My Commons Life

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

class of 2027

First Eid Away from Home

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Eid-al-Fitr this year held a profound significance for me, a combination woven with threads of both joy and introspection. While traditionally a time of triumph marking the end of Ramadan—the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar—observed by fasting from dawn to sunset to commemorate the first revelation of the Quran to Prophet Muhammed (PBUH), my journey through this sacred month was a blend of emotions that transcended the ordinary.

From the predawn hours, where the world slumbered and I shared in the silent communion of suhoor; the meal eaten early in the morning before dawn— to the vibrant gatherings of iftar; the meal to break the day’s fast–, weather at EBI or amidst the warmth of Vandy MSA; Muslim Student Association, each moment was deeply ingrained in its hue. Yet, amid the camaraderie and spiritual fervor, a revelation unfolded- a realization that I had stepped into adulthood, a daunting and liberating realm.

In the solitude of each day’s end, I found solace in the familiar cadence of my mother’s voice, a lifeline tethering me to home amidst the vast expanse of university life. Our conversations, a sanctuary of familiarity, softened the edges of loneliness and imbued each day with a sense of belonging.

But amidst the challenges, there was grace. Surrounded by friends who became pillars of support, this Ramadan became a pilgrimage of the soul, drawing me closer to Allah. Freed from the constraints of obligation, I found resonance in the verses of the Quran, each word a beacon guiding me on a journey of self-discovery.

In Surah al-Baqarah, Allah’s words echoed with timeless wisdom, reminding me that the path to goodness knows no bounds of time or circumstances. It is a race, not against others, but against oneself (Baqarah ayah 148)—a journey toward becoming the best version of oneself, imperfect yet earnest in its pursuit.

As I reflect on Eid, it is not with sadness, but grateful for the different experiences that have shaped me. From the laughter shared with friends to the quiet moments of introspection, each memory is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the boundless mercy of Allah. As I carry these moments in my heart, I am reminded that Eid is not merely a celebration but a journey—a pilgrimage of the soul, guided by ibadah (worship/faith), love, and the enduring promise of renewal.

Communities on Commons: How Culture Differs from House to House

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If you had asked me before move in day what I was most excited for when coming to Vanderbilt, I would have confidently told you dorm life. This might surprise some, as the typical activities associated with living in a dorm include showering with flip flops on and begging noisy neighbors to settle down well past quiet hours. However, I, with rose-colored glasses, looked past these cons because of what living on the Martha Rivers Ingram Commons could offer: a strong and vibrant community within my class. From upperclassmen friends, YouTube vlogs, and old My Commons Life content, I learned about events including the Commons Cup, house signature events, and house floor bonding activities. These events were designed to foster friendship amongst house residents, and I couldn’t wait to experience them for myself. Now that I’ve lived in Stambaugh House for a semester, I can happily say that for the most part, I found the community I hoped for in August. But I wondered if residents of the other nine houses on Commons felt the same way. So, I asked my fellow freshmen how they feel they’ve connected with their house and housemates.

The Historic Neighborhood 

Those living in North, East, West, Gillete, and Memorial described the community within their houses with similar positivity. Sabrina Downey ‘27, a resident of North, believed her house had one of the strongest communities on Commons.

 “Whenever I see someone I know from the house around campus, we smile and wave at each other. Conversations are always happening around North and people are excited to talk to one another. You can tell that people really care about each other here,” Downey said. 

She also remarked that North’s strong community helped her adjust to college life.

 Chloe Whalen ‘27, who lives in East, noted that living in a smaller house helped to kindle the community felt by all the residents.

“East’s community is very tight-knit. I know almost everyone in my house. We all support each other, laugh together, and help each other out,” Whalen said. 

“West definitely has a cute, tight knit community. There is a palpable sense of passion and competitiveness for Commons Cup points, and I love participating in events,” Ainsley Howington ‘27 said. 

She reflected on when West finally felt like home to her.

“It was definitely a gradual process. Probably early in the year when I started to get to know people through West Fests and participating in Commons Cup activities,” Howington said. “Also whenever anything goes wrong in the house, like the heat going out. Bonding over struggles is real.”

“I think Gillette’s sense of community definitely ranges based on the floor. My floor tends to be pretty quiet but we are always very supportive in my floor’s Group Me! Other floors are known to be a little more rowdy than ours, and a lot of friend groups in the first semester were all on the same floor,” Josie Gaynor ‘27 said. 

“I love love Memorial 5. We are such a close family and I can’t go a day without knocking on someone’s door and talking for an hour,” Alaina Lafaye said. “It started to feel like home around October, when we all started studying together in our hallway and getting dinner together.”

The New Neighborhood

Interestingly, students living in Crawford, Hank Ingram, Murray, Stambaugh and Sutherland said overwhelmingly that communities were stronger within individual floors rather than across their houses as a whole.

“I think Crawford’s sense of community is most comparable to a cat, for lack of better words. It honestly might just be me, but I thought that it took everyone a little bit more time to get accustomed to the living situations and get comfortable with each other. But now, I think that we’ve been here for a while, that we can comfortably coexist with each other,” J.C. Salubre ‘27 said.

Just because communities look different within each house, doesn’t mean that the communities don’t exist:

 “Crawford isn’t always the most bustling house, but I have learned to create an environment where I feel comfortable with people that I know in the house,” Salubre said.

“While Hank is a huge house and can sometimes feel pretty separate, I think at least for the floors, they feel like a house themselves. You got about 60 or so people there and especially on some floors, we all hang out all the time. I personally visit each floor regularly just to see what’s going on and talk to everyone,” said Omare Omatete ‘27. 

Murray House followed the same trend, with floors tending to stick with each other. 

“Each floor is pretty tight, but people don’t really talk to each other between floors,” Ousmane Dieng ‘27 said. 

“I usually go [to Murray Munchies] every week. They’re always fun and convenient, our HPAC and head of house make sure to leave some for the students who couldn’t make it, which is really nice,” Naliah Nwanguma ‘27 said.

I myself live in Stambaugh House, and I’m happy to report that our community is a strong one. I would say that we are a friendly, sociable community. I think that friend groups mainly exist within individual floors, but I know of some friend groups (including my own) made up of people from every floor in Stam! It helps that almost everyone is outgoing or extroverted. Because of this, the house is pretty active. My house first began to feel like a home when people began to hang out and do work in my floor’s common room, and when I began to familiarize myself with every resident at weekly StamSweets Tuesdays. 

Lastly, Sutherland proves similarly:

“I think the house community is a bit nebulous. I don’t think I would go as far as to say the entire house operates as a cohesive unit, unless in times of reminding other houses of their innate inferiority, however, there absolutely are pockets of cohesion that can be seen across different floors,” Ricky Brown ‘27 said. 

“My floor frequently uses the common room for studying, leisure, and just to hang out. Sometimes I’ll see little subgroups of floor mates at breakfast before class. But I don’t see much inter-floor relations for lack of better wording,” Sean Avery ‘27.

In conclusion, each house boasts its own vibe, and the sense of community within each one seems to work well for its residents. 

MCL Top 5: Ways to Make Your RA Regret Living on Your Floor

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Now that we are settled into campus and have decided on our classes for the first semester, we have just a few short weeks until the first round of exams are upon us. That means you don’t have much time before your social-emotional capacity is worn down, and now is the perfect moment to try out a few professionally certified techniques to drive your RA crazy.

Here are the top five ways you can make your RA regret their decision to live on your floor for the 2023-2024 school year.

5. Leave stuff in the hallways. RAs love tripping hazards, but they love fire hazards even more. Dump your scooters, shower caddies and shoes in the hallways so your RA knows you care about them every time they walk down the hall.

4. Put food in the bathroom trash cans. “It smells like used ramen combined with bathroom smells,” said Gillette 5 RA Will, which is basically just “ the smell of a landfill,” according to Crawford 6 RA Sarah. Rest assured, despite the signage, food in the bathroom trash is not just a roach issue, because seasoned RAs have often encountered (and wrought destruction upon) the sneaky little buggers before. The real issue is that the food stench percolates for millenia. If you tire of subjecting your RA to hair in the shower drains and toothpaste smudges in the sink, throw some noxious fumes in there and see what happens. 

3. Don’t go to things and then complain about not being involved. All RAs have been through the first-year experience before, and they agree that with greater agency in college comes greater responsibility for each student to get themselves involved. Since RAs preach this at every floor meeting first semester, it warms their hearts to listen to their residents whine about being lonely when they haven’t left their dorm for an event since Founders’ Walk.

(If you are struggling to get involved, ask your RA if they have any suggestions for student orgs to join or consult AnchorLink for a full list of student organizations on campus. Start out with clubs with a low barrier to entry, and try to strike up a conversation while you’re there.)

2. Be disrespectful on the whiteboards. If your floor has one, your RA is probably making use of the white board to foster communication and low-stakes, low-reward community building on the floor. Since the floors are monitored by residential college system area coordinators (your RA’s boss) and open to residents’ visitors, it reflects really well on your RA when parents walk by on Family Weekend to a slew of EXPO-markered expletives.

1. Don’t like the GroupMe messages. When you leave your RA hanging, you subject them to the pinnacle of human psychological torture: isolation in the digital realm. “It’s like shouting into the void,” said Crawford 3 RA Derinique. In fact, this is the first thing RAs will scream when you ask them if anything bothers them about the job. If you haven’t ignored the GroupMe yet, it’s time to give it a try.