Can you study with all the colors of the wind?

 

Greetings, readers! As you can see in the photo above, Vanderbilt students are in the thick of midterms. No worries, though, I, Samantha, have more interesting events to share with you than flashcard-making. 
 
My weekend commenced on Friday night with a get-together with a dozen friends on the 7th floor of the Baker building. What? You say that that’s where the Vanderbilt Call Center is located? What a coincidence!

Twice a month, the Call Center has a unique Friday night shift. As per usual, we called alumni and encouraged them to give back to the university. As per party, though, we put on Transformers 2, and ingested plenty of popcorn and Coke and root beer ice cream floats.

On Saturday, I spent an hour at the Centennial Park Annual Craft Fair. Centennial is a gorgeous park on the outskirts of campus. I found a nifty necklace there...

which is the only item I bought! The displays were lovely, though - hand carved rocking chairs, stunning quilts, homemade fudge, and most important to me, a collection of hand-made windchimes. As a diligent, plan-oriented individual, I have dreams for my retirement. Learning how to make wind chimes ranks pretty high on my dream list! I spent a few minutes chatting with the sweet, elderly woman who makes the chimes. We bonded. It was bliss.

Later on Saturday, I watched the General Relief Society Broadcast of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints. For those of you who don’t have a mental catalog of Mormon lingo, the basic concept is thus: women of the Mormon faith, all over the world, come together via internet, radio, television, and (later) print, to hear speeches from male and female church leaders. The speakers tailor their remarks to womanhood. It’s awesome. Sister Stephens asked us, ““Is our heart soft? Do we have a humble heart, a teachable heart, a gentle heart?” That was my favorite moment.

Finally, I watched Angels Take Manhattan, the most recent episode of Doctor Who. 


As far as my Facebook newsfeed counts as evidence, I was not the only Vanderbilt student to do so. We all posted on Facebook from our own little nooks in campus about the heart-wrenching emotion we experienced as the Ponds and the Doctor separated. Honestly, I love that Doctor Who is often a stereotype-smashing show. It constantly questions gender roles, the meaning of education, the validity of social stratification, and other cultural "norms" all while whirling around the entirety of time and space in a police box.

 I know that right now, life at VU is pretty stressful. So as you embark upon your week, whether it's brimming with midterms, or other challenges, keep in mind the Doctor's advice: "The way I see it, every life is a pile of good things and...bad things. The good things don't always soften the bad things, but vice versa, the bad things don't necessarily spoil the good things or make them unimportant." 

Photo Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/doctorwhospoilers/8027076423/sizes/z/in/photostream/

Time for Some Weekend Goodness

Bryce here!  As we grudge through our swarm of midterms and papers, let's take a moment to see what we have to look forward to this weekend!

This Friday, Saturday, and Sunday VUT will be performing Dead Man's Cell Phone at 8pm Friday-Sunday and a special 2pm performance on Sunday.  It will be performed in Neely Auditorium.  Here's its description:

When Jean answers a stranger's cell phone, she beings a series of adventures that immerse her in his life, his family, his loves, and his work.  Written by MacArthur Award winner Sarah Ruhl, Dead Man's Cell Phone explores that which connects us in this digital age and offers a whimsical meditation on what it means to disconnect.

If you're interested, reserve your tickets by calling 615-322-2404 or emailing laura.hynek@vanderbilt.edu.  Tickets are free for undergraduates w/ID, $7 for graduate students w/ID, and $10 general admission.  

Also this Friday will be Vanderbilt's very own carnival night!  There will be tons of games, prizes, and fun to be played and had.  For more information follow the link here!

This Saturday, Vanderbilt's Capoeira club will be having its practice from 1:30-3 pm in the mat room on the 2nd floor of the REC.  Here is the club's description:

Capoerira: is an African-Brazillain art form that combines the music, dance, martial arts, beliefs and philosophies of West Africans brought to Brazil during the Trans-Atlantic slave trade. Often regarded as the “dance fight”, capoeira is an intense acrobatic dance/martial art that is performed (or played) in a small circle to the beat of traditional Afr-Brazilian songs. It has appeared in dance and martial arts competitions. Today, Capoeira is popular all over the world.

Also this Saturday is Vanderbilt's Marching Band Invitationals.  It is from 1-8pm and the awards ceremony is at 8:30pm.  The contest will be held in the Vanderbilt University Stadium.

That's it for now!  I promise I've only scratched the surface of all the awesome events going on around campus, so keep your eyes open and your ears keen, and you'll find something fun in no time!

Mob War!

Hey hey hey! This is Linda posting.
Guess what we did this weekend!
FAMILY BUSINESS!
It's when we deal with our mayfield family business through roast and hunger-game-violence.
JK.

If you don't know what that is, you're missing out. Basically, it's a card game where every player represents a gang and plays cards to kill members of other gangs. Mob war! Also, you can save people from other gangs or your own people and stuff.
It was a great game. Muffin tradition.
Some of my roommates like to be rational and play the game fair...
hahaha.
Yesterday a lot of people chose to pass their turns by burning a card that subject gansters to mob war. Bobby is the nice guy in this game. He would not kill anyone; he would play cards to save other gangsters, so people would feel bad killing his people. I'd say that Nell, Lindsey and John also do that sometimes. Luke is kind of the pro who introduced us to this game. And I'm the mean one.
And I love it.
Downside: everyone wants to kill you off and no one would save your people.
Meh. It was fun!
We love card games. Can't wait to play CARDS AGAINST HUMANITY next time! 
It's another cathartic game that allows us to insult one another, as well as the world.

It's that time again!

Hello all!

Xaralambos posting this time. It's the middle of the week, so by now I know most of us are looking forward to the weekend. If you find yourself with noting to do, or just need a break from the daily grind, there are more than a couple of events happening on and around campus.

To those of you whom don't already know, Great Performances starts this Friday, September 21st, with Kyle Abraham's Live! The Realest MC, starting at 7:30 p.m.  If you're a longtime fan of the performing arts, then you'll probably enjoy the performance. If not, then a performance which deftly balances both heartbreak and humor, while analyzing the tribulations of a man searching for something real in a world populated solely by the fabricated, might not be the worst performance to start watching. For those of you wondering, yes, it has been described as an extension of the classic Pinocchio story. Information about the performance can be found on Kyle Abrahams website, while information for Vanderbilt's Great Performances program can be found here.

If performance isn't really your thing, the Frist Center for the Visual Arts has a number of exhibitions currently on display. They've had a number of oil paintings by English painter John Constable on display since late June. However, they're on loan from The Victoria and Albert Museum in London, and their due to be sent back next Sunday, September 30th. Also, starting this weekend, The Frist is having an exhibition of the work of Carrie Mae Weems, a photographer who primarily focuses on various issues that many African Americans face in today's society, but has started to expand her focus to include injustices and inequalities on a global scale. So, if dancing isn't your cup of tea, remember that the Frist is free to students on Thursday and Friday nights, from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. More information on these exhibits and more can be found on their website, www.FristCenter.org

Finally, if you're looking for something else entirely, there's The Great Escape, a self-described bargain store and collector's paradise. It's stocked with a great amount of out-of-print material, phenomenally old comics, and a great music selection. The Great Escape is having a sale on Saturday, where a vast number of movies and music albums are being sold for only a dollar. It's a bit out of walking distance, so you'll probably want to take a cab or hitch a ride with someone else, but it's definitely worth it.

Well, that looks like most of it. Remember, this Friday our Mayfield will be watching Tucker and Dale v.s. Evil, so feel free to come by and hang out. Until next time...

Lone Range-ineer Away! Hi-yo Silver!

Video debut!

Oh, look at that, we have our first video up!  Everyone should go check it out, even though I won't be because I heard enough of myself speaking to last a lifetime! Anyway, enjoy!
-Jacob

What you (might have) missed this weekend

Howdy, strangers!

Katie here.

This week has been a crazy one for me, what with resigning from The Hustler and contracting bronchitis, but I still managed to have a lot of fun this weekend.

On Friday, we went to the Vanderbilt Orchestra and Vanderbilt Wind Symphony joint concert, and it was absolutely heavenly. 

I had never actually gone to one of these concerts before, and I really now regret not having gone sooner. I'm not very musically adept, but I really enjoyed this concert. You should definitely try to make it to one if you never have. 

After the concert, we watched a Polish movie called "Letters to Santa" (actually, it called something in Polish, but that is the English translation). The movie follows the lives of different families and individuals as their paths intertwine on Christmas Eve, and I highly recommend it. This next weekend, I will be choosing the Friday movie, so make sure to stop by our Mayfield if you're free on Friday night. More information about that will be available in the Wednesday blog post.

On Saturday, one of my best friends came in town, so I spent the afternoon showing her around downtown Nashville. If you want some of the best food you've ever eaten (and at an affordable price), check out Demos' Steak and Spaghetti House. 

Also on Saturday, I finally got a chance to catch up on two of my favorite TV shows, Suits and Dr. Who. I won't ruin the episodes for anyone who hasn't seen them, but you should really watch them! They're awesome. How I Met Your Mother and Once Upon a Time start back later this month, so be sure to check those out as well.

Today, I worked on homework, but I also attended Mass at the Cathedral of the Incarnation and afterwards went to Sunday Supper at the Frassatti House, home of University Catholic. Sunday Supper is always open to anyone, regardless of religious belief, so feel free to stop by and eat with us between 6 and 7:30 p.m. on Sunday evenings. 

In a few minutes, I'm headed out to a Midnight Worship birthday party. For anyone who doesn't know, Midnight Worship is a Christian worship group who meets on the steps of Wyatt on Tuesday nights at 11:30 (yes, I know, not quite midnight) to sing songs and pray. Anyone is welcome to join! 

Well, that's my weekend in a rather large nutshell. Until next time, goodnight, everybody!

What Week is It?

GAME WEEK!

Hi! It's Nell! I'll explain Game Week in a second. :) For now, I'll let you know what Mayfield 2 will be doing on Friday night! As my fellow housemate mentioned Sunday, this Sunday, Luke will be playing with the orchestra at Blair in Ingram Hall. The concert will start at 8 pm! We've gone to a lot of these concerts, and they are always a treat.

Afterwards, we will be returning to our Mayfield to watch a movie together. There will be popcorn for anyone who wants to join in. The movie we are watching is a Polish Christmas movie called Listy do M. (Letters to S.) that came out last year. Yes, that was my pick. :) There will be subtitles, no worries! So please stop by our safe haven if you want something fun to do. It'll probably start around 10 or 10:30 pm, depending on the time the concert ends (estimated around 10).

GAME WEEK! Being the manager of the Spirit of Gold Marching Band, a lot of my time during the week is dedicated to sitting in the band office and helping out behind the scenes. It's been getting busy, but this week is an important one, because there is a football game on Saturday at Vandy! This week, we will be playing against Presbyterian College at 11:30 AM! (Morning games are nice.) If you feel like tailgating by the stadium, and if you want to see the team going into the stadium, the parade at Star Walk begins at 10:00 AM. No matter when you start your Game Day, you should go to the game and stay to watch the halftime shown! :D What are we performing? Well, you can come and see!

Those are the things I know for sure I'll be going to. I wish I could go to the movie that the Russian Film Series will be showing in Buttrick 102. It is called The Diamond Arm. It will be in Russian, so this weekend is perfect if you love international movies, so it seems! It's a comedy, and they'll be starting the movie at 7 pm! I'd go if I could.

One other thing! Shakespeare in the Park is still going on this weekend! It's Much Ado About Nothing, and it starts at 7:30 pm, but there is some pre-show stuff going on at 6:30 pm. I might go this Saturday, and you should go if you haven't had the chance yet! It's still in Centennial Park, so why not give it a whirl?

Also, all of these events are free! Well, the football game is free for students, at least. I hope to see you there, or in our Mayfield! Nell logging out.

EDIT: There also seems to be a Tongue 'n' Cheek show going on tonight! What's Tongue 'n' Cheek? Well, they are our lovely comedic improv troupe on campus, and yes, they are wonderful! The show is free, at 7:30 pm tonight (Friday, 14 September). And as always, they are indeed performing at Sarratt Cinema!

Therefore, lots and lots of choices! Good luck!

This is my creative title

Hi! This is Luke Miksanek, and it seems that I have the honor of setting a precedent for the weekend reflection blog posts that will appear here every Sunday for the entire 2012-13 school year.

Of all the event listings that John painstakingly chronicled last week, I went to one of them: the screening of Carmen (1915) hosted at the Blair School of Music by professors Joy H. Calico and Paul Young. This event was very entertaining and informative; Vandy students and the general public are so fortunate to have access to such enriching programs at no charge.

In case this Wednesday's blog poster drops the ball, I would like to offer my shameless plug for this season's first Vanderbilt Orchestra and Vanderbilt Wind Symphony joint concert, at 8pm on September 14th at Blair. The Orchestra will be playing the greatest work ever composed for symphony orchestra - Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov's Scheherazade - and none other than yours truly will be featured at the back of the second violin section. Mark your calenders!

Meet the Crew

Welcome to Mayfield 2's lovely blog! 

For those of you who may not know what a Mayfield is: Mayfields are Living Learning Communities at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN. Ten people share one house and work on a year-long project together. This project can be absolutely anything, from helping children learn how to read, to learning about cultures and foods around the world, to raising awareness of a religion, and so on!

Our project focuses on the atypical student at Vanderbilt. We are Defying Gravity: Challenging the Vandy Stereotype. We want our fellow students to recognize the large variety of activities one can be involved in, and more importantly, to understand that there are other people who want to meet them and learn about who they truly are. Sometimes, students become overwhelmed by choices across campus or the new lifestyle college brings. At other times, they simply do not feel comfortable. We are here to show that no matter who you are, you do belong. You do not have to change.

This blog will discuss specifically what social life at Vanderbilt is like. We want to bring awareness to alcohol-free events. Every Wednesday, one member from our group will talk about what there is to do on campus this weekend. More importantly, they will be sharing what Mayfield 2 will be doing over the weekend so that people who may want a safe haven can join! Every Sunday, another member will reflect upon the weekend. 

Who are we? For one, we are all in the Class of 2014. Besides that, though, our interests, classes, and backgrounds are completely different from one another, although there are five Tennesseans among us. As for the rest, why don't you find out? :)

• Samantha Cubbage - I'm a political science and secondary education major. Someday, I'll revolutionize the public education system, but for right now, I happily work part-time at a call center. When I'm not studying or raising money for Vanderbilt, I'm probably reading, eating an oreo-pudding parfait, or catching up with a friend. If it's a really good day, I'm doing all three.
• Lindsey Franklyn - I'm from Murfreesboro, TN, which is thirty minutes east away from Nashville. I am a Chemistry major on the pre-med path. I'm very engaged in my Catholic faith and enjoy discussing it with others. 
• Rachael Honigfort - You won't actually be hearing from me this semester because I am in France, but I am tall and from St. Louis. I love cats, reading, and traveling, and I throw a mean backhand on Vanderbilt's women's ultimate frisbee team, Vudu.
• Bryce Hostetler - I'm from a small town in Arkansas called Berryville.  To my great surprise, there are actually people who have heard of it before.  I am majoring in Religious Studies and am amazed how ignorant I was--and how ignorant I still am.  I love Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and would like to reach black belt level in it.  Other than that, I'm a pretty laid-back guy.
• Nell Koneczny - I grew up three hours east of Nashville in a Polish household in little Maryville, TN. Due to my absolute fascination with culture, I am an anthropology and European studies double major who intends to become a Holocaust professor. Aside from that, I love to be nerdy, and music is my other life. :)
• Katie Krog - The middle child in a typically large Irish Catholic family, I was born and raised in Memphis, TN. I discovered my passion for writing through my fight with cancer at the age of nine, and I now manage the news section of The Vanderbilt Hustler and blog when I'm not studying Spanish or Neuroscience. 
• Jacob Lamberth - From a small town just north of Nashville, your typical Jacob can be found spending his free time pondering the great mysteries of the world via the written word.  He can also be found doing far less pretentious things, such as fencing (saber, for those in the know), juggling, and otherwise causing smiles across campus for those patient enough to put up with his antics. 
• Luke Miksanek - I'm from Rochester, MN. As a violinist, I'm majoring in Musical Arts at the Blair School of Music. But despite this, I love looking for new things to do all around campus.
• Xaralambos Papadatos - Hailing from the oft spoken land of myth and mystery known as The Bronx, New York, I am the sole inhabitant of this Mayfield currently in the School of Engineering (The Lone Range-ineer?). I read comic books, preferably anything involving The Question and play video games in my spare time, but I'm also a member of a couple of martial art clubs here at Vanderbilt. 
• John Sims-Jones - I live about an hour northwest from here in Clarksville, TN.  I'm an anthropology and Spanish double major.  I'm really into music, especially 90's alternative rock (like Local H, which you should check out).  I play guitar and sing in a band about zombies called the Resistance House Band.  Other things I like include soccer, comic books, Dilbert, Zelda, and running.
• Linda Sun - My name is Linda and I'm not cool like my housemates. Just kidding, I am. I'm from Hong Kong, and I've lived in quite a few different places growing up. I'm a Child Studies and Special Ed major. Learning disabilities and Emotional-Behavioral disorders fascinate me. I want to go into psychology and work with 'troubled kids'. I have good comedic timing, by the way.

What's Going On This Weekend?

Hey everyone.  This is John.  Today I have the pleasure of kicking off one of our weekly posts, a summary of events going on at Vanderbilt and in Nashville.

1.  Brazil Week -  Those of you who aren't Spanish or Latin American Studies majors may not be aware that Vanderbilt is currently celebrating "Brazil Week."  If you get out of classes early, at 9:30 a.m. this Friday there will be a presentation on education in Brazil at the Wyatt Center, 050-3.  Then at 12:30 p.m. there will be a demonstration of traditional Brazilian martial arts dance on the Commons Center Lawn.

2.  Live Music -  Given that this is Music City, I thought I'd list some of the live music events going on this weekend.

This Friday at 3rd and Lindsley, Jonell Mosser will be performing.  You can get tickets here.  I highly recommend checking out this site every now and then or signing up for their mailing list.  They get the word out about concerts a lot sooner than most other sites I've seen, and their service fees are a lot more reasonable than Ticketmaster.  Anyway, here's what Jonell Mosser sounds like:

Also, this Friday at Exit/In (my favorite local venue) the band Turbo Fruits are holding a record release show with Ranch Ghost, King Carl, and Fox Fun.  If you're into garage rock, this is going to be a cool concert.  I've seen Ranch Ghost before, and they put on a good show.  You can get more info here.

You can also check out Grammy award winner Don Schlitz this Friday at the famous Bluebird Cafe.  Schlitz is an extremely talented songwriter whose songs have been recorded by artists like Kenny Rogers, Randy Travis, and Alison Krauss.  Keep in mind that in addition to the $10 cover charge, patrons of the Bluebird Cafe are also expected to purchase at least $7 of food/beverages.

This Saturday at 12th and Porter, bluegrass band the Travelin McCourys are playing.  You can buy tickets here. Here's what the band sounds like:

If electronic dance music is more your thing, Archnemesis is playing at Exit/In on Saturday.

If budget and transportation are an issue, you might want to swing by Centennial Park this Saturday for Musicians Corner, which features a variety of local artists.  Acoustic performances start at 2:30 p.m., with the main acts beginning at 3:00.

Finally, if you own a car and really want to get out of Nashville this weekend, Clarksville is holding their annual Riverfest on Friday and Saturday.  In addition to two days of free live music, there's also good food, vendors, and various contests throughout the day to keep you busy.  I mainly mention this because my band's playing in it, but the rest of the event's really cool too.  You can get more info at their official website.

3.  This Friday and Saturday, Bridgestone Arena is hosting PBR, which is the unfortunate acronym for the Professional Bull Riders competition.  Tickets range from $10.50 to $102.50 (for all you hardcore bull riding fans out there).

This would be a pretty good slogan for Pabst Blue Ribbon too.

4.  There will be a screening of the movie Carmen (1915) this Sunday at the Steve and Judy Turner Recital Hall in Blair.  This event is free to the public and will last from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.  If you're interested in seeing a movie this weekend, the Belcourt theater is also a great place to go.  This weekend, Belcourt will be hosting several outdoor film screenings as part of their Flicx program.  From 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, they'll be showing It's Always Fair Weather.  Later, from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., they'll be showing Abbot and Costello Meet Frankenstein.  On Sunday from 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. they're showing Beasts of the Southern Wild.  A word of caution (not related to this weekend's movies): as an independent movie theater, sometimes the Belcourt shows movies that are more disturbing, violent, sexual, etc. than what you'll see in your average cinema.  If that's something you're uncomfortable with, you might want to check out IMDB's content advisory before spending money on a ticket.

5.  This Saturday you can go to Centennial Park to see a performance of Much Ado About Nothing.  The play starts at 6:30 and is free to the public.

6.  This Friday, from 11:30 p.m. to 1:00 p.m., LGBTQI life is hosting a barbecue.  They have vegan and vegetarian options available, and they'll also be providing Ben and Jerry's ice cream.  If you're interested in joining the organization or want to know what other resources are available for LGBTQI students, this is a good event to go to.

7.  Finally, this Sunday from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., the Juggling and Physical Arts Club is hosting an open house at the Commons Multipurpose Room.  One of our project members, Jacob, is part of this club, so you should drop by to say hello!

Well, I think that about wraps it up for this week.  If you know of anything that should be on here, please let us know and we'll update it.  Have a good weekend!