F the F Lot
“We’re not a profit-driven group; we’re a break-even group.” –Cliff Joyner, Assistant Vice Chancellor for Real Estate
“The Office of Traffic and Parking sees students as a source of income.”
–College Prowler’s Vanderbilt Off the Record
The Vanderbilt Office of Traffic and Parking holds a special place in the hearts of Vanderbilt students, often right next to the officials at the Vanderbilt-Georgetown Sweet 16 game last March. In discussions with my friends who have run afoul of OTP, the “haterade” flows freely, and perhaps justifiably so. Eager to stand up for an embittered and indignant student body, I infiltrated the September 26th meeting of the Parking Committee in order to strike another blow for freedom through the power of investigative journalism.
According to one of the faculty members at a recent showing of Vanderbilt University Theatre’s (VUT) production of “Keely and Du,” the purpose of the play was to encourage people to think about the abortion debate and find something to respect in all points of view. However, while the play was well-acted and it seemed that the cast and director did all they could to balance the perspectives, the script itself left little room for any kind of fair presentation of the issue it portrayed. Instead the play spends much of its stage time perpetuating common abortion myths and building caricatures of the pro-life movement, with only the two title characters providing any depth or humanity to the story. The complete lack of legitimate discussion on the issues surrounding abortion made this play less of a presentation of the topic addressed and more of a sensationalist drama seeking to demonize one side of the debate.
By now, most students have had the opportunity to go visit the Commons and witness the changing scope of Vanderbilt’s campus. The debate rages, both on campus and in the pages of this publication, over the positives and negatives of Vanderbilt’s new residential college system and how it will change the face of our university. The values and ideas upon which the Commons and ensuing residential colleges are founded will affect many future students of this University, and despite what many on campus would have you believe, that is a good thing.
According to Interim Chancellor Nicholas S. Zeppos, the Commons “will be a place of belonging for all first year students to exchange ideas and together invigorate each other’s minds and imaginations.” This bold vision for Vanderbilt University freshman and, ultimately, the entire undergraduate community, has reached the brink of realization this fall with the opening of the Commons Dining Center, the near-completion of the Dean’s Residence, and the final College Hall, Ingram House. The first major step in the transformation of the Vanderbilt experience as envisioned by former Chancellor Gordon Gee, Zeppos, and the Board of Trust is almost ready to roll. The culmination of years of planning and millions of dollars is upon our campus, yet something seems flawed in what many observers have deemed a positive change for Vanderbilt. 
In the fall of 2008, incoming freshmen will be the first to experience the celebrated and fully functional Commons, a widely anticipated approach to the college experience. However, while the Commons will offer freshman many unique new opportunities, Vanderbilt is taking a step backwards in the area of freshman housing. 
Vanderbilt University carries a great deal of fame with its name. We are consistently ranked among the top 20 universities by U.S. News and World Report. Our athletic program isn’t the best, but at least we’re not Ole Miss. We are even known to have some pretty good parties. The one thing most people don’t know about Vanderbilt is the nature of its cuisine. When applying to Vanderbilt, the various aspects of campus dining are shrouded in mystery, but this is to be expected – when prospective students are looking at colleges, the food is the last thing on their minds. Another thing Vanderbilt is not as well known for is its efforts to reduce its environmental impact. The launch of the Vanderbilt Commons and most specifically the Commons Center, where the dining hall is located, seeks to shove both of these issues into the forefront of our university’s image.
With Commons construction almost completed, what began as a vision almost a decade ago has come to fruition. Four new dormitories have been completed and are currently housing students. The five “historic” buildings, as they are now euphemistically called, have all undergone some form of renovation. Only the construction of Dean Wcislo’s house and the behemoth dormitory to be known as Hank Ingram Jr. House remain.
All across our campus these past weeks, in light of the attacks of September 9th, there have been numerous conversations, both formal and informal, regarding the meaning of tolerance. That a tragic event predicated on hate can call us as an entire community to dialog about our core values – both as individuals and as an institution – is an encouraging sign that the moral fabric that binds us is strong. 
Hey, it’s October of the year before an election, and you all know what that means: it’s time for the 427th Democratic Primary Debate! Here’s the transcript of what went down. Keep in mind, everything here was actually said by the person saying it…not quite in this order, but whatever. That’s right…go ‘head on and break ‘em off wit’ a lil’ preview of the REMIX.
