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Courtside Preview: Tennessee - Florida

Friday, February 10, 2012

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Issue 22

E D I T O R I A L L Y

Cloudy 40% chance of rain HIGH LOW 51 37

PUBLISHED SINCE 1906 http://utdailybeacon.com

Vol. 119

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Address spells out UT’s budget Deborah Ince Staff Writer In his annual State of the State Address given on Jan. 30, Gov. Bill Haslam presented his balanced budget proposal for 2012 to 2013. That proposed budget included a significant amount of money to be allocated to UT that will aid the university in improving its overall academic campaign. “First of all — the State of the State Address — the theme of it was: ‘Believe in Better,’” Chancellor Jimmy Cheek said. “Believe you could be better, basically. And of course that’s what the

University of Tennessee believes all the time, right? Because we can be a better place, and that’s all we want to do.” Gov. Haslam’s budget allocates a total of $9.3 million to be given to UT. After factoring in the $3.2 million budget reduction the university experienced, UT will benefit a total of $6.1 million in recurring, which is operating money from the governor’s proposal. The money given to the university will be used for three main purposes. First, there will be a 2.5 percent salary increase for university faculty and staff. The new money given to the university will also add $4 million to the overall funding formula for higher education. At UT, the funding formula is deter-

mined by a number of different factors, including how many students are able to successfully complete credit hours, how many students are retained at the university and how many students are able to graduate in a six-year time period. Adjustments for insurance and retirement cost are also factored into the $9.3 million budget allocation. Second, the governor began funding Tennessee Higher Education Commission request for new buildings on university campuses. Haslam proposed to fund the first building to be built at UT, focusing on the sciences and STEM program. See HASLAM on Page 3

• Photo courtesy of AP Photo/George Walker IV

Washington passes gay marriage bill The Associated Press OLYMPIA, Wash. — The last time same-sex marriage was debated in the state Capitol, the Legislature’s sole gay lawmaker watched as his colleagues passed the state’s version of the Defense of Marriage Act in 1998 banning gay marriage. Fourteen years after that “lonely moment,” Sen. Ed Murray stood in the wings as lawmakers approved his bill allowing gay and lesbian couples to marry. “I didn’t think I would be in office to see marriage equality passed,” Murray, D-Seattle, said Wednesday night. “It was incredibly moving to watch a new generation of gay and lesbian lawmakers in the House standing up and carrying the torch.” The Washington House passed the bill on a 55-43 vote earlier in the day. Supporters in the public-viewing galleries cheered as many on the Democratic side of the House floor hugged. The state Senate approved the measure last week. Wednesday’s vote sends the bill to Democratic Gov. Chris Gregoire, who is expected to sign it into law next week. She issued a statement saying it was “a major step toward completing a long and important journey to end discrimination based on sexual orientation.”

The passage came a day after a federal appeals court declared California’s ban on gay marriage unconstitutional, ruling it was a violation of the civil rights of gay and lesbian couples. Democratic Rep. Jamie Pedersen, a gay lawmaker from Seattle who also has sponsored gay rights bills for several years, cited Tuesday’s ruling by the San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals during his remarks on the House floor. He noted a section that stated “marriage is the name that society gives to the relationship that matters most between two adults.” Several Republicans argued that the bill goes against the tradition of marriage. Rep. Jay Rodne, R-Snoqualmie, said the measure “severs the cultural, historical and legal underpinnings of the institution of marriage.” Several Republican amendments were rejected, including one that would have added private businesses and individuals, such as bakers and photographers, to an exemption in the measure that doesn’t require religious organizations or churches to perform marriages and doesn’t subject them to penalties if they don’t marry gay or lesbian couples. Another would have required a onemonth residency requirement before people could get married in Washington. See GAY MARRIAGE on Page 3

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Job fair offers students interaction with major corporations, local charities Alex Pierce Staff Writer Hundreds of students crammed into the University Center ballroom on Wednesday, as the UT Career Services department hosted numerous organizations seeking employees and interns for its annual Summer Job and Internship Fair. The fair included over 72 organizations and businesses, all seeking student interns and employees. For this event, students were encouraged to dress professionally and bring multiple copies of their resumes. Participating employers at the job fair determine what students they will interview further based on their resumes. The number of students each organization looked for varied greatly, ranging from one to 30. “Students are missing a great opportunity when they miss the job fair,” DeAnna Bonner, the assistant director of Career Services at UT and coordinator of the event, said. “All of these employers are here specifically because they are looking for students to hire.” A variety of organizations participated in the job fair. Local businesses as well as multinational corporations were featured. Internships and summer jobs were showcased to students, each company using both visual presentations and employee recruiters. There were also a handful of volunteer organizations offering summer opportunities. One organization, the Boys and Girls Club, offered volunteer work as well as employment and intern programs. Vanessa Jones, the human resources manager for the local branch of Boys and Girls club, said the charity typically takes on 25 to 30 new students during the summer months. Opportunities are present in Knox, Blount, Loudon and North Anderson counties. Another business present at the Summer Job and Internship Fair was Mars,

Incorporated. The company manufactures products such as “petcare, chocolate, gum and confections, food, drinks, and symbioscience,” according to its official website. It is most known for its production of M&M’s, Snickers, Dove and a variety of other chocolate brands. “In a student employee, we’re looking for a willingness to re-locate, presence, attitude and of course, a nice resume” Ralf Reiser, the innovation manager for packaging at Mars, said. Reiser has seen the success of the Summer Job and Internship Fair first-hand. “Last summer we hired an intern from this university, and this year, he was hired full-time,” Reiser said. Other participants in the job fair had reason to appreciate the event. Unilever, a company that produces many well-known brand names such as Dove, Ben & Jerry’s and Lipton, brought along three recruiters who were alumni of UT. Although all three are now geographically dispersed throughout the United States, they received their start with Unilever at a UT job fair. One of these alumni, Justin Brown, is now a customer supply chain manager for Unilever. “I’m an example of the success of this (program),” Brown said. Companies also sent representatives to UT from the Atlanta Hawks, Coca-Cola, Knoxville Utilities Board (KUB), Target and U.S. Sen. Bob Corker, among many others. “The fair is a mix of everything: the corporate world, government agencies, charities, a few camps,” Bonner said. “Everything is represented. There’s something here for every major.” The Summer Job and Internship Fair is one of several job fairs put on by Career Services. The Spring Job Fair is geared mostly towards students who will be graduating in May 2012 and will take place in March, said Bonner.

First lady advocates for child health, Iowa rises to occasion The Associated Press DES MOINES, Iowa — She did some wild arm swings, sharp robotic turns and pulsing fist pumps. Michelle Obama busted out a few new moves Thursday to mark the second anniversary of her campaign against childhood obesity with a few new friends — 14,000 or so, it turns out. The first lady rocked out with thousands of sixth- to ninth-graders at a Des Moines arena on the first stop of a three-day trip to highlight her “Let’s Move” campaign. It was a giant pep rally for eating right and exercising, complete with confetti, balloons and a towering birthday cake made of fruit. The first lady and crowd revved up by doing the Interlude, a dance that started in a dorm room at the University of Northern Iowa and went viral from there. Mrs. Obama chose Iowa for her first stop because the state is working to become the nation’s healthiest state by

2016, as measured by the Gallup organization. It ranked 19th in 2010, the most recent rankings. She sold healthy eating to the kids as something fun, but also dangled the bait that it could help them “pass your tests and get good grades in school.” There were plenty of sports celebrities on hand to help pump up the crowd, including gymnast Shawn Johnson, figure skater Michelle Kwan, NASCAR champion Carl Edwards, Iowa State basketball coach Fred Hoiberg and former WNBA star Tamika Catchings. The first lady took on the issue of childhood obesity because almost a third of U.S. children are at least overweight, and about 17 percent are obese. In the two years since Mrs. Obama launched her campaign, she has brought substantial new visibility to the childhood obesity issue and has prodded schools, families, restaurants, grocery stores, Tia Patron • The Daily Beacon doctors, local communities and Sophmore baseball player Ethan Bennett and his brother Cody perform Rocky Top during a timeout during a others to do more to tackle the Vols game on Feb. 8. The brothers also performed the National Anthem before the game. problem.


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