My Commons Life

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

Chloe Whalen

Chloe on the Commons-Episode 13

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For one final time this year Chloe hits the Commons with her camera, microphone, sunglasses, and fun questions to find the answers that most first-year students are too afraid to seek.  Watch to see if you or your friends made the cut.  

Chloe on the Commons-Episode 12

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Chloe is back with her shades, camera, and microphone asking her fellow first-year students the questions you never even thought to ask.  Ever wonder if the ocean is, in fact, soup?  You’ll have to watch to find out.

Ode to my Stolen Bicycle

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Since arriving at Vanderbilt, I’ve hardly ever felt unsafe while on campus or even in the surrounding area. Yet, last week, I realized that it wasn’t me I should have been worried about; it was my dear bicycle.

I never expected someone to even have the desire to steal my bike; after all, it was a piece of crap. When I bought it, I got the cheapest one at Walmart I could find that wasn’t for a child. The front brakes stopped working after I shoved it in the back of my car one day to bring it to a local trail. The chain always got grease on my leg, no matter how careful I was to avoid it brushing up against me. Piece of crap, yeah; but it was my piece of crap!

Before you ask, YES, I had it locked, YES, I registered it with the VUPD and have recently filed a report, and YES, I kept it on campus, right at my dorm. My lock might have been just a cable lock, but it was a pretty thick cable! I thought that was good enough, but apparently not.

I hope whoever stole my bike gets some good use out of it. Then, though, I kind of hope they get hit by a car. Not fatally, I wouldn’t wish for that, but at least enough to break an arm or get a nasty scrape. Enough to teach them a lesson to not steal other people’s bikes (or any belongings, for that matter). Maybe I’m an awful person for wishing that. Sue me. (Actually, please don’t. I can’t even afford a new bike; do you think I can afford a court case???)

I keep finding ways to blame myself: maybe I should have gotten a better lock. Maybe I should have put an airtag on it or something of that sort. Maybe I should have checked in on it more often instead of just the occasional instance where I want to get across campus fast. But MAYBE THE THIEF SHOULDN’T HAVE STOLEN MY BIKE!!!

Beyond my rage, there is deep sadness; so now, as promised, an ode to my stolen bike:

Oh, crappy blue bike, why did you have to leave me so soon?

We only got 2 years, and now you’re gone forever!

Oh, crappy blue bike, did you fly to the moon?

With my feet and your wheels, we worked so well together!

Oh crappy blue bike, who took you from me?

Was it someone who needed you more than I?

Oh crappy blue bike, I just hope you’re happy

I’m most definitely not, but yet, I say goodbye :'(

Chloe on the Commons-Episode 10

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Chloe is back on the Commons with her camera, her microphone, and of course her sunglasses, and she’s asking first-year students interesting questions that you never even thought to ask.  Check out this new episode to see if your friends are featured.  

My Double Life as a Working Student

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It’s not easy being a college student. Yet, as soon as I got settled in last semester, and my classic Chloe boredom that comes from my need to be constantly doing something set in, I decided to increase the difficulty level on my life even more by getting a job.

I wasn’t going to go for anything crazy; just a part-time to help me feel a little less guilty about spending my savings on Ubers and the occasional dinner out to a restaurant not on meal money. I deserve to treat myself, and with a bank account that is getting replenished every two weeks, it’s a lot easier to convince myself of that.

After some searching, a few awkward interviews, and a bit of “embellishing” about my experience, I landed myself a sweet gig at a local coffee shop. I would be a barista. Is there anything more of a classic college job than that? It would be just like the old days of playing Papa’s Freezeria on CoolMathGames (rip Adobe Flash Player), just for realsies this time around.

In all honesty, I hadn’t really been a coffee drinker at all before I got the job. I promised myself I wouldn’t become addicted, and I think I’m still in the clear. I enjoy the taste, but I have yet to use my own money to pay for a coffee; I either get my free employee drink each shift or I use a meal swipe at our lovely Suzie’s here on campus. I’m a coffee appreciator, but not an addict.

I have to say, after working at the shop for a few months now, I find myself genuinely enjoying it (and will hopefully continue to do so). I’ve met a lot of super cool people there that have become trusted coworkers who I can talk to about crazy stories from my week while we clean. There’s nothing that brings people together more than sharing a laugh while scrubbing toilets or confiding in each other while scraping coffee grounds out of a french press.

I wouldn’t condone getting a job while being a student if you don’t have good time management skills. I’m very good at planning out my day to account for all of the things I need to get done: class, exercise, socialization, studying, work, and sleep. I recognize that I possess a rare skill in my ability to balance my life. It takes a real pro, and there’s no shame if it doesn’t work as well for you. Working is, well, a lot of work.

One of the hardest parts of having a job is my work schedule. As a coffee shop, we aren’t open too late, which is nice for me, but it does also mean that we open early in the morning. I walk to work before the sun comes up, and probably before most of you are even close to being awake. I have to admit, it has given me a little bit of a superiority complex, but that gets erased as soon as I have a day off and end up sleeping well past sunrise.

All in all, having a job while being a student is a challenge, but with the right skills, it’s doable. All it takes is a bit of planning, a lot of self-discipline, and just a splash of espresso in your system as soon as you clock in.

MCL Top 5: Cornfields (as ranked by Cornfield Chloe herself)

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If you’re a bit bored of fun activities in New York City or beautiful Pacific beaches on the west coast, let me remind you of the true gem of the United States: the Midwest. The rural Midwest, to be more specific. To show you how amazing these “flyover states” can be, I, Cornfield Chloe, decided to take pictures of the cornfields around my house and rank them. With the number of cornfields I have in close proximity to me, I could have done a top 100 list, but for your sake and mine, I’ll stick to the 5 I got on camera.

Without further ado…

#5

Your standard run-of-the-mill post-harvest season cornfield. I see this one every day, and it’s consistent in its presentation. I run on the road at its border quite often, and I’ve never gotten hit by a tractor, so I’d say that’s a win.

#4

Now you might be thinking, “Cornfield Chloe, is this the same field just from a different viewpoint?” I am here to inform you, dear reader, that this is obviously not the same one, but then again, I wouldn’t expect non-experienced cornfield perceivers such as yourselves to pick up on the nuances. I do, however, want you to appreciate the way that the trees in the back nicely frame this field and make it clear whose field is whose for the farmers.

#3

Esteemed readers, we have a true delight here: TWO neighboring cornfields! AND a road of houses in the background! How exciting! You can see that one is prepped for winter wheat and one is not (but I’m not going to tell you which is which because I’m difficult like that). Just a reminder about neighboring cornfields; be careful at t-shaped intersections when the corn is high! Always take a peek out before going to make sure you’re not about to get t-boned. Corn kills, my friends. Corn kills.

#2

For our runner-up spot, I have to applaud this field which has not been fully harvested yet. Here we see a trodden path into the depths of the field, which can be for numerous reasons. A family of deer that narrowly escaped being struck by a truck? Some teenagers looking for a private location for an intimate moment (yes, it happens)? Lost children being drawn into the corn, never to be seen again except in the dark of night when the moon is high? There’s no way of knowing, but all are possible in the rural Midwest.

#1

I MUST give my top spot to this beauty. Just look at those clouds! The sun shining through in glorious rays! The water tower and the farms in the background! If you look closely enough, you might even get a glimpse of the train tracks! And of course, the wondrous cornfield itself. Look at those rolling rows! The patchwork marking properties from each other! I can’t help but be awestruck by these acres, compelled by this corn. Wowzers.

I hope that everyone gets the opportunity to stare out their car window and witness the wonders of the rural Midwest. If you do, you should stop and say hi to me. I’ll be out there. I came from the corn, and to the corn I will return. Unless my life plans take me literally anywhere else. There’s no way of knowing, but I do know one thing: I’m proud to be Cornfield Chloe.