Issue 11 H Spring 2009 H H H SPECIAL 2009 VANDERBILT STUDENT MEDIA HALL OF FAME INAUGURAL CLASS ISSUE H H H tunnelvision A publication for alumni of student media at Vanderbilt University TUNNEL NEWS THANK YOU Vanderbilt Student Comm- unications and the Student Media Hall of Fame Committee would like to extend sincere thanks to the many alumni who submitted nominations for the inaugural class of the Hall of Fame. Nearly 100 of you took the time to nominate prestigious alumni for this high honor, and we received more than 200 nominations. LAMAR ALEXANDER SKIP BAYLESS ROY BLOUNT JR. MARY ELSON SAM FEIST The five alumni who were selected by the committee for the inaugural class were nomi- nated multiple times by many of you. We will keep on file the other nominations we received and nominations we continue to receive so we can revisit the entire group of nominees to consider THE INAUGURAL CLASS for future Hall of Fame classes. We are grateful for your par- ticipation in this important project, which serves student media at Vanderbilt by honoring some of our most distinguished alumni. Perhaps more conse- quential, however, is the Hall of Fame's potential for inspiring Vanderbilt Student Media Hall of Fame’s inaugural class named current students. We hope this by Ann Marie Deer Owens, Class of 1976 • Chair, Hall of Fame Committee • Senior Public Affairs Officer, Vanderbilt News Service year's inductees and future Hall of Fame members will illustrate for current students the legacy Five Vanderbilt University alumni who ties of these five alumni merits recognition majored in English and history. Bayless left by student media staffers who have distinguished themselves through a in the newly established Student Media developed a national reputation as a sports came before them and the special variety of careers – including public servant, Hall of Fame,” said Chris Carroll, direc- writer for the Miami Herald and Los Angeles opportunity they have to make a journalist and humorist – and have made tor of student media, Vanderbilt Student Times. He wrote three books chronicling difference in their collegiate and significant contributions as staff members Communications. “This is the highest honor different eras of the Dallas Cowboys and professional careers. of the university’s student media, will be that we can bestow on these former student was a prominent sports columnist in Dallas, inducted into the Vanderbilt Student Media journalists.” Chicago and San Jose before being hired full SEJC HONORS Hall of Fame on Oct. 16, 2009. To be considered, alumni had to have time as a commentator by ESPN for pro- Those selected for the inaugural class are: worked as a student staff member at least grams like 1st and 10 and SportsCenter. Vanderbilt Student Media was U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander; Skip Bayless, 10 years prior to the Hall of Fame induction Blount, also a Grantland Rice Scholarship honored with the following 2008 ESPN sports commentator; Roy Blount Jr., date. recipient, came to Vanderbilt from Decatur, BEST OF THE SOUTH awards author, humorist and NPR game show pan- Sen. Alexander, who earned his bachelor’s Ga., where he was editor of his high school during the 2009 Southeast elist; Mary Elson, managing editor, Tribune degree in 1962, majored in Latin American newspaper. He majored in English and Journalism Conference this Spring held at Belmont University: Media Services; and Sam Feist, vice presi- Studies. He was a reporter and news editor began working for The Hustler after becom- dent of Washington, D.C.,-based program- of The Vanderbilt Hustler student newspaper. ing friends with Lamar Alexander and other Best College Newspaper ming for CNN. The Maryville, Tenn., native is a former two- student journalists. Blount became editor First place, Vanderbilt Hustler A ceremony and reception to honor the term governor of Tennessee, U.S. secretary before graduating in 1963. He is a prolific inductees will be held from 5:30 to 7 p.m. of education, University of Tennessee presi- writer and humorist who has authored 21 Best College Web Site in the Vanderbilt Sarratt Student Center’s dent and professor at Harvard’s School of books. He’s a columnist for The Oxford First place, Inside Vandy Cinema and adjacent lobby. The event is tak- Government. He earned his J.D. at New York American, contributing editor for The Atlantic ing place in conjunction with Vanderbilt’s University Law School. In private life, he Monthly, and panelist for NPR’s Wait, Wait Best Opinion Writer Honorable mention, Homecoming/Reunion Weekend. In addi- helped found the nation’s largest provider … Don’t Tell Me. Michael Warren tion, a permanent exhibit recognizing all of worksite day care, Bright Horizons Family Elson, a native of Oak Ridge, Tenn., Honorable mention, Hall of Fame members will be installed in the Solutions Inc. majored in English at Vanderbilt. She was Katherine Miller Sarratt Student Center, the longtime home Bayless, who grew up in Oklahoma City, elected the first post-World War II woman of Vanderbilt Student Communications. Okla., attended Vanderbilt on the presti- editor of The Hustler. She worked at the Best Press Photographer “The selection committee feels strongly gious Grantland Rice Scholarship. The 1974 Honorable mention, Chris Phare that the overall accomplishments and activi- graduate covered sports for The Hustler and see Hall of Fame, page 2 Best Magazine Layout Designer Third place, Courtney Rogers H H H Recollections of golden days at VU by Tim Ghianni Index… Lamar Alexander repeats “it’s a wrong first change. And then a meeting with nuclear- INDUCTION CEREMONY Alumni Column 2 step” when asked about the Kennedy health- industry people. And then we voted on the Editorial Fellow 2 care bill that just passed from the Senate health-care bill. And then I had a press con- Alumni Updates 3 Health, Education, Labor and Pensions ference on the health-care bill. And what is Director of Photography 6 Committee, of which he’s a member. it now? About noon.” The 13-10 party-line vote, which angers It’s a cinch at least one other member the Tennessee Republican, is part of a hectic of this inaugural Hall of Fame class — VANDERBILT STUDENT COMMUNICATIONS, INC. morning’s work before he takes a breather Sam Feist, who calls the shots for CNN Student media alumni are invited to join us at the Student Media Hall of Fame induction cer- to talk about his inclusion in the inaugural in Washington — has been following emony at 5:30 p.m. on Oct. 16 in the Sarratt 1967 2009 class of the Vanderbilt Student Media Hall Alexander’s activities closely, as the commit- Student Center's Cinema. Space is limited, of Fame. tee action is the big story inside the Beltway so please let us know if you plan to attend by “I started at the gym at about 6:30, and emailing [email protected]. Celebrating 42 years in 2009 then I had a breakfast meeting on climate see Reflections, page 7 2 tunnel vision Hall of Fame, continued from page 1 bright lights an alumni column… Nashville Banner the spring of her senior year in university and student media as his father, Lee 1974 before graduating magna cum laude/Phi Feist, was a 1965 graduate and Hustler editor. The Beta Kappa. She reported for the two Dallas news- younger Feist, who was born in Trinidad, hosted papers before moving to the Chicago Tribune, where Viewpoint, a campus public affairs/talk program she held a variety of positions, including associate that aired on Nashville cable. He graduated magna Making our own luck managing editor/features. At the Tribune, she edit- cum laude and joined CNN full-time in 1991. He by Glenna DeRoy, Class of '08 ed a series about the Human Genome Project that was founding executive producer of “The Situation won a Pulitzer Prize for exploratory journalism. Room with Wolf Blitzer.” Feist was named political Glenna DeRoy was a Choatie before she Elson became managing editor of Tribune Media director and senior executive producer of political was a Hustler, so she apologizes to her high Services, the syndication and licensing division of coverage during the 2008 presidential election. school class for the harsh spotlight. Glenna Tribune Co., in 2004. In January 2009 he became CNN’s vice president graduated from Vanderbilt in 2008 and was Feist, who majored in political science at of Washington-based programming. Feist earned editor-in-chief of The Vanderbilt Hustler/ Vanderbilt, began volunteering for The Hustler his law degree from Georgetown University Law InsideVandy.com in 2007. She lives in the his first day on campus. He had strong ties to the Center. D.C. area where she edits the USATODAY. com homepage, selecting stories and layouts and responding to breaking news. Glenna DeRoy What a difference five years makes. adding to the vision I left my high school reunion this May with that thought at the front of my mind. The campus may have looked the same, and introducing our new staff members… for the most part, the classmates looked the same. But we were all different. VSC recently hired two people to join our advising staff. We had grown up, and we were truly worried — many of us for We're delighted to introduce these very talented individuals, whose impressive the first time. In 2004, college apps and prom dates stressed us out, but it was more nervous excitement than genuine concern. experiences are sure to benefit student media staff members when the new school By 2009, the economic world as we — and our parents — knew year begins.