college

Research at Vanderbilt: The Money behind the Innovation

Research at Vanderbilt: The Money behind the Innovation

Totojang via iStockPhoto At Vanderbilt, students are constantly surrounded by the effects of research funding. From posters advertising new breakthroughs, emails detailing newsworthy projects, or even the paragraph-long official titles of professors. The research ecosystem of elite universities like Vanderbilt is constantly publicized. At innovative universities like Vanderbilt, research is a business. With national academic research expenditures totaling more than $75 billion, universities race to obtain maximum funding from as many sources as possible. Research success at universities attracts both students and faculty. Research experience is a critical component of many graduate applications, such as those for medical school and…
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Sportsbetting: A Luxury that Vanderbilt Students Can’t Afford

Sportsbetting: A Luxury that Vanderbilt Students Can’t Afford

sb-borg via iStockPhoto Watching college basketball at night is a longstanding tradition in my house. My dad and I sit in recliners with our eyes glued to the screen while we eat, do work, play with the dog, or do any other nightly activity. On this particular night, we are on the edge of our seats, screaming at the TV… it’s really coming down to the wire. The point guard pulls up a couple feet behind the three point line and misses, but his teammate slams in the rebound at the buzzer! My dad lets out a groan of disbelief…
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Dining Halls: All You Care to Eat vs Retail Dining

Dining Halls: All You Care to Eat vs Retail Dining

Ron Ye Photo Ever wondered why some Vanderbilt students bypass the unlimited plates at the dining hall for a single meal swipe option? Vanderbilt offers two types of dining where students can sit down and enjoy a meal. On the Campus Dining website, the two types are labeled as “Residential Dining Halls” and “Retail Dining”. Residential Dining Halls include Commons, E. Bronson Ingram, Nicholas S. Zeppos, and Rothschild Dining Center. Retail Dining includes 2301 Allergen Free, Kitchen at Kissam, Rand Dining Center, and The Pub at Overcup Oak. The difference? Residential Dining Halls are “all-you-care-to-eat”. At most of these locations,…
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College Football as a Business: Has Commercialization Gone Too Far?

College Football as a Business: Has Commercialization Gone Too Far?

Image via iStock By Madison Keezer It’s a Saturday morning in October. The birds are chirping, the sun is shining, and college students all over the country are dunking their heads in ice water and drinking alcohol for breakfast. College football is an American phenomenon. Even at Vanderbilt, home of the Commodores, the stadium is packed on Saturdays (even with our 2-10 record for the 2023 season). Whether you’re spending your Saturday afternoon in front of the TV, joining the hordes of fans taking over college towns, or are one of the lucky students cheering on your team from the…
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The Art of College Startups

The Art of College Startups

Annie Spratt via Unsplash By Nathan Park Embarking on the journey of entrepreneurship in college has become an increasingly popular pursuit for many students. With students fresh out of high school and ready to begin their new lives in a completely different environment, colleges serve as the dynamic hubs of creativity. Here, young students are given the chance to experiment with their lives and figure out who they are, what they like, and what they want to do through numerous amounts of trial and error, thus creating the perfect environment for entrepreneurial ventures. The intersection of education and innovation provides…
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The Meteoric Rise of the Celsius Energy Drink

The Meteoric Rise of the Celsius Energy Drink

Isabella Yalif Photo By Isabella Yalif 14,538: the number of Celsius cans that Vanderbilt has purchased for distribution in just fall of 2023. Daily life experiences reflect this astoundingly high number though, as these days, it’s impossible to walk on campus for five minutes and not pass someone holding a can of Celsius. What is this mega-popular drink though? How did it get so big? And what does the future entail for David as he takes on the Goliaths of the energy drink market? What is Celsius? Celsius is a healthy energy drink with no high fructose corn syrup, artificial…
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Skipping College: Shortcut or Blunder?

Skipping College: Shortcut or Blunder?

skynesher via iStock Photo By Isabella Yalif In 2011, the sentiment surrounding secondary education was largely positive. 86% of college graduates believed college was a good investment. Now, only 42% of those with college degrees regard their decision as worth it. The impacts of this ideological shift have been significant and swift: as early as 2021, 2.5 million fewer undergraduates enrolled in a college or university than in 2020. Community colleges felt the most significant effects, experiencing a 13% enrollment drop since the beginning of the pandemic: an unfathomably large reduction in such a short period. When deciding whether to…
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