ing problems are all pricelessthings to be learning beforeheading out into our careers.”

Second-term editor a first for Review staff

You’re invited to WRVU’s 50th Birthday Party!VSC, by the numbers…

The Vanderbilt Review Editor-in-Chief Jennifer Casale.

“I have to admit that the responsibility of con-tinuing the legacy is motivating. Plus, I feel thereare so many rewards. I get to learn how to handlemyself in different situations, I get to read and seea lot of really talented people’s work fromVanderbilt, and I feel like the final product is a hugereward.” Jennifer Casale

• Copies of VSC publications distributed in 2001-02 434,200• Student portraits printed in the 2002 Commodore 1,785• Popsicles in October 2002 Versus cover photo 41• VSC students attending national media conventions in 2002 17• VSC divisions (media organizations) in Fall 2000 6• VSC divisions (media organizations) in Fall 2002 10• Decades during which WRVU DJ Ken Berryhill has been an active DJ 7• National awards won by VSC media in 2002 4• Former Hustler editor-in-chiefs elected to the U.S. Senate 1• Macintosh computers in use in VSC offices 28• Hours of Persian music broadcast on WRVU in October 2002 8• The Slant t-shirts featuring Chancellor E. Gordon Gee 2• Hours "Vanderbilt Sports Weekly" on VTV each week 10.5• Square feet of Sarratt Student Center space occupied by VSC 3,158• Square feet of Stapleton space occupied by VTV studio 1,060• Pizzas consumed during typical Orbis production night 3• Percentage of 2001-02 VSC funding generated by sales,

service and other revenue efforts 60• Former Hustler staffers currently working for The New York Times 2• Presentations showcasing VSC before the Vanderbilt

Board of Trust since 1998 2• Students on staff of VSC groups Fall 2002 437• Years Vanderbilt Student Communications, Inc. has existed 35• Pulitzer Prize winners featured in the 2000 Vanderbilt Review 1• Copies of The Torch burned in protest on live campus television 1

tunnel vision4

Hustler staff maintains celebrated legacyAs The Vanderbilt Hustler

enters its 115th year of publish-ing, the students determining itscontent today are constantlyaware of the difference the news-paper has made in the past.

“This newspaper is an institu-tion,” said Editor-in-Chief AlexBurkett, a senior American andSouthern Studies major fromDalton, Ga. “We try to live up tothe difficult job we have, realiz-ing we have no formal journal-ism training. But we try our bestto fill the shoes of former Hustlerstaff who have gone on to dogreat things, acting as the stew-ards of something great.”

The staff’s efforts to maintainthe paper’s legacy were recog-nized recently when the 2001-02Hustler received a nationalPacemaker award fromAssociated Collegiate Press, longconsidered the Pulitzer Prize forcollege media (see related storyon page 1).

“It’s exciting and encouragingto be part of an organizationthat is enjoying national recog-nition for the work that it hasdone,” Burkett said. “But I thinkour biggest accomplishment isbreaking some major stories thathave made national ripples: therenaming of ConfederateMemorial Hall, a story we broke,stands out.”

With nearly 100 studentsworking in various roles deliver-ing information to theVanderbilt community, TheHustler still struggles with theage-old challenge of studentbody apathy, according toBurkett.

“I don’t think enough peopleunderstand what we’re trying todo here,” he said. “We provideinformation that stands poten-tially to change their entiremodus operandi at Vanderbilt.

Some of the things we reportcould theoretically cause themto act in dramatically differentways.

“A great many students sim-ply don’t care about some of theimportant issues facing thisUniversity. And that makes itvery difficult to attract qualityreporters — people who areinterested in making a differ-ence.”

Fortunately, The Hustler hasan impressive track record forfinding the few students who arepassionate about working forpositive change. Many of theseluminaries were featured in “TheHustler Chronicles” whichappeared in the Fall 2002 issue

of Vanderbilt Magazine for alum-ni.

This reminder of former edi-tors’ achievements helps moti-vate the current staff to continu-a l l yi m p r ovethe news-p a p e r ,B u r k e t tsaid.

“ O u rc u r r e n tgoal is toexpand our readership, to incor-porate more of what more peo-ple want to read. It’s their paper.

“One of the things I’vestressed this semester is that TheVanderbilt Hustler is a communi-

ty newspaper,” Burkett said.“People don’t want to readabout wide-reaching andabstract issues all the time. Theyneed some local color.

“And It h i n kw e ’ l ltruly cap-ture thee n t i r em a r k e t -place ofr e a d e r s

once we put something in thenewspaper for everyone,” hesaid. “We’ve come a long waythis semester in adding content,but we’ve still got a way to go.”

Burkett suggests that his staff

members hold some of the high-est-stress student jobs atVanderbilt. There’s no questionthat the jobs require a tremen-dous investment of time andsacrifice, but at least for Burkett,the reward is worth it.

“Picture it this way: you’re sit-ting in the back of a crowded lec-ture hall before class,” he said.“You’re looking forward at about200 students, all of whom arereading the newspaper, readingand pointing at articles you edit-ed or wrote.

“You get the sense that they’regoing to do something differentas a result. That’s when youknow your work is important.”

royalty that webcasters must payto copyright holders. The newfees, coupled with onerousrecord-keeping requirementshave proven prohibitive to mostcollege radio webcasters.

“Our station had a ratherlarge webcasting audience, withsome particular shows having aworldwide Internet follow-ing, but the DMCA forced usto shut down our RealAudiobroadcasts,” she said. “It wasdifficult to both understandthe technical jargon of theruling and to convey thatinformation to the staff.”

The blow to the station’sprogramming did bring anunexpected result, however.

“I was so proud of the stationafter the ruling became effective.Everyone pulled together andeffectively signed petitions,researched the ruling and gener-ally became more pro-active,”Sexton said. “I’ve seen moreunity and harmony at the sta-tion and the willingness to worktogether to become a betterradio station. They’ve steppedup to the challenge.”

Though WRVU’s Internetbroadcast is at least temporarilysilent, Middle Tennessee listen-ers will soon be hearing the sta-tion with greater clarity and reg-

ularity than ever before.A new state-of-the-art trans-

mitter and antenna will beinstalled at the WSM Nob Hilltower site within the next coupleof months, replacing the morethan 20-year-old existing equip-ment.

The old transmitter and

antenna models, which are nolonger manufactured, werebecoming increasingly difficultand costly to repair, and wereprone to failure during coldweather, according to chief engi-neer Carl Pedersen.

The nearly $75,000 cost forthe new equipment will comefrom the Vanderbilt StudentCommunications, Inc. reservefund. The VSC, Inc. Board ofDirectors voted for the alloca-tion after attempts to solicitunderwriting from theUniversity and other sourcesfailed.

The new equipment should

secure WRVU’s place amongNashville’s airwaves, represent-ing a quantum leap from the sta-tion’s beginning.

WRVU began as a low-powerAM carrier current station thatcould only be heard by studentsin campus buildings. In 1973,the station moved to the FM

band and increased powerto 430 watts. In 1980,stereo broadcasting wasadded, followed in 1985with a power increase to14,500 watts.

In 2002, the student staffmaintains ambitious goalsto add to the station’s pro-gressive past.

“I see WRVU as one of the topcollege radio stations in thenation and one of the bestplaces to find under-representedmusic,” Sexton said. “I see a sta-tion that works to bring the bestmusic acts to Nashville, workshard to promote them, and is anasset to Music Row.

“It is the drive to take some-thing I love and to improveupon it that keeps me pushingthrough the stress of being thegeneral manager,” she said. “It’smy way of leaving my mark onVanderbilt University.”

WRVU, cont. from page 1

The Vanderbilt Hustler Editor-in-Chief Alex Burkett.

“We appreciate and love whatthe alumni have done before us.It’s the people who came beforeus and worked so hard thatallows WRVU to be what it istoday.” Jennifer Sexton

“I don’t think enough peopleunderstand what we’re trying todo here. We provide informationthat stands potentially to changetheir entire modus operandi atVanderbilt.” Alex Burkett

Issue 1 • Fall 2002 5

In its first major bylaws revision in years, the VanderbiltStudent Communications, Inc. board of directors voted tochange its structure beginning in Fall 2002.

Operating under the old bylaws, the membership of theboard had grown to 28 members, an increase necessitatedby the creation of four new student publications.

“The size of the board made meetings with full atten-dance practically impossible,” said Director of StudentMedia Chris Carroll. “Coordinating the busy schedules of somany students and faculty was unwieldy, which resulted inmeetings being less effective.”

After spending the entire 2001-02 academic year dis-cussing changes and drafting proposals, the board unani-mously approved a bylaws revisions on April 10, 2002.

“The number of voting members was reduced to eight,with the spirit of the original bylaws retained with respect toensuring majority student representation,” Carroll said.

As required in the bylaws, Vanderbilt Chancellor E.Gordon Gee approved the revision on Sept. 5, 2002.

The voting composition of the new board includes threefaculty members, four student representatives from the stu-dent body and one student representative from the newlyformed Media Council. Non-voting members of the boardinclude the associate vice chancellor for student life, oneprofessional print journalist, one professional broadcastjournalist, the director of student media and the board sec-retary.

Each of the student leaders of the 10 VSC, Inc. mediaorganizations hold a seat on a new Media Council. The lead-ers elect one from their membership to represent theCouncil on the VSC, Inc. board.

A full copy of the revised bylaws is available online atwww.vscmedia.org.

VSC board revises bylaws

Even though it is the oldest student publication on campus, theCommodore may surprise readers this year with its new approach toyearbook content.

“I’ve set out to use some nontraditional elements in creating andsculpting the 2003 Commodore,” said Editor-in-Chief Houston Ruck,a senior American and Southern studies major from Newark, Del.

Getting the staff of 20 to open creative channels and question theimportance of visual representation in relation to journalistic con-tent has been a major focus, Ruck said.

Ruck is expanding an approach begun with the 2002 book thatdeparts from classic yearbook format in favor of more informal,photo-oriented content. The 2002 Commodore was awarded a thirdplace ranking at the Associated Collegiate Press Best of Show com-petition in Orlando in early November.

“We didn’t know how judges and audiences would approach the2002 Commodore since it rejected so many elements of a traditionalyearbook,” Ruck said. “To win third place in Orlando means thatwe’re being recognized for our departure from the norm, which isvery exciting for us.”

Despite the changes in style, the essence of the Commodore,according to Ruck, remains capturing the school year in words andpictures.

“I think the yearbook has a unique opportunity as a journalistictool for student media,” he said. “The Commodore has the duty ofreminding its reader of the social, academic and political environ-ment over a time span from today to 50 years from today.”

“I want this year’s Commodore to function as a witness to the year’smost pressing issues, either through the visual medium of com-pelling photographs or the textual method of good article copy.Capturing the year and giving it the distinction of showcasing thisyear alone is what I want the book to do.”

The Commodore carries with it a rich history, including being themost critically celebrated of the Vanderbilt student media. The bookhas won a number of national awards including multiple AssociatedCollegiate Press Pacemakers and Columbia Scholastic PressAssociation Gold Crowns.

Members of theUniversity’s fraternities firstpublished the yearbook asthe Comet in 1887. In 1909the book’s name waschanged to Commodore inresponse to a campusmovement to unite theschool under a commonmascot and identity.

About 1915 theCommodore evolved from a fraternity publication to a University-wide yearbook. The book came under Vanderbilt StudentCommunications, Inc. control in 1967.

Ensuring the yearbook is representative of the entire campus instaffing and content is a continuing goal.

“Assembling a staff that speaks to a cross section of the Universityhas been something I’ve been proud of,” Ruck said. “I feel like wecan easily include a wide spectrum of the Vanderbilt communitythrough the extra-organizational associations of this staff.”

Ruck came to his leadership role at the Commodore after holdingfour editor positions with The Vanderbilt Hustler. Despite his experi-ence, Ruck said there is still much that he may learn.

“I regard my involvement with the Commodore as well as the yearsspent with The Hustler as an integral part of my Vanderbilt educa-tion,” he said. “Time spent at the Commodore is not so much a sacri-fice, but an opportunity to spend time with friends and expand myskills as a journalist. In effect, I’m supplementing my Vanderbilteducation.”

Commodore developsphoto-focused book

Breaking the mold…

Student media began making an impact at

Vanderbilt as soon asfour years after the

University’s founding in 1873. Follow the

timeline to the right to be reminded of a few of the student

media turning points.Notice important dates

missing? Be sure to let us know.

1985Vanderbilt Video

Productions is

formed

1985The VanderbiltReview makes its

debut

Va

nd

y s

tu

de

nt m

ed

ia t

ime

line

Commodore Editor-in-Chief Houston Ruck.

“The Commodore has theduty of reminding its readerof the social, academic andpolitical environment over atime span from today to 50years from today.” Houston

Ruck

1887The Commodoreyearbook (then

called the Comet)

is first published

1888The VanderbiltHustler begins

publication

1953WRVU begins

broadcasting as an

AM carrier current

station

1967Vanderbilt Student

Communications, Inc.

formed

1909Comet yearbook

changes its name to

Commodore

tunnel vision6

1968Versus begins

publishing

1973WRVU moves to

the FM band with

430 watts

1980WRVU begins

broadcasting in

stereo

The 2002 edition of the Commodore broke away from typical

yearbook tradition, focusing heavily on photography and not using the

standard section divisions. Instead, the staff divided the book chronologically.

Moving to all-digital format big step for VTVMajor television executives

might be surprised by the showsVanderbilt students tune intoeach night. The most populardon’t appear on the networks orprime cable providers.

Campus Channel 6, withoriginal student-produced pro-grams like “Vanderbilt SportsWeekly,” “Arrested Develop-ment,” “VuPoint” and “Vusic,”has captured the attention ofcampus residents, thanks to theefforts of Vanderbilt Television.

“VTV has a lot of momentumright now to become one of thebest campus television stationsin the nation,” said StationManager Matthew Saul, a senioreconomics major from Dalton,Ga. “There was a lot of potentialwith VTV that was not realizeduntil the past couple of years.”

VTV began as VanderbiltVideo Productions in 1985 witha focus on videotaping events oncampus and producing a videoyearbook. That mission evolvedinto a television station in 1992with a goal to produce originalprogramming created by stu-dents for students.

“The station has grownsteadily in the past four years,”Saul said. “At the beginning ofthe academic year 1999, therewere only seven people workingat the station. The only show onthe air on a consistent basis wasVTV Sports.

“Now our numbers havegrown to include more than 50people working for the stationand we have five student pro-duced showsthat air everyweek,” hesaid.

T h ebiggest prob-lem VTVfaces, Saulsaid, isr e c r u i t i n gstudents andkeeping theminterested intelevision. Another challenge iskeeping the station in goodworking order and having thebest equipment to produce pro-fessional programs.

That problem was at its worstwhen VTV was housed in twosmall, cinder block rooms in thebasement of Lupton Hall. Thestation was difficult to find andpresented an image that turnedaway all but the most dedicated

volunteers.To provide VTV with a step

up, Vanderbilt StudentCommunications, Inc. struck adeal with University Housing inthe summer of 1999 and invest-ed in the construction of a new

1 , 0 6 0square footstudio inthe base-ment ofStapletonHall.

The newfac i l i t ies,c o u p l e dwith thep u r c h a s eof much

needed new equipment, provid-ed VTV leaders with the tools totransform the station.

“We have been able to makeour studio user friendly in everyaspect, from sound to cameras,”Saul said. “This allows the stu-dents to produce shows withouttaking too much time or havingtoo much technical expertise.Now we’ve increased our staffnumbers and we put out quality

programming 24/7.”A primary focus of the station

now, Saul said, is content.“We have developed a pro-

gramming lineup and showsthat should last for many years,”he said. “This year we also addedZilo television, a syndicated pro-gram for college audiences. Zilocombined with Burly Bear(another syndicated show) givesus alternative quality program-ming from outside theVanderbilt bubble.”

The next challenge for VTV iskeeping up with the ever-chang-ing technology of television.

“I hope the station canprogress to a fully digital status,”Saul said. “By moving the sta-tion to an all digital format, wewill be able to produce highquality programs that are notcurrently possible. It would alsoallow more students the oppor-tunity to produce shows.”

A number of VTV alumnifrom the organization’s earlyyears have gone on to be suc-cessful in local and national tel-evision. Saul said he is aware ofthe high standards set by these

former students.“The station has progressed

every year since I have been here,

and I want to do everything pos-sible to ensure it will continue togrow after I’m gone,” he said.

Live, from Kirkland Hall!

2001VSC, Inc. process

for receiving AcFee

funds changed

2002Orbis granted

VSC, Inc. full

division status

2002Spoon first

published as

product of VSC, Inc.

associate division

2001The Torch first

published as

product of VSC, Inc.

associate division

2001Orbis first

published as

product of VSC, Inc.

associate division

1985WRVU increases

its broadcasting

power to 14.5 kW

1997Vanderbilt

Video

Productions

becomes VTV

1999VTV moves

into new studio in

Stapleton Hall

1998The Vanderbilt Hustler becomes

financially

independent

2002MTSPA created

2002The Torch granted

VSC, Inc. full

division status

2002Newly revised VSC,

Inc. bylaws ratified

by Chancellor

Gordon Gee

2000Sarratt renovation

completed

2000The Slant first

published as

product of VSC, Inc.

associate division

New technology has put a long-held dream of VTV within

its grasp.

“We have focused on developing the capability to produce

live programming from any point on campus,” said Station

Manager Matthew Saul.

The installation of a campus-wide fiber optic cable network

and the development of audio/video encoders and decoders

have combined to provide a relatively inexpensive alternative

to satellite trucks and microwave links.

Vanderbilt Student Communications, Inc. allocated

$14,000 this fall to purchase the new digital equipment that

will enable VTV to broadcast by accessing any data jack on

campus.

“This will help us connect with our audience and give

instant access to every residence hall room on campus,” Saul

said. “We are looking forward to using this technology for

sporting events, lectures, programs and other various on-

campus events.”

The new equipment is expected to be in use this spring.

VTV Station Manager Matthew Saul.

“By moving the station toan all digital format, we willbe able to produce high quali-ty programs that are notcurrently possible. It wouldalso allow more students theopportunity to produceshows.” Matthew Saul

Issue 1 • Fall 2002 7

Orbis strives to challenge social atmosphereTo address a perceived global

view on campus not as fullyrounded as they would like, agroup of students launchedOrbis in the Fall of 2001.

Created to focus on liberal,minority and multiculturalviewpoints, Orbis covers news,politics, art, religion, culture andstudent opinion in an attempt to“change the atmosphere onVanderbilt’s campus,” saidEditor-in-Chief Jay Prather.

“Orbis is Latin for both‘world’ and ‘circle,’” Prather said.“We felt the word ‘orbis’ exem-plified the unifying goals we hadin creating Orbis.”

Orbis traces its roots to theaftermath of the 2000 presiden-tial election, when a group ofstudents saw an opportunity anda need to establish a forum forthe growing but largely unorgan-ized population of liberal-lean-ing students on campus.

Four students, led by AndrewHarris (class of 2001) andincluding Prather, began build-ing a coalition of students repre-senting various progressive andmulticultural organizations.This group was charged withestablishing a direction for thepublication and selecting per-manent leadership. A number ofthe organizations represented,along with faculty, students andparents, provided the initialfinancial backing for Orbis.

“DespiteVanderbilt'sconservativereputation,there is anopportunityfor thisschool tohave evenm o r evibrant andactive liberaland multi-cultural communities than existnow,” Prather said. “Vanderbiltis continuing to build diversityin every area, and the campusneeds an organ like Orbis tobring those sometimes disparatecommunities together.”

Orbis fulfilled all of therequirements established by theVanderbilt StudentCommunications, Inc., Board ofDirectors and became a full divi-sion in the Spring of 2002. Orbisnow has a staff of about 40 stu-dents.

“Transitioning to our status asa full division of VSC, coupledwith a more rigorous publica-tion schedule than last year, andbeing sure to fully take advan-tage of the resources that arenow available to us have beensome of the biggest challengesfor me as editor,” said Prather, asenior economics and politicalscience major from Somerset,Ky.

In just over a year of publica-

tion, Orbis has tackled a numberof important campus, local andnational issues. Much of thematerial in the first few issues ofOrbis was devoted to coveringthe repercussions of the Sept. 11terrorist attacks, particularly theimpact of the attacks onVanderbilt’s Muslim communi-ty.

Since then, Orbis has coveredtopics ranging from campusmulticultural events toTennessee politics and from reli-gion and sexuality to the“Vandygirl” stereotype. Earlierthis year Orbis covered a down-town peace rally organized inpart by the dean of the DivinitySchool. Another issue exploredthe ongoing debate over theincome tax in Tennessee fromthe perspective of some of themost hard-core proponents ofthe tax, who spent weeks overthe summer camped out on thesteps of the state capital. Thepaper recently profiled third-party gubernatorial candidate EdSanders.

In another issue, reporter ErinMcVay discovered thatVanderbilt’s Munchi Marts arewrongfully applying Tennessee’srecent sales tax hike, thus over-charging students who purchasebasic groceries. Prather, whoserved as Orbis’ issues editor andassociate editor before becom-ing editor-in-chief, said the cov-

erage of thisissue hasmade himthe mostproud.

“Our staffw o r k e dovertime toget the storyon the frontpage of thenext issue,and after the

story ran, Vanderbilt Diningtook steps to eliminate the over-charging,” he said.

One popular recurring fea-ture, Vandy Faces, profiles a stu-dent or faculty member with aunique background or extraordi-nary accomplishment that setshim or her apart from the imageof the typical Vanderbilt student.Each issue, writers debate sometimely campus or national issuein the Issues section. The debateis presented alongside a sam-pling of wider student view-points.

According to the missionstatement, the founders of Orbishoped to “raise consciousnessabout the diverse ideas, culturesand backgrounds in our society… [and] challenge the existingsocial atmosphere atVanderbilt.”

“I want Orbis to build on thesolid foundation we laid duringour first year of publication bycontinuing to improve our con-

tent and design with every issueand by developing a new gener-ation of leadership that can real-ly take Orbis to the next level,”Prather said.

Prather said he sees Orbis con-tinuing to thrive in the future.

“I hope Orbis will continue tobe a voice for Vanderbilt's pro-gressive community while pub-lishing more frequently than thecurrent 10 issues per academicyear schedule and expand intomore hard-hitting, investigativejournalism, as well as continu-ing to build its audience oncampus and in the surroundingcommunity,” he said.

Many students and othermembers of the Vanderbilt com-munity have expressed apprecia-tion that Orbis has increasedcoverage of liberal perspectivesand important local issues oncampus, Prather said.

“The rewards come in littleways, whenever a student, facul-ty, or alum tells me howthought-provoking a recent arti-cle was, for instance, or how gladthey are that liberals have founda voice at Vandy,” Prather said.

Prather said media on thiscampus is as active, diverse andalive as ever.

“Vanderbilt is a world-class

institution, and its media organ-izations are helping to facilitatea world-class exchange of ideasamong students,” he said.

Orbis publishes a full onlineedition concurrently with therelease of each print issue. TheWeb site, including completearchives, can be accessed atwww.vanderbi l torbis. com.Alumni and other interestedindividuals are invited to visitthe site and sign up for Orbis’online news updates, which aresent out each time a new issue isreleased and feature links tosome of the most compellingarticles from each issue.

Orbis Editor-in-Chief Jay Prather.

“The rewards come in littleways, whenever a student,faculty, or alum tells me howthought-provoking a recentarticle was, for instance, orhow glad they are that liber-als have found a voice atVandy.” Jay Prather

Help!

tunnel vision8

Please help us find any student media alumni that may not be receiving Tunnel Vision.

The Torch staff illuminates issues

The founders of The Torchhoped to spark some incendiarydiscussions with their new pub-lication, but didn’t expect read-ers to take its name literally.

It happened last year whenthe publication was “torched” inprotest against an opinion pieceabout need-based financial aidduring a live student televisionshow.

“At times we’ve angered a fewpeople, from those who fash-ioned literal torches out of ourfirst issue and set them alight, toa consumer activist in Californiawho wrote in to object to ourcriticism of Ben and Jerry’s cor-porate support of anti-globaliza-tion rioters,” said Editor-in-Chief Jacob Grier. “Through itall we offered provocative com-mentary and produced some ofthe most original writing oncampus.”

The Torch, which provides thecampus with monthly studentcommentary from libertarianand conser-vative pointsof view, waso r i g i n a l l yc o n c e i v e dby threeupperclass-men whofound them-selves toobusy tolaunch thepaper.

In thesummer of2001, Grieragreed to spearhead the projectwithout any journalism experi-ence.

“I did not have any mediaexperience prior to editing TheTorch, but when the opportunityto start a new publication arose Ijumped at the chance,” he said.“In the two previous years I’dbecome increasingly interestedin political issues and wanted toexpress libertarian views outsideof classrooms and coffee shopdiscussions.”

By October 2001 Grier hadassembled a team of two associ-ate editors, a layout editor, afinancial director, a webmasterand several writers. That monthhe took a proposal to the VSCBoard, who granted The Torchassociate division status.

“Just a month later our first

issue was on the racks and TheTorch became an instant house-hold name around campus,”said Grier, a junior worldly phi-losophy major from Spring,Texas.

The staff produced three moreissues that year and provedthemselves willing to take oncontroversial issues and speaktheir minds, he said.

Grier said The Torch’s namehas multiple meanings.

“The most obvious referencesis to the Statue of Liberty, a sym-bol meaningful to all of ourwriters,” he said. “For peoplewho have read “Atlas Shrugged,”the name is reminiscent ofWyatt’s Torch, a symbolic protestof government seizing propertyin that novel. Finally, the torchalso represents a source of light,illuminating political issues andproviding guidance to thefuture.”

In October 2002, The Torchbecame a full division of VSC.

“ O u rg r e a t e s taccomplish-ment so faris thrivingthrough ourfirst yearand attain-ing full divi-sion statusin VSC,”Grier said.“We haven o we x p a n d e dour publica-

tion schedule to four issues asemester and have a very activestaff.”

That very active staff includes10 titled members and about 20additional writers.

“We’re the first Vanderbiltpublication to integrate the newphenomenon of blogging (shortfor web-logging) into our web-site, which promises to keep ourstaff engaged with the campus inbetween printed issues,” he said.

Grier said to date the greatestchallenge for The Torch staff hasbeen to balance the views of theeditors and writers.

“While the libertarian andconservative elements tend toagree on economic issues, onsocial issues we often disagreestrongly,” he said. “It’s a con-stant struggle to make sure

everyone feels that his views arebeing presented while maintain-ing a coherent editorial policy.”

As editor-in-chief, Grier saidhis primary goal is to ensure thatthe paper develops a life of itsown so it will continue beyondthe founders.

“This goal is being greatlyaided by the addition of our newoffice, which allows everyone onstaff to be involved in produc-tion,” he said.

Grier said he hopes that in

years to come he will still see TheTorch producing issues withsome of the best writing on cam-pus.

“Hopefully the staff will con-tinue to become increasinglyinvolved and the magazine willgrow in popularity on campusand on the web,” he said.

To Grier, the reward andmotivation for working in stu-dent media is the gratification ofseeing the product distributedon campus.

“It’s a wonderful feeling to seepeople you don’t even knowreading your work or referencingThe Torch editorials in conversa-tion about political and campusissues,” he said.

The Torch staff covers all of itsown printing costs throughadvertisements and donationsfrom supporters, Grier said, inorder to maintain an edge.

All of the staff’s work is avail-able online at www.vutorch.org,including the new public blog.

The Torch Editor-in-Chief Jacob Grier.

Visit us online at www.vscmedia.org

“While the libertarian andconservative elements tendto agree on economic issues,on social issues we often dis-agree strongly. It’s a con-stant struggle to make sureeveryone feels that his viewsare being presented whilemaintaining a coherent edito-rial policy.” Jacob Grier

Issue 1 • Fall 2002 9

Members of the Vanderbilt commu-nity are now able to gain up-to-dateinformation about student media atVanderbilt by accessing VanderbiltStudent Communications’ new websitewww.vscmedia.org.

“The site was created to help alumni,parents and other community memberskeep in contact with their universitythrough student voices,” said JeffBreaux, assistant director of studentmedia and webmaster of the VSC site.

“Links to websites of each of our 10media groups may be accessed by visit-ing our site,” Breaux said. “In addition,we now offer subscription forms, adver-tising rate card packs and other infor-

mation that are normally sought byalumni and parents.”

The new site also features informa-tion about Vanderbilt StudentCommunications, including the historyof the corporation, a calendar of pub-lishing dates for Vanderbilt’s mediagroups, a list of current student leaders,a record of the awards and honors thatstudent media has earned over theyears, plus information about VSC’sAlumni Mailing List and the MiddleTennessee Scholastic Press Association.

“We hope the site will be a helpfultool for those community memberswishing to stay in close contact withtheir university,” Breaux said.

The Slant provokes reader laughter, protestApproaching campus life

from a slightly skewed perspec-tive has helped The Slantbecome one of the most highlyread publications at Vanderbilt.

Vanderbilt Student Comm-unications, Inc.’s student humorpublication, Slightly Amusing,fell dormant in 1998 and wasrevived by a group of students in2000.

“The founders immediatelychanged the name of the newpublication to The Slant, for rea-sons unknown, but it probablyhas something to do with theamount they had to drink thenight they came up with it,” saidEditor-in-Chief David Barzelay,a sophomore English and com-puter science major fromTampa, Fla.

Regardless of the name, theintent of the new publicationremains bringing laughter andsatire to the Vanderbilt campus,he said.

“What makes me most proudof our role on campus is seeingstudents actually reading, enjoy-ing and respecting a studentpublication — especially onethat by its very nature is offen-sive to many of those same peo-ple,” Barzelay said. “It means wemake people laugh, but beyondthat, people are managing tolaugh at themselves, whichmeans we make people think.”

Reviews on campus of thenew humor publication havebeen mixed, and range fromavid readers who snap up the3,500 copies printed every otherweek to vocal opponents whocharge that The Slant teeters overthe edge of acceptability.

“Our greatest challenge hasbeen convincing people that thelaughter and thought-provokingsatire we print is justified in theface of its occasional offensive-ness,” Barzelay said. “We are theonly truly unfiltered and unbi-ased Vanderbilt forum for peo-ple to express an opinion thatmay not be popular to the mass-es, and as such, it often offends.

“People these days are moreand more willing to give up theirright to free speech in favor ofpolitical correctness, and we takea lot of crap because we don’tsubmit to this sort of censor-

ship.”The Slant was granted associ-

ate division status by theVanderbilt Student Communi-cations, Inc. board of directorsin spring 2002. Associate divi-sion status gives the organiza-tion a one-year unfunded proba-tionary period during which itmust develop its campus audi-ence.

“As far as funding goes, we arefunded entirely through adver-tising — and the occasionalsmall donation, hint, hint,”Barzelay said. “We accept noUniversity funds, because wewish to remain free to make funof anything on campus we deemmaking-fun-worthy.”

As a way to give the paper apersonal touch and reach asmany students as possible, thestaff of nearly 80 writers goesout each publication day andhand dis-t r i b u t e scopies oncampus, hesaid.

“Our pri-mary goalthis year hasbeen tocome outwith anissue everytwo weeksthat students actually read andsome students actually enjoy,

and which stimulates thoughtand debate on campus in a wayno one other student media out-let has managed to accomplish,”he said. “Our secondary goal is

to have funmaking TheSlant — tobe not just agroup ofpeople whowork on anewspaper,but to be agroup offriends whoproduce anewspaper.

We have one of the most diverse,yet most closely-knit staffs of

any student group, and we like itthis way.”

Serving as the leader for acampus humor publication is asacrifice but it has its benefits, hesaid.

“To be honest, being Editor-in-Chief of The Slant makes itvery easy to pick up women,”Barzelay said. “Of course, thepeople I work with are fun andall, and it’s nice to see some-thing you create making peo-ple’s lives happier, but all ofthose rewards pale in compari-son to the women… quite anego trip, you know.”

VSC launches association to educate area high school journalistsVanderbilt Student Communications,

Inc. launched a new organization thisfall that will promote high quality stu-dent media at Middle Tennessee highschools.

The new group, Middle TennesseeScholastic Press Association, will oper-ate from within VSC, Inc. and provideeducational outreach, potentially recruitstrong media students to Vanderbilt andgenerally elevate awareness of VSC, Inc.programs on campus and regionally.

MTSPA was designed to provide net-working opportunities for area highschool journalism teachers and stu-dents, and to play host to workshopsand events to encourage high schoolstudents to have a continued involve-ment with publications/journalism.

Aleesa Ross, VSC, Inc. assistant direc-

tor of student media and MTSPA execu-tive director, said another main focus ofthe organization is to conduct contests,seminars, conventions and workshopswith the intention of stimulating greaterefforts from students and advisers toproduce quali-ty publica-tions.

“As a for-mer highschool teacherin the area, Iwas alwayslooking forworkshops to take my students to orcontests in which I could enter theirwork,” Ross said. “There really was notanything like that in Middle Tennessee,and that is why I am so excited about

MTSPA.”Ross said the MTSPA workshop,

which will take place March 4, 2003,will offer invaluable experiences forhigh school students in the MiddleTennessee area. Students will have the

opportunityto have theirpublicationscritiqued byprofessionalsand to entertheir work in anumber ofd i f f e r e n t

award categories. Additionally, profes-sionals from the area will conduct smallgroup sessions and interact with stu-dents on a personal level.

“We think it will be extremely helpful

for students and advisers to attend theworkshop in March,” Ross said. “Weplan to offer sessions that cover adviserissues as well as topics relating to news-papers, yearbooks, news magazines, lit-erary magazines and broadcast staffs.”

Ross also said that by having theworkshop on Vanderbilt’s campus,more area students would becomefamiliar with the University.

“We certainly hope that if area stu-dents choose to attend Vanderbilt thatthey will consider continuing theirefforts in journalism by joining one ofVSC’s 10 groups when they get here,”Ross said.

Currently 38 different student staffsfrom 20 area high schools have joinedthe association.

The Slant Editor-in-Chief David Barzelay.

“We are the only truly

unfiltered and unbiased

Vanderbilt forum for people

to express an opinion that

may not be popular to the

masses, and as such, it often

offends.” David Barzelay

tunnel vision10

Spoon offers newviews on art, travel

Spoon, Vanderbilt studentmedia’s newest publication,grew out of two students’ desireto look at something old in anentirely new way.

“The magazine integratesvisual art into intriguing articlesand encourages people to thinkoutside the box,” said Editor-in-Chief and co-founder LaurelStaples, a junior mechanicalengineering major fromNashv i l l e.“Though theoriginal ideawas to haveSpoon solelyan art maga-zine, wedecided toalso incor-porate per-sonal travelexperiencesf r o maround theworld.”

Staples, along with friendHeather Yost, developed the ideafor Spoon last year out of a con-cern that Vanderbilt did notcater to the fine arts as much asit should, she said. Unlike TheVanderbilt Review, which is pub-lished annually, Spoon is pub-lished twice a semester and has amore hands-on approach to art.

The magazine was grantedassociate division status by theVanderbilt Student Communi-cations, Inc. board of directorsin spring 2002. Associate divi-sion status gives the organiza-tion a one-year unfunded proba-tionary period during which itmust develop its campus audi-ence.

The name for the magazinecame from a scene in the move“Matrix,” Staples said.

“To us it means if you can getout of your normal mode ofthinking, you can understandsimple things in many differentways,” she said. “This is one wayof looking at art and travel. Wehope that readers will form theirown opinions of the art andthen learn about the artist’spoint of view, which gives themtwo different perspectives andhelps them see the ‘spoon’ in adifferent way.”

Creating a new publication

out of thin air has presented itsfounders with some difficulthurdles to clear.

“Getting funding for Spoonhas been the greatest challengeof the magazine,” Staples said.“Heather and I were repeatedlytold that we could never getenough money to produce apublication with such an expen-sive format. Yet, we have alreadyput out two issues and gone

from a blackand whitecover tocolor on thefront andback.

“Spoon isfully fundedby business-es in theN a s h v i l l earea,” shes a i d .“ S e l l i n ga d ve r t i s e -

ments is time consuming anddifficult, but luckily we havemanaged to get enough ads eachtime.”

And for a new staff of a newpublication, generating revenueis only part of the total picture.

“I would have never thoughtthat creating something like thismagazine would be a full-timejob,” Staples said. “Aside fromfully funding ourselves, workingwith a small staff, and trying todo justice to people’s artworkand writing, one of the more dif-ficult aspects of getting started isgetting accepted by other publi-cations and the community as awhole.”

But the struggles are ultimate-ly worth it, she said.

“Photography has been a loveof mine for a long time, and tobe able to share this along withthe creativity of many other peo-ple with the entire Vanderbiltcommunity is a reward in itself,”Staples said. “I produce Spoonbecause of my love for art andmy curiosity of travel, but at thesame time I hope that it is some-one else’s from of expressionthat gives even as few as onereader a desire to create some-thing or the ability to think in anew fashion.”

Spoon Editor-in-Chief Laurel Staples.

“I produce Spoon becauseof my love for art and mycuriosity of travel, but at thesame time I hope that it issomeone else’s from ofexpression that gives even asfew as one reader a desire tocreate something or the abil-ity to think in a new fashion.”Laurel Staples

Issue 1 • Fall 2002 11

Our future issues of Tunnel Vision will include information about alumni of Vanderbilt student media. If you would like to be included, please complete the information below:

Name ________________________________________________________________________

Address ______________________________________________________________________

City _________________________________ State ________ Zip _______________________

Phone (optional) ____________________ E-mail (optional) ________________________________

Years at Vanderbilt __________________ Class of ________ Major ________________________

Which media group(s) did you work with ________________________________________________

Tell us about your Vandy student media experience, your career since Vandy, awards and honors you’ve earned and

about your family or other news you would like to share*

❑ Yes, please contact me. I would be interested in submitting an Alumni Column for a future issue of Tunnel Vision.

*Please attach additional sheets if necessary

Please complete and return via mail or fax to:Vanderbilt Student Communications

Alumni Updates

2301 Vanderbilt Place

VU Station B 351669

Nashville, TN 37235-1669

615-343-2756 (fax)

Questions? 615-322-6610

Issue 1 • Fall 2002 tunnel vision the alumni newsletter for student media at vanderbilt university

COMMODORESTUDENT YEARBOOK

ORBISSTUDENT LIBERAL, MULTICULTURAL AND MINORITY VIEWPOINT PUBLICATION

THE SLANTSTUDENT HUMOR PUBLICATION

SPOONSTUDENT ART AND TRAVEL MAGAZINE

THE TORCHSTUDENT LIBERTARIAN AND CONSERVATIVE COMMENTARY MAGAZINE

THE VANDERBILT HUSTLERSTUDENT NEWSPAPER

THE VANDERBILT REVIEWSTUDENT LITERARY MAGAZINE

VTVSTUDENT TELEVISION STATION

VERSUSSTUDENT GENERAL INTEREST MAGAZINE

WRVUSTUDENT RADIO STATION

★

★

★

★

★

★

★

★

★

★

★ 10ways to use your voice

at Vanderbilt University

VANDERBILTSTUDENT COMMUNICATIONS, INC.

Student Media at Vanderbilt University

for more information

about student media at vanderbilt university,

visit us online at

www.vscmedia.org

Welc

ome!

Ou

r s

tu

de

nts

an

d s

ta

ff w

elc

om

e y

ou

to

ou

r…

stud

ent

med

ia a

lum

ni m

aili

ng li

st

12