OCTOBER 2012

Flulapalooza 2

Remember when we broke the Guinness World Record™ by giving 12,850 shots in 8 hours? Fun, right? In fact, it was so nice, we're doing it again.

Flulapalooza 2 will be two days offering double the options, with the same, super-fast setup as last year.

• October 17, 6 a.m.–1 p.m.
• October 18, 11 a.m.–6 p.m.

The flu vaccine is free for students (with ID) on these two days. Students who cannot be present during Flulapalooza may make an appointment anytime at student health to get the flu shot for a small fee.

Share your opinion on Family Weekend 2012!

The Parents and Family Programs office thanks the more than 4,000 parents and family members who attended Family Weekend 2012. We'd like to get your thoughts about Family Weekend. Please take a few moments to complete our online evaluation. We are in the process of finalizing dates for Family Weekend 2013 and will communicate those once set.

Important links

Parents and Family Programs

Academic Calendar

Commodore Card

Housing and Residential Education

Athletics

Student Health Center

Student Accounts

Bookstore

Summer sessions

Family Weekend

Upcoming campus events

International Lens Film: Les Contes de la Nuit
October 17
7:30–9 p.m.
Sarratt Cinema

18th Annual Lambda Drag Show
October 18
8–10 p.m.
Student Life Center, ballroom

Blair ProRecital: Signature Series: John Johns, guitar
October 18
8–10 p.m.
Ingram Hall, Blair School of Music

Lights On The Lawn Concert
Friday, October 19
8–midnight
Alumni Lawn

Commodore Quake featuring J. Cole and Childish Gambino
October 26
7:30–11 p.m.
Memorial Gym

We Were There and the Challenge for Today: Holocaust Lecture Series
October 30
7–9 p.m.
Student Life Center, ballroom

Panhellenic Sorority Preview Day
November 3
10:30 a.m.–5 p.m.
Greek Row

International Lens Film: Half the Sky
November 5 (episode 1) and November 7 (episode 2)
7:30–9:30 p.m.
Sarratt Cinema

"Transforming Pain into Power"
November 6
7:30–9 p.m.
Student Life Center, Ballroom C

Around Nashville

The Sleeping Beauty with The Nashville Symphony Orchestra
October 19–20
7:30 p.m.

October 21
2 p.m.
TPAC's Jackson Hall
A youth cast and lush visuals make this full-length ballet entertaining for all ages. Tickets range from $22.25 to $82.

With Your Friends
October 26–27
4–11 p.m.
Downtown Nashville
A new, two-day music festival—tickets range from $75 to $250.

Full Moon Pickin Party
October 26
7–11 p.m.
2500 Old Hickory Blvd.
Family-friendly fundraisers for Warner Parks featuring Middle Tennessee's finest bluegrass music under the light of a full moon. Tickets are $15 in advance, $20 at the door.

Nashville Sings
October 27
9 a.m.–3 p.m.
Cumberland Park
Cheer on your favorite choral group in the inaugural Nashville Sings event. Admission is free.

Village Artisan Fair in Edgehill
October 27
10 a.m.–5 p.m.
Edgehill Village
This annual fall street festival features local artisans, musicians, food trucks and neighborhood merchants in Edgehill Village.

Nashville Ultra Marathon
November 3
7 a.m.
Stones River Greenway
The course is 80 percent paved and 20 percent grass and includes a 50K, 60k, 70k and 80K. Registration fee $60–$70.

First-year parents: Reminder to complete survey on summer email communications!

This summer marked a new parent communication initiative, the First-year Parent PreVU. The series of seven emails sent between May and August were designed to meet the needs of new parents by providing more in-depth information about various campus resources and services and upcoming dates and deadlines.

Since this program was new this summer, we are asking for your help to evaluate its effectiveness so that we may better serve new parents in the coming years. If you have not yet done so, please take a moment to fill out this brief 5-minute survey.

Important dates and deadlines

Oct. 19
Last day an undergraduate may withdraw from a fall semester class; last day to change from pass/fail to graded status for a fall semester class

Oct. 25–27
Homecoming/Reunion Weekend

Oct. 29
Spring 2013 registration opens; check YES for the time of your registration.

Nov. 16
Spring 2013 registration closes

Nov.17–25
Thanksgiving break—undergraduate residence halls close at 9 a.m. on November 17 and reopen at 9 a.m. on November 25

A new volunteer opportunity for parents: Home for the Holidays

International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) is collaborating with the Parents and Family Programs Office to offer a new volunteer opportunity for current Vanderbilt parents—hosting Vanderbilt international students during Thanksgiving and Christmas break. Many international students remain on campus during the holidays and they would welcome the opportunity to experience American holiday traditions in the home of a current Vanderbilt family. If you are interested in hosting an international student for four days during Thanksgiving or Christmas break, please complete this application by November 1 and return it to ISSS.

Mail:
International and Student Scholar Services (ISSS)
310 25th Ave. S., Suite 103
Nashville, TN 37240
Phone: (615) 322-2753

Email: isss@vanderbilt.edu

Fax: (615) 343-7799

If you have questions please contact Michelle Kovash of ISSS at (615) 322-2753 or Suzanne Thigpen of Parents and Family Programs at (615) 343-7370.

Career Corner: The Practical Benefits of Internships

Brought to you by the Center for Student professional Development (formerly the Career Center)

Internships continue to be an important way for students to gain work experience, better clarify their interests, and build professional relationships. In the 2012 Postgraduation Report, 72.2 percent of graduating seniors reported completing an internship as an undergraduate.

Internships help students develop knowledge and behaviors in five areas:

Identifying strengths and interests: Internships allow students to learn about a particular field/industry while gaining insight into the type of work and/or work environment they prefer.

Understanding and managing transitions: Internships provide exposure to the "world of work" and its established protocol which can benefit students as they make the transition from student life to professional life.

Discovering and pursuing opportunities: Students gain valuable experience simply going through the process of discovering, pursuing and interviewing for internship opportunities.

Leveraging personal connections: Internships help students make important connections with industry professionals and build their network, critical for when they begin seeking full-time positions.

Professionalism: Internships provide students with the chance to polish their business etiquette and give them relevant experiences to include in their resume or portfolio.

Internships can give students a competitive edge by helping to clarify their interests, build skills and establish important networks. Encourage your student to seek out and participate in internships next summer.

Next Month: Tips for Discovering and Pursuing Internships.

October's most frequently asked question:
What is the Human Identities Initiative?

In fall 2012, the Office of the Provost launched a year-long series of events, lectures and programs entitled "Human Identities: Global, Local, Personal," in conjunction with the Commons Reading 2012 (Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn's Half the Sky: Turning Oppression Into Opportunity for Women Worldwide) and the exhibition Long Story Bit by Bit: Liberia Retold by Tim Hetherington. This campus-wide initiative is designed to raise a nuanced dialogue about gender and sexuality across the Vanderbilt community. Learn more here.

Parent conversations: A Parent's Guide to their student's stress

Fewer students than ever before are reporting above-average emotional health as college freshman, according to a survey by the Higher Education Research Institute. For parents who are decades removed from their own college experiences—or never experienced college altogether—this news can be alarming. In order to understand the sources of stress and anxiety that weigh on students' emotional health, it's important for parents to consider the big picture—the current economic landscape—and the little picture—your student's personal needs and struggles.

Big Picture
Unemployment affects nearly 5 percent of the fathers of college students who were surveyed and nearly 9 percent of their mothers. This contributes to the need for more students to take out loans and stress out about financial aid or burdening their parents with college costs. Even for students whose families are unaffected by unemployment, the pressure of finding a good job after college is a source of stress as early as freshman year.

However, the stress many college freshmen reported started before even enrolling in college. Twenty-nine percent of students surveyed said stress began in high school. When demanding schedules, high academic achievement, family and social life problems and securing college admission and scholarships affect your student's senior year of high school, it can take more than a summer to fully recuperate from the stress. If your student had high expectations for himself in high school, it's likely that he still holds those—and they contribute negatively to his emotional health. Seventy-five percent of students surveyed said their drive to achieve and perceived academic ability was above average.

Little Picture
Parents understand better than almost anyone what makes your student tick. Our fears and motivations as children often transfer to what stresses us out and drives us as adults. Knowing the struggles your student has had in the past will likely shed light on what adds stress to his life today—i.e. lack of self-esteem, fear of rejection, people-pleasing tendencies, rebellion against authority, etc.

College can magnify students' challenges and struggles, because while they're surrounded by other students and new people, it can also be isolating. Forming close bonds takes time, and most college freshman haven't formed new, close relationships yet. This makes their relationship with parents and family even more important as they need a support system to cope with stress.

How to Help your Student Combat Stress
The first step in helping your student improve emotional well-being is to understand the sources of stress. Once parents understand that, you can help your students create a personalized health plan to include some of the following tips.

Seek Help
Many students experiencing depression and anxiety need more than a parent's listening ear. Universities have mental health services that offer counseling and group sessions, as well as other forms of support. While 60 percent of the clients of mental health services at universities are female, males also need these services and should be encouraged to seek help as well.

Embrace Leisure
Remind your student that down-time and resting are necessary parts of life and that they, along with studies and other commitments, should be a priority. Also, encourage your student not to fill up free time with volunteering, tutoring or helping others. While altruism can help boost emotions and a sense of self-worth, it also adds to your student's work level and expectations. Students should have activities that they enjoy and aren't a burden.

Don't Compare
Looking around campus, your student might think he's the only one struggling with depression or stress. People in general—but especially in college—put on a "happy face" to look like they have it all together and have life figured out. Remind your student that everyone has difficult days, feels down, worries about the future and experiences varying levels of stress. When these feelings become overbearing, it's OK to seek help and know that he's not alone.

Let Go
If your student worries about finding a job after graduation, the state of the economy or the financial stability of you or your spouse as you help him pay for college, remind him that he can't control those things. Stressing about that which is out of his control is futile, but taking action in the areas that he can control will help put his mind at ease. Remind your student that the national landscape will look different in three or four years. And while the national deficit is out of his hands, his own wallet is in them. Help him budget, plan wisely and get a handle on his finances. Mapping out an academic plan will make the next several years of school less overwhelming.

Article reprinted with permission of University Parent Media.

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Parents & Family Programs
PMB 401627  |  2301 Vanderbilt Place  |  Nashville, TN 37240-1627
Parent Helpline: (877) 887-2736