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Thursday, June 8, 2012

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E D I T O R I A L L Y

Issue 3 I N D E P E N D E N T

PUBLISHED SINCE 1906

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http://utdailybeacon.com

Vol. 120 S T U D E N T

N E W S P A P E R

O F

T H E

U N I V E R S I T Y

O F

T E N N E S S E E

Orientation for incoming students begins Preston Peeden Managing Editor For current UT students, the summer holidays are a time for one of three pastimes: relaxation, work or summer school, with no two holiday experiences being alike. This, however, is not the summer itinerary for the 5,000 plus incoming freshman. For those recent high school graduates, the months of June and July will hold at least one weekend when all will share a similar experience. For all of these new UT students, Freshman Orientation is either in their present or future plans.

The first session of orientation opened June 5, and has slowly been churning out new crops of Volunteers daily. For most of these students, their time at orientation represents a pivotal learning experience, where they come to better know their school, their peers and themselves.

“It’s really exciting,” said Sarah Schulze, an aspiring marketing and advertising major from Trenton, Tenn. “I feel like I’m starting something new. It is a little stressful with all of the stuff they’re throwing at us, but it’s kind of exciting to think that in a couple months I will be here full time.”

Andrew Walters, an incoming freshman from Memphis, shared Schulze’s enthusiasm for orientation.

“Orientation is tiring, but it’s very beneficial I think,” he said.

For many of these soon-to-be students, one of the biggest transitions they faced was their new concept of campus as more than just a place to visit, but instead as their new home.

“I’ve been on campus two or three times before,” Riley Duncan, who is undecided on his major and from Nashville, said. “This just feels more real for me, it’s a different than football games. I feel like I’m apart of the campus now.”

Even for Knoxvillians, the orientation environment changed their perception of campus.

“It just feels completely different for me now,” Aaron Baer, a Central High School graduate and chemistry major hopeful.

Walters shared Baer’s and Duncan’s new perception of the campus.

“I’ve been to football games before but this is the first time I’ve actually walked around here,” Walters said. “... It’s kind of weird too.

My high school had 800 people and this is such a bigger scale now.”

Not only does this experience represent a new changing perception of campus for many of these students, but it also is one of the first tastes they will get of who they will be sharing this campus with. And it was in these new connections that many students found their favorite aspect of their orientation experience.

“We had our Orientation Leaders talking to us in the Vol-to-Vol segment and I really liked my last session there,” Schulze said. “They really connected with us and brought our own fears to help us.”

Duncan and Callie Jaggers both shared Schulze’s enthusiasm about the connections that these discussions made.

“I really liked the small groups,” Duncan said. “We had a lot of really good discussions.”

“I loved meeting new friends, the lectures weren’t too much fun,” Jaggers, an aspiring biology major from Jackson, Tenn., admitted.

For some, these connections were not only beneficial for their time at orientation, but also for the months and years to come as they move from high school to college.

“My favorite part was meeting all of these new people,” Walters said. “Especially the Orientation Leaders, it’s good to know that I am going to know some people, in particular them. It will help me look for guidance in this transition.”

• Photo courtesy of The Office of Student Orientation

Orientation Leaders smile with Cuonzo Martin in this undated picture. Orientation Leaders are responsible for creating a perfect environment for incoming freshman to be familiarized with campus. The students take the time during their two days at UT to meet other students, learn about organizations on campus, and be advised for their first semester in the fall.

Venus spotted in rare event Florida A&M presi-

dent won’t resign over hazing incident The Associated Press

• Photo courtesy of Brian Sims

Wesley Mills News Editor If you weren’t paying attention Tuesday night, you probably missed something you’ll never have the opportunity to see again.

For six hours and 40 minutes, Venus passed across the sun.

From Japan to Jamaica, South Korea to Santa Monica, people across the globe stopped and paused for the few minutes that they could see, from their vantage point, the planet pass across the sun.

Only six times has this event occurred before 2004, and it will likely not occur again until 2117.

Sophomore Jordan Achs viewed it from her driveway in Illinois with her sister and a friend.

“I observed it with a pinhole camera I made out of a couple of shoeboxes,” she said.

Though Achs is a business management major, she took an astronomy class last spring, and learned about this phenomenon while covering Venus.

“I briefly forgot about it until a few days prior to the event when I read about it in an Internet article,” Achs said.

Achs said she could not find anyone that sold eclipse sunglasses, but because this was a “once-in-a-lifetime event” she had to see it.

“I researched online other ways to safely look at the sun, and many mentioned pinhole cameras which are popular with those who want to view solar eclipses,” she said.

Achs said her homemade viewing device wasn’t difficult to make.

“Just take a shoebox and cut a one-inch hole in it, and cover that hole with aluminum foil,” she said. “Then, using a tack or needle, poke a hole in the aluminum foil.

Place white paper directly across the pinhole and cut another side of the box that allows you to see the paper.”

The way she built it protected her eyes from the sun while still allowing her to view Venus clearly, and the shoeboxes were used because of their availability.

Along with Venus, Mercury is the only other planet that will pass across the sun.

Achs said Venus’s orbit is what makes its path cross the sun.

“Venus has a smaller orbit than Earth does, so at some points we align just right so that Venus is blocking a very small portion of the sun as viewed by the Earth,”

Achs said.

When looking at this phenomenon, Achs said she had to be careful, lest the sun blind her.

Melissa Eggert, senior in anthropology, didn’t see Venus cross in front of the sun, but heard about it both before and after the fact.

“I think it’s pretty cool that they use Venus crossing the sun to measure the size of Venus, and I think they can measure other things by seeing Venus cross in front,” Eggert said.

Eggert said she saw pictures afterwards, and even though she didn’t see it, she was certainly intrigued by it.

“I think it’s a really big deal,” she said.

“This coming from a someone who thinks space stuff is very interesting; just to think about how big the galaxies are.”

Eggert said she would like big events like this to be advertised more by the national and local media, especially since phenomenons like these are seen just once in a lifetime.

“I feel like the astronomy department would want to get students involved and want to at least send out a mass email to UT students about the upcoming event,” Eggert said.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — The president of Florida A&M University received a no-confidence vote Thursday from school trustees for his handling of the hazing death of a drum major in its famed Marching 100 band, but he said afterward that he won’t resign.

The board voted 8 to 4 to approve the no-confidence measure against university president James Ammons.

Ammons signed a five-year contract extension last year.

He said he plans to remain in his post and help the university stamp out what many call a culture of hazing surrounding the university and its nationally recognized band, which has played at Super Bowls and inaugurations.

“This is very serious for the future of this university,” Ammons said after Thursday’s vote. “You have my commitment to fix them and get this job done.”

The school has been reeling since the November death of drum major Robert Champion. Eleven members of the band have been charged with felony hazing for allegedly beating him to death. The death exposed a wide culture of hazing at the school. Critics say Ammons and other administrators ignored it.

Champion died after being beaten in a band bus outside an Orlando hotel after a football game. Ammons suspended The Marching 100 soon afterward and last month announced he was continuing the suspension for the coming year.

Ammons became president in 2007 following a

budget scandal that threatened the school's accreditation. He said recently that the current crisis triggered by Champion’s death marks the biggest challenge of his career.

Trustees who voted against Ammons not only cited problems with hazing and The Marching 100, but also the fact that a top auditor at the university resigned after it was revealed that false audit summaries were presented to the board of trustees. The university is also struggling with financial woes because of state budget cuts and a likely decline in enrollment this fall.

The school, meanwhile, wants to launch a major fundraising campaign in the coming year but its athletic program, now grappling with a deficit, must figure out how to fill football stands this fall even though the band has been suspended for the coming year.

“I do not have confidence in Dr. Ammons to lead us out of this crisis,” trustee Bill Jennings said.

Narayan Persaud, the faculty member on the board, said he had concluded that the university was “caught in a wilderness of errors.”

“How can we reclaim control of the dignity of this once prestigious university has been pulled backwards and backwards?” Persaud said.

Last month, university officials acknowledged 101 members on the 457-member marching band roster were not FAMU students. Earlier this week, Ammons proposed limiting the band to only fulltime FAMU students and stiffening requirements for membership.

2 • The Daily Beacon

InSHORT

Friday, June 8, 2012

LettersEditor to the

Evolution found uncontroversial Opinions are valuable, in the classroom or on the op-ed page. In this newspaper or in a class on persuasive writing, the style of argument may be as valuable as the substance. In science, however, the method and the evidence are paramount. Opinions based in facts discovered through replicable analysis hold weight, those based on unquantifiable conjecture, or worse, error, are discarded. We, the graduate students of the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology department, read “Opinions hindered, speech not free” and were frustrated by the mischaracterizations and error. That Ms. Kittrell's editorial was based in parroted rhetoric and misinformation demonstrates the fundamental problem with Tennessee’s infamous “Monkey Bill,” HB 368. Through rhetoric and misinformation, both the new law and the editorial suggest scientific controversy where none exists.

In fact, what we are dealing with is a political, perhaps a spiritual, controversy. Both properly invite debate, but not in the science classroom.

If you get your information from the political talking points that come from tweets or Facebook posts but ignore HB 368 itself, you may believe that the law protects intellectual freedom in the classroom. Ms. Kittrell, apparently ignored the law itself in deference to simple rhetoric. Specifically, Ms. Kitrell heralded this bill for revoking the government’s right to prohibit “students to question and criticize controversial scientific theories.” In a single sentence, Ms. Kittrell highlights two oftrepeated factual errors.

First, the clearly-stated aim of the bill is to protect teachers in “helping students understand, analyze, critique, and review . . . the scientific strengths and weaknesses of (controversial) scientific theories.” It does not protect a student's right to ask questions, only a teacher’s right to provide information. As Ms. Kittrell states, a law that protects students right to ask questions is unnecessary, because there is no law, state or federal, that restricts student speech with respect to scientific theories.

Second, this bill is an intelligently designed political ploy (led by the Discovery Institute’s ‘Academic Freedom’ campaign; see www.discoveryinstitute.org) to create the false impression of scientific controversy and inflame an evolving social one. The bill enumerates biological evolution, the chemical origins of life, climate change and human cloning as “controversial” scientific issues.

The only controversy about these issues is their social or political implications, not their scientific basis. Take cloning for example. Is there any doubt that cloning is possible? Of course not. The controversy here is about the appropriateness of cloning, not whether it is scientifically achievable.

Evolution was controversial when introduced over 150 years ago. Since that time scientists have tested and verified innumerable aspects and have found further support, such as the discovery of DNA. (A controversial scientific subject?). Science is as certain about the basis of evolution — that characteristics are inherited from parents by offspring and change over time as a result of, for example, mutation — as it is certain that the Earth is round and revolves around the sun. HB 368 does Tennessee students, however, the disservice of allowing science teachers to introduce the idea that the sun revolves around our flat Earth. That’s right, the bill allows the teaching of “scientific controversy” and there are websites (see www.theflatearthsociety.org) dedicated to the flat Earth idea just as there are some for Intelligent Design. In today’s Internet-driven world, we can find information to support any point of view. The number of websites or the passion of advocates can change minds, but not facts. The volume of debate can create anger, but anger, no matter how deeply felt, is not the same as scientific controversy.

Anyone can question evolution or the shape of the Earth, including students enrolled in Tennessee’s public schools. Even scientists have. Every time, however, the evidence favors a round earth and evolutionary theory. If the evidence ever stops favoring these conclusions then we will have to propose, test, and verify another idea and teach that.

Sara Kuebbing Graduate Student Ecology and Evolutionary Biology skuebbin@utk.edu

Tia Patron • The Daily Beacon

Fallon Preste, graduate in teacher education, studies under a tree in the HSS amphitheatre on June 7. Despite all the construction on campus, several spots still provide scenic views and relaxation for students.

1968 — King assassination suspect arrested James Earl Ray, an escaped American convict, is arrested in London, England, and charged with the assassination of African American civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. On April 4, 1968, in Memphis, King was fatally wounded by a sniper’s bullet while standing on the balcony outside his second-story room at the Motel Lorraine. That evening, a Remington .30-06 hunting rifle was found on the sidewalk beside a rooming house one block from the Lorraine Motel. During the next several weeks, the rifle, eyewitness reports, and fingerprints on the weapon all implicated a single suspect: escaped convict James Earl Ray. A two-bit criminal, Ray escaped a Missouri prison in April 1967 while serving a sentence for a holdup. In May 1968, a massive manhunt for Ray began. The FBI eventually determined that he had obtained a Canadian passport under a false identity, which at the time was relatively easy.

On June 8, Scotland Yard investigators arrested Ray at a London airport. Ray was trying to fly to Belgium, with the eventual goal, he later admitted, of reaching Rhodesia. Rhodesia (now called Zimbabwe) was at the time ruled by an oppressive and internationally condemned white minority government. Extradited to the United States, Ray stood before a Memphis judge in March 1969 and pleaded guilty to King’s murder in order to avoid the electric chair. He was sentenced to 99 years in prison.

Three days later, he attempted to withdraw his guilty plea, claiming he was innocent of King’s assassination and had been set up as a patsy in a larger conspiracy. He claimed that in 1967, a mysterious man named “Raoul” had approached him and recruited him into a gunrunning enterprise. On April 4, 1968, however, he realized that he was to be the fall guy for the King assassination and fled for Canada. Ray’s motion was denied, as were his dozens of other requests for a trial during the next 29 years.

During the 1990s, the widow and children of Martin Luther King, Jr., spoke publicly in support of Ray and his claims, calling him innocent and speculating about an assassination conspiracy involving the U.S. government and military. U.S. authorities were, in conspiracists’ minds, implicated circumstantially. FBI director J. Edgar Hoover obsessed over King, who he thought was under communist influence. For the last six years of his life, King underwent constant wiretapping and harassment by the FBI. Before his death, Dr. King was also monitored

by U.S. military intelligence, who may have been called to watch over King after he publicly denounced the Vietnam War in 1967. Furthermore, by calling for radical economic reforms in 1968, including guaranteed annual incomes for all, King was making few new friends in the Cold War-era U.S. government.

Over the years, the assassination has been reexamined by the House Select Committee on Assassinations, the Shelby County, Tennessee, district attorney's office, and three times by the U.S. Justice Department. All of these investigations have ended with the same conclusion: James Earl Ray killed Martin Luther King, Jr. The House committee acknowledged that a lowlevel conspiracy might have existed, involving one or more accomplices to Ray, but uncovered no evidence definitively to prove this theory. In addition to the mountain of evidence against him, such as his fingerprints on the murder weapon and admitted presence at the rooming house on April 4, Ray had a definite motive in assassinating King: hatred. According to his family and friends, he was an outspoken racist who told them of his intent to kill King. Ray died in 1998.

— This Day in History is courtesy of History.com.

Friday, June 8, 2012

NEWS

The Daily Beacon • 3

UTPD to provide crime data UT grad charged in hit-and-run Staff Reports The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Police Department (UTPD) has partnered with BAIR Analytics Inc. to provide RAIDS Online, http://www.raidsonline.com, an online, public crime mapping system. The partnership will help keep members of the university community informed about crime that occurs on campus and in the area.

RAIDS Online provides a map and crime analysis data. UT community members can use the map, data grid and analytics to learn more about specific incidents and reports. Community members also can sign up for crime alerts that provide statistics about their area in a daily, weekly or monthly e-mail.

“Our goal is to provide community members with another way to get information about general crime on the UT campus. Building an awareness about incidents that occur is key to preventing and

reducing crime,” said Interim UTPD Chief Debbie Perry.

The Knoxville Police Department and Knox County Sheriff ’s Office also use RAIDS Online as a crime prevention and education tool.

The site also allows members of the community to submit anonymous tips.

Along with connecting the public to police departments, RAIDS Online provides citizens with the same data used by law enforcement so that they can make informed decisions about their safety.

The system will be used in combination with the university’s communication about serious incidents which includes emails to all faculty, staff and students, UT Alert text and email messages, and updates to the front page of http://www.utk.edu.

To view the UT campus on RAIDS Online, visit http://tiny.utk.edu/RAIDS. For more information about UTPD, visit http://utpolice.utk.edu.

Beacon Staff Reports A recent UT grad surrendered to Knoxville Police on Wednesday and was charged in a fatal hit-and-run accident that occurred on May 31.

22-year-old Curtis Scott Harper, of Franklin, Tenn. is charged with three counts of vehicular homicide, one count of DUI, one count of tampering with evidence and one count of reckless endangerment in the deaths of Nelzon Soto, Chasity Thornell and Thornell’s unborn child. She was seven months pregnant. Thornell is survived by her 21-month-old daughter.

Harper graduated Magna Cum Laude from UT in with a bachelor of science degree in plant sciences.

According to witness statements, the incident occurred on the 4200 block of Washington Pike at approximately 1:47 a.m. Soto was assisting Thornell and her friend, Sarah Tinder, whose car had run out of gas. Police reports say that after filling

up Tinder’s car, Soto and Thornell were about to share a hug, when at that time a silver Ford Expedition struck the pair and dragged them down the road. The vehicle never stopped.

Witnesses reported seeing a tall, slender male with a ponytail wearing a tie-dye shirt driving the vehicle. The vehicle was later found to be registered to Harper’s parents, and the vehicle was found in front of Harper’s residence in the nearby Fourth and Gill neighborhood at 1008 Gatz St. Harper admitted to a witness that he’d had several drinks before driving home that evening and that he had been involved in a hit-and-run accident, according to the police reports.

Harper has a previous DUI conviction from North Carolina in 2009.

Soto’s family is filing a wrongful-death lawsuit, and Thornell’s mother, Stephanie Thornell, has filed an order to allow her to act as an “administrative ad litem” to allow her to handle all aspects of filing a wrongful-death lawsuit.

Tia Patron • The Daily Beacon

Construction continues in the South Commons inside Hodges Library on June 7. The Studio will be expanding by this construction, and the circulation desk will receive an upgrade. Construction is set to be completed before classes start in the fall.

4 • The Daily Beacon

Friday, June 8, 2012

OPINIONS

Editor’sNote Opinions overtake mind and body Lauren Kittrell Editor-in-Chief Columns.

Though I pride myself on being a woman of many opinions, something about columns freeze every creative bone in my body and turns me into a babbling fool.

It could be that my opinions are rarely meaningful.

They tend to be based on little more than whims and are not exactly something you would write 750 words about.

When I actually have an important opinion on a controversial topic, I care too much to discuss it rationally.

In these cases, the arguments that come to my mind make no sense. I want to say things like, “Anyone who doesn’t agree with me is a moron.” It’s obviously not a valid argument. Nor is it an accurate statement. I want people to disagree with me. I strongly believe that an opinion with no opposition is not an opinion worth having.

My biggest problem is that I’m far too vocal. If I have an opinion, I rarely have the self-control not to blurt it out.

In light of that, I frequently offend people with my own personal opinions, however unimportant they may seem.

The following are some of the comments I’ve made that have not gone over well with the listener.

— “Air conditioning in a building should never been too cold. If a building is too cold when it’s 80 degrees outside, there’s something wrong.”

— “If there’s a spider in your house, you should squash it unabashedly. It you let it live, the spider will have spider babies and they will have spider babies and then the spider situation will be out of control.”

— “Tour is pronounced ‘tor’ not ‘tuor.’ This really bothers me. It sounds like you just tumored the Rockefeller Center.”

— “Germs exist. It’s not rude for me to use hand sanitizer after shaking hands with someone. And please don’t make me drink after you.”

— “The deeper the v-neck, the creepier the guy.” (remember, this is an opinion column)

— “Ugg boots are no longer in style and leggings, ugg boots and a men’s t-shirt was never in style.”

— “Crude humor is the result of people who aren’t funny, trying to be funny.”

Other topics that I should probably avoid are peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, shopping, working out, swimsuits, sushi, art and people who think they can sing but can’t.

The question is, should I be fake and conceal my opinions, or be the person I am and let it all out? One could argue, that I should serve other people and keep my opinions to myself if they might be offensive, but somehow that doesn’t work for me. It comes out like, “Yes, I just love that pink shirt you’re wearing, dude…not.” Yes, some guys pull off pink boldly, but they're few and far between.

My opinion on crude humor might be my strongest opinion of all. I hate it. I can honestly say that. I’ve never found it funny. It fact, I can’t even pretend to find it funny.

My automatic response to crude humor is, “Gross.

Really? You thought that would be funny?”

I don’t pride myself on my outspokenness. In fact, I’ve worked for many years to control my opinions and learn to just be gracious with people and assume that I have issues. Unfortunately, this doesn’t seem to help me either. I control my responses for about two days and then they all come gushing forth at the same time against some poor, unsuspecting creature. The general recipient of my rants is one of my brothers, occasionally my dad, and at times, unfortunately, a random stranger.

Sometimes I wish there was a mute button for my own mouth. That way, I could say all the things I think, but not have to deal with the consequences because no one will hear what I’m saying.

Don’t get me wrong. I like having opinions. I wouldn’t want to just agree with everyone and let other people choose my likes and dislikes. Yes, I want to learn from older, wiser people and grow from their examples, but I don’t want to blindly follow anyone.

I’ve never had a problem with that.

My issue is controlling the millions of thoughts and expressions that run through my mind each day and the consequences that follow my mistakes.

I’ll end on that note, rather than continuing with any more potentially offensive opinions.

— Lauren Kittrell is a senior in journalism and electronic media. She can be reached at lkittre1@utk.edu.

SCRAMBLED EGGS • Alex Cline

RHYMES WITH ORANGE • Hilary Price

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

Big Ten poses threat to SEC dominance C ommitee o f I n f ra ct i o n s by

Greg Bearringer Bring it on, SEC. As the resident Big Ten fan, I can assure you that we’re not quite as insane as your misperception of what the bigwigs in charge of our conference (whom we don’t like anyway) might lead you to believe. I have heard on local radio and read on many a website about how the Big Ten/PAC 12’s insistence upon a “conference champions only” model (which no one in either conference has ever officially espoused) is a sign that the Big Ten is afraid of the big, bad SEC, that the Big Ten is trying to scheme their way into national titles that they wouldn’t deserve more than most second place teams in the SEC, and that the Big Ten is becoming irrelevant.

For the moment, I am going to ignore the fact that this is an incredibly shortsighted view which ignores all history before roughly about eight or nine years ago (Sparknote’s version: your freely acknowledged dominance isn’t forever). With all due respect, most Big Ten fans I know think roughly four things about the SEC: 1) SEC: Home of Ron Zook and Chik-fil-a; 2) If it weren’t for Vanderbilt, your slogan would be something like “Big time footbaww, Jr. College academics.” 3) Dear God, just let us split the head to head record so we don’t have to hear those crazy jerks in the SEC talk about how much better they are; 4) Michigan: the team that even Tim Tebow couldn’t beat. As you see, only one of those shows any “fear” and it isn’t spawned by a fear of defeat (we have a long, storied history of defeat in things like the Rose Bowl) so much as by a fear of having to listen to you talk about how another team in your conference beating another team in my conference proves... much of anything.

You see, the general Big Ten fan spends more time having friendly arguments with their traditional rivals and picking on Notre Dame than they ever, ever, ever do thinking about their particular ability to win National titles. Don’t get me wrong: we want our

schools to win titles and, yeah, it sucks that we haven’t had a national title for a long time. But it’s not unreasonable to think that in two or three years time the Big Ten will have a strong claim to being the best conference, or that the SEC will be on the outside looking in on a “best four teams” play-off structure.

What Big Ten fans are concerned with is not with four game play-offs or national title appearances: what Big Ten fans worry about is the future of college athletics. The current bowl system needs to be replaced with something that serves to funnel money into teams, not away from them. And yes, the Big Ten bigwigs are severely out of touch with their fan base in not agreeing with this. Conference expansion is right on the cusp of turning 6 and a half conferences into four conferences which not only act more like 8 conferences but put hundred year old rivalries at risk (there are even whispers that Alabama-UT is at risk… which probably won't happen, but shouldn’t be discussed). Travel and ticket costs will serve to drive down opposing fan attendance at games like “South Carolina Vs. Missouri” and, more importantly, to increasingly irrelevant bowl games which are far, far away from Big Ten territory and which cost teams loads of money.

A stunning third place on this list is the fact that choosing the best two teams in the country isn’t any easier than choosing the best four or eight or sixteen teams without some kind of limiting qualifications outside of both the coaches poll and computer rankings. A fair system that includes not only strong intra-conference scheduling to determine real conference champions on top of a real play-off that includes home games solves most of these issues.

But, of course, it’s the SEC who is afraid of venturing to the great white north to play games in January and December. It would be fun to look at the head to head record if the Gator Bowl was replaced with the Buckeye bowl played in Cleveland and the Citrus Bowl became Tundra Bowl played in Chicago’s Soldier Field. Of course, when it’s SEC teams being judged on games hundreds of miles away in cities filled with mostly hostile fan bases, I am pretty sure the volume of complaints would double.

— Greg Bearringer is a graduate student in Medieval Studies. He can be reached at gbearrin@utk.edu.

Zombie apocalypse wanted for some Social Ra m b li n gs by

Victoria Wright

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Lauren Kittrell editorinchief@utdailybeacon.com

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So in addition to writing a weekly column for the Beacon, I’m currently working as an intern at The Commercial Appeal newspaper in Memphis. My second week, I finally forced myself of out my antisocial behavior and decided to meet the other interns.

I usually have a hard time remembering names, but one intern’s name stuck in particular.

For common courtesy, I’ll give her the pseudonym Sarah.

Okay, so Sarah is a ghost hunter. She has equipment, she performs exorcisms and ghost hunts, and she can even feel the “presence” of the dead.

I’ve always held a slight curiosity toward the supernatural, whether it be ghosts, monsters, or unicorns.

So when Sarah began to divulge all the secrets of her unorthodox hobby, I began to think about how much society is fixated on the paranormal.

The media has been in a sensational frenzy lately, gathering stories of cannibalism spanning from the Miami “zombie” to the pornstar-killer cannibal.

We’re perpetually intrigued with these subjects, yet there is a practical side of us that dismisses such information as a complete hoax. It’s a masochistic relationship we have with the paranormal and fantasy, and consequently, fear and what’s wrong itself.

I was interested with everything Sarah had to share about her ghost hunting adventurers, but I was particularly intrigued with her experiences with the “bad ghost”.

“Have you ever encountered an evil spirit?” I asked.

My eyes widened with anticipation as I waited for her answer.

She explained to me that she’s had experiences with the not-so-good spirits, and exorcisms are often performed to remove them.

“But what if they don’t leave? Have you ever seen a possession? What do they say? Why are they there?”

My flurry of questions was soon halted when another intern changed the subject, which was probably good for me.

Later before I went to bed, I checked my closet door

for the boogieman and slept with an extra light on. I even left my television on the Food Network because I thought the neutrality of the programming would fend off any malicious spirits.

Growing up, my mom often shared the story of her and my uncle using a ouija board when they were kids. They would ask a general yes or no question, and she swore the board moved on its on. Shortly afterwards, my uncle supposedly took an ax and hacked the board into shreds. They later burned the remains.

Because of that incident, my mom has always been weary of us “opening center doors and portals” that could unleash bad spirits. She still watches re-runs of the show “Paranormal State”, which follows a group of Penn State students as they investigate various hauntings around the country.

There’s a paradox here. On one hand we crave the unknown. It’s a type of rush believing that something beyond our physical world exists; however, we still want to remain grounded. So we feed off of this fear for a certain amount of time and then quickly dismiss the notion that we actually believed in the fantasy at all.

What simply started as a crime headline in Miami turned into a massive string of stories that has now created rumors of an impending zombie apocalypse.

I’m sure most people would never want a zombie doomsday to occur, despite the myriad of zombie survival guides, including the Central for Disease Control and Prevention’s fake guideline for a zombie attack (which actually isn’t so funny anymore).

But the information keeps us on our toes. It’s a break from a bleak reality where people die and we really don’t know where the go and the dead haven’t really come from the grave. In the end, we really do want to blame face-eating on bath salts and an unexplained bump in the house on the wind.

I haven’t asked Sarah anything else about ghosts since our last discussion simply to avoid sounding annoying, but the curiosity is still there. Recently, I’ve been sent on assignments that coincidentally all involve the dead: the auction of Elvis’ prior resting place at the Forest Hill mausoleum, an unknown cemetery in the middle of a quiet suburb, a man who found 20 tombstones in his backyard. In all these cases, nothing was truly supernatural. They were just news.

But wouldn’t it be interesting if there was something more to them.

— Victoria Wright is a junior in journalism and electronic media. She can be reached at vwright6@utk.edu.

Friday, June 8, 2012

ARTS&CULTURE

The Daily Beacon • 5

Friday, September 23 What: Taboo Where: The Valarium When: 9 p.m.

Price: N/A Preston’s take: Valarium was voted the #1 Dance Club in Knoxville, so it has to be good. Parking is free, but entrance is available only for those 18+.

What: Three Man Band and Learner Dancer with Vacation Club Where: Pilot Club When: 10 p.m.

Price: $5 18+ Preston’s take: Three Man Band is an up and coming local band that has been heard around town on the likes of 90.3 the Rock.

Vacation Club is out of Indianapolis, and are known for their live

Friday, June 8 What: “Of Thee I Sing” Where: Carousel Theater When: 7:30 p.m.

Price: $15 at the door ($10 available for children 12 and under) Preston’s take: The UT School of Music is partnering with the Tennessee Valley Players to present this classic musical, which first ran in 1931 and was also the first musical to win the Pulitzer Prize.

This political satire follows a presidential hopeful running under a “love” platform and the consequences of his ideologies and his own feelings. The price isn’t bad and the Carousel is a great venue, well worth a Friday night.

Saturday, June 9 What: Elenowen with Steve Moakler and Parke Avery Where: The Square Room When: Doors open at 7 p.m., show at 8 p.m.

Price: $13, $15 at show Preston’s take: Elenowen comes from the same Nashville-based Americana-country vein as recent critics’ favorite The Civil Wars, but have created their own niche. They possess a really roots-driven sound accented by haunting harmonies and strong lyrics. Will be a very soulful and emotion-driven performance.

Sunday, June 10 What: Tennessee Theatre presents “Sunrise” Where: Tennessee Theatre When: 3 p.m.

Price: $8 for adults, $6 for children 12 and under Preston’s take: “Sunrise” is a classic from the silent film era, directed by F.W. Murnau and starring George O’Brien, Janet Gaynor and Margaret Livingston and the film will be shown with a Wultizer Organ accompaniment. It premiered in 1929 and one an Academy Award and has since been enshrined by the United States Library of Congress and also been preserved in the National Film Registry. If the weather is too hot outside, the Tennessee would be a great afternoon respite and the movie a nice outing.

• Photo courtesy of rottentomatoes.com

EMPLOYMENT

UNFURN APTS

$12.00 per hour, residential window cleaning. Flexible schedule, great opportunity.

Call Steve (865)335-2955.

1 and 2BR Apts. UT area and West Knox area. Call for appointment (865)522-5815.

Gynecology office seeks student for PT clerical work Preferred Biology, English Chemistry or Pre-med Major. Monday through Saturday. 8am - 12noon. Email to knoxville_gyn@yahoo.com .

Part-time 25 plus hours a week. Lawn care experience a must. $9/hr. 216-5640.

Residential window cleaning.

Flexible hours part-time. $10/hour after brief training.

Requires transportation and excellent physical health. All applicants welcome. Call Doug 865-300-6755.

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

1BR apartments available beginning in summer. One block from campus. Call between 9 AM and 9 PM. (865)363-4726.

South Knoxville/ UT downtown area 2BR apts. $475.

Call about our special (865)573-1000.

FOR RENT 1 BR CONDO Pool/Security/Elevator/ Pkg 3 min. walk to Law School. $520R, $300SD, No app. fee.

865 (4408-0006 , 250-8136).

12th Street in the Fort 2BR, 1BA apt in older house.

Great front porch. Central H/A, Hardwood floors, W/D, off street parking. No Pets. $870/mo. 615-300-7434 865-389-6732.

Veterinary Assistant- Animal Caretaker. PT and weekends.

Experience helpful but not necessary. $9.00/hr. Apply at Norwood Veterinary Hospital, 2828 Merchants Rd. between 3-5:30PM only.

16th PLACE APARTMENTS 3 blocks from UT Law School (1543- 1539 Highland Ave.) 1BR and 2BR apts. only.

Brick exterior, carpet, laundry facility on first floor.

Guaranteed and secured parking. 24 hour maintenance. No dogs or cats. 32nd year in Fort Sanders. www.sixteenthplace.com. brit.howard@sixteenthplace. com. (865)522-5700.

We need coachable, pleasant, dependable people for repeat Shrine fundraiser.

Clean, safe and comfortable environment. $8 to $16/hr.

Flexible FT/PT hrs avail. No weekends. 865-246-1823.

1BR, LR, kitchen with stove and refrigerator, private parking and entrance. Utilities not included. 2011 Highland. Walking distance to campus. Very Clean,. Available now. $400/mo. Call 522-3325.

head.com.

FOR RENT 2BR 1BR apt. 1412 Highland Ave. 1100 sq.ft. Free parking, Lots of closets.

No pets. $800/mo. 2 people. Atchley Properties (865)806-6578.

AVAILABLE FOR FALL 3BR, 1BA apt. in older house in the Fort. Central H/A, off streeet parking.

No pets. Leave message $380/per person (615)300-7434.(865)3896732.

CAMPUS 2 BLOCKS 2BR ($695- $895) and 3BR ($990) apt available beginning Summer or Fall. Restored hardwood floors. Historic Fort Sanders. No pets UTK-APTS.com 933-5204.

Hialeah Apartments $390 Student Special! 1BR apt. off Chapman Hwy. Convenient to Busline. Quiet Community - Pool and Basketball.

Please call 865-573-5775 HUNTINGTON PLACE UT students! Only 3 miles west of campus. Eff. to 3BR. Hardwood floors. Central H/A. Pets allowed.

(865)588-1087.

WALK TO CAMPUS Great Specials! 1BR Apartments. Limited available. No security deposits. Prime Campus Housing (865)637-3444. primecampushousingtn.com.

This space could be yours. Call 974-4931

FOR RENT

HOUSE FOR RENT

VICTORIAN HOUSE APTS Established 1980 3 blocks behind UT Law School. 1, 2 and 3BR apartments. VERY LARGE AND NEWLY RENOVATED TOP TO BOTTOM. Hardwood floors, high ceilings, porches, 3BR’s have W/D connections. 2 full baths, dishwashers. Guaranteed and secured parking. 24 hour maintenance. No dogs or cats. www.sixteenthplace.com. brit.howard@sixteenthplace. com. (865)522-5700.

Old North Knoxville. 3 miles to UT. 3BR, 1.5BA, newly remodel. Refrigerator, range, D/W, W/D, $900/mo. No security deposit. No pets.

1121 Overton Place.

865-250-1397.

HOUSE FOR RENT 3BR 2BA townhouse in Fort Sanders. Central H/A, W/D, DW and parking. For more info contact fortsandersrentals@gmail.com 3BR, 2.5BA, W/D, very nice and close to campus. $350/mo. per person. Call 385-0512 or visit www.volhousing.com.

4BR 2BA Large parking area, wrap-around deck. 3 miles from campus. $1,000/mo.

Call Rick 865-806-9491, 7 minutes UT. 2 doors from Cherokee Golf Course. H/W, charming, 3BR, 2BA, Large LR with bar, Large kitchen, W/D, all appliances , Call Jim at 363-1913.

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

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

Walk to class. 2, 4 and 7BR, 2BA homes. Central H/A, all appliances furnished, including Washer Dryer, off street parking. Call (865)388-6144.

2BR, 2BA Condo. $695/mo Available now. Half off first month’s rent.

Call 865-688-9988 ext. 112

This could be YOUR ad.

974-4931

ROOMMATES

CONDOS FOR SALE

Looking for roommates 11th Place Condos.

Call (865)599-3239 or 599-3284.

Southeastern Glass Building The Best of Urban Living!

On-Site Parking and Storage 1BR lofts from $164,500 2BR lofts from $246,500 555 West Jackson (Downtown) Downtown Realty Inc. www.SEGKnox.com 865-588-5535

CONDOS FOR SALE 3BR, 3BA condo at Woodlands. UT shuttle, pools, fitness center. Buy for less than rent. 3950 Cherokee Woods Way #1422 $165,900.

(865)919-2456.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Easy walk to campus. 3BR, 2BA. Only unit with 3 parking spaces. W/D, balcony, cable and internet included.

Laurel Station Condos.

615-969-1013 $189,000.

CONDOS FOR RENT Next to UT Medical Center.

Large condo with 3BR, 2.5BA, living room, dining room, 2 car garage. Community pool and guest house. Very safe and quiet (located on cul-de-sac). Guarded 24/7.

No smoking and no pet allowed. Available in June. $1250/mo. 865-387-4897.

Circle Modern Dance offers $5 classes in Ballet, Modern technique, and Improvisation, Wednesdays and Sundays. 1st class FREE. www.circlemoderndance.com.

865-309-5309.

FSBO Student housing, Laurel Station. 3BR/2BA, designated parking spaces, stainless appliances, full size W/D, new flooring, security system, private balcony, cable/ internet included in low HOA fees. 404-824-2291

Read the Beacon Classifieds!

NEW YORK TIMES CROSSWORD • Will Shortz ACROSS 1 5 15 16 17 18 19 20 21

Houses in the Fort available for Fall. 4, 5, and 7BR, includes appliances and internet. Call 521-7324.

CONDOS FOR RENT

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Goldeneye relative Emergency extractor “Must’ve been something ___” No night owl Jags of the 1960s and ’70s Eggbeater Election extension?

Wrestling event Only one of the 13 Colonies not touching the Atl. Ocean Go crazy Board provision They’re prepared to sell snake oil Stock keeper Third qtr. closer See Ferris wheel in Dallas that is the tallest in North America Angle in botany

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Support El ___ Very turbulent situation Slopes Lifesaving squad: Abbr.

Wrong Collector of dust bunnies ESPN anchor Kolber Word before and after “for” Moolah Ancient neighbor of Judah Bladder Follower of “Help!”

Feature of some lenses ___ Line (international boundary) Alfredo sauce brand One concerned with bouquets Buzz producers

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Wells Fargo Center event, informally 38-Down’s second chance They never end Jazzman Montgomery The Pink Panther and others Showed delight, in a way Certiorari, e.g.

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Olive ___ Browning equipment Smearing in ink?

“The fix ___”

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C A H M E R A I N K I E M T K R I Q U I C B U S E S A I A R P I E L K A D O R E N A N I E S G O S E O B O N K L U T S T R

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Shedder of spores Mother of the Valkyries Three-time All-Star pitcher Pappas “Mack the Knife” composer Annual “Hot 100” publisher They’re historically significant Generated Cardinal for 22 years Newark suburb Security account?

Robe material Fixes at an animal hospital

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Complete Person making a mark Grouch Crack investigator’s target?

Buffalo pro Quiet type It’s often knitted Designer Gernreich “___ Holden” (Irving Bacheller novel) Very “Still Crazy” star, 1998 Family nickname Singsong syllable

6 • The Daily Beacon

THESPORTSPAGE

Friday, June 8, 2012

Interview: Dave Hart, athletic director Matt Dixon Sports Editor

Clay Seal Assistant Sports Editor

On April 27, The Daily Beacon sports editors, Matt Dixon and Clay Seal, sat down for an exclusive interview with Tennessee athletic director Dave Hart.

The first time we met, you had only been on the job for one month. How’s the adjustment going?

“Still in progress. It’s been a good adjustment. I’m honored to be in this leadership role, and the people in Knoxville, our fan base and our alumni, have been absolutely terrific. But I’m still very much in that 24/7 mode, which is not a surprise and I anticipate that to be the case until we probably get into the month of July. But that’s how it should be. That’s not unexpected.”

Does it ever settle down?

“I think you’re always on and you’re always busy.

That’s just the nature of the profession. I think we’ve reached a point in our profession, and I’m not talking about just administration but about coaches and others in this profession, the only real chance you get to slow down is the Fourth of July week because most people are planning something around that week that you can catch your breath and be with family if your schedule permits. Then to a lesser degree, Christmas week, we hope and intend to be in a bowl environment so that’s really not totally away but it’s a good time to be around the folks you care about for the holidays. Then you try to take a week’s vacation with your family at some point in the summer months. That’s really about it. That’s the real world of intercollegiate athletics.”

Where do you see the biggest need for improvement within the athletic department right now?

“There are several areas that we talk about as a leadership team that we’re constantly ready to enhance. We’ve done an exhaustive comprehensive assessment of how we can get better. We’ve had to make some tough decisions relative to that effort as we move forward in that effort. I think we’re just in perpetual pursuit of comprehensive excellence and to arrive at that destination, it takes a lot of people pulling in the same direction and it takes time, it takes resources. You can’t arrive at that destination without a meaningful mission and vision and resources. We’re constantly evaluation all of those resources in terms of the direction that we set.”

women's athletics and they know me and they know that that's not lip service. It’s just a matter of time until everybody here understands and realizes that.”

How did the process of Pat Summitt stepping down go?

“I think, and our intent and certainly my intent, through that transition once Pat made her decision was that total environment be handled with the dignity and the class that she and her career warrant. I’m pleased that it turned out in that fashion, in my opinion. That’s the only way that could’ve and should’ve been handled and again, because of the effort from a lot of people, I believe that’s how it unfolded. It was a nice and emotional day for me and for a lot of peoCutting 15-20 jobs in the ple. Not only people athletic department? who are directly tied “It’s infinitely hard to the University of because when you're Tennessee, but people affecting good people, throughout the counthese are all very good try. It was a very emopeople, it was about the tional time, but Pat is elimination of positions, in a great place. She is not the elimination of very happy and excitGeorge Richardson • The Daily Beacon ed about her new role. people because they are very good people and it Dave Hart speaks with Matt Dixon and I’m excited about is my absolute priority Clay Seal during an exclusive interview Holly (Warlick) and and others in this depart- with The Daily Beacon on Friday, April the job I think she will ment to make sure they 27. do in her new role and land on their feet. Many Holly is in the process of whom are already moving in that direction. now of hiring staff and getting back up to speed Some of whom have already made decisions in terms of staff in our women’s basketball proabout their next employment. But that’s very, very gram. I think all in all, that day went very well. tough. Very difficult. Very tough (Head of athletic facilities) Kevin Zurker and cerfor me personally and very hard tainty (head of event management) David Elliott for everybody associated with and (Thompson-Boling Arena) Tim Reese and those types of decisions.” the people who worked on the presentation in the arena did a fabulous job as well. I thought that Women’s athletics not losing its looked very classy, as it should have. We wanted brand or identity during the to do it on the floor named in Pat’s honor, that was merger? the appropriate place to do it. Jimmy Stanton did “I think there is a lot of unfound- a great job in his role of the head of our media relaed anxiety about that because I tions unit. All in all again, speaking just personalknow where some of it is coming ly, I thought it unfolded the way I had envisioned from, we're combining our web- it and that was with class and dignity.” site for example because that Holly Warlick taking over for a legend? helps us all. My history in athlet“Holly is excited about it. Holly Warlick totally ic administration would certainty validate that I’ve always prior- understands the nuances and the level of work itized the growth of women’s ath- ethic and everything that was put into building letics. Nothing is going to the nation’s finest basketball program. She was a change in that regard. There will part of that process. Obviously, Pat provided the be no erosion relative to our leadership necessary and the drive and all the focus and priority women’s ath- many, many qualities and character that she brought to the table, but Holly was a part of it so letics.”

Holly knows better than anyone what to expect, Is it harder to do that at UT how the program was built and the tremendous with how successful the challenge that exists following Pat Summitt. You women’s program is? don’t work around many legends. They are very “I just do what I’ve always done rare. I’ve been blessed. I’ve had the opportunity to at every place I’ve ever been. work with two legends who are now out of coachThere are people in the NCAA ing: Pat and (former Florida State football coach) whose jobs are to focus on Bobby Bowden. Those two people share so many

of the same core values and qualities. They genuinely care about people and they viewed themselves as icons like the rest of the nation did. The reason is, and it's the highest compliment that I think can be paid to anyone, they never allowed success to change them. That’s what’s special about Pat Summitt.”

Did you seriously consider anyone but Holly for the job?

“That assessment was going on kind of throughout the season because we had to be ready for the scenario. We didn’t know at that time, didn’t know when the season ended what Pat’s decision would be. But we had to be ready for that particular scenario in the event she did make that decision. There was preparation relative to the thinking in what we’d do and I became absolutely convinced as the season winded down towards its conclusion that Holly Warlick was the right person and had earned the opportunity in that role.”

Expectations for the football team this year?

“I’m excited about the upcoming season. I’ve had a chance to observe some of our spring workouts, some of our spring practices. I’ve had the opportunity to meet with the new staff and visit with them independent of one another. I know some of them. I certainly know Sal. I worked with Sal three years prior to his transition here. I’m excited about the staff. Now, we lost some good coaches, but I think this group of coaches brings a level of intensity and maturity that is a real positive for our football program. I see a lot of progress and a lot of improvement.”

Report that the football had a 2.1 team GPA and 30 players are on academic probation?

“That’s from December, actually. We had a bad semester, but my focus is on this semester and by all accounts we’re having a very good semester.”

Men’s basketball coach Cuonzo Martin and baseball coach Dave Serrano’s success during their first seasons at UT? “We’re blessed. We have a lot of really good coaches and certainly those are two of many that I’m blessed and others are blessed to work with.

They both inherited significant rebuilding jobs.

Once our basketball team bought into what Cuonzo wanted, he wanted defense to be first, he built a level of discipline with them they had to undergo and become accustom to in the months on November and December. Once that buy-in process was completed, I thought Cuonzo Martin did an outstanding job and will continue to do an outstanding job as the leader of our basketball program on the men’s side. I think that same can be said of Dave. Dave is very good. Dave also has an outstanding staff. Major rebuilding job, but Dave Serene will unquestionably get our baseball program back to where he and others want to see it.”

The recent turbulance that’s been with Tennessee athletics the past few years?

“We’ve had a tough four or five years prior to this year, and again, that’s well-documented but that's in the rear-view mirror. I think we’re definitely coming out of those problem times and I think the foundations are being built for us to now move in a very positive direction.”