‘MVOV17’
Over-Involvement
Apr. 27, 2017—Do you know that feeling when your hands aren’t doing anything? You know, the one that they should be doing something? That’s how I felt on August 22, 2014, which was the date of the Student Organization Fair on The Commons. It was intense and overwhelming, but wonderful and exciting at the same time, and I...
LOSING A LOVED ONE
Mar. 29, 2017—Jackson Vaught, ’16, College of Arts and Science The first year of college can be difficult for anyone—moving away from home, finding new friends, adjusting to class…the list can get quite lengthy in terms of what can complicate the transition. During the spring semester of my first year at Vanderbilt, I experienced something unexpected that...
FAILURES IN A BOTTLE
Mar. 29, 2017—Andrew Brodsky, ’18, Peabody College, Student VUceptor At times, it seems the problem on our campus is that everyone is just too talented. There is someone here who is better than you at everything, and without any effort at all. They’re double majoring in chemical and biomedical engineering, studying abroad, and feeding 2,000 starving children...
ALMOST TRANSFERRING
Mar. 29, 2017—Anonymous I could not have been more excited to come to Vanderbilt. My brother, cousins, and older friends loved their experiences, and this was MY TIME. Everyone seemed certain I was going to love everything about school, so it never occurred to me that this might not be the case. Unfortunately, my first semester at...
EMBRACING INTERSECTIONALITY
Mar. 29, 2017—Kenya Wright, ’18, College of Arts and Science, VUcept Executive Board I am a Black Hispanic. That is who I am, who I’ve always been, and who I’ll always be. My culture is a mixture infused with Latino and Caribbean elements. Growing up, my home was filled with a tangle of accents and languages, an...
ACCEPTANCE
Mar. 29, 2017—Farishtay Yamin, ’17, School of Engineering I tolerate a fly buzzing around a room. I tolerate an electricity outage. Maybe I complain, but I’ve learned to become patient. The fly irritates me, but I have to deal with it. It’s a fact of life. My freshman year I prayed somewhere in the stacks of Peabody...
TOKENISM
Mar. 29, 2017—Lauren Pak, ’17, Peabody College As the daughter of first generation immigrants, coming from a high school where over half the students spoke a language other than English at home, my transition to a rather homogenous college campus where my ethnic immigrant experience was in the minority, was difficult. During a discussion section in my...
MICROAGGRESSIONS
Mar. 29, 2017—Aaditi Naik, ’18 College of Arts and Science With debates on freedom of speech throughout the last year, I’ve watched this campus struggle with microagressions again and again. These conversations can’t capture the reality of microaggressions– the subtle, nuanced sexism from a professor or peer. It’s so easy for people to tell me to let these things...
ACCESSIBILITY: PHYSICAL AND OTHERWISE
Mar. 29, 2017—Jesse Bennett, ’19, College of Arts and Science I thought I would have an easier time adjusting to Vanderbilt than most students. I grew up in Green Hills, after all, and attended USN, minutes away from The Commons. Still, I found a campus that was more challenging, exciting, and rewarding than anything I could have...
P.S.: STRUGGLING WITH COMING OUT
Mar. 29, 2017—Tom Agger, ’17, School of Engineering When I finally came out to my parents, I was relieved. “Finally, I’m done with this” I thought to myself. I had started writing them a very generic camp letter. I don’t know who came up with the idea that kids and parents would both rejoice at the exchange...