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Tuesday, November 16, 2010 Issue 62

E D I T O R I A L L Y

Vol. 115

I N D E P E N D E N T

S T U D E N T

PUBLISHED SINCE 1906

Special effect expertise not enough to save horrid “Skyline”

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Students advance in accounting competition Crumpton said her team chose to implement an HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) automation system because it had the greatest potential savings.

Student Life Editor Customers would not explicitly notice the benefits of this system, so the team chose a Four UT students have been named semifinalists in a national accounting competition. second part of the proposal to be more customer focused, Crumpton said.

“We proposed an update to the turndown service because customers were complainThe team, called Team Titans, is comprised of UT students Camille Crumpton, junior ing about the practice of leaving TVs on in rooms to create ambient noise,” she said. in accounting and team captain, Daniel Aycock, a business pre-major sophomore, She said customers complained about the energy use associated with leaving the TVs Johannah Reed, junior in environmental studies and R.J. Lusk, junior in logistics. They on all the time. became one of 10 semifinalists chosen from more than 100 teams.

“Through our research, we found that leaving TVs on does not use a significant amount To enter the competition, sponsored by the American Institute of CPAs, AICPA, the of energy, but if customers are complaining, we need to change it,” she said. team submitted a 750-word executive sumCrumpton said the team proposed that the mary outlining sustainability project proposhotel buy iPod Shuffles and program them als for the Umstead Hotel and Spa, a Forbes with local music, such as from a symphony in five-star rated luxury hotel in Cary, N.C. North Carolina, and play that music in the Next, the students will submit a more rooms during peak check-in hours. detailed written proposal and a video presenEach team member had a very different reatation, which will be voted on by the public. son for wanting to participate in the program.

A combination of votes and judging will For Crumpton, past success in another determine three finalists teams, who will accounting competition sparked her interest in receive an all expenses paid trip to New York this competition.

City to present their proposals in front of the As for Aycock, he sees the competition as a board of the AICPA. stepping stone for a future career.

The overall winner will receive a grand “Accounting has come on to my radar as a prize of $10,000. possible career, and I want to make myself Most teams had a month to submit their stand out and expose myself to the career as proposals, but Crumpton said she and her much as possible,” he said. team did not find out about the competition Aycock also found it interesting to learn until three days before the deadline.

•Photo courtesy of UT Accounting and Information Management Dept. about a different field.

“We had to find our team members, and “It was a cool experience to learn about Daniel Aycock, R.J. Lusk, Camille Crumton, and Johannah Reed make up Team since Daniel and I were already working together, we found two other people that Titans, a group of UT students that is one of 10 teams to qualify for the semi- hospitality,” he said. “We tried to make ourday,” she said. “I had a triathalon the week- finals in the 2010 American Institute of Certified Public Accountants selves experts on the hotel and their passions.” end it was due, so we used Google Docs and Accounting Competition.

Aycock encouraged all students to enter Skype to finish the proposal while I was competitions such as this. gone.”

“It is not a big time commitment, and with the job market the way it is, you need as Crumpton said being able to see everyone’s edits in real time using Google Documents much experience as possible,” he said. was a very efficient way to work.

To watch their video presentation and to vote for these students, visit http://commuFor the proposal, the students had to select three of five sustainability initiatives the nity.thiswaytocpa.com/competition/c/2010accountingcompetition/default.aspx and click hotel was considering and choose ones that were the most cost effective. on the Team Titans video. Voting will continue until Friday.

Kristian Smith

George Richardson • The Daily Beacon

John Fischer’s truck is being pulled from where it sits on a power pole support cable by two tow trucks on Monday, Nov. 15. Fischer, a senior in electrical engineering, swerved to avoid pedestrian traffic, lost control and wound up resting on the support wire. No one was hurt, and no property was damaged during the incident.

Rivalry promotes donations with Orange and Blue Blood Drive Kyle Turner News Editor The 23rd annual Orange and Blue blood drive officially kicked off Monday, Nov. 15, in preparation for the football game this weekend.

The blood drive competition is pitting UT students against Kentucky students in an effort to see which school can raise the most donated blood.

“I think having a competitive spin on the blood drive is a great way to encourage students to give,” Olivia Campbell, junior in nursing said. “There is a competitive spirit in all of us and anything to increase donations is for the better.”

The 23 competitions have yielded thirteen wins for UT, nine for Kentucky, and a tie between the two twice.

Last year, UT claimed victory with a small margin of 76 donations, with the finally tally being 3440 pints of blood for UT to Kentucky’s 3364 pints.

“On average, a good week is about 1500 donations and with the competition, the number almost doubles and extremely helps the cause,” Christi Fightmaster, director of public relations for MEDIC, said.

Fightmaster also said that the closeness of last year’s competition is sure to have Kentucky step up their donations and try and best UT this time around.

Matthew DeMaria • The Daily Beacon

Elise Birge, sophomore education major, gives blood at the University Center Suit 225-228 on Monday, Nov. 15.

The 23rd Annual MEDIC Orange vs. Blue Blood Drive pits UT’s students against Kentucky’s to see which school can donate the most blood.

Students who came out to donate did so for a host of reasons, ranging from extra credit in class to racking up “karma points” for the future.

The overarching theme, however, revolved around giving in a time of need.

“This event helps us get through the holiday season when donations are typically at their lowest,” Fightmaster said.

“People become busy with other things around this time of

year and holding this drive is a way to be proactive. There are emergency needs for type O-negative and a need for all blood types at this time so all donations are greatly welcomed.”

“It is not a big deal to donate blood for me, because I know how badly other people need it,” Campbell said. “I just did a project and was brought aware of the severe shortage of blood and how desperate hospitals are for it.”

Campbell is a regular donor, but others giving for the first time also realized the merits of future benefits, saying that one day they too might be in need of blood and are here to do their parts while they still can.

Those participating in this week’s blood drive will receive special game-day Orange/Blue t-shirt, a free regularsized Original Petro from Petro’s Chili and Chips and a coupon for a free pint of Mayfield’s Ice Cream in an effort to incentivize and show appreciation for the donation.

All donors must be at least 17 years of age, weigh 110 pounds and must have positive identification.

Students can donate throughout the week from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the UC or at other scheduled locations.

Alternate locations include Tuesday in South Carrick from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m., Wednesday in Hess Hall and Volunteer Hall from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m., and Thursday on the Agricultural Institute from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Hodges Library from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m..

2 • The Daily Beacon

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

InSHORT

Wade Rackley• The Daily Beacon

The Gamma Sigma Sigma service sorority and Beta Theta Pi fraternity Homecoming float warns UT of the threat of Mississippi players invading Neyland Stadium on Friday, Nov. 12. Ole Miss was unable to repel firepower of the magnitude that the Vols brought in an unexpected 52-14 victory over the Rebels on Saturday, Nov. 13.

Crime Log Nov. 10 A female UT student reported a theft that occurred in the fourth floor restroom in Massey Hall at approximately 11:45 p.m. on Nov. 9.

Nov. 11 At approximately 2 a.m., an officer responded to a disturbance near the gazebo on the east side of Presidential Court.

One female student and four male students were involved in the disturbance. Two of

the male students were arrested for possession of unlawful drug paraphernalia.

A student reported that his bicycle was stolen from the bicycle rack on the Volunteer Avenue side of Hodges Library sometime between 10 a.m. on Nov. 8 and 9:30 a.m. on Nov. 11.

A student reported that his bicycle was stolen from Aconda Court sometime between 2 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.

—Compiled by Robbie Hargett.

Compiled from a media log provided to the Daily Beacon by the Universty of Tennessee Police Department.

All persons arrested are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. People with names similar or identical to those listed may not be those identified in reports.

Students receive study abroad

scholarships

to

The Center for International Education (CIE) at UT has awarded scholarships to 106 students who will be studying abroad during spring break and during the spring semester.

Six students have received $500 to study abroad during spring break; another 100 have received $1,000 scholarships

to study abroad during the spring semester. All of these CIE scholarships are funded by the $10-per-year fee that undergraduates pay. Proposed by the Student Government Association and approved by the Board of Trustees, the fee went into effect in the fall of 2008.

Recipients were chosen because of financial need and academic merit.

See BEACON BITS on Page 3

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

NEWS

The Daily Beacon • 3

Baker Center spotlights namesake’s career Senator Howard H. Baker, Jr. honored on campus with two-day tribute conference Kyle Turner News Editor The Baker Center will be hosting a two-day conference, highlighting the life and career of Senator Howard H. Baker, Jr. The conference will run today and tomorrow in the Toyota Auditorium and feature noted scholars and journalists from around the country to offer reflections on the impact Senator Baker has had as a public servant.

The conference, Howard H. Baker, Jr.: A Life in Public Service, will focus on the core values and attributes exhibited by Senator Baker in his time of service as a public figure how those beliefs are still applicable today.

“I think that Senator Baker's life and career remains important today, because they remind us that men and women in public life can and have worked together to address such problems effectively in the past and provide a valuable example to be followed by elected officials in our own time,” Theodore Brown, lecturer in the Department of Political Science, said. “Despite the sentiments about working together for the good of the nation that political figures in Washington expressed after the presidential election in 2008 and again after the recent midterm elections,

political division and obstruction continue to dominate Capitol Hill. And, with the successes of the Tea Party candidates earlier this month, the likelihood that even further political balkanization and systemic dysfunction will result when the new Congress convenes seems assured.”

Senator Baker was known by many as a staunch advocate for bipartisan approaches and working with others to accomplish goals for the good of the country, qualities that will be reflected upon and brought to light with the conference.

“It is important to highlight the life and career of Senator Baker, because it illustrates how civility, a focus on facts, an open mind, a willingness to seek grounds for compromise, respect for and willingness to listen to those with whom one disagrees are not inconsistent with principled partisanship,” Carl Pierce, director of the Baker Center, said. “Such values are essential in creating policy that works for all people, and Senator Baker has consistently demonstrated these values throughout his long career in public service.”

Lecturers invited to speak at the conference range from universities across the U.S., like Princeton University and Virginia Tech, all exploring various roles of Senator Baker during his tenure of service.

Aspects of the Senator’s career that will be explored in depth

include his time in the U.S. Senate, as chief of staff for the Reagan administration and his relationship with President Richard Nixon.

Each subsection of lectures about the Senator’s career will be concluded by a moderated panel to answer questions and discuss further in detail aspects of Howard Baker.

Baker’s career spans four decades and is seen by some as encapsulating some of the most important events in modern political history.

It was Baker’s integral role in the Watergate hearings that serve as one of the most inspiring aspects of his career for Brown.

“Given my background as a lawyer, I suppose that I find Senator Baker’s strong, often courageous, defense of the rule of law and his emphasis upon civility and bipartisanship in government to be the most inspiring aspects of his career.” Brown said.

“It was Senator Baker’s questions during the Senate’s Watergate hearings, “What did the President know, and when did he know it?”, for example, that eventually led to the resignation of President Nixon for obstructing — indeed for subverting — the very processes of justice and the enforcement of the law that he had a constitutional duty to uphold.”

The conference is free and open to the public and will be available to view via webcast for those unable to attend.

Beacon Bits continued from Page 2 Ready for the World Café offers Thanksgiving with a modern twist The Ready for the World Café will celebrate a modern Southern Thanksgiving the week of Nov. 15-18.

The menu includes braised short ribs, chicken soup with cornmeal sage dumplings, roasted parmesan asparagus, roasted acorn squash with wild rice stuffing, Caprese salad skewers with a balsamic vinegar reduction, Southern shrimp and grits with various toppings, carving station, assorted seasonal desserts and hot apple cider.

The café is an international buffet operated by students in the advanced food production and service management class, Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism (HRT) 445. It is open from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday in the Hermitage Room on the third floor of the UC. Diners pay $11 for the all-you-can-eat buffet or $9 for a plate of food to carry out.

This semester, there are 18 students in the Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism (HRT) 445 course. In small groups, they take turns planning the menus, marketing the café and working in the café. ARAMARK, UT’s provider of dining services, prepares the food.

This week’s student managers are Alicia Davis and Stephanie Hunley. Davis, a senior in HRT from Knoxville, is interested in small businesses, restaurants and bakeries.

Hunley, a senior in nutrition from Knoxville, is interested in promoting sustainability in restaurants.

Supercomputer Kraken still in top 10 East Tennessee is still home to two of the world’s fastest supercomputers, according to new rankings released on Nov. 12.

The Top 500 list of the world’s fastest supercomputers places the UT supercomputer Kraken in eighth place, where it also holds the title of world’s fastest academic supercomputer, while Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s Jaguar computer took second place overall.

The 36th edition of the closely watched TOP500 list of the world’s most powerful supercomputers confirms the rumored takeover of the top spot by a Chinese supercomputer built by the National University of Defense Technology located at the National Supercomputing Center in Tianjin.

The twice-yearly Top500 is published by Jack Dongarra, a UTdistinguished professor of computer science and the director of the Innovative Computing Laboratory along with colleagues at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and the University of Mannheim.

China’s supercomputer achieved a performance level of 2.57 petaflops — quadrillions of calculations per second – while Jaguar achieved 1.75 petaflops.

Still, the U.S. houses five of the world’s top 10 supercomputers. The others are in China, Japan, France and Germany.

According to Dongarra, competition is not necessarily a bad thing.

Dongarra is leading an international effort to move to that next generation of supercomputing, called exascale computing, which will equal a speed 1,000 times faster than Jaguar.

While China may now hold the top spot, some argue it takes more than a fast supercomputer to be a scientific leader — you need scientific know-how.

Supercomputers make it possible for scientists to create complex models to simulate processes in the real world in more understandable ways. Those models can be used to address issues from health and medicine to alternative energy. Codes are needed to make these models run efficiently and effectively.

The turnover rate on the list is high. The last system on the list just six months ago is positioned in the 305th spot today.

Vol Court picks Fall 2010 winners Two UT student start-up companies are one step closer to success after taking prizes at the Vol Court Pitch Competition Tuesday. Aeron Glover, a junior in industrial engineering, and Kaliv Parker, a sophomore in business, with howstheliving.com came in first. Jake Baron, a senior in accounting, took second with Turtlebak.

Vol Court is a series of eight free how-to seminars led by entrepreneurs and business experts from across the state. The program is a joint effort of UTRF, the College of Business Administration’s Anderson Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation (CEI) and the CEG. Howstheliving.com allows students to provide firsthand feedback on host families, residence halls and apartments. The website is free for basic users, and students who register for a premium account have the ability to contact other students who have commented on residences or host families.

Turtlebak is a company producing a unique single-strap backpack that distributes weight higher and more evenly than traditional backpacks, creating a more comfortable fit. The backpack is constructed from Neoprene fabric that is durable, waterproof and stretchable, making it ideal for both academic and recreational use.

As the first place winner, howstheliving.com will receive $1,000 from the Anderson Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, space in the UTRF Technology Business Center for one year, one year mentoring from Technology 2020’s Center of Entrepreneurial Growth (CEG), 12 hours of accounting advice from Parker Business Consulting and Accounting and seven hours of legal advice from Miller & Martin LLC. The total package is valued at $23,000.The secondplace prize package awarded to Turtlebak includes $500, nine hours of accounting, space in the UTRF Business Incubator for six months, one year of mentoring and three hours of legal advice from the same sponsors.

The pitch competition was the culmination of Vol Court, an eight-week series of one-hour entrepreneurial speakers covering a variety of topics entrepreneurs face when starting a business. The speaker series is held once a year and is open to all UT students and faculty.

Sheila Hannus • The Daily Beacon

Dominique Webb, undecided freshman, moves pieces on a giant checkerboard at the Black Cultural Center’s Block Party on Saturday, Nov. 13. The Block Party was hosted as part of Homecoming festivities designed to allow students and alumni to tailgate prior to the football game against Ole Miss.

4 • The Daily Beacon

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

OPINIONS

StaffColumn Black Friday ads often prove deceptive Kristian Smith Student Life Editor With Thanksgiving a mere nine days away, retailers are already preparing for Black Friday sales.

Black Friday, the infamous shopping day the Friday following Thanksgiving, is supposedly the day where stores give the best discounts of the year, but is this really the case?

In an Oct. 26 article by dealnews.com, 15 Black Friday “myths” are debunked, leaving shoppers to wonder whether fighting the crowds at 4 a.m. is really worth the trouble. First, contrary to popular belief, many retailers actually start their Black Friday sales on Thanksgiving Day, and some discounted items have been known to sell out before Black Friday even begins. Also, many of the deals advertised on Black Friday are actually beaten later in December as Christmas gets closer.

Furthermore, some retailers, like Sears, were advertising Black Friday sales as early as the weekend of Halloween, and they plan to continue these sales throughout November, defeating the purpose of Black Friday deals. In addition, despite the discount, Black Friday is not even the biggest shopping day of the year (it’s the Saturday before Christmas). Also, as far as prices go, don’t always think you’re getting the best deal just because the price has been deeply discounted. According to the article, in the past few years, retailers have been caught jacking up prices before Black Friday, then lowering them with supposed discounts that leave the price higher than it was before.

“Leaked” deals from stores like Target and Best Buy can give shoppers a head start on their Black Friday plan, but be wary of these deals. Many times, these ads are partially or completely inaccurate.

You can’t always trust the real ads, either. According to the article, on Thanksgiving Day retailers like Walmart and Best Buy have historically advertised additional Black Friday deals that weren't in their circulars. These “secret” deals will only be found online (e.g., at BestBuy.com), so you have to check the websites Thursday to get the deals on Friday.

Also, as online shopping has now become the norm, shopping on Cyber Monday — the day of online discounts the Monday following Thanksgiving — seems to be better than waking up at 3 a.m. to fight the crowds at Target or Walmart. In fact, the article said that amazon.com matched the Black Friday prices at Walmart, Best Buy, Staples, Office Depot, Apple and Target last year. From my personal experience, as a subscriber to emails from many retailers, I have already seen lots of sales and free shipping days from stores like Victoria’s Secret, J.Crew, Express and Old Navy, weeks before Black Friday.

While the above information seems to discredit Black Friday for most shoppers, for college students, Black Friday seems to have even less to offer. Many of the big discounts are on electronics like TVs, GPS systems and computers. While many of these items are deeply discounted on Black Friday, most of them still cost more than $200. When shopping for Christmas gifts for family, friends or even for themselves, the fact is that most college students still do not have that kind of money to spend on any one item, despite the discount.

On less expensive items, the discounts are not as great, so there is even less incentive to shop on Black Friday. (This is the same way I feel about tax-free weekends: If you are buying a $1000 computer, then saving $100 worth of taxes is definitely worth it, but if you are spending $20 on clothes or school supplies, it is really worth fighting the crowds to save $2?)

Knowing all this, why would anyone sacrifice hours of sleep to shop on Black Friday, you may ask?

For many Black Friday shoppers, it has to do with tradition and a love of shopping. For many, Black Friday shopping is as much of a Thanksgiving tradition as eating turkey and watching football. My mom and I shop at the midnight Black Friday sale at the outlets in Pigeon Forge every year, not because we think we will get the best deals, but because it’s something we enjoy doing together. So if you love shopping on Black Friday, shop on Black Friday, just don’t expect the best deals.

—Kristian Smith is a senior in journalism and electronic media. She can be reached at ksmit113@utk.edu.

COFFEY & INK • Kelsey Roy

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.

Confidence in women important to men going to believe you.

12. If a guy’s not responding to texts, calls, etc., then it might be time to move on.

13. Forgive and forget. If you’ve said you’ve forgiven him for one thing or another, you need to have truly forgiven him. For example, if you’re fighting and bring by Kathryn Cunningham up something you’ve held against him, you haven’t truly forgiven him.

14. If you’re feeling down, don’t take out your emotions For those of you that have been keeping up with my on him, but rather let him know how you’re feeling. column, you guessed it! This week’s for the ladies! And Misery loves company, but it’s not always a good idea.

15. You should pay for things every now and then. for those of you who have no idea what I'm talking about, Guys (especially in college) aren’t made of money.

I can get you up to speed.

Last week’s column was all about what every guy ALTHOUGH this should come farther along in the should know, and for this week, the tables have turned. relationship, you shouldn’t be going dutch on the first Guys either revealed or approved the 25 most important date.

16. Don’t make yourself so available to him that it things they believe every girl should know. I received some interesting responses about last week’s column, seems like you have no life apart from your guy.

17. When you start dating, don’t put your friends so I’d love to hear your take on this week’s, and keep in mind, most of these responses came from readers just on the back burner! (This goes along with number 16).

Keep your friends. like you!

18. Approaching him angry is only going to make 1. Don’t dumb yourself down, because eventually him angry, too. Cool off a bit before you approach him. your intellect will get the best of you.

19. Quit eating just salads. We all know you have more 2. Always give him plenty of space, because the last of an appetite than that. But OK, you can order it as a thing he wants is to feel tied down.

3. Don’t be emotionally dependent on him. If you side item, because you need your veggies.

20. Don’t be sorry. Stand up for yourself and be bold. do, you’ll be let down in one way or another.

4. Nagging is never okay; you have better things to Confidence is attractive.

21. Don’t send duplicate texts “accidentally” when do with your time than worry about who he’s with/what he’s been doing/when/where/why. This is where trust we all know it’s just because of their lack of response to the first one you sent. They know it’s not by accident comes in.

5. … and if you don’t trust him, your relationship just as much as you do … and it kind of makes you look pathetic. will never work.

22. It’s unattractive to see a girl with a cigarette.

6. Your time is valuable. Make sure he realizes it, 23. Logically make sure things work out before you and if he doesn’t, then, well, frankly he’s not worth it.

7. While men sometimes like chick flicks, they do involve your feelings. For example, if he wants to travel want to watch something other than romantic comedies the world, but you’d rather stay in Knoxville for the rest of you life to raise a family, one of you will end up every once in awhile.

8. Don’t date him with the intention of him changing. giving up on a dream.

24. Come up with better excuses than “I’m busy with 9. Guys tend to get moody when they’re tired and SGA,” “I’m busy with my sorority,” or “I’m busy with hungry.

10. Guys don’t enjoy hearing about how so-and-so my intense Sociology major.” If you really just don’t want hooked up with your best friend’s cousin’s neighbor. to go out with a guy, just tell him. Guys don’t want you Keep the gossip and the drama to a minimum. That’s to give them a glimmer of hope if there truly isn’t any.

25. Okay, this has absolutely nothing to do with what your girlfriends are for.

11. When something is genuinely wrong, don’t just relationships, but it must be said. Leggings do NOT say “nothing” when asked. Say something! Tell him! qualify as pants.

Quit beating around the bush. If you say “nothing,” he —Kathryn Cunningham is a junior in psychology. might actually believe you, and they aren’t mind readers. *Guys are naturally apathetic; therefore, if She can be reached at kcunnin4@utk.edu. you act like nothing’s wrong, chances are that they’re

C an’t Fight t h e Fe e l i n g

Social inequality displayed in YouTube clip T he F - Wo r d by

Melody Gordon

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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.

I’m a sucker for hilarious viral videos. YouTube is an entertainment gold mine and mass media at its best in this respect. Really, where did we go for cheap laughs (or to procrastinate) before YouTube?

My favorites are your favorites. “Charlie The Unicorn,” “The WTF Blanket,” “A Very Potter Musical” and “I’m On a Boat.” Black people make some especially interesting ones. Over the summer I was introduced to “Short Bus Shawty” and spent a week referencing it in conversation with friends.

“Read A Book” is one of my brother’s favorites and everyone loves the “Bed Intruder Song.”

My new favorite, which is only a month old and already has a half-million views, is “Black Marriage Negotiations.” As soon as it started and I really tuned into what the characters were saying, I have to admit I found it entertaining first and ridiculous second.

“Black Marriage Negotiations” is a three-minute dialogue between an educated, professional black woman who asks an educated, professional black man, “Where are all the good, black men?” He insists that he’s one of them, but the woman doesn’t believe it.

When the man begins to question what it is that she’s looking for in her black man, she begins to rattle off a contradictory laundry list of expectations.

The now confused man listens despite finding some of her requests odd. In the end, he decides that, even though he thinks “she drives a hard bargain,” he loves her and will step up to the challenge.

She immediately shuts him down, says he’s too weak because he compromised and adds at the end, “Besides, you’re not 6-foot-5 and that’s a deal breaker.”

Not gonna lie, I LOL’d. The woman wants a guy who makes six figures, has good credit and loves his mama. He has to respect that she’s a strong, independent woman but wants him to pay all the bills. He must also be “a thug who can fit in with the boys in the board room.”

Halfway through the video, though, it stopped being funny and started to get stereotypical. She’s not only picky, she’s a ball-buster with an attitude

problem. She threatens divorce if he begins to run a household contrary to what she wants. She also wants him to be happy with the fact that, even after marriage, he will be getting little to no sex and absolutely zero oral sex.

After reading several interviews, it’s clear that the creator of the video is under the assumption that this dreadful, unmarried black woman is solely to blame for her unmarriedness.

But as archaic as it seems, many still believe it’s not a woman’s place to be picky when looking for a husband and that she should be lucky if anyone wants her. In religious communities especially, it’s not a woman’s place to pick her mate (or to even pursue her mate); instead, the mate picks her. What the woman wants in the process simply isn’t valued as much as what the man wants.

Women of all races and religions are scoffed at for having high standards, especially when it comes to getting married. Black women are faulted for wanting too much and written off as unmarryable because we don’t like to settle. I mean, God forbid black women have standards.

There have been many “Why are successful black women not married?” debates across many media platforms. What baffles me is that these “unmarried women” are looked at as if it’s all their fault. Haters of the video claim it’s sexist and, in a way, I agree.

Men — black men even more so — have their nuanced laundry lists of what they want in a perfect mate, too.

A copycat video from the woman’s perspective features a discussion with what the man wants. His ideal match has to be a bangin’ cook, have a flat stomach, be motherly even to children that might not be hers, have perfect credit, minimal wrinkles as she ages, manicured nails and beautiful hair. She cannot make more money than him and if she somehow favors Beyoncé sometimes ... that’s cool, too.

“Black Marriage Negotiations,” and its various rebuttals, are all funny videos when looked at as satire. It’s not funny when it’s taken as some kind of universal truth that all black women are difficult, dramatic, no sex-having, Bible-thumping gold diggers who can’t compromise ever.

Should black women lower their standards if they want to find the love of their life, so to speak?

Only if their significant other is doing the same thing.

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

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

The Daily Beacon • 5

ENTERTAINMENT

Weak acting, script mar ‘Skyline’ ‘Unstoppable’ delivers intense thrills Will Abrams Staff Writer Science fiction films usually fall into three categories. These are the instant success stories (“Avatar”), the cult classics (“Blade Runner”), and the “How on earth did this get made?” films. The recently-released “Skyline” belongs to the final group.

Jarrod (Eric Balfour) and Elaine (Scottie Thompson) arrive in Los Angeles to meet with Jarrod’s longtime friend, Terry (Donald Faison), to discuss business and enjoy the pleasantries of the West Coast. Shortly after their arrival, the group is wrapped up in an alien invasion that appears to be unstoppable.

The story — or lack thereof — mostly takes place in Terry’s LA high-rise, where he lives with his trophy wife (Brittany Daniel) and assistant (Crystal Reed).

Once the invasion begins, the group must decide whether to wait things out inside Terry’s home or make a run for the marina — apparently the aliens haven’t taken swim classes at their local YMCA. Before delivering a long, perhaps even humorous, list of reasons why this film is a frontrunner for the Golden Raspberries, it needs to be said that there is a difference between fun popcorn films and films where the directors wave their favorite finger at the audience while they count ticket sales. “Skyline” is much closer to the latter.

The writing for the film is of the most offensive brand of awful. It has so many plot holes that it is hard to determine where one ends and the next begins. Once the invasion begins, it seems that the writ-

ers dropped their writing utensils, picked up some action figures and began a conquest that only a child’s imagination could dream up.

Then again, maybe the creators just watched a few of their favorite sci-fi thrillers and decided to make homage to — read: steal — elements from successful films of the past. Considering that the film’s story is about 90 percent ripped off of “Independence Day” and “Cloverfield,” this is a more likely option.

So what about the characters? After all, if the audience actually cares about what happens to people in the film, poor writing and innumerable plot holes can be forgotten — or at least, briefly be put aside.

Unfortunately, every actor in this film fails to deliver an ounce of a believable performance. To say that the characters are paper thin would be an insult to paper.

One positive aspect that the film can be noted for is its use of special effects. With the film’s overall budget being set at $10 million,some visuals get more bang for their buck than would be expected.

Sibling directors Greg and Colin Strause (“Alien vs. Predator: Requiem”) have made an impressive career as visual effects supervisors in the past, but when they are calling all the shots, their films are a mess.

“Skyline” is a bad film wrapped in slightly below-average packaging with an ending that is almost as confusing as it is laughably ridiculous. As is the practice of the film’s antagonists, it appears that the Strauses have made a weak attempt at removing the brain from modern filmmaking.

• Photo courtesy of rottentomatoes.com

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• Photo courtesy of rottentomatoes.com

Chris Shamblin Staff Writer It seems as though a new big-budget action film hits theaters almost every week. However, the quality of said films often leaves much to be desired.

As tempting as it is to blame it solely on weak writing, the real culprit is often shoddy acting.

Note to directors: Just because you’re making a popcorn flick doesn’t mean you shouldn’t still elicit the strongest performances possible from your cast.

Poor acting kills any sense of suspense a director attempts to build. Director Tony Scott is well aware of this potential action-movie pitfall, though, and entices his cast to go beyond the typical action movie fare. Scott also avoids another common pitfall that claims many action movies: a severe lack of realism. This film is very believable, and judging from the reaction of audience members who work with trains, pretty factual.

“Unstoppable” tells the tale of two train conductors heroically racing against the clock in an attempt to stop a runaway train, which is carrying highly toxic material, from derailing in a highly populated area. That’s about it. The film has a refreshingly straightforward and — pardon the pun — one-track setting. That setting is full throttle, as “Unstoppable” cranks up the frenetic energy early and, true to its title, does not let up until the very end.

The performances are what drive this film, though. It is a long-standing fact that Denzel Washington can carry any movie, but here, he is

well complemented by a strong supporting cast.

Rosario Dawson plays a kindhearted trainyard dispatch operator and brings a sense of urgency to her scenes, which partially serve as the glue to hold the film together.

Kevin Dunn portrays a money-hungry corporate vice president dead-set against the heroes’ plan. Dunn plays this archetypal role with a delightfully sleazy edge that keeps his character interesting.

Rounding out the cast is up-and-comer Chris Pine, whose performance surprisingly manages to hold its own with Washington’s. This performance may help Pine to become a more recognizable name, instead of just being “that guy from ‘Star Trek.’”

The only real problems in “Unstoppable” come from a few clunky script moments. The characters are not given any excess back-story other than what is necessary to get the audience to care about them. However, the little backstory information that is given tends to be on the corny and generic side. The script does not support the movie’s more emotional moments as well as it could, but the minimalism of these moments keeps the film from derailing.

Overall, “Unstoppable” does not offer any deep social commentary or emotional experiences. What it does offer is a loud, fun, non-stop thrill ride that will keep the viewers on the edge of their seats from beginning to end. To simply watch a good old-fashioned nail biter that provides a fun time at the movies, “Unstoppable” is well worth the price of admission.

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6 • The Daily Beacon

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

THESPORTSPAGE

UT hosts pool of mid-majors in NIT SEC success calls for division change Four squads, including Vols, vie for shot to play at Madison Square Garden Matthew McMurray Staff Writer The Tennessee men’s basketball team will be hosting this year’s Dick’s Sporting Goods South NIT in Thompson-Boling Arena.

This year’s NIT includes Tennessee, Belmont, Missouri State, and Arkansas State. Tip-off starts at 7 p.m. tonight when Arkansas State takes on Missouri State, immediately followed by the Vols’ game against Belmont.

The winner of these games will face each other for a chance to travel to the mecca of college basketball — Madison Square Garden in New York City — to participate in the semifinals of the NIT. “This is the first year, I really think since we got here, that we have 13 guys on scholarship,” UT head coach Bruce Pearl said. “Maybe it’s happened once before, 14 guys that have an opportunity to be in the regular rotation legitimately. From that standpoint, it is our deepest team.”

The Vols played UTC in their season opener, winning 82-62. Tobias Harris stood out with an 18-point performance. The freshman Harris scored in many ways for the Vols, including inside the paint, at the free-throw line and beyond the arc. Harris’ performance showed that he will be an integral part of the Volunteer offense this season.

Wade Rackley • The Daily Beacon

Scotty Hopson crosses over a Chattanooga player during a game on Friday, Nov. 12. The Vols will be hosting the first and second rounds of the All-South Regional of the 2010 NIT Season Tip-Off Tournament, facing off against Belmont at 9:30 on Tuesday, Nov. 16.

“Tobias is special,” Pearl said. “He’s super solid. A good coach will get him more shots, and our coaches will try to get him some more looks.”

Belmont has been very successful in recent years, winning three consecutive Atlantic Sun Conference postseason championships from 2006 to 2008. The Bruins play against the Vols this year without former star Alex Renfroe, who signed with a Croatia team after the 2009-10 season.

“It is exciting to open in the NIT Season Tip-Off,” Belmont head coach Rick Byrd said. “The NIT is a great event to be a part of and I know our players will look forward to this experience.”

The Arkansas State Red Wolves lost their opener against the Ole Miss Rebels. The Rebels were down in the second half and came back to win the game with a 68-60 victory. The Red Wolves were led by junior Martavius Adams, who scored 14 against Ole Miss.

The Missouri State Bears won their first game of the season 78-61. The Bears starters all scored in the double digits, and the Bears never trailed against Oral Roberts. Turnovers were a factor in the game, though, as the Bears turned the ball over 15 times.

Despite addition of Moss, Titans fall Associated Press As they received treatment for injuries, Chad Pennington and Chad Henne watched the fourth quarter of the Miami Dolphins’ game together on a locker-room TV, rooting for replacement Tyler Thigpen.

“Chad and I were in here calling out the plays, and Tyler was making the right plays,” Henne said. “He did a really good job.”

That he did. The game took a heavy toll on quarterbacks, but Thigpen stood tall at the end, helping Miami beat the Tennessee Titans 29-17 on Sunday.

Pennington sustained a right shoulder injury that could be career-ending, and Henne was on crutches after the game with a left knee injury. Thigpen — summoned for the first time this season — led an 85-yard touchdown drive for the game’s final points.

“I knew I had to take advantage of my opportunity to help my team win,” Thigpen said. “It wasn't about my stats; it was about getting us in the end zone and winning the game.”

Miami (5-4) snapped a five-game home losing streak, including three losses this season.

“Man, it’s a big win,” Dolphins cornerback Vontae Davis said. “We’re still in the thick of things.”

The Titans (5-4) lost coming off a bye for the first time in five years, and they fell a game behind first-place Indianapolis in the AFC South. Newcomer Randy Moss failed to provide a spark, waiting more than 55 minutes to make his only catch.

“I felt comfortable out there, but I don’t think I had a very good overall game,” Moss said. “It’s back to the drawing board, and come back next week.”

Kerry Collins started at quarterback for the Titans and struggled through the first half before departing with a calf injury. Vince Young replaced him despite a sprained left ankle and threw for only 92 yards with two turnovers.

Afterward, Young said his ankle was sore.

“You’ve got to fight through pain,” he said. “My number was called. Kerry went down, so I had to go and try to win the game.

That’s what I tried to do.”

Pennington’s return lasted two plays before he left with another injury to his troublesome right shoulder.

Promoted when Henne was

benched during the week, Pennington hadn’t played since a shoulder injury ended his 2009 season in Game 3.

“For him to have another shoulder problem, it’s tough,” Henne said. “I’m sure he’s going to have some decisions to make when he finds out what’s going on.”

Miami led 20-17 when Henne injured his knee late in the third quarter when he was hit while attempting a pass. He was scheduled to undergo an MRI exam and said his knee hurt.

“We’re stuck with this situation,” he said.

“We’ll see what happens.”

Thigpen, summoned for the first time this year, went 4 for 6 for 64 yards and a score.

Miami plays again Thursday against Chicago, and the short week increases the likelihood Thigpen will start the next game.

“I have no clue,” he said. “We’re going to enjoy this victory for about 12 hours, and then we’re going to come to work and get ready for the game.”

Desperate to spark an offense ranked last in the AFC in scoring, the Dolphins tried a fake punt and two flea-flickers, including one with receiver Brandon Marshall throwing deep. They also revived the wildcat, which netted 49 yards in seven snaps after being dormant most of the season.

“We wanted to try to put the pedal down a little,” Miami coach Tony Sparano said.

Meanwhile, the Titans sputtered regardless of the quarterback. Two turnovers led to Miami touchdowns, and Young threw an interception in the end zone trying to rally Tennessee in the final minutes.

Colin Skinner Assistant Sports Editor

Colin Skinner Assistant Sports Editor It’s no secret that the SEC can play basketball with the country’s elite programs of today.

Ask any expert, and they will tell you that modern SEC basketball recruits and plays with the top echelon of college basketball. Kentucky’s shine is back, Florida’s dominance is one to reckoned with and Tennessee’s recent red-hot success has the SEC near the top of perennial powerhouse conferences in hoops today.

The Vols come into the 2010-11 college basketball season with momentum via an Elite Eight appearance in last year’s NCAA tournament and an abundance of young talent. Off-the-court issues and recruiting violations occurred this offseason, but Bruce Pearl saved his job by correcting these mistakes amidst allegations. In effect, these offseason dealings will have no bearing on the momentum the Vols possess to combat this year’s tough, vigorous SEC East schedule.

The great debate within the SEC this offseason was whether or not to switch from the traditional divided conference with divisions to one large division. The SEC is the last of the power six conferences to separate their conference in divisions. In spring meetings when coaches and ADs sat down, there was not much of a front to change this format.

The question is not whether the current system works today — it does. What coaches and ADs have realized and reviewed is that SEC teams would systematically receive higher RPI (Rating Percentage Index), or power ratings, if they played more cross-division games during the season.

For example, in order for Florida to up its RPI, the answer lies in playing more SEC East teams, because the East is a stronger division than the West. This would mean a rise in conference games from 16 to 22, which is a much larger margin of risk when considering how tough conference play can be, rather than a few more tune-up games across the country.

Last season, Florida head coach Billy Donovan said that playing in the stronger SEC East division actually helped Florida’s chances of an at-large bid, because it improved their RPI rating. For teams to enter the postseason independently, for those that don’t know, an at-large bid is based greatly on a team’s body of work or its strength of schedule. If opponents have higher power ratings, this helps its chances

of getting an at-large bid that much more.

Certainly, every team wants greater competition and to be as ready as possible upon entering postseason play, if it makes it in. But herein lies the trick to at which length you want to sacrifice wins with greater competition. It’s a thin line and very debatable between coaches of the different divisions.

“I’m not saying I’m in favor of it; that’s an awful lot of league games, and 22 would be difficult to do,” Florida’s Donovan said.

“But the real easy way to raise the level of our RPI is to play more league games.”

Donovan continued by saying he would listen to a proposal if it called for a roundrobin format with one division and 22 league games.

Andy Kennedy, Ole Miss’ head basketball coach, seconded Donovan’s argument with a situation of his own last season, in which the Rebels defeated four SEC West teams — Auburn, Alabama, LSU and Arkansas — and still did not see a boost in their RPI. His side of the story is that facing more East teams last year would have strengthened their overall strength of schedule and caused the RPI’s to show the Rebels a little more respect at tournament bid time in March.

On the flip side, some coaches do not believe that this uniting of teams into one division is necessary.

Their reasoning? Both division’s imbalances year to year are recurrent.

In the last seven years, the SEC has seen the West win the regular season conference championship three times, while the East has captured four. Just two years ago, Trent Johnson’s LSU Tigers won the conference from the West. While the East seems to be the stronger division before we enter the new season, he knows that anything can happen in the future.

“In my short term, the West was stronger when I first got here, and now it’s the East,” Johnson said. “I don’t think it matters.”

The Vols, sitting in the East and facing tough divisional competition like Kentucky, Florida and Vanderbilt will no doubt receive plenty of nods from the RPI come tournament time when strength of schedules are weighed among worthy teams throughout the nation. Note that no team in the SEC West enters the season ranked, while the East houses three in No. 10 Kentucky, No. 11 Florida and No. 20 Tennessee.

—Colin Skinner is a junior majoring in journalism and can be reached at cskinne3@utk.edu