Posted by Douglas Fisher on Saturday, October 1, 2016 in News.

Patricia’s Fresh Baked Fridays is a popular gathering for students, both inside and outside of WaM, and for staff too. Its a place to relax, talk to old friends, and to meet new people. Just two weeks ago, a vaguely familiar woman bounded towards me with a big smile, and introduced herself as one of my students more than 20 years ago. Her son, now a Warrenite, had brought her to FBF to see her old professor. What a treat! How cool is that! It is so moving too, at least for me.

At FBF, I also learn about things going on around campus, usually sponsored by student orgs. I’ve written before about my visits to events around campus, and learning how involved WaM students often are (student-driven programming and Warren Envoys). At the Sept 9 FBF, I was talking to some students, and they excused themselves to help set up for an evening event at Wilson. It was a great event in which the local Muslim community thanked Nashville police, and they jointly celebrated community building and spoke on their work against terrorism.

The week before, on Sept 2, I learned about the Wild Summer Open Mic night at the BCC, cosponsored by Vandy Spoken Word, Lambda, Hidden Dores, Delta Tau Delta and the Vanderbilt Review, to help us all to process the many violent events of the summer.

Warren College is defined and guided, in part, by the place of Warren students in the larger Vanderbilt community.

Patricia and I are so lucky to live here. It is the only job in which I have to check my calendar to see whether I have something scheduled earlier than 8:00 am, or after 5:00 pm, so its work for sure, but the kind of work I wish others could experience, and would aspire to experience.

Elsewhere on the blog you will find other reflections during our brief history at WaM. You are welcome to contribute to those reflections on our past and thoughts about our future!

Doug Fisher is Faculty Director of Warren College. The opinions expressed herein are Doug’s, and are not necessarily the opinions of Vanderbilt University.