www.InsideVandy.com HUSTLER THETHURSDAY, NOVEMBER VANDERBIL 10, 2011 ★ 123RD YEAR, NO. 63 ★ THE VOICE OF VANDERBILT SINCE 1888 T Religious“I am respectful groups of the to persuade theto Board ofpetition ministrators and members at for8 a.m. in theplurality Student freedom in front of Kirk- KYLE BLAINE SENIOR REPORTER autonomy of our board, but Trust that the university’s of the Board of Trust. Those Life Center Courtyard. The land Hall earlier this week. I do not see that as an out- enforcement of the policy representatives plan to de- event is meant to show the Senior Grace Burnworth come of this meeting,” Mc- threatens religious plural- liver a petition calling for Board of Trust the impor- is president of Vanderbilt The Board of Trust is un- Carty said. “The Board of ity. the protection of religious tance of faith and religious Catholic and participates likely to change the enforce- Trust will not back away According to the cur- plurality to the Board. community. in the daily noon prayers. ment of the university’s from the core principles of rent President of Beta Up- There are currently 450 “In my heart, I feel people Burnworth said through nondiscrimination policy at the university.” silon Chi Brant Bonetti, signatures on the petition. making decisions know our this expression of faith, she their meetings today and McCarty’s statements representatives from the Multiple Christian min- perspective,” Bonetti said. believes the will of God will Friday, according to Pro- come as the campus reli- religious community have istries will hold a morning Vanderbilt Catholic be- prevail. vost Richard McCarty. gious community organizes spoken with university ad- of prayer and praise Friday gan praying for religious see RELIGION page 2 Students protest S tudents ‘teach-in’ pipeline construction against land grab in Washington, D.C. KYLE BLAINE SENIOR REPORTER A group of students is calling for the university to divest from hedge funds involved in African agri- cultural development, following reports the investment is forcing small farmers in Africa off the land. Around 50 students and commu- nity members gathered Wednesday night at a “teach-in” in Buttrick Hall. The teach-in focused on the history of land grabs in Africa and the details of Vanderbilt’s invest- ment in Africa. The Vanderbilt Campaign for Fair Food organized and led the event that was largely based on a report released in June by the Oakland Institute. In the report, the California- based policy think tank implicat- ed Vanderbilt in an African “land grabbing” investment scheme. The report is based on investigations of investors, purchase contracts, busi- ness plans and maps of the region. According to the report, Vander- bilt, along with Harvard and other U.S. colleges, is invested in African land development through London- MICHAEL DIAMOND/ based hedge fund Emergent Asset tive employment and development. KEVIN BARNETT/ THE VANDERBILT HUSTLER CAMILLE PARKER THE VANDERBILT HUSTLER Management, which runs one of The investments, according to the STAFF REPORTER Africa’s largest land acquisition report, are aimed at developing the Patrick Burton funds. The report claims Emer- land for agricultural exports. Vanderbilt students trav- participates in a protest gent’s investments in African land Junior Sebastion Lasaosa Rog- A student speaks at the teach- eled to Washington, D.C. in Washington, D.C. are forcing small farmers off their ers is a member of the Vanderbilt in in Buttrick 101 Wednesday this weekend to protest the lands and creating insecurity in Campaign for Fair Food and led a night about the possible impli- building of the controver- inception, inciting protests the global food system while not segment of the teach-in. cations of Vanderbilt’s invest- sial Tar Sands Keystone and complaints from envi- fulfilling promises of increased na- see LAND GRAB page 2 ments in Africa. XL Pipeline. ronmental groups, interna- The 24 students joined tional organizations, and 12,000 protesters from even the Dalai Lama. across the country to op- “The Keystone XL Pipe- pose the construction. The line is a tipping point,” said pipeline, which is set to sophomore protestor Nicole be built from Canada to Rodriguez-Fierro, “If it’s VSG Senate votes in favor of Texas, taking advantage approved then it will sim- of tar sands oil along the ply lead to construction of way, has been a highly con- many other pipelines that accountability and transparency troversial issue since its see PIPELINE page 4 KATIE KROG dents,” Tan said. Scholl said the resolution is meant Hooks stated that he did not have to “clarify the procedure of how it STAFF REPORTER a personal opinion on the resolu- would be done.” DINING tion but sponsored it because it was According to the resolution, voting The Vanderbilt Student Govern- submitted close to the deadline and records from VSG legislative ses- ment Senate Wednesday evening vot- needed a Senate member as a co- sions and elections would have to be CHICK-FIL-A MEALS ed 6-1 to pass a resolution amending sponsor. posted online within 24 hours of the COME TO CAMPUS VSG statutes intended to increase The resolution proposes amend- session or election. Soon, it’s going to be possible to “Eat More Chikin” on the VSG transparency and accountabil- ing VSG statute 6.6 to mandate that The resolution also places time lim- Vanderbilt campus. ity. proposed budgets be sent to student its on the posting of minutes, stating VSG and Vanderbilt Dining will partner to bring Chick-fil-A The only vote against the resolu- media and senators at least 24 hours that Senate minutes must be posted Meal Plan meals to campus on select nights throughout the tion came from the proxy for Senator before the budget’s proposal in the online within 24 hours of the session rest of the semester. Chick-fil-A will be offered Friday, Nov. McArthur Gill. Senate, that the finalized budget and committees must post updates 11 at Branscomb Varsity Marketplace at 11 p.m., Thursday, Alumni Lawn Area Representative be made available online within 24 online before the first legislative ses- Dec. 1 at Common Grounds at 11 p.m., and Friday, Dec. 9 Kenny Tan and Attorney General hours of being approved and that the sion following the end of a month. at Branscomb Varsity Marketplace. Lucas Scholl proposed the resolution, budget include examples of program- Similar to the budget, voting re- This Spring, Chick-fil-A will be served every Friday at which was co-sponsored by Speaker ming and services funded by the dif- cords and minutes are already made “Branscomb Breakfast.” of the Senate Zye Hooks. ferent sections of VSG. available on the website. “Offering Chick-fil-A on campus is another example of the “I felt that a review of the VSG VSG statute 6.6 already requires Scholl said, “We’re just standard- flexibility and variety offered by VU Meal Plans,” Camp How- statutes was necessary to make sure that the proposed and finalized bud- izing it in terms of the statutes to ard, Director of Vanderbilt Dining, told VSG. ★ that everything that VSG was doing gets be made available to student me- make sure that it gets done every was in the best interest of the stu- dia and the student body. week.” see VSG page 4 DRS. ELAM, VAUGHAN & FLEMING are now Vandy BlueCross BlueShield Preferred Providers Conveniently located across from the Children’s Hospital on Blakemore Avenue Now Accepting New Patients! Please Call 383-3690 ★ ★ ★ 2 THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2011 THE VANDERBILT HUSTLER WWW.INSIDEVANDY.COM STUDENT SPOTLIGHT GO TO THIS BY liZ FURLOW GO TO THIS BY liZ FURLOW BY KATIE KROG RE LAY FOR liFE TIP-OFF COOK-OFF A DAM AlBRIGHT Cancer never sleeps, and neither will students who attend all 12 hours of Relay for The competition will heat up this weekend at the Tip- Life this weekend. Off Cook-Off, an all-you-can-eat cook-off where teams E DUCATION Relay for Life is an over-night, relay-style event created to raise money for the of students will compete to create the best-prepared • Vanderbilt School American Cancer Society. As of Wednesday night, 555 people have signed up online meal and the winners will receive free jerseys from of Engineering to attend the fundraiser, which will run from 6 p.m. Friday night to 6 a.m. Saturday Vandy Fanatics. Graduate, Class morning in the Student Recreation Center. The event will feature musical acts, The cook-off will also feature giveaways, jerseys, food of 2010 games, activities, raffles, food, an obstacle course and a Luminaria ceremony in and prizes. • Vanderbilt Owen memorial for those lost to cancer. The event will be held Friday in the quad outside of School of The year-long fundraiser has already raised over $53,000 and will continue until Branscomb and the Student Life Center from 5-7 Management, the end of the academic year in May to try to reach its $80,000 goal. p.m., right before Relay for Life and the first basketball Class of 2012 Samantha Kadis, public relations co-chair of Relay for Life, said, “The whole idea is game of the year. • “I’m a Double- that cancer never sleeps, so neither should we. The 12 hours signify our solidarity Tickets are $6 on the card and will be sold on the Dore.” towards supporting those who have been touched by cancer and those who have Wall, or at the door for cash. All proceeds will benefit been lost to cancer.” the Martha O’Bryan Center, whose mission is to em- ROOTS • Born in Texas Last year, over 700 people participated in the fundraiser to raise $72,000.