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Wiley Robinson’s treatise on “Halo: Reach” comes to the masses

Daily Beacon Athlete of the Week Taylor Patrick

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

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Issue 30

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Professor to join council on public schools Blair Kuykendall Copy Editor

Susan Riechert

Gov. Phil Bredesen has appointed UT ecology professor, Susan Riechert, to an advisory council charged with administrating reform to the state’s public school system.

She will serve on the Tennessee Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Advisory Council. The council will direct the state’s STEM Innovation Network, enhancing the prevalence of STEM disciplines within pub-

lic schools.

Riechert will receive on-the-job training while figuring out the specific tasks her new position entails.

“I will learn more about the council’s role as we begin to have monthly meetings and telephone conferences in between,” she said. “The expressed role of the council is to oversee the integration of the sciences, math, technology and engineering in the education students receive in Tennessee.”

Riechert is extremely interested in bolstering the state’s educational system, specifically in order to enhance STEM disciplines.

“This is an initiative that is part of the race to the top monies the state has received,” she said. “My role is to share my understanding of the shortcomings of our existing K-12 education in the sciences and math in advising what substantive changes are needed and how these might best be implemented.”

The state’s initiative will be comprised of two main educational goals for the future of Tennessee.

“There are actually two general goals: One, to better educate Tennessee’s students so that they will be informed citizens able to make decisions in our increasingly technological world; two, to prepare our students to successfully

enter the high-tech workforce,” Riechert said.

This charge from the governor falls directly in Reichert’s area of expertise. She has been deemed a Distinguished Service Professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, in addition to her fellowships with the Animal Behavior Society of America and the Society for the Advancement of Science.

Riechert is highly respected amongst her distinguished colleagues within the ecology department.

“Susan Riechert has been a fabulous colleague,” Gary McCracken, head of the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, said. “Her outreach activities and service within the department have been outstanding.”

Riechert has been able to sustain a dedicated presence in her own classroom while working on her array of intriguing research.

“She is a major contributor to our undergraduate program in biology, and she has maintained a very high research profile,” McCracken said.

She has a particular interest in the realm of K-12 education in Tennessee, spearheading Biology in a Box, a program that distributes materials for classroom science experiments to schools. Along with this project, Riechert serves

Race to benefit mentoring program

• Photo courtesy of KnoxVenture

Participants from last year’s U.S. Cellular KnoxVenture Race stretch in the World’s Fair Amphitheatre before the 5k race. Each group must dress alike to be able to compete. This year’s race is Oct. 2 and will start at the Square Room in Market Square.

Sarah Murphree Staff Writer The second annual U.S. Cellular Big KnoxVenture Race is a unique 5k race that benefits the Big Brothers Big Sisters program in East Tennessee.

The race will be held Saturday, Oct. 2. It will begin at 10:02 a.m. and last two to three hours. The race begins at the Square Room in Market Square and takes in downtown Knoxville.

Participants must sign up in teams of two to four. Teams must dress alike and stay within 50 feet of each other throughout the race. They have the chance to win tickets to the UTAlabama football game on Oct. 23, as well as free food, passes to the gym and more.

Myra Yeatman, CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of East Tennessee, said KnoxVenture is “perfect for groups, families or friends to do together.”

Teams can also win prizes for the most creative costume and most original team name.

“Teams came dressed up in anything from superhero outfits to gorilla and banana costumes last year,”

Jennifer Rowan, a former intern at Big Brothers Big Sisters of East Tennessee, said.

The race is part road race and part scavenger hunt. There are 12 to 14 checkpoints along the race to help teams discover their next destination.

At each checkpoint, teams must complete various clues, tasks and trivia.

The activities at each checkpoint are kept secret until the day of the race. Last year, some of the activities included navigating part of the Tennessee River, bowling, singing karaoke, completing Sudoku puzzles and much more.

The activities are designed to showcase downtown attractions, events and business here in Knoxville.

“Activities can be physical and mental,” Emily Morgan, events and media manager at Big Brothers Big Sisters, said. “Participants should be prepared to be creative and artistic for the activities this year too.”

Morgan said she has worked hard to make the race attractive to college students. The race is held on the weekend of an away game, during the cool month of October and at a later starting time of 10:02 a.m.

All the proceeds from the race will

go towards the Sports Buddies mentoring program at Big Brothers Big Sisters in Knoxville. This program helps plan sporting activities for a big and a little brother or sister to do together.

Some of the activities include going to UT football or basketball games, hiking or playing a game of flag football in the park.

The Big Brothers Big Sisters program is the oldest and largest youthmentoring organization in the nation, according to its website. It operates in all 50 states and in 12 countries around the world. The program is designed to bring caring mentors into the lives of children.

In East Knoxville, more than 1,000 children are matched up, but hundreds are still on the waiting list, desperately in need of a positive role model.

Morgan encourages everyone to come out and participate in the race.

“It’s a great race for a great reason, and everything you do makes a difference in a child’s life,” she said.

For more information on how to be a mentor to a child and to register for the race, log on to http://www.knoxventure.org/.

as co-director of UT’s VolsTeach initiative, which works to continue the education of mathematics and science teachers.

This advisory council will serve as part of President Obama’s “Race to the Top” initiative, which provides federal funding for the public educational system. These grants were awarded to states after a grant competition that Tennessee and Delaware won earlier this year.

Tennessee’s award consisted of $500 million to implement its reform plan, all of which must be spent over the next four years.

Riechert’s own research is centered on the study of spiders and the applications of their behavior to game theories in the field of economics, and she is dedicated to her work for the university.

“I feel honored to have been chosen, but was not looking for additional work,” Riechert said.

“That being said, I strongly feel that this is an important endeavor and one that I can contribute to.”

Riechert displays a capacity to balance her various contributions to the university and the state as professor, researcher, philanthropist and now, adviser. She is passionate about the future of science and technology, sharing her passion by furthering the education of students at every age.

Texas gunman opens fire, kills self Associated Press AUSTIN, Texas — A student wearing a dark suit and a ski mask opened fire Tuesday with an assault rifle on the University of Texas campus before fleeing into a library and fatally shooting himself. No one else was hurt.

The shooting began near a fountain in front of the UT Tower — the site of one of the nation’s deadliest shooting rampages more than four decades ago, when a gunman ascended the clock tower and fired down on dozens of people.

Within hours of Tuesday’s gunfire, the school issued an allclear notice, but the university remained closed, and the area around the library was still considered a crime scene.

“Our campus is safe,” school President Bill Powers said.

Austin Police Chief Art Acevedo expected the school to be “completely open and back to normal” by Wednesday morning.

Authorities identified the gunman as 19-year-old Colton Tooley, a sophomore math major. Police declined to speculate on his motive. Tooley’s parents did not immediately respond to a message left by The Associated Press.

The 50,000-student university had been on lockdown while officers with bomb-sniffing dogs carried out a building-by-building manhunt.

After the gunfire, authorities searched for a possible second shooter, but they eventually concluded the gunman acted alone.

Confusion about the number of suspects arose because shots were fired in multiple locations, and officers received varying descriptions from witnesses, campus police Chief Robert Dahlstrom said.

Before reaching the library, the gunman apparently walked for several blocks wearing a mask and dark clothing and carrying an automatic weapon, witnesses said.

Construction worker Ruben Cordoba said he was installing a fence on the roof of a three-story building near the library when he looked down and made eye contact with the suspect.

“I saw in his eyes he didn’t care,” Cordoba said.

The gunman continued down the street, firing three shots toward a campus church, then changed direction and fired three more times into the air, Cordoba said.

A garbage truck driver leaped out of his vehicle and ran away, as did a woman carrying two babies, the construction worker said.

“I’m not scared, but I was scared for the people around me,” Cordoba said.

Randall Wilhite, an adjunct law professor, said he was driving to class when he saw “students start scrambling behind wastebaskets, trees and monuments,” and then a young man carrying an assault rifle sprinting along the street.

“He was running right in front of me ... and he shot what I thought were three more shots ... not at me. In my direction, but not at me,” Wilhite said.

The professor said the gunman had the opportunity to shoot several people, but he did not.

Police said it was unclear whether the gunman was targeting anyone with the AK-47.

Oscar Trevino, whose daughter works on campus, said she told him she was walking to work near the library when she heard two shots behind her. She started to run and fell down. She said she later heard another shot.

“She’s freaking out. I’m trying to calm her down. I’ve just been telling her I love her and relax, everything’s fine,” Trevino said.

Acevedo said officers were able to track the gunman’s movements with the help of students who “kept pointing in the right direction.”

2 • The Daily Beacon

InSHORT

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Joy Hill • The Daily Beacon

The flowers near Humanities Plaza sit as a reminder of the summer season. While the Humanities Ampitheatre is a popular spot during the summer and spring seasons, the sudden cold has sent some students into the warmth of the buildings surrounding it.

Diabetes Advisory Board to hold fundraiser UT’s Diabetes Advisory Board is gearing up this year for several charitable projects, including one Wednesday. From noon to 4 p.m., DAB representatives will be selling paper footprints and “Live Strongtype” bracelets on Pedestrian Mall.

Funds raised will go to the American Diabetes Association’s StepOut Walk on Oct. 16. DAB students will be volunteering for that event, and a number of public relations majors are working in the promotion of the Step-Out Walk. These students are also recruiting a team of UT walkers.

The DAB is made up of UT students who may have diabetes, have loved ones with the disease or are majoring in something related to the health field.

UT to host gubernatorial debate Gubernatorial candidates Bill Haslam and Mike McWherter will debate on Thursday, Oct. 7, at UT. Sponsored by WBIR, the News Sentinel and UT’s Baker Center, the debate begins at 8 p.m. in Cox Auditorium.

The debate is free and open to the public.

The election will take place on Nov. 2, and the two-week early voting period begins Oct. 13. McWherter, the Democratic Party nominee, is a businessman, while Haslam, the Republican, is the mayor of Knoxville.

During this debate, the candidates will face questions from a panel featuring Hallerin Hilton Hill, radio talk show host on News/Talk 98.7 WNOX and television talk show host of “Anything is Possible” on WBIR-TV; Tom Humphrey, Nashville bureau chief for the Knoxville News Sentinel and author of the knoxnews.com blog, “Humphrey on the Hill;” and a UT student.

WBIR anchors John Becker and Robin Wilhoit will emcee the debate and provide the candidates with some questions solicited from viewers.

The first debate was held Sept. 14 in Cookeville. /the third gubernatorial debate, on Oct. 9 in Memphis, is being sponsored by WREG, the Memphis Commercial Appeal and MPACT Memphis.

If you have a question you’d like the candidates to answer, send it to debate@wbir.com.

WUOT to host Oral History Organization StoryCorps, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to recording, preserving and sharing the stories of Americans from all backgrounds and beliefs, will visit Knoxville from Oct. 7 to Nov. 13 as part of its cross-country MobileBooth tour.

Partnering with WUOT 91.9 FM, UT’s NPR station, StoryCorps’ MobileBooth -- an Airstream trailer outfitted with a recording studio - will be parked in Market Square to record 180 interviews with Knoxville residents.

StoryCorps’ MobileBooth interviews are conducted between two people who know and care about each other. A trained StoryCorps facilitator guides participants through the interview process. At the end of each 40-minute recording session, participants will receive a complimentary audio copy of their interview, and, with participant permission, a second copy will be archived at the American Folklife

Center at the Library of Congress. Locally, WUOT will air segments from the interviews recorded in the StoryCorps MobileBooth in Market Square. Segments of select interviews may also air nationally on NPR’s “Morning Edition.”

Reservations will be available at 10 a.m. on Oct. 8 and can be made by calling StoryCorps’ 24-hour toll-free reservation line at 800-8504406 or by visiting http://www.storycorps.org.

StoryCorps’ MobileBooth interview slots tend to fill quickly, but East Tennessee residents who don’t get a slot still can participate.

StoryCorps offers rental kits that feature broadcast-quality recording equipment with instructions. People also can create their own story archives using their own recording equipment and StoryCorps’ Do-ItYourself Guide.

For more information, visit http://storycorps.org/record-your-story/cant-come-to-us.

Founded in 2003 by award-winning documentary producer and MacArthur “Genius” Grant recipient Dave Isay, StoryCorps currently has one of the largest collections of American voices ever gathered, with interviews collected from more than 60,000 Americans in all 50 states.

In addition to its two traveling MobileBooths, StoryCorps currently operates stationary recording booths at Foley Square in New York City, at Atlanta’s public radio station WABE-FM and at the Contemporary Jewish Museum in San Francisco.

To ensure the diversity of its participants, StoryCorps sponsors four major initiatives: “Historias” collects the stories of Latinos throughout the United States and Puerto Rico, “Griot” preserves the voices and experiences of African Americans, the “Memory Loss Initiative” reaches out to people affected by various forms of memory loss and the “September 11 Initiative” honors and remembers the stories of those most personally affected by the events of 9/11.

StoryCorps’ mission is to provide Americans of all backgrounds and beliefs with the opportunity to record, preserve and share their stories.

Each week, millions of Americans listen to StoryCorps’ award-winning broadcasts on NPR’s “Morning Edition.”

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

The Daily Beacon • 3

NEWS

Obama rallies Democrats before elections Associated Press MADISON, Wis. — Buck up. Stop whining. And get to work.

Clearly frustrated by Republicans’ energy — and his own party’s lack of enthusiasm — President Barack Obama scolded fellow Democrats even as he rallied them Tuesday in an effort to save the party from big GOP gains in the crucial midterm elections. In the final month of campaigning, he’s trying to re-energize young voters, despondent liberals and other Democrats whose excitement over his election has dissipated.

“It is inexcusable for any Democrat or progressive right now to stand on the sidelines,” the president declared in a Rolling Stone magazine interview. He said that supposed supporters who are “sitting on their hands complaining” are irresponsible because the consequences of Republican congressional victories could be dashed Democratic plans.

He gave an example during a backyard conversation with New Mexico voters, arguing that Republicans would reverse the progress he’s made on education reform and student aid. “That’s the choice that we’ve got in this election,” Obama said, underscoring the stakes of Nov. 2 before heading to a rally at the University of Wisconsin in Madison.

It’s the first of four large rallies planned for the campaign homestretch as the president tries to rekindle some of his 2008 campaign magic and fire up young supporters and others who helped elect Obama but who Democrats fear may stay home this fall.

At Penn State University in State College, Pa., Biden noted he was

criticized a day earlier in New Hampshire for urging Democrats to “remind our base constituency to stop whining and get out there and look at the alternatives.”

With the elections looming, the White House and Democratic Party are focused primarily on trying to compel their core voters — liberals and minority groups — as well as the ideologically broad coalition that helped elect Obama in 2008 to participate in the first congressional elections of his presidency.

They have little choice.

Midterm contests largely come down to which party can get out more of its backers. And polls show that Republicans are far more enthusiastic this year partly because of tea party anger. Also, polls show Democrats can’t count on independent voters who carried them to victory in consecutive national elections.

Mindful of that and armed with polling, the White House has started arguing that voters who backed Obama in 2008 must turn out for Democrats this year because the GOP wants to undo what the president has accomplished, that the “hope and change” Obama backers embraced two years ago is at risk if Republicans sweep these elections.

White House aides said House Republicans “Pledge to America” last week made it easier for Obama to do something he’s been trying for weeks: to frame the election as a choice between Democrats’ ideas and Republicans’ proposals.

Aides say Obama was trying to underscore those stakes in his interview with Rolling Stone, and the final-stretch strategy — in everything from rhetoric to events — is to underscore that midterm elections have consequences.

“People need to shake off this lethargy. People need to buck up,”

Tia Patron • The Daily Beacon

Members of the Pride of the Southland Marching Band wait for their cue to play the national anthem. The Pride saw an increase in member size this year and was able to return to its original pre-game performance from 2008.

Obama said in the interview. “Bringing about change is hard — that’s what I said during the campaign. It has been hard, and we’ve got some lumps to show for it.”

“But if people now want to take their ball and go home, that tells me folks weren’t serious in the first place. If you’re serious, now’s exactly the time that people have to step up,” Obama added.

He was speaking to all Democrats, including first-time voters in 2008 and liberals who have complained that Obama sacrificed his campaign promises on health care and national security for legislative compromise.

Democratic-leaning groups have largely been missing from the TV airwaves this fall as GOP-aligned organizations pummel Democratic House and Senate candidates with attack ads. Seeing allies outspent 6-1, White House aides recently decided to use that disparity to compel their base to vote.

Several Democratic strategists privately fear that the strategy to motivate Democrats with sternness could backfire partly because it runs counter to Obama's carefully cultivated hopeful, uplifting image.

There’s also some concern that it could further alienate liberals and other Democratic critics who don't think Obama has done enough to pursue issues important to them.

“It’s not helpful,” said John Aravosis, the editor of the progressive AMERICAblog.com. “The base is depressed and they’re depressing it even more, and it's not clear why.”

During the three-day trip, Obama also was trying to counter the notion that he’s out of touch as well as sway undecided voters with a series of backyard visits — in Albuquerque, Des Moines, Iowa; and Richmond, Va. — that give him time to explain his policies in everyday settings.

4 • The Daily Beacon

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

OPINIONS

Editor’sNote Spotlight overused for self instead of others

Zac Ellis Editor-in-Chief In the present era of widespread social media, the ability to make noise amongst one’s peers has become all too convenient. A simple Facebook post or Twitter update is now the equivalent of a billboard along I-40, just enough exposure to adequately stir the pot and elicit a response from today’s population, a population all too eager to soak up every Tweet and status update it can.

Today’s youth has figured this out way faster than one might have expected. Itching to complain about somebody or something noteworthy? Grab your nearest computer, and blog about it. Link the blog to your Twitter or Facebook to watch the traffic come a flyin’. Just sit back and watch the chaos.

This says nothing of the anonymous commentators on the Web, those Negative Nancys spilling hatred into comments on news stories and blog posts while sipping glasses that are always half-empty. The anonymity of the Internet has given those with an opinion a convenient veil to cover their tracks, hide in the dark and poke the fire with no consequences.

With a metaphorical microphone only an arms-reach away for anyone who wishes to elaborate on his or her beef, such power quickly reaches one’s head. Why, when given the opportunity, must many individuals create chaos in the form of public address? And why do those usually timid opinions stay hidden until anonymity gives them the protection to light the fire?

Much of the answer comes from the need for the spotlight. Many at a young age have neither the ability nor the means for abstract thought in a widespread manner, so a Facebook update or a quick Tweet that simultaneously reaches thousands of users intrigues those with much to say but no other way to say it. We all have Facebook friends who relish in dramalaced status updates concerning the damning world we live in, the raging liberal across the street or the detailed accounts of that last rendezvous with a significant other. Freedom of speech is one thing, but necessity of speech is another thing entirely.

But the main reason a newfound ability to influence so many turns people into bigots is that people pay attention. People notice those who act this way, a notion indicative of our society as much as those guilty of such acts. Everyone looks closely at a Facebook status with 37 comments on it — “Oh snap, something’s goin’ down!” — and if people didn’t care about dramatic aftershock, how would reality TV have become such a mainstream part of television culture by now?

Yet, this works for some. For whatever reason, those who create controversy for the purpose of popularity tend to become just that: popular. Heck, I’m writing about them right now. The Glenn Becks and Bill Mahers of the world use this influence, which I’ve touched on in previous columns, to mold those who actually take the time to stop and listen. It’s a true epidemic which gives younger folks the idea that no one gets ahead without sparking some form of controversy along the way. A microphone should not be used simply to wow people; if headlines are your goal, no matter the manner in which you obtain them, try doing something constructive.

Our younger generation, so saturated in social media, tends to view the ability to reach people in a widespread manner as a chance to ruffle some feathers, not change some minds.

Why use a column to, say, make a positive impact on those reading when scorching the Earth with the printed word is so much more gratifying? A campaign of wow works for some people, why not me?

That’s the mindset people need to avoid. It is entirely possible to write or Tweet or Facebook about something substantial without offending a huge hoard of listeners; in fact, on some occasions, good can be done from a podium or a column. Freedom of speech is the understood right for all American citizens, but how one uses such speech in an increasingly digital and connected world is up to them.

—Zac Ellis is a senior in journalism and electronic media. He can be reached at rellis13@utk.edu.

THE DAILY BACON • Blake Tredway

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.

Children deserve best education possible “Immut abl y Right” by

Treston Wheat Education is a fundamental human right, which should not be extended exclusively to the wealthy, neither in this country nor across the globe.

Though most people consider education to be a good thing, there is a plethora of problems with the school system in the U.S. Because every child — no matter his or her sex, race or class — deserve a first-rate education, the government should do everything possible to fix this situation. I know what I am about to say are conservative clichés, but this should not prevent us from seriously considering these propositions, because they offer answers to our troubles.

The first solution deals with teachers’ pay; they should make six-figure incomes to bring in the best possible workers. Everyone agrees that teachers need to be paid more, but not everyone agrees that it should be meritorious. The obvious problem is how to measure their efficacy. Clearly, the students’ scores are the first place to start. However, the next part is for evaluations by superiors. If they fail, the school system should fire them, which leads me to my second point.

The schools need to eliminate tenure. Why should we give teachers a pass merely because they are at a job for several years? In the private sector, one never has that kind of security. If one fails to perform their job appropriately, the company fires them. When it comes to the education of our children, we want the best to do the job, so it is time to make sure that their performance will never decline.

Finally, and most importantly, along with meritorious pay structures and the elimination of tenure, we need school vouchers. I know the left is immediately indignant about this claim, because they believe that public schools will become worse than they already are and that private schools will only get the best students. Yet this is not true at all. It will give parents more educational freedom for their children and will help the students become better educated.

To discredit the leftists’ claims about school choice, one need only look at the districts that implement this system. In those places, spending per child actually increases rather than decreases. Why? The cost for

educating a child in private school is only about half of that for public schools. This means more funds are available per student. In addition, the classrooms are smaller, and the student-to-teacher ratio decreases, which helps the students. When schools have to compete like a regular business, then it will be better for the consumer — the students and parents — and the producer — the teachers.

Furthermore, it will help the local communities economically. In Redding, Conn., a town of 4,000 homes, they determined that by allowing more children to go to private schools rather than building new public ones, they could save $90 million. Local governments might actually be able to lower property taxes, or they could spend the money on improving the existing public schools. If the district is larger, the government saves even more money.

Although school choice will help everyone, I support the policy because of my own personal experiences.

Unlike most students, I went to a public school, private school and homeschool. I grew up relatively poor, but my parents should have been able to send me to any school they wanted. I could only attend the private school because of scholarships, and homeschooling is not cheap either. School choice alleviates the economic burden on poor families.

The left, which opposes school choice, hurts the poor and minorities whom they claim to represent. Yet parents overwhelmingly support school choice, because it would allow a poor, black student to get the same education as a rich, white one. This policy promotes egalitarianism within our society; liberals prefer to prevent the poor and minorities from acquiring the same education as the wealthy. It is time to change our attitudes and the policies of education, because our communities are dying from within. The only way the poor can get out of poverty is with an education. Let’s make sure a quality education is available to them.

I repeat: Education is a fundamental human right. I believe every child deserves to learn as much as he or she wants. It is not only good for the individual, but it is also good for the community. Those who oppose school choice are acting against educating the poor and minorities. This is why for everyone who believes in a stronger, better America desperately needs to support school choice. It is the only pro-freedom, pro-family, proeducation and pro-student policy that is available to the country.

—Treston Wheat is a senior in political science and history. He can be reached at twheat@utk.edu.

Prop 8 ruling to make marriage views moot “Off the Deep End” by

Derek Mullins

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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://utdailybeacon.com.

LETTERS POLICY: The Daily Beacon welcomes all letters to the editor and guest columns from students, faculty and staff. Each submission is considered for publication by the editor on the basis of space, timeliness and clarity. 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.

Ah, sunny California. It’s the land of grizzly bears, Hollywood starlets and …Tom Cruise. It has brought us hundreds of blockbuster movies, the Red Hot Chili Peppers and … Scientology. But despite all of the overt and blaring examples of bombastic media brilliance and unadulterated vanity that this state displays and produces, its most important contribution to American society, culture and, in this case, law is quietly flying under the radar.

The beginning of this tale goes back to 2008 when, amidst the excitement of the most recent presidential election, Californians passed Proposition 8. Prop 8 was a ballot initiative that asked voters whether or not same-sex civil unions and/or marriages should be allowed in the state, or if marriage should strictly be defined and only recognized as being between a man and woman. Voters chose the latter option, putting what is supposedly the most conspicuously liberal state in the union in the same category as Kansas, Tennessee, Utah and many others who also have statutes and constitutional provisions defining marriages as only being between heterosexual couples.

In the aftermath of Prop 8’s passage, gay rights groups all over California began scouting the land, eager to find anyone who was willing to challenge the constitutionality of the provision. They found such litigious courage in Kristin Perry and Sandra Stier, a lesbian couple who tried to apply for a marriage license in Alameda County but were turned away because of the fact that they were a homosexual couple. As many Americans do when they believed they have been denied their rights and liberties, the couple and a few others who joined their cause sued the state and county officials.

Sparing the rest of the details to get to the main point, that lawsuit has ultimately produced Perry v.

Schwarzenegger, a case which is currently standing before the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California and its chief judge, Vaughn Walker.

Arguments took place over the summer and finally produced a decision from Judge Walker on Aug. 4.

In the text of his ruling, Walker devoted 50 pages

to his findings of fact surrounding the case that led to his decision. Among the most important and impacting of which are the facts that marriage is a civil, non-religious matter and that, under the law, homosexual couples and heterosexual couples had the same rights and entitlements to marriage under the Due Process and Equal Protection Clauses of the 14th Amendment. He insisted that California had no right or justifiable interest in excluding gays and lesbians from marrying and that Prop 8 had only been passed because of a moral disapproval by the majority against homosexuality. Such discrimination in law, he opined, is prohibited under the U.S. Constitution.

So what’s the big deal about that ruling? It effectively overturns Prop 8 and the constitutional amendment to which it gave birth. Walker’s ruling would reestablish the rights of gays and lesbians to marry in the state of California. It would be a sizable blow to the “defense of marriage” activists who campaign against same-sex marriage and would effectively erase their biggest triumph.

But where this case could really stand to make its impact is on the national stage via the highest court in the land: the U.S. Supreme Court.

Right now, the case is being heard before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in California. Should everything go as many legal experts predict, the case will be heard by the full court beginning in December of this year. Should the Ninth Circuit uphold Walker's ruling, the only recourse for the defeated party would be to appeal the decision to the U.S. Supreme Court.

If the Supreme Court tossed Walker’s ruling out, it would reinforce the Californian ban and maintain the status quo. But if the court were to uphold the ruling, it would no doubt have almost seismic effects at the state and federal level. First, same-sex marriage would be legalized in California, and Proposition 8 would be a mere blip on the screen of history.

Second, it would more or less make the Defense of Marriage Act passed by Congress in 1996 unconstitutional, meaning the federal government would have to recognize same-sex marriages. Finally, it would also invalidate the constitutionality of the other state provisions that ban same-sex marriages and unions in states like Kansas, Tennessee and Utah.

Whether or not you or your elected officials agree or disagree with the morality of same-sex marriages is about to be irrelevant. All that matters is the legality.

Things are about to get interesting.

—Derek Mullins is a senior in political science. He can be reached at dmullin5@utk.edu.

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

The Daily Beacon • 5

ENTERTAINMENT

Author explores country music roots Ballet Hispanico to perform at UT Associated Press NASHVILLE — Maxine Brown had an immediate and intense reaction when she read “Nashville Chrome,” Rick Bass’ fictionalized account of country music pioneers The Browns.

“When I first got that damn book, I screamed and cried and threw it across the room, threw it in the trash, wrote him a hot note,” Brown said.

“And then I retrieved it and said, ‘I’ve got to read this with an open mind because it’s got to be something here, he’s such a great writer.’ So I read it again and again and again and I realize that it is absolutely great. He painted a beautiful picture.”

What is more important, she said, is that Bass is illuminating a piece of country music that’s been forgotten.

The Browns helped lay the path for many of today's most popular stars — Taylor Swift, Lady Antebellum, Carrie Underwood. The Browns were among the first huge crossover stars, country music acts that are so popular they break out of their own genre and invade the pop charts and popular culture.

Maxine, her brother Jim Ed and sister Bonnie sold millions of records with hits such as “The Three Bells” and “The Old Lamplighter.” Their popularity rivaled good friend Elvis Presley’s for a time.

Yet, they were caught between two worlds and two times, and the mark they made faded from America’s cultural memory.

“Nobody knew where to put us,” Brown said.

“We were too country for pop and too pop for country. And I feel like The Browns built that bridge, that we had to cross that bridge from country over to the pop field. And I think we blazed the way for all these country artists today who have no clue of what it was like back in those days.”

Bass had never heard of The Browns when he began a whimsical journey that eventually landed him in Maxine Brown’s living room in North Little Rock, Ark. The 52-year-old author, who splits his time between Missoula and the Yaak Valley in Montana, was raised on classic rock and only became interested in country music recently because of his daughters’ love for Keith Urban.

Bass, a finalist for the National Critics Circle Award for his last book, 2008’s “Why I Came West,” is primarily known as a writer of deeply thoughtful pieces on the environment and literary works of fiction. “Chrome,” with a print run of 25,000 copies, is his third novel, following 2005’s “The Diezmo.” He has also authored several short story collections.

He’s won the O. Henry Award and Pushcart Prize and been a National Endowment for the Arts and Guggenheim Foundation fellow.

Bass also works as a freelance journalist to support his writing habit. He came up with the Urban idea as a way to impress his girls and started on a quixotic chase of the country music star that netted nothing. He got some good advice from a friend who suggested he start writing other stories for country music magazines to build a bridge that might eventually lead to Urban.

Along the way he met Norma Morris, a publi-

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cist who told him about The Browns and showed him Maxine’s book, “Looking Back to See.” He immediately fell in love with the story of The Browns, thinking, “This is amazing. This is radical.”

Then he visited with Brown. What she really wanted, she told him, was for someone to write a screenplay based on her book. She just knew a film would reinvigorate interest in The Browns.

“No, I can’t write a movie,” he told her. “I’m a literary novelist.”

What he could do, though, was tackle her story as a novel in a vivid, dramatic way and perhaps someone could base a movie on that.

It sounded easy to Bass. The story of The Browns and the way fame touched each of the siblings in different ways was fascinating. Each was blessed with the gift of familial harmony so sweet and pure it awed even The Beatles. But that gift touched each in very different ways.

The group stopped working together regularly in the late 1960s when circumstances pulled them apart. Jim Ed moved to Nashville, released dozens of albums over the decades and remains a Grand Ole Opry member. Bonnie left music life, content to live quietly with the doctor she ended her relationship with Presley to marry.

Maxine’s departure from the spotlight wasn’t as welcome. After a divorce, she had three children to raise and was never able to rekindle her career, despite the passion she still has.

Bass saw that all the great elements in that story could shape a powerful piece of fiction.

“That is the true core of great tragedies,” Bass said in a recent interview. “Somebody is consumed in pursuit of their gift. We read in the paper so and so was killed in a tragedy. No, for it to be a classic tragedy you have to be consumed in pursuit of your gift. She was and has been and is being. I mean it’s beautiful.”

There were some surprising challenges along the way for a story that seemed so clear cut. Bass said he had trouble divining exactly what the story was. What defined it, made it more than a string of events tied together like a history?

And then there was the prickly problem of writing a historical novel about figures who are still alive. Early drafts shown to Brown were met with resistance.

“He kept sending me these things that he was working on,” Brown said, “and I kept saying, ‘Rick that’s not true. Read my book. Page so and so and so and so.’”

Bass admits to the voice in the back of his head telling him more than once to watch it. But he also had a duty to the reader.

“I knew what I was writing was a novel and I could do anything and say anything,” Bass said.

“But not only that, I would need to be vigilant and called upon to look for openings to enhance, make hyperbolic, downplay, tweak, manipulate, alter in the way vocalists and musicians send sound out.”

Brown didn’t like that sound at first, but eventually found the harmony in the tune. The 79year-old says Jim Ed remains puzzled by the whole thing, while Bonnie loves it.

“We have laughed about this,” Maxine said.

“Me and my sister have just absolutely laughed our heads off.”

Charlie Sterchi

Staff Writer UT’s Cultural Attractions Committee brings the world-renowned Ballet Hispanico to the Clarence Brown Theatre tonight at 7:30 p.m. Many critics consider Ballet Hispanico one of the premiere representatives of Hispanic culture and dance in the U.S. Based in Manhattan, N.Y., the troupe combines traditional ballet with Latin flair and modern technique. Ballet Hispanico delights America with a vast repertory of more than 75 pieces, each reflecting the Latino American-Hispanic experience. The company boasts collaboration with 45 choreographers from across the globe.

The Cultural Attractions Committee strives to expose UT’s students and faculty to performances from a wide variety of cultural influences and stylistic approaches.

“Ballet Hispanico brings its own unique cultural background into a show that will be both visually engaging and culturally significant,” Meredith Whitfield, Cultural Attractions Committee chair, said. “The troupe offers a twist on the more traditional ballet shows the Cultural Attractions Committee has brought in the past.”

The dance company offers more than unique performances and cultural relevance. Artistic director and Cuban-American Eduardo Vilaro facilitates community outreach, dance classes, workshops and summer camps throughout the year at the company’s Manhattan studio.

Currently, the troupe consists of 12 dancers from various backgrounds, from Kingston, Jamaica to St. Louis, and 12 musical accompa-

nists. If the troupe lives up to its reputation, UT’s audience will receive a frenzy of visual and auditory stimuli.

“When Ballet Hispanico’s dancers take the stage, watch out,” New York Newsday said of the troupe’s performance. “No one struts, kicks, leaps and gyrates the way they do. Their joy is infectious.”

The Cultural Attractions Committee offers Ballet Hispanico as a part of an eclectic fall series.

“Our goal is always to present quality cultural programming to the UT community at a relatively low cost,” Whitfield said.

With student ticket prices starting at $5, it seems as though the Cultural Attractions Committee has achieved its goal.

Many students turned up at the Humanities Amphitheatre earlier this semester to enjoy the spiritually uplifting nuances of Matisyahu. The Cultural Attractions Committee hopes to see a similar turnout tonight at Clarence Brown Theatre.

I have checked out their website, and from what i saw, the show looks very interesting,” Charles Trammell, sophomore in Business, said. “The vivid colors, the rhythmic dance ... It seems like a very culturally informative production.”

Upcoming Cultural Attractions Committeesponsored shows include Nai-Ni-Chen Dance Company on Oct. 19 at Clarence Brown Theatre and Ben Sollee & Daniel Martin Moore on Oct. 27 at the Clarence Brown Theatre. Spring shows include Pilobolus on Jan. 24 at the Bijou Theatre, Drumline LIVE! on March 3 at the Tennessee Theatre, and George Clinton and ParliamentFunkadelic on April 13 at the Bijou Theatre.

Photo courtesy of Rosalie O’Conner

Ballet Hispanico will perform at the Clarence Brown Theatre tonight at 7:30 p.m. This event is sponsered by the Cultural Attractions Committee, which also brought Matisyahu to campus earlier this semester.

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6 • The Daily Beacon

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

ENTERTAINMENT

‘Halo: Reach’ fails to meet high expectations Wiley Robinson Staff Writer From a developing perspective, “Halo: Reach” is an example of what to do and what not to do.

Either way, it’s incredibly clear what Bungie’s philosophy has become over this last decade of Microsoft ownership and time in gaming’s brightest spotlight.

Where Bungie has exceeded all expectations with “Halo: Reach” is gameplay mechanics, that is, the foundational function and interaction of characters, base artificial intelligence, weapons, supporting items and physics. It can be said with great confidence that Bungie has stuck with and seen the gameplay of Combat: Evolved through to the very end. Consider them packrats who have trashed almost nothing about the subsequent additions throughout the years, kept the most satisfying manifestations and refined them to their keenest edge.

The weapons, the player’s primary form of expression, include an assortment of new and old favorites, including the venerable “Halo 1” pistol.

Fleshed out are all of the existing weapon roles and archetypes, while new ground has been made in effective new directions. For example, the old Needler is back in what can only be described as its most useful and balanced form (perfect for melee chargers), and included is a new Needler rifle that actually does penetration damage (potential for head shots) while making unshielded enemies explode with enough body shots. In classic “Halo” style, weapons are tailored more than ever to fill a gameplay role rather than predict a futuristic accuracy; while this becomes highly problematic regarding vehicles in cinematic cutscenes (Is humanity’s highest military presence really going to use

amassed jeep charges?), the rest of the arsenal fills its role wonderfully, without redundancy. The detailed graphical overhaul given to most weapons roundly improves upon and refreshes their iconic images.

Perhaps the most dramatic innovation is a simple recoil system applied to all semi-autos which puts an unprecedented emphasis on marksmanship, all but requiring controlled bursts on top of more acute targeting trajectories and lack of autoaim. People on multiplayer still haven’t figured it

use of limited resources has been the prime mover of the series, and Reach’s enemies demand your constant vigilance as never before. Every old tactic against each enemy caste still applies as much as it did in the early 2000s, such as shooting the notch in a jackal’s shield to make it flinch and pull a quick head shot, but the aggressive new AI creates an exciting sensation of comfortable familiarity and lethal unpredictability.

Elites now actively evade your shots, hide and retreat. When finally advancing, they maneuver

• Photo courtesy of IGN

out, and the psychological control the recoil demands from going toe-to-toe to with AI and human players alike adds an intoxicating new element to fights.

The greatest evidence of Bungie’s touching commitment to its ancient (by game standards) gameplay is the effectiveness with which it rejuvenates the usual gang of suspects. More surprisingly still, challenge seemed to be at the forefront of their minds; especially in “Halo” and “Halo 2,” critical situational assessment combined with the reflexive

with a speed meant to push reflexes and can easily bulldoze over you. Both behaviors stimulate the brain into perceiving a satisfactory sense of their self-preservation, which is ground breaking. Elites and Hunters boast a responsive 360-degree melee range, and Hunters actively block with their shields, on top of having fewer exploitable weaknesses, even from heavy weapons. The indecisiveness and suicidal tendencies of the lower castes is quite lore appropriate, and their lethality and specialization has seen great improvement. Brutes, the special heavy infantry, while slower than elites, offer an almost individual behavior set, sometimes charging, sometimes hanging back or probing. The Brutes’ presence in this prequel, although debatable, manages to be chronologically accurate for the most part — “Halo” has never been known for its attention to continuity. Some continuity with elements and design concepts of the Halo world that “Halo Wars” introduced would have been welcome, but there is little to none.

It’s these kind of immersing gameplay improvements that universally appeal to human perception and, through immersion, push the potential of what we expect from interactive software.

While plot in games is usually treated as an excuse for mindless fun, we’ve come to expect more from “Halo.” Compared to most first-person shooters, “Halo” has offered well-done narratives that satisfactorily drive the already solid gameplay forward. As it is, “Halo: Reach” takes the very adequate sci-fi goodness of the Halo world, a decade in the making, fueled by the enthusiasm of millions of fans and ignores everything that made the series appealing in the first place.

“Halo: Reach” is at a narrative disadvantage from the beginning because of its retreat from a decade’s worth of investment in the story of Master Chief, the oddly empathetic and reasonably complex figure through which we’ve seen this world. Likewise, “Reach” assumes that merely because the game takes place in the Halo universe, emotional investment is automatic, and this isn’t necessarily false. In the hands of the right director, “Reach” could have been an emotionally satisfying chapter, which brought newfound integrity to the pop sci-fi scene, of the Halo story. While it’s tempting to amount the thing to the shallowest B-movie romp, it’s doubtful whether this game’s team had any writers on it whatsoever.

Admittedly, the predictability of the laughable mismanagement of “Reach” was obvious months prior to its release, so any noble incredulity is somewhat affected. The first sign of trouble was when it was apparent that the Spartan protagonists were sporting armor with all sorts of fun, lore-insensitive colors and incongruous pieces. It said loud and clear that not only does Bungie not care about arbitrarily rebooting its own canon — like “StarCraft II” did — but it doesn’t trust you, the ADD-ridden fans, to stay interested in the iconic green that has always been the color of the Spartans. It may sound like nerd rage, but color is universally symbolic to our species, and suddenly changing it without explanation means that Bungie doesn’t trust the

legacy of its own creation. We were so ready to let this Halo sequel tap into our deep fan desire to meet other enigmatic Spartans besides the Master Chief, and you gave us “Transformers.”

The above might be forgivable if the Spartans of Noble Team acted remotely like a decade’s worth of game and literature dictated. Why does it matter?

Because the ambiguity of what humanity a Spartan has left after being trained in isolation from childhood to be turned into a superhuman, killer cyborg is the only emotional conflict that can make us, consciously or unconsciously, care about these characters. Master Chief’s mysteriousness may not be the most original character trait, but these new Spartans are a bunch of Chatty Cathys who take their helmets off to show off their boring faces every chance they get; they are quite personable.

Wondering what was going on behind the helmet was an interesting character that we’ve been conditioned to for a decade — so much for that.

They crack horrible jokes. Most of them have pretentious ethnic dialects that would have been impossible to develop in isolation. A sickeningly superficial emphasis is placed on their individualities: the colors, the voices, the absurd face time. It does not work. These are impersonal, cybernetic military experiments with numbers for names.

Why build up what a Spartan is supposed to look, feel and act like for 10 years only to abandon it?

Most Halo fans with some critical thinking skills did not feel sympathetic towards or involved with these characters. Bungie, you cannot trade foundational narrative themes — with sci-fi credibility — which have worked, for a bad war-movie dynamic and expect it to resonate with anyone.

Your protagonist, being newly tagged onto this team of yawn-inducing Power Rangers, is sort of your Spartan, though more vague and empty than mysterious, which is what the developers were clearly going for by stripping away any knowable logistic pertaining to your Spartan’s existence.

From the beginning we have an artificial, lazy and ineffective premise.

As your drone moves through this beautifully rendered game, any back-story goodness about the Halo world or inclusion of realistic logistics about the invasion is non-existent. If futility is supposed to be a poetic device in this campaign about the defense of a doomed world, some general awareness or description of the overall human strategy, however invented, would have done Bungie’s work for it.

But going from meaningless task to meaningless task, without any awareness as to your role or context in the overall defense plan, is a great way to prevent the most rudimentary motivation for an individual’s actions. Yes, the player was deployed to complete objectives in a variety of exotic and interesting locales, from a besieged city to a grand Covenant ship, but did he know that these missions could have also been introduced in a way so that he actually cared about the base being protected or location being moved toward? A bit of context perhaps?

Of course they didn’t, and it’s unreasonable to demand something as rudimentary as being given a reason to care. All of their actions end up somehow delivering Cortana, Master Chief’s AI friend, to the Pillar of Autumn, effectively setting the stage for the first game.

The first “Halo” did so much more with so much less to work with, in a narrative and hardware sense. With the Covenant hot on the player’s heels after a wild space-jump away from the fall of Reach, he crash-lands on a terrestrial alien artifact, which the Covenant are very interested in. Aware of what little resources he has because of Cortana’s logistical updates, the player learns the greater context of what is going on during micromanagement missions, such as rescuing scattered marines. The action becomes a race with the Covenant to unlock the secrets of the artifact in a last-ditch effort to get a strategic advantage over a monolithic foe.

The player knew what was going on; going from point A to point B has narrative context, and that set the stage for emotional investment in the action. It was a blast. But “Halo: Reach” proves that professional game-making values multiplayer over campaign, which may be obvious by now, but it’s still upsetting to see such potential being purposely wasted, because the business models deem narrative to be less important to sales than online play.

Smokey wants you to recycle your Beacon!

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

SPORTS

The Daily Beacon • 7

First round slows Vols; Vandeventer shines Staff Reports Fourteen was Tennessee’s number Monday at the Windon Memorial Classic in Glenview, Ill. Good or bad, it just depended on the point of view.

It was good for Jay Vandeventer, who battled back from a tough opening four holes to tie for 14th place and lead Tennessee’s final-round effort. The finish was Vandeventer’s best as a collegiate golfer.

The same couldn’t be said for the Vols as a team.

UT slumped five spots to 14th place after struggling mightily out of the gate at North Shore Country Club near Chicago. UT shot 13-over-par 297 to finish at 888, or 36 over par.

Through the opening four holes, Tennessee already stood 10 over par -- and that was counting only the four best scores out of five players. The Vols never recovered and posted their worst regular season finish in six years.

Michigan claimed both the individual and team trophies. The Wolverines (854) shot 2-under 282 Monday to finish as wire-to-wire champions and hold off a hard-charging Ohio State (855) squad that shot 9 under for the day and finished one stroke back.

Michigan's Lion Kim (207) also led from start to finish, closing with a 4-under 67 that left him two strokes clear of Ohio State’s Bo Hoag (209).

California (856) and Tulsa (862) were next in the team competition, followed by a tie for fifth between Indiana (868) and Purdue (868).

Vandeventer, who was 4-over-par himself at that early four-hole juncture, settled down to shoot a closing 2-over 73 that left him at 3-over-par 216 for the tournament. Vandeventer turned in Tennessee’s

best back-nine score on Monday, firing a 35 on eight pars to go with a single birdie at the par-5 15th hole.

The Bristol sophomore’s best previous UT showing was a tie for 22nd at last year’s SEC Championships.

Robin Wingardh entered Monday’s play just two strokes out of the individual lead, but consecutive double bogeys at the second and third holes doomed his chances. The senior captain played even par the rest of the way to shoot 75 and tie for 19th place at 4-over-par 217.

Darren Renwick continued his recovery from an opening-round 86 to close with a 72 on the heels of his 73 in Sunday afternoon’s second round. The England junior carded 15 pars, one birdie and just two bogeys. Renwick climbed seven positions to tie for 76th place at 18-over-par 231.

Brandon Rodgers shot 77 to round out the Tennessee scoring. The freshman from Farragut actually was leading the way for UT at even par through four holes before stumbling with a stretch of 4-over through the next four. Rodgers finished in 85th place at 24-over-par 237.

Justin Walker closed with a 79 to finish in a tie for 78th at 20-over 233.

The last time Tennessee finished this poorly in a regular season event was Nov. 5-7, 2004, at the Carpet Capital Collegiate, where UT placed 15th out of 18 entries. But that squad rallied in the spring to finish fifth at the 2005 SEC Championships, second at the NCAA East Regional and 11th at the NCAA Championships in Owings Mills, Md. Tennessee’s next chance to get on track is Oct. 15-17 at the Bank of Tennessee Intercollegiate in nearby Jonesborough.

Softball team finalizes fall schedule Tennessee softball team.”

An impressive 14 letter-winners return The Lady Vol softball team and co-head from last season’s third-place Women’s coaches Ralph and Karen Weekly have final- College World Series squad, including ized their schedule for the upcoming 2010 Louisville Slugger/National Fastpitch Coaches Association fall campaign to be (NFCA) All-American held at Sherri sophomore outfielders Parker Lee Softball Raven Chavanne (.455 Stadium. Admission avg., 64 runs, 37 is free to the public steals) and Kat for all contests.

Dotson (.391 avg., 37 The Big Orange RBIs, 29 thefts), fellow TENNESSEE FALL will officially open its fall slate on SCHEDULE (all games at Lee NFCA All-Southeast Region selections junThursday, Sept. 30, Softball Stadium) in a doubleheader Thursday, Sept. 30, 2010 ior Jessica Spigner .350 avg., 14 douagainst Walters 4:30 p.m. Walters State vs. (3B, bles, eight HR’s, 58 State and TENNESSEE RBIs) and sophomore Chattanooga State 6:30 p.m. Chattanooga Ivy Renfroe (P, 31-6 at 4:30 and 6:30 State vs. TENNESSEE record, 2.41 ERA, 235 p.m. EDT, respecK’s in 232.1 innings), tively.

2010 Southeastern Tennessee Fall Classic The annual Conference AllTennessee Fall Friday, Oct. 8, 2010 Freshman selection Classic event will be 5 p.m. Milligan vs.

Lauren Gibson (sophoheld from Oct. 8 to TENNESSEE more, 2B, .297 avg., Oct.10 with the 7 p.m. Western Kentucky eight doubles, six Lady Vols facing off vs. TENNESSEE HR’s, 39 RBIs) and against Milligan and senior sparkplug and Saturday, Oct. 9, 2010 Western Kentucky unquestioned team 1 p.m. Chipola vs. on Friday, Chipola, leader Kelly Grieve the 2007 National TENNESSEE (CF, .373 avg., 59 Junior College 5 p.m. Lee University vs. runs, 12 doubles, 26 Champions, and TENNESSEE steals).

Lee University on Sunday, Oct. 10, 2010 The fall slate will Saturday and 2 p.m. Lipscomb vs. also provide Lady Vol Lipscomb and TENNESSEE fans with their initial Volunteer State on opportunity to see 4 p.m.

Volunteer State vs.

Sunday.

E S P N / R I S E TENNESSEE “This will be a Magazine’s No. 1 great opportunity recruiting class take to for our team to comthe field for the first pete against other schools in a preseason training atmos- time clad in the Orange & White. Included phere,” Lady Vol co-head coach Ralph among the high-profile group of studentWeekly said. “We are excited to observe our athletes are standouts Madison Shipman, incoming class in actual competition and Ellen Renfroe, Tory Lewis, Ashley Holmes, would like to invite our fans to come out to Chelsea O'Connor, Melissa Davin and Lee Stadium and get a first look at the 2011 Kourtny Thomas.

Staff Reports

2010 Fall Softball Schedule

Even Lane Kiffin Recycles.

You should too!

Scott Martineau • The Daily Beacon

Jay Vandeventer watches his shot during a tournament last season. He had his best finish this past weekend at the Windon Memorial Classic, finishing 14th. The UT golf team also finished 14th at the tournament. Its next tournament is Oct. 15-17 at Bank of Tennessee Intercollegiate.

8 • The Daily Beacon

A W

Hatcher snags conference honor

hlete of the

eek

Patrick perfect in singles title run 6-3 decision over Winthrop’s Guy Kubi.

On the final day of competition, with both matches going indoors because of the rainy An old adage in sports can be paraphrased as weather, Patrick completed his perfect tournasimply “What a difference a year makes.” For ment with two more victories. In the semifinals, sophomore tennis player Taylor Patrick, the dif- he defeated UNC-Wilmington’s Illia Ziamstov 64, 7-6 (3). ference can be equated to night and day.

In the finals, Patrick won the championship Patrick capped off a stellar weekend of competition Sunday by winning his first career sin- convincingly against Wofford’s Paul Bartholomy gles title at the Southern Intercollegiate 6-2, 6-1.

Patrick credits his hard work in practice for Championships in Athens, Ga. In grand fashion, Patrick won six consecutive matches and did his winning performance.

“In practice, we worked a lot on game plan not drop a single set throughout the entire comand style, but Sam (Winterbotham) and I also petition, which featured a field of 64 players.

What is so striking about his performance is spent a long time focusing on mentality,” that last season, Patrick did not advance past Patrick said. “And it was this aspect of his training that he felt paid the quarterfinals in any off so well in the tourevent he played in. In nament. Throughout fact, until this weekend the tournament, I felt he had never won more like I was really able than two consecutive to focus on playing individual matches. my game one point at “My game is really a time, and that really coming together,” helped.”

Patrick said. “I felt like I While others may had a good week of indihave been surprised viduals coming into the

by Patrick’s performweekend.” ance this weekend, Last season, the Vols Winterbotham was lost to Southern • Photo courtesy of Bill Kallenberg not, viewing Patrick’s California in the NCAA Championship match in Taylor Patrick won his first collegiate sin- play more as a natural Athens. With that in gles tournament this past weekend at the progression.

“Even though he mind, Patrick said he Southern Intercollegiate Championships. was especially happy to Patrick’s tournament win is also the first won his first match 60, 6-0, you could tell win this past tourna- win for the Vols this season. he was definitely playment.

Patrick is the first Vol tennis player to win a ing better and better as the tournament went singles fall tournament title and also currently on,” Winterbotham said. “He’s starting to understand how to play the game style that suits boasts a team-leading eight-match win streak.

“It’s great to start a season going into any him best. He works as hard as anyone on the tournament and finishing 6-0,” UT tennis coach team to keep improving.”

Patrick’s current career record stands at 15-9 Sam Winterbotham said. “Taylor’s really improved. We’ve just seen him get better every in singles matches and 6-7 in doubles. Patrick plans to build on this performance in the season match.”

Patrick, a native Knoxvillian and graduate of to come.

“This tournament definitely helped out in Bearden High School, started the tournament in the best way possible, by downing his first terms of confidence,” Patrick said. “Knowing opponent Alex Metzner of Radford in two how I played, my game style, the focus I showed straight 6-0 sets. That match was just a preview, out on the courts will definitely help. When I’m as Patrick won two matches on the second day playing, I can come back and reflect on this of competition, the first a 6-2, 7-6 victory over experience and the mentality I played with this Alabama’s Carlos Taborga and the second a 6-3, weekend.”

Preston Peeden Staff Writer

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

THESPORTSPAGE

Week,” Lady Vol head coach Angela Kelly said.

“She is definitely coming into her own and is truly becoming a force to be reckoned with. I’m After delivering her third career match-winning impressed with her development as a player, and goal in defeating Arkansas last Friday night at the the killer instinct and focus that she’s showing in Regal Soccer Stadium and firing off a team-high training and throughout the early season is a very 17 total shots while helping UT get off to a solid unique quality to obtain as a female athlete. I’m 1-0-1 start in league play versus the Razorbacks glad she’s playing with us and not against us.”

Hatcher currently leads the league in total and LSU, Lady Vol junshots (54) and shots per ior soccer forward match (5.40) while rating Chelsea Hatcher has She is definitely coming into in a tie for 10th in the SEC been chosen as the in total points (11), goals Southeastern (four) and assists (three). her own and is truly becoming a Conference’s Offensive The 2010 Preseason AllPlayer of the Week for SEC selection also curforce to be reckoned with.

Sept. 27th. rently possesses the Lady With time running Vol team lead in points, – Lady Vols soccer coach Angela Kelly short in the contest on forward Chelsea Hatcher assists and shots while against Arkansas, having started all 10 Hatcher fired from matches for the Big about 22 yards out on Orange. the right wing. The Cincinnati native’s bending Tennessee will return to the pitch this weekend shot got past diving Razorback keeper Britni at the Regal Soccer Stadium looking to extend a Williams by barely sneaking inside the right post for the clutch match-winner with only 2:48 season-high, three-match unbeaten skein by hostremaining in regulation. She launched a team- ing Vanderbilt and Kentucky. UT will battle the high 10 shots in the 2-1 victory over UA, while tal- Commodores at 7 p.m. EDT on Friday, Oct. 1st lying a squad-best seven shots during the 1-1 and will wrap up the weekend versus the Wildcats on Sunday, Oct. 3rd at 2 p.m. EDT. Live stats will (2OT) tie against the Tigers.

“I’m very excited for Chelsea Hatcher that she’s be available through Gametracker, while both been named the SEC Offensive Player of the matches are expected to be live-streamed for free through UTLadyVols.com.

Staff Reports

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