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Thursday, February 23, 2012

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Issue 31

E D I T O R I A L L Y

PUBLISHED SINCE 1906

I N D E P E N D E N T

S T U D E N T

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Vol. 119

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Bench play key in Vols victory Lauren Kittrell News Editor Trailing 14-2 midway through the first half, Tennessee needed a spark.

It came in the form of Jordan McRae and Dwight Miller. The duo combined for 26 points, helping the Volunteers (15-13, 7-6 SEC) overcome a slow start to defeat Ole Miss 73-60 Wednesday night in Thompson-Boling Arena.

“Jordan McRae and Dwight did a great job coming off the bench and giving us energy and enthusiasm,” UT coach Cuonzo Martin said. “I thought that was great. The one thing I told Dwight and we talk about it all the time is to just stick with it and continue to work and this is the result of him consistently working and not giving up. It paid off for him, and I’m happy to see that for him.”

Miller reached double-figures with 10 points after totaling just four points in the last eight games. His inspiring performance was just what the Vols needed to get the team back on their feet.

“He gave us a huge lift,” sophomore guard Trae Golden said.

“He played really well. I think that’s what Dwight does every time he comes into the game. He’s fearless and he’s not scared to shoot the ball. That’s what we definitely needed. He was a big spark for us.”

Junior forward Jeronne Maymon scored 18 points, reaching

double-figures for the ninth straight game, and added 11 rebounds. McRae brought UT fans to their feet with a dunk that gave UT at 10-point lead midway through the second half.

Martin said McRae brought the team together and put them into the right gear.

“Jordan set the tone for us and really got us into an offensive flow,” Martin said. “He made plays and made shots.”

Golden said he thought McRae’s performance really made the difference between a win and a loss.

“I don’t think we would’ve come back if it wasn’t for him,” Golden said. “He played a great game.”

The team’s win came to fundamental basketball and the difference was found in turnovers, rebounds and free throws. UT was 17-of-21 from the free-throw line in the second half, and committed just one turnover on offense over the last 20 minutes.

“We did a good job in the second half of not turning the ball over,” Martin said. “I think we had 10 in the first half and 11 for the game. We just settled down and made plays. It’s just one of those things we consistently work at and continue to get better every day. I thought we did a good job in the second half of defending as a team with them passing, cutting and moving.”

With the win, UT moves into fourth place in the SEC standings. The top four teams at the end of the regular season get a first-round bye in the SEC Tournament.

The Vols return to action Saturday night at South Carolina.

Tip-off is scheduled for 8 p.m.

George Richardson • The Daily Beacon

Dwight Miller goes up hard between two Ole Miss defenders during a game on Wednesday, Feb. 22.

Miller helped the Vols with 10 points from the bench as the Volunteers went on to a 73-60 win over the Rebel Black Bears.

UT offers cultural experience Liv McConnell Staff Writer

George Richardson • The Daily Beacon

Smokey dances with the UT Dance Team during a timeout in a game against Ole Miss on Wednesday, Feb. 22.

For UT students who dream of an authentic Italian experience without the costly plane ticket, the Italian Club’s Immersion Weekend promises to be a lively and affordable alternative.

The annual trip, which begins March 9, will allow students to delve further into Italian culture and language in a less confined setting than the typical classroom. For a rate of $50 covering food and lodging, students will stay the weekend at Buffalo Mountain, a lakefront retreat center near Jonesborough, Tenn.

“The Immersion Weekend helps many of our young undergraduates to get a taste of what functioning in an Italian environment would be like,” Renee D’Elia-Zunino said.

D’Elia-Zunino, an Italian professor at UT, initiated Immersion Weekend in 2005 with the help of her colleague, Anna Chiara Mariani. She is excited by the unique opportunity the trip presents her students with.

“They will experience an all-Italian lifestyle for three days,” D’Elia-Zunino said.

This lifestyle includes cooking authentic

dishes from scratch, listening to traditional music and watching Italian films. In a whimsical, camp-like spirit, group activities such as treasure hunts, campfires and storytelling will even be incorporated.

This, according to D’Elia-Zunino, allows for students to get a feeling of “true Italian life”, stirring their interest in the culture as well as the language.

“Engaging students in what is typically class work within an immersion context forces them into a mental activity that functions as a targeted strategy, rather than as a general ‘stay afloat.’

Furthermore, the students get a chance to verify their progress,” D’Elia-Zunino said.

Paisleigh Kelley, a junior in communication studies and English literature who attended the trip last year, found this practical, instructive aspect of the trip beneficial.

“I viewed the Immersion Weekend as a way to learn about Italian culture from real Italians in the presence of my classmates,” Kelley said.

“I wanted a platform to practice my Italian that was not as rigid as school and I found that a weekend getaway was a good facilitator in that regard.”

See ITALIAN CLUB on Page 2

SGA passes TVC funding bill Justin Joo Staff Writer The Student Government Association passed a bill Tuesday evening that could help the Volunteer Channel get funding for its operations.

Brooke Fraser, a worker for TVC, pled their case to SGA. “At this point in time we’re struggling,” Fraser, junior in journalism and electronic media, said.

TVC does not receive any funding from the university.

Anything they need comes out-of-pocket.

Fraser and about a dozen other TVC members were at the SGA meeting. During their presentation of Bill 10-12, they played a brief video that featured several former and current TVC students. They all explained how working for TVC has helped them prepare for their future in journalism by giving them an opportunity to work with state-of-the-art equipment, news gathering and production experience, as well as being a gateway into internships or actual jobs.

TVC claims that among the Top 25 universities, many of them fund a student-run television channel like TVC. The difference, Fraser said, is that those Top 25 T.V. channels usually only produce one weekly-news show, while TVC produces several different programs daily and without an actual budget.

“I feel like this could really help our whole Top 25 initiative that we trying to put forth,” Fraser said. “And in the

2010 Chancellor’s Report, [Chancellor Jimmy Cheek] said ‘to learn to do by doing,’ and that’s what we do at TVC.” TVC’s bill is open to several different means of getting funding. The two primary options are either getting funding from the RES Board or from student service fees.TVC will apply for the funding at a RES Board meeting in April.

The student service fee route is another option TVC could alternatively take by receiving a portion of that fee money. While doing so could potentially raise the fee for students, the increase would only be about $1.50 per student, Fraser estimates.

SGA questioned why TVC wasn’t trying to get money from the College of Communication. TVC said they approached the administration about it, but the College said no. However, the College of Communication doesn’t provide funding for other student publications, so this was not out of the ordinary.

With the funding, TVC hopes to accomplish a number of things. First, it would allow them to continue their normal production. Secondly, they hope to hire an advertising director. This director’s main purpose would be to acquire and manage advertisements, something TVC has been lacking.

With the potential for much more advertising, Fraser said that TVC hopes to be more self-sufficient and not need as much funding from the university in the future.

TVC would also be able to purchase new or replacement equipment (TVC said a new video camera could cost thousands of dollars and one of their editing computers was damaged after the recent blackout). But with the funding, TVC could also produce new programs that they would

otherwise be unable to do.

Two amendments were passed for the bill. One was to clarify that language on the bill that funding could come from a variety of sources and not necessarily from student services. The second amendment stated that if the university administration started to provide some funding for TVC, any additional funding from outside resources, like student services, would be augmented to only cover the remaining balance.

After further debate, the bill was put to a roll call vote and was passed with only four-against.

According to Terry Nowell, senate chair and senior in biological science, the bill has to be signed by the Student Senate president, Courtney Sharp, and SGA president, Ross Rowland. Then it will go before Maxine Davis, the dean of students.

“In a lot of ways it’s in the hands of the dean of students … and the leadership of the bill,” Nowell said. “And given the nature of the bill, the majority of what’s going to happen is with the RES Board.”

Although the bill was passed in SGA, it does not immediately guarantee funding for TVC. If anything, it is a symbolic gesture that will show the RES Board and university administration that TVC has the support of the students, which could be a powerful argument for getting funding.

“The point of us presenting this to SGA is not to get SGA to give us money,” Fraser said. “We know that the university isn’t going to give us money tomorrow. SGA is the biggest organization on campus. [It’s about] the fact that they’re backing us, and the fact that they represent the students, and the students are backing us also.”

2A • The Daily Beacon

InSHORT

Thursday, Febuary 23, 2012

George Richardson • The Daily Beacon

Chancellor Jimmy Cheek answers questions from students during the Student Leadership Dinner on Monday. Cheek handled students’ questions covering a wide range of topics including the new branding campaign and budgeting plans to help UT continue improvement towards the goal of becoming a top 25 public research university.

1945 — U.S. flag raised on Iwo Jima During the bloody Battle for Iwo Jima, U.S. Marines from the 3rd Platoon, E Company, 2nd Battalion, 28th Regiment of the 5th 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.

Rosenthal took three photographs atop Suribachi. The first, which showed five

Marines and one Navy corpsman struggling to hoist the heavy flag pole, became the most reproduced photograph in history and won him a Pulitzer Prize. The accompanying motion-picture footage attests to the fact that the picture was not posed. Of the other two photos, the second was similar to the first but less affecting, and the third was a group picture of 18 soldiers smiling and waving for the camera. Many of these men, including three of the six soldiers seen raising the flag in the famous Rosenthal photo, were killed before the conclusion of the Battle for Iwo Jima in late March.

In early 1945, U.S. military command sought to gain control of the island of Iwo Jima in advance of the projected aerial campaign against the Japanese home islands. Iwo Jima, a tiny volcanic island located in the Pacific about 700 miles southeast of Japan, was to be a base for fighter aircraft and an emergency-landing site for bombers. On February 19, 1945, after three days of heavy naval and aerial bombardment, the first wave of U.S. Marines stormed onto Iwo Jima’s inhospitable shores.

The Japanese garrison on the island numbered 22,000 heavily entrenched men. Their commander, General Tadamichi Kuribayashi, had been expecting an Allied invasion for months and used the time wisely to construct an intricate and deadly system of underground tunnels, fortifications, and artillery that withstood the initial Allied bombardment. By the evening of the first day, despite incessant mortar fire, 30,000 U.S. Marines commanded by General Holland Smith managed to establish a solid beachhead.

During the next few days, the Marines advanced inch by inch under heavy fire from Japanese artillery and suffered suicidal charges from the Japanese infantry. Many of the Japanese defenders were never seen and remained underground manning artillery until they were blown apart by a grenade or rocket, or incinerated by a flame thrower.

While Japanese kamikaze flyers slammed into the Allied naval fleet around Iwo Jima, the Marines on the island continued their bloody advance across the island, responding to Kuribayashi’s lethal defenses with remarkable endurance. On February 23, the crest of 550-foot Mount Suribachi was taken, and the next day the slopes of the extinct volcano were secured.

By March 3, U.S. forces controlled all three airfields on the island, and on March 26 the last Japanese defenders on Iwo Jima were wiped out. .

— This Day in History is courtesy of History.com.

ITALIAN CLUB continued from Page 2 In addition to these academic benefits comes another that is arguably most important to participants — the trip is just plain fun.

“I’m most looking forward to taking a weekend away from the stresses of school,” Clayton Gupton, junior in Italian and club president, said.

Justin Jornd, senior in linguistics and Italian, agreed.

“I’m excited for some time with good friends and good food while enjoying nature and practicing Italian,” Jornd said.

Events such as Immersion Weekend are typical of the

club and the Italian program in full, both being known for their dedication to exposing students to as many aspects of Italian ethos as possible.

“UT should be proud of the efforts we make to engage students in a full language immersion,” D’EliaZunino said. “Besides the Germans, no other language program does this.”

Due to a relative lack of media coverage in comparison to past years, the professor feels that some students may overlook the Italian program when selecting their foreign language elective.

“Our program is not dead,” D’Elia-Zunino said.

“Far from it — instead it is alive and kicking! We still offer majors and minors, and we have a very active

Italian Club.”

These efforts include a different film showing each month, as well as an Italian table every Friday at 2:30 p.m. in the Starbucks at Hodges library. Those interested are encouraged to check out web.utk.edu/~clubital for more information.

“The Italian Club and program in general offer so much to students, like the Immersion trip,” Jornd said.

“I’m looking forward to what will doubtlessly be a great time.”

As of press time, a few spots still remain available for the trip. The trip is open to all UT students, not only those studying Italian.

Anyone interested should contact D’Elia-Zunino at rdelia@utk.edu.

Thursday, February 23, 2012

ARTS&CULTURE

The Daily Beacon • 3A

Friday, February 24 What: Black Pearl Sings! — Opening Night!

When: 7:30 p.m.

Where: Clarence Brown Theatre How much: $5 for UT students with ID, $20-$40 for general public and non-UT students Our take: Frank Higgins’s musical odyssey features song collector Susannah as she travels on behalf of the Library of Congress to document fading African-American folk culture and music.

Thursday, February 23 What: Black Pearl Sings! — Preview Performance When: 7:30 p.m.

Where: Clarence Brown Theatre How much: Free for UT students with ID, $12-$20 for general public and non-UT students Our take: Frank Higgins’s musical odyssey features song collector Susannah as she travels on behalf of the Library of Congress to document fading African-American folk culture and music.

What: The Werks with The Heavy Pets and Ga~Na~Si~Ta When: 9 p.m.

Where: The Ciderhouse How much: $8 advance / $10 door Our take: Jam bands. Bright lights. Body paint and glitter.

The horror...the horror!

Exterminate all the brutes!

What: Back to the Bijou with the Dirty Guv’nahs When: 8 p.m.

Where: Bijou Theatre How much: $21.50, $38 for two show pass Our take: Stonesy Knoxville boys celebrate their rise to national prominence with a pair of hometown shows • Photo courtesy of the Dirty Guv’nahs

• Photo courtesy of The Werks

What: Menopause the Musical When: 8 p.m.

Where: Bijou Theatre How much: $46.50 Our take: A musical about women going through the change.

What: Fuddy Meers When: 7:30 p.m.

Where: Clarence Brown Carousel Theatre How much: $5 for UT students with ID, $15-30 for general public and non-UT students Our take: Pulitzer-winner David Lindsay-Abaire tells the story of Claire, an aphasia suffering woman with a husband and teenage son... and apparently an escaped convict brother who wishes to save her.

Saturday, February 25 What: Yonder Mountain String Band with the Infamous Stringdusters When: 7 p.m. doors Where: Tennessee Theatre How much: $25 Our take: The bluegrass toast of the jam band scene, Yonder’s fanbase has taken them from humble Colorado beginnings to the Denver Democratic National Convention, opening for Obama.

• Photo courtesy of naplesnews.com

4A • The Daily Beacon

Thursday, February 23, 2012

OPINIONS

Going

Somewhere... Hopefully Impulse, compulsion drive Preston Peeden Managing Editor I was around 5 when I first realized that I sometimes didn’t have control over my own actions.

I was standing in the middle of the kitchen; my arms were stretched out with eyes shut tight, spinning rapidly in a circle. My mother, who had been engrossed in a phone call up to that point , put the receiver down and looked at me with an expression that could only say, “That was the most random thing I have ever seen.”

I don’t know why I started spinning at that moment.

I just felt inside of me that that was what I wanted to do, and I went for it. While to me my action seemed natural, I can now fully appreciate how weird it must have been for my mother to be interrupted by a miniature blonde whirling dervish spinning uncontrollably in the middle of her eye-line.

Ever since I could remember, I have found myself in a struggle between my own natural impulses and the socially constructed compulsions that tell me how to act appropriately. Ultimately, by looking at these two motivations, from inside and from out, any action can be seen as either an impulse or a compulsion.

Without trying to sound too Freudian, impulses to me are the representation of our desires, be they labeled our id, subconscious or even simply the hedonistic side of human nature. They are what our bodies and our minds tell us to do in a single moment.

They are what drive fast action made in self-interest, with little to no thoughts about the consequences.

While impulses represent the selfishness of people’s actions, compulsions are nearly the opposite.

Compulsions are made out of everything that society has taught us. How to act, how to react, what to say and what to do are all questions that compulsions consider and form their own responses out of. The compulsions I feel are the little voice in my head telling me to not do something or to apologize about a joke, or to even stop spinning endlessly in the kitchen.

There are benefits and detractions to both types of decision-making. John Fairfax is the perfect example of a man who lived his life nearly completely on impulse.

Fairfax, who is famous for being the first person to row

solo across the Atlantic Ocean, had a life story that resembles a mix of plotlines from the “Most Interesting Man in the World” commercials and the movie the “Royal Tenenbaums.” In his obituary, which ran this week in The New York Times, Fairfax was credited with using a gun at the age of 9 to settle a dispute. At 20 he attempted suicide by jaguar attack, and then he trounced through a series of odd jobs (including pirate, smuggler and mink farmer) before deciding to take the voyage across the sea (where at one point he teased a shark for 15 minutes until realizing he could kill it by the fact that it was showing signs of a nervous breakdown). When asked why he decided to row across the entire ocean, Fairfax was known to respond dryly that, “Anyone with a little know-how can sail.” Fairfax lived his life simply because he could. He crossed the ocean because it was there, practiced piracy because he could and gambled into and out of fortunes because he wanted to. Fairfax was a man driven by impulse.

John Fairfax’s life seems at first to be the coolest story ever. This man’s first 25 years on this earth were packed with more life than most people’s entire journey.

But Fairfax was also very lucky. On his own admission, his actions could have, and sometimes should have, led him into trouble.

Fairfax’s life stands as both a testament and a warning to lives lived on impulse alone. He accomplished great things, lived a full life and became wealthy and famous for doing something he loved. But that does not mean we can all go and have the same kind of success. Fairfax’s own personal journey across the ocean was one that only succeeded through his own force of will and character, a trait not everyone has.

Many of us, like the 5-year-old version of me, wanted to live life through the bursts of ideas and desires that impulsion drives us to. And while some may be able to make a life out of that, many of us are not. What we need is balance. We need to balance the impulses in our life with the compulsions. We can’t never do anything, for fear of social ramifications, nor do whatever we want and find ourselves face-to-face with a jaguar. Our lives need to be somewhere in the middle, pushed forward by self-interested desires, but also held back by societal considerations.

Though it would be cool to try that whole piracy thing…

— Preston Peeden is a junior in history. He can be reached at ppeeden@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.

Reflect on UT’s positive features Urb an La n d sca p e by

Lindsay Lee At the risk of sounding too cheesy or downplaying the severe problems of the Big Orange Screw I have written about in previous weeks, I think it is necessary to examine why university in general is a wonderful and beautiful thing. There are many stances as to what the purpose of college is, from the cynical to the idealistic. But you shouldn’t view it in either one of these ways, but should instead see it for what it actually does for us.

If viewed cynically, universities are only here to provide you with the skills and training necessary to become a valuable member of the American workforce. Some think universities have one purpose only: to make you into the best money-making machine possible for yourself and for everyone else around you. Others would think universities exist to solely exploit students as consumers of the monopolized product that is a college education. It’s easy to get carried away by this kind of cynicism, especially when it is now basically impossible to get a decently-paying job without a bare minimum university education, and the chancellor makes hundreds of thousands of dollars off our increasing tuition bills.

The more idealistic among us would view universities as a place to achieve this grandiose intellect, or at least work toward it. They would say every class we take is another unit of knowledge we can keep with us forever. University does make us book-smarter, but I doubt I will ever again be using all the fun facts I learned freshman year about 19thcentury Russian literature. To be able to regurgitate facts is not an important reason to go to college.

The most important and greatest thing college does for us — if we let it — is provide a platform to create astounding connections with other human beings.

We are all here smushed in the same square mile at the same time in the same basic stage in our lives.

We get to meet new people every single day who, like us, are struggling to get through their classes, finding what they love to do, balancing work and

social lives, climbing up the same steep hills, sitting in the same outdated classrooms, seeing the same crazy preacher on Pedestrian, and brushing their teeth with the same water. We are all here together, and we have so many common experiences that it is completely unfathomable.

Everyone you are going to meet in your four-plus years here is going to be so much like you, but then sometimes you get lucky, and you will meet people who are really like you. They love everything you love about this place, they hate everything you hate, they share the ambitions, they wear the same clothes, and they have the same stupid sense of humor.

There is hardly another place on this planet where you can meet and foster these beautiful connections with other people as strongly and as often as at a university. My favorite thing about UT has been the super-late-night conversations I have had where friends can just go on and on forever about who they are and what they want for themselves, and everyone genuinely listens. I honestly don’t think those nocturnal heart-to-hearts are going to happen nearly as often — or maybe even at all — after we leave this place.

It’s easy to get jaded and stay that way about UT. Tuition’s too high, the administration doesn’t listen enough, Banner is dumb, the hills are too steep, meal plans are too expensive, there are too many Gen. Eds, and that sculpture on Pedestrian is unbelievably ugly. But being here at this imperfect place gives you the amazing opportunity to take advantage of your youth and your energy, both of which will leave you within a few short years. You have the opportunity and the power to create substantial change with others around you and, in the process, develop as a human being.

One of my favorite things to think about is how incredibly lucky we all are to be right here, right now. None of us can even begin to comprehend the minuscule probability of us ending up where we are. You are the sole owner of that knowledge of what it has been like to be you; I think that’s an incredible thing to share.

Take advantage of where you are, and do what you love to do, because these wonderful four years are fleeting quickly, and you will never get them back again.

— Lindsay Lee is a sophomore in math. She can be reached at llee26@utk.edu.

Branding goals not all bad for UT C ommit tee o f I n f ra ct i o n s by

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One step back, two steps forward.

Jeff Sellingo, the former editor of the Chronicle of Higher Education, wrote an interesting blog entry where he imagines planting a “college of the future.” In his dream scenario, he is given $100 million, a hunk of land (the size of which he doesn’t specify), and free reign to establish a new kind of university. While his ideas are almost entirely strange and/or unworkable (for instance, he imagines a world where the major is replaced by more vague areas of study like “water, energy, food, information, language and others”) but his idea is for a streamlined campus where office and library space is used far more efficiently than he perceives it being used is pretty interesting.

I have no doubt that most university presidents would absolutely love to have this sort of power — and, conversely, probably have ideas at least as radical. Even though every university president is academically trained — and most to the point of terminal degree — most recognize that something in the system is going to break eventually.

Presidents do care about cost burden on students if only for the practical supply vs. demand principal. College costs can’t keep rising forever, and that means at some point they are going to have to start falling relative to inflation. That means cut costs, cut faculty and a general lowering of the quality of facilities and utilities at a university. Schools are already starting to mitigate this as much as possible, offering night classes, adult education and three-year degrees. And while governmental funding was never the most dependable system in the world, there is certainly reason to worry that the already stripped down funding will continue to dwindle in the coming years — contingent, of course, on the economy, amongst other things.

It is this arena that “Big Orange, Big Ideas” was plopped into. Of course, this is part of the wider goal of making Tennessee a top-25 public institution. UT has made significant progress in the last few years, upgrading infrastructure and attempting to help students with key parts of their

education — such as graduating in four years, or even graduating at all. It is interesting to me that Tennessee is so upfront about their efforts to add “rebranding” to this effort — essentially admitting that increasing graduation rates and research funding can only do so much. “It’s about reputation, and our brand should reflect that reputation,” states the “Brand Book”, available from big.utk.edu.

Normally I would be annoyed by attempts to put flash in front of substance, but in this case I think I know what’s actually going on. In the battle for top-notch funding, scholarship and advanced graduate work, the gamble is that some notable if only moderate improvements (relative to the final goal) combined with a pretty fireworks display might actually result in real results. While you might argue that the rebranding campaign has been poorly executed — utk.edu is almost totally unnavigatable, especially to the people who already are a part of the “Big Ideas” — you can’t deny that this is generally a good thing. The school’s reputation helps people get jobs, and becoming more nationally recognized helps the school be better funded while ostensibly churning out more qualified students. Of course it’s going to take a while for this to seem effective — such is the way of life on college campuses. We tolerate having to dodge new construction sites because we can take advantage of new facilities — and also because we assume that whatever corner of campus we inhabit will eventually get a make-over, and future medievalists or atomic physicists or zoologists will eventually be the department with swanky new digs.

So the next time you venture into the Student Health Center and have no idea if, when or where you have an appointment, or you look up and fear for a second that a 12-story crane will crash into your building, or even just want to find a link to BlackBoard on utk.edu, just remember that these bugs will be worked out — and will be replaced by new bugs. Just remember that you should never judge your institution just because it is evolving and making mistakes. The only thing that matters is if the mistakes are incidental and that they belie what really matters — that the school is improving both your experience and the reputation of the degree you get. Because when you walk off the stage, that and 500 Facebook friends are all you’ll have to show for it.

— Gregory Bearringer is a graduate student in medieval studies. He can be reached at gbearrin@utk.edu.

Thursday, Febuary 23, 2012

The Daily Beacon • 5A

ARTS&CULTURE

Romney camp forms at UT Group begins to hold skill workshops

event, including Congressman Phil Row, Joe Bailey, and former Knoxville mayor and ambasStaff Writer sador to Poland, Victor Ashe.

Both Vorbrich and Waters estimated that the While some students won’t participate in the attending crowd pushed toward Boyd’s max upcoming Tennessee Primary by doing anything capacity. more than casting a vote, four students at UT are Rounding out the group is the young Tri-Delta getting much more involved. student, Davis.

Alexander Waters, Leandra Varney, Nigel “I’m the youngest of the group!” Davis Vorbrich, second year law students, and Sarah laughed. “They’re all in law school and here I am Davis, sophomore in public relations, are all a sophomore.” working deep within the Mitt Her younger age hasn’t Romney campaign. held her back though. Davis Waters and Varney are has done a little extra then both working as co-coordinathe others when it comes to tors for the Knox County working with undergrad area. Vorbrich is working as students, such as the an events coordinator for the College Republican organiEast Tennessee area and zation and greek memebers.

Davis is co-coordinating in She also calls just as many non-Knoxville counties. of the local county commisWaters has always had an sions, local politicians, and interest in politics. Both his other potential Romney mother and grandfather supporters, just as Waters worked on various levels and Varney do. within the community and The group has high politics. It was a connection • Photo courtesy of Gage Skidmore hopes for the primary electo Joe Bailey, the vice mayor tion, and then ultimately of Knoxville, that got Waters the general election. Win or lose for Romney involved with the Romney campaign. though, all three are grateful for the opportuni“I got a call from Joe, and he said, ‘Hey, you ties that their campaign jobs have opened for want to join the Romney camp?’ And I said, them.

‘Yeah!’” Waters said. “He asked if I could get a “This is definitely getting my foot in the door,” team together, so I got two of my law school budDavis said. “This has given me a lot of experidies.” ence, and I hope in the future to stay in this field.

One of those buddies is Varney. While she Already I’ve made some steps.” could not be reached for comment, Waters had Davis hopes to work with local elections in the glowing words to say of her. future.

“She’s a good Republican girl,” Waters said.

And one thing that Waters, Vorbrich and Davis “She’s been involved in politics for a long time, would all recommend is that students should defand was one of the first ones to come to my mind initely get involved. (when setting up the team).”

“It’s never to early to start,” Waters said. “It The other buddy is Vorbrich, who has been a doesn’t matter how old you are, you can have an close friend with Waters since the two started impact.” law school. Vorbrich works as the events coordi“Absolutely go for it,” Davis said. “I think it’s a nator for the East Tennessee area. great experience to work with a campaign. Even “Basic my role consists of facilitating events,” if you are not that involved with politics… you get Vorbrich said. “I try to generate interest in the to see what it’s like on the inside rather than just campaign. Get people to come out. Basically voting.” rally type stuff.”

“This is an important period of time for our The most recent event that the group helped country,” said Vorbrich. “This is not the time to orchestrate was a Romney rally at Boyd's Jig & sit on the sidelines. People should get involved in Reel on Monday. Both supporters of Romney any race that they can get involved in.” and a who’s who of local politicians were at the

Justin Joo

Chris Flowers Staff Writer Behind the handwritten sign reading “Groundswell” taped to the window of an unassuming building on Magnolia Avenue is an establishment providing services ranging from brewery to jiu-jitsu dojo to concert venue to library. This is the new headquarters of Groundswell Collective.

Zach Hicks, graduate in philosophy, and Emily Lovelace, senior in women’s studies, helped form Groundswell Collective late last year.

“Our group has fluctuated, but Emily and I have been involved since the beginning,” Hicks said. “We have a solid core of about 10 members and a lot of other people that come a little less frequently. We’ve had this building since the middle of December but we’ve been an organization a few months longer than that. For a while we were just trying to raise money and find a space.”

“We are primarily a donation-based organization,” Lovelace said. “The money that we’ve received has come from people that really want to see us succeed.”

“We’ve had some benefit shows as well,” Hicks said. “Putting on concerts can make a few hundred dollars if you promote it well.”

One of the goals of Groundswell is to hold regular workshops that teach people skills that make them less reliant on paying someone else to make what they want. The collective will open its doors to the public for its first workshop this Sunday at 6 p.m.

Groundswell’s debut offering provides a unique opportunity for anyone of drinking age.

“My friend Kenneth and I are going to

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EMPLOYMENT Associated Therapeutics, Inc. is seeking motivated, energetic individual for Fitness Staff position at our Health and Fitness Center. Exercise Science/ Physiology majors encouraged to apply. Associated Therapeutics, Inc. 2704 Mineral Springs Rd., Knoxville, TN 37917. Phone 687-4537 or fax 687-3938.

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

EMPLOYMENT COMPUTER TECH (PT 10-20 hrs/week) Primarily a web technology based position responsible for online database development and maintenance. Demonstrated operational knowledge of HTML, XML, CSS, PHP, SQL, Dreamweaver, InDesign, and exp with PC/Mac platforms.

Please e-mail a resume, cover letter, and three references to Ila Vee McGahey at imcgahey@utk.

Do you need extra cash?

Want to have fun at work? Need to work flexible hours?

Culinary Front Desk Housekeepers – PT/FT Banquet Servers Cocktail Servers Food & Beverage Intern Hospitality Intern Concierge/ Greeter Please apply in person between 9:00am-4:00pm Tuesday-Friday at: Knoxville Marriott 500 Hill Avenue S.E. Knoxville, TN 37915 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.

Part-time 20 - 30 hours a week. Lawn Care experience preferred. $9/hr. 216-5640.

teach a workshop on home brewing,” Hicks said. “It’s something we’ve been doing for a while now, so we wanted to share the skill.

It isn’t that difficult but the idea of teaching is a little daunting because we’ve never done it before. We’re going to make a basic pale ale since it’s one of the most simple beers to brew. We started a batch last week that we’re going to bring in to bottle, that way we can brew a new batch and bottle the completed batch so everyone gets the full experience of home brewing. It will probably take about two or three hours.

We’ll ask everyone to pay a little money based on how many people come, then we’ll divide up the beer at the end. You’ll wind up with some new skills and six or seven beers.”

Lovelace hopes to provide resources that allow visitors to teach themselves new skills in the center’s communal library. The library will operate on a simple take one, leave one policy and will grow as donations are received. A broad range of reading material is the group’s goal, including texts in formats not found in public libraries, like zines. Couches line the adjoining room, creating a comfortable area to read or work on homework. Desks are under construction in one corner that will soon house a group of computers donated by a friend from the Knoxville Recycling Coalition.

The last of the center’s rooms houses its more rambunctious activities. Pads from the weekly jiu-jitsu lessons are stacked against the wall to make room for band equipment from the last practice.

Beginning in March, Groundswell will provide unlimited use of the practice space for local bands, as long as the time isn’t already reserved, at $20 per band member per month. Anyone interested in participating in any of the group’s activities can contact Groundswell Collective on Facebook.

EMPLOYMENT 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 Looking for education, psychology or speech major to work with artistic boy at home. $10/per hour. 10 minutes from campus.

(865)544-1321.

EMPLOYMENT

UNFURN APTS

FOR RENT

FOR RENT

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Pride & Joy Children’s Academy 4418 Kingston Pike, (across from Western Plaza in the Sequoyah Hills area) has immediate part-time positions available working with school age children.

Hours Tues and Thur 12-6.

Previous experience with this age group preferred.

Also avaliable full-time positions working in our summer camp with school age children. Must be available all summer. Exciting fieldtrip could include Dollywood/ Splash Country. Please call Jenny @ 414-6072 or 524-7907 to set up an appointment.

1 and 2BR Apts. UT area and West Knox area. Call for appointment (865)522-5815.

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.

WALK TO CAMPUS Great Specials! 1,2,&3BR Apartments. Available. No security deposits. Prime Campus Housing (865)637-3444. primecampushousingtn.com.

Condo for rent 3BR 2BA near campus. All hardwood, W/D included. $999/mo.

Available for fall.

Call (865)310-6977.

Mead Montessori School is seeking responsible, energetic individuals to fill after care and morning positions.

Flexible hours. Come work in an authentic Montessori environment. Call or email to apply. 577-0760. meadmontessorischool@gmail.com. www.meadmontessorischool.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-

Mother’s helper: $12/hr.

Thurs 3:30-8:30pm. Remaining hrs flexible. 15hr/week.

Call 865-789-8943. Must have references.

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.

NOW HIRING PROMOTIONAL AMBASSADORS. Promote beer and liquor brands at local bars, beer marts, and liquor stores.

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head.com.

West Knox child care position. M -F. 2:30-5:30. Please call Belinda @ 693-1240 for interview.

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.

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NEW YORK TIMES CROSSWORD • Will Shortz 1 9 15 16 17

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CONDOS FOR LEASE ON UT CAMPUS 2 & 3BR units available for lease in popular complexes on UT Campus.

Most include internet, cable, W/D, water, sewer and parking. University Real Estate & Property Mgmt., LLC 865-673-6600 www.urehousing.com or rentals@urehousing.com

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56 Ready for shipping 57 Bit of Highlands attire 58 Attack from above 61 Something to settle 63 *Foofaraw 64 They may be painted in a bathroom

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45 1920s-’40s baseballer with a retired “4” 46 Holy Roman emperor who succeeded his father in 973 47 Cultured ones?

48 Most likely to eat out of one’s hand, say 50 Pray 52 Threw in 53 Kind of question 58 ___-goat 59 Big gobbler 60 “Arabian Nights” bird 62 Home of 19-Across: Abbr.

6A • The Daily Beacon

THESPORTSPAGE

Thursday, February 23, 2012

George Richardson • The Daily Beacon

Members of the UT basketball team react to a monster dunk by Jordan McRae during a game against Ole Miss on Wednesday, Feb. 22. The Vols got off to a slow start, but picked up after the first five minutes to charge to a 73-60 victory over the Rebel Black Bears.

. . . or two.

Fickey learning as year goes on Ben Daniel Staff Writer When a tennis player hears that his playing hand is broken, one can assume that the player will not be playing tennis for a long while. Last year when Brandon Fickey broke his right playing hand in the middle of his senior season in high school, he told the coach it was time he used his left hand, and he won.

“Everything I do is lefthanded, except tennis. I guess I’m kind of ambidextrous,” Fickey said. “I just kind of convinced my coach to let me try using my other hand, and after a few practices, he let me do it and I got a few wins.”

Fickey is a 5-foot-11, 173pound freshman tennis player majoring in Biology and a Knoxville native. He attended and played tennis at Webb School of Knoxville before coming to Tennessee. While at Webb, Fickey became the first player in Tennessee to win four consecutive singles state championships and also helped the Spartans win two consecutive team state championships his junior and senior seasons.

Before choosing to play tennis for Tennessee, the freshman found reasons that ultimately made the decision for him.

“I used to play basketball and baseball, but with tennis, I

decided to focus on it because of the individuality of it. I like being responsible for both winning and losing,” Fickey said.

“When it came down to it, I just wanted to be at home. I live here, my family is here and I had a lot of conversations with them and felt like (Tennessee)

Matthew DeMaria • The Daily Beacon

was the best choice.”

Since joining the Tennessee tennis team, Fickey has registered a 12-9 overall singles record and a 10-7 doubles record. In the fall, he made it to the singles final of the Tennessee Fall Invitational before being taken down by teammate, Mikelis Libietis, and was able to win in doubles along side senior Bryan Swartz.

While he has not had that signature win against a top-

ranked opponent and his record is not the blemish-free one that he would like, Fickey has the competitive spirit that all good athletes possess, and anyone who witnessed him go down in a match against Illinois’ No. 24 ranked Roy Kalmanovich saw that first hand.

Losing the final points and match point after calling balls out that were overruled good by the chair umpire, Fickey slammed his racket down and walked off the court. He was assessed a point penalty and a game penalty. “(Fickey) handled things the exact opposite of how you should handle things,” Tennessee coach Sam Winterbotham said. “He threw a fit on the court today when things didn’t go his way.”

While his coach saw Fickey’s actions as a bad way to show competitiveness, he knows what he did was wrong and seems to be growing because of it.

“I thought it was a horrible call, and I took it the wrong way and got a little too upset about it,” Fickey said. “I should have let the coaches handle it. I hate to lose, and sometimes it gets the best of me, but I guess that’s what got me here. I am working on putting that emotion in the positive direction.”

At Tennessee, Fickey wants to be an All-American and has set his team goals as high as winning the national championship. If tennis is not ultimately in his future, he wants to go to medical school and do something involving sports medicine. While you can’t call him Dr. Fickey just yet, support for the team would be appreciated.

“It’s the second phase of the year now,” he said. “And we look to do good things.”

Makanjuola drops soccer for basketball team in blocks, with two, in the Vols’ 92-63 seasonopening win over UNC Greensboro.

Staff Writer However, his breakout performance this season Although much of the hype around this year’s came right before the new year when UT defeated Tennessee men’s basketball team has been cen- The Citadel 86-55 on Dec. 29, 2011.

Makanjuola scored a career-high 18 points, all tered on Jarnell Stokes, there is another freshman making an impact on the team as well. That is 6- of which he scored consecutively off the bench in the second half, and hauled in his first double-doufoot-9, 244-pound center ble of the season with 11 Yemi Makanjuola. rebounds in just 13 minutes of Born in Lagos, play.

Nigeria, Makanjuola “We were up by 15 points learned to play soccer when I came in and I just wanted from an early age and to make sure we pulled away,” he didn’t realize basketball said. “My mindset was to close could be in his future out the game.” until his teenage years, His best SEC performance when others told him he came against Vanderbilt on Jan. had the size to be a great 24 as he scored seven points and player. had six rebounds in a 65-47 los“As a kid in Nigeria I ing effort. played soccer my whole “He brings a big, physical preslife growing up and playence to our team,” junior guard ing basketball is someSkylar McBee said. “He is prothing I never planned on gressing everyday and you can doing,” Makanjuola said. tell he just wants to get better.”

“When I got older peoGeorge Richardson • The Daily Beacon Although he may appear to ple started telling me I could be better at basketball and I started playing basket- some as threatening on the court, off the court Makanjuola is said to be a “jokester” by some of ball. It has turned out real good for me.”

After taking up basketball he found success and his teammates.

“He is always looking to have fun no matter captured the attention of many, as he was twice named a top-five prospect at the Giants of Africa what he’s doing,” McBee said. “He’s always joking Big Man Camp (08-09) and also participated in around and is one of the jokesters on the team.”

While he can’t play his childhood sport right the 2009 Adidas Futures Camp in Abuja, Nigeria.

The Nigeria native, the second in UT men’s bas- now due to basketball season, one of his favorite ketball history along with Emmanuel Negedu, hobbies is to play ping-pong.

“I play ping-pong and I’m probably the best in moved to the United States in January 2010 and attended Oak Hill Academy in Virginia before all of Tennessee right now,” he said. “I’m pretty transferring to Word of God Christian Academy in good at javelin and all field events too.”

While the sports management major has fun Raleigh, N.C., where he played out his final year of joking around and playing games, Makanjuola and high school basketball.

In his senior season, playing alongside two his teammates are all about business now as the other NCAA Division-I signees, Makanjuola aver- season winds to an end.

“We are not playing for ourselves, but for aged 12 points per game to go along with 10 rebounds and three blocks. His performance not Tennessee,” he said. “We are trying to win out the only helped the Holy Rams to a 24-3 record on the last few games of the regular season and win the season, but also helped himself gain attention from SEC Tournament. Our goal is to make it to the college basketball programs, specifically Indiana NCAA Tournament.”

For a 19-year-old who spent nearly his whole and Tennessee. childhood and teenage years in a different country, On May 5, 2011, he committed to Tennessee.

“I really liked Tennessee and it’s really close to Makanjuola has adjusted quickly to his new my high school,” he said. “I wanted to be close to lifestyle in America.

“If you love to play basketball you should be able my high school and friends.”

In his first game wearing orange and white, to adjust to anything,” he said. “My mom taught Makanjuola contributed right away by leading the me to be disciplined and I can take that with me wherever I am.”

Patrick MacCoon

Knoxville offers diverse dining options Jake Lane Arts & Culture Editor

At first glance Knoxville is a metropolitan sprawl made of fast food joints and strip malls, so much so that per capita we were once the city with the most restaurants. As the country looks to service-based jobs to fill the void of manufacturing, this seems the natural inclination of things.

For that reason alone it seemed important in this year’s dining guide to highlight those places outside the neon and bakelite glare, the chain restaurants and even to a larger extent, those eateries specializing in American cuisine. Thanks in some part to Knoxville’s participation as a hub for dislocated people all over the world, and its magnetism towards business in general, a diverse smattering of new restaurants have popped up over the last few years offering authentic digs from all corners of the globe.

In the interest of student accessibility we have tried to stay as close to campus as possible, but none of these places should take you more than about 10-15 minutes from the Strip. Niro’s Gyros and Nori are obviously the closest for students living around campus, but for those of you not as

familiar with Knoxville proper, excursions to Sutherland Avenue for Holy Land Market or out Bearden/Cedar Bluff ways for a taste of Little Szechaun may provide an educational adventure for both the mind and the stomach.

The main areas represented in this guide are southeast Asia and the Mediterranean rim of north Africa and southern Europe. The sole exception to these regions is Ethiopian cafe Gosh, representing the culturally and cuisine-rich Little Szechuan offers dim sum Chinese cuisine, so named for the high volume of small portion items served a la carte to allow the customer manifold options in their dining experience. Nori offers Knoxville’s newest sushi venue, as well as bistro - quality Franco-Vietnamese fusion thrown into the mix.

Zooming back towards the Greenwich line, we take a look at Niro’s, a Fort Sanders staple whose affordable gyros undoubtedly keep many students going. The Cairo Cafe, called the “Mirage of Gay Street,” brings an enchanting Middle Eastern vibe and a smorgasbord of Mediterranean offerings, along with a plushy hookah lounge. Holy Land Market, both a restaurant and Mediterranean grocery, provides a unique look at both prepared items and the ingredients used to prepare them on

the shelf a few feet away. Aegean, finally, is the newest Med-cuisine provider in Knoxville, offers true Greek delicacies as the cook from his grandmother’s recipes.

For those of you looking at your wallets with disdain, keep in mind Knoxville also boasts a wide variety of culturally-diverse groceries where you can pick up the ingredients to try your hand at preparing food from tables around the world.

Several Asian markets can be found in West Knoxville, one just down the way from Holy Land Market, and for all of your Mediterranean needs there’s Ali Baba’s in Bearden, who also offers up a mean gyro and hookah supplies.

While the point of college is to broaden your horizons in order to embrace new ideas and build the skills necessary to excel in your field, never be mistaken in the assumption that the educational benefits should be taken from textbooks alone. Use these years to learn more about the people and cultures outside American shores, whose traditions become entwined with our own with each passing year. Whether its new food or cultural enrichment you seek, here are a few places out many in Knoxville to feed your mind and body. B on apetite!

2B • The Daily Beacon

DININGGUIDE

Thursday, February 23, 2012

Market’s restaurant also shines Liz Newnam Cartoonist “Holy Land has a restaurant?!”

These were the first words to leave my mouth after my editor handed out restaurant assignments for the Dining Guide. I had only been to the Sutherland Avenue market specializing in Middle Eastern and European food once before and had completely forgotten to take a gander at the deli/restaurant portion of it. But this oversight was purely a blunder not to be repeated.

In 2005, Walter Ajlouny and his wife Denise purchased Holy Land Market, and despite an uneventful fire at the Mexican grocery in 2006 and a location change in 2010, they have still been serving the Knoxville community with delicious Mediterranean and Middle Eastern fare.

Upon entering Holy Land Market, I shuffled through a modest number of tables and chairs, neatly lined up in rows — and was then greeted by a bright and cheerful dry-erase board with the specials of the day. To the left is a wide array for stacked cans and boxes on shelves of Middle Eastern and European foods, spices and necessities — but keeping to the right, I found myself faced with a table of tempting take-away desserts; a glass case of homemade tabouleh, hummus and stuffed grape leaves; and a counter from which to order them. The

kitchen is an open area with all of the makings of a restaurant kitchen, behind the counter so you can “see the handsome chef,” as Walter puts.

One would think that a market specializing in Middle Eastern and European food would have a difficult menu to navigate for those unfamiliar with the cuisine. However, this is not the case. Holy Land Market offers a wide array of dishes, spanning from the traditional falafel (boasted as the “best in town”) to the All-American burger and New York-style sandwich selection. They even offer “Holy Land Specialties,” which include stuffed grape leaves, lamb and rice, and baklava made from either pistachios or walnuts.

“We use a lot of the ingredients from the store in our cooking,” Walter commented. “We use the tahini, we use the olive oils — so it is all as authentic as we can make it.”

If there is one thing not to be ignored in Holy Land Market, it is the baklava. In the aforementioned glass case, there are two giant pans of freshly made baklava in the bottom. One pan has pistachio baklava, and the other has walnut. This rich and flaky Mediterranean-inspired dessert is the perfect end to any meal, and no restaurant in Knoxville can compete with their version of this heavenly dessert.

The prices are very reasonable for a locally owned business and college stu-

Tia Patron • The Daily Beacon

dent budgets. Because Holy Land Market used to be located across the street from Sutherland Apartments, the hub of international students, it became a popular place to pick up groceries and a meal. However, after the apartments left, it was time for a shift in focus — a shift from tight and compact to spacious and attractive.

The new dining area is a consequence of the big move in October 2010. Before, Holy Land Market had a cramped, tight space to work with. However, with a larger, airier space, the atmosphere had become more enjoyable.

“We wanted to be able to have more seating, so it would be welcoming to customers,” Denise said. “We wanted them to sit down and enjoy their food and not be cramped.”

The atmosphere also allows the customers to get a peek into the dynamics of the staff. Service is always with a smile and small chit-chat with the owners.

Being a family-owned and family-run business, the restaurant creates a warm environment, in which the customer feels welcomed and encouraged to come back — like friends inviting friends into their homes and treating them with sincere hospitality.

So, with high-quality food, effective service and an overall enchanting atmosphere, it is of highest recommendation to visit Holy Land Market. Just don’t forget it is a grocery store too.

Tia Patron • The Daily Beacon

Tia Patron • The Daily Beacon

Tia Patron • The Daily Beacon

Thursday, February 23, 2012

DININGGUIDE

The Daily Beacon • 3B

Gosh gives window to Ethiopia Preston Peeden Managing Editor There are two types of attitudes that people have when going out to eat.

Half of the time, people go out simply to get some food, regardless of whether or not they could have made it at home. These people go to restaurants not because of some flash or flair that the place offers, but rather due to the convenience it can give.

For the other half, going out to eat means so much more than just convenience. Instead, for these people who are not motivated by the ease of getting food, eating out at a restaurant is supposed to be an experience.

It is something special, where one absorbs the sights, sounds, smells and tastes that he or she cannot get anywhere else. For these people who look for a unique experience in their dining, Gosh Ethiopian Restaurant is a prime destination.

Nestled on Southerland Avenue, next to the Holy Land Market and before Dead End BBQ, Gosh has been serving up traditional Ethiopian food for nearly a year. And their success follows a simple formula: keeping things simple and comfortable.

Upon entering the restaurant, there is an immediate feel of ease.

With a thick set of blinds blocking

George Richardson • The Daily Beacon

the view to the busy street that Gosh rests on, shielding visitors from the light and sights of Southerland, every patron of Gosh is treated to subdued lighting and pleasant authentic decorations adorning the wall. On the surround-sound speakers, music plays lightly, accenting the sounds of the kitchen but not blocking the voices of table conversations. In fact, the one traditional restaurant sound not heard in Gosh is the clinking of silverware. That is because at Gosh almost all of the food is eaten by hand.

For first-time visitors, Gosh’s finger food appeal may seem a little intimidating, but the results are rewarding. With the exception of the appetizers and the desserts, most dishes are served on a platter injera, a traditional sourdough bread, and also accompanied with a basket of injera rolls. The means of eating are simple. Tear off a piece of injera and use it to pick up your entree, roll up the pocket of food and enjoy. While at first this way of dining may seem crude, after a few bites not only does one get the hang of it, but soon it becomes a natural movement. By the end of the meal, all that is left on the plate seems to be the remnants of the injera the food was resting on, which, having soaked up much of the juices from the food, serves as a nice continuation of the meal.

The menu, like most attributes of Gosh, is simple. Encased in regular lamination and covering only the front and back of one printed of piece of paper, Gosh offers a variety of tastes from Ethiopia. There are three appetizers (of which the server suggested the vegetarian sambbussa, and it was amazing), four categories of entrees — poultry, beef, lamb and vegetarian — a small kid’s menu and a dessert section. Most of the meals involving meat hover around the $1012 range, with the vegetarian dishes being $8-9. But when going to a place like Gosh, the price is not what matters. What is important is the experience you get from going there.

Gosh is more than just a place to grab a bite to eat. And if that is all that someone is looking for, then Gosh is not the place to go. But if you want to eat at a location that is unique and original — where the topic of conversation is more than just the taste, but also the presentation and the way you eat it — then Gosh is the place for you. It is a place special to Knoxville in more than one way. In a town like this, where every new restaurant seems to be just a drop in an ocean, Gosh transcends the label of restaurant and the space of 15-20 tables that occupy it; it is a window into Ethiopian cuisine and culture, and for that it stands out as more than just an eatery.

George Richardson • The Daily Beacon

4B • The Daily Beacon

DININGGUIDE

Thursday, February 23, 2012

Aegean serves traditional Greek Preston Peeden Managing Editor

When the average UT student hears the word “Greek,” the first thoughts that come to mind are fraternity guys and sorority girls. Due to the thriving Greek life of our campus, the word has become synonymous with images of Uggs and oversized T-shirts, or backwards visors, Polo button-down shirts and hour-long ultimate frisbee matches. But the Aegean Mediterranean Grille, named for the sea that surrounds the country, is slowly but surely trying to reclaim the original meaning of “Greek” by serving up traditional Hellenic food.

Standing on Kingston Pike, sandwiched between Kroger and Panera Bread Company down by the Sequoyah Hills neighborhood, Aegean opened its doors five months ago with one simple purpose: Give Knoxville a traditional Greek experience.

Co-owner John Sipsis is quick to point out the niche that Aegean occupies. In a town that hosts a thriving Greek Festival every fall, Knoxville was home to zero authentic Greek restaurants before Aegean, and that is where Sipsis’ creation helps fits in. Offering traditional recipes, Sipsis hopes to make all patrons feel like they are in their own kitchens.

“I want people to feel like they’re at home,” Sipsis said, with a smile and a heavily accented Greek voice.

The home-style feel of Aegean is evident from the very second someone walks into the restaurant’s front door. The host stand directly faces the double-door entrance, where a casual greeting invites any person into the restaurant. From there, guests are led to either a table lined with comfortable, attractive wooden chairs, or to salmon-colored booths, which contrast well to the cream-colored walls. Once at their seats, visitors are

made welcome even more by a helpful and jovial staff.

Even the menu is purely homemade.

Many of the recipes are inspired by the Greek head chef ’s grandmother’s personal favorites, and represent some of the traditional hallmarks of the national cuisine, especially the Moussaka, Soutzoukakia and the Kontosouvli. Not only is the menu based off of folk favorites, but it is also fluid. The items on the menu are in constant flux; new items can be and are added, while those that are not selling well are removed. The restaurant strives to make things as comfortable and guest-friendly as possible.

Looking around the interior, Aegean presents itself as uniquely Greek. The walls are lined with posters and framed photographs of the namesake’s homeland, while Greek music plays over the loudspeakers accenting nicely each bite and conversation with rhythmic guitar strumming and infectious percussion beats.

As for the prices, Aegean’s dinner menu does not really allow itself to fit in the category of an every-night dining spot for most cash-strapped college students. The average entrée hovers around $12-16, with some reaching as high as $22, but these price ranges should not diminish anyone from going to Aegean.

With careful budgeting, the $14 Moussaka or the $12 Soutzoukakia become easily affordable. Aegean also offers a more than affordable lunch menu, which holds a fare share of items fewer than $10 and no item over $12.

Overall, Aegean is an interesting and unique attraction in Knoxville. Five months ago, this city was without a location for an everyday window into Greek cuisine and culture. But now, with the opening and success of Aegean, who offer good food, a clean and attractive atmosphere and a truly home-style feeling, Knoxville has gotten a little more Greek.

Whitney Carter • The Daily Beacon

George Richardson • The Daily Beacon

Whitney Carter • The Daily Beacon

Thursday, February 23, 2012

The Daily Beacon • 5B

DININGGUIDE

Looks deceive at Cairo Jake Lane Arts & Culture Editor

Whitney Carter • The Daily Beacon

Whitney Carter • The Daily Beacon

Whitney Carter • The Daily Beacon

Catercorner from the Bijou Theatre, the First Tennessee Building and, er, a parking lot, the Mirage of Gay Street is not the most opulent attraction in the early dinner hours, despite what the name might bring to mind. Once inside, however, the fervid energy and busy decor washes over you and for just a moment the illusion that you’ve skipped over the Atlantic to a nestled corner of the Mediterranean becomes total.

From the Arabic-inflected music blasting over the loud speakers to pleasure palace of the hookah lounge, the Mirage, or less colloquially the Cairo Cafe, encourages you to not only relax, but literally sink into the very fabric of the place. Dining patrons sit at the bar and in booths, while the cushioned lounge allows for smoking while enjoying authentic Mediterranean and Middle Eastern fare and perhaps a few drinks.

Open from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. most days and 5:30 p.m. for dinner, the Cairo Cafe’s menu offers serving sizes for any gourmandizer. Lunch consists of sandwiches with the option to add a soup or salad for $7, or $8.50 for both. This particular part of the menu is a boon for vegetarians, with three delicious veggiefriendly sandwiches, four salads and five soups to choose from — try the falafel, tabouli and molokhia combo for an flavor excursion on a budget.

Dinner, on the other hand, can be a bit pricier, with entrees ranging from $12 to $26. While all of the sandwiches from lunch are available, though, it is still possible to grab a very filling meal for under $10.

That’s not to say, either, that you should avoid the entrees.

From kebab to chicken penne, the dinner menu has a slice of every cul-

ture around the Mediterranean. The kebabs come in pairs, which with some tabouli and rice will easily leave leftovers for tomorrow. Chicken penne, the sole Italian dish on the menu, may seem a bit out of place but then again, the BBQ pork sandwich also goes to show that in the South, some concessions must be made for every crowd. A recommended wine pairing is offered with each entree on the menu, enhancing the dining experience.

For a date, the Sultan’s Meal might be your best bet. With three kebabs, a lamb chop and your choice of desert, not to mention the tabouli and rice, this platter of succulent beef and lamb with roasted vegetable will leave you feeling like a king — rich, powerful, maybe a bit bloated.

If you’re looking for more of a culinary expedition, here’s a tip — go with a few friends and order different appetizers. Priced on a sliding scale, a single app goes for $5, while you can get three for $12. I tried the tabouli, Sophie tomatoes and stuffed grape leaves with the Shawarma Grille sandwich, and am on my third meal in writing this.

For dessert you can choose one of four tasty regional treats or perhaps a hookah bowl among friends. The Cairo Cafe’s hookah lounge is the secret to a full night on Gay Street among friends. While the stigma around smoking may keep some potential customers at bay, think of it this way — hookah smoke is not meant for inhalation and at $10-$15, you and a few friends can each chip in the price of one decent draft beer, relax and not have to worry about the hangover resultant from a heavy night of drinking.

With so many jewels in its crown, the Cairo Cafe may seem a Mirage but I assure, it’s real. Go down to Gay Street and seek adventure, ye Volunteers, and educate your palate.

6B • The Daily Beacon

Thursday, February 23, 2012

DININGGUIDE

Niro’s expands tastes beyond gyros Dim sum tops Little Szechuan fare Robbie Hargett Chief Copy Editor If you’re looking for a good gyro in the Knoxville area, Niro’s Gyros may be your best bet for a number of reasons.

Located just off campus, next to Goodwill on 17th Street, Niro’s Gyros is within easy walking distance of the Fort and campus, so it’s perfect for a quick lunch between classes — and the Niro’s menu fits the student’s budget.

The website clearly indicates a 15-percent discount with a student ID, although the man who usually works behind the counter does this funny thing where he doesn’t mention it, and there is no display by the register. If you ask about it, however, he shrugs and says sure.

Most of the items fall within the $2-5 price range, and almost everything can be made into a meal, which includes fries and a fountain drink, for $2 more. The double gyro and triple gyro are the most expensive menu items, coming in at $11.39 and $14.39 before tax — just $1 more for the meal — but only special circumstances should prompt anyone to go bigger than the single gyro.

The gyro, the bread and butter at Niro’s, is possibly the best in town. My dining companion made a meal out of the single for around $8, and said that in taste it rivals the gyros at the Greek Festival. The single comes loaded with tender seasoned lamb meat, onions, tomato slices and tzatziki sauce on a toasted pita.

The thing can get messy, but it’s delicious and, especially as a meal, very filling.

But Niro’s is not just about the gyro. It’s not even just about Greek food. The large menu features items from Greece (gyro, of course, and their “Fabulous Greek Salad”), Italy (threefourths of the items under the “sandwiches” heading) and the Middle East (hummus, pita).

Throw in a Chicago dog, a Maxwell Street Polish dog, a philly steak sandwich and a dou-

ble chili cheeseburger, and the menu starts to look more like an amalgam of urban digs in the northern part of the U.S. The philly steak sandwich is a “Niro’s Oneof-a-Kind.” The standard cheesesteak sandwich basically consists of sliced roast beef with some combination of grilled onions, green peppers, mushrooms and cheese — mozzarella, provolone, cheddar, nacho cheese, etc. Niro’s philly steak sandwich combines grilled onions, peppers and mushrooms with mozzarella and banana peppers on French bread. Since cheese steaks are so wildly different in taste, comparisons are useless here. This one’s good; get it.

The Italian beef sandwich is a bolder choice, but just as rewarding. For this big sub, Niro’s piles roast beef on French bread with your choice of red sauce or homemade gravy. The server recommended the gravy, which she brought on the side. Take her word. The thin gravy is presumably made from the natural juices of the beef, combined with a few spices and bits of meat. It makes for an excellent dipping sauce, turning this Italian beef sandwich into a French dip, the gravy — au jus.

The menu also has vegetarian selections, including a veggie sub and veggie burger, and a separate kid’s section. All kid’s meals come with fries and a drink, including a kid’s sampler — chicken tenders, mozzarella cheese sticks, onion rings, fried mushrooms and fries.

Niro’s also delivers, and you can even order online. It’s convenient, but then you don’t get the charm of the restaurant. There are 10 tables of four to six seats in the small space, with two TVs and industrial-style exposed ceilings. Advertisements cover the large windows but don’t obscure light, and tons of Chicago sports memorabilia adorn the walls.

Even the surveillance monitor behind the counter is somehow appealing, as though it’s just another part of the carefully crafted metropolitan atmosphere.

Emily DeLanzo Design Editor Most people associate Chinese food with fried rice and takeout, but Little Szechuan is a great option for authentic Asian cuisine. Little Szechuan serves authentic Szechuan food and dim sum.

Little Szechuan has reasonable prices, great service and delicious food. The menu shows the great variety of authentic Chinese food, and the collection and opportunities with dim sum, a Chinese dish of small steamed or fried dumplings containing vegetables or meat, are endless.

The dim sum combo for lunch is only $7.25 and comes with four pairs of different steamed dumplings. The four types of dumplings that come with the dim sum combo are pork shrimp Sil-Myl, shrimp dumplings with mixed vegetables, shrimp dumplings and pan fried dumplings with shrimp chive. The individual dumplings are a great value. The prices range from $2.50 to $3.75. Little Szechuan offers over 30 dim sum dishes daily.

If you have never had dim sum before, keep in mind that the food is good, but some need an acquired test that may vary from Western culture.

The menu does not just limit itself to the steamed dumplings. Little Szechuan also offers a large variety of authentic Chinese dishes. Entrees come in a variety of shapes and sizes from the Americanized General Tso chicken to Chong Qing Hot Chicken.

The entrees are not limited, with options in chicken, duck, beef, pork, lamb,

seafood and vegetarian. Little Szechuan offers several noodle options, too. Keep in mind, the serving portions are large, so you may be able to bring food home or share with friends.

Szechuan cooking is a style of Chinese cooking that is particularly spicy, oily and especially peppery and rich in flavor.

Little Szechuan also has a great variety of drinks. Bubble tea is a Chinese favorite and can be served either hot or cold. The base of the tea is either a jasmine tea or a black tea and can be flavored with nearly any kind of fruit.

To accompany the food and drink, the interior of the restaurant also gives a great vibe. Located in the Walker Springs Plaza on Kingston Pike, the restaurant offers a lot of seating options. Every Saturday afternoon, the restaurant offers a buffet for customers.

The service is speedy and efficient, even during lunchtime on a weekday. The servers are helpful and patient for the customers who are not used to more authentic Asian options.

Little Szechuan is the only authentic Szechuan and dim sum restaurant in Knoxville. The prompt service and great prices give students an experience outside of the normal Knoxville cultural boundaries.

Break away from the average Americanized Chinese food of the Strip and go on an adventure to help discover authentic Chinese cuisine.

The full menu for lunch, dinner and dim sum is available online at www.littleszechaun.com.

Tia Patron • The Daily Beacon

George Richardson • The Daily Beacon

Tia Patron • The Daily Beacon

George Richardson • The Daily Beacon

Robbie Hargett • The Daily Beacon

Tia Patron • The Daily Beacon

Tia Patron • The Daily Beacon

Thursday, February 23, 2012

DININGGUIDE

The Daily Beacon • 7B

Nori offers ‘casual extravagance’ Wiley Robinson Staff Writer

Tara Sripunvoraskul • The Daily Beacon

Tara Sripunvoraskul • The Daily Beacon

Tara Sripunvoraskul • The Daily Beacon

Tara Sripunvoraskul • The Daily Beacon

Tara Sripunvoraskul • The Daily Beacon

Like light, clean Asian cuisine with a French and Vietnamese f lair and sushi in a lounge setting so exquisite you’ll feel dirty? You need to increase your patronage of Nori on Cumberland Ave. in between the Gnome and the liquor store, for a variety of reasons.

Higher- end anything on the strip doesn’t tend to last terribly long, and looking at Nori from the street with its fancy wood paneling and chic decor might make it seem inaccessibly expensive or formal.

This isn’t the case. The atmosphere is the best of casual and luxurious, with a small business humbleness that is a welcome inconsistency with mood lighting and general decadence. To change anything about the decor, there could be more than a complete absence of soft textures amidst the hard wood everything, but it’s nothing serious.

Nori is a bit more entre heavy and friendlier than Nama, being numerous and from $7 to $9. The entres are not dainty, either — the stir fry and vermicelli rice noodle bowls with any choice of seasoned meat or tofu are huge and have a flavorful balance of things like ginger and cilantro. But where Nori kind of stands out is the lightness of each dish. They ’re incredibly grease and fat conscious. Helping consume a seaweed s alad, the huge, f laky shrimp and chicken crepe (light as a feather), a whole roll and a most of a vermicelli bowl left me full and refreshed, not heavy or hating myself.

The saki selection is better than most places, and Nori offers some what they call s aki cockt ails, including something called a saki

bomb which is apparently s aki shots poured into beer. They ’ve also got a full bar with wine and beer, with the usual $2 domestics and all-around fair pricing.

Nori’s also got a great assortment of appetizers that range from pot stickers and crab rangoon to spring rolls and seaweed salad (one with calamari) for between 3 and 7 bucks. Monday and Thursday night after 5 is when the big sushi ($5 rolls) and drink specials ($4 saki and saki cocktails) are, and I’m looking forward to posting up at the bar and trying everything — especially the pho soup.

Nori has great service. Again, despite some superficial assumptions made upon first experiencing the decadence of the place, everyone was professional and attentive.

The bartender and chefs were very approachable. They said that Nori had been open for around four months and were doing well for a st art-up, especially Monday and Thursday. Nori brings casual, affordable extravagance to the area, something that really shouldn’t leave.

Some advice to ensure staying power based on existing competition: Increase the variety of sushi and drink specials. Flesh out the sushi menu with as many specialty rolls as you can think of and maybe even offer some competitive nagiri and s ashimi platters — Monday and Thursday night will greatly benefit . S ome lunch entre/soup specials would be a huge plus. The website is lovely, but needs more specials and a more assess able menu. This place is beautiful, friendly and has amazing entres that are cheap and huge, it’ll definitely be exciting to see how amazing Nori can be in the near future.

8B • The Daily Beacon

DININGGUIDE

Thursday, February 23, 2012

What: Crown and Goose Where: 123 S Central St., Knoxville, TN 37902 What to Get: Crown Burger, Tuna Cevice and the Fish and Chips are staff favorites.

Price Range Per Person: $20-$25, the price depends on the beverages you get.

What: Harby’s Pizza Where: 3718 Walker Blvd., Knoxville, TN 37917 What to Get: Voted “Best Pizza in Knoxville” by four local critics, so the pie is a must.

Price Range Per Person: Most entrees come in at under $9 What: Senor Taco Where: 3325 N. Broadway, Knoxville, TN 37917 What to Get: Any one of the various combo meals are a safe bet.

Price Range Per Person: Most meals, including drinks, will be around $11 What: Osaka Grill and Sushi Buffet Where: 4009 Chapman Hwy., Knoxville, TN 37920 What to Get: The lunch buffet is the best deal, $6.99 for all you can eat.

Price Range Per Person: Sushi rolls are all under $8, combo meals are around $12

• Photo courtesy of Osaka Grill and Sushi Buffet

What: Latitude 35 Where: 16 Market Sq., Knoxville, TN 37902 What to Get: The Ultimate Grilled Cheese sandwich lives up to its name and then some. Also it’s only $5.95, which fits into anyone’s price range.

Price Range Per Person: Most meals will hover around the $10$15 range.

George Richardson • The Daily Beacon

What: Taste of Thai Where: 213 Peters Road, Knoxville, TN 37923 What to Get: Chicken Pad Thai, it is a staple of Thai cuisine for a reason.

Price Range Per Person: Lunch will be under $10, dinners can get up to $15.

What: Chandler’s Deli Where: 3101 E Magnolia Ave., Knoxville, TN 37914 What to Get: Fried Chicken (drum sticks, wings, or breasts), mashed potatoes, fried okra and the mac ‘n cheese makes for a classic combination.

Price Range Per Person: Meals plus a drink will usually stay under $10.

What: Bull Feather’s Cafe West Where: 10535 Kingston Pike, Knoxville, TN 37922 What to Get: Classic bar food, cannot go wrong with a basket of wings.

Price Range Per Person: Every food item on the menu is under $4, but prices vary with the drinks you get.