Few people would argue Vandy is a place where unhappy students sequester themselves in their rooms all the time doing homework. Our school has a strong sense of community and an active campus life, which unfortunately might translate to weakened ties with the Nashville community as a whole.
Don’t get me wrong — I really enjoy being a part of a united, cohesive student body. It’s nice to know that no matter how different you might perceive yourself to be from everyone else here, you and the rest of the students will always have one thing in common — you all go to Vandy.
Many aspects of this school contribute to the communal feelings — compulsory on-campus housing and an almost universal appreciation of tortellini immediately come to my mind. One major reason the Vanderbubble exists, though, is because the campus is pretty accommodating; many students do not have a need to venture outside the immediate area for reasons unrelated to going downtown for Thursday night excursions or to taking full advantage of Taste of Nashville.
Of course, sometimes students can’t explore Nashville as much as they’d like because of lack of transportation or because they just don’t know what Nashville has to offer. I think many people, however, just forget there is a world outside of the campus’s confines. I’m not trying to suggest these people are ignorant or anything; sometimes it’s just easy to forget about the outside world when you are weighed down with tests, papers and campus life.
For someone who actually has access to personal transportation, even I occasionally forget I live in a vibrant, diverse city full of interesting places and interesting people. For example, Nashville is home to one of the largest Kurdish populations in the U.S., and there’s also a pretty sizable Sudanese community, which is pretty impressive considering the fact that Nashville is only a medium-sized city.
As far as attractions go, Nashville has a lot to offer. The Parthenon is right across the street, and country music aficionados will definitely appreciate places like the Grand Ole Opry and the Country Music Hall of Fame. In addition to clubs and bars, downtown Nashville is the location of the Tennessee State Capitol and the Frist Center for the Arts.
Essentially, what I’m suggesting is to take some time to become a tourist — no fanny packs required. It’s important to pop the Vanderbubble every so often simply because it’s useful to know about the city you will live in for four years. Hopefully, learning about Nashville will foster a connection to the community outside of Vandy, and you can begin to develop a relationship with Nashville similar to the one you have with your hometown.
Of course, there are other ways students can build their ties to the Nashville community, such as watching local news or registering to vote. Following local news is a great way to learn about the city, and registering to vote here gives you a stake in local elections (i.e. last week’s vote on whether or not to ratify the English-Only amendment).
Like I mentioned earlier, it’s fantastic our school has a strong sense of community, but there is a lot to learn outside of the area between 21st and 25th Avenues. Nashville has a decent bus system that’s free for students, and there’s really no good reason not to take advantage of it.
Aimee Sobhani is a sophomore in the College of Arts and Science. She can be reached at aimee.f.sobhnai@vanderbilt.edu.
