Goodbye, VSA 2008

On Saturday we said goodbye to session 3. It's hard to believe another summer of VSA has come and gone. See you all next year.

Only a few days left here at VSA! Tonight all of the students will have the option of going to a Nashville staple: Wildhorse for line dancing! Last night there was a dance hosted by students with the theme "Blackout" where everyone wore all black to the party. Check back soon for some picture updates!

Last night at VSA the students were given a number of different options for activities including making friendship bracelets while watching movies, boccie ball on the lawn, and even a water war! Friendship bracelets have become all the rage here, and I'll bet that your student will come home with one or many on arms and legs!

It's pretty amazing that there are only 4 days left of session 3, and there is still so much fun in store! There will be dances, another date night among proctor groups, and even a proctor roast and roommate challenge!

Classes are still as exciting as usual. The Med School students got to sit in on different surgeries, Don Quixote is 80 pages from finishing, and Anthropology has been spending time surveying culture in different Nashville coffee houses! I'm sure you are excited to be getting your students back, but many of them might not want to leave! Hope you are well!

Session III, Week 3

It's hard to believe that we are in our final week of summer 2008! 

This weekend was packed full of exciting events including a trip to see The Dark Knight, The Gauntlet, and a Bar-B-Q at Dean Wcislo's house (the dean of The Commons).  On Saturday afternoon the entire camp took a trip to Green Hills mall to see The Dark Knight or Mamma Mia!.  That evening we came back and had pizza and a talent show in the Rotunda.  Check back soon for pictures and videos from the show!  Afterwards everyone came back to Sutherland House and had a luau and tropical drinks. 

Sunday, the students were challenged to The Gauntlet: a two and a half hour activity which involved 7 challenges ranging from tests of physical strength to tests of mental strength.   The students did amazingly well and had a great time.  After The Gauntlet everyone rushed back to Sutherland to shower and get ready for the Bar-B-Q at Dean Wcislo. The Dean shared with us delicious food and showed us endless hospitality. 

Check out some photos from this weekend located below and be sure to come back later this week to see how the summer's wrapping up!

Today at VSA the weather has been beautiful and we are coming off of an exciting Proctor Night.  Last night each proctor group got to pick a restaurant to eat at with their group and a fun activity to do before or after dinner.

Ashley's group went to paint pottery at All Fired Up and then ate dinner at TGI Friday's.  "Proctor night was the best ever. Making pottery was very relaxing and we loved hanging out with our proctor!" - Ashley's girls

The students have been learning a great deal in their classes and it's hard to believe that we are coming close to finishing the second week here at VSA!

Everyone's seems to be having a great time!  Tonight we have a bunch of activities offered including a rec trip, a trip to Borders, and Food for Thought. Check back tomorrow for more updates!

Week Two, Day 9 of Session III

The second week at VA has been off to a smooth start.  Students are enjoying their second week of class and getting very accustomed to dorm life here at Vanderbilt.  Students are starting to build lasting relationships with their proctors.  Tonight we have a number of evening activities including a cooking class, a dance class, and a trip to the rec, and a trip to Fido's a Dragon Park to play TV Tag.

Mary Paige Skinner says, "Anthropology is awesome and I've learned so much already!  S-House is pretty awesome too."

Here's a quote from one of our proctors, Aly about a cooking class she lead as an evening activity. 

Being a proctor is already a fun job, but these kids have made it so much more entertaining with their wit and willingness to try new things.  This proved especially true on Tuesday during our very first Cooking Class, hosted by yours truly. Our blueberry muffins (and chocolate chip for those true choco-holics out there) came out excellent, and we had a blast talking about college cafeteria food, the SAT, and classes. Hey, pretty much any topic is fun when you throw in muffins. Hopefully cooking will continue to be a hit as we delve into more complex recipes each time. 

Hope you are all well back at home! Check back tomorrow for more exciting updates from VSA!

Week Two Begins at Session III!

This past weekend was a blast. Arete classes performed for the entire camp Friday afternoon. We were lucky enough to capture a couple of the performances on video, so check out stage combat and step class performances at the end of the post.

The kids had their first opportunity to sign out and take in a bit of  Nashville on their own. Several students explored Hillsboro Village and ventured to nearby stores such as the Great Escape and Pangea.

Saturday night, the entire camp went to a Nashville Sounds baseball game. It was fun while it lasted, but sadly, in the sixth inning, the sky opened and rain poured as students and proctors alike ran for shelter. With time to kill that night, an impromptu dance party started in Sutherland and lasted until everyone had tired out and happily obeyed curfew.

Sunday afternoon was the proctors' personal favorite activity in all of VSA -- the Goofy Olympics. The three houses competed against one another in field-day-style in a number of events throughout the afternoon. Team events like the hula hoop chain and tug-of-war brought house groups together while individual events like chubby bunny and the water balloon toss were big hits with everyone.

Below are some photos from the goofy olympics. Take a look and check back later this week for another update!

Edward and Moriah showing some skills in Chubby Bunny

Alyssa and Calvin dominating during the Hula Hoop Chain competition. 

A House giving it their all before ultimately falling to V House in Tug-of-War

Kiersten and Lauren showing some muscle during the relay race.