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 Feb. 13. To subscribe to the daily VUToday newsletter, visit news.vanderbilt.edu/vutoday.
The Tennessean: Vanderbilt urges court to rule against Trump travel ban
In a joint amicus brief filed with the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York, which is considering the legality of the ban, Vanderbilt University and 16 other universities urged the court to continue to halt the implementation of President Donald Trump’s travel ban barring the arrival of immigrants or refugees from seven majority-Muslim countries. Chancellor Nicholas S. Zeppos and Susan R. Wente, provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs, are quoted. Related stories were reported by USA Today, WPLN-FM, Associated Press, The Chronicle of Higher Education, Bloomberg Quint, International Business Times and Business Insider.
The Wall Street Journal: Does it pay to double major?
The benefits of a double major in college seem obvious. By gaining expertise in two different areas, many believe, students will have a significant edge when it comes to launching and advancing a career. But a recent paper published in the Journal of Benefit-Cost Analysis casts doubt on that thinking. Co-author Joni Hersch, professor of law and economics, is interviewed.
USA Today: Vanderbilt basketball to honor 21 civil rights leaders
Vanderbilt basketball will celebrate Black History Month by honoring 21 of Nashville’s leading civil rights figures and wearing special Nike uniforms this weekend. Dubbed equality weekend, the event coincides with the 50th anniversary of former Vanderbilt players Perry Wallace and Godfrey Dillard breaking the SEC basketball color barrier during the 1966-67 season. Multiple people with Vanderbilt ties will be honored.
Vox: How repealing Obamacare could splinter neighborhoods
Research shows that a high rate of uninsurance can tear at the fabric of a neighborhood. It makes the uninsured feel dehumanized; it makes residents feel like their neighbors are less trustworthy and benevolent. Instead of blurring the differences between people we see on a daily basis, it brightens them. Tara McKay, assistant professor of medicine, health and society, is quoted about her research.
CNN: Editorial: Why Jesus’ parables make us uncomfortable
Jesus’ parables—short stories with moral lessons—were designed to draw us in but leave us uncomfortable. These teachings can be read as being about divine love and salvation. But their first listeners—first-century Jews in Galilee and Judea—heard much more challenging messages. Amy-Jill Levine, University Professor of New Testament and Jewish Studies and E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Professor of New Testament Studies, writes about four examples of Jesus’ teachings that everybody gets wrong.