The Daily Beacon

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Issue 9, Volume 121

Tuesday, January 22, 2012

Inauguration makes memories, celebrates democracy Emily DeLanzo Managing Editor

David Cobb Assistant News Editor UT students utilized Martin Luther King, Jr. Day in a variety of ways. Some traveled back from a long weekend at home. Around 500 students participated in a leadership conference and day of service. Another group took in the festivities of Barack Obama’s inauguration to a second term in office as President of the United States. Derek McClardy, sophomore in communication studies, traveled to Washington, D.C. to watch President Barack Obama be sworn in for his second term. “I went to the inauguration because it was a great opportunity to see all the different tactics we talk about in communications displayed, but more importantly it was a great moment in history,” McClardy said. “It was a moment I can put in my memory bank and store forever.” While McClardy made memories in the nation’s capitol, Tyler Stanfield enjoyed the inauguration from his couch in Knoxville. ”I thought the ceremony was a pretty good way for Republicans and Democrats to come together to celebrate our tradition in the United States,” Stanfield said. Stanfield, sophomore in chemistry, typically aligns himself as a Republican but saw merit in the festivities. “In politics there’s a lot of tension and a lot of arguing about different things,” Stanfield said. “But today is not about that — it’s about

welcoming our president and celebrating the tradition that is the United States.” McClardy’s seat wasn’t as comfortable as Stanfield’s, but the feelings generated by being present at the ceremony in person were worth the extra trouble, he said. ”We waited two hours before the doors opened to get the seats we did,” McClardy said. “It was the kind of the rush you get from being first in the roller coaster or (on) Black Friday. ”The experience was great and I think the emotional comfort that is heard in the presidents voice makes me more supportive and a sense of comfort that he has it under control, something I would want to hear from all my presidents,” McClardy said. “The best part was for sure the experience of being there, seeing the president, and seeing all the famous stars.” McClardy was starstruck by more than just the president. Among a crowd of hundreds of thousands, the UT student stood in front of pop music icon Paula Abdul at the ceremony. Nevertheless, it was Obama who took center stage, imploring the nation to continue on with the initiatives he started in his first term, which began with his initial inauguration four years ago this week. ”The inauguration isn’t as much about the promise as it is about being in front of the people and making the promise,” Stanfield said. “It’s not a bad thing to have him up there in front of everybody, reminding them of what he’s there for. I don’t think it’s a bad thing to reproduce.”

• Drawing by Ranji Jackson

Festival draws attention to cranes

Around Rocky Top

Matt Reed • The Daily Beacon

Sandhill cranes fly over the Hiwassee during the weekend’s Sandhill Crane Festival.

Matt Reed Staff Writer Last weekend, the Hiwassee Wildlife Refuge and Cherokee Removal Memorial Park hosted their annual Sandhill Crane Festival. Free to the public, the gathering attracted visitors and naturalists from across the country to observe the magnificent spectacle of migratory sandhill cranes. The weekend-long event included wildlife displays and presentations, Native American displays and speakers, flint knapping demonstrations, and expert naturalists to assist visitors with viewing scopes. Even from a distance, sandhill cranes are something to behold, towering over four feet tall with wingspans easily exceeding six feet. Almost wiped out entirely during the 1800s from overhunting and habitat loss, they have made

an impressive comeback. Moreover, fossil evidence suggests that this particular animal is likely the oldest known bird species still in existence. Many other species were observed at the event, including the endangered whooping crane, which is one of the most critically threatened species in North America. For most attendees, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity to observe sandhill and whooping cranes, bald eagles and scores of other rare birds taking advantage of the exceptional habitat provided by the Hiwassee Wildlife Refuge. Located at the confluence of the Hiwassee and Tennessee rivers, the refuge is a 6,000 acre habitat for migratory birds and many other animals. Each winter, thousands of cranes and other birds enjoy a temporary rest from their long migrations at the refuge, further highlighting its importance in conserv-

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ing migratory populations. Dr. David Aborn, ornithologist at UT-Chattanooga, described the significance of the annual gathering. “This festival is a great way to introduce people to birds, biodiversity, the importance of conservation and it’s right here in their backyards,” Aborn said. “It’s also a unique contrast; the most numerous bird in the world, the sandhill crane, and the most endangered bird in the world, the whooping crane, can be observed here together.” Once visitors were satisfied with Hiwassee Island’s remarkable avian display, shuttles kept the crowds moving to and from the Cherokee Removal Memorial Park. The Park is a 29-acre area dedicated to the rich Native American history within the Hiwassee Refuge. In the fall of 1838, some 9,000 Cherokee Indians camped along the river at this site.

‘Zero Dark Thirty’ offers controversial, artsy feel page 5

The 1,000-mile journey that awaited them would come to be known as part of the historic Trail of Tears. Displays, memorials and traditional native music projected an atmosphere of reverence and respect for the horrors these families were forced to endure. Many speakers were present to give folks an opportunity to learn about these events from the natives’ standpoint. Ron Cooper, a Comanche Indian from Oklahoma, was on site to speak about his recent expedition along the northern route of the Trail of Tears. Spanning 835 miles from Tennessee to Oklahoma, his walk took roughly three months and three days. Desiring to reconnect with his native heritage, he completed this trek during the winter, much like that of the original journey in the 1800s. See CRANE on Page 3

Parker Eidson • The Daily Beacon

Sam Galluzzi, undecided freshman, taunts the next victim during the snowball fight in Presidential Courtyard.

The Daily Beacon is printed using soy based ink on newsprint containing recycled content, utilizing renewable sources and produced in a sustainable, environmental responsble manner.

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