How is East House?

Faline2
Wed, 12 Aug 2015 04:05:03 +0000

Focus on the positive. Relationships with your Resident Faculty member can be so helpful when you apply for things on campus. Stambaugh Faculty person wrote letters of reference for our Vandyson at least five times including for graduate school and for minor appointments to committees he sought to serve on or internships he sought. (He was rejected about 50% of the time…so that is just reality…just stay in the game and pursue things you are interested in on campus). His Stambaugh professor was advisor to his Mayfield House (at their request). And an advisor to another org he was part of on campus. The point is, rather than focusing on the pros and cons of housing, advise your student to focus on People at Vanderbilt. The ones that will help you-- are right in front of you. Even if your freshman seminar is NOT your cup of tea, make sure to fully appreciate your teacher, your RAs and your upperclassman advisors. Son’s freshman seminar was intense with an intense and talented professor who knew a zillion more content on topic than he could ever hope to master. Don’t be intimidated. She also wrote a reference for grad school for him (he sought her out for another course). You do not have to be the “best” in your class at Vanderbilt to ask for a letter or faculty or upperclassmen advice. Embrace the faculty you meet along the way even if you are “average” in talent in a subject. Average at Vandy has new meaning. Yep…East study rooms are smaller and laundry is a hike but you are facing the lawn designed by Stanford White. Look up his story. Did you see the film “Ragtime?” Be glad they tore down the last of the truly grim on campus before this class reported to Vandy. In general the facilities, dining services and neighborhoods around Vandy are very very satisfactory and the envy of many. 18 year olds need a little boost to truly appreciate where they are trodding. Their hearts should rise every time in their chests just a little when they are crossing what was Peabody’s campus. Do they know how many thousands of children and handicapped children have benefited from the graduates of Peabody over generations who are in the vanguard of teaching. I am proud that Vandy puts a premium on producing teachers in a world where so many of America’s young people are in very poorly functioning schools. Put “A Summons to Memphis” and “All the King’s Men” under the tree and help them visualize the great writers who studied and taught at Vandy. As much as Stambaugh was glam and new when Vandyson got there…it had no “stories” to tell yet.