Race and Sports Discussion September 25

Black athletes have a unique relationship with college and professional sports due to a history of systemic racism, challenges that continue to this day. Andrew Maraniss, the New York Times bestselling author of the book Strong Inside, joins with associate dean Frank Dobson of Vanderbilt University for a discussion at Volunteer State Community College titled Strong Inside: The Confluence of Race and Sports. The Maraniss novel chronicles the life of Perry Wallace, the first African-American to integrate the SEC in basketball. The discussion will examine the struggles of Wallace and his African-American teammate Godfrey Dillard as they endured racism in the mid-1960s. The presenters will compare the efforts of Wallace, Dillard, and others trailblazers with the struggles black athletes still face, even as many are considered powerful, multi-million-dollar assets. The event will be held on Wednesday, September 25 at 6 p.m. in Caudill Hall on the Vol State campus in Gallatin at 1480 Nashville Pike. It is free and open to the public. The presentation is co-sponsored by the Vol State Office of Diversity and Inclusion, the Vol State Athletic Department, Vol State’s Thigpen Library, and First Baptist Church in Winchester.

The Feed Student Food Bank at Vol State

The Vol State Feed provides free food to students in need. All students are eligible.The Feed at Vol State seeks to alleviate the barriers and challenges associated with food insecurity and hunger so that students can remain in school, and ultimately, earn their degrees. It could be called a food pantry or a food bank. The important point is that The Feed is open to all Vol State students. It is operated at all four Vol State campuses.

The Feed is stocked with non-perishable food items and personal hygiene items. All current students are welcome to use The Feed and must present their Student ID at each visit. Students are able to use The Feed as often as needed. The Feed operates on the honor system. Students will be asked to fill out a brief registration form with basic information, but it is not necessary to prove eligibility.

How to Use The Feed

You need to make an appointment to use The Feed this semester. Just visit the Student Engagement Office in the Wood Campus Center, room 215. Or email student.engagement@volstate.edu.  Please see the front desks at CHEC, Livingston and Highland Crest campuses for help at those locations.

Events this Week at Vol State

Sept. 16              Tennessee Tech University, Wood Campus Center main hallway, 10 am – 2 pm

Sept. 17              Middle Tennessee State University, Wood Campus Center main hallway, 10 am – 2 pm

Sept. 17              How to Mitigate Micro-Aggressions on Campus, Greg Fontus presents, Nichols Dining B, 11:30am-1pm

Sept. 18              The Well, student resource info, free food, SRB second floor and Warf Hallway, 9:15-9:45am and 11-11:30am

Sept. 18               Free Speech and the Constitution, speaker David Hudson, SRB 150, Performing Arts Studio, 11am

Sept. 18                UT Martin, Wood Campus Center main hallway, 11:30 am – 1 pm

Sept. 18                Civitan Club Meeting, all students welcome, Wood 206, 2pm-3pm

Sept. 18                Deconstructing Unconscious Bias, discussion, Nichols Dining B, 6pm

Sept. 19                Let’s Talk About Food Insecurity, discussion, Nichols Dining B, 11:15am-12:15pm

Sept. 19                Carson-Newman University representative, Wood Campus Center main hallway, 10 am – 1 pm

Sept. 19               Future Educator’s Club, all students welcome, Wood Room 206, 1pm-2pm

Sept. 20               Deconstructing Unconscious Bias, discussion, Highland Crest Community Room, 10am-Noon

Student Support Tips for the Semester

Amanda Clark, Jessica Lee and Pippin Chapman

Now that everyone is settling into the fall semester, the workload will only increase until winter break.  All of this college work can be really stressful to manage by yourself, especially if you don’t have a support system or group.  Here are a few tips about forming your support system to get you through school:

1    1.) Get to know some of your classmates.

Even if you aren’t real “friends,” the connections you make with your classmates will help you get through the class.  Together, you can remind each other of upcoming due dates, grade accountability and help each other with classwork.  Make a group chat so you can communicate with each other wherever, whenever.  “Don’t be afraid to exchange numbers with other students,” said freshman Jessica Lee.  And who knows?  You might end up with a new friend.  Freshman Amanda Clark says, “Form relationships with other students early in the semester.  These relationships will turn into study groups,” which perfectly leads into the next tip.

2    2.) Create a study group.

Study groups can be very beneficial if they are small, about four people at most.  This way, there are enough people to offer different perspectives and ways of understanding things.  Smaller groups also have less of a chance of becoming distracted, whereas with bigger groups, it can be a lot easier to lose focus.  “Forming a study group with a few other students will help you keep up to speed on studying, and it can help boost your spirits when things are challenging,” said non-degree student Pippin Chapman.

3    3.) Join the Vol State Student Discussion on Facebook.

This is a discussion page where any Vol State students can ask questions about classes, share information and engage with each other.  It’s also another way for you to make personal connections with other students.  To join, make sure you’re following the Vol State Facebook page, then click on the "Groups" tab on the left-hand side.

Good luck with the rest of the semester.  We can do it!

-Gloria Cortes

Volunteer Fair this Saturday, September 14

Find a volunteer location to earn your TN Promise community service hours...or serve for the joy of it. The Volunteer Fair at Vol State will feature 20 local nonprofit groups on Saturday, September 14. It's organized by the One Community Sumner County library collaborative- a partnership between the public libraries of Sumner County, Sumner County Schools, and Vol State’s Thigpen Library.

Held in the Wood Campus Center on the Gallatin campus at 1480 Nashville Pike from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. There will be free snacks and giveaways at the event. For more information call 615-230-3400.

Student Spotlight- Sabrina Schuessler

A physical embodiment of the phrase, “An open heart is an open mind,” sophomore Sabrina Schuessler is majoring in early childhood development and trying to better Vol State.

While she said that she thoroughly enjoys working with children, she also wants to go into early childhood development for family reasons. 

“My little brother is severely autistic.  He is nonverbal as well, and I want to help children like him,” said Schuessler, “I want to help kids feel like they have a purpose when they don’t know where they belong or say, ‘I can’t do it.’  I want to have that little bit of light that gives them confidence.”

She’s currently working as a teacher’s assistant at Primrose, a private daycare for children from six weeks to five-years-old.  “If they need tissues, paper towels or crayons, I go get them.  It’s a fun little job where I get to work with children, and they can hug and attack me,” said Schuessler.

On top of dealing with her job and school work, Schuessler has a speech impediment, dyslexia, insomnia, and ADHD (attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder).

“For assignments, what takes people an hour or two takes me longer because I have to think of it more.  But if I could live a life without them, I think I wouldn’t, because they define who I am.  They make Sabrina, Sabrina.  Without them, I wouldn’t be me.”

When she isn’t working, spending time with her family or attending classes, Schuessler is an active member of the Vol State community.  She is a student representative of the Future Educators’ Club for the Student Government Association (SGA), and was previously a member of the National Society of Leadership and Success. 

“[The Future Educators’ Club] doesn’t just work with kids, and we’re not just babysitters.  Our job is to shape the model of the brain and get them prepared for life….  Right now we’re a small club- we just started last year,” said Schuessler, “but hopefully we can build our way up.  We’re looking for a president and vice president right now.” 

-Gloria Cortes

Student Spotlight: Taylor Evans

Ever wonder who the man behind the mascot really is?  Well in this case, it’s a woman.  One of the people behind Vol State’s Patch the Pioneer is sophomore Taylor Evans.

One would think school spirit is a requirement for a mascot; however, Evans wasn’t really involved in the Vol State community until this year, but now she’s made a new home for herself at school.

“I got an email saying something like, ‘You want free books?’ and I said, ‘Yes, please!’  Then, I found out that in order to receive free books, I would have to help out with student leadership and be a mascot,” said Evans, “I haven’t done any ‘mascotting’ yet…. There’s four of us and we’re going to split the dates [for school events]…. I’m nervous, but excited.”

To find another fun way to participate at Vol State, Evans signed up for Camp PIO, which is a day camp that focuses on teambuilding games and getting to know other Vol State students.

Evans has always lived in Hendersonville, Tennessee.  She graduated from Hendersonville High School, and enrolled at Vol State to major in psychology.

“Once I started taking actual psychology courses, I grew to really enjoy it.  I like the idea of identifying a problem and finding different kinds of solutions to fix it, or coping mechanisms,” said Evans, “It’s also challenging, but there are a lot of things I can do with a [degree in psychology].”

Although she would prefer to go to school a lot further from home, she plans to attend University of Tennessee- Chattanooga for her bachelor degree, and then move out-of-state for a master’s degree.

“I wasn’t very excited about coming here, truly because it’s still living at home, it’s 15 minutes from my house, but it’s provided a lot of experiences that I didn’t really expect to get,” said Evans, “This past spring break, I went to India for the Study Abroad trip and ended up loving it.  I’m really excited for this year.”

-Gloria Cortes