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‘Charlie St.Cloud’ proves heartwarming fare

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Tuesday, August 24, 2010

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Issue 05

E D I T O R I A L L Y

I N D E P E N D E N T

Vol. 115 S T U D E N T

PAGE 9

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Official ring unveiled as new UT tradition Alyce Howell Staff Writer UT has announced the beginnings of an official ring program.

Since 2008, the university, along with alumni and students, has been working on the program.

In the past, having many options for students to choose from made the selection hectic.

Now with the implementation of the ring program, it has become more uniform in design.

Eric Haag, director of alumni programs, said that this will help make Tennessee rings easily recognizable.

A new part of the program includes a requirement that students must complete 60 credit hours at UT before they can be eligible to order a ring.

“This makes it more prestigious and helps embody the tradition for class rings,” Haag said.

If a student orders his or her ring by Sept. 21, it will be presented to them at the first annual ring ceremony on Nov. 9 in the UC Ballroom during Homecoming Week.

The rings will be presented by the deans from each college and Chancellor Jimmy Cheek.

The first 500 rings of the new program will have an engraved number as a special bonus.

Haag said that receiving a college ring is special in any student’s life, signifying accomplishment and achievement while pursing a degree at UT, and the school just wants to reinforce that by making it more meaningful to the students

when they receive their rings.

Class rings will continue to be sold after Sept. 21; however, the rings will not be presented to the student during the ring ceremony because they would not be ready by that time.

The ceremony is also going to be held during the fall semester only.

“For those ordering rings, it seems like a good idea holding a ceremony,” Hollie Luark, senior in animal science, said. “It’s better than getting the rings in the mail.”

Another change includes Jostens becoming the exclusive provider of the new official class rings.

Some of its options for rings will be featured with classic UT icons, like the Torchbearer.

“The options were chosen by what the students wanted and what was being sold the most,” Haag said. “The students’ feedback was important.”

Students can order a ring from a Jostens representative who will be on hand to assist students at the College of Law, Sept. 9, from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., the Claxton Education Building, Sept. 15, from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and in the UC Ballroom on Sept. 20 and 21.

Students can also go to the Jostens website and order their rings online.

Hagg hopes that the program will establish a longstanding tradition, which can be something that students, alumni and the university are proud of, and that wearing the ring is a great way for students and alumni to remain connected to UT.

Wade Rackley • The Daily Beacon

Seniors Sean Shapiro and Erica Kennington inquire about UT class rings at a table set up in the UC. Starting this week, students and alumni can view the new Official Ring at a number of locations around campus including the College of Law, Claxton Education Building and the UT Bookstore.

Part-time job fair to offer students variety of employment options Alyce Howell Staff Writer On Wednesday, students seeking part-time work are invited to attend the Part-Time Job Fair in the UC Ballroom from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

“Anyone would be interested in going in if there is a chance to get a job,” Nicole Reynolds, senior in art, said.

The job fair has a combination of off-campus companies like Target, Clayton Homes and H & R Block. Oppourtunities for campus employment, like OIT and student health services.

“Not only is it open for everyone in the university looking for a job, it could create other potential opportunities,” Russ Coughenour, director of career services, said.

Coughenour said it’s not necessary for students to wear a suit and tie, but some clean, pressed blue jeans or khakis, a polo shirt and closed-toe shoes would be fine. A student wearing regular college clothes may not be taken seriously.

A second way to increase students’ chances is to provide an error-free resumé.

“There is an excellent website on the career service website that has sample resumés, or go to career service for resumé advice Monday through Thursday, 3 to 5 p.m., or make an appointment,” Coughenour said. “Also, bringing multiple copies of your resumé is best.”

A third way to increase students’ chances is to know what hours they can and cannot work.

The last way to increase students’ chances, if it is available, is to try matching up their majors or interest to complement the jobs that are available.

“There has been a decline of 30 employers from the prior years, which is to be expected because of the economy, but all the employers that are coming need employees,” Coughenour said.

Even though there may be a decline of off-campus employers, the number of on-campus employers has risen to about 40 percent of the booths at the job fair, which is the highest percentage ever for on-campus jobs.

Coughenour said that it is rare for students to walk out of the fair with a job. Usually students go to meet people who have jobs to set up a formal interview at another date.

TennesseeinBrief Associated Press

George Richardson • The Daily Beacon

Freshman Parker Hewitt rests on a bench in Pesidential Courtyard. Relatively cool evenings provide a great time to sit and relax in the courtyard after a full day of class.

Shelby County designated as drug trafficking area MEMPHIS— Federal officials have named Shelby County a High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area.

The designation means Memphis-area agencies will be able to coordinate drug trafficking enforcement efforts with federal authorities more easily and share reliable intelligence at the federal, state, local and tribal levels.

U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen’s office announced the designation Monday. He had asked for it in an April letter.

Cohen's letter says Shelby County’s role as a transportation and distribution hub also make it a target for drug trafficking.

There are currently 28 High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas, which were created by the federal Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988.

See TENNESSEEon Page 5

2 • The Daily Beacon

Assocaited Press

InSHORT the board later dropped the suggestion amid criticism, it set off a national discussion over whether Ebonics is a language, a dialect or neither.

The search for translators covers a wide swath of the Southeast, including offices in Atlanta, Washington, New Orleans, Miami and the Caribbean, said Sanders. He said he's uncertain why other regions aren't hiring Ebonics translators, but said there are

lary. You'll have some significant differences" from English.

Tuesday, August 24, 2010 sticks of what appeared to be dynamite, a timer or clock, an alarm and wiring.

The Maine Fire Marshal's office now has the device.

DEA seeks Ebonics experts to help with Maine family finds fake bomb in their cases new home ATLANTA— Federal agents are seeking MILLINOCKET, Maine— Police in Calif. man gets 20-year sentence in to hire Ebonics translators to help interpret Millinocket, Maine, are puzzled as to why anthrax hoax wiretapped conversations involving targets the town's late police chief had a realistic SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A Northern of undercover drug investigations. looking fake bomb in his home. The device California was sentenced Monday to 20 years The Drug Enforcement Agency recently was found by the new owners of the home, in federal prison for sending hoax anthrax sent memos asking compaletters to President Barack nies that provide translaObama and Social Security tion services to help it find Administration offices in nine translators in the three states.

Southeast who are fluent in Timothy Cloud, 63, Ebonics, Special Agent pleaded guilty in May to Michael Sanders said charges of sending the letMonday. ters, to threatening the Ebonics, which is also president, and to failing to known as African register as a sex offender.

American Vernacular The letters all contained a English, has been white powder. described by the psycholoThe letter to Obama gist who coined the term called the president "just as the combination of another lying" politician English vocabulary with and contained a newspaper African language structure. photo of the president with Some DEA agents crosshairs drawn across his already help translate George Richardson • The Daily Beacon face.

Ebonics, Sanders said. But Other threatening letters he said wasn't sure if the Thompson-Boling Arena, home to both men’s and momen’s basketball teams, has remained silent for the past agency has ever hired out- months during the offseason. Next door at Pratt Pavilion, the Lady Vols began workouts for the 2010-11 season in went to Social Security Administration offices in side Ebonics experts as preparation to bring the noise back to Thompson-Boling.

Baltimore; Kansas City, contractors.

"They saw a need for this in a couple of ongoing investigations in the Southeast that which had remained empty for several years, Mo.; and New York City. The New York office when they were moving in on Saturday. They was evacuated and four employees quarantheir investigations," he said. "And when you need dedicated Ebonics translators.

Linguists said Ebonics can be trickier than called Millinocket police who in turn called tined as a result. see a need — it may not be needed now — Envelopes sent to the Social Security but we want the contractors to provide us it seems, partly because the vocabulary the Maine State Police bomb squad. The offices contained cards reading, "you stole evolves so quickly. neighborhood was evacuated for four hours. with nine people just in case."

"A lot of times people think you're just The house had been owned by Millinocket my money" and "die."

The DEA's decision, first reported by The Cloud, who is a transient from the Smoking Gun, evokes memories of the dealing with a few slang words, and that you Police Chief Wayne Scarano, who died in Sacramento area, previously had been condebate sparked in 1996 when the Oakland, can finesse your way around it," said John 2007.

Millinocket officer Martin Legassey told victed of a sex offense in Texas but failed to Calif., school board suggested that black Rickford, a Stanford University linguistics professor.

"And it's not — it's a big vocabuthe Bangor Daily News the device had seven register as a sex offender in California.

English was a separate language. Although

This day in

History

Vesuvius erupts After centuries of dormancy, Mount Vesuvius erupts in southern Italy, devastating the prosperous Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum and killing thousands. The cities, buried under a thick layer of volcanic material and mud, were never rebuilt and largely forgotten in the course of history. In the 18th century, Pompeii and Herculaneum were rediscovered and excavated, providing an unprecedented archaeological record of the everyday life of an ancient civilization, startlingly preserved in sudden death.

The ancient cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum thrived near the base of Mount Vesuvius at the Bay of Naples. In the time of the early Roman Empire, 20,000 people lived in Pompeii, including merchants, manufacturers, and farmers who exploited the rich soil of the region with numerous vineyards and orchards. None suspected that the black fertile earth was the legacy of earlier eruptions of Mount Vesuvius. Herculaneum was a city of 5,000 and a favorite summer destination for rich Romans. Named for the mythic hero Hercules, Herculaneum housed opulent villas and grand Roman baths. Gambling artifacts found in Herculaneum and a brothel unearthed in Pompeii attest to the decadent nature of the cities. There were smaller resort communities in the area as well, such as the quiet little town of Stabiae.

At noon on Aug. 24, 79 A.D., this pleasure and prosperity came to an end when the peak of Mount Vesuvius exploded, propelling a 10-mile mushroom cloud of ash and pumice into the stratosphere. For the next 12 hours, volcanic ash and a hail of pumice stones up to 3 inches in diameter showered Pompeii, forcing the city's occupants to flee in terror. Some 2,000 people stayed in Pompeii, holed up in cellars or stone structures, hoping to wait out the eruption.

A westerly wind protected Herculaneum from the initial stage of the eruption, but then a giant cloud of hot ash and gas surged down the western flank of Vesuvius, engulfing the city and burning or asphyxiating all who remained. This lethal cloud was followed by a flood of volcanic mud and rock, burying the city.

The people who remained in Pompeii were killed on the morning of Aug. 25 when a cloud of toxic gas poured into the city, suffocating all that remained. A flow of rock and ash followed, collapsing roofs and walls and burying the dead.

Much of what we know about the eruption comes from an account by Pliny the Younger, who was staying west along the Bay of Naples when Vesuvius exploded. In two letters to the historian Tacitus, he told of how "people covered their heads with pillows, the only defense against a shower of stones," and of how "a dark and horrible cloud charged with combustible matter suddenly broke and set forth.

Some bewailed their own fate. Others prayed to die." Pliny, only 17 at the time, escaped the catastrophe and later became a noted Roman writer and administrator. His uncle, Pliny the Elder, was less lucky. Pliny the Elder, a celebrated naturalist, at the time of the eruption was the commander of the Roman fleet in the Bay of Naples. After Vesuvius exploded, he took his boats across the bay to Stabiae, to investigate the eruption and reassure terrified citizens. After going ashore, he was overcome by toxic gas and died.

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

The Daily Beacon • 3

NATION&WORLD

‘Sesame Street’ expands to Nigera Associated Press

Public Auction UT is holding a public auction with items for sale “where-is, as-is.” The auction will consist of 310 lots of surplus material from UT. Items for sale include electronics, computers, laptops, printers, scientific equipment, furniture from offices and dorms and digital video recorders. Some items are marked as special interest pieces including a crystal chandelier, animal cages and stainless steel appliances. All electronics have been cleaned of any previous data. All payments are due on the day of the sale and acceptable forms of payment can be found by contacting auctions@utk.edu. Minors are not allowed to be present at the auction. The location of the sale will be at UT Business Services Warehouse, 2111 Stephenson Drive. The auction will be held today beginning at 9 a.m.

Guest Lecture Lindsay Smith will be giving a lecture on DNA Identification, Human Rights, and Transitional Justice. Smith is invited as a part of the Department of Anthropology’s Visiting Lecture Series. The lecture will take place in McClung Museum today from 3:40 p.m. to 5 p.m. Smith is visiting UT from UCLA, where she is a postdoctoral student with the Center for Society and Genetics.

UT Coffee House Mahogany Soul Café is billed as UT’s premiere coffee house on campus. Students are encouraged to come and enjoy all that the performing arts has to offer. Students, faculty and staff will be performing music, spoken word, poetry, art and theatre at the café. Anyone attending is welcome to perform and Mahogany Soul Café features openmic performances. All are invited to come and express themselves as well as share their talents. The event is free and will take place at the BCC on the last Tuesday of every month. It will begin at 6:30 p.m.

Ten-Year Plan Public Conversation Knoxville’s Office of the 10 Year Plan to End Chronic Homelessness would like all to attend the fifth installment of its public conversation series. Addiction treatment will be the topic of discussion at Wednesday night’s conversation. The conversation will consist of a 30-minute presentation followed by a moderated question and answer session by Hilde Phipps, director of adult addiction services at the Helen Ross McNabb Center. The public is encouraged to attend and present issues and areas of interest that should be raised in future meetings. Presenters are invited to share experiences and knowledge of expertise in the pursuit of fulfilling the 10 Year Plan’s goal. Organizers plan to keep the meetings to schedule, mindful and grateful of attendees’ time. The meeting will be held on Wednesday, 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Cansler Family YMCA, 616 Jessamine Street.

LAGOS, Nigeria — It looks a lot like “Sesame Street,” only that’s no Cookie Monster.

“What is so exciting about yams? Everything!” Zobi, a taxi-driving muppet, shouts in a Nigerian lilt to anyone who will listen. “I can fry the yam. I can toast it. I can boil it. I love yams!”

“Sesame Street,” once a mainstay for a generation of Nigerian children who grew up with the U.S. show on the state-run TV network, will return to screens in Africa’s most populous nation this fall, funded by American taxpayers but distinctively Nigerian.

Produced and voiced by Nigerians in formal — if squeaky — English, the show aims to educate a country, nearly half of whose 150 million people are 14 or younger. Its issues focus on the same challenges faced by children in a country where many have to work instead of going to school: AIDS, malaria nets, gender equality — and yams, a staple of Nigerian meals.

“Nigeria is diverse; we have 250 different ethnic groups, so many different languages,” executive producer Yemisi Ilo said. “We don’t have the same customs; we do think differently. “(But) children are children. All children love songs and all children love furry, muppety animal-type things.”

Renamed “Sesame Square,” the show will air 26 episodes in the first of its scheduled three seasons, with one show for each letter of the alphabet.

The lead muppets are Kami, whose yellow fur matches the dandelion on her vest, and Zobi, who resembles a mint-green shag carpet. Kami is an orphan with HIV, who explains blood safety to children through her own story. Zobi, whose yellow cab lacks an engine, teaches by ineptness, getting entangled in a mosquito net while explaining malaria prevention.

They live not on a fictional U.S. city street but in “Sesame Square,” whose concrete homes and slatted windows mirror those found in Nigerian villages.

“A village square is somewhere where people gather around; it’s the news and information,” Ilo said. “It’s all across Nigeria.”

The muppets’ adventures take place between originally recorded “Sesame Street” segments, redubbed with Nigerians voicing the parts of familiar characters like Bert and Ernie. One live-action scene shows hijab-wearing girls in the Muslim-majority north kicking a soccer ball and proudly saying they can do anything a boy can do.

The Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit that oversees “Sesame Street,” received a five-year, $3 million grant from the U.S. Agency for International Development. That comes after the government agency funded a 2007 pilot project featuring Kami and Big Bird discussing HIV infections and AIDS. The new series underscores the ever-broadening reach of “Sesame Street” since it debuted in the U.S. in 1969. The Sesame Workshop has overseen short- and long-term productions of country-specific shows in more than 140 nations, ranging from “Rechov Sumsum” in Israel to South Africa’s “Takalani Sesame,” where Kami first appeared.

But Nigeria represents the first effort to bring a long-term “Sesame Street”-styled program to West Africa, said Naila Farouky, an international program director for the workshop. Discussions continue about potentially expanding into Ghana and Southern Africa, she said.

Nigerian grown-ups like producer Jadesola Oladapo can still hum “Can You Tell Me How to Get to Sesame Street?” The show marked the start of the broadcast day on state-run television into the 1980s and whenever the theme song came on, “I would run to make sure my chores were done,” she said.

“Sesame Square” still faces the challenge of winning a mass audience in a country where most people earn less than a dollar a day. TV sets and DVD players aren’t enough; organizers bring generators to power them, in an oil-rich country whose national power grid is in shambles.

Still, for children gathered on the worn floors of community centers and rundown schools, “Sesame Square” offers a glimpse of something beyond crushing poverty.

“We had comments from children asking if these muppets are from heaven,” said Ayobisi Osuntusa, who oversees outreach for the program.

4 • The Daily Beacon

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

OPINIONS

Our

View

Love should be only requirement for marriage Brandi Panter Managing Editor I wake up every day of my life with few granted securities, but one of them is the knowledge that I will forever be protected, because I am an American citizen who is protected by the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Unfortunately, though, it seems that not everyone who is born an American citizen is getting that right these days.

Proposition 8 is nothing new. In fact, the bill, which was passed a little under two years ago in California, has been talked about endlessly since it passed. The bill sets out to explicitly define marriage as between a man and woman and to ban gay marriage in the state of California.

In a word, Proposition 8 is totally ridiculous. In testimonies given at the appeal trial earlier this year, defenders of the bill cited such absurd fears as the notion that equal partnership rights would create confusion for young minds and send the message that “homosexuality is totally OK.” I’m sorry, I guess I slept through the part where there is something wrong with sending the message to kids that it is OK to allow them to be themselves?

Proposition 8 genuinely upsets me for a lot of reasons but specifically for the above reason.

We, as a nation, don’t exactly have a great track record historically when it comes to equal rights and tolerance. After all, the Civil Rights bill passed almost 100 years after the Civil War. The ERA never actually passed. The glass ceiling still exists in quite a few workplaces.

So far, only one of our presidents hasn’t been white, one president hasn’t been a Protestant (even though, let’s face it, the majority weren’t exactly regular attendees at the ole church of choice when it wasn’t campaign season), and zero presidents have ever deviated away from the traditional Christian family standard. This is fine; I’m not bashing Christian families, because after all, I grew up in one.

However, the case I am making is that we have to stop basing our ideas of family around a certain standard. The current divorce rate in the U.S. is somewhere around 50 percent for first marriages. This, imaginably, leads to a lot of blended families and stepsiblings, which is also just fine.

However, if we are basing our “traditional values” around a concept that isn’t working out half the time, why are we so quick to assign the “traditional family values” label to the man-woman idea of marriage? By the very definition found in the Merriam-Webster online dictionary, family means “a group of individuals living under one roof.”

If a mom-stepfather, dad-stepmother idea of family is still an acceptable definition of marriage for the state of California, why isn’t man-man or woman-woman? Why are proponents of Proposition 8 convinced that a homosexual union would hurt the decency of morals and values when separation, divorce and remarriage seem a lot harder for kids, when they could stay in a stable household with two parents who love each other? What is so wrong with letting people who really love each other be happy?

Answer: There is nothing wrong with letting people be happy. Some people go their entire lives without ever falling in love or even taking the time to try. There shouldn’t be some type of restriction on two people who really love each other and are committed to one another. No one should tell them that their love is invalid, unnatural and/or unacceptable in societal context.

This isn’t the first time that the U.S. has tried to regulate marriage laws. Well into the 20th century, it was a crime in certain states for interracial couples to even be together, let alone marry.

The very idea of marrying for love didn’t really become a popular notion until sometime around the ’60s or ’70s. So, we’ve made leaps and bounds in redefining the definition of marriage and family in the past 50 years or so. It’s time we redefine it one more time: A definition that means commitment through love for everyone.

COFFEY & INK • Kelsey Roy

DOONESBURY • Garry Trudeau

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.

Women deserve more lead roles on TV T he F - Wo r d by

Melody Gordon

According to data from the 2000 census, women make up more than 50 percent of the U.S population, and on American television women make up about 40 percent of characters. As someone who loves a well-produced TV show with some fun, dynamic female characters, those numbers are good ... kind of.

That number is an all-time high. Five years ago 30 percent of all TV characters were female. Before I began to take an interest in women’s roles on the small screen, I accepted this belief that men leading every other show on TV was commonplace and not worth resisting. If you stopped watching every show on TV led by men, you’d have very little to watch.

Whenever I saw a sassy girlfriend or an ambitious boss I was shocked and appreciative, regardless of whether the character was terrible or not. Since I could never find any interesting women on TV, I assumed female characters simply weren’t as interesting as male characters.

My thoughts changed when I got Netflix. Oh, how I love Netflix. Finally, I was able to submerge myself in the rich storytelling of fictional females on cable DVDs and in foreign dramas. I looked for more on network TV and was sorely disappointed when I found few women leading a show. Depending on the network, there are maybe one or two shows per season at best. I wonder at times during my criticism of television if I’m taking my search for great female characters too far. It’s just TV, right?

Then I realized there are more TV shows starring females and drawing in female audiences on Nickelodeon than on HBO, and I knew I was being critical for good reason. In the years to come, our favorite shows will become snapshots of our culture.

Film in general has always had a powerful impact on American culture. Every decade is recognized and remembered for a handful of revolutionary programming. “I Love Lucy,” “Bewitched,” “The Mary Tyler Moore Show,” “Murder, She Wrote” and “Buffy The Vampire Slayer” are a few that defined their time.

Historians, analysts, professors and more will define our generation by what we watch on TV, too.

Even if you watch it on Hulu or your iPhone, it will still count. If we’re such a smart, equal, liberated, progressive generation — far beyond our parents’ archaic times — then why can’t I channel surf without passing five different testotorone-filled, gritty-cop dramas? Do we really find nothing else more entertaining? It says a lot about our generation, whether you realize it right now or not.

Think of all your favorite shows. How many feature women in major roles? How many of these important women are supportive wives to the leading male, lust-inducing co-workers or the stuckup chicks who need to get laid? To narrow it down a bit, let’s focus solely on this disparity in network television dramas.

Some of the unique and most interesting female characters on network television, Abby in “NCIS,” Dr. Cuddy in “House, M.D.” and Tami Taylor in “Friday Night Lights,” for example, are supporting cast. They fill character-centric episodes and story arcs, but at the end of the day, it’s not their show.

Most of the powerful leading women on network TV get more spotlight, but they are often the costars to males or part of a huge ensemble cast on shows like “Law & Order,” “Bones,” “CSI” and “Desperate Housewives.”

As I search the interweb for information on the new fall dramas, the big names are coming up short, across the board, with shows starring women.

However, there seems to be a bottomless well for crime, medical and legal dramas that — surprise! — feature men being stereotypically manly in their manly man jobs. Who wants to bet that, by December, half of these shows will be cancelled and the rest will be hanging on by a thread? Why? Because we’ve been there, done that.

Cable TV isn’t where it should be, but it is lightyears ahead of its counterparts. Cable has proof that leading ladies can do as well as anybody else on TV. “Weeds,” “The Closer” and “True Blood” are ratings superstars. “The Big C,” “Covert Affairs,” “Rizzoli & Isles” and “Hot in Cleveland” are also standing strong, despite their rookie statuses.

It’s time things changed. It’s time for some variety on TV. Give the ladies a chance.

—Melody Gordon is a senior in journalism and electronic media. She can be reached at mgordo10@utk.edu.

Flings don’t have to end with summer everything is okay. Still, we all know it’s not that easy.

People change. Feelings change. My advice?

Now that we are all getting back into the swing of things, make sure that you and your man (or woman) are STILL on the same page. Haven’t by that DTR (Define The Relationship) talk Kathryn Cunningham had yet? My friend, summer’s over, so you need to get on that.

Don’t torture yourself over the “woulda, coulda, shouldas” and get down to business. Find There’s something about the warm sunshine out where you two stand. More importantly, and the brief break from school that pushes us don’t sit there whining, feeling as though you out of our comfort zones and into unknown, have no control over the situation. Girls, I know exhilarating situations. New experiences. New we do this a lot, because we want the boy to take people. New friendships. And the possibility of the initiative, but it’s a two-way street. Maybe blossoming into something more. you need to step up to the plate. You’ll thank me During the summer months, many adopt a in the end and maybe even get a boyfriend out of more relaxed mentality, putting the thought of a it. fleeting romance in the back of every single girl’s And if it doesn’t quite work out to your liking, (or guy’s) mind. With fall nipping at our heels, don’t be broken hearted. You’ll bounce back many of us find ourselves asking the same question: Was it a summer fling or the real thing? when you get back into your routine. The majority of summer romances end because of Here’s the question I want to ask you: Now that something that’s out of your control, anyway. we are all getting back into the routine of things, What about distance? Speaking from how’s that whirlwind of a summer romance experience, I can assure you long-distance coming along? relationships are definitely not ideal, but I do After conducting some research by talking have a friend who has braved hers for more than with a handful of friends, I’ve come to find that a year and couldn’t be happier, so I can’t everyone has their own opinion, making the completely discount them. Just because you met summer fling a loosely defined term. Here’s what some of our fellow students thought (names have over the summer doesn’t mean your relationship has a Sept. 1 expiration date. Distance makes the been changed): heart grow fonder, right? Throw in a little “Summer flings are a great idea, to have communication, and things just might work out. someone to chill and hang out with all summer Finally, I want to address the fact that I’m no (and maybe more!). However, both the guy and relationship expert. I don’t have a framed the girl usually want it to be a short-term diploma hanging on my wall, nor do I have a big, arrangement, so it doesn’t last.” fancy Ph.D. slapped on the end of my name. I’m -Matt, Senior “He’s the cute guy that you can kiss all the time just a girl who, along with every other girl on the planet, is still trying to figure out those darn guys without being totally committed, and if you’re not completely into it, you can leave at the end of (and guys, I know we girls are just as confusing).

While this may never happen, I want to share summer. I’m not saying I’m the person to go out with you my findings about my past, present and and seek a type of relationship like this, but if it future experiences and hopefully offer insight to falls into my lap, I wouldn’t turn it away.” your upcoming endeavors. But here’s the catch: I -Margaret, Junior can’t do this alone. I need your help. I would love “Summer flings are what they are: They’re to hear from you regarding anything and short and sweet. If both people know that, then everything that is relationships. it’s okay.” -Jake, Senior Questions, comments, desperately “I’m a one-date wonder. It’s just how I roll.” seeking advice? I’m your gal. Let me take a shot -Alex, Sophomore at it. You know “Dear, Abby”? Think of me as (Ladies, I have “Alex’s” number, so just let me Abby’s closest cousin. know if you want the hook-up.)

The concept on which our dear friends Matt, — Kathryn is a junior in psychology. She can be Margaret, Jake and Alex all agree is as long as two people in a relationship understand that their reached at kcunnin4@utk.edu. romance is meant to be short and sweet,

C an’t Fight t h e Fe e l i n g

Zac Ellis

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STUDENT LIFE EDITOR

XiaoXiao Ma

Tia Patron George Richardson

Kristian Smith ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

Jake Lane SPORTS EDITOR

Matt Dixon ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

Colin Skinner RECRUITMENT EDITOR

Robby O’Daniel ONLINE EDITOR

Jamie Wilson

To place a classified, please call the classified manager at 974-4931.

If you think something has been reported incorrectly, please contact the managing editor at 974-2348.

Advertising: (865) 974-5206 Classifieds: (865) 974-4931 Editor: (865) 974-2348 Main office: (865) 974-3231 Managing Editor: (865) 974-2348 Newsroom: (865) 974-3226 Newsroom fax: (865) 974-5569 Photo: (865) 974-5212 E-mail: newsroom@utk.edu letters@utk.edu

The Daily Beacon is published by students at The University of Tennessee Monday through Friday during the fall and spring semesters and Tuesday and Friday during the summer semester. The offices are located at 1340 Circle Park Drive, 5 Communications Building, Knoxville, TN 37996-0314. The newspaper is free on campus and is available via mail subscription for $200/year, $100/semester or $70/summer only. It is also available online at: http://dailybeacon.utk.edu.

LETTERS POLICY: The Daily Beacon welcomes all letters to the editor and guest columns from students, faculty and staff. Each submission is considered for publication by the editor on the basis of space, timeliness and clarity. Contributions must include the author’s name and phone number for verification. Students must include their year in school and major. Letters to the editor and guest columns may be e-mailed to letters@utk.edu or sent to Zac Ellis, 1340 Circle Park Dr., 5 Communications Building, Knoxville, TN 37996-0314. The Beacon reserves the right to reject any submissions or edit all copy in compliance with available space, editorial policy and style.

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

TENNESSEEINBRIEF

TENNESSEE IN BRIEF

week that a procedure had been set up for a recount, and that the committee meeting was part of the procedure. He said Henry and Yarbro agreed to the procedure.

The motivation for the recount was spurred by voting discrepancies from the Davidson County Election Commission, which said a scanner used to tally absentee votes malfunctioned and the votes had to be counted by hand.

According to the commission, it put together six teams to hand count the absentee ballots on the night of the Aug. 5 election, with each team consisting of two Republicans and two Democrats.

“While reviewing the absentee ballot tally sheets with the master tally sheets, it was determined that errors had occurred when transferring the totals from the worksheets to the master tally sheet,” the commission said.

Yarbro is a 33-year-old Nashville attorney. Henry, 84, was first elected to the seat in 1970 and previously served a single term in the state House, beginning in 1955. He was chairman of the powerful Senate Finance Committee until Republicans took control of the upper chamber in 2007.

The District 21 seat represents southwestern Nashville, including some of Nashville’s wealthiest neighborhoods. The winner of the race will face Republican Steven Dickerson in the general election in November.

continued from Page 1 MTSU police investigating QB over money dispute MURFREESBORO, Tenn.— Middle Tennessee campus police are investigating whether quarterback Dwight Dasher took money from an 80-year-old man to use for gambling.

According to a police report obtained by The Associated Press, Oliver Donnell, a patient at a Department of Veterans Affairs hospital in Murfreesboro, reported Dasher to the police in July after the senior allegedly wouldn't return his phone calls.

Middle Tennessee athletics director Chris Massaro says in a statement the NCAA has been notified about the investigation. He declined further comment.

Donnell told the Daily News Journal he lent $1,500 to Dasher to use for a high-stakes poker game with the promise the Folkston, Ga., native would split winnings with him. Donnell also says he has been interviewed by a consultant working for Middle Tennessee to determine if Dasher's eligibility status was in jeopardy.

Committee to decide on recount of District 21 vote NASHVILLE— The state Democratic executive committee is deciding whether to order a recount of the primary vote in Nashville’s District 21 Senate race.

Democratic state Senate candidate Jeff Yarbro requested a recount of the vote, which had long-serving Sen. Douglas Henry leading by 11 at last count. The numbers were to be certified on Monday.

Tennessee Democratic Party spokesman Keith Talley told The Associated Press that the committee was to meet by teleconference Monday evening and decide whether to order the Davidson County Election Commission to conduct the recount.

If the committee orders the recount, Talley said it’s up to the commission when it will happen. Davidson County Elections Administrator Ray Barrett said it could occur as early as 1 p.m. on Tuesday.

Party Chairman Chip Forrester told reporters last

The Daily Beacon • 5

NY trial date set for Titans backup QB Chris Simms NEW YORK— Tennessee Titans backup quarterback Chris Simms needs to add a new date to his 2010 season: an October trial in his New York City drugged-driving case.

Simms didn't make it Monday to a Manhattan court date in the case, which stems from a July 1 arrest.

Police say he admitted smoking marijuana in his car; he says they misquoted him.

Lawyer Kim Richman declined to explain why Simms wasn’t there, but the Titans are in the midst of training in Nashville and were set to play a preseason game against the Arizona Cardinals on Monday night.

Manhattan Criminal Court Judge Michael J. Yavinsky agreed to excuse Simms' absence, rebuffing prosecutors' request for a warrant authorizing police to arrest the gridiron scion and bring him to court. But the judge said Simms, a son of former New York Giants quarterback Phil Simms, needs to be there Oct. 7 for a hearing and trial — football obligations notwithstanding.

“If Mondays are bad because Sundays he works, let’s not pick a Monday,” the judge said.

Oct. 7 is a Thursday.

Simms, 29, was stopped at a checkpoint, with his pregnant wife in the car. According to court documents filed by prosecutors, he slurred his words as he told police: “I was smoking marijuana in the car earlier. I took four puffs.”

Simms’ lawyers have said he was just talking about smoking cigarettes, and they argue police had no justification for stopping or arresting him. Prosecutors say the arrest was lawful.

Simms told The Tennessean newspaper earlier this month he definitely didn’t say what authorities said he did, and he called the episode embarrassing to him and his family.

“I always try and look at myself as a high-character guy, and I hope I don't get judged off this incident,” he told the Nashville newspaper. “But I think in the end everything will be OK.” The Titans declined to comment on the case Monday.

Simms faces misdemeanor and traffic violation charges of driving while impaired by drugs. If convicted, he could face up to a year in jail and a $1,000 fine.

Simms has started 16 games during his NFL career, with a 7-9 record. A third-round draft pick by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2003, he was gravely injured when his spleen ruptured in a 2006 game against the Carolina Panthers, forcing him to undergo emergency surgery.

After Tampa Bay released him, he went to Tennessee in 2008, played for the Denver Broncos last year as an unrestricted free agent and returned to the Titans this year.

His father played 14 seasons with the Giants, leading them to two Super Bowls. He is now an announcer and analyst for CBS Sports.

SERVICES

EMPLOYMENT

EMPLOYMENT

UNFURN APTS

FOR RENT

HOUSE FOR RENT

CONDOS FOR RENT

ROOMMATES

Bartending. 40 hour program. Must be 18 years old.

Day, evening and Saturday classes. knoxvillebartendingschool.com 1-800-BARTEND.

First Baptist Concord/ WestLake FT, PT positions available. Teacher/ Teacher assistant. Professional Christian working environment.

Call (865)288-1629.

Now hiring PT counter help.

Crown Dry Cleaners. Contact Brian at (865)584-7464.

1 and 2BR Apts. UT area.

(865)522-5815. Ask about our special.

Personal assistant needed for 7 yr. old girl. She has special needs and immune compromised. 15 hours/week.

2-8pm Tues. & Thurs. and rotating weekends. $13.25/hour.

Call Melissa (865)384-5323.

1BR apt. in English Tudor Bldg. next to Ft. Sanders Hospital. $400/mo. plus utilities.

522-4964, 9AM-5PM.

Franklin Station Condo for rent. 2 roommates seeking third for 3BR condo. $450/mo. includes utilities and wireless internet. Lease required. (865)414-9619.

2 story spacious house. 3BR, 1BA, 7 miles from campus.

Front and back yard. Beautiful interior with H/W flooring. $750/mo. (865)522-6853

Available now. 3BR, 3BA 1800 sq. ft. West Knoxville Condo. Quiet neighborhood.

All appliances including W/D. Plenty of parking. Perfect for graduate students. $1200/mo. Water included.

Small pets OK. (865)242-0632.

Share 1BR in 6BR house. 1725 Highland Ave. Share with 5 guys. Pay no rent until Oct 1 if lease is signed by Sept 1.

No deposit. $475/mo.

(615)297-6185 cdhester@bellsouth.net.

For Sale or Rent West Knox Bearden Hill area. 2BR, 1.5BA remodeled townhouse. Access to pool, clubhouse and workout room.

Asking $110,900 or $900/mo. Connell Properties Owner/agent (865)256-8024.

1100 Chickamauga Ave. Renovated 2,400 sq. ft. 8 rooms plus. 4BR, 2.5BA, Must see. $169,900. (865)604-3538.

THE BIGGEST POSTER SALE. Biggest and Best Selection.

Choose from over 2,000 different images. FINE ART, MUSIC, MODELS, HUMOR, ANIMALS, PERSONALITIES, LANDSCAPES, MOTIVATIONALS, PHOTOGRAPHY. Most images only $7, $8, and $9. See us at the University Center Back Plaza on Wednesday, August 18 through Friday, August 27, 2010. Hours: 9a.m.-6p.m. This sale is sponsored by the University Center.

TUTORING Graduate school in your future?

Testing Solutions offers 1-on-1 LSAT, GMAT and GRE tutoring. Why pay big tutoring companies more money for the same information?

For information or registration, call: 307-0635 or visit www.helpmytestscore.com.

EMPLOYMENT Babysitters Needed Now hiring experienced, energetic and dependable babysitters. Flexible hours.

Must work most football games. Email resume to employment@tnbabysitterexpress.com.

Do you need extra cash?

Want to have fun at work?

Need to work flexible hours?

-Sales Manager -Asst. Exec. Housekeeper -Maintenance -Front Desk Clerks -Servers -Room Service -Bartenders -Housekeepers Please apply in person between 9:00AM-4:00PM Tuesday-Friday at: Knoxville Marriott 500 Hill Avenue S.E. Knoxville, TN 37915

G. Carlton Salon is looking for an energetic, people loving salon coordinator on Wednesdays and Fridays answering phones, booking and greeting clients, and other duties to help the smooth flow of the salon.

Call Mary Alice at 865- 584-3432 or apply in person at 6718 Albunda Dr. Highly energetic motivated person to help with marketing. 4-5 hrs/week. Evenings (will fit your scheudle.) Position averages 15-20/hr.

Please fax resume to (865)566-0328.

Kids Place, Inc. is looking for enthusiastic, creative, hard working employees to work with children in our afterschool programs in Knox Co. Schools. Many locations available.

Good pay & no weekends!!

If this is you or anyone you know, please call our office at (865)933-7716 to schedule an appointment or pick up an application.

You may also fax your resume to (865)933-9663.

N. Knoxville Health and Fitness Center seeking motivated, energetic individuals for the following positions: Fitness Staff, Water Aerobics Instructor, and Licensed Massage Therapist. Exercise Science/Physiology majors encouraged to apply. Associated Therapeutics, Inc. 2704 Mineral Springs Road., Knoxville, TN 37917. Ph.: (865)687-4537; Fax: (865)687-5367: e-mail: jumpstart@associatedtherapeutics.com.

PT auto tech/ auto detailer needed. Flexible schedule.

Near campus. Call Doug (865)755-7663.

Student coordinator needed PT, 20 hours a week. Undergrad only. Must be out going and self motivated. Writing skills a plus. Send resume to jjp@tennessee.edu.

Summer Camp Experience?

Now hiring for after school childcare center in West Knoxville. PT positions available 2-6PM. Call Robert 454-1091.

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 thetomatohead.com.

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.

Want to complete missions in Knoxville? Make a difference as an AmeriCorps member by raising up urban youth to be leaders. Serve part-time in support of an afterschool program. Engage in relational activities as well. Receive a living allowance and money for school!

Contact rbenway@emeraldyouthfoundation.org as soon as possible if interested.

West Knoxville childcare needs 2 afternoon teachers.

One 12-6pm. Exp. with preschoolers preferred. One 2-6 and are willing to train. Must be available M-F. Call 693-5750 Louise.

KEYSTONE CREEK 2BR apartment. Approx 4 miles west of UT on Middlebrook Pike. $500. Call (865)522-5815. Ask about our special.

FOR RENT 1803 White Ave. Apartments. 2BR apt. 2 blocks from campus. Ready for immediate occupancy. Hardwood/ tile floors; private entrance. 12 month lease.

Margaret@tvp1.com or call (865)607-5395.

1BR, LR, kitchen, private parking and entrance. All utilities paid. Walking distance to campus. $400/mo.

Call 522-3325.

2BR 2BA. Small pets okay.

2749 Sullins St. #309. Unfurished $890/mo. Call John (423)646-9133.

2BR apartment, 2.5 blocks from campus. $500/mo.

Utilities paid, plenty of free parking. No smoking, no drinking.

1723 Laurel.

(865)524-1106 or (803)256-3426.

2BR, 1BA duplex apartment.

1mi. from campus. $650/mo.

Water included. No pets.

(865)862-6402.

3BR 2BA Laurel Villas, across from The Hill. W/D, 2 gated parking spots, ground floor. $1200/mo. Andy 851-4261.

HUNTINGTON PLACE UT students! Only 3 miles west of campus. We have eff. to 3BR. Hardwood floors. Central H/A. Pets allowed. Call (865)588-1087.

Ask about our special.

LUXURY 1BR CONDOS Pool/elevator/security.

3 min. walk to Law School. $480R. $300SD. No app. fee.

865 (4408-0006, 250-8136).

Monday Plaza 1BR and studios available on The Strip.

Starting at $340/mo. Call (865)219-9000 for information.

River Towne Condo. Luxury lake front living. Boat slip available. Contact Rick @ (865)805-9730. firstknoxrealty.com Special 1 month FREE. Convenient to downtown, UT area. 2BR apartments available now. $475/mo (865)573-1000.

HOUSE FOR RENT 1020 Atlantic Ave. 2BR, 1BA fenced yard. $650/mo. And a 1BR apt. $450/mo.

(865)809-7183.

3 to 7BR houses in Ft. Sanders. WalK to campus. Please call 577-7111 and leave message.

3BR 2BA house Chapman Hwy. 1 mile to UT. Nice yard.

CH/A. Tile, hardwood. $900/mo. 1 month deposit.

982-5227 6BR 2BA + study, huge remodeled home in Fort, 3 blocks to campus, W/D, Central H/A, porch, parking, wifi. $1995/mo moves in today.

Hurry call/text 865-964-4669.

Sequoyah. Beautiful 4BR, 2BA, w/ rec room, large decks, wood floors, private. $1900/mo. 556-8963.

CONDOS FOR RENT 2BR, 1BA 1507 Highland Ave. Pool, laundry room, security deposit, water and sewer included. $400/BR (865) 388-1725.

HOMES FOR SALE

FURNITURE MATTRESS SALE Student discounts, lay-away available. Twin size starting at $79.99, Full $109.99, Queen $139.99. Also carry Futons.

Call (865)560-0242.

Special at The Woodlands Move in ready 4BR, 4BA. $425/mo. each. Rent free in August.

Call Linda (865)599-8133.

The Woodlands. 3BR, 3BA townhouse. Ideal for 3 students. $400/mo. each. Near campus behind UT Hospital.

All amenities included. Howard Grower Realty Executive Associates. 588-3232 or 705-0969.

ROOMMATES Female roommate wanted.

Grad student preferred.

New house in good subdivision. 3 min. from UT. $250/mo. Includes all utilities, cable TV, cable internet WiFi. Call after 5PM 566-3623.

MERCH. FOR SALE BED BUGS? Waking up itchy? Red Bumps? Bed Bugs are rapidly becoming the biggest pest in college towns. Get Harris Bed Bugs Killer.

Odorless and non-staining. Guaranteed.

Available at Knox Farmers Co-op.

AUTOS FOR SALE 100+ vehicles $5,995 or less. Specializing in imports. www.DOUGJUSTUS.com

NEW YORK TIMES CROSSWORD • Will Shortz Across 1 Like the air in a cigar bar 6 In heaps 11 Medallioned vehicle

4th AND GILL Houses and apartments now available. Please call Tim at (865)599-2235.

14 Soup server’s implement

APT. FOR RENT. 10 minutes from UT. Studio- $405; 1BR $505. (865)523-0441

17 Davy Jones’s locker

15 Dins from dens 16 Ill temper

19 Hoops org.

20 Irksome type

CAMBRIDGE ARMS Just 4 miles west of campus.

Small pets allowed. Pool and laundry rooms. 2BR at great price! Call (865)588-1087.

2BR house. 2 full baths. LR, kitchen, fenced yard. W/D, dishwasher. Pet allowed. Private parking. 2018 Forest.

Walking distance to campus.

Available now. $800/mo.

(865)522-3325.

21 Look forward to 22 Foot problem, perhaps 23 Motel extra 25 Playful puppies, at times 27 S’more ingredient 32 Frisk, with “down” 33 “Gone With the Wind” plantation 34 Loonlike bird 37 VW or BMW 39 “Hold the rocks,” at a bar

42 ___ mater 43 “All ___ is metaphor, and all metaphor is poetry”: G. K. Chesterton 45 Shaker contents 47 Pop music’s ___ Lobos 48 Site of London’s Great Exhibition of 1851 52 Yucky, in baby talk 54 Cap-and-crown org.?

55 Shore washer 56 Rich soil deposit 59 Repairs some tears 63 Big fuss 64 Veneration of a cult image 66 Turkey piece 67 ___ Street, Perry Mason’s secretary 68 Name associated with the starts of 69 Sterile hosp. areas 17-, 27-, 48- and 70 “As You Like It” 64-Across forest 71 Food for birds

ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE

18 Dynamic Duo member

44 Cheat, in 43Across

22 Setting for a Marx Brothers farce

46 Little bit 49 Electrician’s alloy

24 Cheerios grain

1 Barely edible fare

26 UPS delivery: Abbr.

50 Ineligible for kiddie prices, say

2 Knight’s club

27 Transcript nos.

51 Old TV canine

3 Keatsian works

28 Brother of Fidel

52 Author Calvino

4 Coffee ___ (social gathering)

29 Responders to “Sic ’em!”

53 Fall drink

5 Cash in Kyoto

30 ___-Magnon

6 Ship’s front

31 Mrs. Gorbachev

57 Magazine title that’s a pronoun 58 Trumpeting bird

35 Coll. football star, e.g.

36 Life of Riley

60 “Pride and Prejudice” actress Jennifer

38 One way to eat ham

61 Like jokers, sometimes

40 Low-___ (for dieters)

62 1974 Gould/Sutherland spoof

Down

7 Least bit 8 Monterrey miss, e.g.

9 Rated X 10 Mil. award 11 Rags-to-riches heroine 12 Shady area 13 Grizzlies, e.g.

41 City across the Rio Grande from Ciudad Juárez

64 Mrs. McKinley 65 N.F.L. ball carriers

6 • The Daily Beacon

TuesdayTAKES

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

‘Eat’ not sustained by Roberts, pretty scenery Will Abrams Staff Writer Few women have ever graced the silver screen quite as well as the enchanting Julia Roberts.

Over the years, she has built up an audience that will watch just about anything she is in, which is great news for her latest film, “Eat Pray Love.”

The film is based on the autobiography by writer Elizabeth Gilbert, a woman who leaves her home and everything she knows in search of peace and fulfillment.

Roberts plays the main character, who travels across the globe to visit gurus and taste the finest cuisine on her way to happiness.

Writer-director Ryan Murphy, known mostly for his work with “Glee,” does a great job of bringing the viewer into the film by capturing the essence of each location visited by Roberts’ character.

From historic sites in Italy and India to the island of Bali, the film provides a beautiful collection of landscapes for the viewer to get lost in.

Although the scenery is breathtaking at times, some audiences may have a hard time identifying with the film’s main character.

This is mainly because of the fact that Roberts’ character leaves her husband (Billy Crudup) without really giving a good reason. Falling out of love may be a legitimate reason for spouses breaking up, but the concept is a little hard for those who have never been married to understand.

After her separation, Roberts decides to embark on a journey of romance, faith and fine dining. Along the way, she makes friends with an actor (James Franco) and two fellow divorcees (Richard Jenkins and Javier Bardem).

With so many storylines taking place on different continents, the film tends to drag at times.

By the end of the film, it feels like the viewer has sat through two or three films instead of one.

The running time of more than two hours certainly helps with character development, but audiences may start checking their watches about halfway through the film.

Despite taking so much time to develop the film’s characters, the religious aspect of the film is kept at a safely vague distance to ensure that everyone feels the warm, fuzzy aspects, instead of providing anything of actual substance.

Characters discuss ideas like love and finding one’s balance, but one could probably find deeper material on the inside of a Hallmark card.

Roberts does what she can to make her character come alive, but the big prizes have to go the film’s supporting cast. Jenkins and Bardem only appear onscreen for a total of about 45 minutes but both portray their characters more powerfully than the leading lady.

All in all, “Eat Pray Love” brings up interesting ideas of faith, love and finding purpose in life. However, the film might serve better as an example of books that don’t translate well to film.

Sometimes, through no fault of the filmmaker, a literary work (fiction or non-fiction) just doesn’t fit properly into the two-hour format.

Looking at the film’s current box office competition, perhaps it is just enough that it dares to be different and provide audiences with a message, no matter how shallow its portrayal is.

• Photo courtesy of Rotten Tomatoes

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

TuesdayTAKES

The Daily Beacon • 7

All-star cast harks back to 80s glory

• Photo courtesy of Rotten Tomatoes

Will Abrams Staff Writer Action films have come a long way since the 1980s.

Aside from the obvious differences in music, clothing and the introduction of advanced CGI, today’s heroes are less iconic than, say, Jean-Claude Van Damme.

Luckily for those with nostalgic tendencies, “ The Expendables” breathes fresh life into the ’80s formula.

The film follows a group of mercenaries as they attempt to overthrow a South American dictator and his American counterparts (Eric Roberts and “Stone Cold” Steve Austin).

Rarely seen in action films, this group of soldiers contains one of the finest casting ensembles in recent memory.

Bringing together old-school muscles Sylvester Stallone and Dolph Lundgren with newer talent like Jason Statham and Terry Crews and dropping in martial artist Jet Li, “Expendables” is essentially the “Ocean’s Eleven” of action films.

Sticking to true ’80s action form, the film’s script is full of one-liners that will make the audience laugh (whether on purpose or not). For those not accustomed to the dialogue of most Arnold Schwarzenegger films, it may be deemed appropriate to cover one’s ears occasionally. However, the script doesn’t detract from the film’s overall value too much.

With such a great list of action stars, including Bruce Willis and Mickey Rourke, it could be possible that more money and attention was given to the casting than the rest of the film.

One technical category that is really lacking throughout the film is the special

effects department. The blood used each time a bad guy gets shot looks equivalent to something one would see in a Mortal Kombat game from 1998.

Arguably, the most important aspect of the film is the action. Surely the hype around the film in this regard hasn’t been in vain.

Next to the casting, the film’s choreography has to be where it receives its highest marks. Each action scene, especially those involving hand-to-hand combat, is very well planned.

The actors certainly draw from their areas of expertise in each fight, most notably in a finale fight between Randy Couture and Steve Austin.

No matter how well a fight is choreographed, it takes good direction to complete the scene. Although this is Stallone’s eighth outing as director, he gives in to the shaky camera technique with this film, thereby making the excellent choreography a little harder to appreciate.

The hardest thing for any film of this magnitude to overcome is its own hype.

Action fans have been drooling over this project since it was first announced and the anticipation has been torturous.

“The Expendables” probably won’t win any awards next February or be remembered on most critics’ lists at the end of the year, but that isn’t really what the film is all about.

More importantly, the film gives one last collective hurrah for a class of heroes that ruled the industry for more than a decade. It may not be a great film, but perhaps action fans will give Stallone and Co. a little leeway for old time’s sake.

Wade Rackley • The Daily Beacon

Tiffany Booker, senior in forestry, recycles an old Daily Beacon at one of many recycling bins around the Communications Building. Students can get more involved with the energy conservation effort around campus by contacting Hall Vols at hallvols@utk.edu.

8 • The Daily Beacon

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

SPORTS

The Daily Beacon • 9

Efron displays maturity in tear-jerker summer blockbuster‘Charlie St. Cloud’ Chassidy Doane Staff Writer When people think of Zac Efron, they think of Troy from “High School Musical” or the heartthrob Link from “Hairspray,” or they just simply don’t want to think of him at all, because they have already categorized him as “one of those Disney kids.”

However, don’t judge too soon; Efron goes way past all of those static characters he has played before to bring the audience to tears as he plays Charlie in the 2010 summer blockbuster “Charlie St. Cloud.”

Charlie is a top sailor in his home town, who is sitting on a big sailing scholarship to college. However, his dreams are put on hold when he and his little brother, Sam (Charlie Tahan), are involved in a tragic car accident and his brother loses his life.

Charlie continuously carries around the guilt of his brother’s death and feels as though he could have prevented it.

At the funeral, Charlie sees Sam’s ghost tossing around a baseball in the graveyard, wearing his usual baseball glove and cap. Charlie decides, in order to keep his brother around longer, he will keep a deal that he had previously made with him: to meet up every night at sunset to play baseball in the woods. Years pass and Charlie is still stuck in the same town, unable to move on like everyone else because of his brother.

Eventually Charlie reunites with a girl he knew in high school, Tess (Amanda Crew), who is also a top sailor and is planning a big trip to sail the waters for six months when something goes horribly wrong, and Charlie is torn between leaving his brother, who has already died, behind and saving a girl who is not yet dead.

Efron is really breathtaking in this film. He has moved on from his previous roles, and there is no doubt that he will choose more challenging films from here on. He is very attractive, so girls will love that, but looking past that, his character has a true sadness that Efron plays very convincingly.

Another strong actor in this film is Tahan. Tahan is only 13 years old but has already been in huge films, such as the 2007 hit “I Am Legend” and “Nights in Rodanthe,” which is based off the Nicholas Sparks novel. He has already been in very strong and emotional films, but his role in “Charlie St. Cloud” is absolutely astonishing. The character of Sam is torn between moving on from his previous life, and leaving his older brother who he cares for so much, and seeing what is in the next life.

Tahan breaks the viewer’s heart with his cries to Charlie to stay and play with him and not understanding that it is time to move on and go forward.

“This movie is really sweet,” Ashley Burgess, junior in psychology and sociology, said. “It shows that Zac Efron is very talented, because he can play a diversity of roles.

He's not just Troy from ‘High School Musical;’ he’s a successful actor”.

The only downfall to this movie is the fact that there seems to be a choice in whether one stays on Earth after they die, or if and when they leave this world is completely up to them. According to the film, people just hang around until they are ready and then go to heaven or whatever is next. Hopefully, millions and millions of ghosts are not just hanging out, playing baseball with their brothers, because that would crowd things up quite a bit.

Overall, “Charlie St. Cloud” is a very heartwarming story that tells of one’s journey to overcome a family member’s death. It deals with some tough issues, but through it all the characters give an overwhelming performance that is certain to bring one to tears.

“Trust your heart if the seas catch fire, live by love though the stars walk backward.”

This quote by e.e. cummings is often referenced in the film and says quite a lot about the message the film conveys. Go see “Charlie St. Cloud” right now; it will surGeorge Richardson • The Daily Beacon prise you. If you’re not a huge spender, at least rent it when it comes to redbox, Sophomore Seth Willis delivers a serve to fellow sophomore Jordan Sprouse. Six because most will do so anyway. lighted tennis courts located between the HPER building and the Bubble are open to students both day and night.

10 • The Daily Beacon

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

SPORTS

George Richardson • The Daily Beacon

Students engage in a friendly pickup soccer game on the intramural fields next to the TRECS. Students can often join any number of other students playing soccer, football or throwing frisbee on a nice afternoon at the IM fields.

RECsports offers a variety of intramural sports that students can sign up for to remain active and fit at UT.

The Daily Beacon • 11

SPORTS CALENDAR

12 • The Daily Beacon

What’s

?

HAPPENING IN SPORTS

Aug. 23 - Aug. 29

Friday, Aug. 28 — Women’s Volleyball Xavier Knoxville 7 p.m.

Women’s Soccer Maryland Knoxville 8 p.m.

Saturday, Aug. 29 — Women’s Volleyball Chattanooga Knoxville 12 p.m.

Women’s Volleyball Virginia Tech Knoxville 7 p.m.

Daily Quote

“Do all the little things right, give a lot of effort and know that I bleed orange and white.”

– Vols QB Matt Simms on what he hopes Vols fans will think of him

THESPORTSPAGE

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Vol Walk, text system among changes Matt Dixon Sports Editor

Season openers don’t reveal complete story Don’t judge a book by its cover.

That’s what my elementary school librarian would tell me when I was forced to check out books from the school’s library.

That same grade-school concept can be applied to college football as well: Don’t always judge a team based on its first game.

Fans sometimes take a team’s season opener and blow it out of proportion. Just because a team dominated a Division II opponent or because the third-string running back broke four tackles and ran for a touchdown in a convincing win doesn’t mean that team will play in a BCS bowl game in January.

Take last season’s Tennessee season opener for instance. UT looked like it had fixed all of the problems wrong with the 2008 “Clawfense” in a 63-7 rout over Western Kentucky, racking up 657 yards of total offense. The very next week against UCLA, the Vols managed only 208 total yards in a 19-15 loss, which included a goal-line stop by the Bruins in the game’s final minutes.

That team would finish with a 7-6 record.

In the 2006 season opener and coming off a 5-6 season, UT faced a top-10 California team in front of a rowdy Neyland Stadium crowd. The Golden Bears were considered to be a dark horse team to win the national championship by some experts, or at least by ESPN analyst Lee Corso.

Midway through the third quarter, the Vols went up 35-0 after a hard-earned 43-yard touchdown run by running back Montario Hardesty.

UT would go on to win 35-18 but would fail to capitalize on the momentum from that game, finishing the season with a 9-4 record that included blown late-game leads at home against Florida, the eventual national champion, and LSU. In UT’s national championship year of 1998, the Vols gave up 33 points, 20 in the fourth quarter alone, to a Donovan McNabbled Syracuse team before kicker Jeff Hall connected from 27 yards as time expired, for a 34-33 victory.

UT would only allow more than 20 points in a game twice the rest of the year, which concluded with a 23-16 victory over Florida State in the first-ever BCS Championship game to claim the school’s first official national title since 1951.

Even UT’s second opponent this year, Oregon, knows how drastically different the rest of a team’s season can be compared to its opener. The Ducks traveled to Boise State to open the 2009 campaign. Oregon’s spread offense didn’t gain a first down against now-UT defensive coordinator Justin Wilcox’s defense until midway through the third quarter and finished the game with as many touchdowns, one, as punches thrown, in a 19-8 loss.

That same Oregon team would go on to average more than 30 points a game the rest of the season and win the Pac-10 title, earning a slot in the Rose Bowl.

Regardless of how few sacks the offensive line gives up against UT-Martin or how many touchdowns Matt Simms throws for, be wary to proclaim any Vol an All-American candidate or the team an SEC title contender after just one game.

Staff Report Beginning with the Vols’ Sept. 4 home opener versus UT-Martin, the “Vol Walk” returns to its traditional start time of two hours and 15 minutes before kickoff.

The “Vol Walk” features the team beginning its walk from the intersection of Lake Loudoun Boulevard, rallying at the Torchbearer, the official symbol of the university and then proceeding down Peyton Manning Pass to Phillip Fulmer Way, entering Neyland Stadium at Gate 21A. The Pride of the Southland Band commences its march one hour and 40 minutes prior to kickoff. The band route proceeds down Volunteer Boulevard to Andy Holt Avenue for the traditional “Salute to the Hill” on Phillip Fulmer Way, before entering the stadium at Gate 21A. The Tennessee football team returns to the west sideline for the 2010 season, thanks in large part to the cooperation of the Student Affairs Office and SGA. Minor adjustments to the student seating allocation were necessary to make this move possible.

Because of construction, access to the UT Athletics Ticket Office has been altered. During the week, the ticket office will staff a location outside Thompson-Boling Arena on the northwest side of the facility for will-call pickup. The ticket

office also will staff Gate 21 on gamedays beginning four hours before kickoff.

Season tickets and select individual game tickets are still available at UTtix.com.

Tennessee Athletics to use fan text messaging system for 2010 season Tennessee Athletics, in conjunction with In Stadium Solutions (ISS), will introduce a fan text messaging system at Neyland Stadium, beginning with the Sept. 4 game against UT-Martin.

This system allows fans to request immediate assistance from event management personnel through a text message.

“This system allows us to increase our efficiency in addressing fans’ needs in a simple and effective way,” said David Elliott, assistant athletic director for event management. “Through the fan text messaging system, we are able to enhance our customer service capability.”

From a personal cell phone, fans can text “Vols,” the issue and location of the incident, including the section number, row and seat number, to 69050. The fan will then receive an automatic reply message acknowledging receipt of the message, or if there is insufficient information, will be asked for a more complete message. Stadium staff, security or emergency personnel will be alerted and respond to the site.