Year: 2024

Why Vanderbilt Will Play Texas for the First Time in Nearly a Century: A New Era of Commercialized College Sports

Why Vanderbilt Will Play Texas for the First Time in Nearly a Century: A New Era of Commercialized College Sports

Art Wager via iStock In October 1928, the Vanderbilt Commodores football team edged the University of Texas Longhorns 13-12 for what would be the last time they played each other in nearly 100 years. They are finally slated to cross paths again on October 26th, 2024. While this matchup may seem strange, there’s a reason why the two teams are now playing again after nearly a century spent apart - money. In 2021, the University of Texas and the University of Oklahoma stunned the college sports world by announcing their intentions to leave the Big 12 and join the SEC…
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The Consolidation of Online Streaming

The Consolidation of Online Streaming

mphillips007 via iStockPhoto The way we watch TV and movies is changing. Before the 1980s, only broadcast TV existed. This free, ad-supported television broadcasted to homes and typically included three-to-four national and two-to-three local channels. Next, cable was invented, and for a monthly subscription, users could access hundreds of channels and additional content for a paid subscription.  The Shift to Streaming  As recently as 2016, almost 100 million homes had cable TV. Then, streaming emerged, significantly changing how we consume TV and movies. When streaming started to dominate, the first main platform was Netflix (founded as a movie rental platform…
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Vanderbilt Student Employment: On vs. Off Campus Jobs

Vanderbilt Student Employment: On vs. Off Campus Jobs

vicky_81 via iStockPhoto Vanderbilt is a unique combination of a connected campus community that is still in the heart of Nashville with access to all of its resources and opportunities. This intersection affects many aspects of student life, including student employment. Vanderbilt creates many opportunities for campus employment while also providing easy access to job openings in the greater Nashville area through Vanderbilt’s student employment portal “Hire a Dore.”  With the multitude of possibilities to consider, breaking down the pros and cons of on- and off-campus employment can help prospective student workers navigate the process. Off-Campus Jobs:   When considering off-campus…
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What Business Should I Start? 2 Ways of Entrepreneurship

What Business Should I Start? 2 Ways of Entrepreneurship

miniseries via iStockPhoto After finishing their curriculum in university, students are offered multiple potential choices, such as joining a company, continuing their education as a graduate student, or pursuing one of the most popular and ambitious choices: embarking on the journey of entrepreneurship. With insights shared by a Kellogg alumnus/search fund owner from Nashville and profound visions from an accomplished consultant, this article will explore two avenues that lead to success in entrepreneurship, which are, respectively, making something new, and making something better. Making Something New Making something new sounds like an empty exercise without a well-formed idea. Here are…
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How Do Students Value Vanderbilt Football Tickets?

How Do Students Value Vanderbilt Football Tickets?

Photo taken by Eva Sinelnikov At Vanderbilt, student section tickets for athletic games are free for undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral students. During the first football game of the season, Vanderbilt's student section was packed. The demand of spirited Commodores greatly exceeded the supply of student seating, therefore sections P and Q had to be closed off. However, as the season goes on, the demand for student seats at football games tends to dwindle. To access student tickets, Vanderbilt students simply go online and download a free ticket to their phone, but what would happen if Vanderbilt began charging for student…
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Realtor Compensation Gets Overhauled: How Does It Affect Nashville?

Realtor Compensation Gets Overhauled: How Does It Affect Nashville?

Feverpitched via iStockPhoto For decades, the National Association of Realtors (NAR), a trade association with over 1.3 million members, has established guidelines for structuring compensation for realtors representing homebuyers and sellers during most home sales in the United States, However, on August 17th, 2024, new NAR practices went into effect following a settlement between the NAR and a class of plaintiffs across the United States. In the antitrust lawsuit, plaintiffs asserted that the NAR’s guidelines for compensating realtors were anticompetitive and increased home prices through compensation structures that shared commissions between the realtors of homebuyers and home sellers.  How have…
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Is CAVA the next Chipotle?

Is CAVA the next Chipotle?

Photo taken by Jeremy Rosenkranz Background & History With Campus Dining receiving lots of backlash in the first few weeks of the 2024-2025 school year, many students are opting to dine at the multitude of popular chain restaurants surrounding the campus. The most notable of these chains are CAVA and Chipotle, restaurants which specialize in bringing quality ingredients to fast-casual dining. Although their respective cuisines are very different (Chipotle being Mexican while Cava is Mediterranean), the two restaurants have both developed cult-like fan bases, strong social media presences, and have investors throwing money at them. When Chipotle was founded in…
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The Evolving World: Music and Artificial Intelligence

The Evolving World: Music and Artificial Intelligence

Devrimb via iStockPhoto One good thing that came out of the COVID pandemic was the increase in the understanding and development of technology, specifically artificial intelligence. Generative AI, such as ChatGPT, became popular overnight. An example is programs that create music based on different inputs or examples provided to the AI. This resulted in a large earthquake — a disturbance — in the music industry. One example is the Blair School of Music at Vanderbilt University, in which students dedicate the entirety of their time as an undergraduate working towards a degree in music. As a result, these students are…
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Crypto at Vanderbilt: The Rise of VandyBlockchain

Crypto at Vanderbilt: The Rise of VandyBlockchain

Image provided by Abhay Khanna for use in this article Whether it’s through Bitcoin’s raging bull markets or through various memecoins like Dogecoin or Shiba Inu, cryptocurrencies have frequently made their way into the headlines  over the last ten years. A key factor in catalyzing this “crypto gold rush” is blockchain  technology: a decentralized public ledger used for transparent information sharing and transaction recording. In simpler terms, a big magic notebook everyone can write in and see, but nobody can edit.  VandyBlockchain Origins The rise of blockchain technology has expanded its impact far beyond just the financial world, reaching academic…
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