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Friday, February 17, 2012

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Issue 65

E D I T O R I A L L Y

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Vol. 118

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Hate Poisons Student Art Emily DeLanzo Design Editor The UC offers assistance, nourishment and even recreation to students at the UT. Nearly all students and faculty members have to traverse through the UC and its main concourse connecting one side of campus to the other. In order to give students a fun, creative outlet, the Central Program Council (CPC) decided to dedicate February to poetry sticks. The poetry sticks were velcro words applying to campus life as a UT student to allow students to put words together and create poetry. Starting Feb. 1, the Office of Student Activities, Division of Student Life placed the poetry sticks on the walls of the UC concourse. This was the poetry stick’s second annual incarnation. This year, CPC decided to remove roughly a hundred words from last year to minimize any sort of sexually implied inappropriate use of the poetry sticks. Despite the sexually charged misconduct of some students in 2011, the poetry sticks remained up for the entire month of February. On Wednesday, the Office of Student Activities made the executive decision to cut the ongoing program and immediately remove the poetry sticks because of homophobic and racist remarks created by students. Sarah Houston, senior in English literature and member of Cultural Attractions Committee, said that the poetry sticks were removed because “they had spotted a lot of racist and homophobic comments.” “Since the UC is a public area, people cannot choose whether

or not to walk through that area so it cannot be like an art gallery,” Houston said. Houston said that there were several problems last year as well. “I saw racier things with a wider variety of words that were available for students to use.” The CPC and office staff members monitored the poetry sticks activity. The CPC relied on UT students to act responsibility and respectfully. Some students, however, used the velcro words to convey negative ideas. Homophobic and racist remarks appeared constantly since the placement of the poetry sticks on Feb. 1. Students filed several complaints throughout the past two weeks. “One of the points of the poetry sticks is that you can change what it says,” Houston said. “The whole point is to change (the poetry) if you do not agree with it so you can say what you feel. There’s always the ability to change.” Because of continuing problems with hateful language, the CPC made the decision to remove the exhibit. UT and CPC did not want to make students and visitors to the university feel uncomfortable. “When you give students freedom of speech, college kids are bound to be offensive,” said Terika Greenlee, senior in psychology. Despite the CPC’s effort to minimize harassing language, the poetry sticks were removed because of students’ abuse. The Office of Student Activities, Division of Student Life prides itself on being an equal opportunities office. Hate speech is not tolerated by the CPC or by UT.

Tara Sripunvoraskul • The Daily Beacon

Natalie Williams, senior in therapeutic recreation, looks for words to use on the poetry stick board Feb. 7. The poetry stick exhibit was taken down Wednesday.

UT encourages Conference unifies black community student leadership Jasmine Fletcher-Green Staff Writer

Tiffany Perkins Staff Writer Ready for another round of open-minded thinkers, UT will host the second campusbased session of the LeaderShape® Institute, which will take place May 1116. Participant applications opened Feb. 1 and will remain available until Feb. 24. The program will accept 60 student leaders representing diverse facets of the student body. For over 30 years, the LeaderShape® Institute has encouraged thousands of participants to get out of their comfort zone and create change among their peers. The program strongly promotes the importance of leading with integrity, and having a healthy disregard for the impossible. “The week is intended to produce a breakthrough in the leadership capacity of participants — benefiting them individually, as well as their respective communities and the organizations they will go on to lead and serve in the future,” Sally Parish, assistant director of Student Orientation and Leadership Development, said. Parish serves as the program coordinator for UT’s session of LeaderShape® and worked closely with the administrative tasks of making the program happen. UT started hosting the program because the students and faculty saw LeaderShape® as a unique, once-in-a-lifetime leadership opportunity that would make a huge impact on students, campus and community. While at the LeaderShape® Institute, participants will learn how to create goals and build teams, among other activities. Through the week students work in teams called “Family Clusters” to form supportive relationships. The goal is for participants to gain insights that will serve them

both personally and professionally for years to come. “LeaderShape® is not like any other leadership program,” said Courtney Vick, senior in journalism and electronic media and 2011 LeaderShape® participant. “The activities we participated in were innovative and educational to participants.” Vick knew that the program would be a good way for her to better understand leadership. She applied hoping to grow as a leader, and said she gained much more. “Creating visions and having like-minded individuals there to show me support was really memorable,” Vick said. “I am now more understanding and perceptive of others’ leadership styles.” The LeaderShape® Institute, now in its 26th year, has impacted more than 40,000 young men and women all over the world. Though only in its second year, Parish believes the impact from LeaderShape® can be seen. “There is an established group of student leaders on campus who are united in their dedication to living and leading with integrity,” Parish said. “It is hard to think of a greater impact than that.” Since last May, a larger and more diverse pool of student leaders has become involved in leadership rolls all over campus. “I feel that the impact reaches hundreds, if not thousands of students, across campus,” Parish said. “The 2011 LeaderShape® alumni serve as an inspiration to me, and I am grateful for their dedication to living and leading with integrity. I believe that they truly make our campus a better place.” A final information session for LeaderShape® will be Feb. 20 in Panhellenic at 5 p.m. Students can visit sold.utk.edu/leadershape for applications and information on how to schedule an interview.

The Office of Minority Student Life (OMSL) is hosting its 7th Annual Black Issues Conference Friday at the UC, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The theme for this year’s event will be “Black in America: One Campus … One Community … Unified for One Cause.” “Every year I have been a UT student I’ve looked forward to this event,” Jeremy Donald, junior in journalism and electronic media, said. Since its start in 2005, the Black Issues Conference (BIC) has aimed to unite the campus and community by reflecting on the concerns of African-Americans. The conference’s main purpose is to present a forum of discussions on issues that affect the African-American culture. Although the conference will focus on overcoming African-American conflicts, the forum is open to everyone. The conference and lunch are free to all UT students, faculty, staff and registered participants. “All races are welcomed,” said Christian Donaldson, senior in political science and member of the BIC planning committee. “Although the forum focuses on the issues of African-Americans, the committee feels it’s important for other cultures to come so that others can see

just how important it is for us to find solutions, and just how relative these issues can be to them as well.” The itinerary for the students includes attending three sessions followed by lunch and a keynote speaker. Although the students will only attend three, there will be several sessions to choose from. The speaker will be political activist and writer Kevin Powell. The topic of his speech will be “The Leadership We Are Waiting for Is Us: How to Become an Effective Leader.” Powell is the author or editor of 11 books and is widely considered one of America’s leading political and cultural voices of the 21st century. Powell’s writings have appeared in numerous publications including The Washington Post, Newsweek, Essence, Ebony, Esquire, Rolling Stone and Vibe. “The Black Issues Conference is by far one of the greatest events I have ever attended,” X-Zaviana Boddie, recent graduate of UT, said. “I am amazed at how far this tradition has come and hope that it continues to grow as it helped me to do.” Several organizations have come together to ensure that this year’s conference is a success. The planning committee consists of members from organizations such as the National Advancement of Colored People (NACP), National PanHellenic Council (NPHC), Black Cultural

Programming Committee (BCPC), Student Government Association (SGA), Student Services Center (SSC), Central Program Council (CPC) and Diva Opals. Anderson Olds is president of UT’s branch of NAACP and co-chair of the event, along with Tanisha Jenkins, senior associate director of OMSL. Both Olds and Jenkins have been co-chairs of the event for two years. “I am very pleased with the amount of time and hard work this year’s planning committee has put into the program,” Olds said. “Our main goal was to make sure this year’s issues were more local so that the students and community could better relate, and I commend everyone involved in the planning committee for making sure that will happen.” Sponsors of the BIC include the Office of Minority Student Life, NAACP, Charlie Lemmons Foundation, Black Cultural Programming Committee, Commission for Blacks, Black Alumni Council, Office of Equity and Diversity, Office of Disability Services, College of Business and Administration, UT Book Supply stores and the Division of Student Life. To register for the conference go to http://omsa.utk.edu/bic/index.php. For more information, contact Multicultural Student Life at (865) 974-6861, or e-mail BIC@utk.edu.

Tara Sripunvoraskul • The Daily Beacon

Karen Kunc, a printmaker, shows off her work to a printmaking class on Wednesday. Kunc lectured Thursday about her print work.

2 • The Daily Beacon

InSHORT

Friday, February 17, 2012

Crime Log Feb. 14 1:26 p.m. — An officer was sent to the G13 Parking Garage where a 21-year-old female student said she had been struck, but not injured, by a motor vehicle about an hour before. Feb. 15 11:09 a.m. — An officer responded to the Crops Genetics Lab for a theft. The victim stated that a Tripp Lite PowerVerter was stolen out of a room in the basement of Crops Genetics Building.

2:31 p.m. — An officer was dispatched to the F2 parking lot off of Todd Helton because of reports of suspicious persons. The officer made contact with the individuals and learned from dispatched UTPD that both had been issued prior criminal trespass warnings. The suspicious individuals were a 51-year-old white female and a 34-year-old white male. One individual was arrested for criminal trespass on UT property and was transported to Knox County Detention Facility. The other was transported by Rural Metro to UTER due to medical complaints and was given a misdemeanor citation for criminal trespass.

Compiled from a media log provided to the Daily Beacon by the University of Tennessee Police Department. All persons arrested are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. People with names similar or identical to those listed may not be those identified in reports.

Tara Sripunvoraskul • The Daily Beacon

Sayan Paria, sophomore in biochemistry and molecular biology, sets up an inflatable inside the Art & Architecture Building on Feb. 15. Every Art 103 class creates a group of inflatables to set up in the building each semester.

1782 — French and British battle in the Indian Ocean The worldwide implications of the American War for Independence are made clear on this day in history as the American-allied French navy begins a 14-month-long series of five battles with the British navy in the Indian Ocean. Between February 17, 1782, and September 3, 1782, French Admiral Pierre Andre de Suffren de Saint-Tropez, otherwise known as Bailli de Suffren, and British Vice-Admiral Sir Edward Hughes, commander in chief in the East Indies, engaged in four major battles in the Indian Ocean region: the Battle of Sadras on February 17, the Battle of Providien on April 12, the Battle of Negapatam on July 6 and the Battle of Trincomalee on September 3. The French attacked British possessions on the Indian coast and in Ceylon as part of the world war spawned by the American Revolution. Although Suffren failed to take any of Hughes’ ships, he managed to prevent Hughes from taking any of his own fleet. This alone was a significant improvement in French performance when pitted against the legendary British navy. The fifth and final encounter of the two fleets — the Battle of Cuddalore on April 20, 1783 — forced Hughes to leave for Madras, just before Suffren learned of the Treaty of Paris and returned to France. En route home at the Cape of Good Hope, Suffren received compliments on his strategy from the English captains he had opposed in East India. Napoleon, too, had a high opinion of Suffren, commenting that he would have become France’s Lord Nelson, had he survived. Instead, he died suddenly in France on December 8, 1788, of either a stroke or wounds from a duel. Hughes also profited from the East India campaign. He returned to Britain extremely wealthy from the various prizes and perquisites he won in the Indies and had his portrait painted in full naval splendor by the renowned Sir Joshua Reynolds. 1865 — Sherman sacks Columbia, South Carolina On this day in 1865, the soldiers from Union General William Tecumseh Sherman’s army ransack Columbia, South Carolina, and leave a charred city in their wake. Sherman is most famous for his March to the Sea in the closing months of 1864. After capturing Atlanta in September, Sherman cut away from his supply lines and cut a swath of destruction across Georgia on his way to Savannah. His army lived off the land and destroyed railroads, burned warehouses, and ruined plantations along the way. This was a calculated effort — Sherman thought that the war would end more

quickly if civilians of the South felt some destruction personally, a view supported by General Ulysses S. Grant, commander of all Union forces, and President Abraham Lincoln. After spending a month in Savannah, Sherman headed north to tear the Confederacy into smaller pieces. The Yankee soldiers took particular delight in carrying the war to South Carolina, the symbol of the rebellion. It was the first state to secede and the site of Fort Sumter, where South Carolinians fired on the Federal garrison to start the war in April 1861. When Confederate General Wade Hampton’s cavalry evacuated Columbia, the capital was open to Sherman’s men. Many of the Yankees got drunk before starting the rampage. Union General Henry Slocum observed: “A drunken soldier with a musket in one hand and a match in the other is not a pleasant visitor to have about the house on a dark, windy night.” Sherman claimed that the raging fires were started by evacuating Confederates and fanned by high winds. He later wrote: “Though I never ordered it and never wished it, I have never shed any tears over the event, because I believe that it hastened what we all fought for, the end of the War.” 1993 — Ferry sinks near Haiti Approximately 900 people drown when a passenger ferry, the Neptune, overturns near Portau-Prince, Haiti, on this day in 1993. The ferry was dangerously overloaded, and carried no lifeboats or emergency gear. The Neptune was a 150-foot boat, with three decks, that made regular trips transporting people, farm animals and some cargo from Jeremie to Port-au-Prince. The 150-mile voyage usually took about 12 hours. The Neptune should have carried a maximum of 650 people, but it regularly took on larger numbers of passengers. In addition, the boat was notorious for its lack of safety equipment. On the night of February 17, the Neptune was about halfway to Port-au-Prince when it encountered bad weather. There was no passenger list, but it is believed that approximately 1,200 people were on board the ferry at the time, along with numerous animals and a large amount of charcoal. When the Neptune began to roll in the water, the passengers panicked. Many rushed to the upper deck and to one side of the boat. Captain Benjamin St. Clair later reported that the sudden shift in weight caused the upper deck to collapse and the boat to capsize. — This Day in History is courtesy of History.com.

Friday, February 17, 2012

NEWS

Luncheon offers taste of culture Wade Scofield Staff Writer The Ready for the World Café is resuming its annual luncheon series this month and looks to be a way for students to immerse themselves in a culture not familiar to them. On Tuesday, Feb. 21, the Café will host the second of its 10-week luncheon series with food and a cultural experience of Japan. Tuesdays at noon for each of the next nine weeks, one student in hotel, restaurant and tourism (HRT) puts together an individual café meal at the UT Visitor’s Center on Neyland Drive. The student markets for the café, decides the menu, finds the recipes and measures the ingredients. Then, the student gives the information to a collaboration at Pellissippi State Community College, who prepare the lunch. “Ready for the World is a huge project undertaken by students in the class,” Megan Cole, senior in food science and technology, said. “In our 400-level HRT class, we take everything we have learned throughout the semester and apply it to the Café.” Students can expect more than just traditional food at the Ready for the World Café.

“There have been times in the past when the Café has had traditional dancers or guest speakers,” Cole said. “It just depends. I know for next week, there will be a drawing.” Each Ready for the World Café serves an appetizer, salad, entrée and dessert. On Tuesday, the luncheon will feature Japanese-themed items like Yakitori, Tonkatsu and Daigakuimo. “I went to one of the luncheons about this time last year,” Mark Walker, senior in nuclear engineering, said. “The dishes were really representative of the country’s cuisine.” The café prefers tickets be purchased before attending the luncheon. “For $12, students get a quality lunch and a unique cultural experience,” Cole said. “Plus, the profits go toward a scholarship fund for HRT students. The faculty receive their usual discount, and this year, we’re fortunate to have US Foods sponsoring $350 to purchase food for the Café.” “I would definitely recommend going at least once, especially if it’s a culture you’re interested in,” Walker said. “It was a really good experience, and the food was worth the money.” Students can call Marcia Johnson at (865) 9746645 or visit 110 Jesse Harris Building for tickets.

Rebeca Vaughan • The Daily Beacon

Members of UT men's contemporary acappella group, VOLume, perform during the Choral Arts Concert on Tuesday, Feb. 14. Choral groups from area high schools came to perform with the UT choral groups.

The Daily Beacon • 3

‘Piggyback Bandit’ jumps state-to-state The Associated Press HELENA, Mont. — The stocky man showed up in a basketball uniform for a game at Century High School in North Dakota. Players and coaches assumed he was a fan who had come with another team, so nobody objected when he began to pitch in around the bench. “He helped lay out uniforms, got water. He even gave a couple of kids shoulder massages. Creepy stuff like that,” said Jim Haussler, activities director for the Bismarck Public School District. After the game was over, the man joined the winning team on the court and asked if he could get a piggyback ride. One bemused player gave it to him. “He makes himself appear as if he’s limited or handicapped. I think he plays an empathy card, so to speak,” Haussler said. “We didn’t realize what we were dealing with until several days later.” What they were dealing with the night of Feb. 4 was the Piggyback Bandit — Sherwin Shayegan of Bothell, Wash., a 28-year-old man who ingratiates himself with high school sports teams, then hoists his 5-foot-8, 240-pound frame onto the backs of the student athletes. Shayegan’s antics stretch back to 2008 and had been mainly confined to Washington and Oregon. But since last fall, he has worked his way east to Montana, North Dakota and Minnesota, leaving a trail of befuddled athletes in his wake. Shayegan has asked for piggybacks, attempted to pay for piggybacks and just sprung one upon an unsuspecting kid. He favors basketball games, but he also has leapt onto hockey, soccer and football players. He has pretended to interview athletes for a term paper, acted as a team manager or just tried to blend in with the crowd for

a piggyback payoff. Why he does it is unclear, as is who came up with the “Piggyback Bandit” nickname that now follows him wherever he goes. Shayegan, contacted on his cellphone Tuesday, politely declined to speak of the piggyback rides until he could talk to an attorney. “I’d prefer not to comment, if that’s OK,” he said. Shayegan has a lengthy criminal rap sheet in Washington, as well as nine outstanding warrants in one town in that state. Because of his piggyback antics, he has been banned from high school sporting events in Wa s h i n g t o n , Oregon, Montana, North Dakota and Minnesota. “What’s disturbing to me is that he is jumping on our young athletes, he is 240 pounds, and he can hurt someone,” said Mark Beckman, executive director of the Montana High School Sports Association. In October, Shayegan was arrested in Helena, Mont., for jumping on two unsuspecting high school soccer players during a state tournament. Shayegan said something to a motel clerk in Helena that day that prompted the clerk to call police. A plainclothes officer went to the tournament and watched Shayegan jump on the back of a player. Shayegan pleaded guilty on Feb. 1 to two misdemeanor assault charges. He was fined $730, given a 360-day suspended prison sentence and told not to go to any more Montana high school events. “Go back to Seattle and behave,” Judge Bob Wood told him, according to the Independent Record of Helena. Shayegan didn’t listen. Just three days later, he struck again at the Bismarck basketball game. He also received a piggyback ride from a hockey player after a hockey game that same day.

4 • The Daily Beacon

Friday, February 17, 2012

OPINIONS

Better

Than

Reality TV

‘Comic Book Men’ plays up stereotype Robby O’Daniel Recruitment Editor Hey, if I created a reality show called “The TV Watchers Club,” and the cast spent half of the first episode talking about movies, not television, would that make any sense? Then why does the first episode of AMC’s new unscripted show “Comic Book Men” spend so much time talking about horror movies or “The Six Million Dollar Man,” the 1970s television show with the nonStone Cold version of Steve Austin? Indeed, as an avid comic book fan, this is an annoyance with comic book stores in general. Too often, a comic book store advertises itself as such, but the store also houses gaming, movie and television merchandise and so many other divergent media that the proper classification would be something like niche pop culture store, not comic book store. Since director Kevin Smith owns the place, it makes sense that Jay and Silent Bob’s Secret Stash in Red Bank, N.J. would have Smith memorabilia everywhere. But the way customers casually walk in and try to sell stuff like a doll of Chuckie from the movie “Child’s Play” suggests that the store is more of an all-purpose junk store. With that major complaint out of the way, “Comic Book Men” shows a glimpse of promise. Smith just owns the store. He chats with the others in a podcast session spliced throughout the episode, but most of the show focuses on the store regulars: manager Walt, employees Mike and Ming and frequent customer Bryan. The first episode provides an interesting mix of activity for the group. A few scenes showcase the group gawking over some prized item someone just brought in, a la the series “Pawn Stars.” Note: I never got the allure of “Pawn Stars.” It is so boring to watch people detail the minutiae of random old junk and then pretend like they are the greatest hagglers in the world by always trying to go cheaper than the price a seller asks. These segments definitely have some bogus haggling scenes that are supposed to be dramatic but only come off as dull. However, seeing customers, so sure they have something expensive to sell, have their hopes

dashed is darkly entertaining, especially when they come off testy or aggressive, like the guy who brings in “Dawn of the Dead” memorabilia. He asks for $1,000 and is told what he has is worth much less than that. But whenever someone brings in anything, the store employees usually launch into boring banter about that bit of pop culture to the annoyance of the customer and the audience. When a guy brings in the Steve Austin action figure, Walt leaps into a monologue about how much he loved the show, and which specific episode he loved the most. Meanwhile, the customer’s expression yells, “I don’t care, man. Do you want to buy this or not?” This reaction is so utterly obvious that it is bizarre the producers even showed the customers’ faces to begin with. Perhaps the most fun of the first episode is a challenge from Walt to his employees — and perennially present customer Bryan — to sell merchandise at a local flea market. Whoever comes back with the most sold will get two weekends off in a row. Bryan, here, quickly becomes the show’s breakout star, with his quick wit and wild selling techniques. When talking to his friends at the comic book shop, he comes off as shy, saying he hates dealing with people. But really, he hates dealing with people, and he does not care what they think either. When one person passes his table, saying she’ll come back later, he says directly to her that she won’t. “They never come back,” he says, frankly. Later, a woman, obviously unaware of what kind of merchandise Bryan is selling, asks about a bread maker. Bryan says she can put bread on this collector’s plate. When she does not say anything, he smashes the plate to the ground in front of her, saying he does not care about the merchandise; he is just trying to make a sale. What this means is a little obtuse, but it is priceless when another flea market seller comes over and admonishes him. “Comic Book Men” could stand to focus more on scenarios like sending the gang out to sell merchandise in a different environment. It is fun to see the personalities interact with outside elements. The show is at its most boring and eye-rollingly juvenile when it’s just a group of guys in a room, arguing over who is the hottest scantily clad heroine in comics. Just because stereotypes exist does not mean you have to make them come true. — Robby O’Daniel is a graduate student in communications. He can be reached at rodaniel@utk.edu.

SCRAMBLED EGGS • Alex Cline

THE GREAT MASH- UP• Liz Newnam

Columns of The Daily Beacon are reflections of the individual columnist, and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Beacon or its editorial staff.

Threats to free Internet intolerable T he Bur den o f I n fa l l i b i l t y by

Wiley Robinson The “History of the Internet” on Wikipedia gets down the basic time frames of the net’s basic permutations and technological benchmarks, and while it can be woefully inaccessible it is adequate to draw some interesting conclusions from. Yet most noticeably divorced from the “History” is the rise of Google, whose innovations and dominance in data-mining and infrastructure paved the way for the massive commercialization of the Internet that we know today. But what’s something that happened in recent memory that might explain why our Internets are suddenly under attack? It’s only been about two years since Google and Verizon made an unprecedented deal that would allow them to take full advantage of each other’s infrastructure: Google’s search monopoly/data mining infrastructure and array of promoted information services, and Verizon’s global wireless broadband. A year or so before that Verizon criticized Google and Skype for freeloading on infrastructure telecoms who were responsible for the researching and developing the networks they were apparently benefiting too much from. (Isn’t it just like business to measure the value of something influential on financial entitlement and not how it’s changing culture or benefiting our lives?) But we all comprehend the omnipresence of Google; in a very short time Google has turned what’s going on behind the search box into a multinational corporation with a largely ad-based business model that is eclipsing television. With its arbitration over search rankings and massive data gathering techniques that facilitate activities like the targeted ads we enjoy, Google has become more of a de facto Internet gatekeeper than the service providers themselves. This was probably one of the most important steps to getting us where we are now. Google also thought that exploding demand for increasingly mobile wireless broadband might be possible by monetizing it in a way other than targeted ads, which is where the fear that this could start affecting Google’s stance on “net neutrality,” the principal behind how we’ve known the Internet since AOL, started manifesting. Net neutrality, of course, is the attitude about overall Internet

management asserting that Internet carriers and providers, like Comcast or AT&T, cannot discriminate or otherwise alter their services towards any specific content or types of traffic for any reason. It’s a rule that’s been backed by the Federal Communications Commission, Washington and Google, effectively keeping the telecom’s mitts off the Internet, leaving them solely as providers, and content creators solely responsible for their content. When Google started playing provider with Verizon it advocated “limited neutrality,” a laughably transparent effort to stay consistent with the rhetoric people are comfortable with while conveniently claiming that wireless Internet providers should be able to do things like charge content creators, which could be any site on the web not directly affiliated with Google, for extra speed. Or establish a two-lane road of sorts, the faster one costing extra. To hear Eric Schmidt, CEO of Google, talk about it: “The issues of wireless versus wireline gets very messy ... and that’s really an FCC issue, not a Google issue.” Oh, the two kinds of Internet are just so confusing. Thankfully this all amounted to companies with shareholders acting in their own self-interest merely brainstorming about possibilities — so far Google and the service providers have wisely left well enough alone. And Google isn’t the bad guy anymore. The ideals of net neutrality that we’ve enjoyed for over 15 years were never really threatened by oligopoly, because those companies had the wisdom to not alter the climate that was responsible for their prosperity. Now those ideas have been swiftly blitzkrieged into fantasy by the reckless and irresponsible interpretation of laws paid for by a foreign industry that need serious reassessment. Hollywood and television should embrace the Internet with open arms if they want to survive. Take a Steamlike client for TV and movies comes to mind: Keep posttheater and TV releases assessable and cheap on an easyto-use platform with fun and desirable services and the most justified pirates among us will stop. I’ve seen this happen over and over again with Valve’s Steam service: They are doing it right. But these old entertainment industries are cohesively, uncreatively and inefficiently putting their own interests over the rest of ours in a last ditch attempt to reclaim a market they feel entitled to, and they should be punished for it. Like the Internet? Go to opensecrets.org and vote for politicians getting funded by the Internet, not television. — Wiley Robinson is a junior in ecology and evolutionary biology. He can be reached at rrobin23@utk.edu.

Prioritize to avoid procrastination Chao s Theory by

Sarah Russell

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The Daily Beacon is published by students at The University of Tennessee Monday through Friday during the fall and spring semesters and Tuesday and Friday during the summer semester.The offices are located at 1340 Circle Park Drive,11 Communications Building, Knoxville, TN 37996-0314. The newspaper is free on campus and is available via mail subscription for $200/year, $100/semester or $70/summer only. It is also available online at: www.utdailybeacon.com. LETTERS POLICY: The Daily Beacon welcomes all letters to the editor and guest columns from students, faculty and staff. Each submission is considered for publication by the editor on the basis of space, timeliness and clarity. Contributions must include the author’s name and phone number for verification. Students must include their year in school and major. Letters to the editor and guest columns may be e-mailed to letters@utdailybeacon.com or sent to Blair Kuykendall, 1340 Circle Park Dr., 11 Communications Building, Knoxville, TN 37996-0314. The Beacon reserves the right to reject any submissions or edit all copy in compliance with available space, editorial policy and style. Any and all submissions to the above recipients are subject to publication.

It’s February, and once again, the siren call of procrastination is sounding. We’ve made it through the push of January fairly unscathed; but as February descends with its cold weather (finally) and its lack of a school holiday, the motivation of students nationwide begins to plummet. Some people claim that they work better “under pressure.” To a certain extent, this is probably true. That is why we have deadlines in the first place — few people would finish anything without the knowledge that it must be done by a specific time, and that people are expecting them to finish their work by that time. Sometimes that big push is what it takes to complete a difficult assignment. After all, what student has not experienced the magic that the combination of 64 ounces of coffee and sleep deprivation can work on our more esoteric papers? Regardless of what your teachers or your parents might tell you, empirical data tends to suggest that not all procrastination is inherently evil and detrimental to the health of our grade point averages. The problem arises when procrastination becomes the habit and not the last-ditch resort. Becoming too entrenched in procrastination is like taking two steps forward and one step back; while we generally do ultimately finish our assignments by the time they are due (even if our papers are still hot from the printer when we walk into class), we finish them last minute at the expense of the other things we need to do. Constantly playing “catch-up” inevitably leaves things undone that need doing, whether they are other long-term assignments, cleaning the kitchen or simply taking time to relax and breathe. And contrary to popular belief, surfing the Internet for four hours does not truly constitute “relaxing,” or at least the kind of relaxing that overworked college students require. Procrastination as a habit is the kickoff to a vicious, self-perpetuating cycle where we never come out on top and never can throw away our to-do lists with a good conscience.

I write all of this from personal experience. I am not immune to procrastination; no one who is not a programmed robot really is. Like the vast majority of students at UT, I am taking several hours of coursework, working a job and trying to keep some semblance of a social life, all while trying to begin research for my senior thesis. To a certain extent, procrastinating in this case is unavoidable. There are literally not enough hours in the day to go to work, finish all of our homework, eat a meal that might have some nutritional value and get enough sleep to not be a walking zombie the next day. Certain things must be put off until tomorrow, because other things can’t wait until tomorrow. The key, then, is to master a skill often lauded but rarely taught: prioritization. The ability to determine what must be done immediately and what can wait is not something that we inherently know. In fact, our ideas about what should be prioritized are often wrong, or at least misguided. If you’re like me and use cleaning your room as an excuse to avoid homework, you are ultimately not prioritizing appropriately. Cleaning your room is certainly a necessity and one that should not be neglected if you want to live in a biohazardfree zone; but cleaning at the expense of homework that contributes to your grade in class is choosing to prioritize the wrong thing. Mothers the world over may disagree, but your room can wait for another day, assuming nothing is starting to smell or glow green. Above all, the one thing I see college students routinely forgetting to do is to truly relax. As I said above, relaxing does not mean staring at Facebook profiles or even partying on weekends. It might be a momentary distraction, but it does not entail the kind of slowing down and taking a real break that college students desperately need. I would argue that relaxing is just as high of a priority as schoolwork — even above cleaning your room. It is the difference between healthily managing stress and burning out, which causes us to fall even farther behind than we already are. Taking time for ourselves, even if it’s a 10-minute walk outside or drinking a cup of tea, is the greatest solution to procrastination available, because it revives our bodies and our minds and helps us tackle the things that truly need doing. — Sarah Russell is a senior in history. She can be reached at srusse22@utk.edu.

Friday, February 17, 2012

The Daily Beacon • 5

ARTS&CULTURE

Play delivers bewildering, humorous look at reality thy in a more bizarre situation. She is upbeat, strong, receptive to new information, and intelligently and often lightly ironically responds to the creeping weirdness around. Though her immediate path is initially determined by others, she dynamically responds to every new scrap of new information in a world full of people with their own motivations. Also, she’s in pajamas for the entirety of the show. With the tone set, it and the action escalate rather quickly. There is never a dull moment in the first half of the play as the realization of her terrible affliction and the idleness of her day-to-day memoryless existence abruptly changes. With two rather selfish advocates for what her reality really is, the play is simply too swiftly paced to try to be a detective — and we don’t even have enough to go on as it is. We’re ultimately absorbed by the great dysfunction of the people surrounding Claire, who all have their own motives for keeping reality and the circumstances of her condition a secret. The truth also comes to a great extent from within Claire, as she is kidnapped and taken to her mother (who herself is no great source of clues, as she is a functional stroke victim who can’t talk), and few of the questions and subplots leading up to the chaotic,

Wiley Robinson Staff Writer

Emily DeLanzo Design Editor Lace up your boots and fill up your Nalgenes because the songbirds have already started their springtime serenade. Winter hiking can be off-putting for some outdoor enthusiasts, but now is the time to truly go and find solitude. The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the most visited national park in the United States. In 2011, park visitation had above nine million visitors. This mild winter provides incentive to go enjoy the beauty of the Smokies, without the constant bear traffic jams and sweltering heat characteristic of the summer. The Great S m o k y Mountains National Park offers over 900 miles of trails within the park. A fantastic starter hike that will provide a great biological and historical look into the Smokies is the Little River Loop trail out of Elkmont. This 5.5 mile round-trip hike is one of the few loop trails within the park. The trail uses Little River Trail, Cucumber Gap Trail and Jakes Creek Trail combined to make a pleasant stroll through the Smokies. This loop walks through historic Elkmont that defined the logging era of the Smokies. Over 75 percent of trees were logged within what is now Great Smoky Mountains National Park in the 1800s and 1900s. Although you will not find large, old-growth trees on this hike, lots of other natural resources provide enjoyment. The Little River Trail is a gradual, gentle climb. The trail was originally an old gravel road that is now closed to cars. This pleasant stroll follows alongside the Little River filled with several smaller cascading waterfalls. The start of the trail is filled with several old vacation cottages. During the early 1900s, wealthy residents of Knoxville would come to Elkmont for a quiet escape. Most of these cottages are being renovated. Please do not enter any for safety purposes.

TUTORING TESTPREP EXPERTS GRE/ GMAT/ LSAT For over 30 years, Michael K. Smith, Ph.D., and his teachers have helped UT students prepare for the GRE/ GMAT/ LSAT. Our programs offer individual tutoring, practice tests, and computer- adaptive strategies at a reasonable price. Programs can be designed around your schedule, weekdays, weeknights, or weekends. Conveniently located at 308 South Peters Rd. Call (865)694-4108 for more information.

EMPLOYMENT Basketball League Coord. Work with urban middle and high school students as part of Emerald Youth Foundation’s Sports League. Responsibilities include combination of league and gym management & discipleship and relationship building with players. Ideal person would have a passion for sports ministry and heavy basketball experience/ knowledge. Great internship for future coach or sports management career! Immediate PT position through May. Submit resume to rdavis@emeraldyouthfoundation.org

First Baptist Concord After School Care is looking for childcare workers, must be at least 18 years of age to work in a Christian childcare environment. 15-20 hours per week during school years. Possible 40 hours per week during summer. Apply online at fbconcord.org or call (865)671-5559.

EMPLOYMENT Gage Talent is seeking models for bar and local promotions. Contact Gage at gage@gagetalent.com

Jimmy John’s now hiring in-store help for all shifts. Call (865)637-1414. Knoxville Fashion Week is seeking interns and volunteers also student tickets are available. For more information www.KnoxvilleFashionWeek.com

NOW HIRING PROMOTIONAL AMBASSADORS. Promote beer and liquor brands at local bars, beer marts, and liquor stores. Safe team environment. $20-$25/hr. Must be 21+, phsycially fit, outgoing, and reliable. TO APPLY: Email resume and recent photo to: JOBS@SPEAKEASYMARKETING.COM Part-time 20 - 30 hours a week. Lawn Care experience preferred. $9/hr. 216-5640. Part-time toddler teacher needed for West Knox 3-star childcare. Must have positive attitude, be reliable, and passionate about teaching children. Must be 18 yrs or older with high school dipolma. Able to pass background check and be available year-round M-F 2-6 p.m. 865-693-5750. THE TOMATO HEAD MARYVILLE Hiring all positions Full and part-time. No experience necessary. Apply in person. 211 W. Broadway, Maryville, TN (865)981-1080 or online www.thetomatohead.com.

After about 2.2 miles, you will see your first major cascade on the trail. Husky Branch Falls is a small — roughly 20 feet — cascading waterfall that flows into the Little River. Just a little further, you will come to the first trail connection. Cucumber Gap trail will veer to your right. The trail connection is clearly marked. Cucumber Gap is slightly more uphill than Little River. The trail climbs roughly 400 feet in one mile. Cucumber Gap Trail does not follow the Little River, so it provides a more serene walk in the woods. This part of the trail does have several protruding roots, so be sure to step carefully and wear shoes with ankle support. After another 2.5 miles, you will come to the Jakes Creek Trail junction. Be sure to turn right and walk alongside the trail. Jakes Creek Trail is another gravel road much like the Little River Trail. This part of the hike is extremely downhill. The visitor goes from being above 3,000 feet in Tia Patron • The Daily Beacon elevation down to a little below 2,200 feet in less than a mile and a half. Jakes Creek will also show richer history embedded in the Smokies. Eventually, you will end in the parking lot by the Jakes Creek trailhead that is less than a tenth of a mile from the Little River trailhead parking lot. The Little River Loop Trail is great for all four seasons. The nice, easy slope provides a safe trail for winter hiking. This trail is also well known for its wildflowers. At the beginning of spring and even as early as March, several flowers will begin to bloom alongside this trail. This trail is also well known for the indigenous synchronous fireflies that live in Little River Area during the first two weeks of June. Regardless of when you go hiking, the Little River Loop Trail will provide a great escape from the metropolis of Knoxville. Please be sure to bring plenty of water, layers, snacks and a first-aid kit for any day hiking. And lastly, take nothing but pictures and leave nothing but footprints.

“Fuddy Meers” — especially up close in the cramped confines of the Clarence Brown Theatre — is one of those plays that really forces a response from you, whether you want it or not. Now, it can’t be recommended highly enough that you go into this show with absolutely no knowledge of what’s going on. Whether some shows can get by on acting alone is altogether too subjective a stance to take, but “Fuddy Meers” is so intensely story-driven that it escapes the controversy outright. So while it will be endeavored to give away as little about the story as possible, if you’re planning on seeing this play anytime soon, perhaps it would be wise to abstain from this review. That being said, the premise of the show is about a woman who wakes up every morning with total amnesia. It takes a few bewildering minutes to figure this out from the interactions in the opening scene, but when you do, the tone — a seamless combination of very lighthearted, energetic humor and the inescapable darkness of reality — is really set for the entirety of the play. Our heroine, Claire — the one who loses her memory every time she goes to sleep — could not be a finer sponge for empa-

violent climax at the end of the first half are left unanswered by Claire’s steadily increasing coherence; except for the bittersweet ending, where Claire finally sleeps after having both answered and come to terms with the cause of her affliction. Humor comes in the form of corniness, cuteness, slapstick, poignant irony, as well as well placed expletives and drug humor, but is ultimately generated from just how messed up everyone besides Claire is. There’s a schizophrenic supporting character who, though meek himself, constantly talks to (and through) a vulgar, criminally insane sock puppet; and there’s the pot-smoking, distant and dysfunctional teen who is Claire and her mysteriously friendly husband’s son; they play off of each other quite well, and the sheer tension that is felt throughout this bipolar story creates many genuine laughs. Hilarity does indeed ensue from the outset. “Fuddy Meers” is an effective play. The small scale and scarcity of the props create a really intimate environment where the acting and story really demand your attention, and the cast, crew and presentation were flawless. It’s nice to feel forced to feel a wide range of often conflicting emotions sometimes, and this show really delivers.

— Emily DeLanzo is a junior in environmental studies. She can be reached at edelanzo@utk.edu.

EMPLOYMENT Staying in Knoxville This Summer? Need a Fun Summer Job? Camp Webb day camp, in West Knoxville, is now accepting applications for full-time summer camp counselor jobs! Positions: general camp counselors, lifeguards, and instructors for Archery, Arts & Crafts, Drama, Swimming, Ropes Course, Nature, Sports, & some leadership positions. Part-time available. www.campwebb.comto apply. West Knox child care position. M -F. 2:30-5:30. Please call Belinda @ 693-1240 for interview.

UNFURN APTS 1 and 2BR Apts. UT area and West Knox area. Call for appointment (865)522-5815. South Knoxville/ UT downtown area 2BR apts. $475. Call about our special (865)573-1000.

FOR RENT 1 BR CONDOS Security/Elevator/Pool/Pkg 3 min. walk to Law School. $520R, $300SD, No app. fee. 865 (4408-0006 , 250-8136). 1BR apartment and 3BR houses. Walking distance to UT. Lease required. Call 523-1331, 522-1917. 1BR apartment. 1412 Highland Ave. Extra large available now. Free parking. No pets. $450/mo. ATCHLEY PROPERTIES. 865-806-6578. HUNTINGTON PLACE UT students! Only 3 miles west of campus. Eff. to 3BR. Hardwood floors. Central H/A. Pets allowed. (865)588-1087.

FOR RENT Campus Condos Available in August 2BR, 2BA and 3BR 3BA units available. W/D in unit. Reserved off street parking. 3 minute walk to Law School and stadium. $475/mo. (770)744-4238. Student Housing in The Fort. 3, 4 and 5BR units still available for Fall semester. Call (865)521-7324. UT area. Studio apt. 1700 Clinch Ave. 2 blocks from campus. Water and internet included. First month power free. Lease and damage deposit. Pool and laundry room. $500. Avail. now. www.absolutecom.com/517. 423-956-5551. WALK TO CAMPUS Great Specials! 1,2,&3BR Apartments. Available. No security deposits. Prime Campus Housing (865)637-3444. primecampushousingtn.com.

Walk to class! 1-7BR units available. Call for more information (865)388-6144.

HOUSE FOR RENT 5, 6, 7, 8BR houses in Fort Sanders showing now for August 2012. Newly remodeled, W/D, HVAC, parking, large bedrooms, walk to campus. Best houses go or quickly! 865-274-7286 Volrentals.com. Lovely one person cottage. Carport. Many ammenties. 5 min drive to UT. No pets. $485/mo. (865)850-0983.

CONDOS FOR RENT Condo for rent 3BR 2BA near campus. All hardwood, W/D included. $999/mo. Available for fall. Call (865)310-6977.

NEW YORK TIMES CROSSWORD • Will Shortz ACROSS 1 Eaters of halal food 8 Like many mall fixtures? 15 Star of 2011’s “Puss in Boots” 17 One shooting out on a golf course 18 Oil sources for oil paint 19 Mode

39 Football linemen: Abbr.

40 Arctic or Antarctic fish-eater

41 It has left and right channels

43 How some hearts are broken

48 Car exhaust part

54 Potential pets

25 From

59 Writer’s field DOWN

37 Bring into being

3 Youth

B I C S

L S A T

C O L A

O N E N D

E R R O R E N R O N U R NS

36 38 40

57 58

4 Chop source 5 They have keepers

ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE A T A P L I C E O O D T E E C A R M A AB F A T O B A R N A D I A E M P E S S M P A QC E E A R M A R N Q NL E E U Y E D I

35 What twisty arrows warn drivers of

L E G S

7 16

1 More, to a señor 2 Like surprises you’d rather not get

P R ON E

29 It may be fat after a fight

38 Hit film directed by James Cameron

58 Answer that avoids answering

33 Onetime Taliban stronghold

21 Unhealthily light

32 Digs

42 Part of S.F.S.U.

57 Worker whose charges may charge

20 Mo. containing Constitution Day

SK Y I E M S

C L E W A L O NB R O D A Y O E P R O V Y V O B E N T E R R I I S A R T E D U V E T E

H I L D A

A MB I E N

R E D I D

6 Bit of D.J. equipment 7 Flat bottom 8 Hold hands?

R E N O

B O E R I N C E T E R S BC U P

9 Nav. position 10 Nestlé brand 11 Partridge family setting 12 Hanging out in galleries, say 13 Isle of Man man 14 “Nine Stories” title girl 16 Flat bottom

A R P E S B O

L I P O

S PE A K

20 Web presence 22 “Natural Affection” playwright 23 Surgical aid

24 Big band 25 Done to ___ 26 Foundering call 27 Black-and-white giants

43 Put the finger on 44 Short plea 45 Some govt. raiders 46 Imitated Niobe

28 Geologist’s big break?

47 Dept. of Labor division

29 Couples’ retreat

48 Stole option

30 Rachel McAdams’s “Sherlock Holmes” role

50 N.F.C. part: Abbr.

31 Choose to refuse

52 Order

34 Big wheel at a party? 36 Beyond, to Browning

49 Do one’s part?

51 Concerning 53 Except 55 Univ. helpers 56 Some 55-Down: Abbr.

6 • The Daily Beacon

Baseball Roster

Serrano hopes to return Diamond Vols to glory Matt Dixon Sports Editor Dave Serrano knows what it takes to win at Tennessee and in college baseball. As an assistant coach with the Volunteers in 1995 and ’96, Serrano was a part of teams that went 97-36. The ’95 squad made it to Omaha, Neb., site of the College World Series, a feat only accomplished two other times in program history (1951 and 2001). After head coaching stops at UC Irvine (2005-07) and Cal State Fullerton (2008-11), guiding each school to an appearance at the College World Series, Serrano returns to where he calls home. “For me, it’s a dream come true,” he said. When he was hired in June, Serrano inherited a program vastly different than the one he left 15 years ago. The Diamond Vols had just one winning season in the past four years, and haven’t qualified for the SEC Tournament in Hoover, Ala. since 2007. This year’s squad was picked to finish last in the league by SEC coaches in the preseason poll. “We’ve been at places that the expectations have been higher right out of the gate, but I don’t know if we’ve ever been more excited about what’s going to start Friday,” Serrano said of his coaching staff. “That could tell you that we’re pretty excited.” In addition to new coaches, many first-year Vols will take the field at Lindsey Nelson Stadium Friday afternoon when UT opens its season against Northern Illinois. “I remember walking into the first team meeting: I was like, ‘Man, I feel like a freshman all over again,’” junior centerfielder Chris Fritts said. “I really didn’t know a lot of the guys, whether it was freshmen or junior college guys.” With the new coaching style and roster turnover,

Friday, February 17, 2012

Baseball Preview

Serrano expects to have a lineup with plenty of moving parts, especially early in the season, before the Vols begin conference play in the middle of March. “There’s nobody right now that’s pegged as our superstar,” Serrano said. “We’re going to have to have a lot of different stars each and every day. In our first year here, we wouldn’t want it any other way.” After an offseason together, this year’s team is already closer together than previous squads were under former coach Todd Raleigh. “They feel this is as good of a team — and what I mean by a team is a unit together — that they’ve been on in the last few years,” Serrano said. “That’s important to know. We’re going to battle. We’re going to control our effort each day. We’re going to play the game extremely hard with passion.” Senior shortstop Zach Osborne credits the new coaches for the added enthusiasm within the program. “I would definitely say this coaching staff brings a tremendous amount of energy every single day,” Osborne said. “They want you to play your hardest and play with a passion that maybe wasn’t there in the past.” But for a program with a renewed outlook, it’s about the future. “We want a team that’s better at the end of the season than it was at the start,” Serrano said. And getting better in gradual steps is what Serrano hopes returns the Vols back to the place he remembers the program being. “It’s kind of like coach says, ‘You can talk about Omaha, but we want to get to the place before that,’” Osborne said. “We want to get to Hoover, so that’s obviously — for myself, being my fourth year here — not being able to experience Hoover, that’s a huge goal for me.”

Name

Class

Jared Allen FR Josh Allman SR Ethan Bennett SO Nick Blount JR Richard Carter FR Hunter Daniel RS JR Samuel Davis JR Chris Fritts JR Zack Godley JR David Horne FR Robbie Kidd FR Zach Luther JR Will Maddox FR Jason Manis FR Eric Martin FR Davis Morgan SR Kevin O’Leary SO Zach Osborne SR Chris Pierce SR Nick Powell FR Jake Rowland FR Dalton Saberhagen SO Drew Steckenrider JR Conner Steven FR Blake Thomas JR T.J. Thornton SR Joseph Vanderplas FR Wes Walker SR Carter Watson SO Steve Weaver JR Nick Williams SO Parker Wormsley FR Andy Yates JR Brandon Zajack FR

Pos

B/T

Height

OF LHP C RHP 1B/OF LHP RHP OF RHP RHP RHP INF INF C RHP 1B INF SS OF INF OF LHP RHP/OF RHP RHP LHP LHP C RHP 1B/OF RHP INF C LHP

R/R L/L R/R R/R L/L L/L R/R R/R R/R R/R R/R R/R L/R R/R R/R R/R R/R R/R R/R R/R L/R L/L S/R R/R R/R L/L L/L R/R R/R L/L R/R R/R R/R L/L

6-2 6-0 6-0 6-6 5-10 6-3 6-0 5-9 6-3 6-4 6-1 6-0 5-11 5-10 6-2 6-1 6-2 5-8 5-9 5-9 6-1 6-1 6-5 6-2 5-11 6-4 6-2 6-0 6-3 6-1 6-2 6-0 5-11 6-4

Weight 220 185 215 220 190 215 190 180 245 220 180 175 180 180 190 225 195 170 195 170 180 190 230 195 200 210 215 200 205 205 230 170 155 220

Hometown Delano, Tenn. - Polk County HS Bryson City, N.C. - Swain County Knoxville, Tenn. - Farragut HS Loganville, Ga. - South Gwinnett Brentwood, Tenn. - Ravenwood HS Knoxville, Tenn. - Bearden Manchester, Tenn. - Columbia State CC Houston, Texas - Cypress Ridge Bamberg, S.C. - Spartanburg Methodist Columbia, Tenn. - Columbia Central HS Fairfax Station, Va. - Paul VI HS Laguna Niguel, Calif. - Texas A&M / Fullerton JC Gainesville, Ga. - Gainesville HS Memphis, Tenn. - Memphis University School Cincinnati, Ohio - Turpin HS Overland Park, Kansas - Johnson County CC Norcross, Ga. - Furman Louisville, Ky. - Pleasure Ridge Park Kalama, Wash. - Lower Columbia College Cordova, Tenn. - Houston HS Decatur, Tenn. - Meigs County HS Calabasas, Calif. - Calabasas HS Lawrenceville, Ga. - Greater Atlanta Christian School Raleigh, N.C. - St. David's School Milledgeville, Ga. - Gordon College Lake Worth, Fla. - Indian River CC Fairfax, Va. - Fairfax HS Seymour, Tenn. - Walters State CC Murfreesboro, Tenn. - Siegel HS Knoxville - Dyersburg State CC Knoxville, Tenn. - Farragut HS Knoxville - Webb School Mount Juliet, Tenn. - Wilson Central Cleveland, Tenn. - Walker Valley HS

Students optimistic for UT baseball Dan Hiergesell Staff Writer As Tyler Bray’s football pads collect dust and UT basketball teams’ seasons wind down, America’s pastime is poised to take center stage. Warmer weather, leather gloves, hot dogs, children cheering and the scent of freshly cut outfield grass can only mean one thing: Tennessee baseball is here. And despite ill-advised notions that the Vols’ revamped roster won’t be able to get much accomplished during the 2012 season, (UT was picked to finish last in the SEC preseason coaches’ poll) students are staying positive. “I think students are optimistic about the start of this baseball season because we have a new coach in Dave Serrano from Cal State Fullerton,” Brad Putch, senior in journalism and electronic media, said. Serrano will take over for Todd Raleigh, who coached the Vols for four seasons but was fired in May. “Serrano built a strong program at Fullerton, and here at Tennessee, he’ll have more resources to improve the state of our baseball program,” said Putch. But regardless of Tennessee’s new manager and updated roster, are students truly under the impression this team is ready to contend with the likes of SEC juggernauts No. 1 Florida and No. 3 South Carolina in the Baseball America Preseason Top 25 poll? “I think it puts the same pressure on the team that past seasons have,” Brian Paneral, a senior in journalism and electronic media, said. “UT’s baseball program hasn’t really been relevant for a long time. I think they’re probably hungry to knock off the tough teams.” Those “tough” teams are currently inhabiting Tennessee’s 2012 schedule: including games against Florida, Texas, Rice, South Carolina and Vanderbilt. So why are there so many expectations for a team that continuously under-performs on the diamond when other rival schools excel? It’s the prospect of seeing these

potential professional ball players that sparks many students’ interest. “They’re fun to attend because a great number of these guys have a chance to turn pro in a couple of years, so it’s cool to see them in action before they reach the next level,” Putch said. “College baseball is pretty different from Major League Baseball. Obviously the biggest difference is that players use a metal bat. As a pro baseball fan, that aspect turned me off at first, but I got used to it and enjoy going to the games.” With that said, other students have different views on why they attend UT baseball games and what they’re looking forward to this season. “I like going because they’re free, but also because I’m a baseball fan,” Paneral said. “Even though in past years I’ve gone simply to see Vandy and USC, I think we have potential with the new coaching staff and players.” During a time in the sports season when many UT students are turned away from watching baseball, due in part to their abundant love for Tennessee football, fans who actually go to the game leave more than satisfied. But what are students hoping for in 2012? “A pitching duel is what I always hope for when attending a UT baseball game,” Putch said. “Sure a slugfest is enjoyable, but give me a battle between the starting pitchers any day. The crowd is more into it and hangs on every pitch as the game reaches the later innings.” Putch is not the only one who prefers to cheer on pitchers rather than battle the sun in order to track down home runs and doubles. “I hate football-scoring baseball games,” Paneral said. “I’d prefer a close pitching duel with some nice plays in the infield over just constant (home run) bombs.” It’s no secret that Tennessee baseball doesn’t stack up in popularity to that of football and basketball, but that doesn’t mean students aren’t getting excited for the 2012 season. With new faces in the dugout and on the field, alongside free games and a warm spring breeze, how can you go wrong? “I think we play in a competitive conference, and despite our recent struggles, we still have potential to be successful as an SEC school,” Paneral said.