As Vanderbilt looks forward to a week before the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday, we look back on the rock ‘n’ roll of Paul McCartney alongside rising star Leith Ross, basketball victories and notable guest speakers on campus.
Classic legend and rising star alike rocked Music City
McCartney, the famed Beatles musician, took the stage at the Pinnacle on Nov. 6. Attendees had to place their phones in a Yondr pouch before being allowed into the venue, evoking a vintage concert vibe reminiscent of the iconic Beatles quartet of the 1960s. A persistent theme throughout the performance was honoring the late Beatles John Lennon and George Harrison, with McCartney using an old video of Lennon to help sing some Beatles classics. McCartney closed the set with “Hey Jude,” incorporating the audience’s chorus throughout, before providing a surprise encore ended by “The End” from the Abbey Road album. McCartney’s performance even brought celebrities such as Sabrina Carpenter and McCartney’s wife Nancy Shevell to the Nashville, Tennessee leg of the ongoing “Got Back” tour, rocking out to the classics.
Amid their “I Can See the Future” tour, Leith Ross performed at the Cannery Hall on Nov. 7. After gaining TikTok virality in 2021, Ross has been releasing music under an indie style since showcasing the full version of the song “We’ll Never Have Sex” in 2022. Annika Bennett opened for Ross, armed with nothing but a guitar in her hands and a couple of handcrafted beats to guide her performance as she sang songs from her then–to–be–released album, “Triple Shooting Star.” Ross then took the stage, singing while happily thanking the audience after every song. Ross’ performance of the 2021 single “I’ll Have to Think About it” was a highlight of the show. Ross claimed that when the crowd began to sing along, it might have been the loudest Ross had heard it recited on tour yet. Ross ended the set with a personal favorite of theirs, “(You) On My Arm,” and provided an encore of “We’ll Never Have Sex” that left the audience gasping at the opening guitar riff.
‘Dores continue to ball
No. 19 Vanderbilt Women’s Basketball dominated the Furman Paladins on Nov. 10 in the home opener of the season. After a relatively quiet first quarter, the team began to gain speed in the scoring game, ending the match with six different Vanderbilt players scoring double digits in the game and a 96-48 victory overall. After playing without star sophomore Mikayla Blakes for the first quarter, the team picked up steam in the second quarter and never looked back.
Vanderbilt Men’s Basketball also had a hot round this week in their matchup against Eastern Kentucky, beating the Colonels 92-62 on Nov. 12. With five Vanderbilt players scoring in the double digits, this appeared to be a strong performance by the Commodores all around, with Tyler Harris leading the Commodores with 17 points. Consistently staying in the lead with a comfortable 45-27 edge by halftime, the Commodores showed their might in Memorial Gymnasium. A notable highlight of the game was Tyler Tanner’s show–stopping dunk over Eastern Kentucky forward Austin Ball with 3:40 remaining on the game clock.
Safe and secure at the National Security Symposium
The Vanderbilt Institute of National Security hosted its 15th Annual National Security Symposium on Nov. 7 at Saratt Cinema, headlined by a keynote given by Admiral James Frank Caldwell Jr., former director of the United States Navy’s Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program. Caldwell provided his insights about the future of national security alongside how he sees Vanderbilt’s role in that future. Chancellor Daniel Diermeier introduced Caldwell, highlighting his accomplishments and sharing his vision for Vanderbilt’s future in national security.
Caldwell described his first assignments on a vessel, his progression and wisdom gained through his time in the Navy. The Admiral did a brief Q&A session at the end of his address, where he reinforced his belief that universities must investigate careers in national security as an option for their students.
Team Gavin
Vanderbilt Programming Board hosted “The Summer I Turned Pretty” star Gavin Casalegno at Langford Auditorium on Nov. 12, discussing his experience being rejected in Hollywood and his role as Jeremiah Fisher in the hit TV show. Casalegno went on to describe his experience growing up as a toddler actor, mentioning how he almost quit acting due to a barrage of rejections but that to make it in acting, you must “eat rejection for breakfast” and accept it. Casalegno expressed satisfaction that “The Summer I Turned Pretty” released its final episode, stating that he was glad to be a part of something that brought people together while watching, even if not everyone agrees with his on-screen character. Casalengo closed off his talk by mentioning that he hopes to be involved in future projects that feel meaningful to him and to make the world a better place.
