University News and Communications publishes VUToday, a compilation of Vanderbilt mentions in the media, each weekday. Read a selection of Vanderbilt news stories for the week of Aug. 29. To subscribe to the daily VUToday newsletter, visit news.vanderbilt.edu/vutoday.
The New York Times: Busy schedule? Some college football games give fans more than a decade to plan
Several factors—including money, of course—have inspired officials at big-time football programs to plan ahead. Way ahead. They are putting games on the books that will not take place for another decade or more. Arizona and Nebraska have scheduled a game for Sept. 13, 2031, probably long after the current administrations and their successors have left each university. David Williams, vice chancellor for athletics and university affairs and athletics director, is quoted.
The Christian Science Monitor: Donald Trump’s candidacy and the rise of the ‘alt-right’ movement
The injection of the alt-right movement into the broader American conversation came last week after Donald Trump brought in alt-right-leaning Breitbart News publisher Stephen Bannon to lead his campaign. Meanwhile Hillary Clinton lambasted Trump on Thursday for handing a megaphone to white nationalists. Marc Hetherington, professor of political science, is quoted. Hetherington’s research looking at authoritarianism in politics is mentioned in a related article in Techonomy.
The New York Times: Florida finds first local mosquitoes with Zika virus
Florida officials on Thursday said they have trapped the first mosquitoes that tested positive for the Zika virus in the Miami area, further confirming reports of local U.S. transmission of the illness that can cause severe birth defects. William Schaffner, professor of preventive medicine and health policy, is quoted. The story also appeared in Reuters, AOL News and Scientific American. Schaffner is quoted in a related stories published by Huffington Post, Reuters, Yahoo! News and Japan Times.
The Washington Post: Refuse to vaccinate? You may be told to seek care elsewhere
In an effort to address the anti-vaccine trend, the American Academy of Pediatrics has issued a new policy statement opposing all nonmedical exemptions for vaccines. If, after counseling, skeptical parents still choose to opt out, doctors may request “that they seek care elsewhere.” Kathryn Edwards, Sarah H. Sell and Cornelius Vanderbilt Professor of Pediatrics and co-author of the new AAP report, is quoted. A related article in Reuters also quotes Edwards.
The New York Times: Muslims seek new burial ground, and a small town balks
As the number of American Muslims increases and immigrant Muslims age, groups have sought to construct their own cemeteries, which are often less expensive than other facilities and are familiar with Muslim traditions, including quick burials, bodies facing Mecca and, when allowed locally, no coffins. But from Minnesota to Texas—and even last week in Georgia—such proposals have been met with swells of opposition, similar to disputes over new mosques or schools, raising the specter of exclusion even for the dead. Leor Halevi, associate professor of history, is quoted.