Alumni pen letter to TN legislators in support of diversity programs
Kristopher Takács, member of the American Institute of Architects, discussed the potential transformation of urban districts through leveraging transportation during his lecture on Monday, March 28. Akshata Dusa • The Daily Beacon
D.C. architect discusses future of transportation Jared Sebby Copy Editor Since the development of city planning, transportation has always been a key concern. From the Roman roads that stretched across Europe, to the rail networks and interstate highways that opened up North America for expansion and development, how we get around has often set the tone for how we think
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of cities overall. Kristopher Takács (pronounced Tak-as), head of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill’s (SOM) Washington, D.C., division, spends a lot of time thinking about travel and trying to figure out how to more tightly integrate transportation infrastructure into the spaces where we live and work. This was the topic he shared with UT Campus in the Church lecture series on Monday, March 28. “When you look at the accessibility of transit — this was surprising to me — something
like 60 percent of people living in the United States do have transit available to them, even in the suburbs,” Takács said. “But, when you look at who uses it, 10-15 percent occasionally use it, and about five percent actually commute using it.” Takács believes it is a matter of convenience. “It really has to do with how we live and how our urban development is planned,” he said. See ARCHITECHTURE on Page 8
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As University of Tennessee alumni and Torchbearers, we write with concern and unease as the Tennessee legislature attempts to restrict personal, intellectual, and social growth through the defunding of campus diversity initiatives (HB 2066/SB 1902, HB 2248/SB 1912, HB 2629/SB 2653). We applaud UT students and our former teachers who have come together to protect a campus, state, and future in which people of all identities can thrive with equitable resources, security, and representation. This letter expresses our strongest opposition to any legislation that limits UT’s ability to provide a safe and inclusive learning environment to all students, faculty, and staff. In our time on campus, we experienced and witnessed acts of racism, sexism, homophobia, ableism, religious intolerance, and other forms of oppression. We were also exposed to scholarship and dialogue on race, class, disability, sexuality, gender, religion, and other identities. We lived and studied on a campus where we could hone our critical thinking, learn to recognize our privileges, and openly oppose prejudices. This has prepared us for lives and careers that require us to consider the safety and quality of life of all people.
SeeALUMNI LETTER on Page 3
Wednesday, March 30, 2016
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INSHORT
The Daily Beacon • Wednesday, March 30, 2016
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FBI gains access into shooter’s iPhone
CMA Music Festival 2016 full lineup announced
AP All-American team announced
It is still unclear to Apple Inc., how the FBI hacked into an iPhone without help from the company. The government said they were able to gain access to the phone of the gunman from the mass shooting in San Bernardino, California in December. Apple is, again, in the public eye of consumers who fear their personal information is no longer safely kept within their iPhones. The Justice Department’s announcement to drop the legal fight against Apple hinders the company from asking the FBI through legal avenues how they broke the digital locks on the phone. The FBI is currently reviewing information on the phone, though they have not reported any useful information found so far.
From June 9-12, more than 400 country artists will gather in Nashville for the 2016 CMA Music Festival. The final stadium lineup for the nightly headlining performances in Nissan Stadium was released yesterday, March 29. Miranda Lambert, Rascal Flatts and Dierks Bentley are among the stadium openers Thursday night. On Friday, country music icon Hank Williams Jr. will be joined by country veteran Carrie Underwood and others. Saturday night will bring Florida Georgia Line, Cole Swindell and Chris Young on stage. Sunday will end with performances by Keith Urban, Little Big Town and Luke Bryan. All stadium shows are already sold out. A full lineup of the remaining artists to fill smaller venues will be announced in the next few weeks.
Oklahoma’s Buddy Hield headlined the AP All-American team that was released on Tuesday, joining Denzel Valentine (Michigan State), Brice Johnson (North Carolina), Malcolm Brogdon (Virginia) and Tyler Ulis (Kentucky). Hield and Valentine were both unanimous selections. Hield is averaging 25 points per game this season for the Sooners, who are set to take on Villanova Saturday in the Final Four. Ulis was the lone representative from the SEC and the 5-foot-9 guard is the shortest player since Seattle’s Johnny O’Brien (1953) to be named to the team. The Wildcat point guard was named both SEC Player of the Year and SEC Defensive Player of the Year in 2016. The team is comprised of four seniors and one sophomore (Ulis).
GOP lawmaker questions Haslam’s secret $30M development deal Associated Press NASHVILLE, Tenn. — A state senator on Tuesday questioned fellow Republican Gov. Bill Haslam’s proposal to earmark $30 million for an undisclosed economic development project in Tennessee. Sen. Bill Ketron of Murfreesboro cited state money spent on problematic economic development deals, including a shuttered polysilicon plant in Clarksville, a West Tennessee solar farm that still isn’t operational, and a facility to study converting switchgrass to fuel that has been
moved to Iowa. “We continue year after year, and even going back to the prior administration, laying out large chunks of money for what we think might occur,” Ketron said. “And they don’t seem to materialize.” State Finance Commissioner Larry Martin declined to elaborate on the development prospect other than to describe it as an “exciting project” during a Senate Finance Committee meeting. Ketron said he was uncomfortable voting for the new project on the basis of state officials saying, “Trust me, it’s going to be good.”
Martin said the Haslam is “not yet prepared to disclose who this is, but I can tell you that it has a very good payback and a strong return on investment.” “This one they feel very confident about,” he said. The state routinely makes offers — and the Legislature rarely rejects — grants to companies that build new facilities or grow existing ones in Tennessee. Recent incentive money has gone to big projects like the new Hankook Tire plant in Clarksville and expansions of the Nissan plant in Smyrna or Volkswagen in Chattanooga.
Judge denies removal of Peyton Manning from lawsuit Staff Report Efforts by the University of Tennessee to move a federal Title IX lawsuit to Nashville and remove any mention of famed UT quarterback Peyton Manning from that lawsuit have been denied by a U.S. District Judge. In an order filed Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Aleta A. Trauger said there was insufficient evidence indicating the need
for a change of venue for the trial from Nashville to Knoxville, writing the defense failed to prove “this inconvenience would be so significant as to tip the scales in favor of relocating this lawsuit,” as reported by The Tennessean. Legal representatives for the eight unnamed “Jane Doe” accusers, who claim in a lawsuit that the University of Tennessee has fostered a culture of sexual assault in favor of male athletes, say the move would
have been potentially traumatic for the women who were allegedly raped there. Trauger further denied the notion that the mention of Peyton Manning was irrelevant to the larger case. The incident with Manning occurred in 1996 when the quarterback, then a sophomore at UT, allegedly sat on the face of trainer Jamie Whited, now Jamie Naughright. The matter was settled out of court and Whited left the university soon after.
CAMPUSNEWS
ALUMNI LETTER continued from Page 1 Our University of Tennessee equipped us with life skills essential to responsible social and civic engagement. We have integrated these skills into our professional lives as architects, lawyers, CPAs, community organizers, and public health scientists. We have also brought these skills into our personal lives as family members, community members, and participating citizens. We are disappointed by the legislature’s attempts to deprive the students who come after us of the same social and educational opportunities. With the threat of funding cuts to the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, individual and institutional discrimination will go unaddressed. A flagship university, UT attracts scholars, athletes, faculty, and partnerships from all over the world. The proposed bills and the ideological archaism that enabled them would permit a university culture that condones the structural and overt discrimination we have seen and continue to see across our country. Defunding UT’s diversity initiatives jeopardizes the reputation of both UT and the state of Tennessee as places for scholarship and social progress. We thus urge our state legislators not to advance any budget cuts or limitations to UT’s Office for Diversity and Inclusion. More fundamentally, we call on our legislators to be proactive in supporting a university culture that fosters an open exchange of ideas without the threat of censorship. In solidarity with our alma mater, we also ask
Wednesday, March 30, 2016 • The Daily Beacon Chancellor Cheek and President DiPietro to denounce HB 2629/SB 2653 -- which would amend the state budget to strip funds from the Office of Diversity and Inclusion -- and any future legislative actions that intend to restrict campus diversity initiatives. We also urge UT administrators to improve efforts to address the demands put forth by the UT Diversity Matters Coalition and prioritize the campus perspective of marginalized students. Finally, we call on UT alumni, fellow Torchbearers, and all Tennesseans to support students, faculty, and Vice Chancellor Hall, who are actively working to maintain an inclusive and enriched UT community. Most urgently, we encourage individuals to contact their state legislators. We remind legislators of their civic duty to serve all who live and work in Tennessee, regardless of identity. Signed, Daniel Aycock, ‘13 Erin Bernstein, ‘09 Lisa Dicker, ‘14 Amanda Fortner, ‘10 Lindsay Lee, ‘14 Samuel Mortimer, ‘10 Terry Nowell, ’14 Kenna Rewcastle, ‘15 Taylor Reynolds, ‘09 Maria (Williams) Tackett, ‘09 Jayanni Webster, ‘12 Akshitha Yarrabothula, ‘13 Eric Dixon, ‘13 If you are a UT Torchbearer and would like to sign this letter, please e-mail uttorchbearerdiversity@gmail.com.
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Humans of Knoxville “Slack lining is if you have two trees or poles, you can attach the line, and it’s kind of like a balance beam. It’s really easy to set up, and once you get it, it’s really fun. You can start learning tricks. I can do a backflip off of it.” - Jake Keller, freshman in marketing Mary Geiser • The Daily Beacon
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CAMPUSNEWS
The Daily Beacon • Wednesday, March 30, 2016
Students ‘Creating Common Ground’ through SGA Caroline Mulloy Contributor The trio of Jennings Hardee, Matthew Morris and Caitlyn McCandless teamed up for the sake of SGA in the fall of 2015. Their ‘Creating Common Ground’ campaign plans to improve many aspects of student life through programs such as Dining Policy, Safety & Prevention and Wet Weekends. Morris, Vice Presidential candidate, explained that while he understands the need to serve the student body, he equally understands not every decision can or should please everyone. “Creating a common ground means that we can’t have one policy point that makes every student on campus happy, but we can create many policy points and many educated decisions to try to create as many positive reactions from the student body as possible,” Morris said. Morris’s experience with SGA began his freshman year and inspired him to run for Vice President now, as a junior. “The first person in SGA that I really looked up to was the Vice President at the time that I was on freshman council,” Morris said. “That is why I wanted to run for VP to be able to interact more with senate, more with the actual legislation of SGA, to have more of a hands on approach.” In explaining his decision to run for SGA, Haslam College of Business candidate Eric Peters said he felt confident in his campaign’s ability to unite the student body. “I would love the opportunity to represent
the college that I care about for the better of the whole school,” Peters said. “Different ideals give us strength.” McCandless, running for student services director, is the current director of government affairs. In this position, she interacts with administration one on one and has built a relationship she takes pride in. “Improving transparency with the administration is something we definitely want to push for,” McCandless said. Hardee, Presidential candidate, is also advocating for better communication between students and administration. Hardee said that she is striving for a “clear line of communication between students and the administration” in order to create awareness and improve outreach efforts. When asked what was the most important campus issue to Morris, he had a strong opinion about safety. “I have always been very concerned with how my friends get home, and I think using the power of the office, we can really implement some positive changes with on and off campus safety,” Morris said. The Hardee Morris McCandless campaign is highly concerned with being a voice for the student body. One concern that Morris has is that the university is putting too much emphasis on the need to be a Top 25 school. “Making the top 25 is a great goal that I hope we can achieve, but I also want to make sure that in the four years that we all spend here, the current student body gets the attention from the administration that they need,” Morris said. Hardee said that her and the rest of her
Jennings Hardee, Matthew Morris and Caitlyn McCandless Photo Courtesy of Hardee Morris McCandless campaign members are “advocating for incremental change on campus that improves daily lives of students,” further claiming that they are the right candidates for the job because “we have already been making changes on campus through SGA.” Noting the recent controversy surrounding the Title IX lawsuit and it allegations against the university, Morris mentioned one way that he would be able to improve the issue of sexual
assault on campus. “I hope we can help the victims’ mental health before they are asked to make these aggressive legal decisions. If we can’t fully prevent the assaults, then we need to help the victims recover,” Morris said. The slogan ‘Creating Common Ground’ will be attainable with this campaign because they “cover 100 student organizations with the people on our campaign,” McCandless said.
Search continues for new Vice Chancellor for Communications Maria Amalla Contributor The University of Tennessee will be adding a new member to the big orange family as Margie Nichols, Vice Chancellor for Communications, announced her retirement earlier this month. Spearheading the search to find Nichols successor is Chris Cimino, Vice Chancellor of Finance and Administration, along with the help of several committee members. In an open email to the University of Tennessee students, Chancellor Jimmy Cheek described the loss that the University will feel with Nichols departure. “Margie has served as vice chancellor for more than seven years and has
provided the strong leadership needed to enhance the university’s national reputation,” Cheek said. “She has helped to tell the best stories about our university and improved our communication with students, faculty and staff.” Nichols has also previously served as chair of the UT Knoxville Chancellor’s Associates, been a member of the UT National Alumni Association Board of Governors Executive Committee and a past president of the Executive Women’s Association. Cimino said that the new Vice Chancellor for Communications will have several roles to represent and big shoes to fill. “The vice chancellor for communications is the chief communications and marketing officer and advises the chancellor and senior leaders on com-
munications-related matters,” Cimino said. “The position oversees the Office of Communications and Marketing and WUOT-FM 91.9, the public radio station licensed to the university.” Karen Simsen, Director of Media and Internal Relations at the University of Tennessee, described the long process needed in order to find a proper successor for Nichols. “The committee will begin a round of interviews and come up with a pool of candidates to bring to campus,” Simsen said. “Those candidates will be involved in a series of interviews on campus, and we will announce the finalists to the campus community.” With heavy responsibility riding on the Vice Chancellor for Communications role, the University of Tennessee’s administration has been persistent in stating that the
search will be far and wide. “We are beginning a national search to fill the position,” Cheek said in his email. The university has enlisted the help of a search firm, Parker Executive Search, who will handle recommendations and nominations. “Candidates will be recruited over the next couple of months, with plans to host finalists on campus in mid-May,” Cimino said. Nichols said after delegating so many positions at the University of Tennessee, it is time to switch roles in her life. “I have accomplished the goals I set eight years ago when I came to UT,” Nichols said. “The time is right for my husband and me to focus on our list of things we want to do together.” Nichols will continue to serve in her role until her successor is named.
ARTS&CULTURE
Wednesday, March 30, 2016 • The Daily Beacon
Batman v Superman: Tearing down heroes Nathan Smith Contributor “Men are still good. We break things. We tear them down, but we can rebuild.” These words, uttered by Bruce Wayne toward the end of Zack Snyder’s “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice,” were not about the film itself, but they might as well be. Throughout its generous runtime, “Batman v Superman” manages to break and tear down the entire concept of the superhero movie. The latest entry in the DC Universe pits Superman (Henry Cavill), alienated from his adopted planet, against an older and more violent Bruce Wayne (Ben Affleck), the neofascist billionaire whose only superpowers are insane wealth and white privilege. Many have said that director Zack Snyder hates the character of Superman, and to the detriment of this film’s story mechanics, he does not always know what to do with Clark Kent. Snyder’s Superman is pushed to the side, unsure of his place in the world. It is always other people who define him. He is not just an alien outsider; he is an immigrant. No wonder they cast a Brit to play the most American of heroes. Batman, who fears what Superman’s limitless power might do to his privilege, position and personal sense of security, assaults Superman’s identity as an American (and human) on all fronts. This leads to a citywide brawl orchestrated by tech mogul Lex Luthor (Jesse Eisenberg), a blend of Mark Zuckerberg and the Joker. Luthor posits the rumble as “day versus night,” a metaphor suited more for a match between John Cena and the Wyatt Family. There is little difference between the two, as Warner Brothers has transformed Kal-El and the Dark Knight into the same character: sad, self-interested and ignorant toward the human cost of their actions. Gone are the days of camp, goof and under-
garments worn on the exterior; in their place stand nihilism and 9/11 imagery. My tone might sound mournful, but at the same time, this latest offering is more interesting to me, both ideologically and visually, than almost any superhero movie I have seen in the last decade. “Batman v Superman” is both the worst and the best of the genre. It is dark, selfserious and depraved. It is lost in a pointless maze of subplots, dream sequences, side characters and set-up for future movies. Its conflicts have no tangible stakes, and it is clearly made for adults who have yet to put aside childish things. But at the same time, “Batman v Superman” attempts to interrogate our national obsession with watching our own destruction over and over again, doing so with a brash and almost overly cinematic style that stands in sharp contrast to the oyster cracker aesthetics of almost every Marvel movie. “Batman v Superman” is not afraid to divide audiences, interpreting beloved characters in controversial ways. Snyder’s no termite, but thanks to him, the bloated elephant of Nolan’s pretentious Dark Knight trilogy is good and dead. “Batman v superman” is flawed, but I will take those flaws over jokes about shwarma any day. However, I do have to ask if “Batman v Superman’s” bold risks really mean anything. This film was released over the Easter weekend, so I had resurrection on the brain. Fifteen years into the superhero movie craze and we have seen cities leveled, regular citizens murdered by the millions and celebrated heroes made into martyrs. Do death and destruction mean anything when sequels can always resurrect that which is lost? In our current cultural landscape, maybe they do not. And until suffering means something, the unrelenting nihilism of “Batman v Superman” might be our only course. As someone once said in another Batman movie, maybe the night is darkest before the dawn. Maybe we have to tear down our heroes before we can rebuild them.
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Live music is a cross-sensual experience Ana Tantaris Contributor Indie music is like a box of chocolates — you never know what you are going to get. The recent rise in home-recorded albums has been both good and bad for the indie genre as a whole. It has led to a lot of incredibly talented and hardworking musicians being able to release their own music by themselves to get noticed, allowing for more talent in the indie scene. Unfortunately, it has also led to a surge in less serious indie artists releasing music as well. The independent artist pool is not what it used to be. Not only is it increasingly difficult for listeners to *find* the serious, quality talent in indie music, but it is also challenging for an artist to really stand out and get their name out there. Knoxville electro-glam rock band Hudson K has been combating this and making waves with their funky tunes and high-energy, extravagant performances. Christina Horn (synths, vocals) and Nate Barrett (drum, vocals) met in 2005 and played in a band called Telescope together before forming Hudson K in 2009. The duo has successfully built a fan base across the Southeastern region in places like Chattanooga, Knoxville and Asheville, and their influence stretches as far north as Philadelphia and New York. Without guitar or bass, Hudson K has crafted a unique electronic sound with rock influences and “futuristic tendencies.” The duo demonstrates their musical ingenuity in their use of technology. “I play all the parts with my Moog and Ableton,” Horn explained. “I don’t know any other artists using tech the way we are.” Their energetic and upbeat tunes address introspective and philosophical concepts such as the human condition, while still keeping listeners on their feet. Horn says that show-goers can expect to feel “a pulse that may or may not incline them to move
their bodies.” “We sometimes employ dancers and almost always include costumes and video projections,” Horn said. “Live music, in my opinion, is a cross-sensual experience of audio and visual treats.” Horn addressed the struggle of trying to balance managing the creative aspects of working in an active band and managing other organizational aspects such as booking, press, etc. Hudson K would like to eventually have some team members join them to help maintain this balance. “A lot goes on behind the scenes which can leave less time for creativity and rehearsal,” Horn said. She describes how drastically the duo’s artistic image has changed since they started. In the beginning stages, Horn was drawn to the mysterious image of the pretty, sad and sultry singer-songwriter chick. Then Hudson K transformed into “a weird blend of cabaret and piano rock.” “I never liked either of those images,” Horn said. “I was naive. Now I choose to be myself. The truth is, I change. I change my hair, I change my taste, I change my style frequently. The image I choose for myself is one that allows me to be unapologetically me regardless what the current trends are.” Hudson K has taken their unapologetic individuality all around the country. The greatest opportunity that Hudson K has had so far was playing at Bonnaroo because it turned the duo on to a much larger audience. “Large festivals by themselves rarely translate into long term-success for a band like us and we must continue our relentless pursuit of creativity while touring and managing all the business and booking on our own,” Horn added. Hudson K is currently working on what Horn described as “a record that reflects what it’s like to be alive right now,” as well as finding a booking agent. The duo takes Scruffy City Hall on Thursday night with Knoxville favorites MEOB as well as Little War Twins and Hank and Cupcakes.
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VIEWPOINTS
The Daily Beacon • Wednesday, March 30, 2016
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Wonder Woman plays important role
Elle Johnson I Learned Something Today
This weekend, I watched a lifelong dream become reality. It only took 20 years for me, but 75 years for the rest of the world. From the day I was born, comic books and superheroes have remained a staple portion of my upbringing, instilled by my dad, perhaps the biggest and most unlikely comic book fanatic the world has ever known. Together, we have waited in lines for multiple superhero movie premieres and watched too many cycles of original 1966 Batman television series to count, but for me, something was always missing from the superhero cinematic world. After Batman being featured in nine films by six different actors and Superman following a similar suit, hitting the big screen seven times with three different actors, I was only left to wonder for many years, where is Wonder Woman? Sure, we’ve seen female superheroes in Hollywood, namely Black Widow, Mystique, Elektra and the Invisible Woman in the more recent years, but none of them were Wonder Woman, easily the most recognizable and iconic female superhero in the world. The sad thing is, her overwhelming absence is most likely due to her 75 year long status as arguably America’s more recognizable feminist icon. Since her conception, Wonder Woman’s feminist values have combated against the traditional patriarchal structure. From her lasso of truth to fight for justice in all circumstance to her lack of reliance on her male counterparts, Wonder Woman has consistently stood against the tropes that the male-dominated superhero universe most predominantly represents. On the way to the movie theater this weekend, I slowly filled to the brim with anticipation. Would she only serve as a token female character for a future Justice League movie? Would her only purpose be to cater further to the male gaze that dominates comic book fantasies? Would the strong, feminist icon be torn apart to nothing more than her former self? As the movie moved along, I grew even more concerned. We’d seen Wonder Woman’s alter ego, Diana Prince, at multiple points throughout the film, but as we edged closer and closer to the end, I worried that we would only receive a splitsecond of Wonder Woman in full action, in favor of more shots of Batman and Superman rumbling about. It was already bad enough that Wonder Woman must make her 75 years too long debut in another person’s film, but to leave her with nothing but a weak cameo would just pour salt on the wound.
Watching Wonder Woman battle on the big screen, I realized not only that my childhood self needed this Wonder Woman, but that my adult self needed her too.”
However, the moment Wonder Woman jumped into frame, saving a titular male counterpart, nonetheless, my heart soared. I could feel my childhood self cheering on the inside, and while I was trying to contain myself in the theater, I know some of my excitement had to be seeping through. Wonder Woman was everything I could have hoped her to be. Her outfit was made of armor, not spandex. She was not dependent on anyone, nor did she serve as a secretary of sorts for her male counterparts. She wasn’t a love interest or an image to simply swoon at. Wonder Woman was a hero — and nothing less. As I look back on the hours upon hours of superhero movies I have enjoyed, and sometimes tread through in my lifetime, this moment is certainly one I wished I could have seen long ago. Watching Wonder Woman battle on the big screen, I realized not only that my childhood self needed this Wonder Woman, but that my adult self needed her too. In the theater, there were too many sporting Batman and Superman shirts to count and absolutely no Wonder Woman apparel in sight. However, at the next flick featuring America’s favorite feminist icon, I can only hope those ratios will radically shift. And trust me, I plan on being right up front supporting the effort. Elle Johnson is a sophomore in College Scholars. She can be reached at ejohn100@vols.utk.edu
March 30 is Take a Walk in the Park Day. So grab a dog, put your earphones in and crank this playlist while you walk: “Walking on Sunshine” Katrina & The Waves
“Walk the Line” Johnny Cash
“Walk This Way” Aerosmith
“As She’s Walking Away” Zac Brown Band feat. Alan Jackson
“A Long Walk” Jill Scott
“Walk It Out” Unk
“Walk Away” Kelly Clarkson
“Walk Like an Egyptian” The Bangles
“Walkin on a Pretty Day” Kurt Vile
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.
“Walk” Pantera
VIEWPOINTS
Wednesday, March 30, 2016 • The Daily Beacon
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We all face the same enemy
Maria Smith Bleeding Orange, Being Different
As an optimist, I’m naturally a fan of superhero movies. Good triumphing over evil always makes my heart swell with a euphoric feeling, even if it is only fictional. With a three-day weekend and my love for all things cinema, I made it a priority to see the new “Batman v Superman” movie. Even with high suspense and a cliffhanger ending, the movie still, like many others lately, had a very relevant message to society regarding the topic of diversity. The movie, as assumed by the title, starts with Superman, a classified alien, and Batman, a regular human, butting heads due to them both seeing each other as the enemy. Neither of them sees the good that the other does as good enough for the well being of mankind. For example, Batman tends to stop the common day criminals such as rapists and bank robbers while Superman usually stops the more intergalactic threats such as complexly configured robots that surge out energy and destroy whole cities. For those of you who don’t keep up with the comic world, the two heroes are vastly different, yet strive for the same thing: keeping the average citizen safe and worry free. “If this is true, aren’t they technically on the same team?” Of course they are!
“Well, if they’re on the same team how did they end up fighting each other?” I’m glad you asked. Presenting to the equation Lex Luthor, a villain who’s name is similar to that of Lucifer on purpose. To avoid spoiling the movie, I won’t explain the details of his addition to this equation. Regardless of how much I disclose, just know that Lex Luthor is the interfering catalyst of a definitely feasible dream team of heroic powers. “So how does this relate to diversity?” Another great question that I’m more than happy to answer. In a theoretical sense, Batman and Superman are how we think of different cultures, sexual orientations, economic backgrounds, physical capabilities and more. All of us are striving to be great people within this lifetime, but we sometimes let the outside appearance of an individual interfere with our ability to collaborate with them. Just like Superman would be more likely to be seen fighting crime with a fellow Kryptonian, we as nonfictitious beings are naturally drawn to surround ourselves with those who fall into our range of comfort, whether it be by skin tone, place of origin or even religion. It’s obviously a way of nature that expands way beyond our physical limits. How else could Superman be involved, right?
Although no one wants to make this the highlight of their conversations, relating with others on this restricting trait could lead to the means of a breakthrough between different groups of people. Just like how Batman and Superman had the same enemy, we as individuals face the same obstacle of wanting to make and maintain unnecessary boundaries that prevent intermingling and the potential for creations that could exceed greatness. Plainly put, our preconceived notions and the less than helpful ways of society are our imaginative forms of Lex Luthor. Interesting. Since we can’t throw these prejudices in jail without bail, our best bet is to come together as an effective force by embracing our differences and using them as the superpowers they are to make effective changes in a society that likes to limit us rather than help us (just like how the government wanted to stop Superman). The best ones act alone but their greater superiors always work together. Let us take a lesson from fiction as to how we can make our reality more euphoric — superhero collaborations and all. Maria Smith is a sophomore in journalism and electronic media. She can be reached at msmit304@vols.utk.edu
Let’s talk about sex
Summer Awad Quite Contrary
Some people didn’t like my column last week. I mentioned the fact that I know how to put on a condom with my mouth, and the critics came out of hiding. Gratuitous, too personal, too vulgar. Whatever the case may be, it made people uncomfortable. These aren’t things people talk about, at least publicly, right? Let’s think for a second. What if I had written a piece about getting an abortion? Or getting tested for sexually transmitted infections? Or even about using condoms in general? Even though these topics imply that I’ve had sexual contact, they probably wouldn’t make readers cringe quite as much. But why? The simple answer is this: people hate when we talk about sexual pleasure. They say we can teach about pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections and sexual assault prevention, but the minute we start talking about pleasure, they freak out. I’m not kidding; Tennessee state legislators have literally said they would leave Sex Week alone if we would just call it “Sexual Health Week.” The problem with that logic is that pleasure is intimately connected with health and safety. I have had men tell me they don’t wear condoms because they don’t feel good, or because putting on a condom “ruins the
mood.” That’s where pleasure comes in. Learning how to make condom use sexy and how to incorporate it seamlessly into the rest of the action encourages safe practices. Learning about lube and how to clean sex toys prevents genital injury and infection. And conversations about pleasure also help prevent sexual assault. It is important for a person to know what feels good and normal to them so that they will notice when something is wrong. As a woman, asserting my right to sexual pleasure and being open about my sexuality are political acts that I make sure I engage in every day. I am open about my use of dating and hookup apps, I give recommendations for favorite sex toys and I constantly post articles on Facebook about topics such as the orgasm gap. I do this because I am tired of people painting women as virginal, nonsexual, passive recipients of heterosexual intercourse, as if half of the human race doesn’t enjoy procreating. I want to set the record straight. Most importantly, though, there is one primary reason I am so open about my sexuality. There is a quote that has circulated around Facebook once or twice that says something to the effect of “Be who you needed when you were younger.” You know what I needed
when I was 15 and 16? I needed a woman to look up to who talked unabashedly about her sexuality and was also knowledgeable about her body and her health. I needed someone I could go to with questions and get real, honest, unfiltered answers without being made to feel ashamed. I needed someone to talk to when my partner was pressuring me into doing things I didn’t want to do, someone to affirm for me that what felt wrong really was wrong and that I didn’t have to let him do that. Had I had that person, I could have prevented a lot of pain, both physical and emotional. Sex is a natural, normal part of life, and it shouldn’t have to be vulgar. We should be able to talk about sex like we talk about food. What’s good and what’s not good? What would we order again and what would we avoid? How can we cook our food so we won’t get sick? And what will we have for dessert? With all of that being said, here’s another shameless plug for Sex Week next week. Check out sexweekut.org for the schedule. Let’s talk about it, people. Summer Awad is a senior in College Scholars. She can be reached at sawad@vols.utk.edu
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ARTS&CULTURE
The Daily Beacon โ ข Wednesday, March 30, 2016
ARCHITECHTURE continued from Page 1 Cities are running out of space in downtown cores, and suburbs are growing too large to support an efficient transportation infrastructure. Takรกcs remains hopeful, but his expectations are tempered. โ I do think that, if itโ s not this generation, itโ ll be the next one that creates a sustainable country-wide rail network that can be competitive with what we see in Europe and Asia,โ he said. โ Itโ s going to take a lot of money and a lot of time to create that.โ While he does not see rail transit replacing the car, he views it as a necessity to support the immense population growth that will occur over the next few decades. This growth will see more people move into dense urban environments where local and regional transportation are often already part of the city. Regional rail networks would allow people living in these dense urban centers to travel almost entirely without a car. Takรกcs envisions cities where people bike or walk around their neighborhoods and can take a passenger train or light rail system if they need to travel outside of those areas. โ Creating more walkable and bikeable networks is particularly relevant to downtown Knoxville, where
mobility-oriented investment could have a big impact on the future of the city,โ said Scott Poole, dean of the college of art and architecture. To create these spaces, Takรกcs focuses on reclaiming existing transportation infrastructure, reconnecting it to the city and turning it into a hub of economic and social value. Currently, rail yards in many large cities are expansive and under-utilized. He hopes that by utilizing this space for residential, commercial and mixed-use development and incorporating that infrastructure into a denser city, people will be more inclined to use public transit. In places like Denver and Pennsylvania, where SOM is currently working on overhauling the pre-existing transportation system, they are already seeing results. โ Denver is the most tangible example, because it was a project that was started, finished, built, and now thereโ s a measurable success. We know that itโ s catalyzed a certain amount of dollars of private capital,โ he said. โ And in Philadelphia, we certainly hope thatโ s the case as well. Thatโ s going to be a longer play โ 30, 40, 50 years โ to truly achieve the framework weโ ve set out, but I do think itโ s going to be possible.โ The Church lecture series is free and open to the public. The next lecture is on April 11 and will be presented by Maria Hurtado De Mendoza from estudio. entresitio.
Kristopher Takรกcs, member of the American Institute of Architects, discussed the potential transformation of urban districts through leveraging transportation during his lecture on Monday, March 28. Akshata Dusa โ ข The Daily Beacon
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PUZZLES&GAMES
Wednesday, March 30, 2016 • The Daily Beacon
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Get Fuzzy • Darby Conley
NEW YORK TIMES CROSSWORD • Will Shortz ACROSS 33 Twinings in London is one Lofty in thought 36 Super Bowl or manner highlights, to 5 Like the area many between city and 37 Goes underwater farm … or a hint to 10 Puts down by the answers on force the perimeter of 14 Apple originally this puzzle marketed to 40 “Six-pack” schools muscles 15 Blackmore’s 42 Talent show Doone judge, often 16 M.I.T. part: Abbr. 45 LP protectors 17 M.I.T. part: Abbr. 48 Bow respectfully 18 Make impure 50 Fruitcake fruit 19 City on the Arno 51 Eartha who sang “C’est Si Bon” 20 S.U.V. named for a lake 53 Mani-pedi spot 54 Mens ___ 22 Football legend (criminal intent) Amos Alonzo ___ 24 Number of states 55 “Star Wars” droid, informally that border the Mississippi 57 Upper reaches of space 25 Composer of music “as 59 “You’ve Got a ignorable as it is Friend ___” interesting” 61 Yoga posture 26 D-Day vessels, for 63 Diva ___ Te short Kanawa 28 With all judges 64 Wasabi ___ (bar present snack) 30 Greet, as the new 65 Politico year lampooned by Fey 32 Popular Bach piece for the lute 66 Sign to heed C H E E S E W S W S K I L M A R B L E A K A U L N A D I S B A R D U G D E N Y L O R E L E I P I E S A L V O A S K S A F T E R T R I U M P H M O O A N T I C R U M B U M P S M I T T P A T T Y L A L A P E L T S H E E T U N U M E O N T E N P I N S C A R N A T I O N O S A K A A S H B U S M A P S K A O S L A N E O C E N E E D D Y I I I C A R R O T S A Y S P D A S P O N G E
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dadoodlydude • Adam Hatch
Cartoons 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.
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SPORTS
The Daily Beacon • Wednesday, March 30, 2016
FOOTBALL
Brian Randolph will participate in Tennessee’s pro day on Wednesday. • File Photo
Curt Maggitt during the game against the Oklahoma Sooners in September 2015. He will participate on Tennessee’s pro day on Wednesday. Hayley Pennesi • The Daily Beacon/Tennessee Athletics
Jones unhappy with Tuesday’s practice
Jonathan Toye
Sports Editor Tennessee coach Butch Jones has liked his team’s approach to practices this spring. That’s why he was disappointed with Tennessee’s performance Tuesday at Haslam Field. Jones thought the Vols took a step back during Tuesday’s practice. He didn’t like their intensity or mental effort, saying they failed to meet the expectations he has established in his four years at Tennessee. “I didn’t think we showed much leadership and we weren’t very physical in practice
today,” Jones said. “We have to understand that these 15 opportunities are very precious and you only get so many of them. Sometimes you become too casual in spring football. “For the first time, I am not pleased. I thought we took a step back and our leadership needs to step up. We have older players in the program now, they understand the standard and the expectation and it was not up to our standard and not up to our expectations, and that will never be tolerated out here.” But Jones prefers to be an optimist and admitted that there are many teaching opportunities from such a lackluster practice. “You can learn a lot from it when you have
to really go in and digest the film and really get on the video starting tomorrow,” Jones said. “What was our mental approach? How did they take care of their bodies? How was their approach when they stepped out on the football field. “Sometimes you learn more from that.” Injury Report: Tennessee lost another player to injury for the spring. Sheriron Jones will miss the rest of spring after suffering “an unusual” injury on Saturday, Butch said after practice on Tuesday. The four-year coach said he expects Sheriron to return sometime in June and will definitely be ready for fall training camp. Sheriron was the third-string quarterback in 2015 behind Joshua Dobbs and Quinten
Dormady. He decided to transfer to Colorado at the start of the spring semester, but opted to come back to Tennessee before his window to return expired. Sheriron looked impressive in the portions of practice open to the media and his teammates and coaches have been complimentary of the redshirt freshman’s performance this spring. Alvin Kamara said a week ago that Sheriron had been “tremendous” this spring. Butch complimented his progress before his injury. “Everyone needs to talk to Sheriron Jones,” Butch said. “He embodies what this football program stands for. Here’s a young man that made a decision and then decided to come back to his family.”
SPORTS
Wednesday, March 30, 2016 • The Daily Beacon
11
BASEBALL
Senzel’s bat leads Vols to victory over MTSU Trenton Duffer Copy Editor
Middle Tennessee was a team that knew how to handle Nick Senzel. In his seven career at-bats against the Blue Raiders, Senzel had no hits and only one RBI — a sacrifice fly in 2015. This time around, the No. 14 MLB draft prospect exacted his revenge, smacking a career high six RBI’s and two homers as the Vols beat their in-state rival MTSU 9-2 on Tuesday night. “I just know, since I’ve been here, they’ve kind of had their way with us,” Senzel said. “We just try to be aggressive and throw strikes. It’s just another game for us, and we won big and played well.” The Blue Raiders have controlled the Vols over the past few years, boasting a 7-3 advantage over their instate foe. But Senzel had other plans, pulling a home run to one of the deepest parts of Lindsey Nelson Stadium in the first inning. The junior third baseman wasn’t done there, as he sailed a three-run blast over the right field wall in the third. Senzel said after the game that the first at bat was a changeup that Blue Raiders’ pitcher Sam Alton left high, while the second homer was a first-pitch fastball that rode the wind all the way over the fence. “As a hitter, if you get into one, you gotta stay disciplined,” Senzel said. “You can’t think about what happened in the past. You gotta stay within yourself as a hitter.” As Senzel’s power pushed the Vols out to an early lead, Eric Freeman’s pitching helped the Vols keep that lead. In his five innings of action Tuesday night, Freeman allowed only five hits on 53 pitches and even caught Drew Huff and Chaz Vesser sleeping at the plate with strikeouts. Even when Freeman allowed Huff to smack a double in the top of the second, the sophomore that head coach Dave Serrano calls “Big Red” calmed down and got the Vols out of a sticky situation. “I kind of got back to what Coach Serrano
calls ‘being myself’ and the type of pitcher I am, and that’s throwing three balls in the pitches down in the zone,” Freeman said. “The one’s that they did hit, I messed up … That’s probably the most consistent I’ve been down in the zone in an outing.” Freeman’s night was almost cut short in the third, when a line drive from Vesser hit him in the side of the shin. Freeman admitted that the ball missed the bone, so no damage was done. Serrano praised Freeman’s strength after the game. “That really concerned me,” Serrano said. “I asked him many a time if he was okay, and he said, ‘Yeah, coach. I’m fine.’ ” Senzel’s blasts and Freeman’s arm gave the Vols a 4-0 cushion heading into the bottom of the fifth inning. Derek Lance, Benito Santiago and Chris Hall all found their way on base as Senzel stepped to the plate. Senzel drew a walk, and after a Vincent Jackson sacrifice fly, Jordan Rodgers hit a bouncing single into left field to plate Santiago and Hall, pushing the Vols lead to 8-0. Steven Kane came in to relieve Freeman in the top of the sixth. Middle Tennessee saw three of its first four batters in the sixth smack singles, the first being Austin Dennis. Dennis later scored on a Kevin Du Pree single, but the Vols answered back in the bottom of the inning with a Senzel sacrifice fly. Kane pitched his way through three innings, giving up five hits and one earned run while fanning two batters. The Vols put Zach Reid on the mound in the ninth to finish the Blue Raiders off. Reid struggled a bit, walking three batters and giving up a run. But it wasn’t enough for MTSU in the end. Freeman picked up the win while Alton was saddled with the loss. “I challenged our guys tonight, and I thought we did a very good job,” Serrano said. “It’s a good win for us tonight in the start of a five game week.” The Vols (15-9, 2-4 SEC) will play UNC Asheville tomorrow night at 6 p.m. and face SEC East rival Kentucky in a three-game series beginning Friday at 6 p.m.
Nick Senzel bats against Vanderbilt in April 2014. • File Photo
Tanaka pitches 4 innings, Yankees and Phillies rained out Associated Press
CLEARWATER, Fla. — Masahiro Tanaka pitched four innings, allowing seven hits but just one run, and a split squad of New York Yankees led the Philadelphia Phillies 7-1 Tuesday when the game was rained out.
The start of the game was delayed 40 minutes by rain and called after four innings because of lightning in the area. Tanaka struck out five in his fifth outing of the spring. He ended his afternoon by striking out Freddy Galvis, then threw with pitching coach Larry Rothschild in the cage, reaching 90 pitches overall. In his previous start, Washington tagged
him for seven runs and nine hits. Tanaka could be New York’s starter on opening day against Houston at Yankee Stadium. “I don’t know where I’ll be throwing, but I’m ready to go into the season,” Tanaka said through a translator. Yankees bench coach Rob Thomson, who managed the team against the Phillies, said it
was important for Tanaka and all the starters to reach their scheduled deep pitch counts this late in spring training. “It was good we got four innings in and then they could finish up in the cage,” Thomson said. “I thought he looked better and crisper. I don’t know what Larry told him, but, in my mind, I thought his stuff was better today.”
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SPORTS
The Daily Beacon • Wednesday, March 30, 2016
BASEBALL
Senzel two home runs lift Tennessee to win over MTSU Shane Switzer Staff Writer Nick Senzel has shown all season long why he was Baseball America’s preseason No. 5 overall MLB draft prospect. Senzel has been very disciplined at the plate hitting .341 with 28 hits 30 runs scored and 29 RBI. Senzel has drawn 23 walks to just 11 strikeouts. Tuesday night at Lindsey Nelson Stadium, Senzel showed he has power in his bat as he led the Vols to a 9-2 victory over Middle Tennessee State University (12-13). Senzel hit a solo home run in the bottom of the first and added a three-run shot in the third. Senzel’s home runs gave the Vols their first four runs of the game. Senzel came up two more times with the bases loaded. He drew a walk to give Tennessee (15-9, 2-4 SEC) its first run in the fifth inning. In the sixth Senzel hit an RBI sac-fly to push across his sixth RBI of the night. Senzel’s six RBI ties a career high he set at Grand Canyon on Feb. 27. Head coach Dave Serrano said he feels like Senzel hasn’t even played his best ball yet but a game like
Tuesday nights’ could really jump start him. “Nick (Senzel) has had a good year to this point,” Serrano said. “I talked to him before the game and I said you’ve had a good year but I still don’t think he’s hit his stride yet.” With 35 RBI Senzel is second on the team behind Jordan Rodgers. Offense: While Senzel got the offense started with his two home runs, plenty of other Vols did damage as well. Chris Hall and Rodgers each went 2-for-3, Hall scored two runs while Rodgers scored one. Rodgers added two RBI on the night to give him 39 for the season. “I’ve seen Chris Hall have two back to back days in the two hole that he hasn’t had recently,” Serrano said. By having Benito Santiago lead-off it allows Hall and Rodgers to hit in their normal two and five spot and get back into their comfort zone. Tennessee continued its knack for scoring early and often by plating four of its nine runs by the fourth inning. “Anytime we get early runs its big momentum for us,” Senzel said. “We preach it’s never enough. We score a couple runs early but we want to keep scoring and winning frames.”
Pitching: Eric Freeman got the start for the Vols against MTSU and pitched five innings without giving up a single run. Freeman struck out two and walked none but allowed five hits. Freeman earned the win and improved his record to 2-1. “I got back to being what coach Serrano calls being myself,” Freeman said. “That involves throwing three pitches down in the zone.” Freeman said the hits he gave up he missed up in the zone and that reminded him to get back down. Steven Kane relieved Freeman and also struck out two without allowing any walks. Also, like Freeman, Kane gave up five hits and allowed MTSU’s only run of the game in the sixth inning. MTSU made things interesting in the ninth against Tennessee reliever Steven Kane by drawing three walks to load up the bases. The Blue Raiders were able to get one run off Kane but couldn’t muster any more offense despite having the bases loaded. Kane was able to shut down MTSU and Tennessee improved to 15-9 on the year. The pitching staff continues to be the weak
link for the Vols and while it did not cost them against the Blue Raiders, giving up 10 hits to an SEC school isn’t the best way to win games in conference. “You got to give them credit they had 10 hits,” Serrano said. “From the other side of the coin, the efficiency, we played solid defense. If we don’t, if we have some blemishes in there that game is a lot different. We played solid defense.” Vols vs. Blue Raider: Tennessee came into the game against MTSU having lost seven of the last 10 to the Blue Raiders. “Since I’ve been here they have kind of had their way with us,” Senzel said. “That’s frustrating being an in-state team them having their way with us. You never want that as a top tier program.” Up Next: The Vols have a quick turnaround as they hit the field again Wednesday night March 29 at 6 p.m. against UNC Asheville. Tennessee will have Alex Harper-Cook (0-0) on the mound. “We had him (Harper-Cook) throw live BP to hitters, to some of the guys who haven’t been playing very much, and it was electric,” Serrano said. “He’s got electric stuff.”