My Commons Life

News & features about the Vanderbilt Commons from the students who live here

Archives for November 2020

MCL’s Top 5 Things You’re Looking Forward To Over Break

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1. Seeing your pets

Needs no explanation.  Generally people’s top priority.

2. Getting coffee from *your* Starbucks

Or, like, taco place, mall outlet, favorite DMV building, etc.  That sort of thing.  Personally, I buy my coffee at home from an unaffiliated coffee shop with pretentious bookshelves, lots of hipsters, and, allegedly, roaches.  A dealbreaker for many, but luckily I haven’t yet seen one with my own eyes, so I will continue to order my tall coffee latte boba with medium ice about once every two weeks and very deliberately not look under the furniture.

3. Seeing your family

Haven’t you missed throwing down with your siblings physically and verbally over your/their clothing while your mom stands in the doorway telling you to eat more fruit?  Ah, those were the days.

4. Pets again

But will Geoffrey the banana snake remember me??  (Hint: It’s unlikely.)

5. Your home climate

Some of us are going home to a nice balmy 65 degree winter with minimal wind, fashionable but not particularly durable sweaters, and hot chocolate mainly prepared for aesthetic reasons.  Some of us are going home to wear six layers in ten inches.  If you belong to the latter category, please know that as a Californian who dodged the wildfires and heatwave-induced power outages, I will be laughing at you for the entire break.

CommonsCast Episode 63-November 18, 2020

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On the final episode of the podcast for the fall 2020 semester Dean Gresalfi talks about the last week of classes on campus and celebrates the accomplishments of the semester, Zoe has info you need for this last week on campus in the Commons Calendar, and she also has a great interview with fellow first-year student Molly Guenther.

CODE-BUST-ERS

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Syllogism – Ciphers are fun; ciphers are fun. Therefore, ciphers are fun.        

If some of you nerds did Science Olympiad, you likely know of the event Codebusters. However, some of you non-Science Olympians may not be familiar it. Here’s the likely unexpected overview of the event: you bust codes*. Yes yes, stay in your seats, ladies and gentlemen.

*Technically a code is an encryption where a word is given a new meaning, while a cipher is an encryption where a letter is given a new meaning. For this article we’re going to use code as an all-encompassing term.

The event involves cracking various types of codes, but the most prevalent is the mono-alphabetic simple substitution cipher. As the name suggests, each letter in the alphabet is substituted with another letter. Very straightforward. Example code is shown below.

If you happen to find yourself lacking something to do and aren’t in the mood to watch Netflix, try breaking some codes! They have a wide range in difficulty, so do not worry if you’re not considered pro status.

How does one go about solving these jumbles of letters???

Well, the primary thing to look for is word patterns. The first four words I look for are the, that, a, and I. A and I are typically the only letters that can be by themselves, so they easy to spot. Plus, they’re common vowels, so once you can fill them in, you are much on your way to breaking the rest of the code. The is a great word to look for because it’s so common. Repetition of a three letter word throughout a code should make your mind immediately consider substituting the. That is a great one because it starts and ends with the same letter. Plus, take b as t, if you’re looking over a code and see b frequently, including at the start and end of a four letter word, you can make a solid guess the word is that. (T is the second most common letter, so when you see b frequently here, you figure hmm t is likely quite frequent here.)

It’s also a good idea to look for apostrophes. The vast majority of the time, the letter after the apostrophe is s or t. And, another point of note is the importance of making guesses. Guard against staring and staring at a code, unwilling to make a reasonable guess for fear of having to use your eraser.

I encourage you to go find yourself some codes. Try searching the web for some practice mono-alphabetic substitution ciphers. Also check out the site cryptograms.org. Note: I think breaking codes is much more satisfying when solving them physically on paper, but it’s still fun to solve them on a screen.

If you read this article and think ha!, this writer is a fool, she is failing to properly educate aspiring codebusters, please tone down your judgement a little. I am most likely a fool, but in this instance it’s possible I would be awarded more of a fool characterization than is deserved. I am aware that some exceptions in term of cipher form exist. This article is merely meant to provide a basic overview.

Those with questions or statements of some kind on all things code, feel free to leave a comment.

Appendix-ish Here are a couple codes to try cracking. As labeled, the tables simply show letter frequency within the cipher text (!), not within the cracked code. Letters e t a o i n are the most commonly used in English. When you see, in the code below, that D is the most frequent letter, it’s reasonable to think hmm, this is quite possibly e, t, a, o, i, or n.

I don’t know if I’m able to post a whole document to this post, so I just attached pictures of the codes. If your heart desires, just save them as pictures, then print them. #IThinkItIsFunToUseThePrintersHere.

NOTE THE ANSWERS TO THE TWO ABOVE CODES ARE LISTED BELOW.

MCL’s Top 5 Things to Get Done Before Going Home

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1. Check your travel dates against tests and major assignments

You may have to work ahead on something, so now is a very good time to check!  I, personally, have a thesis and report due the evening that I fly out.  I definitely would not want to be discovering that conflict in the middle of packing frantically at 2 a.m. the night before.

2. Make sure you’re clear on your state’s travel restrictions

Linked here is a very nice alphabetized list with some extra state-specific considerations noted, although you can also find plenty of other resources by just googling your state if you’re, say, a Wisconsin native and too lazy to scroll down a page or two.

3. Strategically schedule your next load of laundry

If you’re totally okay with stuffing a bunch of dirty clothes and sheets in a box to marinate in their own sweat stains for two months, then by all means ignore this one.  Otherwise, you should probably try to get one last load in a few days before you go so you can pack all of your remaining dirty stuff in your suitcase to wash and fumigate in the comfort of your own home.  If you’re on Commons this semester, you may want to try to do this a little earlier than the rest of us, given what’s been said about the tragic (or nonexistent) state of many of the houses’ laundry rooms.

4. Get a few days ahead on work

This is sort of an addendum to Recommendation #1.  Even if you don’t need to take jetlag into account, no one is going to want to be writing a whole paper, perfecting an instrument solo, or finishing up a lab report the day after five-to-ten hours of travel (or more!), so it’s probably a good idea to finish everything for the next day or two before you head out.  I’m saying this mostly because my Psych textbook taught me that two great ways to motivate yourself to achieve a goal are to write it down and tell people about it.  Whether I, personally, will actually muster the self-discipline to do this is extremely uncertain.  But it’s still good advice!

5. Take a break to notice how pretty campus is

If you are, like me, from a region not blessed with the tiny bundles of joy men call chipmunks in anywhere near the abundance Nashville seems to take for granted, then make sure you stop and pay attention, next time you see a chipmunk, to how absolutely adorable they are!  And also, sure, golden hour here is incredible; for maybe an hour before sunset all the red brick is warm and glowy and the falling leaves catch the sunlight on their way down, and the sky is a fantastic gradient of blues, and all the really good sunsets reflect beautifully off the windows on 25th Ave.  I highly recommend taking a walk somewhere around 4 p.m. before you head home. 🙂

My Commons Watch: Extracurricular

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Before anything else, let me just be clear. This feature isn’t just for Koreans.

Korean digital entertainment has made incredible strides in just a couple decades. K-pop is the most obvious one, reaching billions of fans worldwide, and earning billions as well. Then there is Korean cinema, which is, in my opinion, some of the most underrated content in the world. I’ve been an avid consumer of Korean movies for a while now and can’t help but notice its superiority in a lot of aspects (story, characters, cinematography, etc.) compared to Hollywood blockbusters. Not only that, but it is often done with a fraction of the budget.

The good news is, Korean cinema is getting noticed more and more. Oldboy, The Host, and Memories of Murder are just a few classics that let Korea first break into the global scene. Back when I was a middle schooler, I began to notice more and more Korean movies coming to American theaters, and it’s how I was able to enjoy titles like New World, A Taxi Driver, and Along With the Gods. And last year, Parasite became a global must-watch that made history at the Oscars, winning four academy awards. These movies show that Korean movies don’t just have to be for Koreans, and that good movies can transcend language barriers. I highly recommend you see these titles for yourselves.

But what about Korean TV? In my opinion, it’s an entirely different industry. Most of the market is saturated with romance soap operas, called K-dramas, aimed at middle aged women. As a result, they suffer from a host of problems, like crummy acting and lazy writing. This isn’t necessarily an issue, however. If the content is entertaining for its demographic, and the show serves its monetary purpose, then there is no reason for its producers to try any harder. But now, we’re beginning to see these shows coming onto streaming platforms like Netflix, and reaching a wider audience of all ages. We’re seeing these shows adopt more modern premises and casting actors that are popular among younger audiences. If you haven’t already noticed, they take up a significant portion of everyone’s Netflix browsing page these days.

Personally, I cannot stomach most of these shows. Some of you might recognize titles like Crash Landing on You and Itaewon Class. Don’t let me spoil these shows for you if you enjoy them, but they are objectively lacking in a lot of ways. After sifting through these shows, I finally stumbled upon one that truly engaged me, and stands far from the rest: Extracurricular. Let’s talk about what Extracurricular does well, and what typical K-drama problems it avoids.

When you first start a K-drama, it’ll probably be great. I reluctantly watched Itaewon Class by a friend’s recommendation. the first two episodes were great and genuinely moving for me. Then, things started to slow down a bit in the third, and I began to worry if I was being led into the same trap that I had fallen into many times before. Sure enough, the story came to an agonizing crawl by the eighth episode. In the ninth, there is a scene where a child gets lost chasing a cat and the main characters look for her and find her in a playground. That’s it. It didn’t change the characters in anyway or have any impact whatsoever on the overall story. That’s when I decided I couldn’t take it anymore.

This illustrates a fundamental issue with K-dramas. They exist for monetary gain and do the absolute bare minimum for it. The writer’s hook you with the initial episodes, then stop trying in the middle, then try again on the final episodes to leave you with a good impression. These middle episodes are riddled with scenes that exist just to waste your time, but they are sprinkled with just enough cliff hangers to keep you wondering and hold you over until the end. As far as the producers are concerned, you’ve just watched their entire show and put more cash into their pockets.

Another problem with K-dramas is the lack of subtlety. They are extremely clear about what they want you to be thinking and feeling at any given moment. If it’s supposed to be a funny scene, enter goofy music. If we’re supposed to be sad, enter the violins. It’s pretty much one song for each emotion, and they get played every single time. If the current scene is relevant to a previous one, instead of letting the audience make the connection on their own, there is always a flashback, even if the scene happened minutes ago. Sometimes, characters will even talk out loud about how they’re feeling when they’re all by themselves. Who the hell are you talking to?   

Finally, what I always complain about on this feature: the characters. First off, I can’t get over how they talk. It’s an understood rule with these shows that every single line the actors deliver have dramatic pauses between them. But why does this have to be the case? I get that it’s supposed to make them sound cooler, but nobody talks like that. Not only can I not relate to these characters as a result, but “dramatic” moments are ruined because of how hilariously stupid it sounds. Characters are also simplistic. Each one has pretty much one trait, then every scene featuring them is devoted to shoving that trait in our faces, as if we’ll forget it if they stop. The bully won’t stop going out of his way to show people how much of a bully he is. The character who wants revenge won’t shut up about how much he wants it.   

“Itaewon Class” is an absolute mess

To be honest, I could go on forever about all the things these shows do wrong. The important takeaway is that Extracurricular avoids all these problems. It follows a high school student’s life in the harshly competitive and stressful 21st century Korean society, and his illegal side hustle that lands him in trouble. Characters are unpredictably deep and change over time. The show conveys deep themes using clever symbolism and metaphors. And the show’s social commentary on modern Korean society and its students is chillingly dark. It’s also just shot better. You can tell that the producers actually cared about what was occupying the screen.

To me, Extracurricular is the beginning of Korean TV finally following in the footsteps of Korean movies and rising from its status as a niche form of entertainment. As I said before, this show doesn’t have to be just for Koreans. If the past decade of Korean movies has said anything, its that you should give Extracurricular a chance.    

CommonsCast Episode 62-November 11, 2020

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On this episode Dean of the Commons Melissa Gresalfi previews the Commons Seminar options coming up in the spring semester. Also Zoe has a look at events coming up in the Commons Calendar and she has a great talk with fellow first-year student Jenna Kronenberg.

CommonsCast Episode 61-November 4, 2020

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On this episode of the official podcast of The Commons Dean Gresalfi discusses mandatory reporting, what it means and your rights as a student. Zoe delivers the Commons Calendar of events and she has a great interview with Vanderbilt junior and West House RA Zoe Rankin.

Easy ways to reduce your carbon footprint while on campus

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People who don’t care about trying to preserve a healthy environment are idiots. I hope that by now everyone is aware of the planet’s climate crisis and have some desire to create positive change. Serious effects of climate change are very much present today and are extremely difficult to face, especially as humans’ selfish natures and private interests catalyze the environmental devastation.

Even if us privileged and capable Vanderbilt attendees are not the ones finding solutions, the least we can do is try to reduce the problems. Listed below are some very easy actions you can take to reduce your negative impact on the climate.

  • Turn off lights. This is not difficult, guys. When you leave a room for more than five minutes turn off the lights. Most often this pertains to your dorm room, but it also pertains to bathrooms. Whenever you finish a shower go ahead and turn off the lights. Especially with covid shrinking the person to bathroom ratios, it might be a while before the next person comes in and needs to shower.
  • Stop getting a plastic bag with every meal at the dining hall! Ok yeah, the bags* say compostable but a) Just because they say they’re compostable doesn’t mean they actually get composted. I’m pretty sure most people just throw the bags in the trash. b) Even if something is composted, its lifespan still requires energy. Energy in manufacturing and energy in transportation and energy in transporting it to composting/other site. Here are some things to do instead:
    • 1) get one of the free reusable bags Vanderbilt munchies offer.
    • 2) reuse one of the large paper bags some dining halls offer.
    • 3) just don’t use a bag. A lot of the time, you’re not walking a great distance to where you’re going to sit down and eat. If you’re walking straight out of Rand to the dining tent, I have a sneaking suspicion you very likely don’t need the bag.
    • *note, specifically referencing the “compostable” plastic bags in Commons dining. The idea of reduced bags applies to all bags, though.

The phrase Reduce, Reuse, Recycle lists the steps in a specific order. Guard against the false comfort of the thought that oh, this can be recycled, so it’s fine. Your first thought should be to Reduce your use.

  • Reuse utensils. The plastic of new utensils at every meal adds up fast. Try reusing the plastic utensils you’re given. It’s not a bad idea to wash them consistently and keep reusing them. When the kind dining staff hands you your food and starts to hand you utensils it’s easy to just say thank you, I don’t actually need the utensils.
  • Bring a reusable water bottle. Yes, plastic is definitely worse than aluminum in terms of environmental damage, but the manufacturing of aluminum still has some impact. It’s totally understandable that you won’t always have a water bottle with you, but make an effort to bring a reusable water bottle with you. A can for just one drink of water is kind of silly.
  • A few other points include:
    • use the munchie mart paper bags as trash bags #AvoidThePlastic
    • take shorter showers
    • hang dry small loads of clothes in your room (hang things to dry on spare hangers)
    • eat less meat (meat, especially beef, production has a HUGE carbon footprint)

Readers please note that even if you are not immediately threatened by climate change others are experiencing its devastation first hand. There are fires burning homes, rain forests, and animals. There are hurricanes destroying towns. There are extreme droughts that lead to famine in areas already ridden with poverty. Get out of your bubble and try to be part of the solution.