On Rocky Top Section A

2A • THE DAILY BEACON

On Rocky Top 2014 News Editor Hanna Lustig

C O N T E N T S

CAMPUS NEWS SECTION A

3 4 6 8 9 10 12 13 14 15

Find out about Knoxville scruff and explore Greek Life Student opinions Sex Week explained, plus the story on the National Lab Two organizations you’ll be hearing from this year Sexual Assault: who to call?

A very important Cheek Faculty fight for rights What do you know about where you’re living?

Enjoy your meal plans – they’re here to stay Making Orange Green, through gardens and rallies

O F

SECTION B

T A B L E

3 Get vintage in Knoxville your outdoors with 4 Explore the Canoe and Hiking Club 5 It’s more than a coffee shop language, 6 Learning making friends n Blooms will have 7 Rhythm you dancing next Spring 8-9 Map out your Knoxville Jones opens up 10-11 Butch about football 2014 editors identify likely 12-13 Sports standouts in major sports He’s a dog, but he’s more 14 than that The Daily Beacon 15 Why matters to you

hlustig@utk.edu

Assistant News Editor Emilee Lamb

elamb1@utk.edu

From your SGA President: I stared at a blank white page on my computer screen for a long time in my attempt to write this letter.

A long time.

I ignored my economics homework, scrolled through Facebook, jammed to Spotify and made every procrastination attempt in the book as I attempted to think of what I should say to you as you’re experiencing this big, pivotal, exciting moment.

You’re probably tired of hearing that by now—how big and lifechanging this whole “coming to college” thing is. Maybe you’re a little frustrated from people building up the college hype and asking how you’re feeling about it, because all of that tends to remind you: this is, in fact, a little scary and brand new.

Maybe you’re intimidated by the white blank page in front of you as well.

I know I was, three years ago.

The familiarity of my small high school was a comfort I wasn’t sure how to live without. The exhilarating highs of prom and graduation are over, and now you’re a freshman. Again.

So I guess what I want to say to you right now is that your first steps into college life are undeniably scary. But so are the first steps of everything that ever turns out to be worth it. You’ve surely already got your own memories and examples of this, whether it was your first step asking out that cute guy or gal in your homeroom who turned out to be your sweetheart, or your first step onto a basketball court where you eventually became a starting point guard, or your first step into an internship where you ultimately found your passion.

Comfort zones are meant to broken. You’d be surprised just what 20 seconds of courage can lead you to.

But here’s some refreshing news: all the stellar memories and moments you’re about to be a part of, they don’t all have to seem like “big, pivotal moments.”

Paraphrasing a quote from Shauna Niequist, “That’s the drama of life, swirling all around us, and generally I don’t even see it, because I’m too busy waiting to become whatever it is I think I am about to become. The big moments are

in every hour, every conversation, every meal, every meeting. The Heisman Trophy winner knew that his big moment was not when they gave him the trophy. It was the thousand times he went to practice instead of going back to bed, the miles he ran … the big moment represented a foundation of moments that had come before it.”

Spoiler alert: your big moment isn’t going to be actual graduation day, receiving a piece of paper on a stage. Your big moment isn’t becoming a cool senior. Your big moment isn’t being named the president of your fraternity or of SGA. Don’t deprive yourself of a phenomenal college experience by waiting to become extraordinary.

The extraordinary moments that matter start now.

They start with each person you meet, each late night Gus’s meal you enjoy, every step up that massive hill to Ayres you take, each “Go Vols” cry you let out in Neyland, every delusional chemistry cramming session you endure with your friends in Hodges. In just a few years you’re going to walk out of here with not just a diploma, but with a story for the ages. Right now, just live it.

Whenever I’m chatting with firstyear students, I always offer the advice to remain an “eternal freshman” throughout their entire college career. Never stop going into classrooms with an anxious pursuit of knowledge. Never stop trying to meet new friends in every public setting you find yourself in. Never stop investing in new experiences as you go after making the most of this wonderful, scary opportunity called being a student at the University of Tennessee.

As I now stare at my computer screen, it is not blank, but full of words. Soon, yours will be too.

So now I say to you, turn the page. The next one may be blank, but it is full of possibilities.

Go Vols, Kelsey Kelsey Keny is a senior in journalism and electronic media. She can be reached at kkeny@utk.edu.

From (next year’s) Editor-in-Chief: When I stepped into the office of The Daily Beacon in August of 2011, I was just short of terrified.

I felt as though my insecurity must have been written all over my face – my status as “freshman” emblazoned in the way I stumbled over my words when asking where the entertainment section met.

Somehow, I made it through the excruciating awkwardness of that first meeting with a story assignment in hand – I was to cover a controversial Knoxville environmentalist group’s meeting at Barley’s in the Old City, a far cry from the personality profiles I had written in high school.

When that Tuesday came, I trekked to the Old City, reporter’s notebook in my pocket and pen tucked behind my ear. I was no inexperienced, shy freshman – I was Claire Dodson, journalist at The Daily Beacon, the editorially independent student newspaper at the University of Tennessee. I had a purpose. I had an identity.

In high school, I had many identities – writer, mediocre basketball player, decent student, church kid and my personal favorite, “that tall girl.” But in college, we start back at square one. We are nobody. We are everybody.

Come August, we will walk aimlessly to our first classes, confused and disoriented by the sheer size of a campus we are supposed to cross in less than 15 minutes. Maybe we are homesick. Maybe we are insecure. Maybe we are terrified.

But then, as you traverse Pedestrian or finally find the Communications building, you see a friendly face – your RA, a professor, a friend from high school or a random upperclassmen – and it’s OK for a minute. It’s OK if you don’t know who you are or what you want to be (or even if you put on deodorant that morning).

You are acknowledged, you exist, you are not lost in the shuffle of campus life.

Marina Keegan, a recent Yale graduate who passed away in a car accident, posthumously published a book of essays entitled “The Opposite of Loneliness.” One of her essays was published in Yale’s student newspaper.

She writes, “It’s not quite love and it’s not quite community; it’s just this feeling that there are people, an abundance of people, who are in this together. Who are on your team. When the check is paid and you stay at the table. When it’s four A.M. and no one goes to bed.

That night with the guitar. That night we can’t remember. That time we did, we went, we saw, we laughed, we felt. The hats.”

This is what your campus newspaper should be – a place to read about yourself and your classmates, the issues and struggles of campus life, the awesome things the students and faculty around are you are doing to make the world better. A forum where you can hear and be heard (send letters to the editor to letters@utdailybeacon. com) -- where you can know you aren’t in this alone. And once you are validated, we will challenge you to see outside yourself and to make the most of these four (or five, or six) years.

Whether or not you join our staff, The Daily Beacon is a place to find yourself. To use the words of your SGA president, Kelsey Keny, The Daily Beacon is (literally) a blank page. Every day you are here, you play a role in determining what goes on it. It’s a bigger question than what club or activity you will join. What will you value? What will you allow to shape who you become?

We hope it will be The Daily Beacon – a paper and website made for you and by you, with a history that dates back to 1871.

It’s not quite love and it’s not quite community; it’s as important as you want it to be. You decide if the Beacon gets left on the stands.

You decide if you read us online at utdailybeacon.com.

It’s a big responsibility, building an identity, engaging with your campus’ news organization, but we trust you. After all, we are you.

Claire Dodson is a senior in English. She would love to hear your comments and questions and can be reached at pdodson@utk. edu.

On Rocky Top 2014

THE DAILY BEACON • 3A News Editor Hanna Lustig

CAMPUS NEWS

hlustig@utk.edu

Assistant News Editor Emilee Lamb

elamb1@utk.edu

Savannah Gilman Staff Writer

Keep Knoxville Scruffy.

Emblazoned on bumper stickers and shop windows throughout the city, this slogan has become a movement to preserve Knoxville’s roots.

Jack Neely, associate editor of Metro Pulse and a Knoxville historian, said that “Keep Knoxville Scruffy” was created by Scott and Bernadette West, owners of Preservation Pub, as a reaction to the “Keep Austin Weird” movement.

Promoting loyalty to small businesses in Austin, Texas, “Keep Austin Weird” refers to the local attractions and unique businesses that one can only experience within that particular city. Knoxville’s take on this idea provides local flavor, but the history behind those three words lends context.

“That adjective originated with

Wall Street Journal reporter Susan Harrigan, who in 1980 wrote a skeptical story called ‘What if you gave a World’s Fair and nobody came?’” Neely said. “She described Knoxville dismissively as ‘a scruffy little city on the Tennessee River.’”

While the label “scruffy” was not initially welcomed, the descriptor was soon reclaimed with defiant pride. Sporting the declaration “The Scruffy Little City Did It” on t-shirts and pins after the 1982 World’s Fair, Knoxville locals celebrated the city’s triumph.

“Around 2010, I planned a series of podcast talk shows called ‘The Scruffy Citizen,’” Neely said. “We did about 80 of them.

Then there was a monthly liveradio (WUTK) music show called ‘Scruffy City Ramble,’ hosted by Scott Miller, Benny Smith and me. I think it’s on venue-related hiatus at the moment, but I hope it will return.”

Earth to Old City, a Knoxville area boutique in business for more

than 20 years, has worked to generate interest in the history of Knoxville and promote shopping locally.

Lindsey West, an employee at Earth to Old City for nearly six years, affirmed that residents still embrace this term of endearment.

“We began our line of ‘Keep Knoxville Scruffy’ merchandise around two years ago when Scott West came up with the idea to tweak the slogan,” West said.

“We began printing the slogan on t-shirts, but because of its popularity we’ve expanded the line to include hoodies, bags, koozies, and anything we can put it on.”

Despite architectural improvements, Neely said he believes the revival of this historic phrase remains relevant.

“Knoxville’s a whole lot more obviously impressive today than it was in 1980, but I think it still has some scruff to it, and always will,” Neely said. “And I think that’s what some people like about it.”

Janie Prathammavong • The Daily Beacon

Local ‘scruffy’ movement hearkens back to 1980s story

Earth to Old City, located in Market Square, sells ‘Keep Knoxville Scruffy’ merchandise as part of the movement. Similar campaigns such as ‘Keep Austin Weird’ have helped cities define themselves.

To Pledge or not to Pledge Greek Life is the question Tanner Hancock Contributor

Of the many decisions facing incoming freshman, this choice can perhaps seem the most daunting. Offering both traditional and multicultural organizations, UT’s Greek community represents approximately 20 percent of the student body.

While the university boasts an impressive tradition of widespread participation, recent years have brought a myriad of changes to Greek life.

UT’s $45 million Sorority Village, for example, has given every sorority a new

place to call home on campus.

Since first breaking ground in May, 2011, 11 of the planned 13 houses have been completed and occupied, with Delta Gamma and Alpha Omicron Pi scheduled for completion shortly.

For Nicola Shorten, sophomore in business and an Alpha Omicron Pi sister, the decision to join a sorority has been well worth it.

“Going Greek has been one of the best decisions of my life,” Shorten said.

“It has made a huge campus so much smaller and I have met women who both challenge and inspire me.”

Encompassing both leadership and volunteer opportunities, UT sorori-

ties hold close ties with the Arthritis Foundation, St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital and the East Tennessee Children’s Hospital through the donations and hours of service expected of members.

For the fraternities of UT, however, growth and change has been a slightly more tumultuous journey.

After garnering national attention for alleged acts by members of UT’s Pi Kappa Alpha chapter in fall 2012, the fraternity remains under indefinite suspension. In the wake of Pike’s expulsion from campus, the National Christian Fraternity Beta Upsilon Chi made history in becoming the first chapter in the nation to inhabit a fraternity house all their own by occupying Pike’s former building on Fraternity Row. Likewise, UT’s Pi Kappa Phi chapter closed at the end of the fall 2013 semes-

ter due to charges of pledge hazing and is currently banned from re-colonization until August 2017.

But from these incidents came a renewed effort to support and protect fraternity men, such as the formation of the Greek Life Task Force, the introduction of house directors, and contracted police patrol on Fraternity Row on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights.

In addition, the national administration of Sigma Alpha Epsilon formally banned the pledging process for all SAE chapters nationwide. With these changes in place, all new SAE members will be initiated almost immediately, thereby eliminating the nearly semester-long process.

Fraternity Phi Gamma Delta, otherwise known as “Fiji,” returned to the university in the spring of 2014 following a three-year suspension. Forsaking the

rush process, Fiji consultants instead allowed members to nominate men they believed would make good additions to the chapter.

For men wishing to join a fraternity, “Recruitment Week,” which is currently scheduled from Aug. 18-23, begins with a required orientation and continues with opportunities to meet brothers and representatives of each fraternal organization.

For women, the “rush” process begins with a two day early move-in on Aug. 14 and ends with “bid day” on Aug. 20.

While a full schedule of activities can be found online at gogreek.utk.edu, potential sisters are encouraged to obtain a letter of recommendation from an alumnus of the sorority of their choice before the recommended date of Aug. 1.

Multiculural fraternities and sororities accept new members through individual-

4A • THE DAILY BEACON

On Rocky Top 2014 Editor-in-Chief R.J. Vogt

OPINIONS

rvogt@utk.edu

Contact us letters@utk.edu

Four things you have to do in college Chris West

Contributor

1. (Actually) Attend Welcome Week Events

During the first week, there will be many things to There’s a whole new world outside of the bounds of do. While some of these may be campus. The Strip, which is just required as a part of the First on the edge of campus, is a great Year Studies 100 course, othplace to grab a bite to eat when ers will present the opportunity the dining hall starts to get old.

“Don’t be afraid to explore to meet fellow students eager Go to a concert at the historic things that you think to engage new faces. Whether Bijou and Tennessee theaters to it’s through UT traditions you’re interested in, but get a taste of Knoxville’s nightlife. such as Torch Night, mingling Discover new shops and places in that you haven’t traditionwith others at the Freshman Market Square and Old City.

Barbecue, or getting free stuff ally done. If you’re slightly from Pedestrian Walkway, this interested in someis a perfect opportunity to start.

Welcome to a new chapter of your life.

As a person who lived in the same town for the first 18 years of my life, I’m not ashamed to say move-in day was one of the most emotional days I’ve experienced.

With excitement and a healthy dose of fear, I began a journey that has brought me to the end of my freshman year more confident in myself than ever.

Robert Naylor, junior in global studies, arrived at UT three years ago with many of the same feelings flanking expectations for his collegiate experience.

“I thought I was going to do theater since it was my safe space in high school,” Naylor said. “I feel in a lot of ways that my involvement has given me space [to be myself] that just wasn’t there [before].”

Naylor has gone on to become president of the Progressive Student Alliance and a leader in the Living Wage Coalition, a partnership composed of several student organizations for the purpose of promoting higher wages for campus workers.

Freshman year comes with many opportunities to get involved on this campus of 27,000 students.

While it may be easy to stay in the dorm and binge on Netflix, this can hinder overcoming homesickness and establishing new relationships with people.

To break into all that UT has to offer, here are four ways to make the first year at UT worthwhile.

thing…you should go.”

With hundreds of campus organizations, there is something for everyone at UT. For those from a religious background, campus ministries abound.

If you’ve been playing ultimate frisbee since Kindergarten, there are opportunities in intramural sports. Students have ample chances to both expand on hobbies that could morph into passions and meet others who share those interests as well.

Chiefly Speaking by

R.J. Vogt It was your last year of high school.

You were at a graduation party, or maybe talking to some relatives; perhaps it was a professor or your best friend’s dad who first said the one thing that every college-bound student hears before they leap.

“College will be the best four years of your life.”

At some point, someone you know shared that little nugget of inspiration with you. But the American expectation is as much reminder as it is encouragement; you’re going to have a blast, but it’s only supposed to last four years.

At least, that’s what American higher education mandates. Look at our own university, where Chancellor Jimmy Cheek instituted his “15-in-4” tuition model in 2013. Every full-time student pays for at least 15 credit hours, even if he or she is only taking 12 hours. The logic is simple and direct; if students pay for 15 hours, they will more than likely want to take 15 hours.

And if all students take 15 hours each semester, they will only need eight semesters to graduate.

“We have embarked on an all-out effort to make on-time graduation the new norm for our students,” the Chancellor’s Office explains on its website.

And it’s not just our Chancellor pushing for seniors to pack up their diplomas and move out.

All across the country, universities are incentivizing their students to graduate “on-time.”

Purdue University is trying to raise its four-year rate to 50 percent by this May; the University of Texas is pumping $5 million into financial aid programs for students to promote four year graduation.

Here at UT, our ascent to the vaunted “Top 25 Public Research Universities,” has been slowed by our low four-year graduation rate – only 36 percent in the latest U.S. News & World Report rankings. Hence, “15-in-4.”

Considering our struggles in that area, I couldn’t help but initially agree with the Chancellor’s initiative. But then I looked around at all the aquatic centers and dining halls, hightech educational settings and beautiful women.

I thought about how awesome it is to go wild for the Orange and White in Neyland Stadium – with 100,000 other people.

When I also considered all the brilliant vis-

Editor-in-Chief: R.J. Vogt Managing Editor: Melodi Erdogan Chief Copy Editor: Gage Arnold News Editor: Hanna Lustig Asst. News Editor: Emilee Lamb Sports Editor: Troy Provost-Heron Asst. Sports Editor: Dargan Southard Arts & Culture Editor: Claire Dodson Asst. Arts & Culture Editor: Cortney Roark Online Editor: Samantha Smoak

4. …And Others That May Not At First.

3. Find Activities that Interest You

Four years and get out

EDITORIAL

2. Dare to Explore Knoxville

iting speakers I got to see and incredible organizations I got to join, I realized there was something I didn’t understand.

If this university is going to spend millions of dollars enticing me to attend and have “the best time of my life,” then why would I want to graduate in four years?

The common reasoning sounds like this: Students who take more than four years spend more than they should on tuition. Not only does an extra year at UT cost $20,000 per year; any student of opportunity cost knows that another year of pennies spent is also a lost year of pennies earned. And the universities certainly don’t benefit from students taking up seats in classrooms that would be better used by each year’s increasingly-qualified freshman class.

He who takes a victory lap is one more alumnus not giving back – one less mark against us on the rubric for the top 25. Even our state pushes UT to graduate students in four years in its formula for higher education spending.

But the common reasoning neglects the pressure on students to take time to study abroad in a globalizing economy and work an internship in their intended field. And though it may be cheaper to graduate on time, fail to find a job, and move back in with your parents, it’s also a hell of a lot more humiliating. And increasingly common.

Our country conflates the idea of college as rite of passage – “the best four years of your life” – with college as economic propeller. Now we find ourselves with universities that fund lazy rivers even as they shout at students to get out of the inner-tube.

Of course, the American higher education has a simple solution. Know exactly what you want to do at 18 and arrive with a few college credits; take and pass 15 hours every semester, even though your first two to three semesters will be spent taking general education courses that have little to do with your career; travel Europe the summer after your sophomore year; work an internship the summer after your junior year.

And all you students who have to work through college to pay for the ever-higher tuition? All you dreamers who dare to change majors? You Napoleons, who study more broadly than one country; you over-achievers who double and triple-major?

You’re slowing down the system. It promised you the best years of your life – but only four of them.

How dare you try for more?

R.J. Vogt is a junior in College Scholars. He can be reached at rvogt@utk.edu.

One of the wonderful things about college is the opportunity to discover who you are as a person. Part of this is having an open mind and exploring new interests. In Naylor’s case, an infatuation with a visiting speaker’s message led him to his involvement in the Living Wage Campaign and the Progressive Student Alliance in the present. Give activities and opportunities a chance to impress before deciding against involvement.

Get an education, not just a degree Uncommon Sense by

Evan Ford This is my last column as a University of Tennessee student, in my last week as a (full-time) student in my whole life.

It’s always odd to be at the end of things, be it a project you’ve worked on for a long time or a relationship you know is fading.

Things are almost exactly the same, except you have a moment where you look up and everything slows down and you think, “This may be the last time.”

The last time I had this feeling was at high school graduation, where I had just made the decision to come to UT over the University of Chicago because of money. I remember feeling very cheap to make a decision as important as where you go to college based just on how much it would cost — a thought I now recognize as wrongheaded and extremely privileged.

It doesn’t help that I went to Brentwood Academy, a silly private school where the tuition my senior year of high school was more than that of my freshman year at UT. My friends were off to places like Georgia Tech, Pepperdine, Vandy and Furman.

These are places where you write a paper a week, have oral exams and people literally go crazy from the intensity of the school work.

And then there’s UT. For many of us who took AP classes and went to prep schools, UT can be a bit of a vacation, with a few tests, maybe a paper per class and (most shockingly) optional attendance. As a result, there’s a tendency to think the school is letting us down by not challenging us enough.

But looking back on my time here, I think the opposite is true.

There’s no doubt my very brilliant friends at top-notch universities are getting worldclass educations. But there’s no doubt my very brilliant friends here are also excelling academically. My friends here are also some of the most successful people I’ve ever met.

Still, UT does not match the academic

Photo Editor: Janie Prathammavong Asst. Photo Editor: Hayley Brundige Design Editors: Lauren Ratliff, Katrina Roberts Copy Editors: Jordan Achs, Steven Cook, Hannah Fuller, Liv McConnell, McCord Pagan, Kevin Ridder

Baylor, Emily Kane, Teron Nunley, Steven Woods Classified Adviser: Jessica Hingtgen

Advertising: (865) 974-5206 beaconads@utk.edu Classifieds: (865) 974-4931 orderad@utdailybeacon.com

CONTACTS

Editor-in-Chief: (865) 974-2348 editorinchief@utdailybeacon.com

ADVERTISING/PRODUCTION

To submit a press release, please e-mail pressreleases@utdailybeacon.com

Advertising Manager: Ryan McPherson Media Sales Representatives: Shelby Dildine, Victoria Williams Advertising Production: Brandon White Editorial Production Artists: Jonathan

To report a news item, please e-mail editor.news@utdailybeacon.com or call 865-9742348

To place an ad, please e-mail beaconads@utk.edu or call 865-974-5206 To place a classified ad, please e-mail orderad@utdailybeacon.com or call 865-974-4931

rigor of the universities it hopes to catch in the Top 25. For all the classes and hours and tests you have to take to get a degree at UT, you can still leave without having learned really anything. One hundred twenty-eight hours required; education optional.

We can moan and complain we’re getting a second-rate education, but we’ve only got four years at this place. It would be hard in that time to convince our administrators to start caring about our education instead of politics and to convince our politicians to believe higher education is a worthy investment.

What we can do in the meantime, though, is take advantage of the freedom UT offers us, even if this is just a side effect of budget cuts and bureaucracy.

In my case, that’s allowed me to pursue a career in music while still being a full-time student. As I write this, I’m in a van headed to play a show in Nashville. Tomorrow I have my last four classes, and then the next two days I play in Chattanooga and Athens, Ga. For some, this freedom is used to treat UT like an amusement park with a degree as a souvenir. It can be hard to be motivated to care about school when you can get through without exerting any decent amount of effort. In this way, our school often fails those who have no idea what they want to do or no motivation to do it.

But for others, freedom meant that some of my friends could spend hours on research, starting companies or getting incredibly involved in jobs, campus organizations or volunteer organizations.

As I sappily look back on my time at UT, that’s what stands out the most. If I had gone to Chicago, sure, my degree would have been worth more money, and I may have been a better philosopher or economist. But I’m sure I wouldn’t have been able to pursue such a variety of interests and meet people who are doing the same.

UT is what you make of it, and that means people have a lot of different experiences here, some good and some bad. It’s up to us which one we get.

Evan Ford is a junior in philosophy. He can be reached at eford6@utk.edu.

Main Newsroom: (865) 974-3226 editorinchief@utdailybeacon.com The Daily Beacon is published by students at The University of Tennessee Monday through Friday during the fall and spring semesters and Tuesday and Friday during the summer semester. The offices are located at 1340 Circle Park Drive, 11 Communications Building, Knoxville, TN 37996-0314.

The newspaper is free on campus and is available via mail subscription for $200/year, $100/semester or $70/summer only. It is also available online at: www.utdailybeacon. com

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. The Beacon reserves the right to reject any submissions or edit all copy in compliance with available space, editorial policy and style. 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 Editor, 1340 Circle Park Dr., 11 Communications Building, Knoxville, TN 37996-0314.

On Rocky Top 2014

THE DAILY BEACON • 5A

E M T O O C UT! L E W

The

of your

Welcome to Rocky Top! You are about to embark on a four-year journey that will change your life and prepare you to change the world.

You’ll learn from faculty members who are passionate about their subjects. You’ll celebrate traditions that make UT special. You’ll develop friendships that will last a lifetime. You’ll explore new cultures and learn more about yourself as you find your place in the world.

I encourage you to study diligently, get involved in campus activities, seek ways to help others, and take full advantage of the opportunities that come with being part of the Volunteer family.

We are proud to have you at UT. Best wishes for success!

Jimmy G. Cheek Chancellor

6A • THE DAILY BEACON

On Rocky Top 2014 News Editor Hanna Lustig

CAMPUS NEWS

hlustig@utk.edu

Assistant News Editor Emilee Lamb Hayley Brundige • The Daily Beacon

elamb1@utk.edu

Sex Week organizers pass out condom flowers and information during Sex Week 2014.

The saga continues: Sex Week plans for 2015 Bradi Musil

Staff Writer Little has stirred the pot of controversy in Tennessee as much as Sex Week.

Established in 2013, Sex Week first made headlines when UT administration pulled more than $11,000 from Sex Week’s funding just two weeks before the event was scheduled to have its inaugural run. After members of the organization Sexual Empowerment and Awareness in Tennessee were able to collect enough privately received funds, almost overnight, to support full programming, Sex Week earned credibility on the campus and national stage.

“When students come to UT they should be welcomed, accepted and challenged to join conversations like the ones SEAT is having,” said Nicky Hackenbrack, SEAT co-chair and junior in biochemistry, cellular and molecular biology. “SEAT wants to enact a cultural shift towards sex positivity so that students are making best decisions for themselves and supporting each other.”

This year, when the five day extravaganza of sexual education and health promoting events was scheduled for its second appearance on UT’s campus, SEAT gained more attention than it expected.

In February, a resolution condemning Sex Week activities at UT passed the state legislature, calling the event an “outrageous misuse of student fees and grant monies.” However, legislators were quick to offer more than just a slap on the wrist, and soon state senate bills threateaned to restrict student

activities funding altogether.

Senate Bill 1608, the first action against student funding allocation, required student fees which support student organizations to be distributed to organizations based on club membership. For small groups like SEAT, the bill could have been devastating.

Senate Bill 2493, also proposed this year, prohibited the use of student activities fees to be used for guest speakers of events. Although both bills were ultimately dropped, their declaration of the state’s opinion of events like Sex Week on UT’s campus remained.

“To some degree, even people who are really against us, speaking out publicly is still them talking about it,” said Elizabeth Stanfield, a member of the SEAT executive board and sophomore in anthropology and geography. “Our goal isn’t to tell people that they should or shouldn’t do any specific thing, it’s just to get them talking. In that way, I guess we’ve been overwhelming successful.”

Stanfield also noted that the state’s adamant refusal to support events which promote sexual liberation on a college campus only validates the work that SEAT hopes to accomplish.

“In some way it’s kind of galvanizing,” Stanfield said. “While disappointing that kind of opposition is, it’s indicative of the kind of culture shift that we think needs to happen.”

In an effort to seem more appealing to state legislators and more conservative leaning students, SEAT endorsed programs this year with more conventional focus and events that were strictly for entertainment, like the Aphrodisiac Cooking Class. However, most events were based on student

feedback from 2013’s audience, and SEAT paid little attention to demands made from the state.

“Overall, though, we decided not to censor the names of our events or to change the overall image and mission of Sex Week,” said Summer Awad, SEAT co-chair and sophomore in College Scholars. “Sometimes you have to do some controversial things to really engage people in the conversation. Even when people are responding negatively to Sex Week, they’re still talking about it, which means we’ve done our job.”

While this year particularly emphasized sexual assault, Hackenbrack said next year SEAT would like to also emphasize issues surrounding human trafficking, revenge porn, the use of technology in hook-up culture and body image. SEAT’s ultimate goal, however, is to fill the void of sex education in Tennessee, which Summer Awad calls “nonexistent.”

“Most sex education programs never address LBGTQ issues or teach that the clitoris exists,” Awad said.

“This exclusion of women and sexual minorities is harmful to mental and emotional development and health.

In addition, rape and sexual assault are almost never addressed, and when they are addressed, rare incidences of stranger rape are emphasized and notions of consent are ignored.

“As you can see, there is so much misinformation we have to work to address ... This is what makes this work so important, and we will continue to fight for the right to do it.”

Sex Week 2015 is scheduled for April 6 - 11. To learn more about SEAT, visit http://sexweekut.org.

National Laboratory gives students work Kevin Ridder

Copy Editor

Not all skills can be learned in a classroom setting.

This is the void UT’s nearly 14-yearlong partnership with Oak Ridge National Laboratory seeks to fill for UT students and graduates.

Since April of 2000, UT-Battelle LLC has managed the nation’s largest openscience laboratory. Today, the university’s partnership with ORNL includes approximately 60 joint faculty members and more than 100 students working at the lab, according to its website.

The students working there aren’t your typical interns, either; they do much more than paperwork and coffee running.

Doug Bouler, a junior in electrical engineering, interned at ORNL in the Measurement Science and Systems Engineering Division last summer.

“There were several projects throughout the time I was there,” Bouler said.

“For example, we were working on a probe that was going to be able to measure blood flow and oxygenation in your liver. I helped design an implantable case for that probe.”

Bouler was invited back to intern this upcoming summer.

“A lot of what I learned was the ability to work as a team,” Bouler said. “I understand the role of an electrical engineer in today’s society.”

Engineering isn’t the only division at ORNL, though. Boasting a highly diverse lab, research in many different fields occurs simultaneously.

Melanie Mayes, a joint faculty member with ORNL and the Earth and Planetary Sciences Department at UT, works alongside several students at the lab.

“I spend a lot of time intensively with students when they first arrive, teaching them how to do things,” Mayes said.

“And then after I help things get started, I take a step back and let the student take on more of a leadership role with me acting more as an adviser to them if they need help.”

Before becoming a full-time staff member with ORNL and UT, Mayes was a student intern herself. She said she was

about to finisher her bachelor of science in geology at the University of Missouri when her advisor helped her land an internship.

“I got my master’s at UT while I worked at the lab,” Mayes said. “By the time I was finishing up my Ph.D., I was working as a full-time researcher at ORNL.” What Mayes thought would be a brief entry on her résumé evolved into a permanent career.

“My internship was only supposed to last four months,” Mayes said. “But I enjoyed it so much I stayed here for a staff position, and I’ve been here for about 14 years.

“A lot of times that’s the way it happens; you come here for something temporary, and you stay because you like it and you’re successful.”

Programs through ORISE are available during the summer and the academic year for both undergraduate and graduate students.

Bryce Wesh, a sophomore in geology, has interned through an ORISE program for the last two summers, working with the Facilities Development Division.

“I worked more with the management side of ORNL, making sure everything ran smoothly,” Wesh said. “I helped modernize the water cooling systems for the laboratories, mapping out the rooms for piping. The second summer I did space allocation, utilizing and categorizing what buildings were on the ORNL campus, making sure they fit ORNL’s vision for the future.”

Should he be offered the opportunity, Wesh said he would work at ORNL after graduation.

“I feel my experience there has prepared me for a real world business atmosphere,” Wesh said. “I had an office; I worked with other students on several projects; I learned how to cooperate with a team of different people.”

While the programs are available nationally, Wesh said the relationship between UT and ORNL could give UT students a competitive advantage.

“UT’s program is incredible, it gives opportunities to students that they normally wouldn’t have: a job interning at a world-renowned facility,” Wesh said.

“And it’s available for any student of almost any major.”

WELCOME BACK, STUDENTS!

FROM THE OFFICE OF DISABILITY SERVICES WHO WE ARE

The mission of the Office of Disability Services (ODS (ODS) S)) S is to partner with the campus community in creating g equitable q access for eligible g students while promotin p promoting ng g disability-inclusive diversity. di bilit i l i di it ODS assists students with documented disabilities es by b determining their eligibility for services and then n working with students to determine reasonable accommodations and services which will, in turn, give n, giv ve the student equal access to the university.

The University of Tennessee is a caring, supportive ve community with high academic and personal expectations for each student. We are glad that you are here, and look forward to working with you.

If you think you are eligibile for ur accommodations or services through our ct us s office, please visit our website or contact for orientation and registration.

Students with temporary injuries may al also lso contact ODS forr possible accommodations. accommodatio acc ons..

ACCOMMODATIONS Some possible accommodations available to students with documented disabilities include: • Testing Accommodations • Sign Language Interpreters or Transcribers • Note Taking • Assistive Technology • Accessible Campus Transportation • Accessible Seating

SCHOLARSHIPS ODS offers several scholarships for students with disabilities and/or students preparing for careers in the disabilities field. Interested students can find more information on our website, or by visiting the office.

DELTA ALPHA PH HA PI International Honor Society ety ffor students with disabilities. Contact Contactt ODS for more information.

We’re located in 2227 Dunford unford Hall.

Online: ods.utk.edu Phone: (865) 974-6087 VP: (865) 622-6566 ods@utk.edu

JOB OPPORTUNITIES Every semester, ODS hires dozens of students to fill positions as: • Notetakers • Student Transcribers • Student Office Workers • Student Captionists

On Rocky Top 2014

THE DAILY BEACON • 7A

8A • THE DAILY BEACON

On Rocky Top 2014 News Editor Hanna Lustig

CAMPUS NEWS

hlustig@utk.edu

Assistant News Editor Emilee Lamb

Janie Prathammavong • The Daily Beacon

elamb1@utk.edu

More than 15 student groups in the Living Wage Coalition, including the Roosevelt Institute and Campus Disability Advocates, deliver a letter advocating the increase of wages for UT workers to Chancellor Jimmy Cheek’s office in Andy Holt Tower.

Campaign fights for campus workers Hayley Brundige

Assistant Photo Editor

Chris West

Contributor They clean our bathrooms, pick up our trash and maintain the appearance of the campus.

They are the UT facilities workers.

Facility services is a broad department that includes building, landscape and lock and key services on a campus with more than 260 buildings, 556 acres and 33 miles of sidewalks and plazas.

Josh Smyser, a facility services worker who cleans the Stokely Management Center, has worked for UT for a year.

“It’s a decent job,” Smyser said, “but it could be better.”

Based on a UT Faculty Senate study conducted for the 2010-2011 academic year, a “living wage” is around $9 an hour, or $25,000 per year. The study defined a living wage as one that is “sufficient to pay for the basic bare-bones needs of a family living in today’s America without having to resort to public benefits, crime or private charity.”

Currently, the base pay for UT facilities workers is $8.50 an hour.

“I’m single, so it’s a little easier for me to live on that salary,” Smyser said. “But I know people who have families to support and they really struggle.”

Through the efforts of the Living Wage Coalition, that base pay will increase to $9.50 per hour, plus benefits beginning June 30. The coalition is composed of the Progressive Student Alliance and 16 other student organizations working in conjunction with the United Campus Workers union. The campaign has been working toward fairer wages for UT faculty and staff since spring 2012 through public actions, marches and protests on campus.

While the raise represents a victory for the coalition and its continuous efforts, members still see more to be done.

The Living Wage Coalition has been attempting to meet with Chancellor Jimmy Cheek regarding their concerns, hoping to raise the starting UT worker wage to $12.50 an hour, including benefits. Organizers wrote a letter asking the chancellor to meet with them regarding this issue, but their request was denied; the UCW is not considered to be a “recognized organization” speaking on employees’ behalf.

Cheek’s response to the letter,

written on Feb. 14, cited several efforts by the university to foster better conditions for employees.

With the pairing of the newly raised starting wage and a “comprehensive benefits package,” Cheek stated in his response that he believes UT is providing compensation competitive to the Knoxville employment market in addition to the ongoing “insourcing” of custodial staff, which has created 100 new jobs.

Tom Anderson, the president of United Campus Workers, feels as though the university could do more for its workers.

“I commend the university in recognizing that Tennessee’s base minimum wage isn’t enough, and the raise is in the right direction,” Anderson said.

“However, this rate is short of a pay where the workers can live comfortably on.”

The UCW defines a “living wage” as the minimum income allowing workers to cover their family’s living expenses while leaving some excess each month for miscellaneous costs like transportation, the upbringing of their children and savings.

The union has gauged this pay rate at $12.50, with benefits, based on national and Knoxvillearea economic studies regarding the cost of living.

Campus Disability Advocates examine UT disability issues Samantha Smoak Online Editor

The transition to college can be tough for students with disabilities, but it doesn’t have to be.

Enter: Campus Disability Advocates, an organization created to facilitate dialogue among UT students about disabilities.

After noticing a lack of understanding and awareness on campus, Lindsay Lee, recent UT graduate and former president of CDA, founded the organization during her sophomore year.

“There are all sorts of groups for other minorities, but no one was really paying any attention to the students with disabilities,” said Lee, a graduating senior in math and Spanish. “No one was really thinking about the larger social issues that students with disabilities have to face.”

CDA focuses on encouraging discussion and furthering education and awareness about disability issues. The club hosts education forums, films, guest speakers, a yearly disability awareness week and an issues and advocacy conference.

Allison Gose, former vice

president of CDA and a rising senior in history and political science, sees the organization as a crucial opportunity for incoming students with disabilities to hear about resources within and outside the university.

“For students with disabilities, the transition to college can often be a very stressful and difficult experience,” Gose said.

“CDA provides these freshmen with a place to talk to other people who understand their unique situation because they’ve also been through it.”

College might be the first time students with disabilities meet others with disabilities, Gose suggested, and having “someone to talk to who faces similar struggles” can make all the difference.

But any student, regardless of whether they possess a disability, can become a member of CDA. “Almost everyone is affected by disability in someway, whether it be through a friend, a relative, or his or her own personal experience,” she said. “CDA not only provides students with an opportunity to support these individuals and their education but also to create a more diverse

community of scholars at the UT.” For Lee, the organization’s primary goal is to bring disability issues to the community’s attention.

“The biggest hurdle is that people need to realize that people with disabilities exist and they’re here and they can do the same activities as everybody else,” Lee said. “When you have a disability it’s kind of isolating and there is not a lot of opportunity to meet other people who have your own disability or other disabilities. I think it’s important to meet new people and learn about people who are not like yourself.”

Lee also said she hopes that students with disabilities realize they are not alone when they come to campus.

“I want them to know that there are other people like them and groups like this are here to make the transition easier,” Lee said, “and to help them get the most out of their college experience.”

CDA will host the third annual Disability Week from Sept. 29 to Oct. 3, 2014.

On Rocky Top 2014

THE DAILY BEACON • 9A News Editor Hanna Lustig

CAMPUS NEWS

hlustig@utk.edu

Assistant News Editor Emilee Lamb

elamb1@utk.edu

UT offers resources to sexual assault victims Bradi Musil

Staff Writer Twenty-eight female UT students reported rape in 2012, according to the Sexual Assault Center of East Tennessee.

Although UT provides a multitude of resources where students can report sexual assault, this web of outlets could create more confusion.

“What I find is that our students are so bombarded with messages, that a lot of times, until they are in a crisis, or until they are in a situation where they really need the information, they don’t realize that there is some information there,” said Jennifer Ritcher, the associate director of the Office of Equity and Diversity.

At any point after an incident, students may file complaints involving sexual assault. Most often, Ritcher said, they choose to report sexual assault to the Office of Equity and Diversity, Student Health Center, Safety, Environment and Education Center, UTPD, the Dean of Students Office, Judicial Affairs or the UT Medical Center.

After a student has contacted any resource regarding sexual assault, several other resources on campus are then alerted of a potential situation.

The victim is then directed to a meeting with Dean of Students Maxine Davis or the resource they are most comfortable with, such as a resident assistant, hall director or SEE Center counselor, with whom they will discuss a series of options for pursuing charges.

If reported to her office, it is Davis’ first priority to secure emotional and physical care for the victim. But gathering information about the circumstances of the assault and the

alleged perpetrator’s whereabouts is also crucial.

“You want to make sure the victim is OK,” Davis said, “and, at the same time, you have to think about the community.”

(Editor’s Note: Melissa Shivers will take over as Dean of Students in the fall semester.)

While most victims choose to speak with their RA, Ritcher “always encourages” an additional report to be filed with law enforcement.

If reported to a UT campus resource, including UTPD, a sexual assault incident is brought to the attention of university administration and the Office of Judicial Affairs, who will pursue justice to whatever extent the victim permits. The university’s actions on behalf of the victim depends on his or her willingness to provide details, like the victim’s name or the name of the perpetrator. Davis said these details are often necessary to pursue punitive action.

The university, including UTPD, cannot charge the accused. UTPD may only furnish “assistance” in prosecuting and access to resources in the community, like the hospital, the counseling center or the Sexual Assault Center of East Tennessee.

“It could be handled simultaneously in the criminal system as well as the university system,” said Sergeant Cedric Roach of UTPD’s Community Relations Unit. “If it’s going to be prosecuted, of course, we hand it over to the district attorney’s office.

“No matter if it gets prosecuted or not, the university will still be involved administratively, of course.”

However, Davis explained that should the accused perpetrator claim the act was consensual, the act then becomes “alleged.” This, Davis report-

ed, is a “typical” situation.

After becoming an “allegation,” the victim must “go before a hearing” before the judicial conduct process can continue. Victims rarely agree to a hearing, Davis said. Most often, the victim simply releases the accused person’s name, desiring he or she be “talked with” and “put on notice and documentation.” Davis said victims often wish the situation would simply “go away.”

A lack of rape shield laws in Tennessee leaves any student seeking justice through the law no way of remaining anonymous. If the victim chooses to press charges, his or her name could be released to the general public.

Davis said this policy may deter some victims of sexual assault from coming forward.

“I’m sure there are more female victims out there,” Davis said. “There are more male victims out there, they are just not reported.”

During all investigations, though, the university takes measures to separate the victim and the accused. The greatest penalty the university can exercise is indefinite suspension.

Eradicating sexual assault, Davis said, begins with ensuring that every assault is reported – a feat that will demand partnership between the university and the students.

“The higher the number, as far as I’m concerned,” Davis said, “means that we are doing our job.”

Yet, Ritcher admits that the reporting process, as it currently operates, spreads a number of responsibilities across many entities and offices.

“We want to have a one stop place where, if you were (online) looking, it would always come up first,” Ritcher said. “We are working on that now, as a matter of fact.”

Important numbers to know Office of Equity and Diversity

(865) 974-2498

Student Health Center

(865) 974-3135

Safey, Environment, and Education Center

(865) 974-2911

UTPD Campus Emergency

(865) 974-3111

Dean of Students Office

((865) 974-3179

Family Justice Center

(865) 521-6336

Student Counseling Center

(865) 974-2196

UT Medical Center

(865) 305-9000

THINK OUTSIDE THE CUBICLE Major in Plant Sciences and find a career that fits the life you want to lead.

Pick your passion: Landscape Design Turfgrass Science & Management

WƵďůŝĐ ,ŽƌƟĐƵůƚƵƌĞ

,ŽƌƟĐƵůƚƵƌĞ ^ĐŝĞŶĐĞ Θ WƌŽĚƵĐƟŽŶ

KƌŐĂŶŝĐ WƌŽĚƵĐƟŽŶ Bioenergy Biotechnology

Want more information? Contact Andy Pulte at 865-974-8820 or pulte@utk.edu. http://plantsciences.utk.edu

10A • THE DAILY BEACON

On Rocky Top 2014 News Editor Hanna Lustig

CAMPUS NEWS

hlustig@utk.edu

Assistant News Editor Emilee Lamb

elamb1@utk.edu

The Man behind the desk: Chancellor Cheek Hayley Brundige • The Daily Beacon

R.J. Vogt

Editor-in-Chief The typical American occupation is descriptive in name; salesmen sell, servers serve, teachers teach. People rely on these indicative job titles as insights into the day-to-day lives of others.

But when someone has a less obvious line of work – say, chancellor of a major state university – he or she becomes an enigma, one that operates in the complex anonymity of public scrutiny.

It begs the question – what does Jimmy Cheek actually do?

On Nov. 23, Jimmy Cheek is not eating at a tailgate for the UT vs. Vanderbilt game. Surrounded by savory meatballs, stuffed chicken tenders, and a wet bar with 10 different wines and 12 different beers, the chancellor of Tennessee’s flagship university holds only a plastic cup of water in his left hand, leaving his right hand free for shaking and his mouth free to chat. Unlike the tailgates outside in the cold, full of cornhole boards and contraband drinking, this gathering in the warm Tyson House has a purpose greater than the game – top administrators from UT have come to mingle with their counterparts from Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Cheek is too busy rubbing shoulders with the likes of Thom Mason, ORNL director, and A.C. Buchanan, III, a top ORNL chemical researcher, to enjoy the delicious spread before him.

“Late in the third quarter you’ll see him sit down,” says David Golden, faculty senate president.

Seamless and constant, the chancellor shifts from networking with UT-Battelle board members to small talk about their families.

Part-politician and part-CEO, he never stands in one place longer than a few minutes. As kickoff draws near, Cheek and his wife, Ileen, head for the Chancellormobile – a UT golf cart. Russ Swafford, manager of special proj-

Chancellor Jimmy Cheek speaks with students Billy Rochelle (left) and Laura Gallway, in the skybox during the UT game against the Vanderbilt Commodores on Nov. 23. ects, drives them both to a skybox in Neyland Stadium where even more food and people wait.

Once inside, Cheek shakes hands with 14 different people within 10 minutes, despite a three minute break for the national anthem. Each handshake is followed by genuine conversation – Cheek calls students, administrators, alumni and trustees by name, thanks in part to the nametags offered upon entry to the skybox.

“He’s very prepared,” Swafford says, as Cheek moves on to chat with Rickey Hall, vice chancellor of diversity. “He always does his homework.”

Cheek has demonstrated as much since taking the job Feb. 1, 2009. As he moves past the five-year mark as Chancellor, UT continues to improve in many measurable categories. Incoming

freshmen are smarter, buildings are newer and partnerships with multinational corporations are on the horizon. Even his controversial “15-in-4” tuition model has shown swift results; in fall 2013, freshmen averaged 15.1 hours, setting the class of 2017 on track to graduate in four years. And after discussions with SGA officials, tuition increases for current freshmen are expected to lock-in at 3 percent per year for the next four years.

Despite all the progress UT has made during his reign as Chancellor, however, the university has failed to climb into the list of U.S. News and World Report’s Top 25 public universities. In 2013, UT actually dropped a spot, from 46th to 47th. In an address to the Faculty Senate on Sept. 12, Cheek explained that graduation and retention rates will be key to

boosting the university’s ranking and the post-graduation futures of UT students. He asked faculty to make strong personal efforts to help students negotiate their collegiate education; the logic goes that more help will expedite the graduation process.

And the Chancellor is a case study in expedition. He says he starts his day at 6:30 a.m., eating breakfast at home before commuting to Andy Holt Tower, where he is typically slated for meetings from 7:30 a.m. until the day’s end. There’s the weekly meetings with his cabinet; the biweekly meetings with Vice Chancellor of Finance and Administration Chris Cimino and Provost Susan Martin; the bimonthly meetings about faculty senate with Golden; the monthly meeting with UT President, Joe Dipietro.

Spread throughout all the

meetings are more meetings, such as one on Sept. 14 with Lee Reidinger, director of the Bredesen Center, to discuss the progress of the interdisciplinary research and graduate program. Always doing his homework, Cheek peruses a report on the center before listening to Reidinger’s plans for increased recruitment and funding. Midmeeting, Cheek reminds himself to talk to someone in two weeks.

Later, he recalls a month-old conversation with someone interested in the Bredesen Center, passing the name along to Reidinger.

When he’s not meeting, he’s eating. Almost every lunch is a lunch with someone else, and eating four dinners at home is a good week. Travel is a big part of the job, with a weekend trip to the Time Magazine Higher Education Summit in New York

Little Known Facts: • Cheek is an avid gardener who feuds with pesky rabbits.

•His hometown, Hico, Texas, had less than 1,400 people in the 2010 Census.

• He listens to a lot of John Denver.

• It is not uncommon to see Cheek drink tea with 3-4 packets of Splenda.

• The Chancellor works out five days a week on his in-home elliptical. He also does push-ups each morning.

City in September and a 12-day trip to China in October. The constant public appearances demand a wide wardrobe – Cheek estimated that he had 15 different suits and sports coats, though he admitted that he couldn’t be certain.

On Nov. 23, the most important man at UT has opted for a power-T sweater instead of another suit. Contrary to Golden’s prediction, it’s actually the second quarter when the Chancellor finally takes his seat in the skybox, quietly watching the Vols lose next to his wife and son. Because it’s the season’s last home game, there is less traffic around Cheek. Inert, he looks uncomfortably comfortable.

“He’s 67 years old,” his son Jeff says to me. “He could retire. But he loves the students. And Dad can’t leave work at work.”

A few moments later, Cheek receives word that UT senior Lindsay Lee has won the Rhodes Scholarship, one of the world’s most prestigious scholarships. As he excitedly scurries across the skybox to celebrate with Provost Martin, Ileen leans over to me.

“That’s his favorite part of the job,” she says, nodding at Cheek’s proud smile. “Students are much more interesting than professors or administrators.”

On Rocky Top 2014

THE DAILY BEACON • 11A

12A • THE DAILY BEACON

NEWS

On Rocky Top 2014 News Editor Hanna Lustig

hlustig@utk.edu

Assistant News Editor Emilee Lamb

elamb1@utk.edu

Faculty fight for same-sex benefits Bradi Musil

Staff Writer As Mississippi State University considers joining the wave of universities now offering domestic partnership benefits to employees, UT remains resistant.

On Jan. 17, Ravi Perry, assistant professor of political science at MSU, sent a letter to the president of Faculty Senate, Gerald Emison, requesting a correction in human relations policies which contradict the university’s nondiscrimination policy.

In his letter, Perry stated that “although the Mississippi State University’s non-discrimination policy includes the protected class of sexual orientation, there is no access to health care benefits when persons identified under that protected class seek to secure said benefits.”

By accepting his position at MSU in 2012, Perry and his spouse lost the full benefits offered at his former university, which included health insurance.

On March 14, U.S. District Court Judge Aleta Trauger ordered Tennessee state officials to recognize the marriages of three same-sex couples married out of state, including two lesbian professors in the UT Institute of Agriculture’s College of Veterinary Medicine, Sophy Jesty and Valeria Tanco.

The decision, however, affects only the three couples suing for recognition, not the state as a whole. The statewide interpretation of marriage will remain the same.

Benefits denied to same-sex couples include, but are not limited to, the ability to take a leave of absence in the wake of a partner’s illness or death, receive discounted tuition for a partner’s enrollment at UT and place an employee’s partner on their health insurance plan covered by the university.

Donna Braquet, director of the OUTreach: LGBT & Ally Resource Center and special assistant to the vice chancellor for diversity, has been working

to promote domestic partnership benefits at UT since her move to Knoxville in 2004.

Braquet called UT’s non-discrimination policy “interesting,” stating that after two decades of lobbying for sexual orientation and gender identity to be included in the policy, the rule was amended to include these descriptors in 2008 and 2009.

However, the footnote of the policy reads, “Eligibility and other terms and conditions of employment benefits at The University of Tennessee are governed by laws and regulations of the State of Tennessee, and this non-discrimination statement is intended to be consistent with those laws and regulations.” This language acts as a disclaimer regarding benefits prohibited by state law.

“I think a lot about the benefits that I do not get from the university and from the state just because I happen to be a lesbian,” Braquet said. “I have a co-worker who married his wife a few months ago. As soon as they were married, he was able to carry her on his health, vision and dental insurance. My partner and I have been together for 17 years, and yet, I cannot put her on my insurance.”

According to The Washington Post, 29 states currently have constitutional amendments restricting marriage to one man and one woman and four have statutory laws prohibiting samesex marriage. Same-sex couples can legally marry in 17 states and Washington, D.C. As part of the initiative to become a Top 25 public research institution, UT Faculty Senate requested that Chancellor Jimmy Cheek grant domestic partnership benefits in 2013. The University of Florida and Georgia Tech, both Top 25 schools, already have such measures in place.

Braquet asserted that acceptance of the LGBT community is a necessity to reach the Top 25 mark.

“I know that if UT wants to be Top 25, it is going to have to embrace diversity in all of its

grandeur,” she said. “That means ethnicity, religion, ability, age, gender, socio-economic status, immigrant status, race, and sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression.

“To get the best and the brightest students, faculty and staff, you have to have your minds and doors open to everyone.”

Following Cheek’s swift rejection of the proposal to extend benefits to same-sex couples, Robert Naylor, junior in global studies and co-chairperson of the Progressive Student Alliance, began the Benefit Equality Campaign to elicit a more eloquent response from Cheek.

The campaign sought not only benefits for LGBT staff, but also employees who engage in committed and cohabited relationships without legal bonds of marriage. In Naylor’s opinion, providing these benefits to all employees is now an expectation at large universities. Withholding these benefits, he believes, reflects poorly on UT. Jennifer Dobbins, a first year UT law student who worked with Naylor on the campaign, asserted that offering domestic partnership benefits would lead to a stronger university with a higher caliber of faculty and staff.

“It’s very difficult to me for the university to say it offers a welcoming and inclusive environment when peoples’ significant others, in some cases spouse,” Dobbins said, “cannot access the same benefits that their married heterosexual colleagues can.”

Student and faculty support for the Benefit Equality Campaign was unanimous; however, Cheek remained opposed to considering possible benefits due to potential political repercussions from the Tennessee legislature.

“At the time I thought this was just an excuse, but after seeing what is happening with Sex Week I understand that he was probably threatened,” Naylor said. “Chancellor Cheek was and is in a difficult position to offer domestic partner benefits, but it isn’t impossible.”

On Rocky Top 2014

THE DAILY BEACON • 13A News Editor Hanna Lustig

CAMPUS NEWS

hlustig@utk.edu

Assistant News Editor Emilee Lamb

elamb1@utk.edu

Housing director discusses coming changes on campus Chris West

Contributor The future of UT Housing is materializing, as projects across campus slowly transform from blueprints to buildings.

While Fred D. Brown Jr. Hall, Gibbs Hall and a renovated Clement Hall represent long-term goals, administrators are also appealing to current Vols with more immediate, internal changes.

Frank Cuevas, executive director of UT Housing and assistant vice chancellor for Student Life, recognized UT’s need to address outdated infrastructure.

“I think that over time, our facilities have hurt us,” he said. “The fact that we’re building the first new residence hall in 43 years is telling.”

In anticipation of next fall, UT now offers several new options to campus residents, like 12-month housing contracts and expanded co-ed housing. For Cuevas, the changes mark the beginning of an “exciting time” for UT, and a conscious effort to “be responsive” to the student body and their requests.

Perhaps, then, the future of UT Housing is already here. We talked with Cuevas to learn more.

Daily Beacon: Can you explain what 12-month housing is?

Frank Cuevas: In reality, we have offered 12-month housing in the past.

Back when we set up graduate and family housing, we would offer year-round housing, and most of those people were on a month-to-month contract, so they’d live there year-round. When we went ahead and closed those facilities down, we were really under the traditional nine-month contract. From our perspective, I thought it was an interesting opportunity because we have a number of international students that may be in need for year-round housing. Aside from international students, we have domestic students who might have a job or an internship in Knoxville that may find it attractive if we were to offer a 12-month contract.

DB: Where will these 12-month hous-

“I think that over time, our facilities have hurt us. The fact that we’re building the first new residence hall in 43 years is telling .”

- Frank Cuevas ing apartments be?

FC: We’ve decided to try a pilot program and hold back a floor in Laurel to see if we’d have some interest from students.

DB: How much demand has there been for 12-month housing? How many spaces are still open?

FC: I think we’re about a third of the way on the floor, to my understanding.

We had 30 students requesting interest, and I think we’ve contracted about a dozen or so already, and that was before we actually had the press release go out or had targeted emails go out. I remain optimistic that we’ll be able to hopefully fill the floor up.

DB: Are freshmen eligible, too?

FC: Potentially even freshmen. I say potentially if freshmen take us up on the option. Most freshmen go back home after their first year. What we’re mostly seeing is mainly sophomores, juniors, some grads. But freshmen could if they really wanted to.

DB: Have you seen increased demand

for “super single” rooms here at UT? FC: The demand for super singles here has been up and down in terms of the request. Part of it is trying to find the right price point for students. Some schools will offer the super single if (students) pay the other half of the price to get the full room. I don’t think we would have many students who would want to pay the full price. It would depend on the institution and the pricing for this.

I think that (demand) varies by campus.

Some years, we’ve had more demand for super singles. I think we used to see quite a bit of demand for it a couple of years ago, but it’s diminished because we’ve done some other things to create different spaces for students.

DB: Has there been any movement toward the incorporation of gender-neutral housing at UT? FC: Not on the gender-neutral piece.

What we have done is we’ve made a few more spaces co-ed by floor. Fred Brown gives us the ability because it’s pod-like.

You can have one section of the floor be all-men, and then have this section of the floor be all-women, and then have the RA room between. There’s a small lobby that allows for co-ed. I think that as we look at designs for the future and other facilities, that’s something we need to keep in mind to address other needs out there. In [Fred Brown], when we started looking, we saw there was an opportunity for us to do something a little bit different. I think that the student response is going to be pretty well-received. I think that if you even look at Morrill, we’re podding with men and women on certain wings of LLC floors.

DB: What changes have been made in response to negative student feedback?

FC: An example was when we asked them about Internet activity in the halls two years ago. I noticed that was an item that was poorly rated, so that summer, we invested a lot of money to improve Internet connectivity in the halls and we saw a significant improvement in satisfaction the year after because we administer that survey the following year.

Presidential Courtyard scheduled for updates McCord Pagan Copy Editor

“Graceful, convenient living.”

That is how brochures from 1966 described the Presidential Halls complex to incoming students.

Now, nearly 50 years later, Reese, Humes, North and South Carrick, Morrill, Apartment Residence Hall and recently acquired Shelbourne Towers are all scheduled for a five-year redevelopment process. Shelbourne is already being prepared for demolition.

Pending approval by the State of Tennessee and Board of Trustees, the multimillion dollar project will likely change the way students experience on-campus life, especially Presidential Court.

A social hub for many freshmen, the square has witnessed decades of UT traditions and events, providing a place for students to make friends they may not otherwise have met.

Jerry Adams, associate director for university housing, said Presidential Court has played host to numerous events, such as Greek Week, Smokey’s Howl and even a gokart course courtesy of Dining Services.

“Building some type of community when you get here, meeting people from all across the state of Tennessee is important,” Adams said. “You meet people not just from Tennessee but all across the U.S.” The wide open space of Presidential Court offers a place to interact and meet new friends, as John Burnam, junior in physics and computer science, did last Saturday.

Promoting his group, Society of Physics Students, Burnam and others brought the fun of science to their colleagues simply by being in a central location.

“Half these people I didn’t know before an hour ago,” Burnam said. “We’re a group now.”

Community gathering locations, in Burnam’s opinion, are an invaluable part of the college learning experience.

“I think community areas like that are very important just for student life in general,” he said.

Plans for how exactly Presidential Court will change have yet to be finalized, but Director of Housing Frank Cuevas said designs will include the green space students have been requesting.

Proposed designs will do away with much of the courtyard’s signature concrete architecture, replacing it instead with greenery and walking paths, Cuevas said. The new Court will be transformed to a smaller, park-like area, and have a diminished role from what it was in the past.

Each new residence hall will have its own smaller, greener courtyard, where each hall can focus on fostering community growth, Cuevas said, with the overall goal to create student housing that is more “a village, community concept.”

“We really want to transform that whole part of campus, and give that part a different feel,” he said.

Melrose Avenue may be extended into Presidential Court, but will be open only to facilitate traffic on move-in days.

Acknowledging the headaches this type of construction inevitably brings, Adams said he hopes students understand the long-term benefits of revamping Presidential Court.

“We just need new amenities for students, a fresher look for students,” Adams said.

“It just makes Tennessee a more appealing place.”

14A • THE DAILY BEACON

On Rocky Top 2014 News Editor Hanna Lustig

CAMPUS NEWS

hlustig@utk.edu

Assistant News Editor Emilee Lamb

elamb1@utk.edu

Coming to a dining hall near you Mandatory meal plans set for 2015 R.J. Vogt

Editor in Chief With two new dining locations opening in fall 2014 and three more upgrades planned during the next five years, the UT administration knew it needed more students to buy more meal plans.

But after students protested a proposed mandatory meal plan last fall, Dining Services and

University Housing went back to the cutting board.

Using the same student feedback that effectively killed the original plan, UT now hopes to enact a new meal policy proposal in Fall 2015 – and the mandatory $300 Dining Dollars remain a factor.

This last component was the cause of student chagrin in November, when the Coalition Against Mandatory Meal Plans gained more than 1,500 Facebook

likes and an entire website was devoted to amplifying student feedback. Using the slogan “#DontForceFeedUS,” students expressed concerns over the proposal’s burden on non-traditional students, lack of flexibility and financial cost.

But Jeff Maples, vice chancellor for finance and administration, and Frank Cuevas, executive director of university housing, think they’ve met student concerns in the new plan, which, pending Board of Trustees approval, will take effect in fall 2015.

“All the things that students told us they wanted to see changed, we’ve changed,” Maples said. “We listened, and here’s the

result of that listening.”

The current policy requires all Presidential Courtyard residents to buy a meal plan; all other students are free to choose. In 2015, the new policy will require all first year undergraduates who live on campus to purchase a meal plan.

“That’s really not much of a change,” Cuevas said. “Over 95 percent of on-campus freshman were living in those mandatory halls anyway.”

For non-first year students enrolled in at least six credit hours, the policy requires the purchase of $300 Dining Dollars.

UT will offer a meal plan that meets the bare minimum, but more expansive meal plans will also meet the $300 requirement.

At the end of each semester, any remaining Dining Dollars will roll into students’ All-Star accounts, where they can then request a refund or use the money at participating All-Star locations.

In response to students who have long requested that Dining Dollars be available on the Strip, Maples said he hopes to add Cumberland Avenue restaurants to the list of participating All-Star venues. Though Dining Dollars will remain specific to Aramark retailers, Dining Dollars that roll over into All-Star will become usable at restaurants that agree to work with UT. “We’re going to offer it to any restaurant that wants it,” Maples said. “But this gives Aramark the first chance to try to earn your dollars.”

After the initial proposal, many students bemoaned the extra $300 they would be required to spend. In the amended plans, Cuevas pointed out that students who refuse to eat on campus can simply re-use the same payment each semester.

“You’re only footing out the $300 one time,” Cuevas said. “If you don’t spend it in the fall semester, you could ask for the refund and apply it to the $300 in

All undergraduate students will have a meal plan* Here’s the plan:

On-campus first year students will be required to purchase a meal plan. Non first-year students will be required to purchase at least $300 Dining Dollars.

Each semester, any unused Dining Dollars will roll into students’ All-Star accounts, where the money can then be either refunded or used on campus. *pending Board of Trustees approval

the spring.

“And then you can ask for the refund again – it’s just managing your funds in a different way.”

Changing the Dining Landscape Meal plans are just the start of what looks to be several years of change in Dining Services.

Construction on the new Cumberland Avenue facility is expected to finish by August 1 of this year; it contains a Panda Express and Raising Canes, as well as room for a third retailer in the future. Both will accept meal equivalency.

Also in the fall, the Fred D. Brown Jr. Residence Hall is expected to open, bringing a Tortilla Fresca and a new Subway to the west side of campus. The Subway currently in PCB will be moved so that the neighboring Chik-fil-A can expand from its current, limited menu operation.

Phase 1 of construction on the Student Union is slated for spring 2015 completion, a building that will include Qdoba, Salad Creations, Subway, Chik-fil-A, AFC Express and a Starbucks.

Currently, the UC has a capacity

of 425 in its eating areas; Phase 1 of the Student Union will have space for 1,200 students.

And by fall of 2016, the residence hall formerly known as Gibbs will be rebuilt, and with it, a 650-seat dining location.

Maples said this location will be a “fresh food concept” – everything prepared on sight in front of customers. Aramark has opened similar locations at schools such as Florida State University and the University of Virginia, and Maples expects the concept will be a huge hit. When construction begins on PCB in a few years, there are plans to install a second fresh food concept.

Maples said they have “very little” faculty and staff participation in meal plans, but Cuevas said he thinks the fresh food will be more attractive. The way they see it, the mandatory meal plans and improved dining services will generate a “robust campus community.”

“I would love to walk in and see faculty eating with students,” Maples said. “The way we have this laid out will be very conducive to that.”

On Rocky Top 2014

THE DAILY BEACON • 15A News Editor Hanna Lustig

CAMPUS NEWS Students lead charge for campus sustainability Jenna Butz

Staff Writer Chancellor Jimmy Cheek: the divestment campaign is headed your way.

Since arriving at UT in fall 2012, the members of the campaign led by the UT Coalition for Responsible Investment have spent hours petitioning, presenting and protesting across campus to convince administration to divest the university’s endowment from fossil fuels.

Students Jake Rainey, David Hayes, Jessica Murphy and Kristen Collins brought the idea of divesting back as a souvenir from an Atlanta trip.

They had gone to see author and environmental journalist Bill McKibben speak on climate change as part of his “Do the Math” tour, during which McKibben proposed that college students should return to their schools and work toward divestment.

Since then, Rainey, a senior in journalism and electronic media and member of the coalition, said that “this movement has been building pretty quickly.”

The coalition is calling for UT to divest investments from companies associated with environmentally harmful actions.

Although UT has already committed to being 100 percent carbon neutral by 2061, Daniel Lawhon, a junior in physics and electrical engineering, pushed for another step in a November presentation before the Faculty Senate.

“Despite our stance against the long-term use of fossil fuels, our university endowment currently has holdings in a significant number of fossil fuel com-

past year that we’re really proud of. I think it’s inevitable.”

Last spring, the proposal appeared on the SGA ballot to gauge student support. Eighty percent of voters supported the plan.

“We want UT to be a leader in sustainability and start a movement that calls on all campus and other institutions to divest from fossil fuels,” said Kristen Collins, a senior in environmental studies.

Despite support from the student body, the campaign received a letter from the Board of Trustees in December 2013 rejecting divestment. In response, the group presented a letter to Charles “Butch” Peccolo, UT’s chief financial officer, rejecting the administration’s dismissal and asking for further consideration.

This presentation was followed by a “study-in” where more than 30 students occu-Kristen Collins pied the CFO’s office lobby. The protesters sat quietly and did with the Board of Trustees and homework for more than an hour, evaluate UT’s portfolio for social- a demonstration Rainey called ly and environmentally sound the campaign’s most effective action yet. investments.

With the help of UT’s Living Nationally, 18 cities, 21 religious institutions, eight universi- Wage Coalition, the divestment ties and two counties have either coalition held a rally on April 22 divested or committed to divest in response to Chancellor Jimmy their portfolios from the fossil fuel Cheek’s refusal to support divestindustry. Given that these schools ment efforts after an April 16 are private and relatively small, meeting between coalition leadUT would be the first public and ers and UT administrators.

“We realized that, as students, the largest university to divest its holdings, should it commit we have a say in the university’s investments and are using that to do so.

“Especially being in the south, power to ask the university to being the first SEC school to stop investing in fossil fuels to divest would be an awesome fight climate change,” Collins accomplishment,” Lawhon said. said. “We believe climate change “We’ve really got our fingers is the biggest issue of our generacrossed on that, and we think tion.

“Students want UT to divest we can pull it off. Even though it’s still a full fight ahead, we’ve from fossil fuels and lead the way already accomplished a lot in the to climate solutions.” panies,” Lawhon said. “We own the very companies that we work to reduce our dependence upon.

It defies basic financial sense to invest in an industry that we not only see as in decline but the decline of which we actually support.”

The divestment campaign’s goal focuses primarily on working with the university to immediately freeze any new investments in fossil fuel companies, divesting current holdings in fossil fuel companies within five years and creating a subcommittee to work

“ W e want UT to be a leader in sustainability and start a movement that calls on all campus and other institutions to divest from fossil fuels.”

hlustig@utk.edu

Assistant News Editor Emilee Lamb

elamb1@utk.edu

Project V.E.G.G.I.E. grows fresh food, ideas for students on campus Hanna Lustig

News Editor A boy, a girl and a garden.

That is how Project V.E.G.G.I.E. began in 2012 – with a desire to provide high quality produce and a passion for sustainable living. Although it was officially founded more recently, the idea behind Project V.E.G.G.I.E. – which stands for Vols Educating about Growing Gardens and Inspiring Environmentalism – has been evolving for much longer.

Inspired by the documentary “Food Inc.,” Neil Brown, senior in chemical engineering, started growing tomatoes in his backyard after his freshman year. Brown, a chemical engineering major, met Candice Lawton, who harbored a similar interest – as she puts it – in “working with nature and its devices.” Since then, the organization has grown in every sense of the word, gaining members, space and influence. Today, the fresh food revolution continues, still lead by the same boy and girl.

In its plot beside Apartment Residence Hall, Project V.E.G.G.I.E. farms a variety of crops, working nearly year-round to prepare the land, grow fruit and vegetables and harvest them.

With work taking place on the weekends, the organization functions solely on student labor and determination. However, this operation is by no means inconsequential – it yields a diverse array of berries, legumes and squash from a 3,000 square foot area.

Brown and Lawton, president and vice president respectively, look to grow the garden even more this year. The group plans to add 500 feet of planter boxes, create a large mural next to the garden, develop a web application to more directly reach the community, construct a rainwater harvesting system and implement a worm composting system as an alternative to throwing out viable fertilizer.

Brown said winter gardening may even be on the horizon, but long-term the group aims for widespread involvement.

“We hope to become so integrated with campus that we can eventually supply a portion of the food that is served in the dining halls,” Brown said. “Additionally, we hope to have enough students join so that each year we graduate at least 10 people who will eventually go out into their future communities and start their own community gardens.”

The garden, then, acts not only as a source of nutrients, but also as a center of experiential learning. Brown said the value of such initiatives cannot be underestimated.

“If we are to make due with our dwindling fuel supply, as well as turn around our health trends, we must make some changes,” he said.

For Project V.E.G.G.I.E., educating its members is essential.

Lawton said the organization serves as a critique to current food production methodologies.

“The U.S., the wealthiest nation in the world, is feeding its citizens a diet that evolution has not equipped us for, using methods of food production that poison and undermine the Earth’s soil, water and air with unsustainable quantities of chemical fertilizers and pesticides,” he said.

“The population and the healthcare system are threatened by a crisis of diet-related illness, millions of acres of damaged farmland and chemical runoff spilling into waterways.”

For those interested in joining the movement, Project V.E.G.G.I.E. can be liked or joined on their Facebook page, www. facebook.com/ProjectVeggie, through their email, veggie@utk. edu, or by attending an upcoming interest meeting. The Food Policy Council can also be contacted on Facebook.

THE DAILY BEACON • 16A

On Rocky Top 2014