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Thursday, March 15, 2012

PAGE 9 T H E

Issue 46

E D I T O R I A L L Y

PUBLISHED SINCE 1906

I N D E P E N D E N T

S T U D E N T

N E W S P A P E R

Emily DeLanzo Design Editor Skimpy swimsuits, no parental supervision and a break from midterms. What’s not to love about Spring Break?

Between last-minute packing of towels and the buzz of midterms, students’ minds are everywhere but on the idea of safety.

Officers at the UT Police Department (UTPD) stress the importance of general Spring Break safety when traveling.

Whether you are heading down to Panama City or off on an adventure somewhere else, make sure you keep your cool and maintain a few key rules.

Before you even leave campus, UTPD encourages that you hide unattended items. If keeping a vehicle on campus, hide valuables and make sure none are left in plain sight. Do not leave bicycles unattended outside. If you live in a house or apartment, do not leave curtains or blinds open

Three ATMs to move inside UC after Spring Break Victoria Wright Staff Writer Out with the old, in with the new.

The “money wall,” once a student landmark of ATMs lining Philip Fulmer Way outside the UC, is now a bleak image of plaster wood and boarded holes.

The removal of the ATMs was in preparation for the demolition of the UC parking garage, which will begin on Saturday.

Jeff Maples, senior associate vice chancellor for finance and administration, said the demolition will be a slow process.

“There are utility issues, and several things must occur,” Maples said.

During the demolition process, three ATMS will be placed inside the airlock area of the UC: SunTrust, Bank of America and First Tennessee will be available for student use after Spring Break. Students who bank with Regions or other ATMs formerly on the wall will have to commute to other locations.

Hunter Ripley, senior in logistics, banks with Regions and ORNL Federal Credit Union and will miss the convenience of using banking services on campus.

“Ultimately, it’s not an easy

spot anymore — I was always on campus almost every day.”

Ripley said. “Now that (the removal) has happened I have to go elsewhere and go further down Kingston Pike. It’s not too far, but it’s just an inconvenience.”

Ripley, along with other students who use banks other than the three being placed in the airlock area, will have to pay ATM fines to use the machines.

Katie Clark, junior in journalism and electronic media, believes the entire construction of the new Student Union is unnecessary.

“I think the money wall does not need to be destroyed this year. I don’t even think the UC needs to be redone,” Clark said.

“I think other buildings on campus need a lot more attention.”

The entire reconstruction process for the new Student Union will cost $160 million.

Maples said the complete details of a possible construction of a new money wall or a similar area is not known.

Until then, Maples said the three ATMS in the airlock area will give students some solace for the removal.

“What we want to do is to provide a good option for students,” Maples said. “Maybe it’s not what we had we’ve had to before, but it’s close.”

Francis Glynn • The Daily Beacon

Steven Lewandowski, sophomore in public relations, withdraws money from an ATM at the money wall on Nov. 10, 2011. The money wall, which once housed ATMs from a number of local and national banks, now has no ATMs available in preparation for demolition of the UC parking garage.

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while away. Actions like those invite bad behavior.

“Pre-Spring Break, some students leave valuable items such as bicycles unsecured,” UTPD Lt. Emily Simerly said. “These are targets for thieves who may prey upon our students. Thieves realize when UT breaks such as Spring Break occur and take advantage that students may be distracted or not present to safeguard their property.”

Once you have housekeeping items squared away, get to know your travel buddies.

Alex Gaddy, a sophomore in political science, encourages all group members to exchange contact information before you leave Knoxville.

“The most important part of Spring Break in terms of preparation is knowing everyone you’re going with and having their numbers,” Gaddy said. “Make sure you know how to get back to where you stay if you leave.”

The open road calls, and the week of

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March 19-23 will have full roads of other excited college students heading off for Spring Break. Do not risk your life or others. Avoid driving under the influence of alcohol or other drugs while traveling.

Police enforcement for speeding and other illegal behaviors will be higher than normal because of increased travel. Always remember to wear your seatbelt. Most of all, enjoy your drive and the carpool company.

Carrying alcohol across state lines can be tricky. It is legal as long as the containers are sealed and out of reach of the occupants. The driver of the vehicle must be over 21 years of age. Also, double check the maximum carry allowed in each state you drive through. The Daily Beacon staff wants you to have fun and be responsible.

See SPRING BREAK on Page 3

UT dedicates Min Kao building

George Richardson • The Daily Beacon

Min H. Kao accepts a digital image frame from College of Engineering Dean Wayne Davis, Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam and Chancellor Jimmy Cheek at the dedication of the Electrical Engineering and Computer Science building in Kao’s name on Wednesday. Kao, who received his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from UT, donated a transformational gift of $17.5 million to the College of Engineering that was instrumental in raising the building that bears his name.

Preston Peeden Managing Editor On Wednesday, campus’ iconic Hill dedicated a new addition to its surroundings.

This new landmark is the state-of-the-art Min H. Kao Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Building. The dedication was attended by namesake Min Kao, along with his wife Fan, Gov. Bill Haslam, Chancellor Jimmy Cheek, President Joe DiPietro and a host of other officials.

The building, which cost over $37.5 million to construct — $12.5 million of which came from the Kaos — will serve to augment and hopefully advance the college.

“The University of Tennessee opened its doors and offered me an opportunity to grow in my field,” said Kao is a press release from the university. “I hope the new facility will allow others to pursue their dreams and will further position UT as a gateway to great things in engineering and innovation.”

Kao, a UT alumnus, donor and chairman, received his master’s and doctorate degrees from UT in 1977 in electrical engineering.

From there, Kao went on to work in navigation systems before beginning a partnership with Gary Burrell.

Burrell and Kao created Garmin, which has become one of the leading names in consumer, aviation and marine technologies for Global Positioning Systems.

While Kao’s success with Garmin has taken him to high financial heights, he has always remained committed to his alma mater.

In addition to the money donated for the building, he has also donated $5 million to create the Min H. Kao Scholars and Fellows endowments and the Kao Professorship. Through these gifts, he has been able to affect the lives of not only individual students but also an entire department.

“Your generosity is going to be appreciated for as long as this building stands,” said Michael Pickelsimer, a graduate student in

electrical engineering and computer science, who was also a recipient of the Min H. Kao Fellowship and scholarship. “And your contributions have helped to provide a bright future for the department as well as students, and your gifts have made a difference for so many.”

Kao’s contribution to the department was also reflected by DiPietro, who saw this building as a nice infusion of energy.

“There is a special feel around a university when you move into new digs or a new building, and you can feel that in this place today,” he said. “And the best way to describe it is ‘Camelot’-like ... there is a spring in everybody’s step. There is a new sense of commitment to that enterprise around that college or in this case that department. It spills over.”

The Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Department is one of the fastest-growing colleges on campus, and Kao’s numerous gifts will certainly play a part in its future growth.

According to a UT press release, “During the past five years, undergraduate enrollment (in the college) increased by 27 percent, which is more than twice the national average. The number of doctoral students grew by 45 percent, which is more than four times the national average.”

The new Min H. Kao Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Building will provide even more space for the college to grow as it centralized what had been a six-building college into a singular 150,000 square-foot building, with the ability for more and better interaction between faculty and students.

Ultimately, this building and its construction reflect the administration’s current Top 25 Initiative, “Big Orange, Big Ideas,” which Cheek commented on.

“Dr. and Mrs. Kao’s generous gift laid solid groundwork to begin our journey to the Top 25,” Cheek said in a release. “Their gift offers our students competitive education and research opportunities and provides much-needed infrastructure and resources as we continue to expand and enhance our institutional goals.”

2 • The Daily Beacon

OPINIONS

Thursday, March 15, 2012

LettersEditor to the

SGA’s structure inherently flawed Let me preface this response by saying that I share many of Mr. Campbell’s pessimistic feelings about SGA. I have no idea what SGA does for me. The people involved with it are résumé builders and never fulfill campaign promises. As Mr. Campbell correctly notes, the only way for us to know it exists is when bright colored T-shirts and vague oneword campaign names assault our collective walkway experience.

However, just because SGA does nothing for us now does not mean that we should give up on its potential for the future. The legitimacy of SGA is and should continue to be one of the principal issues of the current campaign. Mr. Campbell correctly states that “SGA is constructed in a way that makes meaningful progress out of reach for the students involved.” If SGA does not have the power to create substantial change on campus, why should I vote?

Of course only 10 percent of students vote! Their vote (or no vote) will do nothing to change their undergraduate experience!

But to condemn the structure of SGA and give up is lazy. Student government should be an important force in its relationship with the administration and its usefulness to students. So let’s make it more effective!

Restructuring the legitimacy of SGA has already been a topic of discussion in these pages. For example, transferring the allocation of student funds from secret RES or CA boards (whatever those mean) to the control of SGA is absolutely crucial to its future. If SGA were to be in charge of my activities fees, I would have more impetus to inform myself on the campaigns and vote accordingly.

Mr. Campbell’s other large point, that SGA used to be much more student

involved, is misguided in its examples.

To bring up the state of student government during the ’60s and ’70s is unfair in its comparison. Jimmie Baxter could unite the student body in his time because he was living in a much more volatile social situation. Does Mr. Campbell want us to live in an era of contentious race relations and violent protest so that a leader will emerge from SGA to guide us? Will a more fractured American society give SGA more legitimacy?

What is volatile today is the economy. Accordingly, SGA concerns itself with tuition hikes — issues that do affect the student body. Further, we complain about large orange banners because they represent how the university spends its money. I think we can all agree that we should be concerned with how the university spends our money.

If Mr. Campbell doesn’t want to listen to campaigns that desire to change the status quo, then I would agree with his self-assessment of cynicism.

However, if we want to increase the legitimacy of SGA, we should be asking the campaigns what they plan on doing to change the structure of the system rather than giving up on the notion of student government altogether. The more we emphasize the need for structural change for the powers that SGA wields, the more relevant elections will become.

Thank you for your attention. And thank you for your extensive coverage of the elections this year.

Dimi Venkov Theater Class of 2012 dvenkov@utk.edu

‘Invisible Children’ not dismissable First I feel I should congratulate Emily DeLanzo, the author of “Kony 2012 feels empty, too late,” on her extensive knowledge of world issues that allowed her to know about Kony before it was cool. I have to say I find it admirable in an age where ignorance is becoming more and more widely accepted.

Though I wrote my middle school civics paper on why women should be allowed to sign up for the draft, I too was aware of the existence of Joseph Kony and the Lords Resistance Army. I probably have an unfair advantage: family in Africa.

But I knew about and prayed for the child soldiers and mutilated families — “back when I was 13, optimistic, and naïve.”

When I thought prayer solved problems and was interchangeable with action.

I will also submit to DeLanzo that the sudden interest in Kony is a bit outdated.

It would have been more useful before 2005 — before Kony was indicted by the International Criminal Court and ran from Uganda for fear of capture. Does anyone really think, though, that Invisible Children doesn’t know that?

Invisible Children has been working on this issue for almost a decade. Jason Russell first traveled to Africa in 2003.

Since his first documentary was completed in 2004, “Invisible Children: Rough Cut,” Jason and his team have been trying to raise awareness of the issue and money for the cause. What DeLanzo has dismissed as “slactivism” has helped to build schools and radio towers and other pieces of infrastructure that we take for granted every day, but could mean the difference between a life of purpose and a life of fear for the victims of the LRA. It is not IC’s fault that their message didn’t take off in mass until now. But you

know what they say: “Better late than never.” (May I also remind you we were late to the Holocaust? We were late to New Orleans after Katrina. We are always late, but that doesn’t mean things can’t change.)

Here is where my healthy dose of cynicism comes in: Why do people care now?

What changed? In a moment of cynical brilliance Jason Russell decided to put a white kid in the video. Who knows if he thought of it that way; he probably just thought his son would help make the story more personal. It worked. The moment that little blonde boy says, “That’s sad…

We should stop him,” the viewer’s heart melts and they are able, for the first time, to relate the children in those war-torn African nations with themselves, their children, siblings, nieces and nephews and the little girl who lives down the street.

Now Invisible Children has created a worldwide awareness that never existed before. How could that be a bad thing?

Think what you will about Kony 2012 and whether or not Americans should be worried about people in central Africa.

There are legitimate discussions to be had over meddling in affairs of other nations and neocolonialism and white guilt and what not. But for DeLanzo to dismiss what has happened to those children and their families as population control is sick and cowardly.

Just because she is too afraid of what her mother thinks to try and change the world, doesn’t mean she should talk down to those who are willing and able to make an attempt. If everyone thought like Emily DeLanzo, we would still be British.

Eva Posner Journalism and Electronic Media Class of 2011 eposner@utk.edu

Thursday, March 15, 2012

NEWS

The Daily Beacon • 3

Speaker analyzes reality TV’s portrayal of women Justin Joo Staff Writer Continuing Women’s HERstory Month, students got a chance to hear a critical analysis on the portrayal of women in reality TV. Jennifer L. Pozner was the guest speaker brought in by the Women’s Coordinating Council. While her presentation “Project Brainwash: Why Reality TV is Bad for Women” was highly critical of reality television, Pozner stressed that she wasn’t trying to eliminate reality TV, but rather to get people to view it with an analytical mind.

“The goal is not to stop watching reality TV,” Pozner said. “I want to get you to stop using the term ‘mindless entertainment.’”

The presentation is part of her larger body of research covering reality TV’s portrayal of men, minorities and economic classes. Due to time constraints, however, she narrowed her lecture to focus primarily on women.

The lecture focused on two areas. The first was Pozner’s explanation on why reality television has proliferated the medium to such a degree over the past decade. The second was looking at how women are negatively portrayed within the genre of “reality.”

Pozner said that the reason so many reality shows exist is not because they’re always in high demand, but rather that such shows are very cheap to make and can pull in millions of dollars in advertisement and product placement.

“I want to debunk reality TV’s first biggest myth of all, that these programs simply exist because there’s a public demand,” Pozner said. “They’re giving us what we want … but that’s a lie.”

Pozner quoted several interviews from individuals such as the creator of “Survivor” and “The Apprentice,” Mark Burnett, where the individuals claimed that reality TV was perfect for advertisers and a wise financial investment.

Pozner also backed her argument by noting several reality shows that remained on air despite having ratings lower than other shows on the same network that were canceled despite higher ratings.

“I begin with this financial picture because it is important to understand that reality TV was created for advertisers’ needs and not our needs as viewers,” Pozner said.

Pozner then began the bulk of her lecture by going into the negative stereotypes that women are portrayed as.

The first of which was how women can only be successful if they fit into a particular version of beautiful. Pozner pointed out instances on “American Idol” where host Simon Cowell would compliment female contestants’ voices but then state that they could never make it in the industry unless they lost weight or changed their hair style. Pozner also noted shows like “Bridalplasty,” where the show’s prize was to win massive amounts of plastic surgery.

Pozner was the most critical of the romance/dating shows like “The Bachelor,” which she claimed promoted the “fairy tale princess” stereotype.

Pozner showed dozens of clips from such shows that implied that a woman’s worth is only determined by her ability to have a successful marriage. The women in these shows are depicted as being subservient, vindictive, materialistic, money-grabbing and ultimately exist for nothing but for the approval of one man.

Pozner said that such shows not only hurt woman, but also belittle what it takes to have a successful relationship.

“These shows have a simple equation,” Pozner said. “Fat wallets plus skinny women equals love!”

Pozner also criticized minority women’s portrayal in reality TV. She pointed out that white women typically get the “Cinderella fairy tale,” but everyone else gets shows like “Flavor of Love,” where black women are depicted as “violent” and Asian women are either “extremely submissive or hyper sexual.”

An audience of more than 30 gathered in the UC Auditorium to see Project Brainwash. Al Wong, a grad student studying clinical psychology, enjoyed the presentation but felt that there was something lacking.

“I really liked it,” Wong said. “But I felt that she left out some of the positive things that reality TV can have. There have been some positive portrayals of Asian men. And what about Susan Boyle?”

Overall though, Wong said Pozner brought up many good points.

Students can learn more about Pozner and her research on reality TV in her book “Reality Bites Back: The Troubling Truth about Guilty Pleasure TV.”

SPRING BREAK continued from Page 1 If traveling to a foreign country, check the legal drinking age and other applicable laws. If you suspect someone in your group has consumed a dangerous amount of alcohol, help them seek medical attention immediately.

Once you finally reach your destination, take precautionary methods for safety purposes. Keep in mind the power in numbers, so always travel in groups, regardless of your gender. Stay in well-lit and highly populated areas for safety purposes.

“Meeting and interacting with new people is a tradition on Spring Break,” Simerly said. “However, students should be aware of their surroundings and look for ‘red flags’ to identify potentially dangerous situations when dealing with unknown ‘friends.’”

Watch your food and drink to avoid spiking. In general, try to avoid accepting drinks from strangers. Do not sit your drink down anywhere or leave it unaccompanied.

Make sure you and your

Rebecca Vaughan• The Daily Beacon

Students enjoy an international dinner at the Baptist Collegiate Ministry on Thursday, March 8.

French war director dies at 83 The Associated Press PARIS — Pierre Schoendoerffer, an Oscarwinning French filmmaker who was held prisoner in Indochina and chronicled the pain of war on screen and on the page, has died. He was 83.

The French military health service confirmed that he died Wednesday. France's Le Figaro newspaper said Schoendoerffer died in a hospital outside Paris after an operation.

“France will miss him,” President Nicolas Sarkozy said in a statement that praised the “legendary filmmaker and novelist” for risking his life for France and “helping us better understand our collective history.”

Born in central Franceo on May 5, 1928, Schoendoerffer served as a cameraman in the French army in the 1950s and volunteered to be parachuted into the besieged fortress of Dien Bien Phu, where the decisive battle of the French war in Indochina was fought.

When the stronghold fell to the Vietnamese guerrilla army in May 1954, Schoendoerffer was captured and spent four months in a POW camp before being repatriated.

After the war, Schoendoerffer became a war correspondent in Algeria, and also worked in Malaysia, Morocco, Yemen and Laos.

He first gained fame as a film director for the gritty realism of his 1965 film “The 317th Platoon,” which traced of a doomed group of French and Laotian soldiers retreating through the jungles ahead of the final rebel offensive in 1954. Critics have described the black-and-white film as a masterpiece among war movies in general, and among the best Vietnam War films ever made.

In 1991, he returned to Vietnam to film “Dien Bien Phu,” a big-budget docudrama about the 55-day battle that ended France's colonial rule in Indochina and marked the start of the U.S. involvement there.

group are constantly aware of your surroundings. Be sure to have fun but always be safe.

Grace Cowles, an undecided sophomore, reiterated the importance of staying with group members at all times.

“Make sure you always stay with someone you know so you don’t get ditched somewhere you aren’t familiar,” said Cowles, who is preparing for her trip to Gulf Shores in Alabama.

No one wants to come home from Spring Break with a police record. And more importantly, everyone wants to come home.

4 • The Daily Beacon

Thursday, March 15, 2012

OPINIONS

Going

Somewhere... Hopefully School pressures detract from life Preston Peeden Managing Editor It’s midterm week, and that of course ushers in one thing: cram studying. Most students will spend the next two days inside, trying to remember what exactly they were supposed to have learned throughout the entire first half of the semester. During this period, many students pour over their notes in the hopes that they will find some hidden gem in them that will clear up all of their concerns. That, however, is not how I have spent my midterm week. Instead of studying and writing practice essays, I have been stuck in a series of selfreflection.

It was halfway through trying to answer the first essay question for my modern German history class midterm on Tuesday that I looked outside with envy. At a quarter to seven, the sun was beginning to set, the wind was blowing slowly and my attention began to ebb. Instead of trying to understand the effects of the Napoleonic Wars on the German states, I started wondering how I had gotten to where I was at that very moment.

In a very cliché way, to me it only feels like a couple months ago that I moved into Morrill Hall my freshman year to begin my college career. In a flash, the last three years have gone by, leaving me confused as to how I got to where I am. I used to have more hair, more ideals and less stress, but besides those surface changes, I don’t think I’ve actually changed much.

Dr. Seuss once quipped, “How did it get so late so soon? It’s night before afternoon.

December is here before it’s June. My goodness how the time has flewn. How did it go so late so soon?” In this poem, Dr. Seuss expressed exactly how I was feeling in that one moment.

I was sitting at my computer, with three notebooks open simultaneously and a copious amount of documents relating to the Weimar Republic strewn on my couch, and what could I show for it? I don’t think I’ll do badly on the

exam, but even if I do great on it, what then will that have done for me? I certainly would like to have a good grade in the class, but it ultimately doesn’t affect my life as much as the grade-grubber in me would like to believe. In 15 years, my grade on this one midterm will probably mean nothing, and yet I am wasting the first truly beautiful day in the past four months inside instead of out.

I know why I stayed inside to study. I want to get good grades, have a good GPA and go to a prestigious grad school, but when did that become my primary concern in life? When I was a sophomore in high school, my main concerns throughout the week were centered on what I was going to eat for dinner, do that weekend and how I was going to get there. (I have a late birthday, so getting a ride was central to most activities.) It wasn’t that school was out of the equation for me, but it was secondary.

I was too busy with my friends and with the things I wanted to do, rather than the things that I thought I was supposed to be concerned with.

I know that what I am experiencing is a natural transition in life. As we all get older, we gain more and more responsibility. As our age grows, so too do the worries we have and the expectations we are supposed to meet. I realize this trend and I accept it. If I still had my high school mentality today as a 20-year-old, then I would probably be making Cs in most classes and not even writing for this paper because it would be too much effort. But that still doesn’t mean I don’t miss the freedoms that aging has stolen from me.

In a flash, I went from just arriving on this campus to getting ready to leave it in two semesters’ time (a prospect that frightens me to no end). With the last year and two months I have left at this school, I don’t want to let another second pass idly by.

So despite my fear of failing, I decided to spend the rest of the sundown outside playing catch with a baseball instead of studying, enjoying what I might have missed. I just hope that my teacher doesn’t find this out until after she grades my exam.

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

SCRAMBLED EGGS • Alex Cline

THE GREAT MASH-UP• Liz Newnam

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

Americans insulated from atrocity Urb an La n d sca p e by

Lindsay Lee Every couple of days, I open up the Internet, and the first thing I see is a bloody, dead child in someone’s arms.

I have two Internet browser homepages: NPR.org, and the international news page of the Spanish newspaper El País, which opens first. I started trying to read a little bit of El País every day this semester to keep up my Spanish because I am not in a Spanish class. As soon as I started reading it, I noticed right away the difference in the kinds of stories El País reports and the stories any other American news organization reports.

These violent images are the cover photos for stories about the conflict in Syria. As the conflict escalates, the images get more and more graphic.

The first thing that always catches my eye is the look of unadulterated anguish on everyone’s faces.

Next, I see the broken limbs and the torn skin and the blood. I always have to stop and stare; this morning I gagged it was so horrifying.

If I hadn’t made the spontaneous decision to set my homepage to El País, I would know nothing about the Syrian conflict. Nothing at all. I’m trying to think of the other places I have heard about it, and can only come up with a couple of instances.

These graphic images I see every other day are horrifying, but they have opened my eyes to the reality of it all. I could never totally understand the immense pain of these people, but I approach understanding seeing these photos and watching videos. And the visuals encourage me to look deeper into the issue to see what is really going on.

This is the type of honest reporting that Americans need to see daily in our own media outlets. We need to hear more about these atrocities, and, more importantly, see them.

American news is often wary to show extremely violent images, especially on TV (which is pretty ironic considering the fact that the rest of our TV shows and movies are much more violent than

other nations’). No one wants to see these images while eating breakfast, but we cannot live in this bubble forever. It is not OK that we Americans are generally in our own little world, concerned with what Jon Hamm just said about Kim Kardashian, who to place where in our March Madness brackets, and whether or not Sarah Palin is going to run for office in 2016.

Don’t get me wrong; the same sorts of graphic, real images that I’ve seen in foreign news outlets are also present in American media, but they are much harder to find. The first image you will see when visiting any news organization’s website is not going to be bloody. If the top story is about something really important and potentially violent, they’ll choose to show pictures of mobs or people yelling, but not of what they are actually yelling about.

But then again, a lot of the times the top story for an American news network is not going to be that important. As an example, I checked the MSNBC website for their top U.S. and world story, and the headline was, “School demands middleschoolers’ Facebook login.” The new reported statistic of 8,000 total dead in the Syrian conflict wasn’t even in the top eight stories.

But this American bubble isn’t all our fault. The media does not think we can handle being confronted with these sorts of images, or they think we will choose not to watch that news network anymore. I just don’t think that’s the case.

I really believe that if people are confronted with the real truth more often, they will care. Really, legitimately care. And even if there is nothing we can really do individually about a conflict like this, at least we will know what is going on, that means something.

News organizations everywhere have the responsibility to not only tell us the truth, show us the reality.

Today, March 15, is the official one-year anniversary of the Syrian conflict. I encourage you to look around online for the news stories and acquaint yourself with the truth. Find the pictures of the dead, and watch the videos of the tortured.

This is the world we live in. This is the world our children are going to have to grow up in. And we can’t ignore it any longer.

— Lindsay Lee is a sophomore in mathematics.

She can be reached at llee26@utk.edu.

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Greg Bearringer

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LETTERS POLICY: The Daily Beacon welcomes all letters to the editor and guest columns from students, faculty and staff. Each submission is considered for publication by the editor on the basis of space, timeliness and clarity. Contributions must include the author’s name and phone number for verification. Students must include their year in school and major. Letters to the editor and guest columns may be e-mailed to letters@utdailybeacon.com or sent to Blair Kuykendall, 1340 Circle Park Dr., 11 Communications Building, Knoxville, TN 37996-0314. The Beacon reserves the right to reject any submissions or edit all copy in compliance with available space, editorial policy and style. Any and all submissions to the above recipients are subject to publication.

In response to being, as he put it, “basically attacked” by an Barack Obama spokesman for saying that he (and he alone!) will lower gas prices to $2.50/gal, Newt Gingrich replied, “I have suggested that if we developed our energy capacity to the degree we could, that that would bring down the price of gasoline on the theory that supply and demand works, and this is not something that Obama is very used to. This is not a bureaucratic trickle-down, shovel-ready, Solyndra-investment, let’s-go-bankrupt-together policy.” Oh, now we all get it: Newt Gingrich isn’t so insane to think he controls gas prices; he merely thinks that he can control the price of oil by getting more of it — apparently his words cause refined oil to well up from the ground willynilly.

Sadly, this megalomania makes him sound pretty average for a politician.

Paul LaMonica on CNN.com astoundingly tried to point out that not only do oil companies not really determine the price of oil independently, but it also isn’t necessarily a bad thing to “(add) jobs in the U.S. as commodity prices (are) rising” like oil companies do. Of course, everyone paying any type of attention knows that this isn’t really useful logic, since politics is rarely beholden to the reasonable opinions of knowledgeable people. Just about every president has their poll numbers rise and fall with the gas prices. This, of course, is a devils trap: People think that politicians can change gas prices so people who want that power attempt to claim that power in order to make the person who only has that power in theory looks week. Of course, this is a dangerous game to play: Republican candidate Newt Gingrich will look like a mighty (mightier?) fool if the gas prices fall in August just as the election season really gears up.

Of course, Obama and just about every president since a 1921 bill that requires the president to present a budget to congress claims abilities which no single person has — the ability

to create jobs, to ensure safety, reduce poverty, or cure any one of about a million socio-economic ills which plague the U.S. They can only do things which tend to result in good results; they offer tax breaks or stimulus packages which tends to lead to jobs, they expand the military which tends to thwart off would-be attackers, and they offer welfare to the impoverished which tends to put food on the table. Of course, they have to do this with the cooperation of congress, which is on the whole pretty powerful, but leaves the individual relatively anonymous in terms of direct effect — like the president signing a bill.

The larger question is, of course, why we even want politicians in charge of the economy, let alone “morality” (or at least birth control) or even our culture. All the people making fun of Mitt “the job machine” Romeny (sic) for announcing, “I like grits,” need to remember that Tennessee chose Rick Santorum for reasons little better than that. Santorum, of course, claims that he is the “family man” filled with all sorts of good Christian virtues (and a healthy aversion to abortion); that’s all fine and good, but is that really of consequence in a free society?

My point isn’t that these politicians are worse than one another; my point is that if they are it’s largely because we elect people who act like them.

We elect the peacock with the biggest tail feathers and not the largest brain. I remember reading an article (which a cursory Google search didn’t turn up) where a columnist thought we needed to elect a president much like Gordon Brown. While it turned out that even the Brits didn’t need Gordon Brown, I think I get what they were saying: What we need to do is elect a president who has an appetite for work and not for engaging in rooster swinging contests with opponents whose opposition isn’t really worth its position.

In fact, I think we just need to elect a president we all hate, not because they don’t do anything or because they seem to be incompetent, but because they are willing to be hated to do things (like slash the budget and raise taxes) which no one likes. Therein lies the conundrum: People who run for office have enormous egos and really like promising the moon. What politicians (and ourselves) need to realize is that bringing the moon to earth would certainly kill us all.

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

ARTS&CULTURE

Thursday, March 15, 2012

The Daily Beacon • 5

High hopes for ‘Tekken’ fulfilled Britannica to end printing, move online Chris Flowers

Staff Writer

Never have I more eagerly awaited a video game than “Street Fighter X Tekken.” I sought out every announcement and rumor associated with the game ever since it was unveiled at Comic-Con in 2010. I had daily debates on what characters should be included and who would be top tier. I even constructed a custom arcade stick to play it on.

My high hopes have been justified by my first week with “Street Fighter X Tekken.” Capcom has crafted a beautiful fighting game with just a few flaws on the periphery to dim some of its sheen.

“Street Fighter X Tekken” (pronounced Street Fighter cross Tekken) is the first release under the “X” banner, which will see its second entry next year, with the Namco-developed “Tekken X Street Fighter.”

“Street Fighter X Tekken” is built on the “Street Fighter IV” engine, and those familiar with that game will feel immediately at home here.

Capcom struck an interesting balance in the game’s character selection. Some of “Street Fighter” and “Tekken’s” classic combatants were left out to make room for less standard choices. Blanka and E. Honda make cameo appearances in the background of a few stages, but are replaced on the roster with some lesser known characters like “Final Fight’s” Poison and Hugo. The roster favors shotos and grapplers over charge characters and this is reflected in the faster-paced, more combo-heavy gameplay compared to “Street Fighter IV.” Although “Tekken” makes up half the roster, the gameplay is pure “Street Fighter.” The one exception is the tag mechanic which uses the “Tekken Tag Tournament” rule of one character’s defeat ending the round. That doesn’t mean the “Tekken” characters are ineffective by any means, the game emphasizes the up-close action of the “Tekken” series. Throws have had their ranges drastically shortened and their start-up slowed to seven frames. Command throws from grapplers, like Zangief’s spinning piledriver, have had their start-ups nerfed to five frames or slower. This makes butter churning during block strings much less effective. Shoryukens now have less priori-

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EMPLOYMENT

Camp Counselors, male/ female, needed for great overnight camps in the mountains of PA. Have fun while working with children outdoors. Teach/ assist with A/C, Aquatics, Media, Music, Outdoor Rec, Tennis, & more. Office, Nanny & Kitchen positions available.

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Help needed for hard worker outside. Pay on Friday’s. Good work environment. 637-3600.

Jimmy John’s now hiring in-store help for all shifts.

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

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

EMPLOYMENT Make a difference this summer as an UPWARD BOUND RESIDENT ASST Program Dates: June 4th- July 8th Duties include: Supervising high school students in the dorm; planning/ leading academic, recreational, and cultural activities in the evenings; serving as a positive role model for students who will be the first in their families to attend college.

Preferred Qualifications: Rising junior/ senior classification; exp working with high school students; not taking UT summer classes.

Apply to: UT CAPS Outreach Ctr. 25 HPER Building, (865)974-4466 or Leigh Ann Elkins lacampbe@utk.edu Mother’s helper: $12/hr.

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

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PT/ FT retail clerk needed for liquor store.

2040hrs/wk. For more information call Jim at (865)573-1320.

ty, and are much more likely to trade with jump-in attacks. These changes create more poke-heavy fights, which makes up for the overall superiority of the “Street Fighter” side’s special moves.

The game’s “cross gauge” functions like the super meter of the “Street Fighter” series. It is divided into three sections that build up as you inflict and incur damage. It can be used for more powerful attacks or for tagging in your teammate for reasons of safety or additional offense. Its most interesting use is to call in your teammate for simultaneous control of both characters, which can obviously get disorienting for the opponent and the player.

Leading up to the game’s release, the most controversial aspect of the game was the new gem system. Functioning much like “Call of Duty’s” perk system, players equip three gems to each of their fighters with effects like dealing additional damage or increasing a character’s movement speed.

Capcom positioned the gem system as a way for newer players to have a better shot at victory online, but it is clear the • Photo courtesy of gameinformer.com system was added as an additional way to nickeland-dime players. The gems designed to help new players, like autoblock and easy input, require precious bar of cross gauge to activate, making them more of a hindrance than help.

Capcom’s real motivation is clear when comparing the “DLC gems” to the gems that come with the standard edition of the game.

They are unquestionably better. This isn’t a matter of opinion; many of them do the exact same thing as standard gems, but the standard gem will have a negative aspect, like 10 percent movement speed that doesn’t exist on the DLC version. Capcom has always been abusive to their loyal fans with constant re-releases of their games, but this may be their scummiest move of all.

As a cherry on top, it was recently discovered that there are 12 characters already on the disc to be released as future DLC. But none of this will stop me from playing the game nonstop until the next major fighting game comes out. Honestly I will probably buy the game again in May when it’s released on PC, just so I don’t have to turn on my PS3 to play. I did the same thing for “Super Street Fighter IV.” If you are at all interested in fighting games, pick this one up and add Swantanamobay to your PSN friends list if you want to test your might against my Ryu/Hugo technology.

EMPLOYMENT Staying in Knoxville This Summer? Need a Fun Summer Job? Camp Webb day camp, in West Knoxville, is now accepting applications for full-time summer camp counselor jobs! Positions: general camp counselors, lifeguards, and instructors for Archery, Arts & Crafts, Drama, Swimming, Ropes Course, Nature, Sports, & some leadership positions. Part-time available. www.campwebb.comto apply.

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Call about our special (865)573-1000.

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974-4931

The Associated Press CHICAGO — Hours after Encyclopaedia Britannica Inc. announced it will stop publishing print editions of its flagship encyclopedia for the first time in more than 200 years, someone among the editing minions of free online rival Wikipedia made an ironyfree note of that fact.

“It was announced that after 244 years, the Encyclopaedia Britannica is going out of print, instead focusing on its online encyclopedia,” the entry read.

The book-form of Encyclopaedia Britannica has been in print since it was first published in Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1768. It will stop being available when the current stock runs out, the company said. The Chicago-based company will continue to offer digital versions.

Officials said the end of the printed, 32-volume set has been foreseen for some time.

“This has nothing to do with Wikipedia or Google,” Encyclopaedia Britannica Inc. President Jorge Cauz said. “This has to do with the fact that now Britannica sells its digital products to a large number of people.”

The top year for the printed encyclopedia was 1990, when 120,000 sets were sold, Cauz said. That number fell to 40,000 just six years later in 1996, he said. The company started exploring digital publishing in the 1970s. The first CDROM edition was published in 1989 and a version went online in 1994.

The final hardcover encyclopedia set is available for sale at Britannica’s website for $1,395.

“The sales of printed encyclopedias have been negligible for several years,” Cauz said. “We knew this was going to come.”

The company plans to mark the end of the print version by making the contents of its website available free for one week, starting Tuesday.

Online versions of the encyclopedia now serve more than 100 million people around the world and are available on mobile devices, the company said.

The encyclopedia has become increasingly social as well, Cauz said, because users can send comments to editors.

“A printed encyclopedia is obsolete the minute that you print it,” Cauz said.

“Whereas our online edition is updated continuously.”

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HOUSE FOR RENT

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

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

Seeking Adult Adoptees between the ages of 18 and 65; who were adopted by age 2.

Please participate in my brief personality trait inventory and demographic questionnaire that takes no more than 10-15 min to complete.

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NEW YORK TIMES CROSSWORD • Will Shortz ACROSS 1 What “:” means on some exams 5 River in W.W. I fighting 9 Brewing giant 14 Kind of street 15 Top 16 Gray ones can cause arguments 17 *Look for 19 Caffè ___ 20 “If only” 21 *Entice with 23 With 26-Across, none 24 Stumble 26 See 23-Across 27 Some investments, for short 28 *Drop one, say 31 Broker’s goal 32 “Cold Mountain” novelist Charles 33 Most common first name among U.S. presidents (six) 34 *July, for Major League Baseball 37 Where lines may cross 40 Voluntarily, perhaps 43 Those Spaniards 44 *Doesn’t worry

46 TV’s onetime ___ Club 47 Electric ___ 48 NetZero, e.g., for short 49 Zip 51 *It may bear a coat of arms 54 Relatives of raspberries 56 Succeed 57 *View from Land’s End 59 Order countermanded by “Down, boy!”

60 Long haul 61 Legion 62 Travels over what’s hidden in the answers to the seven starred clues 63 Average 64 Bygone fliers DOWN 1 “___ his kiss” (repeated 1964 lyric) 2 Suckler of Romulus and Remus 3 Sellout 4 What we share 5 Derisive call 6 See 13-Down 7 Exotic avian pets

ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE F R A U A N D S B A S S R A L G R O O M I K E A D I S C B E U V A S I N G O R A L P I N E E L A N N E S S

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Join forces anew Tight Man from Oman Sony recorder Twiddled one’s thumbs 6-Down in subSaharan Africa Salty orange square Suffix with hexStir at a speakeasy Island birthplace of Epicurus Spartan king who fought Pyrrhus After-dinner drink, maybe Holy Roman emperor during the War of the Spanish Succession They include Cuba and Jamaica Smart answers Lower

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38 It’s south of Helsinki 39 Government study, briefly?

41 Spanish husbands 42 Ophthalmologist’s procedure 44 Musical notes 45 Puts in, in a way 47 Fe, Ag, Au, etc.

50 Jrs. take them 52 “The Land of Painted Caves” novelist 53 Designed for flight 55 Singer Phil 58 End of a match, for short 42 Ophthalmologist’s procedure 44 Musical notes 45 Puts in, in a way 47 Fe, Ag, Au, etc.

50 Jrs. take them

52 “The Land of Painted Caves” novelist 53 Designed for flight 55 Singer Phil 58 End of a match, for short 42 Ophthalmologist’s procedure 44 Musical notes 45 Puts in, in a way 47 Fe, Ag, Au, etc.

50 Jrs. take them 52 “The Land of Painted Caves” novelist 53 Designed for flight 55 Singer Phil 58 End of a match, for short

6 • The Daily Beacon

ARTS&CULTURE

Thursday, March 15, 2012

Monday, March 19 What: The Moody Blues When: 8 p.m.

Where: Tennessee Theatre How much: $64.50-$79.50 Our take: Late British Invasion combo brings a night of hippie-dippy psychedelia, loose jazz and R&B to Knoxville’s Historic Movie Palace.

Thursday, March 15 What: Steven Wright When: 8 p.m.

Where: Bijou Theatre How much: $39.50 Our take: Known to some as “Guy on the Couch” in “Half-Baked,” Wright is an Academy Award winner who cut his chops on Johnny Carson and has appeared in numerous films and TV shows as a deadpan bit player. His stand-up, however, is more energetic and insightful.

Friday, March 16 What: Richard Marx with the Knoxville Symphony Strings When: 8 p.m.

Where: Tennessee Theatre How much: N/A Our take: Really? Just lob me a softball, why don’tcha? Avoid in case of sterility and possible spontaneous outburst of perm.

Saturday, March 17 What: Terri Clark “Roots and Wings Unplugged” When: 8 p.m.

Where: Bijou Theatre How much: $25 Our take: Multi-platinum Nashville star plays stripped down hits in cozy theater. Bring your best flannel and Stetson.

What: Four Leaf Peat When: 8 p.m.

Where: The Square Room How much: $15 Our take: Local Celtic traditionalist quartet plays Market Square venue.

Fedoras and blazers are appropriate, if not necessary.

• Photo courtesy of The Moody Blues

Wednesday, March 21 What: Cream Soup of Rock with Three Man Band, Electric Jellyfish, Golden Boys, Shriek Operator, and Burning Itch When: 8 p.m.

Where: Pilot Light How much: $5 Our take: At a dollar a band, and the coldest PBR in town, the Pilot Light will get you through the hump day of what must be a pretty downer Spring Break in Knoxville.

Thursday, March 22 What: Scruffy City Roots featuring Scruffy City All-Stars When: 7 p.m.

Where: The Square Room How much: $10-$20 Our take: A new concert series hosted by V-Roy Scott Miller in the vein of Tennessee Shines. Check back on the regular for local and international roots music.

Thursday, March 15, 2012

NEWS

The Daily Beacon • 7

Mild TN winter could spell early travel season The Associated Press NASHVILLE, Tenn. — From the Mississippi River to the Smoky Mountains, the winter just ended was warmer than usual all across Tennessee.

Forecasters use the meteorological stretch of December-February rather than the astronomical period between the winter solstice and the vernal equinox to denote the season.

It was the mildest winter in Nashville in 40 years, averaging 4.3 degrees above normal.

The National Weather Service reported the winter was 4.5 degrees above normal in Memphis. Knoxville and Chattanooga both ended the season at an average 4.4 degrees above normal while the Tri-Cities had a relatively balmy 4.6-degree deviation to the plus side.

In a sense, the unusually mild winter was something the wind blew in.

“When we have a La Nina situation like we did during the winter months, the main branch of the polar jet is well north of the Tennessee Valley,” said Bobby Boyd, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service office in Nashville. “The southern branch is moving across the Desert Southwest, the Southern Plains and the lower Mississippi Valley, bringing us warmer temperatures.”

La Nina and El Nino are the opposite phases of surface temperature variations in the Pacific Ocean.

In the La Nina, or cold phase, winter temperatures in the continental U.S. are warmer than normal in the Southeast and cooler than normal in the Northwest.

Another weather phenomenon also came into play.

“Arctic oscillation was in a positive phase,” Boyd said. “This year, most polar air spilled into Europe and Russia.”

There was officially only 0.4 inch of snow during the winter in Nashville. More fell in other places, including the northern Cumberland Plateau, the mountains and some in West Tennessee. Some school systems that

had banked snow days used a few for health reasons instead; to break the cycle of local flu outbreaks.

Boyd said he went back over several decades of records, correlating temperature and snowfall, and wasn’t surprised to find the coldest winters are also the snowiest.

The visible results were dramatic: ornamental shrubs blossoming at Christmas, daffodils opening up in January.

The resulting early spring could translate into a stronger beginning to the travel season said Susan Whitaker, commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development.

“People get out when the weather is nice,” she said.

So do the bugs.

Dr. Frank Hale, an entomologist with the University of Tennessee Extension, said the effects of frigid weather on the insect population are overrated.

“For the vast majority of insects, it doesn’t make much difference,” said Hale from his office at the Ellington Agricultural Center in Nashville. “Mosquitoes are just as bad or worse in Alaska than they are in Tennessee.”

The spring weather has more to do with the mosquito population, he said. Early warm weather with moist conditions allows them to reproduce earlier and more generations of them hatch out before frost comes again. The fertile little bloodsuckers can go through a generation in a month or less and Hale says each successive generation tends to be larger than the one preceding it.

Garden pests might be detected earlier in the season.

Hale recommends keeping the insect repellant handy because mosquitoes can carry west Nile disease and ticks can harbor Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever.

Nothing in the current forecast would discourage enjoyment of the outdoors.

Sarah Houston • The Daily Beacon Expected high temperatures into the weekPersonal graffiti adorns a piano outside the Clarence Brown Theatre on Friday. The end will be within 5 degrees above or below 80 “Play Me I’m Yours” installation from artist Luke Jerram includes hundreds of statewide. pianos, such as the one outside Clarence Brown, across the globe. Jerram will be featured in a Skype event on Friday in Room 109 of the Art & Architecture Building

Tide hot commodity on black market The Associated Press WASHINGTON — When police in suburban Washington raided the home of a suspected drug dealer last fall, they found the cocaine, all right, but also something unusual on the man’s shelves: nearly 20 large bottles of liquid Tide laundry detergent.

It turns out his customers were paying for drugs not with cash but with stolen Tide, police said.

Tide has become a hot commodity among thieves at supermarkets and drugstores in at least some parts of the country.

For a variety of reasons, the detergent in the familiar flameorange bottle is well-suited for resale on the black market: Everybody needs laundry detergent, and Tide is the nation’s most popular brand. It’s expensive, selling for up to $20 for a large bottle at stores. And it doesn’t spoil.

One Safeway supermarket in Prince George’s County, Md., was losing thousands of dollars’ worth of Tide a week before police made more than two dozen arrests. In St. Paul, Minn., a man pleaded guilty to stealing more than $6,000 worth of the stuff from a Walmart and was sentenced to 90 days in jail.

Police in Newport News, Va., and other cities around the country have reported a spike in thefts.

In the Washington area, some CVS pharmacies have been attaching electronic anti-theft tags to bottles. One CVS in Washington’s well-to-do Dupont Circle neighborhood keeps Tide locked up behind glass.

Charlene Holton, a clerk at a busy, 24-hour CVS in northwest Washington, has seen too many Tide thefts to count.

“It’s a hot item! It’s gotten out of hand,” Holton said. “They usually take maybe four, whatever they can carry out the door.

We have to fight for that. It’s rough!”

The store has put electronic tags on its Tide, but that doesn't stop the thieves, Holton said.

They run out of the store with the detergent and remove the tags later with wire cutters.

It’s not clear how new the Tide theft phenomenon is, but organized theft has been a growing problem for U.S. retailers, costing them $3.53 billion in 2010, according to the National Retail Federation. Other popular items for thieves include baby formula, razor blades and overthe-counter medication.

“We’ve seen organized retail crime, or the theft of goods for profit, resale or barter, for many years now,” said Joseph LaRocca, senior adviser on asset protection for the NRF. LaRocca said that Tide had not shown up previously on lists of the most commonly targeted items, but that several retailers told him this week it has been a problem.

Robert McCrie, a professor of security management at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York, said Tide is an ideal target for thieves, in part because high demand makes it easy to resell. The flat economy is a factor, as is the relatively low risk to criminals, he said.

“The idea of somebody making significant money as a drug pusher has been pretty much debunked on the streets. It's risky and really low-profit,” he said. “Selling something like this represents little risk of physical danger.”

Unlike nasal decongestants, which can be used to make methamphetamine, laundry detergent is generally used for

its intended purpose after it is stolen, authorities and industry officials say. Many thieves are selling it on the street themselves at cut-rate prices, sometimes outside coin-operated laundries.

In Prince George’s County, police said they learned from informants, undercover officers and other sources that drug dealers encourage their customers to pay with shoplifted Tide instead of cash.

“I’m out of marijuana right now, but when I get re-upped I’ll hook you up if you can get me 15 bottles of Tide,” one dealer was quoted as telling an informant, according to police.

The drug dealers then often resell the detergent to unscrupulous retailers such as corner stores, barbershops, even a nail salon. Everybody gets something out of the arrangement: the addict, who doesn't have to scrounge up cash; the dealer, who can double or triple his profit on the drugs; and the retailer, who can acquire Tide for less than wholesale.

8• The Daily Beacon

SPORTS

Thursday, March 15, 2012

Manning to sign with Titans?

The Associated Press NASHVILLE, Tenn. — A group of Tennessee Titans executives have returned to Nashville with Peyton Manning for a meeting with the free agent on the team’s home turf.

Coach Mike Munchak, general manager Ruston Webster and chief operating officer Mike Reinfeldt landed Wednesday afternoon at Nashville International — not John C. Tune airport as indicated on a flight plan — after flying into Raleigh-Durham Airport to pick up Manning.

They returned to the team’s headquarters where the Titans will try to convince Manning to sign with Tennessee.

Titans owner Bud Adams told WSMV-TV on Tuesday the executives were going to spend the day with Manning.

Munchak, Webster and Reinfeldt had arrived in North Carolina just before 1:30 p.m. EDT. Manning arrived at the airport riding in the backseat of black Escalade at 1:53 p.m. EDT, boarded the plane and the group headed back to Tennessee.

Manning had been in Raleigh-Durham working out several times at Duke recently.

Blue Devils coach David Cutcliffe was his

offensive coordinator at the University of Tennessee.

The owner has said he will do whatever it takes to sign Manning in his chase for a championship. He sees the quarterback as the missing piece. The 89-year-old Adams is staying in Houston, and that’s why Reinfeldt joined Webster and Munchak for this trip.

Adams promoted Reinfeldt from general manager in January to senior executive vice president and COO to act as his point man with the team in Tennessee while he lives 650 miles away.

The Titans already have veteran Matt Hasselbeck with two years left on a deal signed last July, and drafted Jake Locker with the eighth pick overall in the 2011 draft.

The quarterback’s suitors include Denver, Arizona and Miami. He reportedly visited with the Dolphins Monday night in Indianapolis.

Cutcliffe declined to answer any questions about Manning Wednesday following the Blue Devils spring practice. However, when asked how his players were handling the distraction with the new faces around, the coach laughed and said, “you found a way, didn’t you” to get in a question about Manning.

Freshman Libietis thriving with Vols he won a title and made it to the final in three other events as well as achieved an ATP doubles ranking of No. 624 and a Staff Writer singles ranking of No. 1,357. He is only Most tennis players come into college the ninth UT player ever to compete in just hoping to play in a few matches in an international team event.

When asked their first season, and about the differthe thought of being in ences between his the No. 1 spot is just a home in Latvia future goal. Tennessee’s and his new home Mikelis Libietis took the at Tennessee, he top spot from day one, had only good and has held it up phethings to say. nomenally as a freshman.

“People are The 6-foot-2, 199more friendly pound Latvian is the here than back first freshman to take the home,” Libietis No. 1 singles spot on the said. “In Latvia, UT tennis team since we don’t have colJohn-Patrick Smith in lege sports. You 2008 and is only the sevcould say that I enth ever. In the fall, he Whitney Carter • The Daily Beacon am beginning to was able to win 2011 (bleed orange).”

Tennessee Fall Mikelis Libietis lines up a backhand While he has Invitational in singles during a match against an Illinois been a dominant and also grabbed the opponent Feb. 5. Libietis, a fresh- force on the doubles title alongside man, stepped onto the court in the courts, the freshteammate Jarryd No. 1 spot his first match at UT, the man looking to Chaplin. He also took first to have done so since John- study sports the Ohio Valley Regional Patrick Smith in 2008. management is Championships in douseeing the tough bles with teammate Hunter Reese. aspects of being a college athlete.

Libietis has held his own, acquiring a “It’s pretty tough to manage time,” 16-7 singles record with a ranking of No. 36 and a 21-4 doubles record with a rank- Libietis said. “Stats and economics are ing of No. 17. He has singles wins over tough for me because of the language four players ranked No. 51 or better, and barrier. We have four-hour practices, so of his seven losses, six have been in the you’re kind of tired when you study, but top 75 and two of those were ranked in when you know what you need to do in your day, you just have to get over it.” the top 10.

Libietis has also been introduced to A tennis future and a career at UT the world of trash-talking. He explained were obvious choices for the freshman.

“My father was a coach, and my broth- that he has seen that in the NCAA and er started playing when he was young, so SEC teams actually hate each other and I was very young when I started playing,” fans yell and have gotten under his skin Libietis said. “I chose Tennessee because easily. As the Vols have recently begun to it’s a good tennis program and has had an struggle in conference play, Libietis also amazing team for the last five years. It knows that it is important for fans to come out and support when the team was an easy decision.”

He might be a new face around tennis continues SEC play against LSU on in Knoxville, but on the other side of the March 23, at 1 p.m.

“The crowds can get to you and it’s world, he has made a name for himself. easy to lose your focus,” Libietis said. “If Libietis represented Latvia in 2011 at a Davis Cup match against Greece. As a they are UT fans, they better come and player in the junior and Futures circuits, watch.”

Ben Daniel

Thursday, March 15, 2012

THESPORTSPAGE

The Daily Beacon • 9

Spani embraces rare positivity Boxer fights unexpectedly, wins belt college and especially at a university like Tennessee,” Spani said. “There’s been a lot of ups and downs with our team, and then, just physicalNews Editor ly and stuff, but I think the Lord is showing me a Since stepping foot on “The Summitt” in lot and that’s the most important thing.”

More recently, the challenges facing Summitt, Thompson-Boling Arena for the first time, Tennessee junior guard Taber Spani has contin- who announced in August she was diagnosed ued to impress her coaches, teammates, teachers with early onset dementia, Alzheimer’s type, have and fans with her faith, actions and basketball been hard for Spani to watch. Even through this skills. One of just 13 Lady Vols to start her first season, her respect for her coach has grown career game as a freshman, Spani has lived up to stronger on a daily basis.

“It’s hard on me because I have such an amazher reputation as a player and a person, and won the respect and love of the people who surround ing relationship with her,” Spani said. “I love her and I respect her so much, her. and so for me to see what A leader among her teammates she’s going through and how and community, Spani has made difficult that is for her somea lasting impact on the people times, that’s hard. But I think surrounding her. UT chaplain it’s been amazing how she’s Roger Woods has seen Spani used that to even further her grow and mature over the last influence and show how three years as she continues to amazing she is as an overall live out her faith and lives more person. It’s been hard, but and more for her team. when you go through those “As a person and a player, trials I think the joys comes (what stands out is) her genuine through it too, so it’s been love for people, but really over the amazing to see.” years her love for her teammates,” Unable to separate herself Woods said. “She genuinely loves from her deep-rooted her team.”

Christian faith, Spani has Deeply involved with Team won the respect of her teamUnited on campus (a part of Athletes in Action and Rebecca Vaughan • The Daily Beacon mates and she loves them for it.

Fellowship of Christian Athletes), “It’s been amazing because my teammates have Spani has considerable time constraints, which is one of her biggest challenges to overcome the last really accepted (my faith) and love that, and I think more importantly respect that about me,” three years.

“It’s difficult at times because I want to be mak- Spani said. “It’s been an amazing journey to watch ing as big of an impact as I can,” she said. “You how that transitioned over the last three years.”

Senior guard Briana Bass said Spani’s role as a gotta focus during the season and I try to cut down on extra stuff and save that for the offseason. leader on the team is a great addition. Her positive You have four years and it goes by really fast, so if attitude, humility and work ethic stand out above you can be involved in things and keep it managed all else.

“I really love Taber,” Bass said. “She definitely and under control and keep your priorities straight, I say go for it, and that’s what I’ve tried to brightens up this team and she’s always so positive. do.”

“If you listen to her answering machine on her Staying focused and accomplishing her priorities is something Spani does best. Woods said she phone you can tell how positive she is. We definiteis one of the most focused student-athletes he’s ly need Taber and we really appreciate her. She’s humble and goes out and works hard.” interacted with, if not the most.

Looking forward, Spani has high hopes for the “You can’t say enough about her,” Woods said.

“She’s definitely a diamond in the rough. You only upcoming NCAA women’s tournament, which see kids like this every five to 10 years. Only every UT enters as a No. 2 seed. The Lady Vols begin now and then do you run into someone of this cal- their run for a potential ninth national championship Saturday at 4:10 p.m. against UT-Martin, iber.”

For Spani, the opportunity to play college bas- Summitt’s alma mater.

“I want our team to finish out strong,” Spani ketball under legendary coach Pat Summitt has been a dream come true and worth the sacrifices said. “I want us to be playing our best at the end that come with it. Working through the adversity of the season, and we believe that that’s going to that faces every team as well as several injuries, be good enough to compete with anyone in the Spani is thankful for the experiences and the country.

“We’ve gotta control what we can control and growth she has seen as the fruit of that labor.

“It’s every athlete’s dream to be able to play in that’s gonna be going out and giving 100 percent effort and leaving our hearts out there.”

Lauren Kittrell

• Photo courtesy of Tommy Elsten

Trent Elsten of Delta Tau Delta fraternity holds the welterweight championship belt after the completion of the SAE Fraternity Boxing Tournament on Saturday.

David Cobb Staff Writer Trent Elsten went to the Knoxville Expo Center Thursday night for the same reason a couple thousand other college students did.

He wanted to watch boxing and be a part of the frenzied atmosphere surrounding the 32nd annual Sigma Alpha Epsilon boxing tournament.

Elsten, a freshman in animal science and member of the Delta Tau Delta fraternity, was not slated to fight until Friday.

At least that’s what the welterweight contender believed until an error in the schedule came to his attention.

“I was just sitting out there in the crowd like it was a normal night,” Elsten said. “I was just watching my competition and seeing what was going on, seeing what to expect.”

There is no way he could have expected what came next.

“One of the Golden Gloves trainers came up to my buddy Evan and asked him if he was a DTD,” Elsten said.

The trainer was inquiring about Elsten, who was standing nearby. He informed the stunned freshman that his boxing career would begin in 20 minutes.

“I was really pissed off,” Elsten said.

Elsten and his trainer, sophomore BCMB major Ezekiel Duck, scrambled to find the necessary equipment for the fight.

“We were freaking out for a while just trying to find clothes,” Duck said.

Elsten borrowed shorts and shoes from a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon, the fraternity to which his opponent belonged.

A friend lent him socks just so he could wear the shoes. But that wasn’t all.

“They had to make me a mouthpiece,” Elsten said. “The guy who came up and told me I was boxing ran off and made me a mouthpiece in a few minutes and brought it back to me while I was warming up. I had to put it in and fit it while I was

warming up.”

Only a handful of the DTD brothers were in attendance because they were under the impression that Elsten wasn’t fighting until Friday. But Duck and the few who were there did what they could to diffuse the situation.

“Once we got all the equipment … after that they moved us back five (minutes) so he had time to warm up,” Duck said. “Things calmed down and we kind of tried to pump him up and tell him not to worry about the short notice.”

Elsten blocked out the circumstances and relied on instincts to outlast his opponent Dylan Heath in a three-round bout.

“I’ve always been good in physical altercations with other people and stuff like that, fights,” Elsten said with a smile. “I’ve always done all right with those, so that’s kind of how it was.

“With people who are a bunch of beginners in boxing, that’s what it is; it’s a fight.”

By the third round, a handful of Elsten’s friends had made their way to the ring to witness the end of the bout.

“We were yelling our hearts out,” Duck said.

“And seeing all the other brothers show up, the support and seeing him go in there and perform was just crazy.”

Word of the results beat Elsten back to campus, and he received a warm reception upon arriving at the fraternity house.

“It was the first time that a Delt had won since we got our charter back,” Elsten said. “So everybody was kind of freaking out and congratulating me. It was a pretty exciting atmosphere for sure.”

Though marked by an unexpected surprise, it was a night to remember for both Elsten and his fraternity.

“I wasn’t prepared for it, I felt like,” Elsten said.

“But it turned out all right.”

Elsten followed up his performance on Saturday, dodging both punches and scheduling mishaps to beat Pi Kappa Phi’s Brian Shin by one point to win the title belt of the tournament’s “Welterweight A” division.

10 • The Daily Beacon

Thursday, March 15, 2012