Your VU: Beyond the Classroom

Vanderbilt Student Government Senator Hannah Bruns talks about why it is important to rename buildings on campus that have ties to the confederate past.

Did you know that Nashville zip code 37208 is the most incarcerated in the country? Jenny Pigge from Vanderbilt Prison Project (VPP) explains the nationwide issue of mass incarceration, points out areas of corruption, and shares about the childhood experience that made her passionate about this issue.

Lukas Berglund and Anjay Friedman from Vanderbilt Effective Altruism talk about how people can use their talents and resources effectively to do the most good possible. Hear what they would pick if they could fix any one issue going on in the world, and learn how you can get involved in critically thinking about global issues with the diverse group of problem solvers in EA.

Joseph Sexton explains how having Tourette’s Syndrome impacted his transition to Vanderbilt and things he wishes people knew. Join Joseph as he creates a new organization—Vanderbilt Alliance on Disability and Condition—with the mission to create a space on campus for people with disabilities to share & relate with one another, as well as for people with & without disabilities to ask questions & learn from each other.

Mabel Donahue and Emma Robitaille from Active Minds--a student organization dedicated to decreasing stigma & raising awareness about mental health--share their mental health journeys, talk about the collegiate comparison culture, share tips on how to better compliment others, and describe signs to notice / ways to support your friends.

Tyger Quarles from Home to Homeless discusses biases people have towards those experiencing homelessness and how his organization seeks to meet the basic needs of those people through care packages, conversation, and serving. Hear how Tyger’s awareness of the issue of homelessness impacts how he lives day-to-day and listen to the goals he has as he expands Home to Homeless from Birmingham to Nashville.

Keegan Campanelli from SPEAR (students promoting environmental awareness and responsibility) explains why environmental awareness and responsibility is important to him and explains how, over his four years at Vanderbilt, he has seen the school go from recycling to pledging carbon neutrality. For more information on Environmental Justice, check out the work of Dr. Robert Bullard, a professor & activist SPEAR hosted this past week.