Gun violence at the forefront
Tragedy struck early and persisted throughout 2023. A Jan. 23 shooting in Monterey Park, Calif., killed 11 people in a predominately Asian community, sparking national concerns over anti-Asian hate and a Vanderbilt faculty-led panel on gun violence.
College campuses were not immune to this rise in gun violence. Three students were killed at Michigan State University, one professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and three professors at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas in February, August and December, respectively, while several were injured at shootings at Morgan State and Bowie State Universities within a week in October.
In November, a Belmont University first-year passed away a day after being “accidentally” shot in the Edgehill neighborhood, mere minutes from Vanderbilt’s campus. These incidents sparked powerful reflections about the potential to fall victim to yet another school shooting.
Gun violence tore through the Vanderbilt community in March at The Covenant School — just four miles away from Vanderbilt. The university, elected officials and the Vanderbilt community came together to grieve and honor the lives lost, but you also turned your sadness and anger into action. Vanderbilt students working with March for Our Lives and Students Demand Action organized a city-wide walkout on April 3, bringing together over 7,000 students and community members to advocate for gun reform. One year later, 13,000 community members came together to form a four-mile-long human chain commemorating the lives lost in the shooting and calling for gun reform.
LEFT: Jayce Pollard and other Vanderbilt students speak, as photographed on April 3, 2023. (Hustler Multimedia/Amelia Simpson) | RIGHT: Two children holding Voices for a Safer Tennessee signs cheer on passing by cars honking in solidarity, as photographed on March 31, 2024. (Hustler Multimedia/Alysa Suleiman)
These efforts were not in vain — in the weeks following repeated protests, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee signed legislation to strengthen background check requirements for firearm purchases and call for red flag laws. Despite the devastation, you remained hopeful: You expressed cautious optimism about President Joe Biden’s then-new national Office of Gun Violence Prevention and urged Vanderbilt to leverage its power to protect our nation’s future teachers.
Gov. Lee again made national headlines on April 26 when he signed into law a bill allowing teachers and school staff to be armed in school buildings and public campuses throughout Tennessee.
Protest and advocacy
Calling for stronger gun safety laws was only the beginning of your advocacy and activism. When “Tennessee Three” Reps. Justin Jones (D – Nashville), Justin Pearson (D – Memphis) and Gloria Johnson (D – Knoxville) joined the April 3 protesters in calls for gun control, and the former two were expelled from the Tennessee House, you led protests in support of their reinstatement.
When the Tennessee General Assembly convened in August to address gun violence, you protested proposed bills calling for additional firearms to be placed in schools. In October, you traveled to the grand opening of the headquarters of Smith & Wesson — the nation’s largest gun manufacturer — in Maryville, Tenn., to denounce the organization’s “irresponsible practices and demand accountability.”
Rep. Justin Pearson speaks to the media, as photographed on April 6, 2023. (Hustler Staff/Katherine Oung)
Activism over the Israeli-Palestinian conflict intensified dramatically following Hamas’s Oct. 7 attacks that sparked an Israeli declaration of war. First, you mourned at a vigil for Israeli lives lost and at a community prayer for Palestinian lives lost.
Then, you protested — some in support of Israel, others decrying the humanitarian crisis unfolding in Gaza. Your advocacy took different forms, including rallies outside Rand Dining Hall, banners around campus, exhibits in Fleming Yard and posters at the Divinity School. Demonstrations extended beyond campus, too. You frequented protests at Centennial Park and downtown Nashville and traveled to Washington, D.C., for a national March for Israel.
As protests increased, so did hate-based incidents. As early as March, the nearby Sylvan Park neighborhood was vandalized with swastikas and hate speech. The following month, the Blair School of Music was also vandalized with an antisemitic symbol and homophobic language. Muslim and Jewish students on campus reported an increase in Islamophobic and antisemitic incidents on campus in the wake of the conflict in Gaza and urged administrators to take action. In February 2024, a group of neo-Nazis marched the streets of downtown Nashville, sparking universal condemnation from the Vanderbilt community.
A few days later, Vanderbilt Divest Coalition submitted a petition to Vanderbilt Student Government titled “Divest VSG from genocide.” This petition was a response to the war in Gaza and frustrations with the administration’s stance of principled neutrality. Despite being scheduled to go to a vote on March 25 after a petition in its favor gained 600 student signatures, university administrators removed the proposition from the ballot over spring break due to Tennesee’s anti-BDS law. After organizing a week-long “Apartheid Wall” exhibit outside Rand Hall, VDC rushed into Kirkland Hall protesting the university’s cancellation of the student body vote on the VSG BDS amendment.
The 22-hour protest resulted in a journalist and four students arrested, three students expelled, one suspended and 22 with disciplinary probations.
LEFT: Students stand in Fleming Yard with signs in support of Israel, as photographed on Oct. 27, 2023. (Hustler Multimedia/Barrie Barto) | MIDDLE: Student protestors remain at steps of Kirkland Hall after sit-in broken up inside building, as photographed on March 27, 2024. (Hustler Multimedia/Josh Rehders) | RIGHT: Eli Motycka, a Nashville Scene reporter gets arrested by VUPD on Vanderbilt Campus, as photographed on March 26, 2024. (Hustler Multimedia/Josh Rehders)
In the days following, you organized walkouts in support of expelled students and protested at Anchor Day as Vanderbilt’s newest class visited campus. VSG, faculty, alumni, students and even city council members organized petitions and wrote letters to university administrators in response to the protests. As you all took to writing about freedom of expression on campus and disciplinary consequences for protestors, we sat down with the Chancellor for his first interview with students since the Kirkland sit-in.
On campus, students advocated for VUceptors, graduate students, and staff members: VUceptors voted in favor of award-style compensation, A&S graduate student stipends increased by up to nearly 8%, the Student Health Insurance Plan added dental and vision coverage and students launched the Dores Worker Solidarity Network.
New technology emerges — and sparks controversy
In 2023, ChatGPT and AI took the world by storm. In response to the shooting at Michigan State, an administrator of Peabody College’s Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion sent a message to students of condolence and support written by ChatGPT, inciting sharp criticism from the Vanderbilt — and global — communities. Two of the office’s deans temporarily stepped back while an investigation was underway but were reinstated just under two months later, with some expressing support and arguing that we have lost the ability to separate people from their mistakes.
In March 2024, the university announced the creation of a fifth college, the College of Connected Computing, with programs in computer science, AI and data science. That same month, reports arose of a potential new Vanderbilt business campus in West Palm Beach, Florida, with graduate opportunities particularly at the intersection of finance and computer science.
Vanderbilt responded to higher education changes
The U.S. Supreme Court banned race-based affirmative action in June, forcing schools — including Vanderbilt — to revise their admissions policies. Chancellor Daniel Diermeier reaffirmed Vanderbilt’s commitment to diversity, which the Office of Undergraduate Admissions has been working to uphold at Vanderbilt while adhering to the new laws. During the summer of 2023, the university also began decentralizing its equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging efforts to streamline student and community support.
At the start of the 2023-24 academic year, U.S. News released its annual university rankings, dropping Vanderbilt five places to No. 18 — its lowest ranking since 2009. University officials vehemently denounced the change in U.S. News methodology that contributed to many universities shifting ranks, calling the new system “incompetent.” Students criticized Vanderbilt’s response to dropping in rank.
Despite the post-rankings frenzy, Vanderbilt’s admissions rates continued to decline — the university hit record low acceptance rates of 15.2% for early decision I and II and 3.7% for regular decision for the Class of 2028.
Vanderbilt, following the University of Chicago, became the second school to agree to settle an antitrust lawsuit alleging they colluded with other top universities to limit student financial aid in November 2023. A February 2024 court filing revealed Vanderbilt’s settlement amount as $55 million — the most of any university so far. Amid the news of the lawsuit, the university announced an expansion of Opportunity Vanderbilt, guaranteeing full-tuition scholarships to all students with family incomes below $150,000.
You engaged with familiar ideas in new ways
Amid violence, protest and controversy, Vanderbilt piloted the Dialogue Vanderbilt initiative to promote free speech and civil discourse on campus, which Diermeier has often cited as the reason for better campus civility compared to peer institutions.
As part of Dialogue Vanderbilt, the university hosted its inaugural Free Speech Week and curated a lineup of Open Dialogue Visiting Fellows to speak on the initiative’s inaugural theme, “What is College For?" Administrative emphasis on free speech, civil discourse and principled neutrality raised concerns among community members on the distinction between free speech and hate speech, particularly following conservative political commentator Michael Knowles’s visit to campus in November.
LEFT: Michael Knowles speaks on the podium, as captured on Nov. 28, 2023. (Hustler Multimedia/George Albu) | RIGHT: Photograph of Monica Lewinsky speaking with audience members in the foreground, as photographed on April 10, 2024. (Hustler Multimedia/George Albu)
Even before the official launch of Dialogue Vanderbilt, debates ensued on campus: Vanderbilt College Republicans hosted discourse over affirmative action and gender-affirming care for transgender minors — sparking backlash from students and campus organizations, while the university hosted a forum for discussion on university TikTok bans.
The university hosted several high-profile visitors during the 2023-24 school year, including Me Too Movement founder Tarana Burke; “New Girl” actor Max Greenfield; Nobel Prize in Physics winner Carl Wieman; former MSNBC host Melissa Harris-Perry; former U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney; Rabbi David Wolpe; journalist Anne Applebaum; religious scholar Don Abram; journalist Anderson Cooper; comedian Ziwe Fumudoh; activist Monica Lewinsky; author James Patterson; and Muslim Public Affairs Council President Salam Al-Marayati.
Zoe Abel, 2023-24 Opinion Editor
✦ WEITZEL: Teaching healed me, but Vanderbilt owes its teachers so much more
In the wake of devastating gun violence that shattered our community, I found myself at a loss for words. Noah’s profoundly personal expression of grieving and moving forward deeply resonated with me — I continue to think about Noah’s words months later. Wounds heal with time, Noah tells us, but our fight to remain safe in school will continue.
Kate Connell, Spring 2024 Managing Editor and Fall 2023 Podcast Director
✦ Hot Girl Tech: Guess the CS major
Podcasts are special because of their ability to integrate creativity into audio that creates a conversation that involves the listener. In this episode of Hot Girl Tech, Vienna Parnell and Soha Bhutta take creativity to a whole new level, crafting an episode to which I consistently go back for inspiration. Their support of women in computer science and technology is something that makes their podcast notable, especially for students here at Vanderbilt.
Jorie Fawcett, Spring 2024 Editor-in-Chief, Fall 2023 Managing Editor, Spring 2023 Life Editor
✦ ABEL: In case I die in a school shooting
I can’t read this piece without tearing up. As an education major, I have read the horrifying headlines of school shootings from the classroom as a student and from the sidelines as a pre-service teacher. Reading Opinion Editor Zoe Abel’s piece stuck with me because it was heartbreakingly unique. Her piece led me to think about my future and safety in the classroom — an unfortunate reality for educators everywhere.
Claire Gatlin, 2023-24 Life Editor
✦ Nolensville Pike: Celebrating Music City’s Hispanic heritage
As the Life Editor, much of the work I edit centers around campus life and events. Pieces that step outside of the Vanderbubble and examine student life outside of campus confines often offer unique perspectives. I love that this piece brings students, faculty and community members together to shed light on an important part of Nashville — Nolensville Pike and the city’s Latinx culture.
Aaditi Lele, 2023-24 Editorials Director and Spring 2023 News Editor
✦ STAFF EDITORIAL: Vanderbilt, it’s past time to step up our crisis communication
As reporters and editors, we spent the year writing about various crises — from shootings to intruders — in and around our campus. I’m particularly proud of this piece because our Editorial Board wrote it collectively, and it allowed us to leverage our position at The Hustler to push the university toward safety.
Katherine Oung, 2023-24 Data Director and Spring 2023 Managing Editor
✦ What is a midterm?
Many Vanderbilt students express that every week feels like “midterm week.” The Data and News section collaborated on this feature piece, using statistical analysis to explore how testing really works for our undergrads. We analyzed when midterms are, what kinds of midterms are administered and how much they impact students’ grade by collecting over 240 syllabi across all of the university’s colleges. We also gathered testimonials from both students and faculty.
Rachael Perrotta, Spring 2024 Senior Advisor and 2023 Editor-in-Chief
✦ LETTER FROM THE EDITOR: As a reporter, I’m begging you to pay attention
Even weeks after the Covenant School shooting and amid subsequent community and political action surrounding gun laws, I was still paralyzed by my horrifically unique perspective as a reporter during tragedy in my community. Writing this piece helped me to shine a light on the often unspoken trauma experienced by journalists covering tragedy; process my feelings and grief; and inspire Vanderbilt community members to think critically about issues surrounding them.
Brina Ratangee, 2023-24 News Editor
✦ Inside Kirkland Hall: Vanderbilt Divest Coalition protestors report ‘inhumane’ treatment amid student suspensions and arrest of reporter
Despite being denied press access to Kirkland Hall, my fellow editors were able to source information from the inside and present to the Vanderbilt community — and eventually the nation — the real, raw experiences of student protesters during their 21-hour sit-in. The Hustler’s comprehensive and detailed reporting here, in addition to serving as a vital source of information for students and faculty alike, was on par with professional-level journalism and set a high precedent of coverage for other student papers as similar sit-ins arose across universities nationally and internationally.
Josh Rehders, Spring 2024 Photo Director
✦ IN PHOTOS: Nashville community rallies downtown, at Fisk University after Covenant School shooting
I was abroad in the spring of 2023, so there weren’t many stories to which I paid close attention since I was not on campus. That said, Former Photography Director Barrie Barto, Staff Photographer Amelia Simpson, Deputy Social Media Director Nikita Rohila and Data Director Katherine Oung put together an incredibly moving coverage of rallies around the Nashville area that has stuck with me to this day — and received first place for Best Photo Package from the College Media Association.
Andrew Wilf, 2023-24 Sports Editor
✦ Hard work and rewards: the student managers of Vanderbilt Baseball
I was privileged to highlight the VandyBoys student managers in April. The five managers are the Commodores’ unsung heroes and are critical to the day-to-day operations of Tim Corbin’s successful program.
Two majors, three minors added to the College of Arts & Science amid discussions over academic pressure and growth
Student advocacy efforts led to the creation of a major and minor in Asian American and Asian diaspora studies, which added a Korean concentration last fall. Two other minors were announced: Spanish for the professions, available beginning last fall, and political economy, available in Fall 2024.
It was announced that the American Studies major will be renamed and expanded to culture, advocacy and leadership effective Fall 2024. Other departments, including HOD, communication studies, political science and CSET, implemented changes to allow for greater schedule flexibility and fewer program requirements.
A&S also received 70% faculty approval, enough to move forward with a new College Core curriculum, which piloted classes as College Scholars honors seminars in spring 2023. The new Core, said to be “more intentional, flexible and intuitive” than AXLE, will go into effect as early as Fall 2024.
During the year, many of you reflected on your academic growth, with students rewriting their Common App essays, quitting pre-graduate tracks and discussing academic perfectionism. Students also advocated for learning new languages and better engineering advising, as well as argued against Vanderbilt’s GPA system. Students wrote about how Vanderbilt isn’t perfect and imposter syndrome but found that they definitely belong.
Six restaurants added, eight partners removed from Taste of Nashville
Ben & Jerry’s, Velvet Taco and Sushi 88 joined the Taste of Nashville program in Spring 2023, while The Ainsworth (now known as TMRW Social House) and Cabana Taps were removed. Nicoletto’s Italian Kitchen closed its Hillsboro location over the summer, much to students’ dismay. At the start of Fall 2023, Koi Sushi and Thai, Shokku Ramen and Velvet Taco left the program, though the Velvet Taco owner expressed interest in rejoining in 2024 after amending its Taste of Nashville food and beverage policy. During the Spring 2024 semester, Nada and Cafe Coco left the program, while Yaki House and Two Boots Pizza joined in February and April, respectively.
Three students were featured on TV game shows
Seniors Rohit Kataria and Jackson Jones, both former Jeopardy! Teen Tournament contestants, took to the screen to compete again in the Jeopardy! High School Reunion Tournament. Meanwhile, fan-favorite senior Cory Wurtenberger became the youngest of 16 houseguests to compete on season 25 of “Big Brother” and reflected on the experience.
You appreciated 84 concerts in Music City
Music City was alive in 2023 and 2024, featuring concerts with Morgan Wallen, John Mayer, Hozier, Olivia Rodrigo and Beyoncé, among others. Hustler staffers covered 84 concerts, spanning genres from pop, rock, country and more. Gen Z artists like GAYLE, Chance Peña and David Kushner made a name for themselves across Nashville.
LEFT: Olivia Rodrigo poses in front of her projection on screen, as photographed on March 9, 2024. (Hustler Multimedia/Abby Hoelscher) | MIDDLE: Alex Turner plays guitar and sings at Ascend Amphitheater, as captured on Sept. 12, 2023 (Hustler Multimedia/Josh Rehders) | RIGHT: Photograph of Amelia Day from her right side while illuminated by a pink spotlight, as photographed on April 17, 2024. (Hustler Multimedia/George Albu)
This year, you also heard from several artists on the rise. Fizz discussed their first album drop, Declan McKenna shared advice for aspiring musicians and Vanderbilt senior Amelia Day shared what inspired her EP “Little One.” You also heard from pop's newest stars, like Reneé Rapp discussing “Snow Angel,” her debut album.
Four Taylor Swift headliners
Taylor Swift has made her mark on music, Nashville and football during 2023 and 2024. The Hustler took a trip around Nashville to explore the city from the lens of Swift’s lyrics. The Eras Tour also came to Nashville on May 5, taking Swifties on a journey through all the Eras, while also announcing “Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)” that same night. For those who couldn’t see the Era’s Tour in person, the movie “The Era’s Tour: Taylor Swift” might be able to still fulfill all of your “wildest dreams.”
Taylor Swift performs “Cruel Summer” on stage while standing on a platform, as photographed on May 5, 2023. (Hustler Multimedia/Sara West)
Taylor also released “1989 (Taylor’s Version)” on Oct. 27, 2023 and “The Tortured Poets Department” on April 19, 2024, which we jumped to cover..
You took a tour of Nashville with nineteen Hustler guides
Through nineteen in-depth lists and guides, you learned how to stay organized, de-stress your life and purchased affordable textbooks. You left campus to study, hike, enjoy fine dining, work out, have a sweet treat and thrift shop.
You celebrated the year with music and dance
Many of the student performances in 2023 and 2024 showcased the diversity of cultures on Vanderbilt’s campus.
The Association of Latin American Students held its annual Café con Leche on Oct. 28. Creating a spinoff of “Dancing with the Stars” — “Bailando Con Las Estrellas” — the showcase highlighted Hispanic and Latinx performers at Vanderbilt and guest acts while honoring prominent Latinx celebrities and public figures, particularly Cuban singer Celia Cruz.
SACE hosted The Dances of South Asia showcase on Nov. 4, which included dances, acapella performances and a fashion show. Students also took to the stage to perform as part of various campus dance groups, including Vitality Dance Company, Vanderbilt Momentum Dance Company and Vanderbilt Ballet — the latter of which performed its annual rendition of “The Nutcracker” on Dec. 2.
LEFT: BhangraDores dance to a Bhangra mix, as photographed on Nov. 4, 2023. (Hustler Multimedia/Olivia Noell) | MIDDLE: Billy Flynn (Matthew Marcus) during his first entrance, as captured on April 17, 2024. (Hustler Multimedia/Savannah Walske) | RIGHT: A crowd watches a dance performance at Carnival, as photographed on April 6, 2024. (Hustler Staff/Savannah Walske)
Vanderbilt’s theatrical student organizations also hosted various musicals throughout 2023 and 2024. The Original Cast performed student-crafted shows such as “Curtain Call” and “Codependency,” while Vanderbilt Off-Broadway put on "Heathers" and “Chicago.”
In Spring 2024, annual events like Carnival and Harambee brought together the beauty of music and dance. New showcases, including VIDA’s “Dancing With the ‘Dores,” brought in students from across campus to learn and share a new skill: Latin dance.
Victories (and turnover) on the court, alley and course
After an impressive 2022-23 season which included a deep SEC Tournament run and wins against Tennessee, Auburn and Kentucky, the Vanderbilt men’s basketball team lost their magic in the 2023-24 season. Aside from a buzzer-beater from Ezra Manjon against Texas A&M, the Commodores were ultimately humbled in SEC play. Vanderbilt ultimately parted ways with Jerry Stackhouse after the season. The Hustler explained why Stackhouse and Vanderbilt should part ways a few months before it occurred. Stackhouse is replaced by Mark Byington. Byington has already reshaped Vanderbilt’s roster via the transfer portal.
LEFT: Ezra Manjon attempts a shot against Texas A&M, as photographed on Feb. 13, 2023. (Hustler Multimedia/Nikita Rohila) | RIGHT: Vanderbilt celebrates during their game against Columbia during the First Four of the NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Championship, as photographed on March 20, 2024. (Hustler Multimedia/Josh Rehders)
Shea Ralph and the Vanderbilt women’s basketball team had an impressive season, which was marked by an NCAA Tournament appearance for the first time in 10 years. Behind the leadership of Jordyn Cambridge and Bella Lachance, the Commodores reshaped their trajectory and landed Mikayla Blakes on signing day.
Vanderbilt Bowling continued to dominate in 2023, led by National Player of the Year Mabel Cummins and Coach of the Year John Williamson. The Commodores overcame adversity and won their third-ever national championship in Las Vegas.
On the golf course, Gordon Sargent caught fire in 2023 when he shined at the Masters and won the low amateur at the U.S. Open. This fall, he officially earned his PGA TOUR card.
No Omaha, no bowl game
In Football head coach Clark Lea’s third season, the Commodores won just two games. Quarterbacks AJ Swann and Ken Seals were underwhelming and then transferred after the season. Right before the football season, The Hustler created Anchor Analysis, a post-game talk show hosted after every home game. After the season, The Hustler created a 101 for all of Vanderbilt Football’s offseason movements.
Vanderbilt Soccer was led by Amber Nguyen and Rachel Deresky in 2023. The Commodores had star power but did not make it to the SEC Tournament after losing to Tennessee in the season finale.
Five special guests
The Hustler featured several guests on Live From West End in the 2023-24 school year. Athletic director Candice Storey Lee joined the podcast in the fall and gave insight into the Vandy United plan.
Former Hustler sports editor and famous sports talk show host Skip Bayless joined the show this spring and reflected on his Vanderbilt experience. ESPN’s Paul Finebaum and Clark Lea were also key guests on the podcast in 2024. Mark Byington also talked about his aspirations during a lunch with members of The Hustler.
Building Volleyball from the ground up
Head coach Anders Nelson and Vanderbilt Volleyball continued to gear up ahead of their start in the Fall 2025 season. For Nelson, these years are about building.
