My Commons Life

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

Daniel Sak

Commons Cupdate 4/27

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West House, Winner of the 2022 Commons Cup

On Sunday evening at the Commons Ball, the moment we have all been waiting for finally arrived: the results of the Commons Cup were announced.

And the winner is …… WEST HOUSE!!!!!!!

After winning three of the five Commons Cup categories, West House is the clear winner to the 2021-2022 Commons Cup. North House has been dethroned by their neighbor across the lawn. I cannot think of a better way for West to finish end their centennial anniversary than by claiming the Commons Cup. Congratulations! This year, West House really was the Best House.

Following West, East took second place. Crawford and Sutherland tied for third.

Winners for the different categories were also announced and are as follows:

Community Involvement – West House

Sustainability – West House

Service – West House

Academics – Crawford House

Athletics – Hank Ingram House

The full placement for each house overall and in the five categories has not been published. The Dean of the Ingram Commons Office declined My Commons Life’s request for comment about these rankings.

This competition has been a wild ride, but all things must come to an end. Congratulations to this year’s victors and best of luck to those getting ready to start their Commons journey in the Class of 2026.

Disclaimer: Daniel Sak, the author of this piece, is the Vice President of Hank Ingram House.

MCL Top 5 Things to do Instead of Studying for Finals

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The end is near but there is still a lot to do. Papers’ due dates a hurling towards us and finals are less than two weeks away. It is going to be a long few weeks, and all of us could use a break from studying every once in a while. So whether you are procrastinating or taking a “well-deserved break,” here are the MCL Top 5 Things to do Instead of Studying for your finals.

1. Party at Rites of Spring

This Friday and Saturday April 22 and 23, the biggest event of the year will be held on Alumni Lawn. Artists like 2 Chainz, Miguel, Waka Flocka Flame, and more will be preforming right here on campus. This is an event you better be sure not to miss.

2. Attend the Commons Ball

Here’s another event this weekend that is worth stopping by. This year’ Botanical Ball will be held on Commons Lawn on Sunday April 24 from 7-10 PM. Make sure to check it out.

3. Go Somewhere You’ve Never Gone Before

Most of us only have a few weeks left on campus before we head home for the summer. If you need a break from studying, do some exploring. Whether it is on campus or around Nashville, there are still plenty of new and interesting places to find.

4. Watch the 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

No, this isn’t an actual spelling bee; it’s a musical being preformed by Vanderbilt Off Broadway this weekend. If you still feel like you want more to do during the weekend before the final week of classes, this would be a great thing to go see.

5. Use Up Your Meal Money

It’s now or never folks. Whatever meal money you have left, spend it up because whatever you don’t use before the end of the year will be gone. Not to mention, there is nothing like a good meal to refresh you for several more hours of studying.

Grievances of a Homeless Sophomore

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Life on campus following Spring Break has been hectic. I’ve been swamped with papers and tests, classes need to be picked for the fall, and many organizations are trying to cram in one or two more big events before the school year ends. So while I am in the midst of figuring out how I am going to make it through the final few weeks of this year, I also have to figure out where I am going to live next year.

The answer to this seems easy: I will be living on campus (whether I like it or not). I knew there would be a residential requirement when I chose this school, but I was also told there were lots of options following my first year. Most of you have probably figured out by now that claim was misleading (at best). 

For almost a month, OHARE has been running the main housing assignment process for suites, apartments, and dorms which means that much of the Class of 2025 has been receiving weekly bad news since Spring break ended. While there were a few lucky ones who got 3-person apartments, no rising Sophomores got a 4 person suite, 2 person apartment, or a single room, yet we were told that we should go through those processes anyways. 

But why? Rising Seniors and Juniors get first pick in each of the processes anyways, so why not let all them pick at once like they do with classes? We won’t get the best rooms regardless of how many small steps the process is broken into; at least this structure could save us a month of torment, of belief we have a chance to get the room we want, of hope we’ll get a real choice in where we live next year. If we won’t actually have a great selection of rooms available for our choosing, at least respect us enough to show us an accurate picture of what is up for grabs.

This week, the process finally comes to an end as the last category of rooms will be picked: the dreaded doubles. We all tried to avoid getting stuck here, but now we’re scouring the floor plans trying – with irrational optimism – to find that one double-in-the-rough that may be left over in the upperclassmen’s table scraps. We all know this probably won’t end much better than previous attempts, but at least this will be over soon.

See y’all in Branscomb next year!

Sincerely,

A Homeless Sophomore

MCL Top 5 Things to do Before the End of the Year

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It may be hard to believe, but we only have one month left in our Freshman Year. Whether it feels like the clock is ticking down too quickly or not quickly enough, one thing is for certain: the end is near. So with the year coming to a close, here are the MCL Top 5 things you should do before the school year comes to an end.

5. Go to a House Event

When your house has an event every week, it can be easy to take it for granted; however, house events are an experience unique to residential colleges. While some of you many have managed to get into a res college next year, these next few weeks may be our last chances to go to a house event for a while. Especially with some houses doing big end-of-the-year events, this is the perfect time to take a break and enjoy some food in the company of your housemates.

4. Plan Your Classes Longterm

This one may not sound as fun as the others on this list, but it is a MUST DO before the school year comes to a close. This year, class registration was a whirlwind. Between getting used to life in college and being the last to pick our classes, just getting enough classes to reach the 12 credit hour minimum was a feat worth celebrating. Many of us did not even know what our majors would be: of course scheduling was going to be a struggle. But now, much of that has changed. Most of us have settled into our (tentative) majors, and we are no longer at the bottom of the totem pole in class selection. This is the perfect time to figure out not only which classes you will take in the fall, but also future semesters. This may seem daunting, but if you are in the major that is truly right for you, looking at your future classes will make you look forward to the future, not dread it.

3. Take a Walk

I have said it before and I will say it again: we live on a beautiful campus. Now that the weather is getting really nice, it is a perfect time to get outside and appreciate your surroundings. When most of us leave in May, we will not get to see these grounds again until August. Enjoy campus while you are still here.

2. Use Your Meal Money

Use it or lose it. Meal Money resets at the end of the year, so make sure to use it all up. Try something new, or go to Jeni’s for the 100th time: it does not matter. Whatever it is that you like to eat, treat yourself. Just make sure to enjoy your time and get some good meals.

1. Do that one last thing

We all have that one thing we have been telling ourselves we should do. This one will be different for each of us. It could mean finally going to a baseball game or the meeting of a certain club. It could be a personal goal that you keep putting off. It does not have to be something big. For me, it was lying outside in a hammock. For a few months now, I have owned a hammock, and I kept telling myself I would put it up and lie in it one day. Last week I finally did it, and it felt amazing. Whatever your “hammock” is, go for it.

Commons Cupdate 3/30

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Sutherland Volleyball Team, victors of the Commons Cup Volleyball Tournament (Photo courtesy of Nick Tippenhauer)

Service Week. Volleyball Tournament. The competition coming to an end. Here’s everything you need to know about the latest developments in the Commons Cup.

Service Week

This year’s service, held March 21-25, week focused heavily on sexual assult prevention and awareness. On Monday, Project Safe hosted a self defense workshop. On Wednesday, Project Safe held a panel to discuss sexual assult. Throughout the week, Project Safe also tabled in the Commons Center daily and held lantern decorating events at each house’s signature event.

Volleyball Tournament

On Sunday March 27, all ten Commons houses competed in the Commons Cup Volleyball Tournament. To start off the competition, Sutherland held off Crawford with a 21-17 win. East also defeated North in a close 21-19 win.

The round of eight did not see the same closeness as the play-in did. West beat Murray with a 21-14 victory. Stambaugh then fended off Memorial with a 21-17 win. Sutherland then went on to knock out Gillette with a commanding 21-11 lead. Finally, Hank easily defeated East with a 21-12 win.

In the semifinals, Sutherland defeated West and Hank defeated Stambaugh. Both games were won by margins of 21-14

Unlike the other rounds, the championship was a best out of three series to 15 points. Although Hank won the first game, Sutherland rallied to win the final two and become the volleyball champions.

Podium

1st Place – Sutherland is in it to win it. This house has been playing to win all year and it shows. After many podium placements across different events this year, Sutherland is a major contender to win it all.

2nd Place – Hank is here to play. Like Sutherland, this house has podium placement across a variety of events. This house has been one of the best in athletics, so it is no surprise they made the podium one last time.

Looking Forward

Volleyball was the last major event of the Commons Cup. While the year-long Sustainability Challenge still has a few weeks left in it, the competition is just about over. Although we do not know exactly who will win, there appear to be some front runners. 

There are four houses that have had three or more podium placements (among those tracked in previous Commons Cupdates this year). Crawford placed 3rd during Sustainability Week and Spring Trivia, and the house won the Table Tennis Tournament. West tied for 1st in Kickball and won the Jug decorating contest and Spring Trivia. Sutherland also tied for 1st in Kickball and had wins in Sustainability Week and Spring Trivia. Finally, Hank took 3rd in Kickball; 2nd in Sustainability Week and Volleyball; and won Ultimate Frisbee, Pool, and the Pull Tab Competition.

What we see here may not tell the full story. Houses that consistently miss the podium may have outperformed those that did really well in some events and poorly in others. The Dean of the Ingram Commons Office also keeps the results of certain events and how points are calculated secret. We will just have to wait until the official Commons Cup Announcement to find out for sure.

MCL Top 5 Picks I Regret in My March Madness Bracket

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March Madness: it’s the magical season when we all realize we are master sports analysts, declare to the world our infallible tournament predictions, . . . and then proceed to scream at the TV for three weeks straight. Like many of you, I crafted an amazing bracket. Although no one has ever come close to making a perfect bracket, it has to happen sometime, right? I knew this year would be the one, and the first perfect bracket would – of course – be mine. That was until Michigan upset Colorado State during the first game on the first day of the first round. So to all my fellow amateur analysts out there, I share with you my Top Five largest regrets in my March Madness Bracket. If you managed to avoid these errors, congratulations, and if not, take solace in the fact that you’re not alone.

5. Overestimating Auburn

I thought taking Auburn to the Elite Eight would be a good idea given the season they had. It seems they may have peaked a little too early. After an 18 point loss to Miami on Sunday, I wish I had knocked the Tigers out of my bracket a little sooner.

4. Taking South Dakota State to My Sweet Sixteen

I know. I should have known better than selecting a 13 seed to advance that far. Miracle runs for bottom-ranked teams are possible (look at St. Peter’s for example), but predicting exactly when and where they will occur requires greater precision than my strategy of semi-informed guessing can provide. The worst part is that I doubt the Jackrabbits’ defeat will do anything to stop me from making this same mistake next year.

3. Underestimating Houston and Purdue

I definitely missed the mark on these two. I had UAB knocking out Houston in the first round and Texas knocking out Purdue in the second. After watching the tournament unfold, I think both of these teams have a lot of fight left in them and a solid chance of advancing further. Houston is coming off a commanding win against Illinois and faces an Arizona team that struggled to fend off TCU. Purdue is in even better shape as they are now the top seed in the East and face 15 seed St. Peters in the Sweet Sixteen.

2. Taking Loyola to My Elite Eight

Can you blame me for this one? It’s usually fairly safe to assume that Loyola will make a run in the tournament. Even though it wasn’t technically an upset, I was shocked when Loyola got knocked out during the first round (and by a double digit loss nonetheless). Even with my (misplaced) confidence in this team, Elite Eight still seems like it may have been a bit too far.

1. Taking Kentucky to the Championship Game

We all knew this one would be here. St. Peter’s upset against Kentucky busted far more brackets than just mine, but that loss on the first day still hurts. The worst part is, when I picked my bracket, I actually considered the fact that St. Peter’s might upset Kentucky, but then said to myself “That’s ridiculous. Kentucky will be fine.” To be clear, I’m not mad I picked Kentucky to win that game (those upsets are too rare to try to predict); I’m disappointed that in spite of my concerns, I still took Kentucky to be the runner up of the whole tournament.

Commons Cupdate 3/2

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Commons Cup Trivia Tournament pictured above

West winning trivia. Service Week approaching. Only a few events left. Here’s everything you need to know about the most recent developments in the Commons Cup.

Spring Trivia

The Spring Trivia tournament took place on Sunday February 27 in the Commons MPR. The competition featured all ten houses competing against each other in a battle of knowledge. Houses were allowed to send up to two teams, but only the highest scoring team’s score would be counted. This semester’s questions focused heavily on Pop Culture and Black History with only scant references to science, math, and literature. Due to the wager-style point system and the high difficulty of the questions, all but four of the 14 teams ended the game with a negative score.

Podium

1st Place – West blew away the competition. While most teams struggled to get their point totals above zero, West won with a commanding score of 50 points. This house is, without a doubt, a major contender for the Commons Cup.

2nd Place – Murray is in the game. Coming off their first podium in last week’s table tennis tournament, Murray is back again to reclaim the silver medal. This house may have flown under the radar last semester, but they have certainly fought their way back into view.

3rd Place – Crawford is in it to win it. This are one of only three houses (the other two being West and Hank) to win podium placements across three different categories (for Crawford: Sustainability, Athletics, and Academics). Will they bee the winners this spring?

Looking Ahead

There are only a few more events being held for the Commons Cup. Service Week (details yet to be announced) will be held March 20-27. The Volleyball Tournament will also be held on March 27. Finally, the year long sustainability challenge continues through the end off the year.

Disclaimer: Daniel Sak, the author of this piece, is the Vice President of Hank Ingram House and was a member of the Hank Ingram Trivia Team

Commons Cupdate 2/23

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The Finalists: Hank and North Pool Teams. (From left to right) Hank’s Xavier Shattuck and Daniel Sak. North’s Jacob Tomas and Marcus Kamen

Crawford’s first victory. Two more wins for Hank. Spring trivia just days away. Here’s everything you need to know about the latest developments in the Commons Cup.

Pull Tab Week

The first service event of the Commons Cup was held February 3rd through 10th. Each house worked to collect pull tabs to give to the Ronald McDonald House. Points were awarded based on the design of the collection jug and the number of tabs collected by the house. West House won the jug decorating contest. Hank House won the pull tab collection portion of the competition.

Table Tennis Tournament

On Sunday February 20th, the table tennis portion of the Indoor Recreation Tournament was held in the Commons Center MPR. The results were as follows:

First Round

  • East defeated West
  • Murray defeated Memorial

Second Round

  • Sutherland defeated Hank
  • Crawford defeated East
  • Murray defeated Gillette
  • Stambaugh advanced automatically (North did not show and therefor forfeited)

Semifinals

  • Crawford defeated Sutherland
  • Murray defeated Stambaugh

Championship

  • Crawford defeated Murray

The Podium

1st Place – Crawford clenched their first victory. Before Sunday, Crawford had not won a single game in athletics, but this house put in the work to go straight from a string of losses to tournament champions. This victory should feel as sweet as honey.

2nd Place – Murray makes their first podium. Like Crawford, this was a house that just could not seem to find the winning formula last semester, but they may have hit their stride in 2022.

3rd Place – Stambaugh is in the game. Following a podium appearance at the last trivia event, Stambaugh makes it back to the podium thanks to a tight game against Murray. I have a feeling they’ll want to be back for more.

Pool

On Sunday February 20th, the pool portion of the Indoor Recreation Tournament was held on the Commons Center main floor. The results were as follows:

First Round

  • East defeated West
  • Memorial defeated Murray

Second Round

  • Hank defeated Sutherland
  • North defeated Stambaugh
  • East defeated Crawford
  • Gillette defeated Memorial

Semifinals

  • Hank defeated East
  • North defeated Gillette

Championship

  • Hank defeated North

Podium

1st Place – Hank is a podium regular. This is Hank’s third win and fifth time on a Commons Cup podium. This house is a serious contender to win it all.

2nd Place – North is back in the game. When this house shows up, they play to win. In every athletic event they have played in, North made it to at least the semifinals. This is a house to watch out for.

Spring Trivia

This Sunday February 27th is the Spring Trivia Tournament. This is the final event for the Academics portion of the Commons Cup. The tournament will take place in the Commons MPR, and attendance will count for Commons Cup Points. If you are interested in playing, contact your house president.

Disclaimer: Daniel Sak, the author of this piece, is the Vice President of Hank Ingram House and was a member of the Hank Ingram Pool Team

MCL Top 5 Things to Know About Friday’s Commons Mix Up Event

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1. What is the event?

For their Commons Mix Up event, East and Hank House will be hosting a Game Show Night in the Commons MPR. Participants will be called up on stage and offered the opportunity to compete in a variety of game show-themed games. This will be the third Mix Up event of the year (and first of the Spring Semester).

2. When is the event?

The event will run Friday from 8 to 10 PM. Everyone is welcome to stop by for just five minutes or the full two hours. Just remember that the longer you stay, the better your odds of getting called up for a game are.

3. What games will be played?

Wheel of Fortune, Family Feud, and the Price is Right (just to name a few). There will also be a several short Kahoots (on fun and random topics) for the whole audience to take part in.

4. Will there be prizes?

YES! There will be over 200 prizes up for grabs. These include everything from candy bars and inflatables to Vanderbilt gear to and Echo Dot.

5. Will there be food?

Free snacks and beverages will be served. This includes chips, cookies, candy, pop, and hot chocolate.

*Disclaimer: Daniel Sak, the author of this piece, is Vice President of Hank House.

MCL Top 5 Reasons I Don’t Need to Work on my Essay Right Now

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As we enter the fourth week of the semester, there is an obvious change in the air. A new season is coming, and don’t mean spring (a rodent in Pennsylvania declared we’ll have to wait a bit longer for that). I’m talking about essay season. That’s right: now that the shopping period has ended and we’re stuck in the classes we’ve picked, it’s time to learn what our actual workload will be for the next few months. But as I (like many of you) get an essay assigned in every class over the course of just one week, I find it helpful to remember that life is about more than just schoolwork. That is why I present to you the MCL Top 5 reasons I don’t need to work on my essay right now.

1. It’s not due tomorrow

Due dates can make a huge difference. It would be ridiculous to waste my time today if I could work on it tomorrow. Who cares if it’s 10 pages long and I haven’t technically “started” yet. If my professor actually wanted me to work on it tonight, why would he have made it due on Friday?

2. It’s so nice out today

These really nice days are few and far between. I would hate to miss the opportunity to get some fresh air and sunlight. What if it’s cold or rainy tomorrow, and I can’t go outside? That’s just not a risk I’m willing to take. Who knows: maybe going outside will make me better focused and more productive when I come back in to write my essay.

3. This class is just for AXLE credit

So what if I don’t do well in this class? I’m only taking it to fill an HCA credit anyways. I won’t need to know any of this for my career. I just need to get a passing grade, so I can move onto the subjects I actually care about.

4. I deserve a break

That’s right. I do deserve a break. I’ve been working really hard, and I should reward myself for it. It doesn’t matter that I just got off my last break. I’m a hardworking and amazing student. I have earned some downtime and maybe even a quick, three-hour nap. Yay me!

5. Will this essay really matter in 10 years?

Well . . . will it? I don’t think so. In a decade, I’m not going to be sitting around thinking about how I should have written that one essay a day earlier. Odds are that I won’t even remember this essay by next semester, let alone much later in life. If that’s the case then I shouldn’t stress out about this essay at all. I will write it when I choose to write it, and that’s okay.