<p>You know, rubio, I decided to ignore your baiting me on the Cotillion (!!??) remarks </p>
<p>I respond because I am interested in the OP and in any families/students realizing that quality of life in Nashville is a big fun plus. I have also lived four times in Atlanta, and I like both New South cities a lot but Nashville has such a relaxed artsy vibe despite its fast economy, big business size.
I agree with MOWC that it is sort of a shame that everyone is realizing how much fun Nashville is and how many creative talents live there now…</p>
<p>Why is Nashville on another level compared to other cities like it? Nashville brilliantly incorporated Davidson County into the city a couple/three decades back and this is one of the reasons they can pull in so many business ventures and work together on problems. If only we could accomplish this where I live now.</p>
<p>since I am a Yankee and married to an even bigger Yankee (sorry, no cotillions here!) and we lived near the Vandy campus for years working in social services and law addressing both medical needs and legal needs…and I have reason to know a lot about what Vandy is doing throughout Nashville in terms of fulfilling its ideals and role in serving its region…Vandy offers leadership and student volunteers in so many meaningful ways in a major USA city. </p>
<p>It is such a joy to me to see the undergraduate school gain breadth in the student body long characteristic of the stellar law school and the wonderful med school and the diverse Div School.</p>
<p>…but I can concede that my description of Gee with his signature bow tie and his ties to the Mormon church where we saw just saw American voters split quite recently (Huckabee and his inexplicable waffling on Evolution vs. Mitt Romney surprised to lose the nomination battle) was lacking in well-described context. America is divided on issues of religion…the fact that Gee was a Mormon, and was not only warmly embraced at Vandy but throughout Nashville…(I have many friends who worked closely with Gee since we are now fiftyish and my former friends are his contemporaries)… in city that at one time was decidedly defined quite narrowly in past decades as the stronghold for mainstream Protestant publication houses (and I recall Billy Graham in my day preaching on the field at Vandy) is Change, is why today’s Vanderbilt is diverse and open and deserves better than the “cotillion” digs from afar. </p>
<p>Many many schools are undergoing big cultural shifts…Vandy’s just was delayed. </p>
<p>I am sure Billy Graham would be most welcome to preach at Vandy today…but Mitt Romney would also find a crowd to address. This transition is something that you have to drive by the closely situated Methodist publishing houses with its Upper Room museum and the Baptist publishing houses to grasp, and you have to see how Nashville as city is also pulling in people from other regions in business as well…so cultural arts expand and religious respect for all has greatly expanded. Vandy is not only interested in recruiting Jewish students who feel happy studying and working there…Vanderbilt’s Divinity School is simply a leader in interdenominational studies. </p>
<p>The Div School was way ahead of the undergrad school and has been a place for many faiths to lead, to debate and to study for years. (When we were there, Al Gore was taking courses in the Div School along with his JD.) I am very happy the Schulman Center is built and on campus, but it is only one reason I like Vandy undergrad more now than twenty years back. I have a close friend here who is Jewish in my hometown now whose sister was simply lonely at Vandy twenty years ago. Last night at a local political fundraiser a guy we are supporting for election is younger than us and a Vandy grad, so we went up to introduce ourselves and talk about the alma mater. We did not know he is Jewish, but he brought up the latest article in the Vandy mag posted here yesterday…and he describes a much refreshed culture at Vandy today in terms of many faiths in the dorms and in the classrooms at work. </p>
<p>Vandy is a player in the scene of selective medium sized schools with top multi cultural students matriculating now…in a friendly city with a great economy and its share of problems to address…and Vanderbilt is a great institution that is highly valued in Nashville, a town with pretty great town/gown relations.</p>