The Vanderbilt Hustler 9-9-15

vanderbilthustlerWWW.VANDERBILTHUSTLER.COM WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2015 VOL. 127, ISS. 19

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In memory of Patrick Dugan“It seemed to me that there was room for everybody in Pat’s heart” PAGE 10

ILLUSTRATION BY VIVIAN SAXON / THE VANDERBILT HUSTLER

2 WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2015 THE VANDERBILT HUSTLER u WWW.VANDERBILTHUSTLER.COM

With all of the cranes and drilling going on around Vanderbilt and throughout Nashville, it’s possible to forget that Nashville is a living, functioning city and not a construction zone.

“One of my friends was saying the other day that they can’t even take a picture of the sunset anymore without a crane getting in the way,” said Kristyn Fratus, a 2014 Vanderbilt graduate who has stayed in Nashville as an admissions counselor at Vanderbilt.

Nashville’s rapid growth — the city’s population has been increasing by 10 percent per year since 2010 — and gentrification has been a major topic of conversation recently, garnering coverage in many media outlets. Gen-trification, the process of wealthier people moving into neighborhoods and creating a drastic increase in rent and property values, can significantly alter the character and culture of an area.

Reverend Mark Forrester, the University Chaplain and Director of Religious Life, who has served at Vander-bilt for 21 years and lived in Nashville for 58 years, has needed to adjust to all of the recent construction and turnover.

“You start to watch your own city take on a different

character and a different dimension than before,” he said.

Fratus says she’s worried about this phenomenon — particularly the fact that rent for students and recent graduates will rise significantly. Because the land devel-opers for condos and complexes recognize the popular-ity of Nashville and residents’ rising incomes, she said, they will begin to charge more in rent. This comes at the cost of people like Fratus not being able to live close to where they work.

“Those of us who have jobs in that part of town can’t really afford to live there,” Fratus said.

People have begun to notice as these changes creep toward the areas immediately surrounding Vanderbilt’s

Is Nashville sacrificing authenticity for apartments?Students, faculty and alumni reflect on what Nashville and Vanderbilt stand to lose as small businesses make way for larger real-estate developments

vanderbilthustlerSTAFF ZACH BERKOWITZ

ASHLEY KATZENSTEINAUSTIN WILMSYUNHUA ZHAOKAREN CHANGEORGIA WILSONSOPHIE GAYLOR

DESIGNERS

ALLIE GROSSEDITOR-IN-CHIEF

KATHY YUANVICTORIA YAO

COPY EDITORS

ZOE SHANCER — NEWS EDITORKARA SHERRER — LIFE EDITOR QUEEN STEVENSON — OPINION EDITORBEN WEINRIB — SPORTS EDITOR

JOSH HAMBURGER — MANAGING EDITORBOSLEY JARRETT — DESIGN DIRECTORANNA BUTRICO — WEB EDITORZIYI LIU — PHOTO DIRECTORWESLEY LIN — CHIEF COPY EDITORCOLLIN ZIMMERMAN — CHIEF WEB DEVELOPERMATT LIEBERSON — FEATURES EDITOR PRIYANKA ARIBINDI — AUDIENCE STRATEGISTKATHY YUAN —ASST. PHOTO DIRECTORSHARON SI —ASST. DESIGN DIRECTOR

By MATT LIEBERSON AND AADITI NAIKFeatures editor, News reporter

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news

campus.Buckingham Companies is building the new Aertson

Midtown development located on 21st Avenue across from Wilson Hall, one of those high-cost developments. While Scott Travis, Buckingham’s Senior Vice President of Development, said that the company was excited to be “so close to a great university,” he also mentioned that the development would be upscale and marketed toward a higher-income crowd.

Student hangouts in fluxIn February, 12th and Porter, a popular music venue,

closed permanently. More recently, the land that houses J & J’s Market and Cafe and Noshville Delicatessen was sold to developers for $2.4 million. The developers plan to turn the area into condos, apartments, a hotel and retail space.

J & J’s has been in Midtown since 1972. General man-ager Sam Huh wants to ensure that fans don’t panic just yet.

“We have this lease until 2021, so the building is mine until then,” according to Huh. J & J’s said the cafe doesn’t intend to close or relocate currently, but Huh wasn’t clear about his immediate plans for the location.

While J & J’s fate remains uncertain, Fratus was “bummed” to find that one of her favorite spots could be in danger.

“It was one of those hidden gems that you talk about,” Fratus said. “J & J’s was one of those untouched spots that wasn’t getting too crowded.”

Since going to J & J’s when she visited Vanderbilt, senior Lily Williams has frequented J & J’s once a week to study, and appreciates its “worn-in” feel.

“It felt so homey and cool, and that was definitely a factor in my choosing to go here,” Williams said. “I love the exposed brick and the worn floors. It’s also acquired its own sort of feel. I feel judged when I go to a place like Starbucks, but at J & J’s I can spread out and work.”

Junior Octavio Edgington appreciates the ability to get off campus and relax at the cafe.

“It’s cool to come here to leave the ‘Vanderbubble’ a bit and interact with Nashville. You get a full sense of Nash-ville’s community,” Edgington said.

Forrester, who used to frequent Midtown when he studied at Vanderbilt’s divinity school from 1979 to 1983, is sad to see the loss of these types of authentic places.

“When those kinds of spaces go away, it sterilizes the culture in a way that I don’t find appealing,” Forrester said.

Another popular Vanderbilt hangout, karaoke bar Lon-nie’s Western Room, had to move from its longtime Print-er’s Alley spot in April 2015 after the area was bought to become an upscale boutique hotel. Even though the new Lonnie’s is just steps away, some students feel that the new location has lost some character.

“I miss that dingy, dark feel,” said Hannah Turnbull, senior. “The old building had the odd seating, bottlecaps shoved into the ceiling, all of its little charms. Now it seems like somebody turned the Featheringill lobby into a bar.”

Other students are less worried about the change. Senior Renzo Costa didn’t notice a difference after his recent trip to the new Lonnie’s.

“I wasn’t really able to tell any difference. The old one was dusty, but people will make the new one dusty soon enough,” Costa said.

Beyond the “Vanderbubble”

Forrester points out that the issue has affected many neighborhoods in Nashville beyond the Vanderbilt area.

“Certainly East Nashville … Germantown and the Gulch are seeing a lot of turnover. Ten years ago, cer-tainly 20 years ago, the Gulch was sort of a bottomed-out industrial neighborhood. Those neighborhoods are trending towards becoming more urbane,” Forrester said.

Forrester sees the gentrification in Nashville driven by an attempt to create self-sufficient neighborhoods that allow residents to live, shop, eat and recreate in a tight area. But he worries that people on fixed incomes will become the victims of rising property values.

“I’m kind of appalled about how some of these neigh-borhoods are changing to squeeze out people with fixed incomes,” Forrester said. “You see the gentrification, it puts the properties at too high a price point for people of certain incomes. … They just happened to end up in trendy neighborhoods that they can’t keep up with financially.”

The land developers themselves recognize that the turnover can be a lot to handle, but point out that Nash-ville is an exciting city to be in. Scott Travis from Buck-ingham made sure to note that the Aertson development is only displacing a Wendy’s and an old parking lot. Travis also, though, finds that all of this new development reflects a positive growth for Nashville.

“Nashville was attractive for a bunch of reasons, num-ber one with job growth and stability. There’s also stabil-ity with it being the capital,” Travis said. “That’s part of what made Nashville an attractive location.”

Keeping Nashville “weird”Yet others worry that buildings and a booming econo-

my aren’t the only things in Nashville that are changing, anticipating that Nashville’s unique culture might also

be on the line. Fratus sees similarities to the changes in her original hometown of San Antonio when she watches Nashville evolve.

“Where we were, it (San Antonio) was more small-town-like, and that was the charm of the area. Then it became a bunch of expensive bars and chain malls that are nice to have, but you don’t need them every block. … I worry that the same thing might be happening here,” Fratus explained.

Williams echoed that sentiment. “While this is good for Nashville as a burgeoning city, we’re losing the weird-ness. The buildings are exciting, but it’s disappointing. I know I’ve only been here for three years now, but it still feels like a loss,” she said.

Alumnus Zach Blumenfeld describes Nashville as a city that grew around culture, making it a “place you want to live and work and that simultaneously you can experi-ence this great idiosyncratic culture that you can’t find anywhere else in the country.” Blumenfeld said the loss of that culture could be equivalent to a loss of identity for Nashville.

“Vandy students lose a lot of what they could have learned about the different ways urban areas can look and different cultures it can have,” Blumenfeld said. If Nashville keeps rapidly changing, according to Blumen-feld, Vanderbilt students “may as well be going to school in any city.”

Fratus sees the same loss of culture as potentially dam-aging to Nashville.

“To close cultural and social places to create more bed space is hard for me to swallow, because I think that’s part of why Nashville is so successful. It’s a small, sup-portive and tight-knit community,” Fratus said. “I think that’s something that potentially could be lost down the road.”

THE VANDERBILT HUSTLER u WWW.VANDERBILTHUSTLER.COM WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2015 3

Opposite page: Construction of the new upscale Aertson Mid-town development across from Wilson Hall is ongoing; Top: The land of J & J’s Market and Cafe was bought to become a mixed-use development of apartments, condos and retail shops; Left: The former site of Lonnie’s Western Room in Printer’s Alley will be turned into a boutique hotel.

PHOTOS BY ZIYI LIU / THE VANDERBILT HUSTLER

First-years Mitesh Bhalani, Rachel Flores and Jiyu Cheong had no idea they were three of fi ve students to complete 38 percent of the My Vanderbilt Experience (MVE) program in barely a week of classes. In fact, they had no idea My Vander-bilt Experience existed at all until an email announcement went out to the entire student body about their accomplish-ment.

Bahlani, Flores and Cheong all attended a discussion Aug. 30 about Memorial Hall — which they all call home — and its history. After the event, they realized what Vanderbilt pro-gramming had to offer, and began to attend more events.

“I was uncertain (about attending) at fi rst,” Bhalani said. “But hearing from people that the name of Memorial Hall really represents a bigger issue and talking about how we can solve the bigger issue was eye-opening.”

My Vanderbilt Experience is a program managed on every student’s Anchor Link profi le, which tracks attendance via card-swipe at events in eight different categories: Arts, Cul-tural Awareness, Culture of Care, Dores After Dark, Health & Wellness, Leadership & Personal Development, School Spirit and Service & Civic Engagement. If students have attended two events in each category by the end of the year, they “complete” the program and are recognized at the Mag-nolia Awards ceremony in April. Students of any class can complete the program, which is now in its second year, once each academic year.

Students who complete the program are automatically inducted into the My Vanderbilt Experience Society, which provides them with special privileges and opportunities such as personal and professional development. They can also ap-ply for a position on the My Vanderbilt Experience Council, which works with the Offi ce of Student Organizations to improve and develop the program.

Many students, including Bhalani, Flores and Cheong, don’t even know that they are making progress on the program until they have completed many events that they would have attended whether MVE existed or not. This progress then encourages them to complete the program, and therefore to try events that they may not have gone to or even known about.

“The whole idea of the program is to build upon what you’re already doing and already going to and taking that and saying ‘yes that’s really cool, now why don’t I try some-thing out of my comfort zone too?’” said Cristah Artrip, MVE Council co-chair.

Senior Pranjal Gupta didn’t take MVE seriously until the middle of last year, when he realized he had completed 50 percent of the program without trying — just by attending popular and/or mandatory events such as the Honor Code Signing. By the end of the year, he was one of the approxi-mately 40 students to complete MVE, and attributes much of his success and diversity of activities to the program’s encouragement.

“The way I see it is it’s a structured program to help you take advantage of the most opportunities possible in your four years of college,” Gupta said.

MVE replaced a program called “Dore Rewards” at the beginning of last school year. Dore Rewards was run by the Vanderbilt Programming Board (VPB), and it was replaced with MVE in order to create a more holistic program that included events put on by a variety of organizations, not just VPB. The Offi ce of Student Organizations and Offi ce of Dean of Students jointly run MVE and are responsible for deciding which events qualify for the eight tracks.

Various programming partners including the Commons, College Halls, Vanderbilt Performing Arts Community and the Center for Professional Development are also involved in selecting events. Events for the fall semester were chosen before school began, and the list of events for the spring semester will be fi nalized soon, said Lori Murphy, program coordinator for student organizations and Anchor Link.

“It’s often hard to fi gure out what is the right pathway for you,” Murphy said. “We mapped out kind of an array of dif-ferent opportunities that would help students engage with a number of different areas that we would like for them to be exposed to.”

Examples of some events that satisfy MVE’s requirements include select performing arts performances, a Kwanzaa lun-cheon, an environmental forum, Commons Ball, a TedX talk, Dance Marathon and attendance at away football games.

Artrip recalls an event she attended last year to complete the program in which attendees viewed a fi lm in Sarratt cinema center about black barbershops during the civil rights movement, which was followed up by a discussion. She attended the fi lm showing in order to check off a box on MVE, but she took away insight that shaped her mindset as a student.

“(The events) that made the most difference were the ones that I did to complete the program that I wouldn’t have done otherwise,” Artrip said. “It’s about being able to have a say and to have a voice at a subject that you may not be an expert at.”

Prizes and raffl es along the way serve as more of an incen-tive to attend events. By completing certain tracks, students are entered into raffl es for prizes such as concert tickets and lunches with “campus celebrities,” Murphy said. Last year, Gupta won Rites of Spring tickets and a lunch with head football coach Derek Mason.

Overall, though, Gupta said that MVE’s greatest incentive is knowing that you are reaching your full potential during your four years at Vanderbilt.

“MVE is a good opportunity for you to try to get out of your comfort zone,” he said. “If you don’t get out of your comfort zone, you aren’t doing yourself justice. We are at such an opportunity-rich institution and we should all make a conscious effort to do things that we wouldn’t have done in high school.”

To check your progress on MVE, log in to Anchor Link, and click “My Vanderbilt Experience 2015-16” underneath the Co-Curricular Activities subhead.

6 WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2015 THE VANDERBILT HUSTLER ◆ WWW.VANDERBILTHUSTLER.COM

life WTF is My Vanderbilt Experience?Swipe-in system allows students to track participation in eight di� erent event tracks, encouraging them to exit their comfort zones By Sarah Friedman, Life reporter

Corner of 21st Avenue and Blakemore; Thursday, Sept. 10, 3-6 p.m.

Over the summer, the Vanderbilt Farmers’ Market relocated from its old home in the Medical Center Plaza to a new site by Hillsboro Village due to construction. Shoppers can buy local fruits and vegetables, dairy products, grass-fed beef, free-range chicken and even fl owers at the market. All vendors accept cash, and some accept credit and debit cards as well.

SAMPLE MVE EVENTS

ArtsFall for the Arts, Sep 18Diwali 2015, Nov 7

Health & WellnessParents & Family Weekend Healthy Tailgate, Sept 19Sex Ed and Healthy Relationships Week Events, Nov 10-12

Culture of CareSuicide Awareness Showcase, Oct 13The Hunting Ground Film Screen-ing, Oct 29

School SpiritVandy Fanatics Away Game Ath-letics Trips; Sept 26, Nov 28Homecoming Block Party, Oct 22

Leadership & Personal DevelopmentPREVAIL Women’s Leadership Conference, Sept 27TedX Vanderbilt University, Nov 15

Dores After DarkLive on the Commons, Sept 25Haunted Nights, Nov 6

Service & Civic Engage-mentFall Weekend of Service, Oct 2-4Relay for Life, Nov 7

GO DO

THISVanderbilt Farmers’ MarketV

V

Cultural AwarenessLambda Drag Show, Oct 8BCC Pre-Kwanzaa Luncheon, Dec 3

THE VANDERBILT HUSTLER ◆ WWW.VANDERBILTHUSTLER.COM WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2015 7

‘Tis the season for tailgates

Vanderbilt might not be on a winning streak, but whether you’re a fi rst -year or a senior, there’s no deny-ing there are few things better than a Vanderbilt tail-gate. When home friends try to contest the superiority of our game days, maybe we’ll agree that their team is better than ours — but never our tailgates.

However, tailgates are about more than coolers, Croakies and Coors Light. It’s important that you pre-pare for the game properly, so here are some tips to ensure a successful tailgate experience in time for the Georgia game this Saturday.

Vanderbilt students know how to dress to impress, especially in black and gold. You’ll see most girls wearing sundresses with cow-boy boots and guys in shorts and a collared shirt to stay cool and show their school spirit.

Don’t wear your nice cowboy boots to a fraternity tailgate. Odds are, they’ll get trashed. Lastly, dress for the weather. If it’s raining, sacrifi ce fashion for practicality and wear rain boots or a rain jacket. It’ll make the tailgate much more enjoyable.

1. DRESS THE PART 2. DON'T EXPECT FOOD

Maybe you’ll be pleasantly surprised and fi nd pizza at a frat, but don’t let an empty stomach ruin the day. Even if you plan on stopping for a hot dog before the game, make sure you grab a banana or granola bar

to go before you hit Greek Row. Game day brunches with your friends can also be the perfect start to the day and prepare your body for a long day of tailgating. There are a ton of cute brunch venues near campus (on and o� the card) to try.

3. BRING YOUR TICKET 5. VISIT THE STAR WALK

Vanderbilt Stadium doesn’t allow any fans to bring in bags or items larger than 8.5 inches by 11 inches. Yes, this means no umbrellas, even if it’s small — you’ll probably be asked to throw it in a trash can at the gate if you have one with you. No drinks, food or bottles can be brought in. Worst of all, you have to leave your selfi e stick at home. Note this tip beforehand so you don’t leave anything valuable behind, and only bring the game day essentials with you.

The last thing you’ll want to do on game day is worry about your ticket, so pick it up the day before. Have it accessible in your purse or pocket so that you can tailgate without think-ing about it. Bringing it with you means you can go straight from Greek Row to the sta-dium without running back to Branscomb. Even if you don’t plan on going to the game, you should defi nitely maintain the option. But you should totally go to show your Vandy spirit!

Not only is the Vandyville tailgating tent open three hours before kicko� for Vanderbilt students, but the Commodore Star Walk opens an hour and 15 minutes prior to the game. The band and cheerleaders make a tunnel for the Commodores to enter the stadium, which all students should see at least once before they graduate. Be sure to drag your friends away from Greek Row for 30 minutes to check out Commodore Star Walk for at least one game.

Commodores to enter the stadium, which all students should see at least once before they graduate. Be sure to

Move over Grins, there’s a new vegetarian delight in town by the name of AVO. Nestled behind Centennial Park on Charlotte Avenue, AVO is a new foodie favorite that is quickly blowing up Instagram feeds with its bright, photogenic meals. The raw vegan restaurant doesn’t cook any of its items past the temperature of 118 degrees, keeping the enzymes and nutrients intact.

The atmosphere of the restaurant contrasts with much of the rustic Nashville scene and seems more akin to a spot in LA than Music City. Located in a converted storage container, the outside looks uninviting, but upon entering, the scene changes. The inside glows with natural light from large win-dows, and the metal building hums with life, from its upbeat waiters to the hanging wall garden over the bar.

The restaurant has a simple menu, but each dish is com-posed of a complex combination of ingredients. By limiting itself to sustainable sources and local goods, AVO serves nothing but the freshest foods. They serve some of the fi nest salads in Nashville, with a complex fl avor combinations of fruits, herbs and nut-based cheeses. In addition to salads featuring a rainbow of vegetables, AVO offers some entrees that seem impossible to serve “raw.”

Two standout dishes, Lasagna and Summer Pizza, look different than the typical carb-fi lled Italian dishes. The

lasagna, made with zucchini and cashew ricotta, comes to the table chilled, and the coolness brings the fresh fl avors to the surface. It still looks relatively similar to lasagna, but doesn’t leave you with the guilty food coma post-meal. The pizza, served on a sprouted seed crust, is topped with a hemp-based cheese and whatever vegetables are available that week.

AVO isn’t just a master of transforming vegetables and nuts into mesmerizing meals; the restaurant also boasts a formi-dable drink selection. There are several cocktails featuring various unusual methods of preparing produce and juices, but the most popular by far is the AVOcado Margarita. Forget margaritas and guacamole at Chili’s; at AVO, you can enjoy a frosty glass with avocado, reposado, cilantro and agave nectar for sweetness.

If you prefer something more straight-up, they have a surprisingly large collection of liquors, including Tennessee-made ones as well as rye, scotch and a spectrum of gluten-free beers.

Besides drinks and veggies, there is a daily changing collec-tion of raw candy bars, seasonal “cheese”cake and fruit tarts.

Beyond its core menu, AVO offers a brunch menu that is short but full of sweetness. The fi ve options on the menu all are health-lovers’ favorites, including Avo-toast and acai

bowls. Health-conscious people can make the quick one and a half mile trek from campus, grab a treat and even hit the Crossfi t Gym next door.

After a few weeks of greasy take-out or regular trips to Tor-tellini Tuesday, AVO offers a guilt-free and tasty dining experi-ence. Meat-eaters and veg-heads alike will all fi nd something satisfying on their visit.

AVO brings raw vegan dining to NashvilleEating at AVO makes cool, fresh eats a hot commodity By Adrienne Alderman, Life reporter

PHOTO COURTESY OF ADRIENNE ALDERMAN

VSEC: PROW: 64SEAT: 24PRICE:$0.00

FOOTBALL

4. BRING ONLY THE NECESSITIES

By CLAUDIA WILLENLife reporter--------------------


From axe-throwing exhibitions to pigs racing for an Oreo, there are some things you can only see at a state fair. This year, the Tennessee State Fair is bringing these events — and many more — to the Nashville Fairgrounds from Sept. 11-20. The last few days of the fair also overlap with Family Weekend, giving students the perfect opportunity to take their parents off campus and avoid the mad rush of relatives.

The Fair is an extremely popular Ten-nessee staple and has run for more than 150 years, with attendance expected to exceed 100,000 people this year. The theme of the fair this year is “Red, White and You,” which is supposed to combine national and state pride with each indi-vidual fairgoer’s experience. The fair was originally an agricultural and educational exposé, a core that it remains loyal to. However, the fair has since expanded to encompass an array of rides, exhibits and performances.

The fair will open on the 14th anniver-sary of 9/11, so it’s fitting that the central exhibit is the “9/11 Never Forget” memo-

rial, which is a testament to the bravery of the men and women lost that day. The 1,000 square foot exhibit is designed to encourage hands-on education, featuring physical artifacts from the Twin Towers as well as video exhibits. The memorial is an emotionally and historically powerful piece, something every fairgoer should take the time to pay their respects at.

Besides the 9/11 memorial exhibit, there are a variety of other homegrown exhibitions and performances that can only be seen at state fairs, such as the Kid’s Ice Cream Eating Contest. The Great Lakes Timber Show features chainsaw carving, axe throwing, log rolling and a variety of other lumberjack-based performances. Hedrick’s Racing Pigs show is sure to de-light attendees as its athletic pigs compete for the ultimate Oreo cookie prize.

On the agricultural side of things, fair-goers can visit a traditional milking facility to see the twice-a-day process of cow milking, while Lucky’s Barnyard Animals attraction functions as both a petting zoo and education center.

The fair also features a midway that contains various thrill and kid rides, including the obligatory Ferris Wheel. As with any respectable Nashville event, there is an abundance of live music to be

enjoyed at scheduled times. Attendees can also check out a magician named Korso and professional wrestling outfit Lucha Libre. Fairgoers can also enter other competitions, such as a Funnel Cake 5K and multiple dodgeball tournaments, on different days. Many of these events can only be attended during certain fair days — potential attendees should check

online and plan accordingly.The Tennessee State Fair provides a

great opportunity for Nashville residents to get to know the quirks and history of the Volunteer State. Both locals and those from out of town are sure to enjoy them-selves and give their families (for those partaking in Family Weekend) an experi-ence to remember.

State Fair brings lumberjacks, racing pigs and more to Nashville More than 100,000 people are projected to attend the festival during its 10-day run

By JONATHAN VAN LINDENLife reporter--------------------

KRISTEN DAVIS / THE VANDERBILT HUSTLER

LIFE


THINKING ABOUT LAW SCHOOL?

Law School 101Wednesday, September 16VANDERBILT LAW SCHOOL, MOORE ROOM 218 (2ND FLOOR)

5:30-6:30 p.m.Get insider advice on pursuing – and surviving – Law School at this panel discussion featuring Vanderbilt alumni with diverse experiences, a current dual JD/MBA student and a Vanderbilt Law School admissions representative: KASEY FOLK DUNLAP (BA’02)Partner at Akerman in Chicago

ANOOSH BAHIRAEI (BA’00)Attorney at Reforma Law Group in Nashville

STANLEY ONYEADOR (BA’11)2nd year JD/MBA student at Vanderbilt

KELLY BAHIRAEI (MLAS’12)Associate Director for VLS Admissions

Visit http://tinyurl.com/LawPanel (or email [email protected]) to RSVP and pre-submit questions for panelists by next week.

LAW SCHOOL 101 IS SPONSORED BY YOUR VU ALUMNI ASSOCIATION AND VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY LAW SCHOOL

Dress is casual. Walk-ups welcome. See you there!

LIFE

Terry Dugan didn’t realize just how many friends his son had until the messages started flooding his mailbox and his inbox.

“A handful of people wrote ‘Rest in Peace Pat,’ stuff like that … but I think the thing that was so touching for us was how many people shared very specific anecdotal actions that Pat did that impacted them,” Terry said. “That was the thing that was just so revealing and meaningful.”

For Terry, the outpouring of stories about Pat provide an insight into who Patrick was and how many people’s lives he touched. Pat’s Face-book page is full of heartfelt posts, from a girl from high school who never had the courage to get up and sing in front of people until Pat encouraged her, to a Delta Kappa Epsilon (DKE) brother who recalls when Pat was the only brother to clean up after an event on Alumni Lawn — and did it all with a big smile on his face.

“So many people perceived Pat as one of their best friends because he knew how to connect with people; he knew how to make people feel very special. And it comes out in the literally hundreds of people who have reached out to us, and it’s pretty overwhelming,” Terry said.

‘EVERYBODY’S BEST FRIEND’“I think Pat was incredibly inclusive. He didn’t see boundaries — by

that I mean he had friends of every nationality, every religion, and he really welcomed people,” Terry said. “And while I’m proud of him for lots of his accomplishments — as an athlete, and an officer in high school and in the fraternity and all that, that’s not really what I was most proud of him about. If you’re not a nice person and you’re not ac-cepting of others, then all those other things really don’t matter. I think that’s the life, the way Patrick lived.”

When Ahmad Mohammadpur moved to Nashville from Iran to be-come a visiting scholar at Vanderbilt, he didn’t know anyone — it was a new country, a new language, a new culture. He didn’t expect to make

friends in the undergrad class for which he was a teaching assistant. “When somebody comes from the Middle East to the United States,

they think that everybody is formal, nobody helps you, nobody sup-ports you. Everything is impersonal,” Mohammadpur said. “And then you find someone who supports you, who loves you, who likes you, who wants to do something for you. And it gives you a good reason to love him.”

When Pat visited Ahmad’s home, he knocked on the door and waited for it to be opened, he removed his shoes upon entering, he waited to sit for dinner until Ahmad sat. Later, when he sensed Ahmad was having a difficult time with his research proposal, Pat pressed him on how he could help.

That’s just how Pat was. Pat knew how to make Ahmad feel welcome and at home in a foreign place because he had the innate ability and innate desire to connect with people — to understand them, under-stand their stories and who they were. He respected and saw the best in everyone.

“I confess that the university is not the same university that I had last year,” Ahmad said. “And it might be weird for you because I was not his relative; I was his professor for a few months. But he influenced me. He went into my heart.”

Pat was accepting and nonjudgmental. He talked philosophy with Vanderbilt’s Rabbi Shlomo, and he sat on the floor and prayed and ate Iranian food with the members of Nashville’s Kurdish population at the Salahadeen Islamic Center. He had started going there as part of his anthropology research, but eventually would be there nearly every other day to spend time with the Kurds there, helping them navigate a new place.

“He had a big heart. It seemed to me that there was room for every-body in Pat’s heart, and he really went out of his way to reach out to make people feel special,” Rabbi Shlomo said.

His father, Terry, remembers when a friend from Pat’s high school football team lived with the Dugan family for a year and a half.

“Pat’s always invited a lot of people into our family. We had people living with us in high school … people having tough times in their life,

tough upbringing, tough background, and he brought them into our family,” Terry said.

Warm and accepting, he wanted everyone to feel loved, to feel comfortable. Pat’s sister Alex said she heard from a girl who went to middle school with Pat. The girl remembers being a new student and sitting alone at a middle school dance. Pat walked up to her and asked her to dance.

He was everybody’s best friend. In his fraternity, all the brothers felt comfortable coming to him with their problems — or, rather, Pat sensed their problems and offered his help without them even having to say anything was wrong. Sometimes he would sit with them and bang out a song on his guitar to cheer them up.

Last fall, when Jacob Miller was pledging DKE with a full 18-hour workload, Pat would just know when he was struggling.

“He’d say, ‘What’s going on? Come talk to me, I know you’re gonna say nothing, but let’s talk even if there’s nothing going on. What are your classes like? Do you need help in any of them?’ … He’d just try to do anything he can to make you feel better; he always put himself behind other people,” Jacob said.

People looked forward to bumping into him around campus for his signature “goofy grin” and “bear hugs.” When you did run into him, his “How are you?” wasn’t an empty gesture. He really meant it. He wanted to know how you were, how you were doing, and if the answer wasn’t “Well,” how he could help you.

“He would just run up to you and cheer your day up, because you got to see him,” said friend Steven Lee.

‘AN OPEN MIND AND AN OPEN HEART’Pat loved hiking and playing sports, but even more so, he was pas-

sionate about music. He picked up piano and guitar from a young age, almost entirely self-taught. Some of Steven’s fondest memories are listening to Pat play the piano in the lower floor of Gillette their fresh-man year.

“When I listen to certain songs that remind me of him, I’ll kind of take a step back. If I’m going on a run, I’ll stop and think about life, or if

Friends and family remember the life of Patrick Dugan


‘An open mind and an open heart’By ALLIE GROSS

Editor-in-chief--------------------

NEWS

I’m at work and it comes on, I’ll stop and just — it’s me thinking of Pat, but it also makes me think about the bigger picture, because he was such a philosophical person,” Steven said.

Everyone says this about Pat — he was philosophical, spiritual, thoughtful. A philosophy and anthropology major, he loved learning and new ideas and was thinking about being a professor.

“He wasn’t running through life, he was really understanding it,” Steven said.

In high school, he spent Thursday lunches with teacher Harry Fried at philosophy club.

“What was memorable, and what was unique about Pat was he was always just completely, fully engaged,” Harry said. “The certain magni-tude about him that you just knew you were talking to somebody who cared about what they were talking about, who cared to listen to what you had to say.”

His sister Alex remembers a 10-hour travel day for a family vacation to San Francisco. While she flipped through a People magazine, her brother read philosophy and anthropology books — for fun, not for class — marking them up and eager to ask Alex what she thought about the ideas he encountered.

“He was just so curious about learning other people’s perspectives and never pushed his own views on other people,” Alex said. “He was just interested in learning as much as he could from people of all dif-ferent backgrounds, all different mindsets, and then really educating others about that.”

People remember conversations with Pat, deep conversations, even people who’d only met him once or for ten minutes. There wasn’t ever any “small talk.”

“I’ve had a couple friends tell me — who’d met him for maybe 10 minutes at a time or something like that — they were like, some of the conversations I’ve had with your brother were deeper than I had with anybody in my life. He seemed to look through people and just innately get at what they were interested in and being able to get to the heart of that,” Alex said.

His dad said Pat was an “old soul.” Even the older guys in DKE looked up to him, and people who were supposed to be his mentors — like Rabbi Shlomo and Ahmad — said they felt the roles were reversed.

‘HOW MUCH LOVE YOU POUR INTO THE WORLD’What was most meaningful for Pat throughout his time at Vander-

bilt, including two summers, was mentoring children in North Nash-

Friends and family remember the life of Patrick Dugan


ville through The Afterschool Program (TAP). The kids loved “Mr. Pat” — especially the boys, because he could

throw a football really far, said Kelsey Smith, senior and program di-rector at TAP. When one girl wanted to learn guitar, Pat brought his in to give her lessons. He grew close with a third-grade boy whose father had passed away.

“He loved them so much and cared about them so much, and they loved him, and you just felt good knowing that they had someone like Pat in their life to show them what it meant to be kind, and show them what it meant to be a man in today’s society too, and a positive role model,” Kelsey said.

Pat threw himself into TAP. At the summer program, he’d sweat through three shirts a day from playing tag, tossing boys over his shoulder, dancing and making them laugh. He knew every kid’s name and how they were doing in school. He was genuinely invested in instilling in them the value he placed on education.

On a five-week summer trip to Peru for an archeological field school, grad student Rebecca Bria said Pat went beyond the anthro-pological task at hand and immersed himself in the community. Even with the language barrier, Pat would do whatever he could to interact with the local kids.

“If there was a kid within a 20 meter vicinity, he was out there play-ing with them, drawing with them, kicking the soccer ball — whatever it was, and just teasing them in a fun way to kind of get them to open up,” Rebecca said. “He had a gift for engaging kids and making them happy.”

Kelsey said he wasn’t concerned with making money, or his job, or other ways Vanderbilt students often measure success.

“He definitely defined success by the amount of kindness you show and the amount of care you exhibit for one another, and how much love you pour into the world,” she said.

‘HE LIT UP THE ATMOSPHERE’Pat loved hiking, and having fun. He’d rally stressed friends, who

wanted to stay home studying, to take a break and enjoy themselves.“He’d say, oh, you spend so much time during the week working

on all these hard classes and doing all these things, you have to have a balance in life. You have to enjoy yourself,” recalls Jacob.

Steven said Pat’s presence made everything “pure fun.” “We’d play basketball at the rec together, and he’d just make it more

fun,” Steven said. “It wasn’t just because all my friends were being there, it was him. He lit up the atmosphere.”

Alex remembers how much Pat stood out when she first helped move him onto the Commons.

“He did not ever care what the cool thing or the seemingly more

mainstream thing was, he really just followed his own compass. I think just the fact, frankly, that he showed up to Vanderbilt with a big old head of hair, like a bun’s worth of hair, and a big old beard. And it was comical watching him among everybody — he certainly stood out in his appearance, and it didn’t even phase him,” Alex laughed.

‘LIVE MORE LIKE PAT’Pat’s friends and family have plans to memorialize him by working

toward what he cared about most — education and helping others. Kelsey plans to use the money people are pouring into the TAP pro-gram in honor of Pat by doing something that specifically recognizes his passions and contributions to the program. Her ideas right now include either a scholarship fund or funding outdoor adventure trips for the students, because Pat loved taking them hiking.

Rebecca wants to memorialize Pat in Peru, the country he loved so much following his summer spent there. She said she plans to com-mission a Peruvian artist to create a coloring book to share with the kids in the village where Pat’s archaeological team worked.

“They love to color, but they don’t have very many resources,” she said. “So having something that represents their life, and having that printed as a coloring book — it’s not only educational, but it also gives them pride about who they are, and I think Patrick would be really proud of that.”

A memorial service organized by Pat’s friends and the university’s Office of Religious Life will be held this Friday afternoon, Sept. 11, at 4 p.m. in the Student Life Center. All members of the Vanderbilt com-munity are invited to hear Pat’s friends and family remember Pat and share stories celebrating his life.

But what’s most important to Pat’s friends and family is that people try to “live more like Pat.”

“He was someone who showed us how to live according to such deeply held convictions and beliefs in the goodness of people and the goodness of life,” Kelsey said.

“Embody the messages and what Pat gave to all of us, which was teaching us about unconditional love, and not to turn your head away from problems and social injustices in the world. Just to — big or small — do whatever you can to be a good person,” Alex said.

“‘Live more like Pat.’ What does that mean? That means be more accepting, be nonjudgmental and be inclusive,” Terry said.

‘An open mind and an open heart’ Memorial Service in the SLC Friday, Sept. 11 at 4:00 P.M.

Editor’s Note: Thank you to all Pat’s friends and family who contributed to

this story. Although I was unable to include quotes from everyone interviewed, every person I spoke with contributed to my un-derstanding of who Pat was, and their stories and memories are reflected here. Thank you to: Terry Dugan, Alex Dugan, Ahmad Mohammadpur, Rebecca Bria, Shlomo Rothstein, Harry Fried, Kelsey Smith, Danny Rubin, Jacob Miller, Pete Carley, Jason Girson, Jack Gibson, Bradley Johnston and Steven Lee. Photos courtesy of Pat’s friends and family.

NEWS


opinion

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I’m guilty of it. The entirety of the Hustler staff is guilty of it. And I’m willing to bet you’re guilty of it too.

It’s a veritable plague in the sense that it has swept us by wholly unnoticed, catching us all in its subtle undertow and stripping us of our better ability to connect with the people around us, and it begins and ends with one phrase:

“How are you?”“Good, how are you?”

End scene. Fade to black. Or that’s how it feels like, because when was

the last time someone asked you how you were and you voluntarily paused your passing pe-riod speed-walk from Wilson to Peabody (no, 10 minutes is not enough) in order to say something substantial about how you’re really doing, right now, 10:07 a.m., struggling to make it on time to another test that you’re not adequately prepared for, in a class it was way too late for you to drop, on a day when you had to schedule dinner into your planner just to see your best friend?

So we’ve grown to accept the vacuum of a non-answer as good enough. But that settling for me-diocrity, that instant gratifi cation, that half-assed genuinity is the problem itself.

It ought to concern you, as it does me, that we’ve managed to condense a question that has allowed scientists and scholars to fi gure out the make of our minds and the existence of this earth — “How?” — into a mere passing interjec-tion. Passing, literally, because it’s often a phrase exchanged as you cross paths with someone and promptly continue in your original direction without missing a beat; interjection, linguisti-cally, a word that can stand alone, a word that has no grammatical meaning, a word only meant to express the emotion or feeling of the speaker.

By diluting the curiosity out of the query and shelling the worth of such a profound word, and

replacing its intentions with the understudy of some lesser character, we do ourselves and our peers the greatest communicative disservice pos-sible. Let me put this in perspective by transport-ing you out of an American frame of mind.

During my 10th grade World History class, my teacher once delivered an impassioned mono-logue about greeting people in the small Italian city his family hailed from, explaining how any friend would be outraged at your rudeness and offended by your lack of care if you acknowledged them in the distance with the Italian equivalent of “How are you?” and moved directly on. In that en-vironment of intentionality, the cultural expecta-tion is that you’ll stop and — you’ll never believe it — actually engage in personal conversation about how you’re doing.

That was the fi rst time I’d ever thought about asking “how are you” as an honest social in-teraction and not a rote salutation, the kind of mechanical English we engage in much like we might dish out a “bless you” to a stranger sneez-ing on the same subway car, but I haven’t stopped

analyzing it since. If you’re someone I pass often, you might have

noticed that I tend to respond to “How are you?” with “Well!” at the very least, if not a cringing, I’m-searching-for-the-right-words-to-describe-my-anxiety sound effect that is apparently my natural (and signature) visceral reaction to How I Am. And if our paths align for a longer moment, I’ll mention where I’m going or where I just came from.

These deviations from the standard script of “Good, how are you?” aren’t incidental — they are willful, calculated choices I make because I am trying to give you a foothold to invite you into my life.

So far, with that small step of saying more, I think I’ve been successful in one phase of my persistent quest to break down the mirage of perfection so endemic to high-performing college campuses. I’ve noticed when I take the initiative to reveal how nervous I’m feeling, other people are more likely to share what they’re preoccu-pied with, or at the very least wish me good luck and remind me that “I is kind, I is smart and I is important.”

Likewise, you will gain infi nitely more from your friendships and especially your acquain-tanceships simply by taking the initiative to dis-card the pretense of “Good!” if you’re not “good” (or “well,” if you’re being grammatically correct, and you should be); being vulnerable with your relationships is a rare but necessary element to growing them, and reality can’t be replaced.

Unfortunately, we don’t often have the time to say more in those passing periods while we’re all trying to get somewhere and get there yesterday. But in writing this, I hope to inspire more of the people around me to say more with the same breath you could’ve wasted by emulating a robot. The fi rst step to being human is being honest. Don’t waste your words or your time on being anything less than that.

A call to make our fi ve-second encounters more genuineHow are you, really?

QUOTE OF THE DAY“By diluting the curiosity out of the query and shelling the worth of such a profound word,

and replacing its intentions with the understudy of some lesser character, we do ourselves and our peers the greatest communicative disservice possible.”

KATHY YUAN, ASSISTANT PHOTO DIRECTOR

KATHY YUANis a sophomore in the Peabody College of Education and Assistant Photo Director of The Vanderbilt Hustler. She can be reached at kathy.yuan @vanderbilt.edu.

ALLIE GROSS, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF [email protected]

EDITORIAL BOARD

ZOE SHANCERNEWS EDITOR

[email protected]

QUEEN STEVENSONOPINION EDITOR

[email protected]

KARA SHERRERLIFE EDITOR

[email protected]

BEN WEINRIB SPORTS EDITOR

[email protected]

The first step to being human is being honest. Don’t waste your words or your time on being anything less than that.

“

’’

In the prime of the James Franklin era of Vanderbilt football, one upset win on a blustery October afternoon in Nashville defi ned the 2013 season, and perhaps Franklin’s entire tenure at Vanderbilt.

The 2013 upset of No. 15 Georgia was the Commodores’ fi rst win against a Top 25 opponent since they defeated Auburn in 2008, three seasons before Franklin took over coaching duties. Fast-forward two years, and the Bulldogs return to the scene of the crime against a much differ-ent Vanderbilt squad.

Since that game, Georgia has improved and started the 2015 season ranked ninth in the country. Vanderbilt changed coach-es, suffered through a three-win season in 2014, and started 2015 with a brutal loss to the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers. The possibility of an upset this weekend is far slimmer than in 2013, especially if Vanderbilt’s offense continues to sputter as it did against Western Kentucky.

However, back in 2013, it wasn’t the of-fense that defi ned the game for Vander-bilt. The special teams and defense won the day. Starting quarterback Austyn Car-ta-Samuels went down with a knee injury early in the game, and the rest of the team rallied around him. The Bulldogs were up 27-14 late in the third quarter, when the Commodores marched back.

Torren McGaster recovered a muffed punt, leading to a touchdown on the ensuing drive. Then, in the fourth quarter, a Carey Spear fi eld goal brought Vander-bilt to within 3 points. Late in the fourth quarter, Georgia punter Collin Barber saw his snap sail over his head, and he had no choice but to fall on the ball, giving

the Commodores the ball back deep in Georgia territory. Running back Jerron Seymour would take it from there, as he punched in the winning touchdown with a little more than two minutes remaining in the game.

It wasn’t just the fact that they beat Georgia that made this win so special; it was the way they won. The late-game comeback breathed new life into a Commodore team that was 3-3 going into the game and had just lost a tough homecoming game to the Missouri Tigers, 51-28.

Lots of very prominent players played in that game as well, including current NFL players Andre Hal, Jordan Matthews and Jonathan Krause. This time around, the future NFL stars will likely be donning the red and white uniforms. Running back Nick Chubb is making a name for himself in Athens as a sophomore. He may join a long line of UGA running backs in the NFL, including most recently Knowshon Moreno and Todd Gurley.

Even without some of the hype from 2013, the SEC opener is always a big deal, as fi rst chance to start making strides in the conference and a chance to show off for a truly national audience on CBS.

A Georgia blowout this game would be hardly surprising. But, if Vanderbilt can miraculously pull together an upset, a demoralized team and fanbase would re-energize and give head coach Derek Mason a signature win, like Franklin’s upset just two years ago.

1. No. 2 AlabamaWe forget how great Mark Ingram

and Trent Richardson were in college because of their dreadful NFL careers, but sophomore Derrick Henry is the

next in a long line of great Crimson Tide backs. Dude racked up 147 yards on just 13 carries against a Wisconsin team that was 23rd against the run last season.

2. No. 10 GeorgiaThe Bulldogs beat up on Louisiana-

Monroe 51-14, which is essentially the equivalent of beating your 3-year-old

cousin in one-on-one in your driveway.

3. No. 14 LSULSU didn’t play last weekend because

their game against McNeese State got rained out. Either that or because they scheduled a game against a made-up

school.

4. No. 17 Ole MissOle Miss beat down UT-Martin 76-3

on Saturday, never scoring less than 14 points in any quarter. Meanwhile, Vanderbilt scored more than 14 points in

a single quarter twice all last season, and that was against UMass and Old Dominion. Go Dores!

5. No. 6 AuburnAuburn nearly lost to an ACC school,

which calls for an automatic drop in the power rankings. Also, Jeremy Johnson

did not look very Cam Newton-like, going 11-21 for 137 with a touchdown and three interceptions. Who knew that having the same size and speed as another player doesn’t mean you’re just as good?

6. No. 16 Texas A&MThe Aggies have really embraced be-

ing an SEC school, easily taking care of another top-25 team, this time No. 15

Arizona State 38-17. It’s almost like they were never part of the Big 12.

7. No. 18 ArkansasIn the Razorbacks’ 48-13 rout of UTEP,

their third-leading receiver was Jeremy Sprinkle. The good news for Jeremy is that if this whole football thing doesn’t work out for him, he has a career lined up as a weatherman. That and the adult fi lm industry are the only two professions where it’s almost a necessity to have a crazy name related to your job.

sports THE BIG STATNumber of points scored by the Vanderbilt o� ense in fi ve trips

to the red zone in last week’s 14-12 loss to Western Kentucky 914 WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2015 THE VANDERBILT HUSTLER ◆ WWW.VANDERBILTHUSTLER.COM

By BEN WEINRIBSports editor--------------------

SEC POWER RANKINGS: WEEK 1

Each week, I rank the teams in the SEC 1-14. This week, we actually root for Temple for the fi rst time, we prepare ourselves for the overlord Missouri Tigers and we try to remember Josh Grady fondly.

Refl ecting on Vanderbilt's 2013 upset over Georgia ahead of this weekend's showdown

By CUTLER KLEINSports reporter--------------------

Looking back,

BOSLEY JARRETT / THE VANDERBILT HUSTLER

ZIYI LIU / THE VANDERBILT HUSTLER

BOSLEY JARRETT / THE VANDERBILT HUSTLER

ZIYI LIU / THE VANDERBILT HUSTLER

Left: Former Vanderbilt WR Jordan Matthews (87) runs past a defender in a 31-27 upset of Gerogia in 2013. Right: TE DeAndre Woods advances the ball against WKU during Vander-bilt’s 14-12 loss last Thursday. Below: Fromer coach James Franklin, and coach Derek Mason.

pushing forward

9THE VANDERBILT HUSTLER ◆ WWW.VANDERBILTHUSTLER.COM WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2015 15

8. No. 25 Mississippi StateThrowing for 237 yards and scoring

three touchdowns, Dak Prescott beat down the Southern Miss defense harder than

he got beat down at that Waka Flocka Flame concert over spring break. If you’re keeping track, that’s two straight weeks of references to Prescott getting beat up in PCB.

9. No. 21 MissouriI wasn’t kidding about Mizzou winning

the SEC East this season. Their fi rst six games are against Southeast Missouri State, Arkansas State, UConn, Kentucky, South Carolina and Florida. It’s going to happen, folks.

10. No. 23 TennesseeSure, Tennessee rushed for six touch-

downs and scored 59 points, but they gave up 30 points a 557 yards to Bowling Green.

Bowling Green! They did that only twice last year, but it was against UMass and Indiana, not a top-25 ranked SEC school.

11. FloridaIf you want to know how far Florida

football has fallen, former Commodore Josh Grady completed a pass, ran twice

for 21 yards, and caught a pass for 25 yards. This is the same Josh Grady who couldn’t crack Vanderbilt’s lineup at all last season.

12. South CarolinaThis week in Steve Spurrier quotes:

“We’re not strutting out of here like we’re hot stuff, that’s for sure.” Yeah, no kidding; you almost lost to an ACC school, and your

new quarterback fi nished 9-22.

13. KentuckyA Kentucky student crash landed a

drone at Commonwealth Stadium right before their season opener, which fi ts my

schema of a Kentucky student pretty well.

14. TempleTemple beat another Power Conference

school to open the season, this time down-ing Penn State 27-10 at home. I can’t help but feel a little irony.

15. VanderbiltThe Commodores played far better on

both sides of the ball than they did all of last season, yet they still lost to a non-con-

ference team at home. Sports is fun like that.

16. Penn StateHahahahahahahahahahahahaha.

SEC POWER RANKINGS: WEEK 1

As Ohio State cornerback Tyvis Powell intercepted Alabama quar-terback Blake Sims to end the Sugar Bowl, an era abruptly came to an end. The SEC, which had sent a team to the championship game of college football every year since 2006, was shut out of the National Champion-ship Game.

To add insult to injury, the SEC West, considered by many to the the greatest division in college football history, went an abysmal 2-5 in bowl games, with the top fi ve teams all los-ing. Suddenly, the notion of the SEC being the undisputed heavyweight champion of the college football con-ferences was being, well, disputed.

The cries of coaches, players and fans from other parts of the country lamenting the SEC’s laughably weak non-conference schedule was fi nally given some validity. And so, a ques-tion remains: What is the current state of the SEC?

Dan Wolken, a national college football writer for USA Today, claims that though the SEC can no longer live up to its incredible run, it’s still the best conference, even if that gap has shortened.

“I think the expectations created by the SEC winning seven champion-ships in a row were probably unreal-istic in the fi rst place,” Wolken said. “If you look at the history of college football, the balance of power con-stantly shifts. I would say the SEC is probably still the best overall confer-ence top-to-bottom, but the Pac 12 is pretty darn close, and the Big Ten is going to be a big challenge in the next few years.”

One area, however, that the SEC is lacking in compared to the other conferences is quarterback play. Save for Mississippi State, who has Dak Prescott, most teams have a question mark at the position.

Alabama just named their start-ing quarterback, but Jake Coker, who seemed destined to be the next Matt Cassel, has a lot to prove in his fi rst year as a starter. Auburn quar-

terback Jeremy Johnson also has a lot to prove, as he played poorly in the game against Louisville. Georgia and Arkansas both have veterans at the position, but transfer Greyson Lambert lost his starting job at Vir-ginia, and Brandon Allen has always struggled with consistency.

Look to the West Coast and you see Southern Cal’s Cody Kessler, Califor-nia’s Jared Goff, Stanford’s Kevin Ho-gan and Arizona’s Anu Solomon, or to the Midwest with Penn State’s Chris-tian Hackenberg and the two-headed monster of OSU in Cardale Jones and J.T. Barrett. These are clearly much better quarterbacks than those of the SEC, and that’s not even mentioning potentially the two best quarterbacks in the country: TCU’s Trevone Boykin and Clemson’s Deshaun Watson.

Of course, for what the SEC lacks in quarterback play, like usual, it makes up for that in spades with defense. Ole Miss’ defense is a farm system for the NFL, and Alabama’s looked suffocating against Wisconsin. Arkansas and Georgia also boast units that should be among the best in the country. Can any other conference say that they have four or fi ve of the best defenses in college? No, and if they did, they would be lying.

Also worth mentioning are run-ning backs Leonard Fournette of LSU and Nick Chubb of Georgia, who are bound to wreak havoc on the souls of defenses everywhere and should be Heisman candidates at the season’s end.

In the end, no one really knows the state of the SEC. It clearly doesn’t have the hegemony it had in 2010, but that’s not to say it’s no longer great. Could Alabama and Georgia both meet up in the SEC title game and make the college football playoff? Yes. Could the SEC have a lot of really good teams but none great such that the conference is inexplicably shut out of the playoff altogether? Yes.

Looks like we’ll just have to wait and see.

STATE OF THE

With 10 teams in this week’s AP Top 25, the question arises once more: Is the SEC still the most dominant conference in college football?

By Karim Oliver, Sports reporter

Ole Miss | Chad Kelly | 10-17 for 58 yards, 0 TD, 0 INTMississippi State | Dak Prescott | 418-692 for 5583, 41 TD, 18 INTMissouri | Maty Mauk | 289-547 for 3719 yards, 36 TD, 15 INTSouth Carolina | Connor Mitch | 2-6 for 19 yards, 0 TD, 0 INTTennessee | Joshua Dobbs | 184-298 for 1901 yards, 11 TD, 12 INTTexas A&M | Kyle Allen | 118-192 for 1322 yards, 16 TD, 7 INTVanderbilt | Johnny McCrary | 78-152 for 985 yards, 9 TD, 8 INT

Alabama | Jake Coker | 59-100 for 698 yards, 5 TD, 1 INTArkansas | Brandon Allen | 339-646 for 4023 yards, 34 TD, 18 INTAuburn | Jeremy Johnson | 57-78 for 858 yards, 9 TD, 2 INTFlorida | Treon Harris | 55-111 for 1019 yards, 9 TD, 4 INTGeorgia | Greyson Lambert | 187-348 for 1972 yards, 11 TD, 13 INTKentucky | Patrick Towles | 244-433 for 3208, 15 TD, 10 INTLSU | Brandon Harris | 25-45 for 452 yards, 6 TD, 2 INT

SEC QBs in questionThere is plenty of turnover within the SEC at the quarterback position, with 6 of the 14 teams starting the season with a new player under center. Aside from Brandon Allen, Dak Prescott and Maty Mauk, there is little experience in the conference. Here are all 14 teams’ starting quarterbacks from Week 1 and their career stats coming into the season:

BW: Is there anything you can actually learn about Georgia from their 51-14 beatdown of Louisiana Monroe?

TD: Actually we learned quite a bit. Defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt hinted during camp that linebacker Leonard Floyd was going to move around on defense, and it turned out he had a stellar game at inside linebacker. Running back Sony Michel was banged up week-to-week last season and missed a lot of time, it was pretty reassuring to see him and Keith Marshall not only run effectively, but catch effectively too. Freshman receiver Terry Godwin had three cool recep-tions, albeit against a weak secondary.

BW: Are there any ill feelings left from Vandy’s home win in 2013, or did 44-17 and 48-3 wins sandwiching it make it forgettable?

TD: The 2013 loss to Vanderbilt is not forgotten, simply forgiven. Georgia doesn’t forget losses. Running back Brendan Douglas is still on the team, and he certainly hasn’t forgotten his late fumble that sealed that game for Vandy. Georgia fans like to think they can coast into games like this, but the ghost of James Franklin is still in the back of their minds doing a little jig in a naval outfi t while giving them the fi nger. I wouldn’t say Georgia is bitter about that game any longer. Perhaps it would sting more if that loss had mattered in the grand scheme of the 2013 season. The truth is, that ship sank long after the Commodores boarded and plundered it.

TD: What’s your take on Derek Mason at this point? Can he win a couple SEC games and stay off the hot seat this season?

BW: I’m in the more optimistic camp on Mason. He’s shown he can be a very good playcaller at Stanford, and in the two games he’s called defensive plays at Vanderbilt (Tennessee last year and Western Kentucky this season), the defense has looked great. They held a team that averaged 44.4 points and 535 yards of offense per game last season to 14 points and 247 yards last week. He also has had to work with mostly freshmen and sophomores the past two seasons, which isn’t a recipe for success in the SEC.

TD: We’re not sleeping on Johnny McCrary here in Athens. He may have had a dismal day throwing last week, but do you expect to see him run the ball more this week?

BW: I would actually expect McCrary to run it a little less this week if for no other reason than Georgia has the personnel to make him beat them with his arm. It’s one thing to run the ball seven times against a Conference USA team but another to try that against Jeremy Pruitt’s defense. I think he takes a more conservative approach on his throws (read: don’t throw into triple coverage so much) and utilizes more checkdowns that coaches emphasized during camp.

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MINUTE

DRILL2

FOOTBALL (0-1, 0-0 SEC) vs. No. 10 Georgia

Saturday, Sept. 12 at 2:30 PMVanderbilt Stadium

In week two, the Commodores stay home to play the No. 10 Bulldogs, likely the highest-ranked team they’ll face all season. After holding Western Kentucky to just 38 rushing yards last week, the Vanderbilt defense will face one of the best running backs in the country in sophomore Nick Chubb. An early Heisman candidate, Chubb ran for over 1500 yards as a freshman in 2014 and racked up 120 yards and two touchdowns in UGA’s opener against Louisiana-Monroe. Head to The Commons from 9-11 a.m. on Saturday as ESPN’s “SEC Nation” pregame show broadcasts live from Vandy’s campus in advance of the game.

SOCCER (3-3, 0-0 SEC) vs. Mississippi State

Friday, Sept. 11 at 7 PMVanderbilt Soccer Stadium

After two shutout wins at home last weekend, the Commodores kick o� SEC play Friday night on campus against the team picked to fi nish last in the conference. Vandy has defeated the Bulldogs each of the past two seasons.

SOCCER (3-3, 0-0 SEC) vs. High Point

Sunday, Sept. 13 at 1 PM Vanderbilt Soccer Stadium

The Dores take a quick break from SEC play as the Panthers visit from High Point, N.C. This match marks the end of a season-long, four game Vanderbilt homestand.

This weekend in Commodore sports

By MAX HERZSports reporter--------------------

BEHIND ENEMY LINES

The Vanderbilt Hustler sports editor Ben Weinrib and The Red and Black sports editor Taylor Denman discuss their teams before Saturday’s matchup

By TORBEN GINSBERGSports reporter

--------------------

3 MATCHUPS TO WATCH: VANDY VS. UGA

JORDAN JENKINS VS. WILL HOLDEN The strength of this Georgia defense lies in its linebacker corps, and outside line-backer Jordan Jenkins is their most explo-sive threat with 5.0 sacks and 9.5 tackles for a loss last season. He has the ability to get to the quarterback and disrupt run-ning plays in the backfi eld. Will Holden will be playing just his second career game at left tackle for the Commodores and will certainly have his hands full. Vanderbilt quarterback Johnny McCrary is going to need time to make plays in this game, and it will fall largely on Holden to keep his quarterback safe.

TRENT SHERFIELD VS. AARON DAVISAfter losing last season’s leading receiver C.J. Duncan for the season last month, the Commodores need someone to step up and assume Duncan’s playmaking du-ties. Sherfi eld looks to be the man for the job. Although the sophomore speedster had just 3 receptions last season, he can create separation and is an explosive runner after the catch. He and McCrary looked to be developing a rapport down the stretch in Week 1, and Sherfi eld ended up leading the team with 4 receptions for 63 yards and a clutch touchdown. Against a stout run defense this week, the Commodores will need Sherfi eld to make some plays against Aaron Davis, who had an up-and-down 2014 season and has yet to prove himself as a top cornerback in the conference.

NICK CHUBB VS. VANDY FRONT SEVENWith an unproven quarterback and the lack of a game-changing receiver, look for Georgia to feed Chubb early and often on Saturday. The Heisman-hopeful rushed for over 1,500 yards and 14 touchdowns as a true freshman last year, and that was with All-American Todd Gurley around for half the season. The Commodores, however, boast a much-improved run defense. With a strong line starring senior Caleb Azubike and a formidable group of linebackers led by Nigel Bowden, Vander-bilt held Western Kentucky running backs to just 70 yards rushing in Week 1. If the Commodores can keep Chubb in check and force quarterback Greyson Lambert to beat them through the air, they might have a shot at the upset.

ZIYI LIU / THE VANDERBILT HUSTLER TAYLOR CARPENTER / THE RED AND BLACKJOHN ROARK / THE RED AND BLACK

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