This video spotlights Vanderbilt first-year student Hannah Bruns. Hannah shares how she first started playing music & how music runs in her family.
Archives for September 2018
Top 5 Michael Scott Quotes that Capture the Life of a Vandy First-Year
Life as a Vanderbilt student has its ups, downs, and everything in between. From forming lasting connections with new friends to staying up all night finishing that essay or studying for an exam, starting college is a whirlwind. We here at My Commons Life are right here with you, and we believe that no one quite understands this sort of excitement and anxiety like Regional Manager Michael Scott of The Office (if you don’t recognize the name, you’re missing out big-time). Here are 5 times that Michael Scott has perfectly captured what it’s like to be a Vandy freshman.
#1: “Sometimes I’ll start a sentence and I don’t even know where it’s going. I just hope I find it along the way.”
Transitioning from high school to college work is hard. Suddenly, so much more is expected from you, and things can get a little confusing. We don’t know about you guys, but this screams “Common App Essay” to us.
#2: “I declare BANKRUPTCY!”
Between food, Ubers, going out, and college tuition, this one pretty much speaks for itself.
#3: “I don’t want to do anything. I’m dying.”
For those of us who have been stuck at Rahnas at 3 A.M. on a Wednesday night, this hits pretty close to home.
#4: “I am running away from my responsibilities. And it feels good.”
When the stress gets too crazy, just grab an Ofo and bike away from your responsibilities at the low price of one dollar (See #2)! In all seriousness, though, if you’re ever feeling a little too much pressure, don’t hesitate to make an appointment or connect with the student wellness center!
#5: “I don’t hate it. I just don’t like it at all, and it’s terrible.”
And finally… The words of any Vandy pre-med student talking about General Chemistry.
Thanks for reading Commodores, and as always, Anchor Down!
The Girl Next Dore: Sole Searching
After a long night out last weekend, I came back to my room, turned the lights on, and sat down to take off my shoes.
Even in a late-night daze, I could tell that my white and green Stan Smiths were far dirtier, and looked far older than they had just hours before. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not like I made the Freshman mistake of wearing nice shoes out to Ranhas– I hadn’t. These Stans were two+ years old, and had long surpassed their days of being crisp, clean, and pure white. I knew my shoes would get trashed, and I actually intended for this to be the case.
Why? Well, I finally relented a week before move-in and bought new Adidas shoes. Still white, but this time they were Neos instead of Stans, with metallic stripes on the side instead of green backs. But, despite taking them out of their package, I had yet to actually wear them. The unscratched and unmarked shoes seemed daunting– how could I ruin something so perfect? So, I wore my trusty Stans out hoping that I would finally ruin them enough to break out my new whites…
But at 2am last Saturday night, I realized that “ruining” the perfect white veneer of my shoes would not be what I was doing at all. While staring at my scratched, dirty, and faded Stans, I had the seemingly profound realization of everything these shoes had been through. This seems like a simple idea– you go practically nowhere without shoes… not even the bathroom at boarding school or in college. But I guess I had never truly though about the fact that these specific sneakers were my go-tos, and therefore had been on my feet for countless events in my life over the past three years.
The first picture I could find in my Stans was dated April 17, 2016. By April 22, my Stans and I had traveled to a Boston music competition and back, with a trophy in hand. Their soles had already hit the streets of Cambridge, Mass and New Haven, CT– traveling to the first of many college tours.
By June of 2016, my Stans became my driving shoes, as I attempted to gain my license. And by July they’d been to LBI, Avalon, Colorado, and back. I wore them to get my wisdom teeth removed, and I wore them to move back into Peddie for Junior year.
Junior year, my Stans traveled to Philadelphia for an APUSH trip, they stormed the court after our basketball team won the biggest tournament of the year, and they were on my feet nearly every day of Les Mis musical rehearsal. They were thrown on for traveling to Boy’s Lacrosse games, and after both the wins and losses on the FH field. For Spring Break, in just 10 days, they traveled to college tours at FSU, Duke, Elon, UMich, Wake Forest, and Vandy (eventually rounding out the tour with a quick stop at Disney)… While, of course, stopping home in Delaware for a single day to throw a Bridal Shower for my sister.
In June of 2017, with countless miles added to my Stans, they were packed in a suitcase to travel to Maryland for my sister’s wedding. By July they were on a flight to Great Harbour Cay in the Bahamas, and by August they were off to Manhattan for two weeks at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts.
By October of 2017, they were on last-minute college visits to UVA, UNC, Richmond, Northwestern and Vandy again. In realizing this, I registered that my Stans traveled with me to tour Vandy twice before applying, once as an accepted student, and finally on move-in day. This means that my Stans truly saw the arc of my application process; in a physical sense, they traveled the road to Vandy with me. (I may have even been wearing them when I opened my acceptance letter, though I can’t remember for sure.)
In February of 2018, my Stans were on my feet as I heard of the heartbreaking news that a friend had passed away, and I wore them as I found the strength to continue through those days.
In the spring, they hit the sidewalks of Manhattan once again for Senior Skip Day, and they even braved After-Prom. In the following days, I threw them on to move out of my Peddie dorm one last time, and they were laced up immediately after I removed my Graduation heels.
By the first weeks of summer18, they’d traveled to Boston and NY again, Asbury Park, Sea Girt, Delaware, and more.
My Stans were on my feet to celebrate and 18th birthday, and a week later, back on the same flight I’d taken in them years before to Colorado. In August, I sported my Stans to a masterclass with Adam Pascal (from the musical Rent), and I’d worn them to say “see you soon” to all of my closest friends.
And then?… Well, I wore them to move into Vandy. After that? To run across the football field at Anchor Dash, to class almost every day, and even to Ranhas.
So all and all? My Stans have been through almost as much as I have. Why? Because they were with me the whole time… The soles of my shoes show the wear and tear of both the small victories, and the big ones; the trips of a lifetime, and the trips to the library.
I can understand why I was a little reluctant to break out my new sneakers. There’s so much history and experience that translated onto the distress of my Stans. But with new white shoes comes infinite potential. Who knows where my next shoes will travel? Where will I go, along with my sneakers, to find out who I truly am, and where I belong? Where will I be the next time I sit down and think back to all the things I, and my sneakers, have been through? #SoleSearching
Anchor Down,
Brooke
CommonsCast Episode 4-September 12, 2018
On this episode of CommonsCast you’ll hear Dean Melchor-Barz discuss the benefits of a diverse community, the Commons Calendar showcases upcoming events, and first-year student Zoe Rankin has an interview with this week’s “Human of the Commons” Tommy Oswalt, Head Resident of West House.
SUBSCRIBE TO THE COMMONSCAST
MCL Feature: Anchor Dash 2018
A Game to Remember
Every year, on the day of the first home football game, Vanderbilt gives all of its first-year students, transfer students, and VUceptors the opportunity to participate in a beloved university tradition known as the Anchor Dash. This past Saturday, students were invited to the Recreation Center for a sponsored tailgate, taken through McGugin Center, and ushered into the field through a series of smoke machines and roaring applause. Students stormed across the field, trying to take shaky selfie videos and high-fiving Chancellor Zeppos along the way. Coupled with the football team’s 35-7 win over the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders, Anchor Dash was an amazing way to kick off the Dores’ season and encourage first-year students to show off their Vandy pride. Remember to cheer on the football team this Saturday, September 8th, as they face off against Nevada in their second game of the season. And, as always, Anchor Down!
See Vanderbilt’s 2018 Anchor Dash Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XxIyyR7xYyE
CommonsCast Episode 3-September 5, 2018
On this edition of CommonsCast Dean Barz shares his Anchor Dash experience, a look ahead at events this week on The Commons, and Zoe’s featured “Human of the Commons” is Robin Yeh, Head Resident of Crawford House.
The Girl Next Dore: Explained
Hey y’all! It’s me, Brooke, back for Week 3 of my blog “The Girl Next Dore”!
I hope you enjoyed my first two posts! Before I continue with my typical uploads, I wanted to give everyone a little more information about myself for potential use as context in the future… I separated it all into categories so you can skip around to what interests you most!
Basic Facts:
My hometown is… Wilmington, DE
My birthday is on… June 23, 2000
Things relevant to Vandy:
The first time I visited Nashville/Vandy was… Spring Break of my Junior year
I chose Vandy because of… the people, the city, the set-up of the Commons, (of course) the academics, and a small/medium size of the school but still with SEC football/sports!
This year I’m living in… East House
I am planning to major in… Theatre & English (minor American Govt. Poli Sci)
I can’t go to class without… my planner!!
The best place to eat breakfast in Nash is… Sky Blue Cafe
Favorites:
My favorite color is… teal
My favorite food is… pizza! (NEW JERSEY not Southern…)
Something I love is… doing makeup! (If you want me to do your makeup, I will!!)
Something I hate is… bugs & unbearable heat
My favorite accessories are… sunglasses & backpacks (I love Diff Sunglasses & State Bags because a portion of their sales going to a good cause… same thing with my planner company, Horacio Printing!)
My favorite movie is… Legally Blonde
My favorite TV shows are… Friends & NCIS
My favorite books are… “The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao” by Junot Diaz & “I Was Told There’d Be Cake” by Sloane Crosley
More about me:
Something you wouldn’t expect is… I am a total theatre nerd! I love being in musicals/plays, directing, and reading plays!
I can’t live without… my 2018 class ring
No morning is complete unless I have… coffeeeeeeee (…I drink it black)
I am secretly good at… Super Smash Bros
I have a love/hate relationship with… working out
A hidden talent is… baking a very gooooddd homemade chocolate cake
My inspiration is… my mama!!
High School:
This is my 5th year away from home because… I went to boarding school for HS!
It was called… The Peddie School in Hightstown, NJ
Some things I did in high school were… Student Council, choir, musicals (duh), field hockey, managed lacrosse (post-concussion from playing lax), & Relay for Life
Music:
My take on country music is… I LOVE IT! It’s my favorite! (But no judgement if you don’t like it.)
Something I’m listening to right now is… The album “Wild & Free” by Jessica Vosk
My guilty pleasure song is… Summer of ’69 by Bryan Adams
A fun fact is… I was in a music video at Peddie! (You can watch it here…)
Social Media (shameless self advertising):
My Instagram is… @brooke.dennison
My Twitter is… @br00kemackenzie (zeros for the O’s)
My Insta bio is… “This is the story of the girl” which is the first line of the song “Absolutely” by Nine Days. Trust me, you’ll know it when you hear it.
My Twitter bio is… “Murray, I have asked you repeatedly not to call me woman”
The reason for that Twitter bio is… it is from the movie Clueless, which is one of my favorites, in part because it is based off of Jane Austen’s book “Emma”.
I think that’s all! If there’s anything I missed that you want to know about, comment below!
Feel free to message me on Insta, email, etc & make sure to read next week’s blog!
Anchor down,
Brooke
MCL News Minute September 5, 2018
All the info freshmen need for the week of September 5, 2018!