The Daily Beacon

Cloudy with a 20% chance of rain HIGH LOW 45 35

Diamond Vols sweep weekend series with Xavier

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

PAGE 7 T H E

Issue 29

E D I T O R I A L L Y

I N D E P E N D E N T

PUBLISHED SINCE 1906 http://dailybeacon.utk.edu

Vol. 113 S T U D E N T

N E W S P A P E R

O F

T H E

Tuesday Takes reviews ‘Valentines Day’ on PAGE 5

U N I V E R S I T Y

O F

T E N N E S S E E

Forum focuses on wetland restoration Nathan Berger Staff Writer

Authorities: Tour bus rollover in Fla. kills two LAKE PLACID, Fla. — A tour bus carrying senior citizens on an education trip rolled over Monday on a rural stretch of road in central Florida, killing two people and injuring more than a dozen others, authorities said.

The bus was carrying a group of seniors from around the U.S. who were touring Florida as part of an educational program affiliated with South Florida Community College in Avon Park.

College President Norm Stephens said 32 passengers, ages 66 to 87, were in the bus when it rolled over in Lake Placid, about 30 miles northwest of Lake Okeechobee.

Only 640,000 acres of wetland remain in Tennessee today, less than half of the state’s original wetland area.

Last Friday, Chris Spencer of the Knoxville Utilities Board gave a presentation on the importance of wetlands, and what actions are being taken to preserve them. Spencer has spent five years evaluating and designing wetland restoration projects.

“Over the years, wetlands have been depicted as sinister,” Spencer said. “The benefits they provide have been misunderstood.”

These benefits are quite substantial. While historically wetlands have been seen as non-arable, they can enhance water quality by removing pollutants and providing flood and storm mitigation. Wetlands also support many avian habitats and fishery nurseries.

“Fifty percent of the endangered and threatened species in the U.S. are dependent on wetlands for survival,” Spencer said.

For recreational activities, wetlands host hunting and even tourism opportunities, such as those found in the Florida Everglades.

The exact definition of a wetland slightly differs from state to state. In Tennessee, the general definition is an area saturated with ground or surface water

that supports vegetation suited for life in saturated soil conditions. This includes areas such as swamps, marshes and bogs.

Much work goes into declaring a region a wetland, such as examining local vegetation, soil moisture and hydrology. Another determining factor is that a wetland must be flooded for five percent of the growing season, which is 11 days in East Tennessee.

Until 2000, wetland destruction was present in

Tennessee, mostly due to urban conversion. Since then, mitigation efforts have been set up to ensure no net loss of wetland habitat. Mitigation banks have been created to establish wetlands to compensate for unavoidable human impact.

There are currently seven wetland mitigation banks in Tennessee, both profit and non-profit.

“We’re making progress,” Spencer said. “Though it might not be the progress that people familiar with these systems want.”

Some of the restoration and mitigation efforts have failed or only partially succeeded. Incorrect hydrology readings and poor survival of planted stock are some of the factors that can lead to unsuccessful wetland establishment.

Throughout the presentation, Spencer remained energetic and lucid. He was able to answer any question the audience threw at him, even on topics not directly related to wetlands.

“I was very interested in the different processes to fix the issues of wetland destruction,” said Brittany Haley, senior in communication studies, who attended the presentation.

Spencer’s presentation was part of the UT Office of Research’s weekly science forums.

“The purpose of these presentations is to bring to the attention of the UT campus and community the research that is going on at UT and Oak Ridge and to do so in a way that the general public can understand,” Mark Littmann, the program chairman, said.

Each forum is held in the Thompson-Boling Arena dining room from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. on Friday and is open to all UT students.

This Friday’s presentation will be on advances in cardiovascular care with Dr. John Mack.

Cain leads Lady Vols over LSU, 70-61 Ryan Howard

Del. pediatrician indicted on 400 criminal counts DOVER, Del. — Delaware’s attorney general says a pediatrician accused of molesting his patients victimized 103 children, and the alleged crimes were recorded on videotape.

Attorney General Beau Biden said at a news conference Monday that Dr. Earl Bradley of Lewes has been indicted on 471 charges, including rape and assault.

Bradley was arrested in December and initially charged with 29 felony counts for allegedly abusing nine children.

Biden says the charges are based on 13 hours of video.

The attorney general said the charges are “unique” in state history, and the alleged crimes were committed against “those without voices.”

Daughter says pilot in Texas IRS crash misguided OSLO — The daughter of a man who crashed his plane into an IRS building in Texas says her father chose the wrong method to express legitimate grievances and is not a hero.

Joe Stack’s adult daughter, Samantha Dawn Bell, told The Associated Press on Monday from her home in Norway that she understands her father’s animosity toward a “faulty” and “unbalanced” American tax system. But she says he should have found “a completely different way” to address it.

Authorities say the 53year-old Stack targeted the building in Austin last week, killing an employee and himself, after posting online an anti-government manifesto.

Staff Writer

Michael Gratton • The Daily Beacon

The fourth-ranked Tennessee women’s basketball team (25-2, 13-1 SEC) dominated the paint on both sides of the court in a 70-61 win over No. 20 LSU (18-8, 77) Monday night. UT outscored its opponent 44-26 in the paint.

Sophomore center Kelley Cain set a new school record with 12 blocked shots, only one shy of the SEC record.

She ended up only three rebounds short of a tripledouble. She only played for a total of 23 minutes after picking up three quick fouls in the first half and fouling out in the final minutes of the game.

“It is a force,” Alyssia Brewer said of her teammate.

“Their guards ran into a force field, and Kelley was there to reject it. She is a beast out there.”

The Lady Vols had good ball movement racking up 20 assists while only giving up seven turnovers. The Lady Tigers averaged just shy of 20 takeaways per a game coming into the contest. Junior Angie Bjorklund paced the team with six assists, and UT’s ball movement pleased head coach Pat Summitt.

Pat Summitt cheers on the Lady Vols basketball team while wearing pink for the ‘Live Pink, Bleed Orange’ game against LSU to support breast cancer awareness and raise money.

See LADY VOLS on Page 8

Prayer marathon, worship service make up national day’s UT return Donesha Aldridge Staff Writer UT students kicked off the lost years of the national Collegiate Day of Prayer by having 100 hours of prayer before the official day on Friday.

“National Collegiate Day of Prayer was something that went on for about 100 years that stopped in the 1900s,” Nick Blackmon, sophomore in studio art and intern at the Campus House of Prayer, said.

To make up for the lost time, Knoxville and UT’s campus started 100 hours of prayer on Sunday at 8 p.m., marking each year absent with an hour of prayer. The 100-hour goal will be completed at 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday.

Blackmon said more than 200 universities and campuses are participating in the national prayer day.

Taryn Ellsworth, campus director of Campus Renewal Ministries, said there will be services and prayer all day at the Campus House of Prayer.

“I would definitely like to see a renewal take place at the university,” Ellsworth said.

Ellsworth said the purpose of this day is to restore students to and give enlightenment on Jesus Christ.

Many local churches, ministers and community members are involved in this movement.

See PRAYER on Page 3

SEE aims to reduce risky drinking Ellen Larson Staff Writer The Safety, Environment and Education Center has helped reduce the health risks UT students face, such as alcohol and violence against women, through non-traditional methods.

“We are focused on positive tactics and not scare tactics because we respect our students,” Dan Reilly, SEE Center director, said. “We hope to treat community members with respect, so they can help each other.”

Elizabeth Edwards, undecided sophomore, works in the SEE Center office and said the center tries to put serious issues in a positive light rather than condemning students.

Reilly said the center has found that, in certain situations, specifically situations dealing with violence against women, most people do not feel empowered to act because they feel they are the only ones who are scared or threatened.

Because of this, the center has launched a bystander campaign. Reilly said the goal is to let people know that violent actions are inappropriate.

He said media campaigns such as this are some of the non-traditional ways the SEE Center combats the bystander effect and other health issues.

“We give them the information and let them decide for themselves,” Divya Bhaskaran, SEE Center graduate assistant, said.

Bhaskaran designs and cre-

ates the advertisements for the SEE Center which appear in The Daily Beacon, on WUTK and in residence halls.

She said they try to create less “preachy” ads.

For example, media campaigns launched about the common cold show a picture of a penguin and say “But, baby, it’s cold outside.”

Reilly said the SEE Center focuses on environmental management, which contrasts with traditional models.

“College students are masters at developing their environment,” he said.

After UT was rated the No. 1 party school by the Princeton Review in 2001, a SEE committee was created.

The SEE Center was established in 2004.

See SEE on Page 3

CAMPUS CALENDAR

2 • The Daily Beacon

Tuesday,February 23, 2010

InSHORT

?

What’s HAPPENING AROUND CAMPUS

Feb. 23 - Feb. 24, 2010

Tuesday, Feb. 23 — • 6:30 p.m. untill 8:30 p.m. — The Department of History, the Global Studies Program and the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority present a mixed media event called “Snapshots of Black History,” which focuses on a few events in African-American history. The mixed event includes a photo exhibit of some events and people of Tennessee, popular music from the twentieth century and two film excerpts.

• 6:30 p.m. untill 8:30 p.m. — The International House hosts Indian Business Cultural Training in the I-House Great Room. This presentation on “Doing Business with Indians” is free and open to the public.

• In this semester’s first talk of the Center for International Education-coordinated and Ready for the World-funded Great Decisions Program, Dean Baker, co-director of the Center for Economic and Policy Research in Washington, D.C. speaks about “The Global Financial Crisis” in the International House Great Room.

The event is free and open to the public, and a reception will follow in the I-House.

Wednesday, Feb. 24 — • 1:30 p.m. — John Kessler of the Electric Power Research Institute speaks on “Perspectives on the Back-end of the Nuclear Fuel Cycle: Present and Future” in room 308 of Pasqua Engineering Building.

This nuclear engineering colloquium is free and open to the public.

Jessica Yonker • The Daily Beacon

The U.S. Poet Laureate, Kay Ryan, visited UT for a reading and book signing on Feb. 16th.

THE CRIME Monday, Feb. 15 • 1:52 p.m. — Officer met with a complainant in the south parking lot of Sutherland Apartments Building M regarding a vehicular burglary.

The man said he’d parked his blue 2000 Nissan Sentra from midnight to 9 a.m. that morning, at which time he returned to the vehicle and found his front driver’s side window smashed out. His Nexstar GPS and all of its included accessories had been taken.

• 4:39 p.m. — Officer responded to the Black Cultural Center regarding a theft. The victim said she was out with

LOG

friends on Feb. 12 when she laid Coach wristlet on a table and later discovered it was missing.

Inside were a VolCard, a Tennessee driver’s license and a Bank of America debit card.

Tuesday, Feb. 16 • 3:16 p.m. — Officer spoke with a victim of a theft at Laurel Apartments. She reported that $20 had been removed from a card addressed to her. The woman’s father sent the money and card on Feb. 13, and it arrived at about 11:35 a.m. on Feb. 16. When sorting the mail at 2:50 p.m., the woman sorting the mail noticed the envelope was open and placed it in the victim’s mailbox as it was.

THIS DAY IN HISTORY • 1893 — Rudolf Diesel received a German patent for the diesel engine on this day. The diesel engine burns fuel oil rather than gasoline and differs from the gasoline engine in that it uses compressed air in the cylinder rather than a spark to ignite the fuel. Diesel engines were used widely in Europe for their efficiency and power and are still used today in most heavy industrial machinery. In 1977, General Motors became the first American car company to introduce dieselpowered automobiles. The diesel-powered Olds 88 and 98 models were 40 percent more fuel-efficient than their gas-powered counterparts. The idling and reduced power efficiency of the diesel engine is much greater than that of the spark engine. Diesel cars never caught on in the U.S., partly because the diesel engine’s greater efficiency is counter-balanced by its higher emissions of soot, odor and air pollutants. Today the argument over which engine is more environmentally friendly is still alive; some environmentalists argue that in spite of the diesel engine’s exhaust pollution, its fuel efficiency may make it more environmentally sound than the gasoline engine in the long run.

• 1945 — During the bloody Battle for Iwo Jima, U.S. Marines from the 3rd Platoon, E Company, 2nd Battalion, 28th Division take the crest of Mount Suribachi, the island’s highest peak and most strategic position, and raise the U.S. flag. Marine photographer Louis Lowery was with them

and recorded the event. American soldiers fighting for control of Suribachi’s slopes cheered the raising of the flag, and several hours later, more Marines headed up to the crest with a larger flag. Joe Rosenthal, a photographer with the Associated Press, met them along the way and recorded the raising of the second flag along with a Marine still photographer and a motion-picture cameraman.

• 1978 — Rock group Fleetwood Mac wins the Grammy for Best Album of 1977 on this day for its album “Rumours.” The album was the 11-year-old group’s 12th but only its second since singer Stevie Nicks joined the group in 1975. “Rumours” sold more than 17 million copies and scored four top 10 hits, including the No. 1 single “Dreams.”

• 1968 — The American war effort in Vietnam was hit hard by the North Vietnamese Tet Offensive, which ended on this day in 1968. Claims by President Lyndon Johnson that the offensive was a complete failure were misleading. Though the North Vietnamese death toll was 20 times that of its enemies, strongholds previously thought impenetrable had been shaken. The prospect of increasing American forces added substantial strength to the antiwar movement and led to Johnson’s announcement that he would not seek reelection.

— Courtesy of History.com

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

STATE&LOCAL

The Daily Beacon • 3

Hearing postponed in principal shooting

High school symposium comes to UT The Tennessee Junior Science and Humanities Symposium will celebrate its 45th year this week.

The symposium will take place from 1:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Thursday in room 406 of the UT Conference Center Auditorium in downtown Knoxville.

All Tennessee students in grades nine through 12 in public, private or home schools are eligible to participate. The symposium is one of 48 in the United States, the only one in Tennessee.

The students will present original research and experiments conducted with their teachers in the sciences, mathematics and engineering. At last year’s symposium, student research ranged from better treatments for breast cancer to levitating objects in the air.

The presentations will be judged by a panel of UT science and engineering faculty members. Winners will be awarded a total of $4,500 in scholarships. The winners will advance to the national competition in May; national winners advance to the international contest in London this summer.

Program offers weekend of mountain challenges The UT Outdoor Program presents the All Access Weekend Outdoor Festival, Friday through Sunday, including the Telluride Mountain Film Festival, Crankin’ at the Obed Service Day, and Crankin’ for Access Bouldering Competition.

The film festival will take place Friday from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. in the UC Auditorium and is free for students, faculty and staff with a valid UT ID, $10 for the public and $5 for non-UT students.

Crankin’ at the Obed Service Day will take place Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Participants should meet at the Outdoor Center in TRECS 20. The event is free and open to the public.

Participants will do trail work for half the day and then climb for the second half.

The Bouldering Competition will take place Sunday from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the VOL Wall in HPER court B, HPER building room 202B. The cost is $15 to enter (all proceeds go to the Access Fund). For more information, e-mail bdarnell@utk.edu, call 974-9749, or visit the All Access Web site http://recsports.utk.edu/allaccess.htm.

Students to camp out for Kentucky tickets UniTe and UT Men’s Athletics will host an all-night camp-out inside Thompson-Boling Arena Friday for tickets to Saturday afternoon’s Tennessee vs. Kentucky game. Students who come to the camp-out will receive a wristband, gaining them early admission.

At 7 p.m. Friday, students will form a line outside the student gate and will be allowed to enter the arena at 9:30 p.m. At 11 p.m., the gates will be locked, and no one will be allowed to enter the arena. Students with university commuter tags may park in G5 or G3 overnight.

However all cars must be moved before 7 a.m., or they will be towed. Students will leave the arena at 6 a.m. and must be back in line outside the arena by 8 a.m. The gates will open at 10:30 a.m. Due to the limited amount of concourse space, the first 500 UT students will be the only ones allowed to camp out. For more information, e-mail pdimatte@utk.edu or rsulliv6@utk.edu.

PRAYER continued from Page 1 The National Prayer Committee is the main national sponsor orchestrating this day.

On UT’s campus, Campus Renewal Ministries is interested in helping others develop spiritually.

“What we are all about is to make Jesus Christ known to others,” Ellsworth said.

Blackmon said this day was set aside for praying about the things to come.

“In the past, campuses would fast and pray for our future leaders,” Blackmon said. “They would fast and pray for the growth of the campus and our leaders.”

For students to get involved, Blackmon said signups are available online at the campus renewal Web site at http://www.utk.campusrenewal.org.

The Campus House of Prayer will be open all hours with available slots.

Volunteers and students can sign up online to host prayers during the 24-hour cycle.

Anyone is allowed to come pray or be

involved in the festivities at the Campus House of Prayer.

Travis Liggins, junior in psychology, said he feels this day is something positive and important for UT. “Me being a religious person, this is something that I would like to see continue throughout the years,” he said.

Liggins is a deacon at his hometown church in Memphis. “(As a) deacon, I always have the desire to pray for fellow students of the university,” he said. “We all should try to be successful. I know we all come from different struggles and backgrounds, and to be here, we all have some type of ambition to strive for success after college. This day is very important.”

A two-hour service, starting at 10 p.m. on Thursday, will close the National Collegiate Day of Prayer.

“Here we want others to grasp a deeper understanding,” Ellsworth said.

For additional information about the Collegiate Day of Prayer and its history, visit the Web site at http://www.collegiatedayofprayer.org.

A hearing for a fourth-grade teacher in Knoxville who is charged with trying to kill a principal and assistant principal at his school has been rescheduled for Wednesday.

Mark Stephen Foster had been due in court on Monday, but the hearing was postponed.

Public Defender Mark Stephens told The Knoxville News Sentinel the delay came because shooting victim Amy Brace was scheduled to testify, but she had a doctor’s appointment.

Foster is accused of wounding principal Elisa Luna and assistant principal Brace at Inskip Elementary School on Feb. 10.

Authorities have said the shooting occurred after Foster learned his teaching contract would not be renewed.

Foster remains jailed on $1 million bond.

Luna is being treated at a Georgia medical center for a spinal cord injury.

Safety Department officers get diversity training NASHVILLE — Tennessee Safety Department officers who provide Capitol Hill security began diversity training Monday after a state trooper accidentally sent an e-mail proclaiming white pride to 787 state employees.

The training is being provided pro bono by Democratic Rep. John Deberry of Memphis.

He held two diversity training sessions in September for legislative staffers following the revelation that a Tennessee legislative staffer sent a racist e-mail about President Barack Obama from her state computer.

SEE continued from Page 1 Reilly said reductions in risky drinking are associated with the center’s media campaigns.

Since 2001 (the year before the SEE committee was started), high-risk drinking has decreased by 35 percent, and frequent high-risk drinking has decreased by 53 percent.

Reilly also said it seems

The incident drew national attention, and many wanted the woman fired. But legislative leaders agreed with Deberry’s proposal for mandatory diversity training for all state legislative staffers.

Highway Patrol Col. Mike Walker said he asked Deberry to provide training for highway patrol personnel assigned to the Capitol — such as executive security and special operations — because of the e-mail and to enlighten officers about diversity in general.

Trooper Brent Gobbell, who forwarded the e-mail in October, is assigned to the Capitol Security Detail at the Supreme Court.

“It never hurts to remind all of us that even though ... we have a lot of similarities, certain things mean different things to different people,” Walker said.

TVA manager sees no flooding from precipitation CHATTANOOGA — Runoff from all the winter snow and rain has been controlled, and there should be no river flooding when spring rains start, a Tennessee Valley Authority river manager said.

TVA general manager for river scheduling Chuck Bach said the recent rains — including more than nine inches this year in the Chattanooga area through Friday — are really more normal for the region.

Bach told the Chattanooga Times Free Press the river is much higher than normal, but he said TVA has been holding water back in tributaries. He said TVA managers don’t anticipate flooding, and space has been created to hold that water if a storm does come.

most students at UT make healthy decisions. He said 20 to 25 percent of UT students don’t drink, and 55 percent drink inconsistent with negative consequences — equaling to 75 percent of UT students making healthy decisions.

“Most students that go to bars are inconsistent with negative consequences,” he said. “Most bars on Cumberland Avenue provide healthy environments.”

The SEE Center is also different in targeting its

strategic plan.

Many approaches used nationally are comprehensive, Reilly said.

“Each year, we have a strategic plan of things to benefit the next group of students,” Reilly said. “It is focused on doing a few things well.”

Reilly said the SEE Center conducts research by collecting data through reports on campus and annual surveys on alcohol, sexual assault and safer experiences for students.

4 • The Daily Beacon

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

OPINIONS

Staff

Column Patrick Relford Design Editor

Outsourcing contributes to unemployment The blue-collar job has been a staple in society since the division of labor. Blue-collar workers are vital to the operation and functionality of society at all levels. From the proletariat to “Rosie the Riveter,” blue-collar society has been the focal point of economic success throughout history.

However, within the last few decades, the trend of outsourcing has damaged the opportunities for the blue-collar worker and the economy as a whole. Examples in our own backyard would include the JFG Coffee Factory downtown and the Magnavox Plant at Forks of the River Industrial Park.

“The outsourcing of service sector jobs to specialized U.S. firms began in response to the early 1980s recessions,” a 2004 Congressional Research Service Report for Congress said.

Some members of the United States Congress have a different view. Congressman John J. Duncan, Jr. of Tennessee’s 2nd congressional district said in his January 2010 Washington Report that unemployment shall remain high throughout 2010 due to our environmental rules, regulations and red tape having forced several million jobs to other countries over the last few years.

Duncan also says many young people have been brainwashed into believing that any time some radical or extremist uses the word “environment,” that it must be good. Then they do not understand why they cannot get good, high-paying jobs after they get their degrees.

I admire Duncan’s honesty when he informs people that our unemployment rates will remain high. I do not, however, agree with his reasoning. Other than its irrationality and use of future college graduates as scapegoats, Duncan’s comments are uneducated and in line with his own personal views and interests. Such statements take away the people’s active voice on the grassroots level with the issues of environmentalism or unemployment. One has to wonder if Duncan is promoting the interests of his constituents or the interests of his fellow people.

The environmental movement is not single-handedly responsible for some of the highest unemployment rates the U.S. has seen in many years. Although the environmental movement has gained steam in recent years, the presidential elections of Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush hindered its progress through many deregulations.

Furthermore, a 2003 article, “The New Wave of Outsourcing,” states that globalization and a high-tech economy create outsourcing for parts of the supply chain of manufacturing, which has resulted in a shift of demand for cheaper labor. Transnational corporations actively move these blue-collar jobs to other countries to produce a mass product with cheaper labor costs for a much higher profit earning.

The same article also says that 14 million jobs, or 11 percent of the employed labor force, is vulnerable and at risk to outsourcing. Outsourcing blue-collar jobs has helped put our unemployment at risk because these workers do not acquire skills in other areas. When their work leaves for Sri Lanka, they have no other experience to help land a different job in perhaps a white-collar world.

To say the least, there are a myriad of reasons our unemployment rates are high during the current economic turmoil. Even though our unemployment rates are high, I dare say it’s not because of a social movement aiming for the preservation and conservation of our natural resources that we must use to create these products we outsource.

Recyclers and hybrid-driving “hippies” aren’t either.

COFFEY & INK • Kelsey Roy

UT informs five scenes of everyday beauty Ac orns and Other Seeds by

Anna-Lisa Burnette This week’s column is inspired conceptually by Katsushika Hokusai’s “Thirtysix Views of Mt. Fuji.” It is my goal to paint with words “Five Scenes of Everyday Beauty,” scenes that are commonplace around campus and, therefore, too often go overlooked. Just as the iconic image of Mt. Fuji often appears in the background of Hokusai’s prints, so too does the university create the backdrop for my “designs.”

Scene One, “The Glittering Knoxville Nightscape”: On clear, cold nights, it is easy to see, off in the distance, the shimmering lights along the skyline. Up close, lamplight and streetlights seem steady, static; from far away they dance like hundreds of candles on the verge of being extinguished. They come in a multitude of colors, and they hover with halos extended for what might be miles, or what might be inches. They make the city seem alive with their electricity; they make the city hum with silent chatter.

Scene Two, “The Thin Rivulet of Steam Escaping in the Wind”: While it’s still winter and the wind whips your hair, enjoy the last breath of heat that tendrils out the top of your warm latte. See how it blossoms, all white and wet, until it vanishes into nothing.

Place your finger over the mouthpiece; withdraw it, and you’ll remember just how cold you are, and just how warm the library was. And as you lean in to take that next sip, brace yourself for the walk ahead.

Scene Three, “The Laughter of Someone Behind You”: Down the Pedestrian Mall hurriedly move the hundreds of white rabbits, students with deadlines to meet and homework to turn in. You are part of the mass, with your eyes straight ahead and your feet marching to an inescapable and frantic rhythm. But listen! The tinkle, or the snort, or the guffaw — who could be laughing so?

But there’s no time to turn around, of course.

And so you press forward, buoyed by the pure joy of someone you may never meet.

Scene Four, “The Silent Moments on an Elevator”: In the corner is the young man with the hamper full of laundry, newly washed but stuffed unceremoniously back from whence it came. In front of him is the young woman texting, trying to look inconspicuous.

To the side is a young couple trying to act modest while out in public — unsuccessfully.

And there you stand in the middle, arms crossed, and patient. Only in an elevator can a six-floor ride feel longer than a 12-story ascension.

Scene Five, “The Lull of Class Time”: This is the time when the halls are disquietingly empty. No longer packed from wall to wall with harried undergraduates, the tile floors seem smoother than ever before, and they glisten as if just cleaned. It is possible now to press your ear to any door and listen to tiny soundbyte lectures, learn a bit of French here, a bit of math there. What does all of this busy silence tell you? “You are early,” or “You are late, you are late, you are late.”

— Anna-Lisa Burnette is a sophomore in global studies. She can be reached at kburnet7@utk.edu.

DOONESBURY • Garry Trudeau

Souvenirs preserve memories, experiences An A l ternate R o u te by

Leigh Dickey

EDITOR IN CHIEF

Nash Armstrong MANAGING EDITOR

Flora Theden CHIEF COPY EDITOR

Theresa Parrish

ADVERTISING MANAGER Matt Nielsen CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING Sarah Fadule ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVES Ally Callahan, Scott Crump, Devyn Downey, Lynette Williams PRODUCTION ARTIST

DESIGN EDITORS

Geneva Hill

Patrick Relford PHOTO EDITOR

Hayley DeBusk ASSISTANT PHOTO EDITOR

Michael Gratton NEWS EDITOR

Katie Freeman STUDENT LIFE & FEATURES EDITOR

Kristian Smith OPINION EDITOR

Jenny Bledsoe ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

Jake Lane SPORTS EDITOR

Brad Merritt ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

Zac Ellis

To place an ad, please call retail advertising at 974-5206.

To place a classified, please call the classified manager at 974-4931.

SENIOR ADVERTISING

Robby O’Daniel Faith Barger

To report a news item, please e-mail the newsroom@utk.edu or call the managing editor at 974-2348.

If you think something has been reported incorrectly, please contact the managing editor at 974-2348.

ADVERTISING PRODUCTION ARTIST Sarah Wagner

Advertising: (865) 974-5206

EDITORIAL PRODUCTION ARTISTS

Classifieds: (865) 974-4931

Brittany Coggins, Emily Delanzo

Editor: (865) 974-2348

Eric Nalley, Katie Niehaus COPY EDITORS Kevin Letsinger, Brandi M. Panter,

Main office: (865) 974-3231 Managing Editor: (865) 974-2348 Newsroom: (865) 974-3226 Newsroom fax: (865) 974-5569

Chauntele Scarlett

Photo: (865) 974-5212

CARTOONISTS

E-mail: newsroom@utk.edu

Kelsey Roy, Josh Schendel,

letters@utk.edu

Blake Treadway 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, 5 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: http://dailybeacon.utk.edu.

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@utk.edu or sent to Nash Armstrong, 1340 Circle Park Dr., 5 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.

I lost one of my favorite earrings the other night. (Like socks, you always lose one of a pair of earrings, never the whole pair.) The pair wasn’t anything special, at least to look at: medium-sized, teardropshaped, made of wood, stained dark blue.

I’ve lost things before, of course, and I tend to get over it fairly quickly. Losing one of these earrings, however, was, well, heartbreaking is certainly too strong a word, but it was quite sad.

I wasn’t sad because I wore them all the time: I didn’t. I was sad because in losing one of the pair of blue earrings I also lost a bit of what they represented to me, some happy memories. A few years ago, I spent a summer backpacking through Europe with a friend but also travelled by myself for a few weeks. The time I spent travelling alone was traumatizing for my parents (as a matter of fact, I think they’ve repressed the whole affair, so hopefully they won’t read this column), but it was some of the most fun I’ve ever had. I bought the earrings for myself on my last day in Paris, which also happened to be my 20th birthday. I had been wandering around the Latin Quarter and found them at a small boutique: When I wore the earrings here, I always thought of my trip to Europe and particularly of Paris.

After I lost the blue earring, I was upset about it for a little while, but then I felt silly and started berating myself: After all, it’s not as if losing that earring took anything away from my experience, I said, or meant I was going to lose those memories. The more I thought about this, though, the less certain I was that it was true.

My memory is not what it used to be: These days I have a hard time remembering what I did the previous week, much less a few years ago. Hopefully the

rest of y’all are in better shape than I am, but I’m not sure it’s possible for anyone to remember his or her life in vivid detail.

We lose things along the way. In order to be able to function, we choose, unconsciously, some things to remember and some to forget, and for me, the group of things forgotten far outweighs the things remembered. To compensate for this loss, I find myself holding onto random items — a book of poetry, an empty bottle of sake, a picture of my friends, a pair of blue earrings — that for me come to symbolize whole events and relationships, serving as linchpins in my erratic life, telling me who I am by reminding me of who I have been.

We do this as a society too. In Europe I spent the majority of my time wandering around monuments, gardens, art galleries and cathedrals. I adore walking through museums and castles, but six weeks spent amongst paintings and statues finally caused even me to stop and question the point of it all. Why study the past, visit the tombs of dead men and women or build monuments to them?

Well I’ve personally found that sharing fun facts about Roman architecture makes me popular at parties (or not), but the better reason for visiting these places was carved above the entrance to the Scottish National War Memorial inside Edinburgh Castle and was strikingly straightforward: “Lest We Forget.”

The experiences of people who lived years before our time have shaped our lives, though we don’t often think about that, just as all those forgotten parties and conversations have shaped my life. Museums and monuments serve for society the same purpose my blue earrings served me: to paraphrase historian Leszek Kolakowski, they remind us who we are. I don’t think that’s the most important thing we can discover, but it’s in the top five. Too bad for me I lost that earring, huh?

— Leigh Dickey is a junior in global studies. She can be reached at ldickey2@utk.edu.

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

The Daily Beacon • 5

TuesdayTAKES

‘Valentine’s Day’ RPG sequel improves upon original Feel-good boasts large, big-name cast Wiley Robinson Staff Writer The concussive force of the release of “Mass Effect 2” is still reverberating in the air, its nomination for Game of the Year a certainty. It would seem that Bioware, developer of immortal titles such as “Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic” and “Baldur’s Gate,” has created a sequel to their sci-fi RPG “Mass Effect” that supposedly improves on the original in every way.

The question is, what did the developer do to so roundly enhance a game that was already so beloved to begin with?

“Mass Effect,” while a triumph in the world of interactive narratives, had its share of structural flaws, and to truly understand “Mass Effect 2,” the most commonly voiced problems with the original must be known. While the single-player adventure game successfully melded the third-person RPG formula made famous by “Knights of the Old Republic” with a real-time, third-person shooter dynamic, overly statbased combat gave conflict an unrealistic and awkward flavor.

While an innovative system, something about combat situations felt distant.

While games complex enough to include their own microeconomies have a history of stupidly exempting themselves from the most basic economic laws (i.e. scarcity), nothing approaches the cluelessness of the original “Mass Effect.”

Monetary rewards for vanquishing enemies not only had no narrative context but were quickly made meaningless and unsatisfying by the ease and frequency at which they were acquired. The item acquisition shared a similar fate, being obtusely generated from leveled lists and suffering from the typical Bioware model shortage where every piece of armor or type of weapon shares the same model re-skinned umpteen times over, resulting only in a transparently superficial attempt at variety. It should be impossible for developers with any professionalism to not understand that the various systems that make up a game should nod toward the reality that its players will come from. The quality of a game cannot prove greater than the sum of its parts.

However the most grievous oversight on

is never frustrating or overly time consuming.

Credits (the currency of the game), rather than being forcefed down one’s throat, are now scarce and contextual, being mainly found by hacking computers found in the field via nifty mini-games. While incredibly limited on what one can now purchase, at least items now have a purpose. The avalanche of boring, useless weapons and armor that one was forced to sift through in the original is gone. The most controversial change in “Mass Effect 2” is the combat, which is like “Gears of War” in space. However battle is more challenging and much easier to comprehend and enjoy. People have become too caught up in the fact that “Mass Effect 2” no longer seems like an RPG, but the fact is that if being an RPG means everything is tied to an incomprehensible and distant set of statistics, then the change is welcome.

RPGs are about taking on an identity in a fleshed-out world and making technical and narrative choices based on that identity.

Just because “Mass Effect 2” is less convoluted doesn’t mean Bioware sold out.

Game development is an endless balancing act, and there is a fatal developmental oversight that could make or break the experience of “Mass Effect” in spite of its narrative integrity. Instead of • Photo courtesy of sodahead.com the six party members that the player’s character is able to jourprofit, amount to driving aimlessly in a dune ney with in the original, “Mass Effect 2” buggy over randomly generated (as opposed offers around double that. The problem is to hand-designed) geography, covered by a that the amount of characters and the quests single blanket texture that anyone could associated with them far outweigh the size of accomplish by doing a cloud filter in the story-driven plot. Ostensibly, one can Photoshop. The few interiors are all copied spend upwards of 40 hours gaining the trust and pasted replicas of each other, pixel for of his crew and preparing for the final, climacpixel, complete with identical floor plans. It tic confrontation, only to complete a finale was worse than repetitive: It made the quali- that takes around 30 minutes to complete. ty of the experience positively bipolar in its This could leave a rather bitter taste in the mouth of any gamer, the quality of the game’s imbalance.

“Mass Effect 2” addresses all of the game- body only contributing to the pathetically play and technical flaws of the original, short ending. Perhaps it’s for the best, though it often does so in a rather Draconian because “Mass Effect 2” is an experience that way. Rather than refine the original system, you’ll want to drag out as long as possible.

While the game admittedly leaves those Bioware gave “Mass Effect” chemotherapy, streamlining where it did not destroy. In who enjoy the more micro-managerial almost every case, the developer’s revamping aspects of RPGs out in the cold, “Mass Effect is justified. Every side-quest is now rendered 2” maintains the sophisticated character in its own unique environment and objective interaction of its predecessor, which is ultiand retains the visual quality of the main mately what the experience is all about. quest. Exploration, while always very linear, the part of the developers was blatant skewing in quality of the side quests from the story-driven campaign. While the campaign delivered up a deep and intriguing story that took place in the most complete and satisfying sci-fi world unique to the industry with a tier one production value, the side quests, those vertebrae that compose the backbone of every non-linear game ever made, were tedious chores by comparison.

The good side-quest adds a game longevity that gives a sense of completeness to the overall journey as well as being a necessary outlet for narrative and technical character development. In “Mass Effect,” the sidequests, under the premise of exciting, freeform planet surface exploration for fun and

EMPLOYMENT

EMPLOYMENT

FOR RENT

February Openings $15 base appointment. Starting people in sales/service.

PT/FT. Conditions apply. All ages 18+. Call (865)450-3189. www.workforstudents.com.

THE TOMATO HEAD KNOXVILLE Now hiring dish and food running positions. Full and part-time available, no experience necessary. Apply in person at 12 Market Square or apply online at thetomato-

1BR at The Woodlands. Awesome unit, incredible facility, free shuttle to campus. $475/mo. includes cable and internet.

Split utilities.

Room available now and for 2010-2011 school year Male, non-smoking, no pets. Call Drew 806-3789.

Have summer camp experience?

Now accepting applications for Day Camp Assistant Director position for summer at Camp Webb, located in West Knoxville. Must be capable of assisting in managing staff and organizing camp program, and have fun! For application, go to www.campwebb.com.

PART-TIME WORK Great pay, flexible schedule, permanent/ temporary.

Sales/ Service. Conditions apply. (865)450-3189.

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, and some leadership positions. Part-time available. www.campwebb.com to apply.

This space could be yours. Call 974-4931

head.com.

TRAVEL BAHAMAS SPRING BREAK $189 for 5 DAYS or $239 for 7 DAYS. All prices include: Round-trip luxury cruise with food. Accommodations on the island at your choice of thirteen resorts. Appalachia Travel. www.BahamaSun.com 988-9383.

UNFURN APTS 1 and 2BR Apts. UT area.

(865)522-5815. Ask about our special.

Eff., 1BR and 2BR apartments in updated Victorians. Available now. W/D, some fenced yards, some utilities included. $325- $695/mo.

(865)455-0488.

KEYSTONE CREEK 2BR apartment. Approx 4 miles west of UT on Middlebrook Pike. $500. Call (865)522-5815. Ask about our special.

FOR RENT 1BR condo Sequoyah Square perfect for Grad student. $650/mo. (865)776-2021.

4th AND GILL Houses and apartments now available. Please call Tim at (865)599-2235.

ALTAVIA APTS 2329 Highland Ave., The quiet side of the Fort area.

Quaint 1BR, 1BA apt. Approx.

600 sq. ft. H/W floors, water, garbage pick-up and free parking, laundry on site.

1st. month free.

Call 522-5815 for appointment.

Available for Fall 2010. Close to UT. 1BR, 2BR, and 4BR houses. Walk to class, $425/person.

Off-street parking, W/D furnished.

(865)388-6144.

Available March. Perfect 1 person cottage. 5 min. drive to UT. Fireplace, carport, W/D, $460/mo.

(865)806-7032.

CAMBRIDGE ARMS Just 4 miles west of campus.

Small pets allowed. Pool and laundry rooms. 2BR at great price! Call (865)588-1087.

CONDOS FOR RENT 3 minute walk to UC, private parking. 2BR/ 3BR condos available August, $400$525/mo. Call (404)451-6742.

HUNTINGTON PLACE UT students! Only 3 miles west of campus. We have eff. to 3BR. Hardwood floors. Central H/A. Pets allowed. Call (865)588-1087.

Ask about our special.

FOR RENT CONDOS FOR RENT Condos within walking distance of UT campus.

Franklin Station, Laurel Station, Lake Plaza, Laurel Villas, St. Christopher, River Towne. Units starting at $400/BR. Units include cable/ internet, water/ sewage, parking, and W/D. University Real Estate. (865)673-6600. urehousing.com.

IMMEDIATE MOVE IN BARCLAY HOUSE APTS 1BR apartment- $575. 2BR apartment- $715. $50 application fee WAIVED. $250 security deposit WAIVED. Take advantage of this offer while it lasts! Call or stop by today! 1631 Laurel Ave (865)522-6987.

Special 1 month FREE. Convenient to downtown, UT area. 2BR apartments available now. $475/mo (865)573-1000.

Chassidy Doane Staff Writer Adorable is the most accurate word to use when describing “Valentine’s Day,” the new film in theaters now.

This Garry Marshall-directed film, which follows the tradition of Marshall’s “The Princess Diaries,” “Runaway Bride” and “Pretty Woman,” has an all-star cast who light up the screen with their chemistry.

Patrick Dempsey, Jessica Alba, Jennifer Garner, Ashton Kutcher, Julia Roberts, Bradley Cooper and Kathy Bates are just naming a few of the big-name actors in this film, which is sure to draw audiences to the theater. What will keep them there, though, is the cute storyline and “feel-good” theme of this film.

The main storyline revolves around Reed Bennett (Kutcher), who owns and operates a flower shop in Los Angeles. Kutcher, most commonly known through his ridiculous pranks on his MTV show “Punk’d,” plays a very different character in this film. He has matured in his acting, and it is evident to viewers as he plays a sensitive, hard-working, all-around good guy, who ends up being a sort of pushover. Even though his role seems unimportant, every character is centered around Kutcher, whether they’re ordering or receiving flowers, or they have a connection with somebody that is.

Jennifer Garner is another actor in this film that really shines.

Garner plays the role of Julia Fitzpatrick, who is Bennett’s best friend and the love interest of Dr. Harrison Copeland (Dempsey).

Garner has always been a beauty on screen, but in this role, she is radiant. Her character, Julia, is a school teacher, who just can’t seem to get it right when it comes to relationships. However, by the end of the film, she does figure out a very valuable life lesson, and things seem to end well for her.

“Valentine’s Day” isn’t just a movie for those who are in love because not every character in the movie is so adamant about romance. Jessica Biel plays the role of Kara Monahan, a woman who works at a PR firm and has an annual “I hate Valentine’s Day” party.

This may appeal to those viewers who aren’t very optimistic about the holiday.

Another highlight of the film is Taylor Swift making her big screen debut as a high school dancer named Felicia. She is paired up with Taylor Lautner (better known for playing Jacob in “Twilight”), who plays a track star named Willy. Their on-screen romance is a bit awkward because they recently broke up in real life, however their chemistry is inevitable, and they both add humor to the film.

“Valentine’s Day” isn’t just for women. It has a little bit of something for everyone to enjoy, and with such an amazing cast, anyone can find something to love about this movie, even after the holiday is over.

HOUSE FOR RENT

HOUSE FOR RENT

CONDOS FOR SALE

CONDOS FOR SALE

1 BLOCK ACROSS RIVER FROM CAMPUS 4BR 2BA. Available Now. Nice. Covered porch. Parking. $975/mo. Call 690-8606 or 680-8606.

Elegant 2BR 2BA Victorian, beautiful mantels, mirrors, yard. W/D and DW included. $795/mo. Available March.

North, 10 min. drive to campus. (865)455-0488.

2BR, 1.5BA, all brick townhouse in West Hills. Swimming pool, bonus storage area. $114,900. Leave name and number at (865)584-9985.

3BR 3BA Victorian just renovated, fireplace, DW, W/D, all new kitchen and bath, huge porch. 8 min. drive north of UT or downtown.

Available March. $995/mo.

(865)455-0488.

CONDOS FOR SALE

RobertHolmesRealtor.com CandyFactory #14, SullinsRidge #208 and #108B, KingstonPlace #B401, Duplex at 801 EleanorSt plus all UT/Downtown condos for sale. Call Robert Holmes, RE/MAX Real Commercial, (423)586-1770.

11th Place 2BR, 1.5BA. 1,150 sq. ft. View of downtown. W/D, new heat air, 2 deeded parking spaces. $150,000.

(865)694-0160.

8 and 10BR newly remodeled houses in Fort Sanders available for August, 3 blocks to campus. W/D, HVAC, parking, large bedrooms. Will go fast! Call now to guarantee showing. (865)964-4669 or Volrentals.com.

LUXURY 1BR CONDOS 3 min. walk to Law School. $480R, $300SD. No app. fee.

865 (4408-0006, 250-8136).

RentUTK.com 1-4BR CONDOS Rent walk-to-class condos in the Fort and Ag/Vet Campus plus. Woodlands and RiverTowne. Call Robert Holmes, Owner/Agent, RentUTK.com (800)915-1770.

• Photo courtesy of rottentomatoes.com

1BR, 2BR, 3BR condos priced $39k, $79k, and $195k, new construction 3BR from $219k. Marty Hartsell, Renaissance Real Estate, 237-7914 or 560-2219, utknoxcondo.com.

3BR, 2BA, Renaissance I. 11th and Laurel. Walk to class.

Across from World’s Fair Park. $165,000. (865)661-1773.

HOMES FOR SALE

CAMPUS CONDO, buyers agent. Let me help you find a condo at a price you can afford. I own one I KNOW THE MARKET. Beth HoweChristensen, Keller Williams Realty. (865)599-3239.

Convenient to UT- 3BR, 1.5BA, 1 garage, hardwood floors, fireplace. $114,900.

Coldwell Banker Wallace & Wallace Realtors. Cissy Mayo. (865)603-0906.

UT students: 1BR Condo $44,900. Renaissance III 3BR 2BA Condo $274,000. Call Mary Campbell at Keller Williams Realty at 964-5658.

100+ vehicles $5,995 or less. Specializing in imports. www.DOUGJUSTUS.com

AUTOS FOR SALE

NEW YORK TIMES CROSSWORD • Will Shortz 1 5 10 14 15 16

17 19

HOUSE FOR RENT

20

914 Radford Place off Broadway. 2BR, 2BA. $600/mo.

(865)898-0118.

21 22 23 25 28 30 31 32 33 34

Across #1 position According to I.R.S. figures: Abbr.

Coal cart Handed (out) First Indian tribe met by Lewis and Clark Bird watcher’s accessory The Crimson Tide, familiarly Week-___-glance calendar What a coach driver holds 2, for one Trace of color Tide or Cheer Beetles sacred to ancient Egyptians Language suffix Prefix with content “___ recall …”

One of five in “Julius Caesar” ___ d’Ivoire (African land)

35 Essential part 1 2 3 4 necessary for fulfilling a goal … or 14 what 17-, 25-, 48and 57-Across all 17 18 have?

39 Droids 20 21 40 Flee 23 24 41 ___ de Cologne 42 Winter hrs. in 28 Bermuda 43 Peace, in Peru 32 44 Compresses, informally 35 36 48 Symbol of life 39 51 Ones in a gaggle 52 “So long” 42 43 53 Demolish 48 49 55 Young fellow 56 Certain iPod or skirt 52 57 Cheesy Mexican snack 56 60 Knievel on a 60 motorcycle 61 Smarty 63 62 Working without ___ 63 Actor Beatty and 65 What a jack-of-allothers trades is master of, supposedly 64 Wuss

ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE S O L I S P A R R E N E C A N E A R G M E R C I C A H C O M E I N M A T T H E B E A D O R Z O X M E N

D P E E W R I B U T A T R A S U N L O N D T E I V O P A S D A A K N A

O L A Y P R E O P S L I M

M A C A W

E L E V A T V E O W N S A T W O I N E

O K A Y S T H R E E D

B U D W E I S E R O D E T O

I S E E

K E E S E P L

C A P O S

H Y A T T

I R A N

S I E T S U T

I S L E S

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

Down Baseball statistics “Everyone’s a ___” Procrastinator’s response Rock music subcategory Together, on musical scores Sphere and cube Smoothing tool Suffix with election Things with shoulders: Abbr.

Edna Ferber novel Young starlet’s promoter, maybe

5

6

7

8

9

10

15

11

12

13

46

47

16 19 22 25

26

29

27

30

31

33

34

37

38

40

41 44

45

50 53 57

51 54

58

55 59

61

62

64

65

12 Propose for election 13 Where Starbucks was founded 18 Ironing line 22 Rap’s Dr. ___ 24 There are about 28.35 of these in an ounce 26 Georgia ___ 27 High regard 29 Place for a petri dish 33 Sign at a convenience store 34 Save the Whales, for one 35 Plummet 36 Got 37 Disconcert 38 Measured 39 “Who Let the Dogs Out” group

43 Score components: Abbr.

44 Equilibrium 45 “Absolutely not!”

46 ___ Institute, California retreat center for alternative education 47 Tranquilize 49 Stirs 50 Neighborhoods 54 Wacky 57 Ones making handoffs, for short 58 Geller with supposed psychic powers 59 McEwan or McKellen

6 • The Daily Beacon

TuesdayTAKES

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Film fails with younger viewers Drew Lambert Staff Writer

• Photo courtesy of Rottentomatoes.com

As impotent storm clouds gather over the New York City skyline, the Greek god Zeus angrily confronts Poseidon about the theft of his master lightning bolt, blaming his earthborn son as the culprit.

So begins “Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief,” an adventure movie incorporating classic Greek mythological figures as key characters in a 21st century setting.

The film is an adaptation of the Rick Riordan’s first

novel in a series, whose protagonist is Percy, the oblivious half-human son of Poseidon falsely accused of stealing the master bolt, the most powerful weapon ever created. The stakes are raised when Zeus demands the bolt be returned within 14 days or face all-out war on Mt. Olympus.

Percy (Logan Lerman) is a troubled teen beset with dyslexia and ADHD who unwinds between classes, submerged beneath his high school swimming pool, to cope with the stresses brought on by daily life.

Frustrated by living at home

with a quiescent mother and a domineering stepfather, the son of Poseidon senses something is out of place, yet is still unaware of his status as a demigod.

“Everything is about to change, Percy,” says the disembodied voice of Poseidon, as he makes his way to school.

Changes come about very quickly, as Percy finds no trouble reading ancient Greek during a field trip to an art exhibition. He learns details of his divine origin after an overly severe substitute English teacher transforms into a winged fury sent to acquire the missing master bolt.

Sensing the fledgling demigod is in danger, Percy’s friend Grover (Brandon T. Jackson) reveals himself to be a satyr, a “half-goat” protector. Grover escorts him and his mother to Camp Half-Blood, a place the human offspring of the gods learn to develop their innate talents. On the way, Hades, Greek god of the underworld, takes Percy’s mother hostage, setting the master bolt as ransom.

Percy, with the help of Grover and love interest Annabeth (Alexandra Daddario), the demigod daughter of Athena, embarks on a quest to save his mother, which leads them through varied locales, including a Las Vegas casino, the Parthenon in Nashville and eventually down the skulllined caverns to the Underworld itself.

As demigods, galloping centaurs and other creatures vie for time on the screen but lack concrete character development, it feels like their presence is part of a crash course in mythology for a high school English class. This kind of presentation is befitting for a movie aimed at younger audiences, which makes sense considering the source material is a book written for the middleschool demographic.

Yet the age gap between the 12-year-old Percy found in the book and the high school age Percy seen on screen diminishes the film’s ability to connect with the young fanbase of the books.

The weight of Percy’s strained, near-nonexistent relationship with a divine entity seems less, considering he has already grown up past the critical years of adolescence before the film even starts.

What could have been an imaginative journey for a family to bring their kids to see is now just another generic action-adventure flick retreading the footsteps laid by the “Harry Potter” franchise. It seems unable to decide on which age group it’s trying to pursue for box office results.

The faux-educational vibe and cursory plot development shouldn’t drive moviegoers off completely, as the film is supported with the obligatory amount of computer effects and rousing fight sequences to keep the attention of the audience.

Unfortunately it’s only a rhetorical question to ask if they will take anything away from it after leaving the theater.

RECYCLE YOUR BEACON

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

The Daily Beacon • 7

SPORTS

Diamond Vols sweep Xavier series

Tough Cat Kevin Huebschman Staff Writer

George Richardson • The Daily Beacon

Colin Skinner

Above: Bryan Morgado recorded six strikeouts and three earned runs in five innings of action against Xavier on Friday.

Staff Writer

Chris Thomas Staff Writer

Below: UT baseball player, Khayyan Norfork, swings against Xavier this weekend as the team pressed on with a win.

Seth Jensen Staff Writer Tennessee opened its third baseball season under head coach Todd Raleigh this past weekend with a three-game series against Xavier. The Diamond Vols (3-0) swept the series against the Musketeers (0-3) to start out the season undefeated.

Friday The only thing more beautiful than the weather at Lindsey Nelson Stadium Friday afternoon was Tennessee’s offensive display.

Opening the season at home against reigning Atlantic-10 Conference champion Xavier, Tennessee used its red-hot sticks and dominating five-inning performance from starter Bryan Morgado to begin the 2010 season on the right foot in front of 2,300 fans.

Big Orange hitters slapped 19 hits in the 16-6 victory against Xavier’s pitchers who couldn’t seem to quiet the UT offensive production, who scored in each of the first five innings. Second baseman Khayyan Norfork led the Vols with four hits in five at-bats and scored twice, stealing one base and earning an RBI. Leadoff P.J. Polk also had a busy day, cashing in three hits and scoring three times.

Raleigh said Polk and Norfork can each get around the basepaths quickly.

“They can create a lot of havoc on the bases,” he said. “Those two guys can really run. We like having them nine-one and see what happens. They played outstanding, and it’s nice to see because they can create runs without the long ball.”

Tennessee junior first baseman Cody Hawn went 2-for-2 with two RBIs, including an opposite-field home run before leaving the game with a shoulder injury. Catcher Blake Forsythe and third baseman Matt Duffy each recorded three RBIs in the game.

See BASEBALL on Page 8

Although injuries forced Cat Hosfield to sit out much of her senior season in high school, Ralph Weekly had seen enough to recruit her for the UT softball team.

“I just saw a hard-nosed pitched, who could throw four or five pitches really well, had good speed,” the Lady Vols softball co-head coach said.

“But the main thing I liked was her competitiveness.”

Weekly’s gamble paid off during the pitcher’s freshman season, where she went 28-13 with a 2.67 ERA, which Weekly called a “marvelous record for a freshman.”

As for Hosfield, she knew she would play college ball as early as her junior year in high school.

“I knew that I was going to be playing softball in college pretty early,” the former SEC All-Freshman said. “It’s just something that I really practiced hard and worked hard for, and it got me here.”

“Here” was leading the Lady Vols through the NCAA Tournament before losing to Jacksonville State in the regional finals. And the Lady Vols had no chance of getting that far had Hosfield not met expectations, Weekly said.

“Without her, we certainly wouldn’t have made the playoffs,” he said. “She was that instrumental. She was our goto pitcher. She was basically our only pitcher last year because of injuries and other things.”

Even with the pressure of being the Lady Vols’ primary pitcher early in her career, Hosfield said she loves everything about the game.

“I wouldn’t have it any other way,” she said. “I love being around a team, and I love playing sports.”

Hosfield started her sophomore season slow, allowing 12 runs in her first three games, but Weekly said there was no doubt she would meet the

coaches’ expectations.

“She’s a much better pitcher than was reflected last weekend,” he said. “She just had a rough couple of initial outings, but I think we’re going to see a 25-game winner this year. … She just knows that she’s got to be more consistent at keeping the ball down.”

Hosfield improved markedly the following series, as she gave up only four earned runs in 12.1 innings pitched against Weber State, Bradley and Cleveland State over the season’s second weekend, earning a pair of victories along the way.

The passion Hosfield displays on the field doesn’t disappear when she leaves it, though. It extends into her academic life as well, where she’s majoring in communications.

“Vol scholar, I am proud to say that now,” she said. “And I love communications.”

Even with much of her season spent on the road — two weeks into the season, the Lady Vols have played in Florida and New Mexico — Hosfield said it isn’t too difficult to keep up with school, thanks to the help she and the rest of the team get.

“We have everything that we can ask for with the Thornton Center and tutors and on the road, Karen (Weekly’s wife and co-head coach) is really smart,” Hosfield said. “And I have 18, 17 other teammates that can help me out on the road too, so it’s not that bad.”

Calling her the “perfect teammate,” Weekly said it’s hard to get much more from a player and student than the team gets from Hosfield.

“To sum this up, she’s as good a person and player and student as we’ve ever had here, and I think she’s going to achieve tremendous things,” he said. “Again we’re blessed to have her. No ifs, ands or buts about it. I think there’s great days ahead.”

SPORTS CALENDAR

8 • The Daily Beacon

?

What’s HAPPENING IN SPORTS

Feb. 23 - 25, 2010

Tuesday, Feb. 23 — Softball New Mexico State Las Cruces, N.M. 7 p.m.

Men’s Basketball Florida Gainesville, Fla. 9 p.m.

Women’s Golf Arizona Wildcat Tucson, Ariz.

All Day

Thursday, Feb. 25 — Softball Pacific Cathedral City, Calif.

3:30 p.m.

Women’s Basketball Kentucky Knoxville 7 p.m.

THESPORTSPAGE

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

LADY VOLS continued from Page 1 “We did a lot of good things,” Summitt said.

“Obviously, we had a great crowd to motivate us. 29 field goals and 20 assists; we shared the basketball, and we really played well, especially moving without the ball.”

Summitt was particularly proud of her three post players, Cain, Brewer and Glory Johnson.

“We had three post players who came to play,” Summitt said. “We might have the most imposing post game in the country with our size.”

UT also had five players score double digits. Brewer led the team with a total of 18 points, Cain followed with 16 and Johnson scored 12.

Bjorklund and Shekinna Stricklen both put up 10.

Stricklen was the only player on the team to hit a 3-pointer, with two on the night.

With the win, UT clinches at least a share of first place in the SEC. The Lady Vols could have the title to themselves with a win in Thursday’s game against Kentucky at Thompson-Boling Arena.

“Kentucky is playing really well,” Summitt said. “It should turn out to be a great game and, hopefully, a good crowd.”

Michael Gratton • The Daily Beacon

Lady Volunteer basketball player, Angie Bjorklund, shoots against LSU during the game Monday night.

BASEBALL

I thought we were going to win the game. I am really proud of how we battled and stayed focused.”

continued from Page 7

Sunday Tennessee completed the series sweep of Xavier on Sunday with a 17-1 victory. The Volunteers jumped out to an early lead and did not allow any opportunity for a comeback.

With a 6-1 lead in the bottom of the sixth inning, sophomore pinchhitter Charley Thurber drove Shane Liska’s pitch over the right-field wall for a grand slam. It was the first grand slam by a Tennessee pinch hitter since 2003. The Volunteers would score seven more runs, while holding the Musketeers scoreless.

Though Tennessee scored at least 16 runs for the second time in the series, coach Raleigh felt defense led to the win.

“I thought (starting pitcher) Stephen McCray really set the tone,” Raleigh said. “He pitched into a lot of ground balls. Our defense was incredible. We made some great plays, and we took three or four hits away from them.”

McCray picked up his first win of the season by only giving up one earned run in 5 1/3 innings pitched. McCray also thought the defense played a key role in Sunday’s win.

“I think we have one of the best infields in the country,” McCray said. “There’s not a play — anything that’s hit on the ground, I think they have a chance to throw them out at first.”

With a weekend series at Oregon State looming on Friday, Raleigh said the sweep over Xavier should provide the Vols with some confidence.

“It helps a lot, I think,” Raleigh said. “You got to learn to play all three days. Oregon State is good.”

Saturday After Tennessee exploded offensively on Opening Day, the Vols struggled to get their offense moving Saturday. The Diamond Vols only had six hits in the first seven innings in the weekend’s second matchup with Xavier.

The ninth inning, however, proved to be the difference, as freshman first baseman Cody Stubbs got just enough wood on an Alex Vice pitch to send Polk and Josh Liles across the plate, giving Tennessee a 7-6.

“It’s great,” Stubbs said. “It’s something that you dream about since you were little. I mean, wanting to play college baseball and getting to win a game. It’s a dream come true.”

Tennessee’s bullpen also played a key role in the win. While sophomore starter Steven Gruver struggled early to retire the Musketeers, giving up five earned runs on nine hits in just four innings pitched, the Volunteer relief managed to only allow one earned run for the remainder of the contest.

“I thought we did a great job,” pitcher Spencer Clifft said. “I thought our off-speed stuff was keeping guys off balance. As long as the bullpen keeps energy up like that, I think we’ll be pretty good all year.”

Raleigh was more than pleased by his team’s will to fight late in the ballgame.

“I felt good the whole game,” Raleigh said. “I kept telling the team