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First Friday offers good time in Old City
Vols out to correct second-half play
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
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Issue 42
Vol. 118
I N D E P E N D E N T
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Teach-In webcast highlights youth activism Country looks towards younger generations for future change, education becomes crucial standing of how important coalition building is. It’s crucial that we work together,” Kaitlin Malick, a senior douStaff Writer ble major in Africana and sociology, said. Malick is a cochair of UT’s Progressive Student Alliance, which was During this era of historically high unemployment formed in 1997 in an effort to combat unfair wages at UT. rates and economic uncertainty, it is more imperative Lisa East, a graduate student in environmental sociolthan ever that America has an economically, socially and ogy and one of the Teach-In’s co-moderators, agreed, notpolitically aware and active youth. ing that UT provides many outlets for students to mobiThis idea met receptive ears last Wednesday night at lize. the “America Wants to Work” Teach-In webcast hosted by “There have been a lot of student campaigns and histhe Sociology Department in the Multitoric actions that have gone on at Cultural Center. UT,” East said. “We’ve got really The webcast, which was streamed great student organizations that are nationally from the University of interested in social justice. I would California, hosted a panel of student encourage anyone to participate, and university faculty speakers who because this isn’t just a place of eduaddressed such key issues as workers’ cation, it’s a community.” rights and the overall importance of stuOne such campaign is Occupy dent activism. Knoxville, which will take place at With 25 million Americans still Crutch Park next to Market Square on unable to find full-time employment, Saturday. Students and Knoxvillians speaker Robert Reich asserted that gathered to protest unemployment “there is no issue more important to and income inequity. Similar moveAmerica today than jobs.” ments have been taking place in cities Reich, who served as U.S. Secretary all over the county, a fact which heartof Labor under former president Bill ens Eric Dixon, a junior and attendee Clinton and works currently as of the Teach-In. Chancellor’s Professor of Public Policy “Real efforts are spreading, which at the University of California, Berkeley, shows that we’re gaining power,” stressed that this issue is particularly Dixon, philosophy, sociology, ecorelevant to college students. nomics and global studies major, said. “You are the future,” Reich told audiBill Taylor, a political economy ences nationwide. “If this country is graduate student and another modergoing to survive and prosper over the ator of the webcast, added, “Occupy next few decades, it will not be because Knoxville is a great moment for the of my generation.” city. It’s really unique and there’s a lot Curtis Hierro, a speaker from Central of energy there.” Taylor further noted Florida University where he serves as that “if you’re interested in helping president of the Student Labor Action people, you have to change the system Project, believes that America’s youth is that’s hurting people.” more than capable of stepping up to the • Photo courtesy of northwestern.edu “We see what’s going on in the plate and delivering the change our University of California, Berkeley Professor Robert Reich speaks with students during a United States and the world, and we nation needs. presentation at Northwestern University in 2005. Reich joined the UC-Berkeley hosted don’t like it and we agree about what’s “Historically, students have played a webcast for Teach-In, a national discussion between students and university staff about wrong,” said Teach-In speaker Frances crucial role in grassroots progressive workers’ rights issues and the importance of student action. Fox Piven, a professor at The City movements,” Hierro said. “From picket University of New York’s Graduate lines to sit-ins, the mobilization of student power has “Workers should be paid living wages and treated with Center. acted as a catalyst for mass social and economic change.” If America wants answers, Piven continued, we must Speaker Lenore Palladino, the creator of the political respect because without them, our schools couldn’t funcfirst look at our own history. tion,” Bradford said. web community moveon.org, agreed. “Corporate power was rolled back by the populous Repeatedly raising tuition rates is unmerited, Bradford “We’re in a time where there’s so much we can do,” movement and the Great Labor Uprising of the late 19th argued, and said instead that “someone on top is going to Palladino said. “It’s a time to take leadership and throw century,” Piven said. “It was restrained by the Labor have to take a pay-cut.” ourselves into the moment.” movement of the 1930s and again during the 1960s. UT students who listened to declarations such as Staggeringly low employment rates are not the excluMaybe it’s the moment another great movement is being Bradford’s during the webcast responded with gusto. sive cause of student dissatisfaction. Unfair treatment of born.” “I’m walking away from this Teach-In with an underworkers and Wall Street’s ever-expanding influence over
Morgan Liv McConnell
our democracy have only further added to a mass feeling of discontent among academics and the working class, according to speakers. “Why don’t we have a say? Why is our voice not louder?” questioned speaker Terasia Bradford, an undergraduate student from Ohio State University. “We’re balancing the budget on the backs of hard-working American families.” Bradford pointed to universities’ treatment of their employees as another example of injustice.
Community unites to run barefoot Deborah Ince Staff Writer On Oct. 23 at 2 p.m., the Barefoot Benefit will be holding its second annual run at Lambert Acres Golf Club in Maryville, Tenn. “As far as we can tell through our research, this is the first barefoot race on grass in the country,” Jordan Smallwood, junior in finance and this year’s event’s chief executive officer, said. “It’s a new era, a new idea.” Started last year by Dr. Ernest Cadotte and six other UT students as part of a new marketing class, the organization quickly garnered the attention of hundreds. “Last year we raised over $4,000 and had about 140 runners,” Smallwood said. “It’s a different opportunity for students to learn to promote social responsibility and community involvement.” Because the race is also part of a business course, each year, the benefit will be organized and run by a new group of UT students and will continue to educate those students in marketing, logistics and communication. A new group of students organizes the event each year, which allows the Barefoot Benefit to improve and to be uniquely different each year. This year, the six students involved have worked hard to create an event that will garner even more support for their cause. Participants of the race can either run a 5K or a 1-mile race with all proceeds going to Samaritan Place, an assisted living center in Knoxville that serves the elderly men and women of the community. “Samaritan Place is a great organization, and it is really important that we are able to help them through this
event,” said Jessica Henderson, senior in journalism and electronic media and the benefit’s communications officer for this year. Everyone is encouraged to run their respective races barefoot to support the cause, but the option to wear shoes still remains. This year, one hour before the race, there will also be a clinic, led by Mick Larabee, which will teach participants the benefits of barefoot running. “It goes back to that idea of the natural state of running,” Smallwood said, “and there are some real health benefits.” As well as holding a clinic for the runners, this year, the benefit will also have many different vendors and music artists at the event site. Vendors and sponsors this year will include Pilot, Health Source, Runner’s Market, Rita’s, Crossfit Ktown and many others. Also, three music artists — The Sweetest Sleep, Sam Flanagan and Ben Bales — will also perform. “People should come out because it’s a great cause and a great community event, but also because it is fun!” Henderson said. “It will be a great activity for students, families and people of any age.” If individuals would like to register for the event, they may either do so online or at the event site on the day of the race, and it is encouraged that more people come out and be a part of the festivities. “This has been one of the best experiences of my college career — if not the best,” Smallwood said. “It’s a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon and learn about a healthy lifestyle. It’s a great opportunity to become part of something growing exponentially.”
Lauren Beale • The Daily Beacon
Zack Plaster, freshman in public relations, and Emily Hoffman, undecided freshman, participate in the SPEAK protest against UT’s coal plant on Wednesday, Oct. 12. SPEAK, Students Promoting Environmental Action in Knoxville, was protesting against UT’s coalfired power plant, which they view as a dirt form of energy production.