From the Editor From the Reader - DiscoverArchive Home ...

NEIL BRAKE
21 employees. Myatt cites Vanderbilt’s
employee benefits such
as English as a Second Language
programs, GED programs,
and the college tuition
assistance program as incentives
that make the University
an attractive place to work,
especially for low-wage earners.
“We try to provide people
with the vehicles with which to
elevate themselves,” says Myatt.
He admits that “wages are critically
important,” but adds that
the longevity of many employees’
work experience at Vanderbilt
speaks for itself.
The current federal minimum
wage, in place since 1997,
is $5.15 per hour, but proponents
of a living wage say the
value of the minimum wage
in relevance to cost of living in
the United States has steadily
declined since 1968.
Vanderbilt is one among
numerous universities that has
struggled with the issue of
compensation for lowest-paid
workers in recent years. Some
schools that have instituted
living wages, including Harvard,
outsource lower-paying
positions so that those individuals
are not on the university
payroll.
A group of Vanderbilt students,
faculty and staff gathered in
front of Kirkland Hall last
November to voice their concerns
about wage issues on campus.
http://www.soulincision.com/
Soul Incision
By day, they’re mostly mild-mannered
Vanderbilt physicians, nurses and administrators.When
the sun goes down, though,
they get together to play Motown, Memphis
soul, classic rock and pop. Performing
about 30 times a year, the nine-member
band has shared the stage with Charlie
Daniels, Vince Gill, Joe Dee Messina,
Billy Dean and Trick Pony, among others.
Formed in 1998, they’ve just released
their second CD. Hear their music and
find out more on their Web site.
Appeals Court
Rules on Memorial
Hall Dispute
Vanderbilt will not appeal
a state court decision regarding
the inscription on the pediment
of Memorial Hall, a residence
hall on the Peabody campus,
ending a lawsuit initiated by the
United Daughters of the Confederacy.
The Tennessee chapter of the
UDC filed the breach of contract
suit in 2002 when the University
announced it was
{Virtual Vanderbilt}
dropping the word “Confederate”
from the official name of
the building, which was constructed
by Peabody College in
1933 with partial financial support
from the UDC. The lawsuit
was dismissed by a Davidson
County chancery court in 2003,
but the Tennessee Court of
Appeals overturned that decision
in May, ruling that the University
could not remove the
actual inscription unless it reimbursed
the UDC an unspecified
amount of money based on the
current value of the organization’s
original $50,000 payment.
The court decision only
affects the actual inscription on
the building; all publications,
maps and housing assignments
refer to “Memorial Hall.”
Symbols of the Confederacy
have been the subject of controversy
in a number of cities
recently. In Memphis, Tenn., city
officials are weighing a proposal
to rename Confederate Park,
Nathan Bedford Forrest Park
and Jefferson Davis Park, and to
move statues of Forrest and
Davis to museums. In Augusta,
Ga., and Montgomery, Ala.,
conflicts continue over displays
of the Confederate flag.
Judging from the letters
Vanderbilt Magazine continues
to receive on the subject, alumni
are far from united in their
opinions regarding the issue.
“Even today, issues around the
symbols of the Civil War generate
very, very intense feelings,”
says Michael Schoenfeld, vice
chancellor for public affairs.
“Vanderbilt continues to
believe that we did the right
thing for the right reasons to
address a decades-long controversy
by changing the name of
‘Confederate Memorial Hall.’
Nonetheless, the court has
ruled and Vanderbilt will abide
by the judgment regarding the
inscription on the façade of the
building.”
The University plans to create
an annual forum or lecture
that will deal with issues of
race, history, memory and the
Civil War.
>>
V a n d e r b i l t M a g a z i n e 15