Meet our newest bloggers!
We just finished our recruitment season for Inside ‘Dores this semester, and I am so excited to introduce our newest bloggers to you!
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Name: Alex Rains
Hometown: Richmond, Kentucky
Class of: 2020
Major(s): Neuroscience and Psychology on the Pre-medical track
Minor(s): Human and Organizational Development or Medicine, Health and Society or maybe French. I haven’t quite gotten around to that decision yet.
When you started reading Inside ‘Dores: I started reading Inside ‘Dores my senior year when it finally hit me that applying to colleges was something that I finally had to get started on. I continually check it for insight about Vanderbilt and help navigating the campus I’m lucky to call my second home. Although there are many organizations I love on campus, Inside ‘Dores helps keep me updated on the events and on-goings I may not normally interact with. Inside ‘Dores was valuable both to me as a senior navigating the college search and to my freshman self learning about all the perspectives on our campus.
What’s on your Nashville bucket list: My Nashville bucket list is full to the brim with events, concerts, places to visit, places to eat (a very important category) and so much more. Some of the things at the top of my list are going to a concert at Exit/In, a really cool venue that I can’t go to yet because I’m STILL not 18, eating the legendary Bonuts at Biscuit Love, and going to a pug meet-up in East Nashville. Also, as a bit of a caffeine addict, making my way to every Nashville coffee shop by graduation is another goal of mine.
Your spirit animal: My spirit animal would probably have to be the sloth. While I do consider myself to be an involved individual, I have sloths’ mellow demeanor, love climbing trees, and take an excessive number of naps.
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Name: Gloria Liu
Hometown: Irvine, California
Class of: 2019
Major(s): Musical Arts and Economics
Minor(s): Financial Economics
When you started reading Inside ‘Dores: I started reading Inside ‘Dores at the beginning of my senior year in high school to learn more about Vandy.
What’s on your Nashville bucket list: I want to visit the #whatliftsyou wings in the Nashville Gulch!
Your spirit animal: My spirit animal is a cat – I love exploring and doing my own thing, and I’m really invested in things I’m passionate about (like food and naps).
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Name: Ashli Alexander
Hometown: Newnan, Georgia
Class of: 2020
Major(s): My current major is undecided, but I am on the pre-med track. I am currently debating between majoring in Psychology or Mathematics and possibly minoring in whichever is not my major.
When you started reading Inside ‘Dores: I started reading Inside ‘Dores once I was accepted to Vanderbilt last February. The blog definitely made a large impact in helping me make the decision to attend Vanderbilt.
What’s on your Nashville bucket list: As far as my Nashville bucket list, I would like to visit the Grand Ole Opry, spend a night at the Gaylord Hotel, and eat at the Grilled Cheeserie.
Your spirit animal: My spirit animal would be a deer. I believe this is my spirit animal because I am small, gentle, yet strong like a deer. In addition, I am friendly like a deer. However, at the same time, if something catches me off guard, it takes me a second to process it; this is kind of like the “deer in headlights” reaction.
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Name: Irfaan Khalid
Hometown: Oswego, Illinois
Class of: 2019
Major(s): Computer Science, Applied Mathematics
When you started reading Inside ‘Dores: I started reading Inside ‘Dores in early 2015 when I got into Vandy!
What’s on your Nashville bucket list: Oof, this is a tough one. 1) Go to a concert at Mercy Lounge. 2) Watch a Predators game (I can’t believe I still haven’t done this! 3) Photograph a sunset from Love Circle
Your spirit animal: It’s a honey badger. Here’s why.
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Name: Nancy Liu
Hometown: Atlanta, Georgia
Class of: 2020
Major(s): Medicine, Health, and Society
When you started reading Inside ‘Dores: I first started reading Inside ‘Dores when I was making the big decision of applying to Vanderbilt ED.
What’s on your Nashville bucket list: I still have a lot to check off on my Nashville bucket list; I would like to find and take a picture at the I Believe in Nashville mural, get a donut at Five Daughters Bakery, and visit the Grilled Cheeserie.
Your spirit animal: My spirit animal would have to be a bear. I’m always on the lookout for food, and when I’m not, I’m sleeping. I also go into periods of hibernation.
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Name: Griffin Patterson
Hometown: Powell, Ohio
Class of: 2020
Major(s): Human and Organizational Development
When you started reading Inside ‘Dores: I started reading Inside ‘Dores when I was a junior in high school and just ever-so-deep in the college search extravaganza. I remember distinctly that the first articles I read were on food and the acceptance rate; clearly the two most important parts of the college search process to a 16-year-old.
What’s on your Nashville bucket list: Visiting as many amazing restaurants/eateries/food trucks as I can. I’ve already been to a good amount but almost every day I hear one of my friends talking about yet another cool new spot to try. I have yet to have a bad meal in Nashville and I’m hoping to maintain that streak all through college.
Your spirit animal: Probably an elephant. Elephants have great memories and I, ever so humbly, will admit my memory is quite adept. Further, they’re so big that they have this false sense of intimidation about them. While I’m not a looming presence, in the past people have called me “intimidating” even though every single one of my friends finds that to be hilarious; I’m not intimidating at all. I also have just grown really attached to the elephant recently because they’re losing their population so quickly and it just makes me angry. That has nothing to do with it being my spirit animal, though.
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Name: William Wang
Hometown: Germantown, Maryland
Class of: 2019
Major(s): Mathematics
Minor(s): Computer Science
When you started reading Inside ‘Dores: During senior year in high school, when I was exploring the possibility of applying to and attending Vanderbilt.
What’s on your Nashville bucket list: See a Nashville Predators game, try out more Pho and Bubble Tea places, go to a Jazz on the Cumberland concert.
Your spirit animal: Turtle. Seems like they just calmly enjoy life.
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Name: Deniz Gungor
Hometown: Shreveport, Louisiana
Class of: 2020
Major(s): Medicine, Health, and Society
Minor(s): Maybe French!
When you started reading Inside ‘Dores: Probably middle of junior year of HS, after visiting campus.
What’s on your Nashville bucket list: Wild Cow, Otaku Ramen, Two Ten Jack, Thai Esane, and of course more concerts!
Your spirit animal: Dolphin! Harmonious, intelligent, trusting, joyful, also I love being in/around the ocean.
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Name: Ruth Boyajian
Hometown: Lumberton, New Jersey
Class of: 2019
Major(s): Harp Performance and Public Policy Studies
When you started reading Inside ‘Dores: As a prospective student.
What’s on your Nashville bucket list: Experiencing the culture through restaurants and traveling to nice hiking spots in the Nashville-area!
Your spirit animal: I didn’t know the answer to this question so I took a BuzzFeed quiz that told me my spirit animal is The Sloth. Supposedly I am ‘cool as a cucumber, and love to go with the flow.’ lol but I really just like food, music, hanging out, and sleep!
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Name: Yuqi Bian
Hometown: Fort Collins, Colorado
Class of: 2020
Major(s): Neuroscience
When you started reading Inside ‘Dores: Around the beginning of senior year when I was trying to decide which universities to apply to.
What’s on your Nashville bucket list: Eat at all the famous hot chicken and burger places (hopefully my stomach and wallet will be able to handle it)
Your spirit animal: The Rainbow Mantis Shrimp because they have twelve photoreceptors (compared to the three that humans have) and move so fast that they create underwater shock waves. Even though I’m not as visually talented and certainly not as fast as that, I like to think that I have it in me to be as awesome as they are.
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Name: Karina Schechter
Hometown: Born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; currently reside in Naples, Florida
Class of: 2020
Major(s): English and Cinema & Media Studies
When you started reading Inside ‘Dores: I started reading the blog after I committed to Vandy.
What’s on your Nashville bucket list: Go on a factory tour of Olive & Sinclair Chocolate Co., spot TSwift.
Your spirit animal: Jellyfish: I’m all about going with the flow and lazing around but would love the ability to sting people who bother me.