T-Storms 30% chance of rain HIGH LOW 90 71
Follow us: @DailyBeacon
‘Dark Knight Rises’, ‘Avengers’ debate
Three pre-season questions answered
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
PAGE 6 T H E
Issue 18
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
iPads increase RA efficiency Residence halls lose secretaries Wesley Mills News Editor
Wesley Mills News Editor With technology becoming more integrated into our classrooms and lifestyles, it’s not shocking that those working within the university will also upgrade. Starting this semester resident assistants, or RAs, will be receiving iPads to help them do their jobs more efficiently. Schools such as the University of Texas in Austin and the University of Florida have been experimenting with using tablets, and in their efforts to be on the list of the top 25 public universities, UT will start using them. Each RA will have to sign an exten-
sive accountability agreement saying that the RA is finally responsible if they are lost or damaged. In the agreement, they are also consenting to comply with the university’s appropriate use policy, saying that these will be strictly used for work and not play. Executive Director of Department of University Housing Frank Cuevas said a main focus in training RAs when they get to campus is to make sure they understand the rules of the tablet’s use. “As we introduce technology, a number of top 25 schools have been using some kind of tablet to do their job,” he said. “But when the RAs get here for training, we are going to be focusing on how these are tools and not toys.”
See iPADS on Page 3
UT alumna succeeds in comedy Staff Reports The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, has named comedienne Leanne Morgan to its list of Accomplished Alumni of 2012. Morgan, a 1992 graduate of the College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences, made a name for herself in the comedy world after appearing on ABC’s The View and as a finalist on Nick at Nite’s Funniest Mom. Chancellor Jimmy G. Cheek presented Morgan with the award on Wednesday, July 25, at the welcome reception for the • university’s annual Alumni Summer College. In its thirtieth year, the Alumni Sumer College is an opportunity for Volunteer alumni to return to campus for lectures, entertainment, and fellowship. Morgan was the keynote speaker for Wednesday’s reception.
“As Leanne has grown in her career, she has done so with grace and class and represented the University of Tennessee well,” said Cheek. “We are proud to have her as an active alumna and member of our UT family.” Morgan is known for her southern charm and storytelling about her own life as a stay-at-home mom. Dr. Phil and Paula Deen are among her celebrity fans. While performing in San Antonio, Texas, she was asked to appear at the Las Vegas Comedy Festival. Shortly thereafter, she appeared Photo courtesy of Leanne Morgan on ABC’s The View in a segment about housewives. After appearing as a finalist on Nick at Nite’s Funniest Mom, she toured with the Southern Fried Chicks comedy troop for three years. She has appeared in comedy clubs, per-
forming arts centers and theaters all over the United States. She is collaborating with writer/producer Matt Williams, of Roseanne and Home Improvement fame, and FremantleMedia on a half-hour sitcom. The Accomplished Alumni Program is designed to attract notable alumni to campus to share their success stories. Alumni who are honored through this program spend time on campus teaching students, sharing dialogue with faculty and engaging with other alumni and friends of the university. Alumni featured in this program including CEOs of major corporations, Olympians, authors, artists, musicians, U.S. ambassadors, and civic leaders. Other 2012 honorees include Chamique Holdsclaw, forward with the WNBA’s San Antonio Silver Stars; Jorge Sotolongo, manager of the Engineering Research and Development Lab at Gulfstream Aerospace; and Sean Seymore, professor of law and associate professor of chemistry at Vanderbilt University.
As of this month, the campus hall secretary position, or ASA, on the campus of the University of Tennessee has been eliminated. There were nine total people working as hall secretaries in campus housing, and eight of them have been relocated to other positions on campus, while one decided to retire. Executive Director of Campus Housing Frank Cuevas said that efficiency with technology was one of the key reasons they decided to do away with the position. “Because of technology, many of their positions and duties were being rolled over to much more efficient ways of being done with technology,” he said. Cuevas said that lock changes, swipe cards and hall check-ins could be more efficiently handled with the use of technology, and that they would be able to save money. Some of the duties that had been previously performed by hall secretaries were being replaced with the new technologies. “Many of the other duties, as we were introducing new systems technologies, were already being centralized and being done by folks up in the central office and those technologies,” he said. Cuevas said that he didn’t want to just lay off the workers, but rather give them other job opportunities on campus, and campus housing was willing to help place them in other positions. “A year ago we notified all the campus housing hall secretaries that their positions were being eliminated,” he said. “So we gave them all 10 months notice. We actually
placed them in other positions on campus.” The usual protocol is a 30day notice, but the end goal was to give the secretaries ample time to find other job openings and get plugged in, so that they would not have to be laid off. Many were hired within the offices of student life. “Over the course of 10 months we told that them we would work with them to find them other positions within the department or on campus,” he said. Cuevas said that the housing department went through all the appropriate protocol to make sure this situation was handled with care and ethics. “If you are going to eliminate a position, it requires human resources, approval by the chief business officer of the institution, the chief human resource officer, and essentially the chancellor has to sign off on it,” Cuevas said, “because you have to show adequate reason and why.” While technology was a main reason for the elimination of jobs, Cuevas said that he’s pleased with finding jobs for the workers in other parts of campus. Their goal was met and the workers were pleased with the end result. “Other places are ethically only required to give them 30 days and we gave our folks 10 months, because we felt with more notice we could work towards helping them get a place somewhere on our campus,” he said. “And that was all along our goal is to try and get them somewhere else so they wouldn’t be affected as a layoff. I’m happy to report that we got them all placed. That was our end goal and of course they were happy as well.”
Browns owner may sell team The Associated Press CLEVELAND — Browns owner Randy Lerner has begun talks with truck-stop magnate Jimmy Haslam on giving up controlling interest while committing to keep the team in Cleveland, the club president said Friday. And get this: Haslam is a self-described “1,000 percent” Pittsburgh Steelers fan. “(Lerner) is giving up controlling interest in the team,” president Mike Holmgren said at the team’s suburban Berea training camp. Holmgren said he and Lerner have discussed the matter throughout the summer. Holmgren said the talks on the future of the team included the agreed stipulation that the Browns would remain in town. “The Cleveland Browns are not going anywhere,” Holmgren said. Holmgren said that Lerner’s interests have changed during the years and that the owner had told
him a while back that, while he loved the team, he would consider selling if and when a reliable buyer came along. “All the stars aligned in the last few months,” Holmgren said. Lerner disclosed the talks in a statement earlier Friday. “In connection with current rumors and press inquiries, I can report that I’ve been approached by Mr. Jimmy Haslam, who is interested in making an investment in the Cleveland Browns. We are currently in negotiations and both sides have agreed to keep that dialogue and its details private,” Lerner said in a statement. “Given that any transaction would require League approval, care has been taken so that this process will not be disruptive to the organization, in particular the football team, as it prepares for the upcoming season. We will share further details or make an announcement if it becomes necessary.” See HASLAM on Page 3
Tia Patron • The Daily Beacon
Cones surround part of the latest construction on campus at Hodges Library. Melrose Ave from Hess Hall to Hodges will be repaved through Aug. 3.
Holmes charged for murders The Associated Press CENTENNIAL, Colo. — Colorado prosecutors on Monday charged a former neuroscience graduate student with 24 counts of murder and 116 counts of attempted murder in the shooting rampage at the midnight showing of the new Batman movie. James Holmes appeared just as dazed as he did in his
first court appearance last week, but at one point exchanged a few words with one of his attorneys in the packed courtroom. The breakdown of the charges was not immediately clear. The attack at “The Dark Knight Rises” left 12 people dead and 58 others injured. After his arrest, police said they found that his apartment was booby trapped.
Among the charges Monday was one count of possession of explosives. Legal analysts expect the case to be dominated by arguments over the defendant’s sanity. Unlike Holmes’ first court appearance on July 23, Monday's hearing was not televised. At the request of the defense, District Chief Judge William Sylvester barred video and still cam-
eras from the hearing, saying expanded coverage could interfere with Holmes’ right to a fair trial. Last week, Sylvester allowed a live video feed that permitted the world its first glimpse of the shooting suspect. With an unruly mop of orange hair, Holmes appeared bleary-eyed and distracted. He did not speak. See HOLMES on Page 3