Author
North 6
Mar. 22, 2019—Marguerite Manning, ’21, A&S In the weeks leading up to Move-In Day for my first year at Vanderbilt, I anxiously awaited the arrival of my housing assignment in the mail. From what I had heard from older friends who were already in college, your floor can make or break your college...
My First Jack-O’-Lantern
Feb. 11, 2019—Alex Jin, ‘21, Arts and Sciences It had been two and a half months since I first arrived on the Commons, and I was about to carve a pumpkin. It was my first time carving pumpkins – even though I’d lived in the American south my entire life – and I was so excited to...
Equilibrium
Feb. 1, 2019—Shruti Anant,’21, Arts & Sciences At one point in my second semester at Vanderbilt, I was surrounded by equilibrium. In general chemistry, we learned about chemical equilibrium, describing the balance of reactants and products in a chemical reaction with the equilibrium constant ‘K’. In neuroscience, Dr. Smith gave a lecture on the equilibrium potential of...
A Musical Journey
Jan. 28, 2019—Jordan Couceyro, ’20, Arts & Sciences Even though I’ve played piano since I was a kid, I’ve never really considered myself a musician. I’m not sure exactly why – I was fairly decent, and I really liked playing. I loved learning about and playing a wide variety of different styles, from classical to jazz to...
Panic Attacks? Definitely Possible
Jan. 22, 2019—Somto Dimobi,’19, Egineering Before college, I thought I knew how to study perfectly, and I had never experienced anything close to a panic attack, especially not in an exam hall. In my head, exams, academics and I were a trio of best friends. Until my sophomore year, I had no clue about the concept of mental health...
Balancing Work, School, and Life
Jan. 14, 2019—Alex Rains, ’20, Arts & Sciences For me, coming to Vanderbilt as a first-year meant making new friends, taking classes in interesting subjects, trying out extracurricular activities, and one non-negotiable: finding a job. My family does not suffer as a result of our financial situation, but the cost of my attending Vanderbilt definitely made money tight...
In This Together
Jan. 8, 2019—Riya Patel, ’21, College of Arts and Sciences Growing up in a small rural town in Tennessee, I was never exposed to the multitude of backgrounds and experiences that exist across the world. I assumed that life was simply lived in one way in all corners of the world, that my experiences in my town were...
The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Dec. 14, 2018—Ana T. Dao, ’21 Vanderbilt is like a lottery. You need to take risks all the time – whether it is applying to a school you only know from pictures and brochures or sitting down with a stranger in the dining hall. There is always a possibility of everything failing, but you take the leap...
A Dream Come True
Dec. 3, 2018—Sharonda Adams, ’21, College of Arts & Sciences If you had told me eight years ago that I’d be a student at a prestigious university, I’d have asked you one question: “What’s a university?” Growing up in poverty, I did not have the resources to learn about what higher education truly was. I didn’t dream...
Asian New Year Festival
May. 15, 2017—Crystal Kim, ’19 How has my week been? Let me give you a short recap. On Monday, I sat down with the lighting and sound technicians from Vanderbilt University Production Services to discuss some technicalities regarding Langford Auditorium. On Tuesday, I ran from rehearsal to rehearsal to give feedback and meet with respective choreographers. On...
Nach Vandy
May. 15, 2017—Mitesh Bhalani, ’19 School of Engineering For as long as I can remember, dance has been an important part of expressing my cultural identity. Through Bollywood dance classes, I learned about the music, traditions, and celebrations of Indian and South Asian culture, as well as meeting some of my best friends. When I came to...
Intersecting Identities
May. 15, 2017—Anuska Dhar, ’19 Peabody College Walking into the org fair my freshman year, I felt this weight lifted off my shoulders as I realized I could totally reinvent myself in college and explore interests I had never been able to prioritize before in high school. Granted, the possibilities seemed a little overwhelmingly endless, but...
Living in McTyeire
May. 15, 2017—Arrush Choudhary, ’17 McTyeire Head Resident Being the Head Resident (HR) and a member of McTyeire International House has been one of the most meaningful experiences I have had during my time at Vanderbilt. McTyeire is a living and learning community that attracts students with a passion for and interest in language acquisition, cultural awareness,...
Living in McGill
May. 15, 2017—Musbah Shaheen McGill House Head Resident College is a lonely time. We are away from our friends, or homes, our families, and suddenly responsible for our own fates, education, and laundry. It can be overwhelming and fast-paced. The trick is to turn it from overwhelming to empowering, and from fast-paced to exciting. I like to...
Creating a Vanderbilt for Everyone
May. 15, 2017—Anoynomous The New York Times recently published a report on the economic diversity of US colleges, including Vanderbilt. If you haven’t seen it yet, here’s a snapshot: 70% of students are in the top 20% 23% of students are in the top 1%. 3.8% of students are in the top 0.1% 1.9% of students...
On Being an International Student
May. 15, 2017—Arjun Desai, ’19 College of Arts and Science Growing up in Mumbai, India, I have been provided with a background unlike what the majority of people have experienced growing up in the US. I grew up speaking 3 native languages as well as English and French, and playing cricket, which is the country’s most popular...
Living With a Disability
May. 15, 2017—Carla Pax, ’19 School of Engineering The summer before my sophomore year of college, I found myself in a lot of pain. I had trouble lifting my arms above my head, dressing myself in the morning, or even being able to bend my fingers. It seemed that every joint in my body was inflamed...
Thank You, ASB
May. 15, 2017—Agatha Fenech, ’19 College of Arts and Science *Alternative Spring Break (ASB) gives Vanderbilt University students an opportunity to spend their Spring Break working in service to communities and individuals across the country and the globe. Standing at the Student Org Fair. Hearing your VUceptor say, “Hey, you should really check out Alternative Spring...
Harmonic Notions
May. 15, 2017—Jeremy Mani, ’18 College of Arts and Science College can be an overwhelming experience. In the swirl of planning your classes, being pre-med for at least one semester, figuring out to do with your life, making friends with everyone on your floor and changing your mind just as fast, and just trying to adjust to...
I Live for the Stage
May. 15, 2017—Akash Majumdar, ’19 Vanderbilt Performing Arts Community I live for the stage. Every time the curtains rise, I experience a surge of adrenaline combined with the desire to resonate with my audience. While preparing to make the journey from Kolkata, India to Vanderbilt, I rummaged through Vanderbilt’s 500+ student organizations, trying to gauge my potential...
Beyond Brotherhood: Being in an NPHC Fraternity
May. 10, 2017—Gregory Rudd, ’18 Completing community service on early Saturday mornings; communicating with administration and faculty to program events; throwing parties and having to work the door the entire night; working with alumni to coordinate reunions; following the wishes of the Office of Greek Life even when they are less than agreeable. Being in a fraternity...
Multicultural Leadership Council
May. 10, 2017—Jacob Pierce, ’19 Student VUceptor, College of Arts and Science I don’t do many class readings, but one in particular has always stuck with me: “diversity loses its force, however, if in the same space, different persons or activities are merely concentrated, buch each remains isolated…Differences have to interact.” I never expected my view of...
Walking Fast and Slow. Learning to “Profiter”
May. 2, 2017—Elizabeth Winter, ’18 College of Arts and Science Student VUceptor It’s hard to escape a conversation in Aix-en-Provence, a small city in the south of France, without hearing the phrase “profiter de,” translating roughly to “make the most of” or “enjoy” two to three times. Whether it’s “profiter d’Aix” (enjoy Aix), or “profiter du soleil”...
From D to Dean
May. 2, 2017—Vanessa Beasley, Ph.D. Dean of The Martha Rivers Ingram Commons When I remember it now, I can still hear the sound of my mother crying. In the 1980s, when I was a Vanderbilt undergraduate, your final semester grades were sent home via the mail. There was no way for students to look up your final...
Identity, Adversity, and the Weight of Conforming
May. 2, 2017—“…I thought he was gay…”—five words that haunted me for the first twenty years of my life. I heard them whispered through the halls of my middle school by the “popular kids” that I wanted so badly to impress. I felt their scornful and demoralizing intentions in the concerned words of my Sunday school teachers...