MCL Top Five

Yeah, yeah, we know … right now you are swamped with work, trying to knock out three papers and study for a couple of exams that your loving profs dumped on you between Fall Break and the Thanksgiving Break. But hey, everybody needs a stress reliever from time to time, and, you know, all work and no play, right? So here at MCL we’ve compiled the Top 5 things you should do in Nashville before it gets too late and you’re packing up to head home for the semester break. Here goes …

5. Eat some hot chicken

If you haven’t already tackled this uniquely Nashville culinary experience (and we don’t mean that KFC hot chicken mess), now is the time. Yes, it’s hot, says so right there in the name. But what better time to eat some hot food than when the weather is turning colder. I mean it will be turning colder at some point, right? Anybody have Al Gore’s cell number? Anyway, visit one of the many local restaurants specializing in hot chicken. MCL recommends Party Fowl in The Gulch or Hattie B’s in Midtown, just a short walk from The Commons. And yes, you can get the mild, but you’ve gotta give hot chicken a try just so you can tell everyone at your holiday dinner that “this is good, but it’s not Nashville-hot-chicken good.”

4. Check out the Opryland Hotel

Yeah, we know, this seems like a total touristy Mom & Dad thing to do. But honestly, this hotel is pretty amazing any time of year. Then add two million holiday lights and you’ll think you’ve fallen asleep on your Chem text and woken up at the North Pole. While you’re there for a few extra bucks you can take a carriage ride, ice skate in an outdoor rink, or even go snow tubing. The holiday festivities are available now through January 1st, and the lights get cranked on at 4 p.m. every day.

3. See a movie at The Belcourt

So sure, you can go see the latest huge box office superhero/alien/fast car/Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson movie at the megaplex if you want, that’s cool. But if you want a slice of Nashville history along with your choice of the best independent, documentary, world, and classic cinema, then The Belcourt Theatre is where you want to be. It’s walkable from The Commons, and they offer a student discount with your ID. Just a glance at future film offerings includes the cult classic The Room, a Humphrey Bogart black & white movie, and Queen Anne era costume drama The Favourite with Emma Stone.

2. Go Country

Now you know when you go home for break that everyone is going to ask you about living in Nashville and country music. You know that, right? So even if you think Carrie Underwood is how you properly transport logs (see what we did there?), you should make the effort to get your country on. And lucky you, there are SEVERAL options. If you want to broaden your overall country music horizons and understand the history of the music, you can’t beat a visit to the County Music Hall of Fame and Museum. If live music is more your speed, but you still want a little history lesson, we recommend checking out The Grand Ole Opry. Or if you want to understand what makes Nashville tick, get at the heart of the songs with the songwriters themselves at The Bluebird Cafe. Then when Uncle Bob asks if you’ve met any country stars you can say “yep, saw Jason Aldean at the Opry,” like a boss.

1. Get some Nashville merch

By now you’ve likely embraced that Nashville is your home for the next four years. But are you really invested in Music City? At MCL we’re encouraging you to live like a local, and that means supporting all things Nashville. Sure, you love your home town teams, I mean who doesn’t? But while it’s cool to rock your Chicago Cubs jersey around campus, it’s every bit as cool to rep your new temporary home with some Titans or Predators gear. And it may not just be an ironically cool purchase, these days the Nashville sports teams are pretty decent. So jump on that bandwagon now, add powder blue and gold to your color wheel, and tell everyone in your home area code that the 6-1-5 rocks.

It’s no secret that I go to a lot of concerts. I can’t count the number of times people have asked what my last concert was (Julien Baker, if you’re asking) or how I afford all these concerts (answer: I don’t). However, my reputation as professional concertgoer has given me strong exposure to the incredible music scene we have here in Nashville. I’ve already been to most of the relevant venues here and therefore consider myself a leading expert on concert culture.

Anyway, here’s my ranking of the top 5 concert venues in Nashville.

5. The Basement East

I was here about a month ago for Sofi Tukker, and it offered a really cool environment. The “Beast,” as many term it, is remarkably intimate, with a capacity of around 400. I really like the interaction this venue offers between the audience and artists, partially due to its size and partially due to the absence of a barricade – allowing fans to stand directly next to the stage. My only complaint also circles back to its size: as can be expected, it can get very hot, sweaty, and uncomfortable here. But don’t let that deter you from experiencing this venue’s cool and fun atmosphere.

4. Marathon Music Works

Marathon is a fairly standard venue as far as general admission concerts go. With a standing room capacity of 1800, this venue is notably less intimate and personal than the Beast. That said, its high ceilings and spacious nature make for a very relaxed and comfortable experience, avoiding some of the heating problems faced elsewhere. The stage is rather large, allowing more fans to get close to their favorite artists along the barricade. Finally, the artist bookings are fantastic – highly recommend checking a show out here.

3. Bridgestone Arena

I’ve had some bad experiences with arenas in the past. They can often feel impersonal, and entry into the venue (especially for general admission floor) can be messy and unfair. That is not the case for Bridgestone Arena. Despite my personal distaste for arena concerts, Bridgestone is absolutely top of the line. Their staff is incredibly friendly and helpful and consistently minimizes chaos in entering the venue. I have a friend who attended the twenty one pilots show here and had camped out for several days prior to get a front row spot (it worked). She had nothing but praise for the arena and its staff. That says a lot to me.

2. Exit/In

Another small venue –  Exit/In has a capacity of 500, making it slightly larger than the Beast but still incredibly intimate. My experience here seeing Hoodie Allen was incredible – the space felt so personal and yet I never found myself feeling cramped or hot. Tickets here are also incredibly affordable, with many shows charging $10-15 for admission. Finally, this venue is WALKING DISTANCE FROM CAMPUS. It was so nice to simply walk over instead of having to pay for an Uber/Lyft, and I look forward to seeing more shows here in the future.

1. Ryman Auditorium

I knew about the reputation the Ryman had well before coming to Nashville, but I never really believed it until I saw a show there (Julien Baker/Phoebe Bridgers/Lucy Dacus this past Sunday). Never before have I seen a crowd with more respect for the music being performed. The acoustics were absolutely incomparable. It felt small and personal and yet simultaneously like a larger-than-life dream. And tickets were relatively inexpensive ($30 for the show we attended). I cannot recommend going to a concert at the Ryman enough.

With Halloween quickly approaching, we’ve decided to share 5 of our favorite, most outlandish conspiracy theories. Most of these are just too strange to be believable, but it definitely makes you wonder what else might be out there, and what the truth really is.

1. The Moon Is a Projection

But… but… it’s right there??? Yeah, we know.  Theorists who do not believe in the moon’s existence allege that the world’s governments fabricated the moon many centuries ago, and now everyone just kind of goes with it.

Why did they feel the need to fabricate the moon? And how did they do it?  This is where things get really weird.  People speculate that the government is using advanced projection technology that the public has no knowledge of in order to make us believe that a false moon orbits our Earth.  Everything we think we know about this supposed celestial object is just an extensive government cover up.  Why they did it is contested among the theorist community, but some of the most popular theories are that the moon is covering up something else in the distance, like a planet that is on a collision course with the Earth.

The best “evidence” for this wild theory includes the changing appearance of the moon, a line from Romeo and Juliet, and the difference in density between the Earth and the moon.  Yeah, we don’t think we could ever believe this one.

 

2. The Denver International Airport is a Gateway to Hell

While most people think of the DIA as nice, pleasant airport, some theorists believe that this building is hiding something much more sinister beneath its surface.  While a “gateway to hell” is a bit of a stretch, there are definitely some creepy things about the DIA that has people wondering.

First off, that scary horse (pictured above).  We’re not gonna lie, this demon horse outside of the airport is more than a little freaky.  Some say that the statue will provide transportation for a Horseman of the Apocalypse, but perhaps the creepiest thing about aptly-named “Blucifer” is that it fell on and killed its sculptor.  Other mysterious features include, but are not limited to, gargoyles sitting in suitcases, some strange murals that highlight both community and death at the same time, and runways in the shape of a swastika.  Though probably not a gateway to hell, we can’t help but question the decisions of whoever designed that building.

 

3. The Earth is Flat

We all knew this was gonna be on here sooner or later, so let’s just get it over with.  Like the moon hoax, believers of the Flat Earth Theory allege that the spherical nature of the Earth was fabricated by the world’s governments and space agencies long ago as a way to make people feel insignificant and therefore more likely to conform to societal norms.  Believers call themselves the “Flat Earth Society,” and they even have their own website.

Many facts easily debunk the Flat Earth Theory, but followers are nothing if not persistent. They imagine the Earth’s true map to look like the image above, with the North Pole at the circle’s center and Antarctica as a ring of ice all the way around the edge (this apparently explains why people don’t fall off, for it is very difficult to get permission to travel that deep into the continent).  This flat earth is allegedly moving upward at a rate of 9.8 meters per second, accounting for gravitational force.  Many more elements to this theory (and we mean MANY more) are detailed on the official website.

 

4. Our Leaders are Actually Lizard-People

Yeah, this is actually a thing.  A survey in 2016 found that nearly twelve million people believe that world influencers are really highly advanced, lizard-like aliens in disguise with the goal of controlling and manipulating the Earth.

There isn’t much of an argument for this one, aside from videos of political leaders and celebrities supposedly “slipping back” into lizard characteristics for no more than a few seconds.  Speculated aliens include Justin Bieber, the Clintons, Miley Cyrus, George Bush, and the Queen of England.  However, we all know that video and photo can be highly manipulated, and frankly, this one just makes zero sense.  We’re glad too, because lizard people sound pretty terrifying.

 

5. Finland Isn’t Real

Of all the theories on the list, we think that this one might actually make the most sense (still almost none, but okay).  According to theorists, the country of Finland doesn’t actually exist.

The story goes that Japan, having a large economic foothold in seafood, suffered as more restrictions were placed on the amount of fishing that could be done in international waters.  As a way to maximize their product output, they created “Finland”, which is apparently a large Japanese fishing colony.  People who supposedly live in Finland (less than 0.01% of the world’s population) are really just citizens of Eastern Sweden, Estonia, and Russia.

A piece of evidence sighted by believers is that Nokia, a Japanese company, does a lot of business out of Finland and through Russia, a nation that they have been very secretive with in the past.

With Halloween quickly approaching, we here at My Commons Life know one of the most vital elements of this spooky holiday: the scary movie.  Below, we have detailed five of our favorite Halloween films, and as a bonus, each one is available on Netflix.  Happy watching!

1. Coraline (2009)

This animated Halloween classic may be rated just PG, but its overwhelmingly creepy nature and eerie stop-motion puts Coraline up pretty high on our scariness scale.  This one gave our child-selves nightmares for weeks.

2. The Conjuring (2013)

This one almost seems like a no-brainer.  Apparently based on a true story, The Conjuring has received international acclaim since its release.  With strong acting and classic scares, this film is perfect for those who love some good old-fashioned horror.

3. Scream (1996)

Here’s a true horror classic: Scream.  Sure it spawned an entire franchise of films, some of questionable quality.  But the original is a bona fide classic filled with inside jokes, self-aware characters, and some genuine scares, too.

4. The Sixth Sense (1999)

The Sixth Sense was one of only four horror films to ever be nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars.  Accompanied by strong performances and multiple jump scares, this is a film you won’t want to watch by yourself.  And that ending!

5. Stranger Things (2017)

Yes, we know that this one isn’t technically a movie, but we couldn’t resist.  This Netflix original series has received high acclaim from both viewers and critics for its talented cast, special effects, and allusions to the 1980s.  Though not as typically “horror” as the rest of the list, this series is definitely something to binge leading up to Halloween.

We often forget we are in a city of almost 250 years of history. A lot of people have come and gone during those years, and Music City has no doubt seen its own share of odd happenings. All these dead people and the mysteriousness of some of these deaths make a potent recipe for ghosts, which just happen to be the subject of this Top 5: The most haunted places right here in this fine city. Thanks to Haunted Places, Ghostvillage.com, HauntedPlacestoGo.com, and Ghosts of the Prairie, all sites that deal with reporting and detailing supposed paranormal experiences, I was able to get the inside scoop on which places in Nashville offer the richest haunted experiences. Get ready for some serious thrills, because we are going to go strange places that no Top 5 has ever gone before!

1. Union Station

A railroad terminal that opened in 1900, Union Station is now a posh hotel just west of downtown Nashville. With such tragedies as the Great Train Wreck of 1918, resulting in the deaths of at least 101 people, and, according to A Gothic Curiosity Cabinet, the suicide of a young woman in Room 711, there are definitely same negative vibes floating around this place, man. According to internet posts of people who stay at this place, the squeals Phantom steam locomotives, loud thumps, and ghosts goofing around with the electricity are all hallmarks of Union Station. Throw in whispered tales of Satanic sacrifice, and you have yourself quite a paranormal stew. While not as suffocatingly frightening as other haunted hotels, it still has its grim mysteries lurking in the corners of rooms and darkened hallways.

Address: 1001 Broadway, Nashville, TN 37203

Phone Number: (615) 726-1001

2. Ryman Auditorium

Ryman Auditorium, also known as the Grand Ole Opry House, is an ideal ghost habitat, considering that this building has been standing since 1892, and its history as the “Cathedral of Country Music.” According to HauntedPlacetoGo.com, sightings include the wizard of country music, Hank Williams Sr., whose short and troubled, means that he just HAD to become a ghost once passing through the veil. There are also many sightings of a mysterious Gray Man, a special entity who is often observed sitting seen sitting in the balcony area, watching the stage. Usually only seen by maintenance workers and security guards, it makes its appearance long after the performance has finished and the audience has gone home. In general, people have reported incidents of poltergeist activity, and the original Captain Ryman is still said to wander around keeping a watchful ghostly eye on the place.

Address: 116 5th Ave N, Nashville, TN 37219

Phone Number: (615) 889-3060

3. Tennessee State Prison

A former correctional facility located on Bomar Boulevard, Tennessee State Prison was opened in 1898, and stayed open for almost an entire century, before it closed its doors in 1992. A majestic building in its own right, the description and the comments for this place at Haunted Places contains many instances of unexplained sounds, such as doors slamming, voices, and footsteps, no doubt caused by the restless spirits of prisoners, who are still imprisoned in this plane of existence. Thrill seekers occasionally catch sight of these prisoners, ghostly apparitions whose violent lives in prison have left them wandering around, seeking some sort of mysterious justice. Unfortunately, due to structural instability, one cannot actually visit the prison, but still it has to be include as a place of significant paranormal activity here in Nashville. As you might have guessed, there is no contacting this place by phone, and if you are the sort of person who likes to live dangerously, a visit here would preclude getting pass the guards, and after hoping the structurally unstable building does actually collapse on top of you.

Address: 100 Bomar Blvd, Nashville, TN 37209

Phone Number: (615) 350-3309

4. 2 Rivers Mansion and Golf Course

A historic mansion located North of Nashville International Airport with various amenities, such as tennis courts and, of course, a golf course, attached to it, 2 Rivers Mansion was built in 1859 and in the intervening 158 years, it has developed an intriguing amount mysterious activity.  According to the description on Haunted Places, the golf course is supposedly on the site of what was a civil war battle ground and a Native American burial ground, so it’s no wonder that at least according to the testimonies on that website speak of shadow figures often wandering around the golf course in the middle of the night. Strange noises and orbs are often reported as being heard and seen around both the mansion and the golf course as well. On top of all this, unexplained difficulties with modern electronic equipment is apparently a common motif here. This is a place that is inconvenient as well as fright-inducing.

Address: 3130 McGavock Pike, Nashville, TN 37214

Phone Number: (615) 885-1112

5. Tennessee State Capitol

The Tennessee capitol building has a place on this list more for its history than for its ghosts, but still there are many rumors of a particularly interesting sort of haunting. Completed in 1859, the Tennessee State Capitol stands atop the highest summit in the city, this building is home to a never-ending argument between the ghosts of William Strickland and Samuel Morgan, who were not the chummiest fellows when they were alive. What makes it odder was they were not even politicians, Strickland was the architect who built the Capitol, and Morgan was the overseer of the operation, and was supposed to keep Strickland within budget. Haunted Places states that they decided to take their very many arguments about the construction of this iconic building into the afterlife. It does not really help that these two are buried on the property.

Address: 600 Charlotte Ave, Nashville, TN 37243

Phone Number: (615) 741-2692

Well, it’s that time of year. The time that it seems like just about every first-year on campus gets hit with the “Commons Plague.” The Plague is a horrible combination of a scratchy throat, sneezing, congestion, being tired, and a general feeling of sickness. So throw on your hazmat suits, grab a bowl of chicken noodle soup, and keep reading to figure out how you can survive the Plague.

5) Sleep

We’ve all been through basic biology and learned that our bodies repair themselves during our sleep at night. While we’re catching our ZZZ’s our immune system is working overtime to make sure that all the pathogens we encounter every day don’t harm us and make us sick. So by pulling all nighters back-to-back-to-back, you’re just asking to get sick. It’s recommended that you get to 7-9 hours of sleep a night, or if you’re an engineering student 1-2 hours between your lab and the deadline of Mastering Chemistry.

4) Get Your Own Drink

We’re all surviving on the caffeine in coffee at this point, and someone is bound to ask you for a sip of yours. Even though you’re a really nice person, you’ve got to say no to that request. Drinking after other people is probably the MOST common way that the Commons Plague is spread, so just tell your friends to get their own drinks.

3) Go Outside

Being cooped up with everyone who’s sick is a for-sure way to get the Commons Plague. Not only is the weather absolutely beautiful right now, but the air is a fresh break from indoor spaces and close proximity to potentially contagious friends. The best way to get out is to grab an Eno or blanket and just study on the lawns.

2) Wash Your Hands

Straight-up, just wash your hands.

1) Make (Smart) Moves When You’re Out

Going out is great an all, but that girl/guy you just met may very well be patient zero for the Plague. So maybe try holding their hand or just talking (JK, we’ve all be there, but honestly just think twice and make sure that you really want to possibly subject yourself to this illness). Also, going back to No. 5, don’t stay out until 4 a.m., try and make it home early so you can have some time to dream.

By now, I think we’ve all faced at least our first big hurdle of college (if not more), whether that be a big test (gen chem?) or a heavy workload or homesickness. All these things, and college in general, can be super hard to deal with, especially while still adjusting to our new living environment. Luckily for all of us, Taylor Swift knows what’s up. If there’s an emotion to be felt, she’s written a song about it. And as Vanderbilt’s resident Taylor Swift expert, I’m here to share her best songs for those days that don’t go as planned.

5. “This Is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things,” reputation

Sometimes, bad things just happen. Taylor can relate. In this track responding to her feud with Kim & Kanye, she laughs off her problems rather than fighting back as she does on “Look What You Made Me Do.” Is it petty? Sure. But is the track so much fun that it doesn’t really matter? Absolutely.

4. “Mean,” Speak Now

In this cut from her country days, Swift responds to a critic’s negative review of her Grammys performance. While the rest of us haven’t faced those exact circumstances, we’ve all interacted with people who are just…mean. This song tackles just that with themes of self-empowerment and anti-bullying. It’s an instant mood-lifter.

3. “Holy Ground,” Red

A lot of people don’t know this Red cut since it wasn’t a single. That’s a shame, as it’s one of my absolute favorite songs Taylor has ever written. It’s upbeat, super positive, and just a ton of fun to listen to. While it doesn’t directly address her problems like the other songs I’ve listed, much like some of Taylor’s best songs, it’s almost impossible not to smile while listening to “Holy Ground.”

2. “You Belong With Me,” Fearless

You know this song. You probably know all the words to this song. And for good reason – it’s one of her best (and has one of her most iconic music videos). I’ve personally spent a ton of time dancing to this in my room alone, and I’m confident I’m not alone. This song is fun. Embrace it.

1.  “Shake It Off,” 1989

You all saw this one coming. Swift’s classic about ignoring the haters is still just as fun and uplifting as it was four years ago when it was first released. The lyrics of this song apply to nearly any situation: bad grade? Shake it off. Long day? Shake it off. Having problems with a friend? Shake it off. And just try not to smile when she gets to her spoken word section at the bridge. I dare you.

Since I’ve started classes at Vanderbilt, there has been one thing that never fails to make me smile, even on the worst days: the small, furry woodland creatures.  From squirrels to chipmunks to rabbits, it is hard to go anywhere on campus without seeing one of these little critters. (How you feel about that is up to you, of course. They can be vicious.)

Vanderbilt University boasts a 3:1 squirrel-to-student ratio, making for some interesting encounters and a few more great Instagram captions. We’ve determined the Top 5 kinds of squirrels you see at Vandy— and who knows, maybe you’ve run into them at some point during your time on campus.

All photos were taken by the author on the Vanderbilt campus.

#1: The One That’s Just Trying to Get Its Munchie Swipe

 

 

Completely relatable.  We wonder if it makes midnight trips to Commons for Uncrustables and iced coffee too.

 

 

 

 

 

#2: The One Who Can Stare Straight Into Your Soul

 

It’s a little unsettling if you look into its eyes too long.  But look at that fluffy tail!

 

 

#3: The One That’s Got 8 Minutes to Get From Murray to Calhoun

 

 

It probably couldn’t find a functional Ofo.

 

 

 

 

 

#4: The One That’s Straight Chillin’

 

Do you ever just want to isolate yourself in the middle of Commons Lawn, forgot about that chem test, and binge eat your favorite food? Us too.

 

 

 

 

 

#5: The One That’s Not Actually a Squirrel

 

 

It’s called a rabbit, John.

 

Thanks for reading, Commodores, and as always, Anchor Down!

Life as a Vanderbilt student has its ups, downs, and everything in between.  From forming lasting connections with new friends to staying up all night finishing that essay or studying for an exam, starting college is a whirlwind.  We here at My Commons Life are right here with you, and we believe that no one quite understands this sort of excitement and anxiety like Regional Manager Michael Scott of The Office (if you don’t recognize the name, you’re missing out big-time).  Here are 5 times that Michael Scott has perfectly captured what it’s like to be a Vandy freshman.

 

#1: “Sometimes I’ll start a sentence and I don’t even know where it’s going.  I just hope I find it along the way.”

Transitioning from high school to college work is hard.  Suddenly, so much more is expected from you, and things can get a little confusing.  We don’t know about you guys, but this screams “Common App Essay” to us.

 

#2: “I declare BANKRUPTCY!”

Between food, Ubers, going out, and college tuition, this one pretty much speaks for itself.

 

#3: “I don’t want to do anything.  I’m dying.”

For those of us who have been stuck at Rahnas at 3 A.M. on a Wednesday night, this hits pretty close to home.

 

#4: “I am running away from my responsibilities. And it feels good.”

When the stress gets too crazy, just grab an Ofo and bike away from your responsibilities at the low price of one dollar (See #2)!  In all seriousness, though, if you’re ever feeling a little too much pressure, don’t hesitate to make an appointment or connect with the student wellness center!

 

#5: “I don’t hate it.  I just don’t like it at all, and it’s terrible.”

And finally… The words of any Vandy pre-med student talking about General Chemistry.

Thanks for reading Commodores, and as always, Anchor Down!