02122020 by UT Media Center

Volume 138, Issue 22 Wednesday, February 5, 2020

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‘Nothing is sure’: Chinese students react to coronavirus outbreak with varied concern DANIEL DASSOW Staff Writer It’s a morbid word problem: If thousands of people contract a contagious virus in a Chinese city of millions, how long will it take for the virus to reach the University of Tennessee? Students at the nearby Tennessee Technological University faced their own version of this question two weeks ago when a student who had recently returned from China was quarantined, raising alarms of the coronavirus. But thankfully, the question is likely a moot one at UT, according to Chinese students on campus. Xi Ai is working on her dissertation for a PhD in accounting and serves as the president of the Chinese Students and Scholars Association, the largest Chinese student organization on campus. She says that while some students are concerned for their family and friends back home, many are not. How anxious or fearful students are is largely dependent on which part of China they are from, since the virus has been mostly localized in the quarantined city of Wuhan in the central Hubei province. “It depends on the region, but for the most part, I haven’t seen anyone who is super concerned,” Ai said. “Everyone talks about it because that’s what our parents are talking about.” Ai, whose family lives in the region of Dalian in the north of China, says that, though her parents are off of work for safety concerns and are wearing face masks, they continue to go about their daily lives unaffected. Her father still visits her grandmother almost daily and even took the extended break from work as a chance to bathe the cat. Like at TTU, the biggest concern for the UT community is the possibility that students who have traveled to China in the last few weeks will return to campus carrying the virus. This is less of an issue for undergraduate students, who were required to return at the beginning of January. But many graduate students can work remotely, and some returned from celebrating the Chinese New Year in their home country as recently as one week ago. These students have opted to stay home and off of campus for a period to ensure their own safety and that of those around them. Xubo Luo, a PhD student in chemical engineering, believes that these returning graduate students ought to take all of the same precautions that people in China are taking. “Even in China, if you have traveled to Wuhan recently and you came back to your home, all the neighbors will be nervous and report that to the

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Pervention community that this person should stay at home for 14 days,” Luo said. “UT has connections with China with universities in China, they have exchange students, they have visiting scholars. ... I think if they stay at home for, like, two weeks and they don’t have any symptoms, that’s enough.” Both Ai and Luo explained how precautions such as wearing face masks are part of the Asian cultural response to airborne sicknesses. Unlike in the U.S., wearing a face mask in China or Japan is not a sign that someone is sick, but is rather a ﬁrst line of defense and a mark of concern for others. Ai says that the normal signs of caution in Asian cultures are often misconstrued by Americans and can lead to damaging misconceptions. Thus, staying home is, for certain graduate students who have recently traveled to China, the American-approved version of wearing a face mask. “In their mind ... they are actually doing a beneﬁt to all the people,” Ai said. “But this behavior could be perceived by Americans who think oth-

erwise, who may think, ‘Oh, you are sick.’” Though there have been no documented cases of the virus anywhere near Tennessee, students like Luo are proactively looking for updates and are able to rattle off stats about the number of conﬁrmed cases and deaths due to the coronavirus in their home city. In the face of depleting stores, Luo has also looked into purchasing respirators online to send to his parents who live in Tianjin, about 630 miles from the epicenter in Wuhan. That many online retailers and physical stores in China are sold out of surgical face masks should be a sign that many share Luo’s growing concern about the virus’ spread. Ai’s comparatively calm demeanor — she is able to make lighthearted jokes about how her parents are spending their time off — could betray the fact that, in the last week alone, the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus a global health emergency and the U.S. State Department issued a Level 4 warning against travel to China.

But for herself and some other Chinese students, she says the coronavirus is spoken of more as a distant problem in the news than a pressing concern. “We are still talking about it. It’s like people talking about the Kobe Bryant thing. It’s like, this is what we talk about, but has it really affected my life?” Ai said. “I don’t think it did that much.” But whether Chinese students feel directly or indirectly concerned about the coronavirus and to what extent, there is one common theme running through all of their reactions: uncertainty. The spread of the virus is unpredictable and few students know whether they should be worried for their family and friends back home or not. According to Ai, only time will be able to dictate the appropriate response. “At this point, nothing is sure,” Ai said. “It’s not necessarily fear, it’s just they don’t know how it started, they don’t know how it’s going to end. I think everyone is still trying to ﬁgure out how it’s going to continue in the future.”

CAMPUS NEWS

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‘Abled Magazine’: UT siblings to launch digital publication about disabilities in the spring DANIEL DASSOW Staff Writer UT alumna Lindsey NeSmith and her younger brother, sophomore Will NeSmith, are siblings who have, as the saying goes, seen a need and are working to fill it. The seeing part came when Will suddenly developed a disability at the age of 12 due to complications from a stroke. Lindsey NeSmith says that this event completely changed the way their family viewed disabilities. “It was a major focus shift for us when we all of a sudden became aware that it was so easy for us to live in ... oblivion because we didn’t have to deal with disabilities until, you know, until we did,” NeSmith said. The filling part comes with the launch of their startup publication “Abled Magazine” later this spring, which the NeSmith siblings hope will celebrate the lives of people with disabilities and fill the gap in non-medical information on disabilities that their family fell through when Will developed a disability. Though it may seem as if medical considerations are the central part of living with a disability, the NeSmith family quickly discovered that the daily life of an individual with a disability is also riddled with non-medical dilemmas. These include, but are by no means limited to, queries such as: Which airline is most accessible to people with physical disabilities? If I want to take my family to an amusement park, will we be able to ride the rollercoasters together? Which sports can my child or sibling with a disability play? Non-medical questions can also venture into the realm of career possibilities for people with disabilities. Will, who plans to fly planes one day and had to reschedule an interview for a flight lesson, once believed that such a career would be impossible for someone with his disabilities. But after reading an article by a pilot with a disability similar to his and reaching out to the author, the option to fly opened up for Will and changed his life’s trajectory. When asked how having a resource such as “Abled Magazine” would have helped him as he was growing up, Will emphasized the power of representation and community. “It would have helped me purely to not feel alone in my disability and bring hope to my situation, but also to nsure that there are ways to live a normal life by seeing others work hard to live their lives,” NeSmith said. For the most common disabilities, like autism or Down syndrome, online communities can offer answers to important non-medical questions. But even these are limited, and for rarer conditions, no such source of information exists. “There’s not one hub of people the way that there even are for minority groups ... or women or college students,” Lindsey NeSmith said. “We

Siblings, Lindsey and Will NeSmith, before their pitch for “Abled Magazine” at the Graves Competition. // Courtesy of Lindsey NeSmith just began to realize more and more, like, information is so powerful, and so why don’t we go ahead and be the resource?” Thus, Lindsey and Will set out to build a digital magazine dedicated to helping individuals with disabilities ﬁnd dignity and support by featuring the lives of people with disabilities and answering their everyday, non-medical questions. “Abled Magazine,” whose title is meant to remind readers of the positive opportunities that come along with disabilities, is set to launch in a few months and will feature pieces by a plethora of contributing writers, including Lindsey and Will. While Lindsey expects to focus on the operations and editing behind the magazine, Will is most looking forward to being able to highlight the often overlooked stories of the millions of people with disabilities who are achieving incredible things every day. “I am so excited to reach out and meet new amazing people with amazing stories and bring those stories to life,” he said. “And documenting a side of the world that a lot of people are scared to talk about.” Even though it has yet to officially launch, “Abled Magazine” has already found success. After pitching their idea at the Haslam College of Business’ Graves Business Plan Competition, the NeSmiths won third place in the growth category and won $2,000, which went toward building and developing the website. “Abled Magazine” also placed in the quarterﬁnals of the nationwide Student Startup Mad-

ness competition put on by South by Southwest. The magazine, which already has a presence on Twitter and Instagram, is meant for a wide audience. After all, the World Health Organization estimates that around one billion people, or about 15% of the global population, live with disabilities, making people with disabilities the world’s largest minority group. For Lindsey NeSmith, who graduated from UT in December with a degree in journalism, “Abled Magazine” is also about educating the 85% of people without disabilities. By highlighting and celebrating the stories of people with disabilities and offering them equal access to information that most people take for granted, the magazine is meant to emphasize the important truth that those with disabilities have more similarities to those without disabilities than they have differences. “We’re out writing this about how people who have disabilities are not less-than, they’re not worse off ... they don’t live a smaller life than everyone else,” Lindsey NeSmith said. “Really they’re not so different from people without disabilities.” Though prizes and wide readership are perks for the start-up magazine, its success ultimately lies in the relationship between the siblings at its center, which Will says has deepened and strengthened as the project has grown. “I feel like we are growing up from teasing each other to actually starting to run a business together,” NeSmith said. “We were close before, but this project is completely ours, and I love it.”

SPORTS // TENNIS

Wednesday, February 12, 2020 • The Daily Beacon

Tennessee men’s tennis focused on improving amongst hot start to season RYAN SCHUMPERT Sports Editor With an outside perspective, one might’ve expected the Tennessee men’s tennis team to take a step back in 2020. The Vols were facing tough tasks that often lead to rebuilding seasons, but instead Big Orange has reloaded and after the season’s first month, they find themselves back in the nation’s top 25. Despite departures from All-American’s Timo Stodder and Preston Touliatos, the Vols find themselves 9-1 and ranked No. 16 in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association poll. “It says a lot about our culture,” senior Scott Jones said. “Obviously we lost some great players, but we brought some new guys in and the guys have stepped up. I think that’s a testament to the coaching staff and the culture.” After failing in the ITA Knoxville Regional championship, Tennessee’s lone loss, the Vols have won three straight. Tennessee handled both Georgia State and Mercer easily, sweeping each Peach State foe, 7-0. Tennessee then played just one of its three matches that hasn’t been a sweep this season, outlasting Wichita State, 4-3.

The matchup was tied 3-3 heading into the last singles set and Big Orange leaned on their graduate senior, Giles Hussey, to edge out the Shockers. “It was a good college tennis match,” head coach Chris Woodruff said following the win. “Giles (Hussey) is old and has a lot of experience and has been in a lot of these matches. If we’re going to have guys out there playing, he is certainly one we want out there for us.” Tennessee’s 9-1 record matches its mark at this time a season ago. However, the Vols aren’t comparing themselves to last season’s team nor where they stand in early February. “May is when we’ll look and see where we are,” Woodruff said. “Until then, we’re going to win and we’ve already lost, will probably lose again, but we just keep trying to do the very best we can and have positive practices.” Despite his downplaying of the Vols’ hot start, Woodruff is pleased with his third team’s start to the season. “We’re getting better,” Woodruff said. “It isn’t anything special, it’s just good solid work. Trying to work for our points, trying to come together a little bit better, trying to move a little bit better and trying to get a little bit stronger together.”

Mark Wallner serves during the Men’s Tennis opening game against New Mexico, in the Goodfriend Tennis Center on January 18, 2020. Nathan Lick / Daily Beacon

After eight straight games at the Goodfriend Tennis Center, Tennessee hits the road again this weekend traveling to Durham, North Carolina to take on Duke. Last season, Tennessee swept Duke in a neutral site and the Big Orange hope to repeat that success in one of their ﬁnal tune-ups before the start of conference play. “We never stop trying to get better,” Woodruff said. “Don’t set any big lofty goals of what we’re focused on. ... We’ll be prepared and we’ll kind of evaluate after the match. It’s a commitment to good physical tennis.” Tennessee will close out its non-conference slate on February 21 when the Vols host Georgia Tech at the Goodfriend Tennis Center. The matchup with the Yellow Jackets concludes Tennessee’s strong nonconference schedule as the Vols played a trio of top 25 foes and four power conference foes. “I think our schedule is very good,” Woodruff said. “We have a lot of ranked opponents. We’ve played on the road already, we’re playing on the road next week. By the time the SEC season starts I think we’ll be battle tested.”

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SPORTS // BASKETBALL

The Daily Beacon • Wednesday, February 12, 2020 John Fulkerson, #10, attempts to shoot the ball during the game against Kentucky on Saturday, February 8, 2020 at ThompsonBoling Arena. Roddrick Tooles / Contributor

Vols fall to the Wildcats at home for first time since 2015 RYAN CRUISE Sports Editor

Saturday, Tennessee and No. 15 Kentucky played the first of their annual twogame series. Despite an energized Thompson-Boling Arena, the Vols could not get it done, the Wildcats winning by a score of 77-64. Jordan Bowden, John Fulkerson, Yves Pons, Santiago Vescovi and Uros Plavsic

were the first five for the Big Orange. Pons played all 40 minutes and Jalen Johnson played nearly 30 minutes in reserve. Vescovi was the leading scorer for Tennessee with 18 points and Bowden was the Vols’ leading rebounder with nine boards. “I thought our guys really balled; they really did. ...” Tennessee coach Rick Barnes said. “I thought they really had a good mindset coming in. I though they played really well today. First half, we did want we

wanted to do, trying to get their front-line in trouble. ... We just couldn’t stop them in late game situations.” Kentucky’s Tyrese Maxey opened the scoring on a jumper but Fulkerson and Plavsic scored back-to-back to take the lead for the Vols. The Wildcats would respond by going on a 7-0 run as they started to find a rhythm early in the game. Tennessee was able to go on 7-4 run, during which Pons had a massive two-handed block that excited the crowd midway through the first half. Towards the end of the period, Kentucky started to pull away through a 16-8 run. However, the Vols closed out the half on a 7-3 run, to close the gap to seven at the break. The pivotal possession of the run came when Maxey airballed and Tennessee parleyed the rebound into a Bowden threepointer. Fulkerson opened scoring in the second half a little over a minute into the period and it looked like Tennessee was about to chip away at the lead, but the Wildcats were able to go in a 11-7 run. The energy turned towards the home team with about 12 minutes left, Pons blocked a shot nearly down

the tunnel. The Vols really had things going their favor when with 11 minutes to go and late in the shot clock, Vescovi nailed a three-pointer from “Memphis on the map,” as the legendary John Ward would say. On the ensuing possession Vescovi’s three-point attempt missed, but following an offensive rebound and a Pons threepoint attempt, which was also missed and rebounded, Vescovi sunk his second threepoint attempt to bring Tennessee within four points of the lead. However, the Vols couldn’t get the score any closer and Kentucky was able to grab the win. It looked like there might be trouble as the Wildcats were dribbling out the game. Maxey appeared to be considering attempting a three-pointer as time expired, but Bowden defended him close and Maxey let time expire. “We had a couple guys not play well,” Kentucky coach John Calipari said. “They’re not machines; they’re not robots. Maybe it was a bad matchup. Whatever you want to say … we made free throws; we made baskets.” Tennessee’s next game will be Feb. 11 in Thomson-Boling Arena. The Vols will play host to the Arkansas Razorbacks in a Tuesday night tip available on the SEC Network and the Vol Radio Network.

Lady Vols unable to keep up with No. 8 Bulldogs, deafeated 72-55 BARRETT WALKER Staff Writer No. 23 Tennessee went toe to toe with No. 8 Mississippi State during the first quarter of the game, but was unable to keep pace with the Bulldogs and were eventually defeated 72-55, at Thompson-Boling Arena. With the loss, Tennessee drops to 17-6 on the season and 7-3 in the SEC, while Mississippi State climbs to 21-3 overall and 9-1 in conference. “Obviously, Mississippi State is a really talented basketball team,” coach Kellie Harper said. “We knew we had a big challenge ahead of us. We had a game plan that our players believed in and we were able to execute it for part of the game, really during the first quarter. We just weren’t able to maintain that focus. We had some defensive breakdowns that you can’t have against that team.” Rae Burrell started in place of Rennia Davis, who is currently battling the flu. In Burrell’s first start of the season, she recorded a double-double and finished with a game-high 20 points on 8-20 shooting, and also grabbed 10 boards. She did turn the ball over six times, but was able to pick the pockets of the Bulldogs on three separate occasions.

Jordan Horston, #25, lifts the ball up towards the basket during the game against Mississippi State on Thursday, February 6, 2020 at Thompson-Boling Arena. Meg Blakeley / Daily Beacon Jordan Horston and Jazmine Massengill were the only other Lady Vols to finish in double digit point totals with 12 and 11, respectively. Mississippi State’s Rickea Jackson, finished with a team-high 14 points on 5-18 shooting, and also recorded nine rebounds.

Teammate, Chloe Bibby, was second on the team with 13 points on 50% shooting. Tennessee opened up the match with a quick score, thanks to a Massengill layup. Shortly after, Horston made one of her two free throws to give the Lady Vols an early 3-0 lead. The Bulldogs responded with a

4-0 run. Burrell took back the lead for Tennessee after converting a three-point play to push the Lady Vols ahead, 8-6. Tennessee’s offense was flowing as they started a 7-0 run to extend their lead at 15-11. To close out the first quarter, after losing the lead, Kasiyahna Kushkituah and Massengill each made baskets to regain the lead for the Lady Vols. Tennessee took a 21-19 advantage into the second quarter. The Lady Vols offense sputtered during the second quarter, as they only scored nine points during the 10 minutes of play. Kushkituah scored the first basket of the quarter for Tennessee, but Mississippi State responded with a 10-0 run. Horston put an end to the run with a transition layup, and she would go on to score the final three points for the Lady Vols, but they went into half with a 38-30 deficit. “I feel like we just really didn’t execute in the second quarter,” Massengill said. “We have just been making mental mistakes and have not really been executing our passes very well. We can control our turnovers it just comes down to us.” Starting off the second half, Massengill opened up the scoring for Tennessee to bring the Bulldogs’ lead to six. ...Continue reading online

CITY NEWS

Wednesday, February 12, 2020 • The Daily Beacon

All of the big wins from the 2020 Oscars CONNOR HOLT Staff Writer This year’s Academy Awards began with a singing of “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood,” and then continued with dancers in the dress of of a number of films, many of which were nominees. However, it was just one of the several musical performances of the night. The most notable among them include “Into the Unknown” from “Frozen II,” featuring more than ten voice actors for Elsa from countries around the globe; “I’m Gonna Love Me Again” from the film “Rocketman,” sung by Sir Elton John; and the In Memoriam segment performance of The Beatles’ song “Yesterday” by Billy Eilish. While there wasn’t a host this year, a number of prominent figures in the community were involved in the introductions and announcements. Many of these were particularly unique in their comedic endeavor. However, there were also some serious announcers, such as an appearance by “Peanut Butter Falcon” star Zack Gottsagen

and “Hamilton” creator Lin-Manuel Miranda. “How do we measure the impact of a film?” Regina King asked at the beginning of the show. Overall the award distribution was pretty even, with only Bong Joon Ho and his film “Parasite” reaching four awards. That’s a monumental achievement for the Korean language film, as it is the first international film to do so and the first to claim the newly-retitled Best International Feature award, previously known as Best Foreign Language Film. The 92nd Academy Awards ended with Jane Fonda saying, “Tonight we’ve hopefully brought to life the impact that films have made and can make on our lives,” harkening back to Regina King’s opener. Perhaps over the course of the night her initial question was answered for you; perhaps it wasn’t. Regardless, those involved in the film making process appeared to be genuinely grateful to have received the awards. With any luck, those same fantastic directors, actors and writers will find their way back onto the stage in the coming years.

‘Birds of Prey’ another fun, unique addition to DC’s movie universe BEN WINIGER Staff Writer The DC Expanded Universe has gotten a bad rap, which I believe is undeserved. Critical and financial flops like “Batman v. Superman,” “Suicide Squad” and “Justice League” were incredibly messy and confused. However, Warner Brothers was effectively batting four for seven with fun and well-made films like “Man of Steel,” “Wonder Woman,” “Aquaman” and “Shazam.” Now with the release of Cathy Yan’s energetic “Birds of Prey,” DC’s batting five for eight. After the events of “Suicide Squad,” Harley Quinn has broken up with the Joker and seeks to create her own identity. Unfortunately, most of Gotham’s crime world wants her dead. These unfortunate circumstances lead her to team up with four other Gotham anti-heroines as they all try to survive. “Birds of Prey” is like its main heroine, energetic and manic. The plot is non-linear, which makes story feel disjointed and sporadic. However, it’s clearly disjointed due to artistic choice, rather than through bad writing. In my eye, that choice enhanced the viewing experience by hammering in the characters’ personalities. Plus, it never goes so far that’s the plot’s hard to follow, especially with great use of memorable aesthetics for each time period. Much like DC’s other critical successes, “Birds of Prey” is visually striking. In a world where so many superhero movies use dull and muted color palettes, “Birds of Prey”isn’t afraid to glow. This is mostly due to skilled use of special effects and color correction. Performances ranged from good to great. Though I personally am no fan of manic 100-

word a minute dialogue delivery, Margot Robbie’s performance as Harley Quinn still stole the show. Her energy and charisma drive the story forward. She carries the whole film on her back, and she didn’t stumble once. Ewan McGreggor’s Roman Sionis/Black Mask was also a treat. Black Mask isn’t a villain you can sympathize for or agree with. He’s a vindictive, entitled, immature and arrogant man whose value comes from how much you want to see him get his comeuppance. As such, McGreggor chose to play up the character’s hamminess. This turns what would otherwise be a disturbing villain into a fun performance of a decidedly unfun character. There is plenty wrong with the movie, though. I enjoyed the film’s non-linear aspect, but some may find it confusing and unnecessary. Rapid pacing and liberal use of jump cuts occasionally takes the film from energetic-yetunderstandable to confusing, incoherent noise. “Birds of Prey” also never takes its time or lets things settle, which is both a positive and negative. It’s positive because, frankly, there’s never been a superhero movie this energetic.“Deadpool,” “Aquaman” and “Guardians of the Galaxy” may exemplify lighthearted cape flicks, but none hold a candle to the spirited pace of “Birds of Prey.” The speed is fun and unique but can also lead to boredom. Going at a constantly rapid pace and going at a constantly slow pace are equally constant and monotone. Variety is the spice of life, and despite all the drugs “Birds of Prey”is short on spice. When DCEU movies fail, they fail spectacularly in the same way. Similarly, when they succeed, they succeed with flying colors in their

own unique fashion. “Birds of Prey (or the Fantabulous Emancipation of one Harley Quinn)” is no exception. I enjoyed the film throughout, though had to

block some of the noise at times so I could better concentrate on the whole picture. 3.5/5 Stars

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CITY NEWS

The Daily Beacon • Wednesday, February 12, 2020

Political Playbook: Iowa caucus, State of the Union and impeachment vote EVAN MAYS Staff Writer It was a very busy, eventful week in politics this past week. The Iowa caucus took place, stirring controversy all around the country. President Trump delivered his third State of the Union address and the Senate voted to acquit the President on both articles of impeachment. Caucus controversy The Iowa caucus took place on Monday night. It was anyone’s game, with analysts split on who would win the most delegates. Many predicted Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont would end the night with a victory speech, others predicted former Vice President Joe Biden would come out with a win. No one expected that nearly a week later the entirety of the results would still not be released and underdog candidate former Mayor Pete Buttigieg would be the one delivering a victory speech. In years prior, results of the Hawkeye state’s caucuses were released the night of the vote, however, at the time of writing this — nearly one week later — still only 97% of the results are in. The Iowa Democratic Party claims this late release of results is due to technical difficulties. However, Tom Perez, Chairman of the Democratic National Party has called for a complete recanvass of the state. Nevertheless, with the current results, Buttigieg has a very narrow lead over runner-up Sanders. Coming in at third is Sen. Elizabeth Warren. In a shocking upset, for-

mer Vice President Joe Biden, the supposed front-runner of the Democratic primary placed fourth, with Sen. Amy Klobuchar coming in fifth. Buttigieg said Monday night, “We don’t know the results. But, we know, by the time it’s all said and done, Iowa, you have shocked the nation, because by all indications, we are going on to New Hampshire victorious.” State of the Union On Tuesday, President Trump delivered his third State of the Union. During his speech he stressed positivity, and untraditionally awarded a Presidential Medal of Freedom to Rush Limbaugh, a radio personality. President Trump said that Limbaugh is, “a special man, someone beloved by millions of Americans, who just received a stage 4 advanced cancer diagnosis. This is not good news, but what is good news is that he is the greatest fighter and winner that you will ever meet. Rush Limbaugh, thank you for your decades of tireless devotion to our country.” Most of the President’s speech was overshadowed by Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, however. Before beginning their speech, it is customary for the President to hand a copy of the State of the Union address to the Speaker of the House and shake their hand. However, after handing Speaker Pelosi a copy of the speech, the President did not shake her hand. After the speech was over, the Speaker

U.S. President Donald Trump pauses next to First Lady Melania Trump after his remarks about his Senate impeachment trial in the East Room at the White House in Washington on February 6, 2020.(Yuri Gripas/Abaca Press/TNS) // Yuri Gripas/Abaca Press Courtesy of Tribune News Service stood up and began ripping the paper copy of the speech into pieces, igniting a firestorm of differing opinions on social media. Impeachment Vote On Wednesday, the Senate voted to acquit President Trump on both charges of impeachment. In a vote of 52-48, the Senate voted to acquit the President on the charge of abuse of power. The vote was along party lines, except for Republican

Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah who voted to convict the President on the charge. In a vote of 53-47, the Senate also voted to acquit the President on the charge of obstruction of Congress. President Trump made several comments about the impeachment vote, including a comment regarding his family. “I want to apologize to my family for having them have to go through a phony, rotten deal by some very evil and sick people,” Trump said.

Rising Star competitor raises over $10,000 for Cystic Fibrosis Foundation CARSON CUVIELLO Contributor

The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation has provided millions of dollars into research and lifestyle improvement services for the sufferers of cystic fibrosis, a chronic disease that fills the lungs and other organs with fluid. Their Knoxville chapter has sponsored the Rising Star competition to promote the foundation and recognize local philanthropists such as Anna Cramer. Cramer is a real estate agent turned spokesperson after attending an informative lecture about cystic fibrosis. “I learned that the disease made people feel at best like they were constantly drowning,” Cramer said. “After learning how terribly adults and children, similar to my own, suffer thanks to this disease,

I went into my car and just ... wept. I decided I had to do something.” After volunteering at the foundation, she was nominated to be one of nine prominent members of the community to compete in the Knoxville’s Rising Stars competition. As a Rising Star, Cramer and the others were tasked with taking 16 weeks to raise funds and spread awareness for cystic fibrosis. Cystic fibrosis is a chronic, genetic disease that affects every one in three thousand children. Currently, there are over 30,000 American patients suffering from the disease registered with the foundation. The disease slowly fills the organs with mucus and severely damages vital organs such as the lungs and liver, as well as the digestive system. Cystic fibrosis patients have a greatly reduced life expectancy and quality of life compared to the average American. Without treatment, most with the disease

will not live past their teens. With modern treatment, most suffering from the disease will live past 40 and up to 70. Thanks to efforts from the foundation, life expectancy increases almost yearly. Through various community outreach events and collaborations with local businesses, Cramer has currently raised over $10,000 for the foundation. One collaboration saw Gus’s Fried Chicken donating 10% of the sales made on this past Saturday to the Foundation. Individual donors are also critical to the campaign’s success. Christopher Manning is one such donor who donated $500. “I’m glad to support my friend’s effort to combat this disease,” Manning said. Individual donors are responsible for over $2,000 of the funds Cramer has raised so far. Cramer has found that she cannot stop here. She plans on continuing after the

competition ceases. “I can’t just stop here. I’m not sure of the capacity, but I plan to work with the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation as much as I can,” Cramer said. The winner of the Rising Star competition will be announced this Saturday Feb. 8 at the 20th Annual Knoxville’s Rising Stars Celebration Gala. The winner, the person who has brought in the most donations, will be recognized and awarded. The Foundation will continue accepting donations to the last minute on their sitefinest.cff.org/knoxrisingstars.Donations of all sizes and social media posts are both greatly appreciated. For more information on Knoxville charity events and causes, please continue reading the Daily Beacon.

PUZZLES & GAMES

Wednesday, February 12, 2020 • The Daily Beacon

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Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle LOS ANGELES TIMESEdited CROSSWORD Edited byLewis Rich Norris and Joyce Lewis by Rich Norris•and Joyce

STR8TS No. 1393

Easy

2 5 2 4 1

Previous solution - Tough

7 6

4 3

3 2 4 5 8 6 7

8 6 4 3

5 1

8 2 7

You can find more help, tips and hints at www.str8ts.com

1 2 4 3 7 8 9 5 6

3 4 2 1 3 9 5 2 6 5 6 4 8 6 5 9 7 4 3 7 3 2 8 7 9 8 1

8 7 6 6 4 7 8 9 9 8 3 2 2 1 6 5 3 4 4 5

How to beat Str8ts – Like Sudoku, no single number can repeat in any row or column. But... rows and columns are divided by black squares into compartments. These need to be filled in with numbers that complete a ‘straight’. A straight is a set of numbers with no gaps but can be in any order, eg [4,2,3,5]. Clues in black cells remove that number as an option in that row and column, and are not part of any straight. Glance at the solution to see how ‘straights’ are formed.

SUDOKU No. 1393

Tough

8 1

Previous solution - Medium

7 1 5 1 5 2 3 9 2 6

6 9 7 1 3 5 4 8 2

7 1 6 2 8 7 5 6

The solutions will be published here in the next issue.

8 4 5 2 9 6 3 1 7

2 1 3 8 4 7 9 6 5

7 8 2 4 1 9 5 3 6

3 5 4 7 6 2 1 9 8

9 6 1 3 5 8 7 2 4

4 7 9 6 8 1 2 5 3

5 3 6 9 2 4 8 7 1

1 2 8 5 7 3 6 4 9

4 2 6 9 2 4 8 7

FOR RELEASE NOVEMBER 20, 2019

For many strategies, hints and tips, visit www.sudokuwiki.org If you like Str8ts, Sudoku and other puzzles, check out our books, iPhone/iPad Apps and much more on our store at www.str8ts.com

ACROSS 1 “Oh dear!” 5 Instant 9 Harry’s Hogwarts nemesis 14 Hay storage site 15 Puccini piece 16 Prepare for a bodybuilding competition 17 *Spot for a seaside stroll 19 Tax audit docs. 20 Jag 21 Wisconsin city on Lake Winnebago 23 Actor Vigoda 25 *Caller ID, maybe 29 __ onion 33 Brigham Young’s Utah settlement 34 Corrida cheer 35 Prime-time time 37 Hardly prudent 38 Overseas business abbr. 39 Hemingway’s 1930s Florida home, and a hint to the answers to starred clues 43 UPS Store item 44 Broadway barber 46 Leave rolling in the aisles 47 Summer sign 48 Sets right 52 Title role for Gary Cooper and Adam Sandler 54 *Small computer 56 Tummy muscles 57 Like most customers 59 Opinion pieces 63 Charter 66 *Center stage 68 Respected figure 69 Document sent online 70 Hungarian wine region 71 7UP and Sprite 72 Comfy hangouts 73 Extinct bird DOWN 1 Clerical vestments

11/20/19

By Gary Larson

2 Stunt flier’s stunt 3 Not nigh 4 Water under the bridge, maybe 5 Shoot the breeze 6 OPEC member 7 Manicurist or secretary, at times 8 Minor document? 9 Hip-hop tops 10 Seismologist with a scale 11 European peak 12 Shorten, as hair 13 Covert doings 18 Prove false 22 22.5 deg. 24 Singer Brickell 26 Software giant 27 Settled in 28 Group with a common culture 29 Crooner Michael 30 Corrida snorter 31 Social website with “AMA” sessions 32 “__ takers?” 36 Grossed-out sounds

Tuesday’s Puzzle Solved

40 Blight-stricken tree 41 “Water for Elephants” novelist Gruen 42 Bathroom brand 45 Like some diving 49 Cavs and Mavs 50 Cracker Jack bonus 51 Dirty 53 Saw

11/20/19

55 Roast carver 58 Guy with the FBI 60 Waffle made without an iron 61 Batted but didn’t field, in MLB lingo 62 Texas MLBer 63 Guitar great Paul 64 “Evil Woman” gp. 65 Put in 67 Strait’s “All My __ Live in Texas”

puzzles Wednesday. NewNew puzzles every every Monday and Thursday.

THE DAILY BEACON

OPINIONS

The Daily Beacon • Wednesday, February 12, 2020

UT Affairs: The long debate on students’ ability to concealed-carry on campus

EMMA BOYLE Columnist

Almost every year, the Tennessee State Legislature introduces a bill calling for students to have the ability to carry concealed weapons on campus. The bill never passes, but time and energy are expended not only by the Tennessee legislative members in writing it, but also by the UT Advocacy Office and students in lobbying against it. The current proposal, announced last week, can be found here. In July 2016, Tennessee law TCA 39-17-1309 gave University of Tennessee System employees the right to concealed carry on campus, provided they were not enrolled in classes and that they did not carry during university-sponsored events, in medical service buildings or in tenure or discipline discussions. Employees must register with the University of Tennessee Police Department before carrying on campus. In response to the proposal of the bill in spring of 2016, the University of Tennessee

Knoxville Faculty Senate surveyed faculty attitudes concerning the bill and the idea of guns on campus. 42% of faculty responded, with varying attitudes. There are divided opinions at our school about whether people should be able to carry on campus. Some students support being allowed to carry guns on campus because they hope it will decrease crime. Alternatively, others argue that preventing students to carry on campus violates their Second Amendment rights. Most students and parents, however, strongly oppose the idea of guns at UT. One of the leading arguments against campus carry is that college students, who consume a large amount of alcohol and drugs, and the majority of whom do not have fully developed brains, have neither the environment nor the maturity to be trusted to consistently make safe decisions while carrying a gun. If you believe that any prohibition of guns

on campus is a violation of the Second Amendment, consider this. James Madison, who wrote the Bill of Rights (including the Second Amendment), cofounded the University of Virginia with Thomas Jefferson. In a board meeting before UVA opened, they banned the carrying of guns on campus or in other sensitive areas. If the ones who championed the Second Amendment were concerned about guns on their college campus, we should be too. Emma Boyle is a senior majoring in political science. She can be reached at eboyle1@vols.utk.edu.

Columns and letters of The Daily Beacon are the views of the individual and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Beacon or the Beacon’s editorial staff.

Wondering Wanderer: All’s well that’s New Tazewell

KELLY ALLEY Columnist Sandwiched in between Maynardville and Harrogate, Tennessee, along Highway 33 sits a little town called New Tazewell. Don’t worry, the old Tazewell still exists a couple of miles down the road. It’s just not as commercialized as its newer counterpart. New Tazewell began as an offshoot of Tazewell, thanks to a railroad line built in the 1880s, called Cowan City. It was later incorporated as New Tazewell in 1920 and again in 1954. The town’s main draw at that time was Burley tobacco, a cash crop for local farmers. As tobacco decreased in popularity, the town switched over to manufacturing. Now, New Tazewell boasts several factories, including manufacturing for England Furniture Incorporated and DeRoyal Indus-

tries, a medical supplies manufacturer. It’s the folks in that area that are the most important and most memorable, though. Back a few years ago there was a Western clothing/tack shop called Earl’s Western Wear that sat just off Highway 33, right in front of the town’s fire department. I had the pleasure of meeting both Earl and his wife in the handful of times I wandered into the store. He would always bring out a picture of his old leopard Appaloosa, I would find a picture of my varnish roan Appaloosa and we would swap stories about our horses and how great they were. Then on one trip up there, there were some signs posted that he was going out of business. Earl said he just couldn’t compete with the online market anymore.

The old downtown section of New Tazewell. Kelly Alley / The Daily Beacon

The backside of an old car dealership, garage, and tractor repair shop in New Tazewell. Kelly Alley / The Daily Beacon I hated to see that place go. There aren’t many tack stores around in the area, and very few folks as warm and inviting as that couple. Even in those few and far between stops, those folks felt like family. Somewhere I still have the pair of Wrangler jeans and cowboy boots I bought before he closed the store down. I still use the belt I got from there nearly eight years ago — it’s my go-to belt for ranch-style horse shows. Of course, along with the people, there’s history too. Something worth noting about that area is the fact that, because of Highway 33 running through it, towns like Tazewell, New Tazewell and Maynardville were pretty hot places for the moonshine bootleggers that would use that stretch of road, nicknamed Thunder Road. In fact, if you’re paying attention, you can even spot road signs around that area that point out the “real Thunder Road.” While New Tazewell isn’t growing quickly,

it isn’t exactly shrinking either. New antique stores and women’s clothing boutiques pop up occasionally, but nothing too major is really happening. That’s okay, though. Sometimes it’s nice to have a constant in an ever-changing world, a place where you can slow down, catch your breath and know what to expect. The New Tazewell/Tazewell area is just that kind of place.

Kelly Alley is a senior studying journalism and electronic media. She can be reached at kalley2@vols.utk.edu.

Columns and letters of The Daily Beacon are the views of the individual and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Beacon or the Beacon’s editorial staff.