My Commons Life

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

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The Fresh Fizz: A Biweekly Review

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Step aside Yik Yak, there’s a new hottie in the villa… Fizz made its debut on campus a couple of weeks ago when they dispatched their ambassadors to give out merch and honey-glazed donuts to advertise the new app that resembles its predecessor, Yik Yak, in its anonymous posting and geographic feed filtering. Fizz was created by Stanford students who launched the project on their campus for proof of concept, convincing 80% of their student body to download and use the app, before scaling to multiple universities after closing a seed funding round.

Okay enough talk, let’s get to the fizz:

Sorry to break it to y’all… but it’s November already. One more month of school then it’s finals season. What is even happening anymore?

Anyways, has anyone been getting a lot of VU Alerts lately? It kinda makes me feel special to know they care until I remember that they send the same emails and voicemails to literally everyone else. But yeah, it’s lowkey giving GTA vibes (not really though, referencing another Fizz iykyk). Robbery at noon (yeah, weird) on 21st on a Thursday. Bizarre. Speaking of 21st, typical “I miss Wesley” post incoming.

The Melodores performed at Sarratt Cinema on Friday night, garnering mixed reviews from the audience. Several conversations have also been brought up about the discrepancy in funding and support for the performing arts groups on campus vs. the athletic teams. And here’s some alleged, unconfirmed goss about some Melo-shenanigans sprinkled in.

Next up: one of the biggest topics of discussion on campus right now is… drum rolls please… registration season! This anxiety-inducing process is upon us now, and everyone is freaking out about making decisions about their future 

Ending on a more positive note: these are your reminders to get out there, touch some grass, and appreciate life. 🙂

MCL Top 5: A Week in Review (Yik Yak Edition)

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You’ve heard of it and have most likely been peer-pressured to download one of the hottest apps for college students on campus right now—Yik Yak, a social media platform with a feed that features anonymous posts “yakked” from people in your local area. While many of the popular ones are a bit too weird and scandalous to be included in this article, we’ve filtered through the Yaks of the week to recap what’s been going on in the Vanderbubble:

1. The dreaded 🧪 gen chem exam 🧪 was the talk of Commons as all the pre-med students struggled in solidarity trying to study for Thursday night. We know you’ve seen the messages written in chalk between the walk from the bridge and Stevenson… it would’ve been more helpful to graffiti equations or whatever, but I guess it’s the thought that counts??

2. Sore topic. Enough said. Did we really want Bama, guys?? 🥲

3. It’s almost time for sweater and pumpkin spice latte weather! The walks to class in the mornings for the past few days have been perfect, but the afternoons always throw a wrench in the fashionista’s ambitious outfit plans for the entire day—see the girlies who are already wearing knit sweaters 🥵 Supposedly, it’s going to get chillier this week with lows in the high 40s and highs in the low-mid 70s though!

4. I had to balance out the HOD hate with some STEM slander 🙈 I’m sure you’ve already heard about the overexaggerated caricatures and assumptions people have about certain majors on campus… take them with a boulder-sized grain of salt if you must partake in the clownery of these two popular majors!

5. A lot of Yaks didn’t make it on here for obvious reasons, but here’s a wholesome and relatable one for all of us to reflect on 💛

Top 5 Things To Do In Nashville During Your First Month On Campus

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You’ve survived the madness of move in, orientation, and your first few days on campus as a whole. If you’re like me, this whole process of moving off to college has been a little bit overwhelming. Luckily for us though, Nashville has some amazing places to chill out and just let loose. Here are the top 5 ways to relax, get to know your new home, and have a good time. So grab a few Vandy first years, and check out what Nashville has to offer.

5. First Saturdays

You won’t need to be an art connoisseur to appreciate number five on our list. Every first Saturday of the month, a handful of art galleries open their doors for FREE. With over 20 galleries participating in First Saturdays, you are bound to find just about any style and medium of art to please your taste. Some of the galleries offer free drinks to cool you off after a hot day of walking around campus, and if you’re lucky you may be able to meet the artists. First Saturday takes place from 6pm to 9pm at 5th Avenue of the Arts, 5th Avenue South, and The Historic Arcade.

More Info

4. Lonnie’s Western Room

Lonnie’s is a Nashville staple that college students love. Voted the #1 Karaoke Bar in Nashville and the #10 College Bar in America, the location is a real crowd pleaser. So even if you’re young, dumb, and broke, come out and show off your best dance moves and singing.

Address: 308 CHURCH STREET, Nashville, TN 37201 (Roughly a $10 round trip with Uber)

Hours: 6pm-3am, daily

More Info

3. Fido’s

You can’t officially say that you’re living in Nashville until you hit up Fido’s for some coffee and some high end, yet affordable, grub. Fido’s menu creates a harmony between organic, exotic, and junk foods, and if you’re not ready to experience a Fido’s burger or giant whole grain pancake, then you can always rely on the tried and true latte. Just a short half-mile walk away from the Commons, you’ll find that Fido’s is perfectly located, and you might even get a rare sighting of Belmont Students hanging around, too.

Address: 1812 21st Ave. S., Nashville, TN 37212

Hours: 7am-11pm, daily

Menu

2. Broadway

Broadway, also known as Honky Tonk Highway, is a rockin’ street in downtown Nashville. With countless restaurants, junk food stops, and nightlife area, you’re bound to make many memories here over your next four years. So, don’t be intimidated by being a first year student and head on down to music row within your first month to get a true feel for the city.

Address: Corner of Broadway and 5th Ave S. (Roughly a $10 round trip with Uber)

Things To Do

1. Live On The Green

Live On The Green is a homegrown FREE concert series that Lightning 100 host. It features local artists, as well as some pretty well known names. Loads of Nashville natives attend the concert, and if you’re lucky you’ll get to meet some pretty famous artist, like Paramore. There are just two weeks left in the series, but in my opinion the last weeks are boasting the best artists. The next show is Wednesday, August 24th. It begins at 6:15pm at Public Square Park, and will go until 11pm. I would HIGHLY suggest going to this one, because you’ll be able to catch some of my favorite artists like Portugal. The Man and Spoon. If you can’t make it to this one night event, don’t fret because you can catch a whole 3 days of fun over Memorial Day Weekend. Some of the major artists over that weekend include Sheryl Crow, Future Islands, The Lone Bellow, and Drew Holcomb. You can check the whole schedule below, address, and other details below.

Address: 1 Public Square, Nashville, TN 37201 (Roughly a $12 round trip with Uber)

Schedule and Line-Up

General Festival Info

Official Spotify Playlist

Humans of the Commons: Talene Tse

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Talene Tse (2020) Major: Public Policy, Hometown: Philadelphia

“When I was a freshman in high school, I met a girl named Sabrina in my swim class. The first time I looked at her and she smiled, I could see her eyes sparkle with love and adventure. I knew right then we would be wonderful friends. She taught me to love unconditionally, to never take a moment for granted, and that there is never a bad time in life to dance. She has truly made me a better person. I joke that she didn’t want to be my friend at first. But she was really just homesick because she had just moved away from political turmoil in Venezuela. A few years before meeting Sabrina, a psychic told me that I would help someone who had moved, and she would become very important to my life. I believe it was destiny for me to meet Sabrina.”

Humans of the Commons: Brendan Finnerty

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Brendan Finnerty (2020) Majors: Human and Organizational Development and Political Science, Hometown: Port Washington, New York

“A very pivotal experience for me as a first-year student was the fall rush process for Greek life. I knew little about the fraternities on campus, but my roommate told me I should check out Alpha Tau Omega. When I went to their rush events it felt like more than a social club, but rather a true brotherhood where the brothers genuinely cared about not just each other but others as well. Joining Alpha Tau Omega has allowed me to branch out to new friendships and opportunities on campus, and it has definitely had a tremendously positive impact on my first year at college and beyond.”

Humans of the Commons: Rebecca Archambault

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Rebecca Archambault (2020) Major: Human and Organizational Development, Hometown: Wittman, Maryland

“The last three summers I have volunteered for a program called Horizons which provides reading and math education to children from the inner city of Philadelphia over the summer for free. All of the children I work with – kindergarten to fifth grade – have suffered through some traumatic home life circumstance from simply great poverty to the murder of parents. As someone who had a very privileged childhood with a very stable family life, this job opened my eyes to a whole other side of the community I lived in and revealed some incorrect biases I had been viewing others with. These children, despite their circumstances, are intelligent, kind, funny, and innocent. I realized it was not them who lacked the ability to succeed but that our society failed to provide them resources to overcome their unfair circumstances. Because of this, I am now devoted to pursuing a career in education reform.”

Humans of the Commons: Bill Badi

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Bill Badi (2019), Resident Adviser in Hank Ingram House, Majors: Political Science and Cinema & Media Arts, Hometown: Pretoria, South Africa

“When I was in the ninth grade my family went through a period of financial hardship. We lived without electricity for four months, during which I would boil water on a gas stove to take a bath, do homework by candlelight and travel to my grandparents’ house to charge my phone or watch TV. The only reason we managed to get out of our situation was the generosity and love shown to us by my grandparents and friends of our family. This has made me realize that one of the differences between me and the thousands of people living on the street in Nashville and my home Pretoria (South Africa) is that we had a strong support system. I believe it is of the utmost importance for us as a society to ensure that systems are set in place which ensure that all human beings have a safety net or support system that guarantees their basic human rights. In countries like the U.S. you have more than enough resources to do this, so it’s quite appalling that it isn’t a reality.”

Humans of the Commons: William Pace

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William Pace (2020) Major: Biomedical Engineering, Hometown: Fayetteville, Tennessee

“In eighth grade, I started public school. I didn’t know anyone in the school, but I walked over to a close-by table and stood. The kids were talking and having a good time but not recognizing me. Then one kid looked up and asked me if I wanted to share his seat. I sat down and began talking. Because of that inclusion, I made friends I would know throughout high school.”

Humans of the Commons: Abigail Finn

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Abigail Finn (2020) Majors: Human and Organizational Development and Political Science, Hometown: Virginia Beach, Virginia

“One event that has changed my life was getting into Vanderbilt University. It was my dream school, and I was so excited to get in. My best friend from home also got in, and we were both so excited to go to college together. Nashville is such a cool city to live in, and coming to Vanderbilt has been so amazing and opened up so many new opportunities.”

Humans of the Commons: Tam Wheat

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Tam Wheat (2020) Major: Political Science, Hometown: Atlanta, Georgia

“Working in retail was definitely an experience that taught me a lot about responding to clients – and how tiresome doing so can be. Doing so made me much more appreciative of the intricate step-by-step processes that go into selling apparel and keeping inventory as well as cashiering and filling orders. Being able to fulfill all the necessary tasks that were required of me on an everyday basis was certainly rewarding but definitely not an experience I would want to repeat.”