“I think it was a great display of the diversity of the state, the issues affecting those in the state, and a voice for the will of the people. With so many different people involved, representing so many various identities and organizations, we truly displayed the essence of collective liberation that #UTDiversityMatters believe in.” Johnathan Clayton, senior and member of UT Diversity Matters Coalition >>See page 4 for a full story on the UT Diversity Matters Coalition rally in Nashville.
Ashley Boles, sophomore in kinesiology, opens while the rest of the BOSS Dance Company become the background. Alex Phillips • The Daily Beacon
BOSS Dance Company brings the rhythm back to UT JoAnna Brooker Contributor
The members of the BOSS Dance Company rehearsed in the Clarence Brown Theatre on March 7, 2016. Alex Phillips • The Daily Beacon
Volume 131 Issue 38
As one of the top five student-run organizations on campus, BOSS Dance Company was founded to set an example in self-sufficiency. In fact, that is what they stand for; BOSS is an acronym for Building Opportunities for SelfSufficiency. Why does a student organization feel the need to be entirely self-sufficient? BOSS has a reason. In 2008, the University of Tennessee cut the Dance department due to budget cuts. Unwilling
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to let the spirit of dance die, in 2010, the Dance Society at UT created BOSS Dance Company to provide students with both technique classes and opportunities to perform dance for the general public. Six years later, BOSS Dance Company has nearly doubled in size, and with a company made up of over 40 freshmen alone, dance is definitely alive and thriving. “A lot of people thought BOSS wasn’t going to make it in the first year, maybe two,” ballet choreographer for BOSS Lindsay Bacon said, “but everyone’s surprised we’ve made it six.” See BOSS DANCE COMPANY on Page 5
Wednesday, March 9, 2016
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INSHORT
The Daily Beacon • Wednesday, March 9, 2016
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THE DAILY BEACON STAFF
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Johnson calls it a career
Trial date for former Pilot employees delayed
Wizarding World series under expansion
After much speculation, Detroit Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson retired from football, the Lions announced on Tuesday. Johnson holds nearly every significant receiving record for Detroit and spent his entire career with the Lions who drafted him No. 2 overall in 2007 after his prolific career at Georgia Tech. He set the NFL record for receiving yards in a season in 2012 with 1,964, and has 11,619 yards over his career. Johnson has battled numerous injuries over the last few years, and struggled with an ankle injury for much of the 2015 season. He’s retiring at 30-years-old, after nine seasons.
A federal court decided Tuesday to delay the trial of the 8 former Pilot Flying J employees charged with fraud and witness tampering. The judge decided to move the trial from April 16 to Oct. 24, 2017 due to the large amount of evidence pertaining to the case. Federal authorities reportedly have hundreds of millions of documents relating to the case accumulated from an investigaton that spanned nearly a decade, as well as nearly 200 hours of recorded audio. According to the indictment, the former employees were involved with a multi-million dollar plan to defraud trucking companies from their fuel rebates. Jim Haslam, Pilot Flying J CEO and brother to Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam, was noticeably absent from the February indictments.
J.K Rowling, author of the bestselling children’s fantasy series Harry Potter, announced the release of four new stories on the franchise’s official website Pottermore. One short stories will be released each day at 9 a.m. ET starting Tuesday morning. The plot of the stories will help to introduce fans to the wizarding world in North America, which is the setting for the upcoming film “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” set to premiere this fall. The short stories will span the history of the U.S., incorporating both historical events and Native American folklore.
High court voids Alabama ruling against lesbian adoption Associated Press WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court ruled Monday that Alabama’s top court went too far when it tried to upend a lesbian mother’s adoption of her partner’s children. The justices threw out a ruling by the Alabama Supreme Court in a dispute between two women whose long-term relationship ended bitterly. “I have been my children’s mother in every way for their whole lives. I thought that adopting them meant that we would be able to be together always,” the noncustodial parent known in court documents by the initials V.L. said in a statement issued by her attorney. “When the Alabama court said my adoption was invalid and I wasn’t their mother, I didn’t think I could go on. The Supreme Court has done what’s right for my family.” Before their breakup, one partner bore three children; the other formally adopted them in Georgia. The Alabama residents went to Georgia because they had been told Atlantaarea courts would be more receptive than judges in Alabama. The Georgia court granted the adoption in 2007.
Alabama courts got involved when the birth mother tried to prevent her former partner from regular visits with the children. The two women had been together for about 16 years. The Alabama Supreme Court sided with the birth mother in refusing to recognize the other woman as a parent and declaring the adoption invalid under Georgia law. Alabama justices ruled that the Georgia adoption law didn’t allow a “non-spouse to adopt a child without first terminating the parental rights of the current parents.” In December, the U.S. Supreme Court temporarily set aside the Alabama decision as the justices decided whether to hear the woman’s appeal. The issue was whether the actions of one state’s courts must be respected by another’s. On Monday, the justices said in an unsigned opinion that “the Alabama Supreme Court erred in refusing to grant that judgment full faith and credit.” National Center for Lesbian Rights Family Law Director Cathy Sakimura, one of several attorneys who represented V.L., called the court’s decision a victory for thousands of families. “No adoptive parent or child should have to face the uncertainty and loss of being separated
years after their adoption just because another state’s court disagrees with the law that was applied in their adoption,” she said. Judith Schaeffer, vice president of the Constitutional Accountability Center, said the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling reaffirms family’s rights and the Alabama court ignored the Constitution in the case. “In fact, the Alabama court’s ruling was so contrary to the Constitution that the Supreme Court did not even need briefing and oral argument to reverse it,” Schaeffer said in a statement. The case illustrated legal challenges facing gay and lesbian parents even after the Supreme Court issued a ruling last June that effectively legalized same-sex marriages nationwide. “Any attempt to deny legal rights to our families is reprehensible, and this ruling establishes that bias and discrimination cannot be allowed to undermine the bond between LGBT parents and their children,” Human Rights Campaign Legal Director Sarah Warbelow said in a statement, adding that the ruling sets a firm precedent for other courts. “These children have two parents, and should have the security that comes with legal recognition,” Warbelow said.
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Wednesday, March 9, 2016 • The Daily Beacon
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Legislators discuss merits of Haslam’s outsourcing plan Travis Dorman Staff Writer
Legislators questioned the need for Govenor Bill Haslam’s outsourcing proposal in a State Senate and Local Government Committee meeting on Tuesday. During the meeting, Director of Customer Focused Government Terry Cowles, Finance Commissioner Larry Martin and Gov. Haslam’s Chief Operating Officer Greg Adams gave a presentation to justify outsourcing the management of state facilities to private companies. The state could potentially save a total of $58.8 million annually with the implementation of the 10-year, $5 billion contract, Cowles said, but this figure is projected and not definitive. After adjusting the figure “for savings to protect employees,” the number is $35.8 million. The business justification contained language that echoed a joint statement on outsourcing released in February, which said that contract service providers will be prohibited from reducing the workforce, and that “no current qualified and productive facilities management employee will lose their job as a result of
a contract.” United Campus Workers has expressed dissatisfaction with the wording of this statement. UCW organizer Cassie Watters said the phrase “qualified and productive” serves as a qualifying statement that makes no promises and allows the company to cut as many jobs as it wants. After the presentation, Senator Richard Briggs, representative of district seven in which UT is located, relayed the anxiety of the university’s employees, who are concerned they may lose their jobs or experience a loss of wages as a result of outsourcing. “People are really hurting and afraid,” Briggs said. “And the people they elect don’t seem to be listening.” Cowles said the contracted company would not be able to cut the wages or benefits of current employees. Senator Steven Dickinson, R-Nashville, said he finds it hard to believe that the company would be able to save millions of dollars by keeping the same workers with the same wages and benefits, and he is not comfortable with a for-profit entity using taxpayer dollars. Chairman Ken Yager, R-Kingston, said he has heard nothing but concerns about the governor’s outsourcing proposal. He thinks the current state employees are effective, and he doesn’t perceive the
People are really hurting and afraid. And the people they elect don’t seem to be listening.” Richard Briggs, Senator
need to make a change. “I’ve always felt like the face of Tennessee is in its state employees,” Yager said. “It’s a good face of Tennessee. They do a good job.” Before the business justification, Senator Lee Harris, D-Memphis, presented Senate Bill 1926 to the committee. The bill states that contracts over $5 million would require an independent analysis by a third party. Harris referenced Gov. Haslam’s $330 million outsourcing contract with Chicago-based
corporation Jones Lang LaSalle as an example of a faulty contract that needed further review. The contract was amended to allow JLL to call for the destruction of state properties — such as the Cordel Office Building — and charge commissions on new leases. In 2013, an audit by Comptroller of the Treasury Justin Wilson’s staff found that this amendment created a conflict of interest. “We believe the first and second amendments also placed JLL in a position to offer the state advice and then reap the benefits of its own recommendations, creating an organizational conflict of interest,” the audit states. “Also, because JLL can benefit financially from the advice it renders to the state, we believe that it cannot offer unbiased, impartial advice in the state’s best interest.” Sen. Harris said that while Gov. Haslam does not support Senate Bill 1926, he has recently acknowledged the importance for outside review of previous contracts. During the panel’s meeting, students and organizers from across the state protested outside in legislative plaza, presenting a signed petition of those opposed to the measure that spanned the length of the hallway.
Different aspects of Jewish culture explored through literature Catherine Sharp Contributor
In a special event to be held on campus Wednesday night, attendees will be able to hear from Justin Cammy, a professor of Jewish Studies and Comparative Literature and the Director of Jewish Studies at Smith College in Massachusetts, in a lecture entitled Scriptures of Modernity: On Modern Jewish Literature. Itsik Pariente, a lecturer of Religious Studies at UT, said the lecture will mainly focus on three major Jewish writers from different backgrounds in an attempt to illustrate to the audience a wider understanding of what it means to be Jewish. The three authors to be discussed are Sholem Aleichem, Franz
Kafka and S.Y. Aignon. When asked what classifies these authors as Jewish, J.P. Dessel, associate professor of Ancient Jewish History at UT, says there is not one true answer. “That is a question that would be answered differently by everyone you ask. Jewish literature is usually, but not always, written by Jews of all different levels of practice. Assimilated Jews, traditional Orthodox Jews and everything in between and that’s really it at a fundamental level.” Aleichem was a Yiddish author and playwright whose collection of short stories were the inspiration for Fiddler on the Roof. Yiddish means ‘Jewish’ and is the historical language of the Ashkenazi Jews or “The Jews of Germany.” Kafka was a German language writer born into a middle class Jewish family in
Prague. However, despite being raised as Jewish, he did not write about anything specifically Jewish, and according to Dessel, might therefore be classified as a European author rather than a Jewish author by Modern European Historians and Literary Academics. Agnon was a Hebrew writer and recipient of the Nobel Prize for Literature who was also a central figure of Modern Hebrew fiction. “One of the things that they (lectures) do is expose the student population to areas of inquiry, areas of the world that they wouldn’t normally be exposed to.” Pariente said. “It is important for the Judaic Studies program to bring people from different fields and points of views about Judaism.” The event is presented by the Judaic Studies Program and cosponsored by the Departments of Religious Studies
and English and will take place in the Lindsay Young Auditorium of Hodges Library at 7:30 p.m. on March 9. It is free and open to the public with a reception and refreshments to follow.
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CAMPUSNEWS
The Daily Beacon • Wednesday, March 9, 2016
Tennessee students protest cut in diversity funding, privatization Bradi Musil
Managing Editor
Tanner Hancock News Editor
More than 100 students and advocates from across the state gathered in Nashville’s Legislative Plaza Tuesday to protest both Governor Bill Haslam’s privatization efforts as well as the recently proposed state budget amendment threatening funding for UT’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion. Johnathan Dewitt, a senior and member of the UT Diversity Matters Coalition, attended the rally as a part of Tuesday’s protests. Choosing to make the six hour round trip journey to Nashville on a school day, Dewitt expressed his confidence in the movement and its ability to bring change to Tennessee. “As for the rally, I think it was a great display of the diversity of the state, the issues affecting those in the state, and a voice for the will of the people,” Dewitt said. “With so many different people involved, representing so many various identities and organizations, we truly displayed the essence of collective liberation that #UTDiversityMatters believe in.” On March 2, the Senate Education Committee voted to amend UT’s budget to strip any state funding allocated toward diversity programming. The amendment reads that only federal funding should go to support diversity issues. UT spends about $5 million annually on diversity issues, according to estimates from the university system. That’s less than 0.25 percent of the system’s $2.1 billion budget, and UT diversity programming receives no federal funding. The amendment passed unanimously. Although the budget still has yet to be approved by the TN General Assembly, many at the university are still frustrated by what they see as legislative overreach. The Huffington Post published UT English Professor Misty Anderson’s column “The Room Where It Happens” on March 4, two days after the Senate Education Committee voted to strip diversity funding. Her column expressed her concern for the future of higher education if attacks on diversity funding and programming persist. Anderson, who has been a professor at UT for 20 years, said she’s witnessed budget cuts and concerning legislative influence in the past, but nothing compares to the moves made by state legislators these past few years.
Members of the United Campus Workers rallied at the Legislative Plaza in Nashville, Tennessee.• Courtesy of Matthew Ferry “I’ve never seen things this bad,” Anderson said. “In the last year it seems ... a more interventionist and big government approach to higher education at the same moment as they continue to threaten to slash our budget, the combination makes it very, very hard to keep doing what we’re doing.” Anderson said even though the Office of Diversity is fairly new to the university, she said it is still “sorely needed” in ways beyond just promoting a welcoming campus environment. “We also depend more and more on grant money and sources that are national that require us to show that we actually are an inclusive and diverse community,” Anderson said. “I’m not sure that the legislators realize that they’re jeopardizing us in other ways where we’re already underfunded.” UT’s Faculty Senate passed a resolution in December 2015 in support of the university’s Office of Diversity, and Bonnie Ownley, President Elect of the Faculty Senate and professor in entomology and plant pathology expressed her disappointment in the amendment and the state legislature. “It’s very unfortunate,” Ownley said. “I really think our legislators don’t understand, or maybe even don’t want to understand the value of diversity.” In a statement released by the UT Diversity Matters Coalition, the group expressed their commitment to the diversity office ahead of the rally. “The defunding of this office would be counterproductive in a modernizing world, where multinational corporations and the University of Tennessee’s peer institutions are increasingly demanding diverse students and employees from all backgrounds,” read the statement.
ARTS&CULTURE
BOSS DANCE COMPANY continued from Page 1
Bacon was actually one of the last students at UT to go through the university’s dance program, graduating in 2009 with a public relations major and minor in dance performance. In her past five years with BOSS, Bacon has seen the organization’s progress with not only keeping dance alive but also keeping it on campus. One of the organization’s largest accomplishments came to fruition this spring. This semester is the first since 2008 that a dance class has been offered through UT. “The class was full and had a waitlist,” Bacon said. “The fact that it had a waitlist is a big deal, and I think we’re taking the right steps towards having the minor reinstated.” Aside from the credit class through the university, BOSS also offers dance technique classes each Sunday on a variety of styles, which are free to UT students. These classes not only give interested students an opportunity to check out BOSS but also help the members of the company
Wednesday, March 9, 2016 • The Daily Beacon enhance their technique. “The technique classes are actually how we get a lot of people to come out and audition for BOSS,” tap choreographer for BOSS Rachel Vernon said. “They’ll have not heard about it and then come to one of our technique classes and love it.” Vernon is a senior at UT in food science and technology with a minor in psychology. This combination of degrees is not atypical for BOSS, which attracts students from a variety of backgrounds due to the diversity of style and expression within dance. “I think that’s what a lot of people are drawn to,” Bacon said, “is that we offer a variety of dance styles.” If you want to see BOSS in action, this weekend is their annual Spring showcase. It is the organization’s largest fundraiser and will have 15 different dances in a diversity of styles. The Showcase runs Thursday, Friday and Saturday night at 8 p.m. in the Clarence Brown Theater. Tickets are $5 for UT students with their student ID and $10 for the general public, and can be purchased either at the Clarence Brown Theatre Box Office or online at knoxvilletickets.com.
Blue Man Group brings unconventional performance to Knoxville Presley Smith
Contributor The Blue Man group, since its formation in 1987, has become an icon of integrating art, culture, humor and a level of artistry that cannot be duplicated. Now, this well-known group is coming to Knoxville as a stop on their U.S. tour. The Blue Man group, known for their bald heads and full body blue paint, is a theatre group known for their creative productions. Matt Goldman, Phil Stanton and Chris Wink, three award-winning writers, performers, Grammynominated musicians and composers, founded the group in an attempt to achieve and discover the true meaning and purpose of their lives. “I was excited by how this project naturally explored the universal aspects of humanity and what it means to be fully human,” Stanton explained, recalling the formation of the group. The members ultimately developed a creative character: the Blue Man, who is bald, blue and said to represent humanity. They started performing as the Blue Man Group in a small theatre in New York, and their performances quickly gained attention. The performers’ unique combination of paint, music, culture and lights grabbed the attention of everyone, and their fame skyrocketed. Their popularity grew when the group performed in Moby’s Arena2 tour and then
released their second album featuring Tracy Bonham, Dave Matthews, Gavin Rossdale and Venus Hum. They continue to release Grammy nominated albums and perform sold-out shows worldwide. The group aims for their performances to evoke emotion, a sense of self and a freethinking attitude. Seeing the group, some say, is a breathtaking experience. Alisha Howington, sophomore in history and classics, will never forget her first Blue Man Group performance. “There aren’t words to describe the Blue Man Group,” Howington said. “It’s a crazy and cool must-watch experience.” By combining percussion and mind-boggling technology, the group brings something special to the table. Their show has placed the group on “The Tonight Show*,”* “Arrested Development,” “Ellen,” “Schaag-den-Raab” (Germany), “WOWOW” (Japan) and “Calderão” (Brasil). This worldwide attention spreads the message that the group stands for and promotes creativity and individuality. The Blue Man Group also focuses on cultural happenings. However, these deep issues are shrouded in humor, allowing the performance to be fluid and light-hearted. Their U.S. tour, consisting of 37 shows, will bring the group to Knoxville at the Tennessee Theatre on March 9 and 10. Check out www. blueman.com/tour for more information.
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Students partake in AmericanJapanese exchange program Sam Kennedy
Staff Writer
Over winter break, 11 students from UT got the opportunity to hang out with snow monkeys in a hot spring and tour a wasabi farm. The trip they went on is called the Kakehashi, or “The Bridge for Tomorrow,” Project and is fully funded by the government as a United States and Japan Youth Exchange Program. Kakehashi is promoted by the Baker Center at UT, since Howard Baker spent a long time as the U.S. ambassador for Japan. This exchange program is undergone every year in order to heighten potential interest in international diplomacy between the two countries and increase the number of overseas visitors. One of the students who went on this December’s trip, Miranda Gottlieb, senior in political science and hispanic studies, has spent a lot of time travelling and says that Japan is by far her favorite place she has ever visited. “The country was so clean and orderly and the people were so incredibly kind,” Gottlieb said. “It wasn’t even just because we were tourists, they have a mutual respect.” The first few nights in Japan, the group stayed in a hotel in Tokyo where they toured the city and its manufacturing plants. The rest of the trip was spent in the state of Nagano, located in a more rural area in the middle of Japan, where the students stayed with Japanese host families. Associate Professor of the Department of Political Science Krista Wiegand went on the trip with the students and said her favorite part was the home stay. “We got to cook meals with them and sort of be a part of their every day life,” Wiegand said. “We ate Japanese food the whole time, like real sushi, sitting on the floor in some cases.” The program aimed to give the visitors a wide range of activities and provide a glimpse of many aspects of Japanese culture.
The students visited shrines, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, anime and manga studios, went hiking and saw a wasabi farm. “The country is very diverse in landscape, which is something I had never thought of before,” Gottleib said. “Just being able to try and communicate a language that I had no idea to navigate was fun. There were a lot of differences, but there are also a lot of things that we all had in common that we can share at the dinner table.” The group also visited Jigokudani Park, or “Hell Valley,” which is located in the Northern part of Japan and is known for its famous snow monkeys. Snow monkeys are little monkeys who live in the mountains in the park and hangout in the mountain’s hot springs. Tristan Smith, sophomore in political science, had only been out of the U.S. once briefly before this trip, so this was his first real going abroad experience. “The best places we stayed were with our host families. It gave us the opportunity to see how Japanese families live on a day-to-day basis, experience a home-cooked meal and really bond as a group,” Smith said. “Our host families showed us the hospitality that Asian cultures are known for, and it really did help alleviate some of the homesickness we might have been feeling.” Although the students did not take classes while abroad, their journey did remain educational. They listened to a few lectures on Japanese culture given by professors from all around the world, as well hands-on cultural learning, such as learning how to cook certain dishes. “It truly was an experience I will never forget and I will be forever grateful to the Baker Center for allowing me to represent Rocky Top abroad and for the Japanese people being such wonderful hosts,” Smith said. The group who traveled to Japan will be speaking at the Howard Baker Center in the Toyota Auditorium on March 21 to share their experience with others.
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The Daily Beacon • Wednesday, March 9, 2016
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Zootopia is more than just another Disney film
Summer Awad Quite Contrary
I don’t watch a lot of movies. My good friends will tell you I know absolutely nothing about pop culture, and a good deal of my social anxiety stems from my inability to carry on a conversation about the latest movies. So when my stepmom texted me and asked me to take my six-year-old sister to see “Zootopia,” I wasn’t thrilled. A college student spending her Saturday night at a kid’s movie? What a waste of time and money. When I went to pick my sister up on Saturday evening, my dad made the prospect of the movie a little better by giving me more money than I needed to pay for the tickets. I spoiled my sister and myself with movie theater candy and entered the theater prepared to be mildly amused at best. Boy, was I wrong. The movie, like most Disney films, was funny and clever, operating on two levels with both adult and children’s humor. Also like most Disney movies, the movie had a moral lesson, a good and evil, a right and wrong. But unlike most Disney movies, “Zootopia” addressed a very relevant and timely issue — racism — in a nuanced and multilayered way. Let’s start with Officer Judy Hopps, the protagonist of the film. Hopps, a bunny, comes from the rural town of Bunnyborough. She wants to be a police officer, but her parents are skeptical, encouraging her instead to carry on the family carrot business in her hometown. But Judy persists, and she graduates from the police academy at the top of her class. She is given an assignment to go to Zootopia, a large and diverse city with all kinds of animals, both predator and prey. Her parents are scared for her safety and encourage her to stay away from foxes, even giving her a package that includes fox repellent and fox deterrent. Although Judy calls her parents out for their “racism” against foxes, her bad experiences with a bully fox cause her to carry the fox repellent to work with her, just in case. As Judy travels to the big city, so does the discussion about racism. A sweets shop run by elephants refuses to sell a Jumbo Pop to a fox named Nick Wilde, simply because he is deemed suspicious. Officer Hopps steps in, providing context for a conversation about equal service for all people. In a surprising turn of events, Nick Wilde actually does turn out to be a shady character. He is repurposing Jumbo Pops for his own illicit sale of Pawpsicles, which is likened to the drug trade through various images. Although one might wonder why “Zootopia” would make a fox, which is really a stand-in for an African American, fit the negative stereotypes the other animals had about him. But this is where the movie gets even more complex and fantastic. It is soon discovered that several animals around the city have “gone savage,” becoming aggressive and attacking people around them. We soon find out that all of these animals are predators. City officials, lacking an explanation, announce to the public that this may be something in the predators’ biology — racism at its finest. However, it turns out that the city government has been targeting predators and injecting them with a serum from the Nighthowler flower to cause this “savage” reaction. This is a direct reference to our country’s history of racism, in which the U.S. government under Reagan debilitated poor black neighborhoods by
Sometimes movies aren’t just animals and fuuny stuff. Sometimes they have a bigger message.”
flooding them with crack cocaine. I found myself secondguessing my analysis, amazed that a Disney film would open this up for discussion. I texted my friends who had seen the movie, bewildered and excited at the social significance of this film. Although I loved “Zootopia” and its handling of race in America, I was troubled by the glorification and heroism of police officers. Police forces are a major perpetrator of racialized violence, particularly against young African Americans. Nick Wilde’s graduation from the police academy at the end of the film seems to send us the message that marginalized peoples should help themselves by becoming a part of the current system. This conclusion ignores structural racism and the roots of underrepresentation of people of color in police forces. I caught a hint of the “Blue Lives Matter” rhetoric, which puzzled me given the complexity of the rest of the movie. As I held my sister’s hand on the way to the car and buckled her into her car seat, I struggled over how to talk to her about the issues in the film, but I knew that it was important to do so. I asked her her opinion of the movie; she said she liked it and pointed out some funny lines that I hadn’t caught. I then started in on my speech, trying to make it resonate with a six year old who, growing up Muslim, already knows something about race. “Sometimes movies aren’t just animals and funny stuff,” I said. “Sometimes they have a bigger message.” As I explained to her how the movie paralleled with real racism in this country, she remained silent. “So what do you think about all that?” I asked. “I liked the movie,” she answered. I had hoped we could have more of a conversation, but I know that kids absorb a lot more than they let on. A few years down the road, when we revisit this film from her childhood, I think we will both be glad we saw and discussed this important movie together. And you will be glad if you see it, too. Summer Awad is a senior in College Scholars. She can be reached at sawad@vols.utk.edu
VIEWPOINTS VIEWPOI
It’s late, your tired, and YouTube is keeping you awake. Here’s what does it for us: “Ibitsu” Boris
“Vasoline” Stone Temple Pilots
“Wet Dream” J. Cole
“Crazy Nights” Loudness
“Giu La Testa” Ennio Morricone
“Quote Unqoute” Mr. Bungle
“Lightning to the Nations” Diamond Head
“A National Acrobat” Black Sabbath
“Acid Police” Boredoms
“Queen” Melvins
Columns 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.
VIEWPOINTS
Wednesday, March 9, 2016 • The Daily Beacon
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State lawmakers don’t understand inequality Maria Smith
Bleeding Orange, Being Different
The irony that I’m noticing right now truly disgusts me. Before I buckled down and got started on my editorial for the week, I was studying the issues regarding the relationship between United States and Cuba with the Platt and Teller Amendments while listening to Michael Jackson’s “Man in the Mirror.” What got to me the most is when I would look up from my laptop, my eyes would automatically go to the spine of a book I got this weekend from Goodwill entitled “Understanding Inequality.” With everything that has been occurring on campus regarding diversity funding and the Tennessee legislature, I couldn’t help but note what I surround myself with compared to what my actual environment is at the moment. I choose to surround myself with anything that will keep me aware. Although history is not my strongest subject, I chose to take a Latin American Studies course to not only fulfill a requirement but also to receive some sort of insight into the history of a culture that our regular grade school systems do not acknowledge (another diversity issue). Currently, we’re discussing the origins of the United State’s relationship with Cuba. To cut a detailed story short, the U.S. told Cuba they were going to help them become independent but eventually went against their word and became invasive within a nation that was not their own. The similarity between this historic issue and the current situation within our community between diversity and the legislature is definitely something to take note of. We, as open-minded, diverse individuals, have put our trust in a governmental system to help us achieve better opportunities within our education. Yet, as
proven by recent events, our trust in figures we perceive to be knowledgeable has become broken due to the one thing we asked for being taken away. The one thing we thought was a solidified promise — to keep our safe havens untouched in an unfamiliar setting that, regardless of any situation, takes time to adjust to — has been broken out of the inconvenience of those not involved. The need for the governmental elite to interfere in things composed by and for minorities out of an irrelevant inconvenience proves to be a repetitive concept in history, whether it be in regards to the independence of a whole country or the funding for groups made up of campus minorities. Why else would they want to use our money for diversity and inclusion programs for stickers on police cars instead? If this doesn’t scream actions done out of personal convenience, I’m not sure what does. Here is where I’d cue the chorus of “Man in the Mirror” just for that rare member of the legislature that actually takes note of students expressing their concerns on the matter but have yet to change their minds. To those members, I dedicate the following lines: “I’m starting with the man in the mirror. I’m asking him to change his ways. No message could have been any clearer.” (Is this registering yet?) Although I’ve yet to start reading “Understanding Inequality,” I believe the title gives away most of the content — what it means to be unfair, and why it happens. Is an imbalanced, or better yet lack of, distribution of monetary funds to a specific set of studentbased, diversity programs sound equal in comparison to the annual salary of individuals or the payments made for paraphernalia? Does this sound like it is the
right approach to take to make every student feel like their contribution is meaningful within an environment they do not entirely identify with besides the commonality of obtaining an education? I think it is safe to assume that a piece of literature published in 2001, an incident from the early twentieth century and a song from 1988 all contain a very similar underlying moral concept of being considerate and honest in all situations — instead of being blinded by our own individual preferences and goals when it comes to others and doing what is right. This upcoming decision by the legislature to possibly pass Senate Bill 2653 is intimidating and stressful because it is literally a small group of rule makers putting the fate of thousands of individuals they do not know to a vote, a vote that can either be considerably made in favor of the students or biasedly supported because of “conveniences.” Dear legislature, if you are more than just a cowardly lion who hides behind the intensity of its roar, come see us over here on Rocky Top. Come be involved in the same organizations you want to strip of financial support. At least then you can say that you “considered” how a lack of funding would possibly affect a student of the diverse community, even if you still choose to cut it. At least then us diversity students can say we have something in common with Cuba: we both have had an invasive decision made for us by somebody else all for the “greater good” of everyone, which in this case is a car sticker. Maria Smith is a sophomore in journalism and electronic media. She can be reached at msmit304@ vols.utk.edu
“Zootopia” is a wake-up call for Tennessee General Assembly
Elle Johnson I Learned Something Today
Dear children of the Tennessee General Assembly, please take your parents to see “Zootopia.” It’s no secret that I love Disney movies. With each new release, I watch every trailer and sneak peek with growing anticipation until I am able to take my seat in the midst of the movie theater with a jumbo popcorn in hand. Admittedly, not all Disney movies have held up to their high expectations with a final quality to match, but I rarely reach the conclusion feeling unsatisfied. However, “Zootopia” chimed a bell that rang all too true. I actually wouldn’t just call this a bell. “Zootopia” is a wake-up call. At first glance, “Zootopia” seems to simply carry all the classic Disney tropes: bright colors, lovable characters and an engaging plot. It’s enough to draw any child in but also provide the parent with enough substance to endure the near two-hour sitting period. However, with the utterance of one key phrase within the first 15 minutes, it becomes readily clear that this movie isn’t just a carbon copy of its predecessors. “Zootopia” carries a strong message throughout that is not only incomparably valuable but so increasingly relevant to our society, especially within our very own university. “Sir, I’m not just some token bunny.”
Without spoiling too much, the film follows an unlikely pair, a bunny and a fox, as they reluctantly team up to solve a mystery and fight for the rights of prey and predator to live in harmony. Through the lenses of the prey versus predator dynamic, the film thoroughly examines multiple degrees of bias, stereotyping and prejudice. Additionally, “Zootopia” takes an additional step through the growth of protagonist (and amazingly strongly-written female character) Judy Hopps, as she personally reflects on her own unrealized acts of narrow-mindedness and begins to see herself and others from a perspective of intersectionality. The most striking aspect of “Zootopia” was that even with such a powerful message, Disney maintained a crucial staple of what they do best. Disney told a story, one with a message that is relatable, relevant and never seems forced. “Zootopia” didn’t need to be preachy or have a “What Did We Learn Today?” segment at the end to validate its message. “Zootopia” won’t cause Disney to be defunded, nor will it require petitions and protests in an attempt to show others that its message matters. None of this will ever happen because quite frankly, “Zootopia’s” message makes sense and has value to all those who watch, young and old.
So tell me, how is it that when those animated animals are replaced by living, breathing students and faculty at the University of Tennessee, the message of critical need for diversity and inclusion becomes blurry to our legislators? Replace the prey versus predator aspect of “Zootopia” with a variety of race, ethnicity, sexuality, gender and backgrounds, and you easily get an image of what diversity and inclusion can be. And as with all Disney movies, there’s a happy ending at the end of the tunnel, and it shows that a world with diversity and inclusion stands so much stronger than one without. With the high possibility of the defunding of our Office for Diversity and Inclusion in the air, our university is effectively taking one step forward and about 200 steps back. While I am thoroughly glad that America is making leaps through outlets like “Zootopia” to educate our youngest generations on these critical issues in preparation for the future, we must press forward in making our voices heard towards bring some validity of the idea of the University of Tennessee being “welcoming to all and hostile to none.” Elle Johnson is a sophomore in College Scholars. She can be reached at ejohn100@vols.utk.edu
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ARTS&CULTURE
The Daily Beacon • Wednesday, March 9, 2016
British blues singer to rock out at the Bijou Theatre Shane Moore
Contributor For nearly five decades, John Mayall has been referred to as the “Father Of The British Blues Movement.� With over 50 studio and live albums to his credit, Mayall is set to play in Knoxville this Thursday, March 10, in the Bijou Theatre. “I think it’s always been the case that blues has been a means of expression for whatever was on that player’s mind. I think it was a small number of blues masters who spoke about things like that,� Mayall said, commenting on the blues style. “It’s something that I’ve developed over the years. If you’re going to sing the blues about something you know, it should be subject matter
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that you can expound on.â&#x20AC;? Mayallâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s concerts have been referred to as exciting and full of endurance by critics, and he wants to give Knoxville that same experience. â&#x20AC;&#x153;As long as Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m healthy and able to get up on stage and give it my very best, I will keep playing,â&#x20AC;? Mayall said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know where itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s going to end; nobody does. But, right now, the demand is there, and Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m very happy to show up wherever people need me.â&#x20AC;? Many students are excited for Mayallâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s performance in Knoxville this Thursday, including Walton Rittenberry, freshman in sociology, who grew up in Nashville with an appreciation of Mayallâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s work. â&#x20AC;&#x153;When I told my dad that John Mayall was coming to Knoxville, he freaked out,â&#x20AC;? Rittenberry said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;He used to take me to his shows in Nashville back in the day. Dad always had the records an
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armâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s length away.â&#x20AC;? Students like Rittenberry are excited to experience the veteran style Mayall brings to the blues scene. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Every artist in any genre has a unique style, but Mayallâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s is prominent and respectful,â&#x20AC;? Rittenberry said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s always brought a grassroots approach to his style, and I always admired that about his craft. I canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t wait to relive it Thursday.â&#x20AC;? Mayallâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own description of his approach to the blues is much humbler. â&#x20AC;&#x153;A certain maturity sets in after youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been playing the music for so long. You know yourself better and what works, and I think the experience you have with your tools of the trade â&#x20AC;&#x201D; which in my case are the keyboards, harmonica and sometimes the guitar â&#x20AC;&#x201D; shows over time as you become more assured,â&#x20AC;? Mayall said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;You express yourself
through the music, and the longer you play, the more assured you get and the more refined your expression is.â&#x20AC;? Tickets for the show can purchased on ticketmaster.com for $28 a seat. The show is predicted to be sold out by the end of the day Wednesday.
Event Info Who: John Mayhall What: British Blues When: Thursday, March 10 Where: Bijou Theatre How much: $28
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PUZZLES&GAMES
Wednesday, March 9, 2016 • The Daily Beacon
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SPORTS
The Daily Beacon • Wednesday, March 9, 2016
BASEBALL
FOOTBALL
Jackson thriving after suffering a season-ending injury a year ago
Jason Croom attempts to move forward against Georgia on October 1, 2014. • File Photo
Rob Harvey
Contributor
Former receiver adjusting to life at tight end Trenton Duffer Copy Editor
When Tennessee spring football practice began in 2014, Jason Croom was a junior receiver who stood 6-foot-5 and weighed 230 pounds. Croom’s 2014 season was solid — 21 catches for 305 yards and four touchdowns. However, a knee injury before the TaxSlayer Bowl sidelined Croom for not only the bowl game but for the entire 2015 season. When the redshirt senior returned to spring practice in 2016, he had added 20 extra pounds and a new drive for a new position — tight end. “It’s always been something that’s been put in my ear being a big receiver for most of my life,” Croom said after Tuesday’s practice. “I just kinda brought it up to Coach (Butch) Jones, and I said, ‘What do you think about me going to tight end next fall?’ and he said ‘Let’s try it out this spring.’” Croom later went on to say that the primary reason for the switch was the appeal of mismatches being provided down the middle of the field since linebackers are primarily the ones to cover a tight end in man-to-man coverage. Since he only played receiver in high school, the transition has been new and challenging to Croom. The redshirt senior cited feet placement, technique and physical toughness as the most difficult adjustments. With a switch to tight end, Croom is getting a hands-on approach to the coaching style of Larry Scott. Scott was hired during the offseason as the Tight Ends coach, a position that Mark Elder formerly held before he was hired to be the head coach at Eastern Kentucky. Croom said that he enjoys playing under
Scott and that the coach is very reassuring. “He’s always up-tempo. He’s always encouraging. I’m real hard on myself, and he’ll be like, ‘You’re good, but next time, don’t make that same mistake,’” Croom said. Croom has also relied on the reassuring words of Ethan Wolf, the team’s current starting tight end and others along the way. “All the tight ends (have helped),” Croom said. “I’m constantly asking questions, trying to figure out what I can improve on, what did I do wrong here. So, when I go and watch film, I know what it looks like and what I did wrong.” Getting tougher all-around: Darrin Kirkland Jr. is enjoying spring practice for the first time as a Vol. Last year at this time, Kirkland was an early enrollee, but couldn’t participate in spring practices due to suffering an injury while bench pressing. This spring, Kirkland is healthy. But his health isn’t the only aspect that is different from last season. “Mentally, I do feel a lot older,” Kirkland said. “Overall, I feel a lot more comfortable on the field.” Kirkland and the rest of the defense are getting their first look at new defensive coordinator Bob Shoop. Shoop, like Scott, was hired during the offseason. Shoop took over at defensive coordinator for John Jancek, who mutually parted ways with Tennessee in early January. Kirkland said that the defensive plays are different, but the defensive system remains the same. “Football is football, but (Shoop) has a different terminology,” Kirkland said. “He’s a good guy that loves football, and he loves talking ball with me and Jalen (Reeves-Maybin). It’s really fun. He’s adapted really well this spring.”
Senior Vincent Jackson thought he had just jammed his thumb. He suffered the injury when he slid hard into second base against Vanderbilt on March 28, 2015. Jackson said he believed the injury was minor and he would only have to sit out for a couple of games. He was wrong. Jackson learned that his thumb was broken and he would miss the rest of the season. He was having a successful season at the time hitting .321 with seven RBI. “I had expectations last year that I wanted to do for myself and the team and just the fact that it got cut short because of an injury really sucked,” Jackson said.
Jackson would not let this injury be a setback, however, as he rehabbed all off-season. “I stayed during the summer and didn’t play summer ball so that I could strengthen it back up,” Jackson said. “After I finally got it back to strength I started swinging and that took awhile too to get the feel back. It was a long process but the summer helped me come back good from it.” The long process paid off. Jackson began this season red hot as he tallied four RBI and a home run against Memphis in the first series of the season in Chattanooga. He was just happy to be back on the field and playing again. “I had a little nerves coming out there just because it has been awhile,” Jackson said. “It was a little emotional for me just because of what happened.” See JACKSON on Page 11
MEN’S BASKETBALL
Tennessee major underdog in tournament Troy Provost-Heron Training Editor
In his 29 years of coaching, Rick Barnes has been in this position—on the outside looking in of all the postseason tournaments—twice. The last time a Barnes-led team was not in the NCAA tournament, the National Invitational Tournament or the College Basketball Invitational was during the 1991-92 season when Providence went 14-17. In his first season at Tennessee, Barnes will need the Vols to make a run through the SEC tournament to avoid his third season without a postseason. With the Vols in the midst of a four-game losing streak and without their leading scorer, though, Barnes understands the uphill battle UT faces. “We do have a new start here now,” Barnes said Monday. “It’s going to have to be an unbelievable run to make anything happen out of it. You’d have to win the tournament and you look at what we’ve done to this point. I don’t think that you think that we could do that, but sometimes people help you along the way, and we’d need some help along the way.” The Vols (13-18, 6-12 SEC) will kick off the SEC tournament against Auburn (11-19, 5-13) on Wednesday (TV: SEC Network, 8 p.m. EST) in Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena. UT and Auburn split their two contests earlier this season with the Tigers taking an
83-77 victory in Auburn Arena on Jan. 2 and the Vols winning the rematch in Thompson-Boling Arena, 71-45, on Feb. 9. “There are a lot of guys who are going to go out and play hard for something,” Moore said. “Those guys are going to come out and compete, so we need to make sure we come out and do the same thing.” If the Vols win, a third matchup with fifthseeded Vanderbilt, whom they’ve lost both games to by an average margin of defeat of 15.5 points, awaits in the second round. UT owns a 9-3 record against Auburn in the SEC tournament and has won at least one game in the tournament in seven of the last eight years. “Obviously it would do a lot for us coming down this last little bit of the season,” Moore said. “To get a win at any point in time is a great thing, but just to see we could actually go on a run in the tournament, I think that would be good for us.” In the likely scenario that the Vols are not able to grab an automatic berth to the NCAA tournament with a championship run, Barnes wants the returning players to remember looking in from the outside. “What you hope is that they don’t forget the feeling that we’re feeling right now,” Barnes said. “Everybody says, `You’ve got to forget it and move on.’ I don’t think you do that. I think you remember it. That’s what makes you get up every day and work harder and come back and say, `We’ve got to do it the right way.’”
SPORTS
JACKSON continued from Page 10 He added onto that stat line where he totaled five RBI and two more home runs over a three-game span against Grand Canyon, St. Mary’s and Central Michigan. Jackson then scored a run and had another RBI in the home opener in a 6-1 win against Cincinnati. This past weekend he had two RBI, scored three runs and stole a base against Maryland, Eastern Carolina, and Southeastern Louisiana to continue his hot start. His totals for the season are now at three home runs, 12 RBI, 13 runs and three stolen bases. “I’m just trying to see the ball and take it one pitch at a time,” Jackson said. “The main thing is trying to square the ball up. That’s what I’m trying to take up to the plate so far.” His coach, Dave Serrano, said he has a lot of respect for what Jackson has been able to accomplish this season. “Vincent’s a big part of this team,” Serrano said. “Vincent’s a great young man. Like a lot of our seniors, he is very deserving. I’m glad he’s back. I’m not glad that he got hurt last season for him to come back, but I’m glad he’s back. He’s going to be a big force behind Nick all season.” Vincent said he hopes to continue to be a big part for this team as the season progresses and hopes the team will make a regional for the first time since 2005 in his final season. “We just want to win each series and make a regional,” Jackson said. “It’s been a while since we’ve made a regional. I’m just trying to have the best year that I’ve had since I’ve been here. I put the work in during the offseason, and I know what I’m capable of.”
Wednesday, March 9, 2016 • The Daily Beacon
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BASEBALL
Miscues doom Vols in loss to Western Kentucky Shane Switzer
Staff Writer
The third out eluded Tennessee time and time again on Tuesday night. The Vols suffered a 6-0 loss against the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers at LindseyNelson Stadium. Tennessee (7-4) allowed two-out rallies in the second and third innings, which led to the Hilltoppers scoring four runs. Two runs in the second and two more runs in the third. Starter Daniel Vasquez cruised through the first inning and looked to be on his way to an easy second but Western Kentucky lead-off hitter Steven Kraft hit a double to right center which drove in Zach Janes. The very next batter Thomas Peter singled to left and Kraft was able to score and give the Hilltoppers a 2-0 lead. “I was missing and wasn’t throwing a lot of strikes, getting behind in counts,” Vasquez said. “I was trying to be too fine with my pitches and I’ll credit them they took some good at-bats off me.” In the third Vasquez (1-1) took a hard
comebacker right off his side which sent him to the ground and brought Tennessee head coach Dave Serrano and the team trainer out to the mound. “It just hit off my glove,” Vasquez said. “It didn’t hit my body thankfully.” Vasquez stayed in the game and got the next two batters out before once again failing to close out the inning. He didn’t get any help from his teammates either. Harrison Scanlon scored on an error by shortstop Jared Pruett which ended Vasquez’s day. Kraft came back up to the plate and in repeat fashion hit another RBI double to right off of Vols’ pitcher Eric Freeman. Vasquez threw 74 pitches in 2.2 innings, gave up four runs on six hits. Vasquez did manage four strike outs. Freeman went 2.2 innings and gave up one earned run on five hits. The Vols used five pitchers Tuesday night which puts them in a tough spot as they have to play East Tennessee State University Wednesday in Johnson City, Tennessee. and have a weekend series against UC Irvine March 11, 12 and 13 in Knoxville. Tennessee will play five games in six days. “We threw a lot of guys tonight, we don’t
have a lot of numbers tomorrow,” Serrano said. “We got a big weekend series coming up. We got to go out and play good team baseball tomorrow.” While the Tennessee pitchers struggled on the mound, giving up 16 hits, the defense behind them didn’t perform much better. The Vols committed two of three errors in the third which extended the inning and led to the Hilltoppers runs. The first error of the inning was committed by Vasquez himself and put runners on third and second. Pruett had two errors on the night. The error that scored Scanlon in the third and also a throwing error in the first inning. The Vols had two base running miscues that cost them chances to score. With one out in the fourth Pruett hit a fly ball to right but Leno Ramirez misjudged it and got caught too far off second base and was doubled off to end the inning. Tennessee repeated itself in the fifth when Jeff Moberg hit a fly ball to center which Janes was able to snag and then throw out Sean Skelly at first to double up the Vols. UTDAILYBEACON.COM SEE MORE ONLINE
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The Daily Beacon • Wednesday, March 9, 2016
BASKETBALL
SPORTS
Punter makes Coaches’ All-SEC second team
Troy Provost-Heron Training Editor
Kevin Punter Jr. was named to the Coaches’ All-SEC second team on Tuesday. The senior guard averaged 22.2 points per game, the second-highest scoring average in the SEC, for Tennessee in 26 games before suffering a stress fracture in his right foot, which he underwent surgery for in New York on Tuesday. The Bronx, New York, native transitioned from shooting guard, a position he has played his entire career, to point guard and overhauled his shot before the season. Punter, who was also named to the U.S. Basketball Writers Association’s All-District IV team Tuesday, scored 20 or more points 18 times and posted three 30-point games. His .460 field-goal percentage was the second-best among all guards in the SEC this season, and he also shot
.369 from 3-point range and .817 from the free-throw line. The numbers and the effort Punter put in to be that productive were reasons UT coach Rick Barnes provided in making his case for Punter being named to the SEC’s first team. “I just think of how much time he has spent in that gym from the time that we’ve gotten here,” Barnes said Monday. “I know how he worked at trying to learn a new position, and I can tell you that prior to him getting hurt, he was definitely playing like a first team All-Southeastern Conference player.” Punter’s appearance on the AllSEC team marks the 11th consecutive season UT has had a first- or second-team honoree. No other UT player was named to any of the other SEC teams. Senior forward Armani Moore, who led the Vols in assists, rebounds, steals and blocks per game, missed out both All-SEC teams and the AllDefensive team.
Kevin Punter Jr. slides past the Huntsville defense on Nov. 7, 2015. • File Photo