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Tuesday, July 24, 2012

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Issue 16

E D I T O R I A L L Y

PUBLISHED SINCE 1906 http://utdailybeacon.com

Vol. 120

I N D E P E N D E N T

S T U D E N T

N E W S P A P E R

O F

T H E

U N I V E R S I T Y

PAGE 5 O F

T E N N E S S E E

UT nuclear students receive national award Nathan George, Cole Gentry both receive prestigious award Wesley Mills News Editor Two nuclear Ph.D. students at UT have just received high honors in the “Innovation and Fuel Cycle Research” award from the US Department of Energy, Fuel Cycle and Research Development. A few years back, Nathan George received an internship with Oak Ridge National Laboratory. George met with professors and really liked working in the lab, so much so that he applied to UT’s graduate school and was accepted. Now the school is funding him to do research. His award-winning research paper was titled “Neutronics Studies of Uranium-Based Fully Ceramic MicroEncapsulated Fuel for PWR’s.” PWR’s are pressurized water reactors. In essence, these reactors pump water under high pressure to the core of the reactor where it is heated by energy. Once it is heated, it transfers thermal energy where steams is produced and flows to turbines that spin the generator. George and his lab team demonstrated in their project that they had a new design that could be just as efficient. “None of them have the design that I simulated in them, but they have a similar design and we were just trying to show that they would work in those,” he said. George said that he didn’t formulate the idea, but not many people have done anything like this before, and so in some ways it was an innovation. “The fact that this is a study just shows it is what it is,” he said. “It’s not industry work, it’s just research. I might do all this work, and nothing may come of this. It could, however, eventually be commercialized and put in reactors that obtain power. We don’t know.” For over a year George has worked on this paper, and now he is seeing the results.

• Photo courtesy of research.utk.edu

Cole Gentry

Knoxville artist reuses old items for art, jewelry

UT ecology professor receives global award

Liv McConnell Assistant News Editor

Staff Reports A University of Tennessee, Knoxville, professor who is one of the world’s leading experts on invasive species has received the world’s preeminent prize for ecology and environmental science. Daniel Simberloff, the Gore-Hunger Professor of Environmental Studies in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, has won the 2012 Ramon Margalef Award for Ecology. The award is presented annually by the Government of Catalonia, an autonomous region in northeast Spain, “to recognize an exceptional scientific career or discovery in the field of ecological science.” Simberloff, who in May became UT’s third faculty member in history to be elected to the National Academy of Sciences, is being honored for “his contributions to the observation and theoretical analysis of the structure and dynamics of ecological communities, and for the application of these studies to conservation biology.” Ecologists worldwide are considered for the prize named for Margalef, one of Spain’s most distinguished scientists and a founding father of modern ecology. The prize includes a cash award of about $100,000 and a sculpture memorializing Margalef.

• Photo courtesy of research.utk.edu

See NUCLEAR STUDENTS on Page 3

Nathan George

• Photo courtesy of Morgan McConnell

Erin Kennedy, sophomore in English, looks over some jewlery crafted by Sarah Brobst on July 14.

Aurora, Colo. mass shooter appears in court his eyes drooping as the judge advised him of the severity of CENTENNIAL, Colo. — the case. At one point, Holmes His hair dyed a shocking simply closed his eyes. He never said a word. His comic-book shade of orangered, the former doctoral stu- attorneys did all the talking dent accused of killing movie- when the judge asked if he understood his goers at a rights. showing of the Prosecutors new Batman said later they m o v i e didn't know if appeared in Holmes was on court for the medication. first time on Authorities have Monday, but said he is being he didn’t seem held in isolation to be there at at the jail. all. H o l m e s ' d e m e a n o r James Holmes shuffled into • Photo courtesy of University appeared to anger of CO/Splash News the relatives of court in a some of the vicmaroon jailtims who attended the hearhouse jumpsuit with his hands cuffed — the first look the ing. One woman's eyes welled world got of the 24-year-old up with tears. The hearing was also the since the Friday shooting that left 12 people dead and 58 oth- first confirmation that Holmes’ ers injured at a packed mid- hair was colored. On Friday, night screening of “The Dark there were reports of his hair being red and that he told Knight Rises.” Unshaven and appearing arresting officers that he was dazed, Holmes sat virtually “The Joker.” Batman’s nemesis motionless during the hearing, in the fictional Gotham has brightly colored hair.

Knoxville resident Sarah Brobst turns the old into the delightfully new again with her one-of-a-kind salvage jewelry. Brobst, who has been making jewelry since high school, repurposes elements like vintage watches, elaborate brooches and antique knick-knacks in her work. She scours thrift stores, flea markets and eBay in order to select the antique curios that she will transform into quirky and unique creations. From there, the 31-yearold entrepreneur hits the drawing board and waits

for the right inspiration to seize her. “I just look at all the pieces that I lay out on my art table and start picking through,” she said. “Eventually the puzzle comes together into a beautiful piece.” This can sometimes be a time consuming process. “It takes a lot of rearranging and going back to the drawing board because sometimes the ideas don’t work,” she said. Brobst then takes her finished hoard of bangles, necklaces, pins, rings and earrings to the Farmers Market held in Market Square every Saturday morning. Her whimsically

arranged booth draws a sizable throng of admirers. “Her work is very unique, it looks sort of upcycled,” said customer Caroline Broady as she fingered a bracelet that may have served as a belt buckle in a previous life. “It’s clean, it’s wearable and it’s interesting.” Her younger brother, Adam Broady, chimes in. “It reminds me of a time when there weren’t really big businesses that mass produced stuff,” he said. “Things were handcrafted by artisans, one thing at a time, and things were made to last.” See JEWELRY on Page 3

The Associated Press

Tia Patron • The Daily Beacon

The infamous rock is on hiatus on July 23 as construction for the new Natalie L. Haslam music building continues construction. The rock will be fenced off for about a month and is expected to reopen before students are back on campus for the fall.

2 • The Daily Beacon

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

InSHORT

1864 — Battle of Kernstown, Virginia Confederate General Jubal Early defeats Union troops under General George Crook to keep the Shenandoah Valley clear of Yankees. On June 13, 1864, General Robert E. Lee sent Early north from Petersburg to clear the Shenandoah of Union troops and relieve pressure on his own beleaguered force. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia had been pinned in Petersburg after a bloody six-week campaign with General Ulysses S. Grant's Army of the Potomac. 1959 — Nixon debates Khrushchev at a fair in Moscow On this day in 1959, at a U.S. Trade and Cultural Fair in Moscow, Vice President Richard Nixon enters into a heated discussion with Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev over the merits of capitalism versus communism. Since the conversation occurred in the middle of a display of modern American kitchen conveniences, it became known as the kitchen debate. Although the fair was designed to be a cultural exchange of goodwill with the Soviet Union, the competitive relationship between American capitalism and Soviet communism was immediately evident. When Nixon and Khrushchev unexpectedly met near the kitchen exhibit, they began to spar verbally about whose technology was superior. Khrushchev, who requested that his comments not be censored by the American media, came off as more combative. At first, Nixon remained relatively calm and diplomatic, urging more cultural exchange between the two countries and suggesting that the Soviet Union be more open to noncommunist ideas. At one point, Nixon told Khrushchev that he and the Soviets didn't know

News Sentinel: STEM Leadership Academy offering science teaching tips Tara Sripunvoraskul • The Daily Beacon

Students dance to a headphone disco party in Presidential Courtyard on April 13. Campus Entertainment Board is currently asking for students to complete the Volapalooza survey by going to http://activities.utk.edu/cpc/volapalooza-survey/. Students have until August 24 to submit.

The Knoxville News Sentinel featured a statewide middle school teacher professional development workshop called Tennessee STEM Leadership Academy. Three Bredesen Center for Interdisciplinary Research (CIRE) graduate students Stephen Wood, Jason Clement, and Ryan Ginder, as well undergraduate student Evan Ornouski and post-doctoral researcher Doug Aaron, led over seventy middle school science teachers from fifty-three school districts in three separate energy engineering challenges over the three day event. Tennessee Solar Conversion and Storage Using Outreach, Research, and Education (TNSCORE) played a role in the academy by funding the CIRE students. The students helped

everything, to which Khrushchev responded if I don't know everything I would say that you don't know anything about communismexcept fear. Nixon also politely but pointedly accused Khrushchev of dominating the conversation and said that he would have made a good lawyer, eliciting hearty laughter from the crowd of press and observers. However, when Khrushchev claimed that American-made capitalist luxuries such as toasters, juicers and automatic dishwashers were too expensive for the American working class, Nixon leaned in, poked Khrushchev in the chest with his finger and declared that ANY American worker could buy one. The entire discussion was captured for posterity on a tape recorder as well as by television cameras, two advances in technology to which Nixon proudly pointed as examples of America's economic superiority. Although Khrushchev defended his country's economic prowess--the Russians were ahead of the Americans in rocket technology at the time--he too acted the diplomat by extending an unprecedented invitation to Nixon to speak to the Russian public on television on August 1. In that speech, which was uncensored, Nixon boldly challenged the Russian people to rethink their commitment to communism. In 1960, Khrushchev traveled to the United States and met with President Dwight D. Eisenhower. In 1972, Nixon, by then president of the United States, made a trip to the Soviet Union. Throughout his tenure in office, he worked to engage the Soviets in constructive dialogue about ending the arms race and the Cold War. — This Day in History is courtesy of History.com.

develop educational hands-on modules that taught the teachers about microbial fuel cells, wind energy, and solar energy. Simberloff Wins World’s Top Prize for Ecology and Environmental Science A University of Tennessee, Knoxville, professor who is one of the world’s leading experts on invasive species has received the world’s pre-eminent prize for ecology and environmental science. Daniel Simberloff, the GoreHunger Professor of Environmental Studies in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, has won the 2012 Ramon Margalef Award for Ecology. The award is presented annually by the Government of Catalonia, an autonomous region in northeast Spain, “to recognize an exceptional scientific career or

discovery in the field of ecological science.” Simberloff, who in May became UT’s third faculty member in history to be elected to the National Academy of Sciences, is being honored for “his contributions to the observation and theoretical analysis of the structure and dynamics of ecological communities, and for the application of these studies to conservation biology.” Ecologists worldwide are considered for the prize named for Margalef, one of Spain’s most distinguished scientists and a founding father of modern ecology. The prize includes a cash award of about $100,000 and a sculpture memorializing Margalef. Gary McCracken, head of the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, said Simberloff has distinguished himself, not only as a scientist, but also as an exemplary teacher and colleague. Although the Margalef Award was officially announced today, Simberloff learned of the honor three weeks ago while in France. Since he was planning to travel to Barcelona the next day to send his daughter to a summer study abroad program, the Margalef committee arranged to meet him at the government palace where he was congratulated by Catalan President Artus Mas.

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

NEWS

NUCLEAR STUDENTS continued from Page 1 Early on, George really didn’t think he had much of a chance to win; rather, he felt that he should submit the paper and see what would come of it. As it turned out, some major recognition and a cash prize of $1,500 came of it. “Not many people won, so I guess it was kind of a shot in the dark,” he said of his paper. “I mean, I knew I wrote a quality paper. I knew that a lot of really smart minds went in to help formulate this work. So I knew that the lab having its name on there helped me know that it was a possibility that I could win. When the ‘Oak Ridge National Lab’ is on a paper it gets more credibility. “ Like George, Cole Gentry is also a Ph.D. student at UT and he also received an award. Sometimes teachers will send out emails or letters letting students know when contests arrive, and it was no different this time. Gentry

received an email about contests for conference papers and submitted one. The topic of Gentry’s paper was “Application of Fully Ceramic MicroEncapsulated Fuel for Transuranic Waste Recycling in PWR’s.” Gentry’s paper was centered on water reactors for recycling plutonium. This paper was Gentry’s master’s thesis and said that he spent a moderate amount of research on it. Sitting in a meeting one day, Gentry received a phone call. “At first, I was thinking to myself, what is this again, I couldn’t even remember what Kathy Dixon (one of the coordinators for the contest) was talking about,” he said. “I had lost track of when the date was when they were supposed to announce it.” Gentry feels privileged to have won this award, and said it’s important because it shows people value your work. “It’s just a recognition of doing your work. What I do is significant and people value it.”

Tia Patron • The Daily Beacon

Philp Fulmer Drive continues to be closed while construction at the UC continues on July 23.

JEWELRY continued from Page 1 Prices run the gamut from $2 up to $500 for the large, intricate brooch bouquets Brobst fashions for brides. Besides the Farmers Market booth, Brobst supports herself by working full time at Ijams Nature Center, where she coteaches a class called the “Eco Make and Take Workshop.” The class, held the first Sunday of every month and costing participants a reasonable $10, provides students with the opportunity to make their own heirlooms akin to Brobst’s wares. “It’s a way to find ways to repurpose, reuse, transform and make new old things that people have laying around the house,” Brobst said. “Everyone has that junk drawer or closet filled with old shirts, broken jewelry, worn books and more, and it all just

The Daily Beacon • 3

sits there.” Brobst helps her students see new potential in old things. “People can see how their old, crummy stuff can be new and fun again,” she said. “Plus there is a huge sense of social fun because everyone can become a teacher and help each other out. There is always food and drinks. Sometimes it’s just nice to craft and chat with friends or neighbors.” Brobst, who comes from an artistic background of painting and sculpting, has a few new creative and business ventures lined up in the near future. “I am working on some bigger sculpture pieces out of old clocks and I’m making ‘I Spy’ table tops out of jewelry and other found objects, so I am working on bigger scale items,” she explained. “Plus as far as deals go, I am coming out with frequent buyer cards so that

those who buy my things regularly can get free stuff.” The ambitious craftswoman hopes to get to the point one day where she can take her unique merchandise on the road. “I would love to travel to different shows and festivals, and then do the market as well as sell to shops around the country,” she said. “I already have my stuff in six stores locally, one in Asheville, and another in Wisconsin, so I feel like I am well on my way.” In the meantime, Brobst finds fulfillment in the love of her craft and dedication of her fans. “I just love creating. I have always been the one who loves transforming things,” she said. “And I like walking down the street and being able to see one of my pieces on someone and know that I made that and someone else is enjoying it. I couldn’t do this without my fans.”

4 • The Daily Beacon

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

OPINIONS

Going

Somewhere... Hopefully Chick-fil-A raises morality debate Preston Peeden Managing Editor This past Saturday, I faced a surprisingly difficult dilemma. It was nine o’clock in the morning and I was rushing to get to work on time. I had overslept my alarm, and had only barely gotten in a quick shower before I had to race out of my apartment. Needless to say, my need to hurry made me forget a few things. While I could survive without my phone and my iPod, I couldn’t help needing to pick up breakfast somewhere. It was my hunger that created my dilemma. Usually, when I need a quick bite to eat, I, like most people, go to Chick-fil-A. And why wouldn’t I? There’s a location only half a mile from my job, it’s moderately cheap, not terribly unhealthy, and, most importantly, their chicken biscuits are one of the most addictive substances on the planet. But before I could drive to my usual breakfast haunt, my brain took control of my stomach and forced me to remember the recent interview the president of Chick-fil-A had given concerning his anti-same-sex marriage stance. So I was left wondering, do I follow my stomach to food or my head and my own opinions to some form of protest (and hunger)? To those who haven’t read about Dan Cathy and the views that he and his company have recently espoused, Cathy gave an interview last week to the “Biblical Press” in which he defended his company against concerns over its seemingly overt Christian values. In the instance of same-sex marriages versus that of the “traditional” family unit, Cathy proclaimed that he and his company were “guilty as charged” in supporting a “biblical definition” of the family. In that he meant marriage was only between a man and a woman, and that a family is constituted by a mother, father and children. Cathy even took his stance a step further by saying that, while Chick-fil-A is not a “Christian business,” it is run on “biblical principles.” The idea of Chick-fil-A’s “biblical principles” doesn’t necessarily bother me, because, as Cathy pointed out, while his position may be unpopular, it is well within his own rights to express such views. But I am unnerved by his proclamation of the restaurant’s moral and monetary support for the idea of the “traditional family.” When I say this, I don’t mean that I have anything

against Cathy and the restaurant as a whole (he may be a fine man and his restaurant certainly is a nice chain), but I can’t get over what I view as an overtly discriminatory standpoint. By publically announcing his support for only heterosexual marriages, which silently condemns non-traditional relationships in the company’s eyes, Cathy has mixed morals, business and personal lives in a way that is tangled, confusing and incitative. He’s turned something as simple as a drivethru into a moral conundrum. Ultimately, it was Cathy’s comments that made me decide to keep on driving, but it wasn’t for lack of trying. I had my turning signal on, and I was about to pull over into the parking lot, when I pulled back into my original lane. I couldn’t help but think that if I went to Chick-filA, then I was in some way tacitly supporting Cathy and his views. I thought my patronage would betray my own morals. By not going to Chick-fil-A, I didn’t change the world, nor (from the looks of the line piled up outside the establishment) did I affect their revenue stream much. But I did do something: I remained true to myself. I don’t understand discrimination. I don’t understand why it still exists. There is no point or place for it anymore. That was a demon and a struggle that our previous generations strove to overcome. And yet, instead of lifting ourselves past it, we remain stuck in its quagmire. We live in a modern world, shouldn’t our ideologies reflect that? I disagree vehemently with Dan Cathy, in that I feel the definition of the family is a subjective one. Whatever constitutes a familial bond in someone’s life, regardless of gender, is a family. Friends, work, it doesn’t matter. Anywhere where love and support can be found is a family. By not stopping at Chick-fil-A, I don’t plan on changing the world. I don’t even plan on changing Cathy and his corporation’s mind. One individual can’t do that. What I am doing, however, is expressing myself and my beliefs in the same way Cathy has. I love chicken biscuits, but I won’t kowtow myself to a company run with discriminatory policies in mind to get my fix. Not even the best buttermilk biscuits in the world are worth that. I’m not asking people to boycott Chick-fil-A, because that would be the imposition of my own beliefs onto someone else. All I can ask, however, is for consideration. Know where and what you’re supporting, and don’t let complacency be an excuse for laziness. Because that road can leave a bitter taste in everyone’s mouth. — Preston Peeden is a senior in history. He can be reached at ppeeden@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.

Olympics call for American apparel Shal l o w a n d Pe d a n t i c by

Robbie Hargett Ralph Lauren had the U.S. Olympic Opening Ceremony uniforms made in China. So now there’s another thing we have to worry about. The discussion is going back and forth relentlessly. Many Americans are outraged, including political officials, because, well, they’re political officials, and this is an issue of national pride. Sort of. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid told reporters that he was “so upset.” He said the Olympic Committee “should be ashamed of themselves. I think they should be embarrassed. I think they should take all the uniforms, put them in a big pile and burn them and start all over again.” That seems a little extreme, and, of course, it is — in fact it’s absurd — but he’s not alone in his sentiments. House Majority Leader Nancy Pelosi was quoted saying, in a more sane manner, that the athletes “should be wearing uniforms that are made in America,” and House Speaker John Boehner said, “You’d think (the Olympic Committee would) know better.” On the other hand, Mitt Romney — clearly trying to avoid future criticism from either side of the debate, but coming off as a sensible human being — called the whole thing “extraneous.” Thank you, Mitt Romney. Ralph Lauren knows they messed up; they’ve already released a statement saying they have “committed to producing the Opening and Closing ceremony Team USA uniforms in the United States that will be worn for the 2014 Olympic Games.” There’s really no sense in bashing the company like this. How is that in the spirit of national camaraderie surrounding the Olympic Games? And Ralph Lauren is, without a doubt, a quintessentially American brand. On the other side of the debate are the people who don’t see anything wrong with Ralph Lauren outsourcing the uniforms to China. They believe Ralph Lauren has nothing to apologize for, that this whole thing is silly. A lot of people agree with that, but many of them are using the wrong arguments. Forbes contributor Micheline Maynard wrote, “… politics aside, Lauren doesn’t need to back down. It’s a $6.9 billion company, which earned $691 million last

year, for a 24 percent increase per diluted share, and it has paid millions of dollars in American taxes.” She quoted the Wall Street Journal, which said, “Someone should tell these folks that if you want to have exports, you also have to have imports.” Well, if you’re going to put politics aside, put economics aside, too. I think the whole imports/exports argument is missing the forest for the trees. Yeah, we get it, you have to have imports. But that’s not the point. The point is, it’s the Olympics. How are you going to tell swimmer Ryan Lochte that the uniform he wore in the Opening Ceremony was made by the guy he swam against? (OK, it wasn’t THAT guy, but maybe that guy knows the guy.) You can have your imports. I’m fine with manufacturing companies importing American flag toys and little Uncle Sam dolls — seeing the “made in China” imprint on everything American, a reminder of our dependency — because a kid wearing a Ralph Lauren Fourth of July T-shirt isn’t going to lace up his skates against a Chinese kid down the street in a symbolic show of national dominance. We’re just not concerned with this intercontinental irony most of the time. That’s fine. It’s just not fine in the Olympic Games, when we’re competing against the countries we trade with. I keep reading about how we’ve consistently voted for cheap imported clothing over more expensive domestic clothing, and how this has caused textile mills in the U.S. to close. A USA Today editorial regarding this uniform issue said, “Countering this trend would be all but impossible. Punitive tariffs on textile imports would have disastrous consequences on the whole economy as other countries retaliated against Americanmade goods.” What? It’s a few uniforms, not a wholesale change in economic policy. If it were really that drastic, it wouldn’t have been so easy for Ralph Lauren to promise American-made uniforms for the next Olympics. But it’s easy to see where the people who are upset are coming from. It should be common sense. I still believe that, really, this whole thing shouldn’t have been as big a deal as it has become, but I guess for the one event every four (or two) years where the top athletes compete for — and the spectators cheer for — not themselves, not their team, but the homeland written across their chest, yeah, it would’ve been nice to have had our uniforms made in the U.S. And we could’ve done without the French-looking berets, too. — Robbie Hargett is a graduate in English. He can be reached at ghargett1@utk.edu

Superheroes due for modern facelift T he Hermit S p e a ke t h by

Jake Lane

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In the nature of recent discussions, we have covered the space opera and the necessity of compassion in art. Now it’s time for some comfort food: superhero stories. Given last weekend’s release of “The Dark Knight Rises” on the heels of this summer’s Marvel doubleheader of “The Avengers” and “The Amazing SpiderMan,” the saturation of the market with stories of humans battling terrific odds due to genetic abnormalities or financial circumstance makes for a pertinent question: do we need superheroes anymore? In the early days of comics, America was in some ways a more brute yet innocent place. A bulletproof Kryptonian prince was at one time a relevant allegory for the American character, as was the 98 lb. weaklingturned-Super Soldier. As the country emerged from the Great Depression, the saga of a lonely millionaire risking his life and fortune to uplift the little guy helped bring together the stratified masses in the wake of a new and horrific war, where unity of a national spirit was crucial to Allied victory. Then Stan Lee’s marvelous mutants foretold the social struggles of the 60s and gave disenfranchised teenagers a positive role model in a smartaleck webslinger, while foretelling the backlash against industrialism with the dastardly Norman Osborn as Spidey’s sometime nemesis. All of these archetypes of a wholly American nature once made sense, but we are such a fractured people whose values no longer fit in the social spandex of neon tights and body armor, the cape of justified vigilanties tarnished by a foreign policy built on profiteering robber barons as opposed to humanitarian goals. If we are no longer the heroes that could inspire fantastic tales of moral and ethical glory, perhaps we should take the cautionary tales of later comic artists and writers a bit more to heart. Alan Moore and Frank Miller, the titans of 80s graphic novels, offered a grittier take on the superhero that took less from a superhuman obligation to use mysterious powers on a humanitarian mission, but instead out of a need for atonement or misanthropic

vengeance. This embrace of the anti-hero as the more compelling meter of justice indicates the change in social consciousness from the “Gee, golly, aw shucks!” Golden Age of Comics of the Forties to the politically charged indictments of society of the Silver Age. For the first time, comic readers were given the faith to accept the inherent darkness and degradation of an individual given the task of protecting humanity not from some phantom force of evil, but from its own worst tendencies. Despite his neo-Nazi leanings and vicious hatred for humanity’s inequities, Rorschach is probably the greatest comic book character ever if only because he proves an awkward axiom: in spite of the presence of the most socially reprehensible traits in a human being, he can be the idealistic hero who says all of the things we fear to admit we feel and will use the methods of terrible justice to which we have silently complied to fend off the enemies of the American ideal (cough, cough). For better or worse, the motto of “By any means necessary” cannot be allowed to foul the waters of our gleeful escapism. Sure, it was fun to see a foulmouthed Batman with a license to kill exacting the sort of sadistic, broken revenge cycle he so long deserved in “All-Star Batman and Robin,” but from a more pragmatic perspective, the lack of care for human frailty in the face of, say, petty theft is a somewhat disproportionate and clownish social platform even more ridiculous than the campy Adam West incarnation of the 60s or Joel Schumacher’s 90s double shot of garish fail. So again I pose the question: if we are so morally and ethically ambiguous to no longer delineate heroes from villains in the real world, how can we trust caricatured mockeries of extreme good and evil from becoming the realities of tomorrow? I’m not insisting that some cabbalistic clans of ubermenschen will be imbued with powers and use our world as a catastrophic playground, but the more subtle issues that have always underpinned the stories of comics — generosity over greed, altruism versus personal happiness — may tip to the negative side of the scales with no more stones on the side of good to balance them again. Our fantasies, as a nation and a species, have an odd frequency of materializing in ways we least expect, and if we accept such depictions of polar good and evil we might just forget the greatest of lesson from the less violent age of comics — the ability to forgive and reform, rather than eradicate and forget. — Jake Lane is a graduate in creative writing. He can be reached at jlane6@utk.edu.

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

The Daily Beacon • 5

ARTS&CULTURE

‘Batman’ trilogy ends strong, unique Preston Peeden Arts and Culture Editor In what has been the most anticipated release this summer, Christopher Nolan’s “The Dark Knight Rises” completed one of the most critically and financially successful trilogies to ever grace the silver screen. The story, like all superhero films, is simple. The hero faces a seemingly unbeatable villain, but after struggle and defeat, he is able to overcome his foe and save countless innocent lives. For “Dark Knight Rises,” this movie-by-numbers formula is filled in by Christian Bale returning as the caped crusader and a hulking Tom Hardy (“Inception,” “Bronson”) as Bane, the indestructible and inaudible wall of muscle hell-bent on Batman and Gotham’s destruction. But underneath this grand picture, Nolan, like in all of his films, paints a web of subplots, char-

acter development and intrigue that is unmatched by most contemporary directors. In his final “Dark Knight” installment, a trilogy that has seen the character Batman develop into a more post-modern, humanized version than he ever has before (with maybe the exception of Tim Burton’s masterpiece “Batman Returns”), Bruce Wayne is no longer the gallivanting billionaire playboy, and his nighttime persona is also different. The film takes place eight years after the conclusion of “The Dark Knight,” and Batman is now vilified and no longer useful in a post-Harvey Dent world; in fact, he has not been seen since his escape on the faithful night of Harvey Dent’s demise. As for Wayne, he has become a shadow of his former self, a recluse who never leaves his home in a Howard Hughes-esque way. Both personas are broken, but the course of the film took both even further down.

• Photos courtesy of rottentomates.com

A major theme of Nolan’s Batman has been the dichotomy of good and evil. Though most easily (and quite effectively) expressed in the physical manifestation of Harvey Dent’s Two Face, “The Dark Knight Rises” is rife with allusions to this concept of being composed of polar opposites. Batman is both the savior of the city and its enemy. He hunts criminals, but is hunted himself. He is a human, but also a superhero. The acting in “The Dark Knight Rises” is one of its strong points. Bale is able to portray Batman like no other actor before him could, and it is in his obvious pain and anger (and creepy facial hair) that a humanized Batman is possible. Hardy’s role as Bane is good, though in no way as enrapturing as Heath Ledger’s Joker. Unlike previous Batman villains, however, Hardy doesn’t rely on his lines to convey his character, but more on his expressions and his physicality. As for the supporting characters, Morgan Freeman, Gary Oldman and Michael Caine return as Lucius Fox, Commissioner Gordon and Alfred Pennyworth, respectively, and all three do an admirable job with what little roles they were given. Joseph Gordon-Levitt played a straight-laced cop well. But it was Marion Collitard who shined on screen the most, however, upstaging even Bale with her mysterious portrayal of Wayne’s love interest. The only real downside that could be considered acting-wise for the movie was Anne Hathaway’s Selina Kyle, which overall was passable, but at times flat and lifeless. Also of note was the cinematography of “The Dark Knight Rises.” Nolan and cinematographer Wally Pfister do an excellent job at creating what is one of the most grandiose films ever shot. The pure immensity of the set-pieces and some of the scenes blow away even the most ardent critics. The only real downfall for “The Dark Knight Rises” is that it is a victim of its own success. Its predecessors set a high bar and then pushed it even further up, so that even an almost perfect movie would be considered slightly disap-

• Photos courtesy of rottentomates.com

pointing. Many critics point to a too convoluted plot, a slow pacing, length (the film is over two and a half hours long) and an overtly antigovernment plot as detractions. While all these things are present, it does little to damper the spirits of movie-goers who can appreciate the film as its own work, and not in relation to its predecessors. “The Dark Knight Rises” will be the most hotly contested movie of the summer. Some will praise the film and its visuals, while others will condemn its weight and length. That, however, does little to take away from what this film and this series have accomplished. “The Dark Knight Rises” is a fitting end to Nolan’s Batman. Like its title character, it is simple and complex, good and bad (at points). But also, and more importantly, the “Dark Knight Rises” is the most stunning, well directed and visually enrapturing movie of the year.

EMPLOYMENT

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Starting Points Childcare is hiring two afternoon preschool teachers. Hours are Mon-Fri 2:30-6pm. Experience with young children in a group setting req. Please call 966-2613 for more info.

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Downtown Marina - Close to campus looking for P/T dock help. Must work football season. Flexible scheduling. Pay $7.55 plus TIPS. Call 633-5004 for interview. Full Time Office Clerk/Runner: Downtown Knoxville law firm has opening for a F/T office clerk/runner. Duties include filing of legal documents with courts, deliveries to clients, handling mail, interoffice filing, general errands, etc. Some heavy lifting required. Reliable vehicle w/insurance required. Hours 8am to 5pm, M-F. Send resume to Administrator, PO Box 869.Knoxville, TN 37901 or email sbarrett@hdclaw.com 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 . Kidtime After School Program seeking caring counselor $7.75/hr. AL Lotts Elementary School, Farragut Primary and Dogwood Elementary. M-F 12:00-6:00 PM. FT and PT available. Please call Olivia at (865)640-3108. Office Admin/ Customer Service new campus. Flexible hours. Will train. Call Doug 755-7663.

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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.

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. 3 bedrooms AND 3 garage parking spaces! 2 baths, washer/dryer, free cable and wireless service. Lake Plaza, 1735 Lake Ave, behind McDonalds. No pets, no smoking. $1950/mo. bhmiller67@aol.com, 615-292-0354 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. APT. FOR RENT. Close to UT Furnished Studio - $445 to $470. Water & Sewer Included. GREAT MOVE-IN SPECIAL.. 523-0441 Artsy, Victorian APTS and HOUSES Hardwood floors, high ceilings, mantles. 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 BRs. Some fenced yards, W/D, dishwasher, porches, huge closets. $395-$1600. (865)455-0488

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Read the Beacon Classifieds!

LAW COLLEGE 2 BLOCKS 2BR apartment with W/D, microwave, restored hardwood floors. 1418 Laurel Ave. Historic Fort Sanders. No. Pets $795.00 UTK-APTS.com 865-933-5204 Studio apartment for rent. Private with pool. 5 mins. from campus. Cable included. Parking and separate entry. $450/mo. No pets. 865-603-3268. UT area. Studio apartment.2 blocks from campus. Water, Internet included. Pool, laundry. 1700 Clinch Ave. Avail August 1. $525/mo. www.absolutecom.com/309. 423-956-5551. 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. WALK TO CAMPUS Great Specials! 1BR Apartments. Limited available. No security deposits. Prime Campus Housing (865)637-3444. primecampushousingtn.com.

HOUSE FOR RENT

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

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FURNITURE

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NEW YORK TIMES CROSSWORD • Will Shortz ACROSS 1 5 8 12 13

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6 • The Daily Beacon

NCAA levies severe penalties on Penn State football program The Associated Press INDIANAPOLIS — Penn State football was all but dismantled Monday by an NCAA ruling that wiped away 14 years of coach Joe Paterno’s victories and imposed a mountain of fines and penalties, crippling a program whose pedophile assistant coach spent years molesting children, sometimes on school property. The sanctions by the governing body of college sports also imposed unprecedented fines of $60 million, ordered Penn State to sit out the postseason for four years, capped scholarships at 20 below the normal limit for four years and placed football on five years’ probation. Current or incoming football players are free to immediately transfer and compete at another school. The NCAA’s sanctions following the worst scandal in the history of college football stopped short of delivering the “death penalty” — shutting down the sport completely. It actually did everything but kill it. “The sanctions needed to reflect our goals of providing cultural change,” NCAA President Mark Emmert said as he announced the penalties at a news conference in Indianapolis. The NCAA ruling holds the university accountable for the failure of those in power to protect children and insists that all areas of the university community are held to the same high standards of honesty and integrity. “Against this backdrop, Penn State accepts the penalties and corrective actions announced today by the NCAA,” Penn State President Rodney Erickson said in a statement. “With today’s announcement and the action it requires of us, the University takes a significant step forward.” The Big Ten announced that Penn State would not be allowed to share in the conference's bowl revenue during the NCAA's postseason ban, an estimated loss of about $13 million. And the NCAA reserved the right to add additional penalties. Sandusky, a former Penn State defensive coordinator, was found guilty in June of sexually abusing young boys, sometimes on campus. An investigation commissioned by the school and released July 12 found that Paterno, who died in January, and several other top officials at Penn State stayed quiet for years about accusations against Sandusky.

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

THESPORTSPAGE

• Joe Paterno

The NCAA said the $60 million is equivalent to the annual gross revenue of the football program. The money must be paid into an endowment for external programs preventing child sexual abuse or assisting victims and may not be used to fund such programs at Penn State. By vacating 112 Penn State victories from 19982011, the sanctions cost Paterno 111 wins. Former Florida State coach Bobby Bowden will now hold the top spot in the NCAA record book with 377 major-college wins. Paterno, who was fired days after Sandusky was charged, will be credited with 298 wins. Vacated wins are not the same as forfeits — they don’t count as losses or wins for either school. The scholarship reductions mean Penn State's roster will be capped at 65 scholarship players beginning in 2014. The normal scholarship limit for major college football programs is 85. In comparison, the harsh NCAA sanctions placed upon USC several years ago left the Trojans with only 75 scholarships per year over a three-year period. The postseason ban is -the longest handed out by the NCAA since it gave a four-year ban to Indiana football in 1960. Penn State players left a team meeting on campus in State College, Pa., without talking to reporters. Penn State’s season starts Sept. 1 at home against Ohio University. The sanctions came a day after the school took down a statue of Paterno that stood outside Beaver Stadium and was a rallying point for the coaches' supporters throughout the scandal. “This case is obviously incredibly unprecedented in every aspect of it,” Emmert said, “as are these actions that we’re taking today.” Penn State football under Paterno was built on — and thrived upon — the premise that it did things the right way. That it was not a football factory where only wins and losses determined success. Every major college football program tries to send that message, but Penn State built its brand on it.

Stallings wins True South Classic The Associated Press MADISON, Miss. — Knoxville native Scott Stallings strolled down the fairway on the 18th hole of the True South Classic, smiling and waving to a few fans like he didn’t have a care in the world. There would be no final-hole drama at Annandale Golf Club. He had this one all wrapped up. Stallings shot a 4-under 68 in the final round on Sunday to beat Jason Bohn by two strokes. It was Stallings’ first PGA Tour victory of the year and the second of his career. He finished with a 24-under 264, a tournament record at Annandale.

With a few holes remaining, it looked as if the True South Classic would host a tight finish. But Stallings made back-to-back birdies on Nos. 16 and 17 to suck all the suspense right out of the final hole. “It made that tee shot on 18 a lot easier,” Stallings said with a grin. The 27-year-old Stallings raced up the leaderboard after shooting backto-back 64s in the second and third rounds. That gave him a one-stroke lead heading into the final day. Stallings wasn’t quite as spectacular on Sunday, but didn’t need to be. Instead, he was steady, methodically working his way around the course, avoiding major trouble and picking up occasional birdies. “Obviously, it’s a special week,”

Stallings said. “Anytime you win on the PGA Tour it's special. A lot of things and people went into winning this tournament and I’m very thankful.” The victory was another sign Stallings is moving closer to his 2011 form, when he won nearly $2 million and finished 41st on the PGA Tour money list in his rookie season. But he’s struggled throughout much of 2012 because of various injuries — including torn cartilage in his ribs and two herniated disks in his back — making the cut in just five of 18 events before blazing through Annandale. Stallings said the rib injury suffered in January was the most painful, and it took him about five months to fully recover.

George Richardson • The Daily Beacon

Da'Rick Rogers signs a fan's football before the Orange and White game on April 21.