My Commons Life

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

Features

LifeSTYLED by Sophie

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Hello friends!

This weekend was a blur of festivities and activities, so I hope you have had time to catch your breath. I am so sad to see tailgate season end and will be patiently waiting for it to return. Here is peek into what I did these past few days that you may want to incorporate into your time as we head into Thanksgiving Break. As the holiday season progresses, make time to focus on the happy.

xx,

Sophie

EAT:

Nashville’s food scene is the stuff of legends. I am always on the hunt for new, fresh, and fun places to eat. This weekend I had a visitor from out of town. So, I made sure they visited a few classic and funky Nashville eateries.

FIVE DAUGHTERS BAKERY

A donut a day keeps the doctor away. The donuts and atmosphere of this quaint little 12 South bakery make it just that much sweeter. The decadent donut shop has flavors for all kinds of donut connoisseurs. It is also perfect for all the health conscious individuals out there too, as the shop offers both vegan and paleo flavors of donuts. The paleo chocolate chip donut was exactly what I needed after a crazy week.

  

BAJO SEXTO TACO LOUNGE

Extremely fun yet low pressure are the perfect words to describe this funky eatery. Not conforming to typical taco options, Bajo Sexto has tacos, enchiladas, quesadillas, and salads perfect for every type of eater. This lovely little place is suitable for winter having indoor seating and outdoor seating packed with heaters. The bold pink and blue designs are the ideal pop of liveliness. (PS: if youare an Instagram fiend, this is the ideal place to snap a pic and addsome fun to your feed.)

E.I.O. & THE HIVE

Everything is organic. Eio, pronounced E-I-O, manages to make unhealthy foods (read Pancakes) healthy or at least healthier. Not only will you enjoy all the fresh and filling dishes, but your soul will thank you too. The place is decorated fabulously following a design scheme somewhere between a beehive and an indoor garden. I have been here multiple times during our first semester and am always beyond satisfied with how my visitors (and well duh myself) love this kind place. Pro tip: order the blueberry muffins, you won’t regret it. Also if you have never tried kombucha, this is the place to do it. They even have it on tap and ready to go. The staff is tremendously friendly and willing to answer any question you may have.

WEAR:

I am ABSOLUTELY not made for cold weather. period. Late fall and winter chic are going to be my style for the next few weeks as the temperatures continue to plummet. Not sure how you feel, but I will be dreaming of a warm and sunny summer with every degree that the weather drops. The tailgates left me with the perpetual question of how to be stylish and WARM. These are some of my favorite pieces I wore this week! I more or less gravitate towards the greys and blacks this time of the year. A monochromatic scheme or neutral tends to look more chic and well put together even if you rolled out of bed five minutes before class. All of the are classic items that fit seamlessly into any wardrobe.

   

  

 

DO:

WORKOUT

If you’re going to indulge in all the food our lovely city has to offer, it is important to take care of your body too. This week I hit the reset button and took a few hot yoga classes. My personal fav, HOT YOGA PLUS, is right near campus. If you don’t want to go to an off campus studio, the rec also has a wide variety of workout classes to let you ‘get your sweat on’.

*disclaimer: I am not good at yoga, nor have I ever been good at yoga. Don’t let me fool you, downward dog is really the only pose I have mastered*

WATCH

This week I streamed the documentary Dior and I. Every wannabe vogue girl and boy alike should watch this if they want to see how a fashion show comes together seamlessly over time. I don’t usually have time for Netflix, but this is a documentary I would definitely make time for again. 10/10.

TREAT YOURSELF

Dry House Nashville. With the weather being so mixed, I chose to get a blowout this weekend to bring some life back into my locks. For those of you who are reading this thinking “what the heck is a blowout?”, it is a magical experience where a salon professional shampoos, conditions, blow-dries , and styles your hair. The Dry House Nashville is my favorite blowout location as they are notable for styling many celebs before major events like the CMAs. If gen chem has you stressed to the max or you just aced your last calc test, treat yourself like I did and schedule an appointment for a little self care.

 

 

 

 

 

Concert Review: Blake Shelton

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Nashville, TN- Blake Shelton plays at OZ Arts for Pandora

As a new resident of Nashville, you’ve most likely heard of country music legend Blake Shelton. If you haven’t you should google him now and listen to the many songs this southern charmer has released.

Blake Shelton performed November 3rd at the venue OZ Arts, located about 8 miles from campus, for Pandora’s “Sounds Like You: Country.” This event was part of Pandora’s marketing campaign to attract more country music listeners to Pandora Radio. As a part of this promotional campaign, a featured Pandora station has been created that plays songs picked by Blake Shelton and will soon feature live songs from his recent Nashville concert.  Link to the station here: https://www.pandora.com/station/play/3783080505419126324

Opening for Shelton was the up and coming country music artist Maggie Rose. At the show, Pandora announced Rose as one of their “Artists to Watch 2018”. This is a big accomplishment for the young star who has made many waves in country music such as opening for Faith Hill and Tim McGraw in their “Soul2Soul” world tour.

Rose and her (very large) band were a pleasure to watch perform. Her voice is as dynamic as the city and her talent makes it clear that she is someone to pay attention to in the future.

As always, Shelton tore the house down by performing an eclectic mix of songs old and new, even including a cover of a Rascal Flatts song. His new album “Texoma Shore” was released the same day of this concert so it was a great experience for the crowd to be able to hear his newest songs so soon. From singing songs that made the crowd laugh, cry and sing-along, Shelton still found time to crack a ton of jokes and communicate with the crowd. My personal favorite moment was his chuckle in response to a few fans that held light sticks with the word “Hollaback Girl.”

Samantha York, one of Vanderbilt’s academic coaches was in the crowd and shared her opinion of the show with me:

“The concert was completely amazing – Blake was present and funny and chatty and very engaged with the crowd, the venue (which I already love) was well-organized and concert-goers were well taken-care of, the swag was swag. Maggie Rose, the opening act, was wonderful, high-energy, great new artist.”

I can’t agree with her experience more, and I am excited to see how this Pandora initiative works out. I will for sure be seeing Blake Shelton and Maggie Rose the next time the come to good ol’ Nashvegas.

 

Photos provided by Pandora Sounds Like You: Country

Humans of the Commons: Sarah Paige

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Sarah Paige (2021) Major: Undecided, Hometown:Jacksonville, FL

“I really enjoy about math and science. I’m taking both chemistry and calculus this semester and I really enjoy them both. I’m not sure what my major is but I think it’ll be STEM related. I thought about being premed but I don’t think that would work for me. I’m considering law school with the goal of being a patent lawyer since a requirement is a stem degree. My parents are both lawyers so I’ve grown up around the law. I hope I’ll be able to figure out what I want to do sometime within the next four years!”

 

Humans of the Commons: Nnenna Nwaezeapu

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Nnenna Nwaezeapu (2021) Major: Biology, Hometown: Washington D.C

“I care a lot about veterinary medicine, singing, and social justice. I want to be a vet because I love animals and I find human medicine gross. When my dog passed away the vets that were supposed to take care of him were trash so I want to do better than they did. No one can really sing in my family but we would always sing together so I’ve developed a love for it. Living in Washington D.C has exposed me to many marches, organizations and protests regarding social justice so because of that my activism has grown. I’m looking forward to pursuing these passions at Vanderbilt and also improving and bettering myself. I’m also single and ready to mingle.”

Humans of the Commons: Hunter Solomon

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Hunter Solomon (2021) Major: Physics, Hometown: Murfreesboro, TN

“I’m passionate about Jesus because of all that he has done for me and all that I get from him. My hometown is nearby so I get to go to church every Sunday and teach a group of sixth grade guys. It’s always fun to listen about the stuff that they are getting into. I’m in a couple of anthropology classes here at Vanderbilt and it’s interesting to view the things I learn through a Christian lens because they don’t always disagree. When you look at the life Christ lives it’s full of adventure and I want to model myself after that as well.”

 

Humans of the Commons: Deborah Kim

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Deborah Kim (2021) Major: Violin Performance, Hometown: Cary, NC

“I am passionate about food. There is so much more to eating than filling your stomach. You can experience different cultures, take a break from stress, remember certain things from the past, and just enjoy the taste. I am always eating in my dorm, the library, and in class. Although I love a variety of food, my favorite place on earth has been Chipotle since like five years ago.”

Top 5 Newish Horror Movies to Watch that are Actually Scary

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So it’s finally the best month of the year again! With October comes Halloween, which is easily my favorite day of the year. If you are also a lover of spooky Halloween festivities then you’re most likely looking to have a scary movie marathon in some house seminar room. Here are five newish horror movies that are all certified fresh to start your Halloween season off the right way!

5. Split (2016)

Split is a horror rollercoaster that showcases a good mix of jump scares and general fear causing moments. James McAvoy gives a wonderfully spooky performance as a man with 23 distinct personalities on the brink of unleashing a dangerous 24th one. Split has a really great and in depth plot for a horror movie so go check it out!

4.Crimson Peak (2015)

Oh buddy, Crimson Peak is one of my favorite horror movies of all time. Guillermo del Toro is a fantastic director and his creativity and love for beautiful cinematography is shown in this movie. Crimson Peak has it all: ghosts, romance, and a plot to get you increasingly shook as you uncover the mysteries within it. It also has a top notch cast including Tom Hiddleston, Charlie Hunnam and Jessica Chastain. You know it’s going to be a spooky movie when it involves an English town where the weather is never good.

3.It (2017)

This Stephen King remake proved to be entirely worth the $10 I paid to see it as a broke college student. I’m still not over some of the scenes in this movie. Pennywise being played by Bill Skarsgard, who is already a creepy guy, was a great decision. It’s still in theatres so phone some friends or family members and head out to go get spooked.

2.Lights Out (2016)

The movie poster may not be very intriguing but this was one of the scary movies that if seen as a child make you ask your sibling or parent to wait outside your bathroom door when you have to pee in the middle of the night. This movie is the type of movie that made me as a high school senior run to my bed like Usain Bolt after turning off the lights. There’s some pretty heavy themes in this movie in addition to the terror but if you are looking to be super duper spooked this is the movie for you.

1.Get Out (2017)

If you are reading this and you haven’t yet seen Get Out, I’m gonna need you to close this tab and go watch Get Out ASAP. Not only is Get Out scary, but it was able to successfully intertwine humor, horror and woke messages into an under two hour long movie. The acting is so good that I still cannot separate some of the actors from the roles they played. This movie will give you quotes for days, valuable social commentary and a good ol’ spook. Go watch it or “Get Out”.

Humans of the Commons: Amira Vivrette

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Amira Vivrette (2021) Major: MHS, Hometown: Oswega, Illinois

“I’m really passionate about floral design. It’s a great way for me to express myself and it’s a good art form. I haven’t had the chance to do it since I’ve been at Vanderbilt but in high school I had a side business and would sell my creations. I’m just generally very crafty so I love to do a lot of DIY activities for fun”