My Commons Life

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

Catherine Seok

MCL Top 5: Dorm Room Essentials

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5. Extension Cords:

The worst feeling is plugging your phone in, only to find it’s just barely too short to reach your bed. Thankfully, there’s a simple solution: extension cords! One or two Six-foot-long extension cords will make it easy that no cord is too short.

4. Desk Organizer:

Your desk is bound to get at least a little messy at some point during the semester. To keep your working space from looking like a disaster scene, a desk organizer will be your best friend. Whether you choose one with drawers for your paper clips or one with slots for your pencils and pens, desk organizers will definitely help you tidy up a little bit. There’s a variety of options, so there’s something for everyone!

3. Mementos from home:

Whether you’re from halfway across the country or just a town away, keeping photos and memories of your family, friends, and loved ones in your dorm brings home. Hanging photos on some string lights or framing your favorite pictures are simple ways to make your dorm feel a little more cozy and familiar.

2. Snacks:

If you find yourself staying up late and hearing your stomach growl, you most likely won’t be willing to go out to scavenge for some food. Keeping a stash of food in your drawers can prove to be useful — especially during those emergency midnight moments or when you have friends over!

1. Kitchen Appliances

As a college student, a coffee maker, microwave, and mini fridge will become your best friends. Coffee is an essential for many students’ mornings, and having a coffee maker in your dorm makes it simple to get your daily fix. Of course, no dorm is truly a dorm without a microwave — it makes it incredibly convenient to quickly heat up left overs or make some quick mac ’n’ cheese! The last of the trio is a fridge; it’s an absolute essential for keeping  your drinks cold and left overs fresh.

 

Remember to consult Vanderbilt’s student handbook to ensure that all things brought to dorms follow regulations.

Humans of The Commons: Gay Campbell

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Gay Campbell
John Seigenthaler Center Administrator

“I moved here from Atlanta for a temp job. Mr. Seigenthaler, who was the founder, had his assistant quit and did not give any notice, so they asked me to come and work for him temporarily. We clicked, so I became his assistant for eleven years. ”

“The most rewarding part [of my experience] was getting to know him and work with him all these years. He was an amazing, very kind, and humble man who was very much a patriot and in touch with the nation and all that was going on.”

“When he died, I became the center administrator, and my passion is really continuing Mr. Seigenthaler’s legacy; he did so much for this city, this nation, for people in need, for the underdogs, and my passion is that his legacy continue and that people will know him and know what he did.”

The John Seigenthaler Center, while located on Vanderbilt’s campus, in an independent entity. This center, also known as the First Amendment Center, was meant to both celebrate and encourage understanding of the founding values of the United States and Seigenthaler’s work.