About This Exhibit

Responding to societal changes of the Great War, Vanderbilt’s student body navigated a period
of societal imbalance. Vanderbilt began developing its new identity which was no longer strictly
centered around a homogenous, male student body. Women began to take on new roles and
responsibilities, asserting their presence in academic and extracurricular spaces. Militarization
also spurred student self-determination against relentless administrative control, enforcement
of campus uniformity, and severe disciplinary practices. A multitude of student voices emerged
to challenge the status quo, ultimately redefining the traditional, conservative archetype of the
“Vanderbilt student.”

This exhibit was curated by Alysa Suleiman, Evelyn Ong, and Spandana Pavuluri in the fall semester of 2024 as a Buchanan Library Fellowship.