My Commons Life

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

Archives for September 2021

I SURVIVED – A First-Person Account of the 2021 Gen Chem Massacre

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September 23rd, 2021. The time was 7:00PM. Over half of the freshman class shuffled into the exam room in a crowd of palpable anxiety. Students were crying, dying, trying to remember every single polyatomic ion.

No matter who you were or how much/little you had studied, we were all scared to death. It was an uphill battle, but we SURVIVED.

…and we lived to tell the tale.

Here’s what some of our fellow first-years have to say about their survival stories:

BEFORE

“I was so anxious on my walk to the exam that I crapped my pants. No, actually. We’re talking full on bowel incontinence.”

“I seriously almost threw up when they handed me the exam.”

“I couldn’t even fit all my papers on my desk…”

DURING

“I had to swallow my gum and take it like a pill. At that point, it tasted disgusting and I couldn’t focus on my exam.”

“I dropped my hairclip during the exam and it went CLACK CLACK CLACK CLACK CLACK CLACK CLACK…”

“I FORGOT THE DE BROGLIE EQUATION! HOW DID I FORGET THE DE BROGLIE EQUATION?”

AFTER

“I considered jumping off the Vanderbilt bridge on the walk back. Into oncoming traffic.”

“The studying was far from worthwhile…”

“I WAS Pre-Med, but I’m definitely not anymore!”

OVERALL THOUGHTS?

“I’m [screwed].”

(edited due to expletives)

“I’m as uncertain as Heisenberg was.”

“That really sucks, but don’t beat yourself up too hard here. First exam, and now you know what to expect. There’ll be plenty more chances. (…that’s what I’m telling myself lol)”

With all that said, the professors have revealed that this has been the highest Exam1 average in Gen Chem for 3 years. Maybe we didn’t do so badly after all?

Nonetheless, Vandy Class of 2025, I’m proud of you. We did it – we survived.

Commons Cupdate 9/29

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Cheering crowds. Hank victory. Kickball on the horizon. Here is all you need to know about the latest Commons Cup developments.

Ultimate Frisbee Tournament

This year’s ultimate frisbee tournament was not short of excitement. The first Commons Cup athletic competition, taking place this past Sunday under the glaring afternoon sun, was the first opportunity for the Class of 2025 to compete head-to-head against the other houses of the Ingram Commons for the Commons Cup.

Tournament Overview

In the opening round, West defeated Stambaugh by four points with a final score of 7-3. Sutherland beat Memorial by the same margin with the game ending 9-5.

The quarter-finals saw a bit more diversity in scores. Murray put up a tough fight against East in their opening match but ended up losing by a single point (final score of 7-8). That nail-biter was followed by Hank crushing Crawford with a final score of 9-3, the most decisive victory in the whole tournament. Gillette lost to West 4-6 in a tough fought match. Wrapping up the round was North’s come-from-behind 7-6 victory against Sutherland.

All four remaining teams – West, East, North, and Hank – fought passionately to secure their spots in the championship match. Natural rivals West and East House faced off in the first of these matches. This game saw elevated levels of roughness with multiple players being ejected. The game ended with East beating West 6-5, scoring the winning point in overtime.

The Hank vs North game was not short of surprises either. While the match started with the two teams trading points, North picked up some momentum built a commanding 7-2 lead against Hank. However, a late game rally saw Hank make a 6 point run, passing North and winning with a final score of 8-7.

After a long day of ultimate frisbee, the championship match between Hank and East began. While Hank managed to take an early lead, East closed the gap, leaving the score tied 4-4 at the end of regulation. The tournament ended as Hank scored the final, game-winning point.

The Podium

1st Place – Hank Ingram House is the house to beat. Not only is Commons’ largest house the ultimate frisbee champion, they also had the largest margin of victory (6 points against Crawford) and largest comeback victory (against North) in this year’s tournament. Their fan base – filling up both sides of the field – was nothing to scoff at either. If Hank can hold this momentum, they will be a force to be reckoned with this year.

2nd Place – East House is right on Hank’s tail. East was dominant throughout the tournament and only lost to Hank by one point. The question still remains: Will this loss demoralize or motivate East?

3rd Place – North is back for more. The traditional powerhouse and most recent Commons Cup victor has once again proven they are still a threat. While they did not make it to the championship game, third place should give this house a boost in points and enthusiasm to help propel them forward in this contest.

Looking Forward: Kickball

With ultimate frisbee over, it is time to move on to the next Commons Cup event: kickball. The Kickball Tournament is scheduled to take place on Sunday, October 10th from 11AM-3PM. This is the second of four athletic events for Commons Cup. Like all athletic and academic events, houses can earn points not only for gameplay but also for fan support. Please note that fan support is only tracked during your house’s first game. Keep an eye out for more information from your House Vice Presidents regarding the Kickball Tournament.

MCL Top 5: Student Discounts You MUST Take Advantage Of

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You’ve probably heard of a few of these already, but do you know about all of these? Here, we’ve compiled reasons for you to spend money right now, but you can do so without the unnecessary guilt because you are a student SAVING money. 

The Obvious: Amazon Prime Student

Amazon | Amazing numbers from Amazon from the 2012 holiday s… | Flickr

The list of benefits along with Amazon Prime seem endless. First, you have 6 free months for a trial, and then Amazon Prime for half price. Most notably you have Prime delivery, or free one-day delivery. I’m sure we’ve all been heavily relying on Amazon for any forgotten essentials, books, or room decor to live your lavish life. 

Specifically with Amazon Prime Student, you also have a free membership with Grubhub Plus Student, a free month of Course Hero, and three free months of usage for the Calm app. 

Otherwise, you also have access to all the regular benefits as an Amazon Prime member. To learn more, you can read everything here. Do make note of any listed terms and conditions. 

The Helpful: Office 365 Education

MS OFFICE 365 | MS OFFICE 365 | Aaron Yoo | Flickr

All students are able to sign up for Office 365 Education. This includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, and more. This can be helpful with organization, whether it is making it easy to share information/documents with others or syncing information across devices. To sign up, you can start here. 

The Necessity: Spotify + Hulu + SHOWTIME

Spotify Internet Streaming - Free image on Pixabay

This is obviously the superior choice for only $4.99/month. There do exist alternatives such as Apple Music, YouTube Music, Amazon Prime Music—the list goes on forever. I guess you can check these out but just know Spotify is superior *rolling eyes emoji*. Not to mention you also get access to Hulu and SHOWTIME.

Personally, having music readily available to stream has been super useful to me, whether it is helping me get into the studying mindset or making the walk to main campus a little less boring and tiring. 

The Expensive: Technology Discounts

Technology 2020 Free Stock Photo - Public Domain Pictures

We live in an age of technology, but unfortunately technology can be pretty expensive. However, as these are essentially necessities at this point, plenty of companies have discounts to make your bank account a little less depressing. 

Apple currently has free AirPods along with discounted AppleCare when you buy a Mac or iPad. Best Buy has a student discount program that can help lead you to discounted products. Samsung also has their Education Discount Program that can help you save up to 30%.

Literally… just show your student ID…

File:Money saving growth.jpg - Wikimedia Commons

Or use the power of that .edu email. Whenever you make a purchase, just ask to see if they have a student discount. Plenty of clothing brands such as Aeropostale, Banana Republic, H&M etc. offer up to 15% off any purchase. Certain places such as Chipotle or Chik-Fil-A  also offer a free drink with your purchase.

Worst case, there’s no discount, but if successful, you will be rewarded with some savings and a feeling of victory that triumphs the guilt of buying something you might’ve not needed anyways. 

And those are all your reasons to spend money this week. 

CommonsCast Episode 82-September 29, 2021

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On this week’s podcast Dean Gresalfi shares some great information about her Dean’s Dinners and why you should consider attending.  Tait delivers the Commons Calendar of upcoming events, and Richard has a wonderful interview with Connie Sun, a first year student from Rockville, Maryland studying Computer Science and living in Sutherland House. 

CommonsCast Episode 81-September 22, 2021

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On this new episode Dean Melissa Gresalfi talks about how we think about failure, Cheryl has the details on events on campus coming up this week, and Richard has a terrific interview with Will Yuk, first-year student from Long Island, New York living in Stambaugh house studying HOD. 

Commons Cupdate 9/22

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Welcome to the first addition of the My Commons Life Commons Cupdate: your place to see all the latest developments and news related to the Commons Cup. Here is what you need to know:

Past Events

Kickoff – On Sunday September 12, the 2021-2022 Commons Cup began at Commons Center. Although attendance at this event counted towards the Commons Cup, participation was relatively low. This may, however, be due to the fact that house presidents (the people in charge of increasing event turnout) had yet to be elected.

HPAC Elections and Appointments – Over the course of the last few weeks, each House’s HPAC was assembled through a combination of elections (President and Vice President) and appointments (Public Relations Chair and Service Commissioners). This group will serve as the leadership for the house throughout the year, so make sure you get to know them.

Upcoming Events

Ultimate Frisbee – This first athletic event in Commons Cup will be held Sunday September 26, from 2-6PM. If you are interested in competing for your house in Ultimate Frisbee, reach out to your house vice president to sign up. If you are not competing, still come to Magnolia Lawn to cheer on your team! Attendance at Ultimate Frisbee, like all athletic and academic events, counts toward your house’s Community Involvement scores, so you can help the house win just by showing up.

Top 5 Things I Learned in My First Month at Vanderbilt

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  1. Sleep is important

Like most high school students who piled up on APs and extracurricular activities, I found myself altering my circadian rhythm to make three-to-four hours of sleep enough for my seven-hour school days. I had predicted that college would be no different, in that my body would continue to thrive past 2 A.M. on weekdays.

I was wrong.

The amount of walking and socializing, combined with doing day-to-day chores, studying, finishing homework, and–oftentimes–reteaching yourself, takes a lot out of you. Getting those full eight hours of sleep allows you to be proactive during the day, so you’re able to stay focused!

  1. Saying no is okay

You’re going to want to do everything–have dinner with friends, go to a football game, have a movie night, attend a club meeting, or even take a walk around campus. FOMO is very real, especially in the beginning, when it feels as though you’re going to miss something that may be fundamental to your college experience. I’ve learned that it’s okay to be a side character in some stories–to study for a chem exam instead of going out to Broadway on a Saturday night. It’s okay to miss hanging out if you need a moment to chill. 

I think–for me–it feels as though we’ve overly-romanticized the idea that we should live every day like our last. Perhaps every person is different, but I think that staying in bed all day is okay sometimes. As long as you’re taking care of yourself.

  1. Homesickness is real

For the past five years, I lived in the middle of nowhere in southern Georgia. Our city’s main attraction was the big Walmart down the street from my house and the always-full Chick-fil-A. We only had one high school, and here, the minority population could be counted with my fingers. The community is kind, but I always looked forward to finally moving away for college. 

I don’t miss living there, but I do miss the people. I miss my family and the friends I’ve known for years. I miss the familiarity and my parents’ cooking. I miss having a rice cooker that made perfectly-cooked rice. The rice at the dining halls only reminds me more. 

  1. Every day is a workout 

Living in the middle of nowhere meant that having a car is not optional. This is to say that I was not prepared for the eighteen-thousand steps a day. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, I was unable to take a tour of Vandy; I chose to attend because of the academics, community, and opportunities. Little did I know that I would also be given the “opportunity” to exercise every day. Vandy is filled with slight hills and steep stairs, but honestly, I’m not one to complain. I always told myself I would be more active in college, and walking to class gives me a good start to my day. Again, every person is different, but the sudden growth of steps on my health app has really given me the determination to beat my previous week’s step count. 

A downside: I probably need to buy more comfortable sneakers. 

  1. Rain gear is necessary

The weather in Nashville is so bipolar. One day it rains, the next day, the sun is beating down your body until you feel heavy with sweat. If this past month (and honestly, week) has taught me anything, it is that it is so important to invest in good rain gear, particularly a rain jacket, rain boots, and a good-quality umbrella. This is particularly crucial because of the distance between Commons and Main Campus. It really is brutal out here.