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UT’s annual Study Abroad Fair kicks off this week

The UT baseball team says ‘the building process’ is over and claims they’re ready to win now

Campus welcomes culture through fourth annual Indian Culture Week

NEWS >>pg. 5

ARTS & CULTURE >>pg. 7

In Simmons’ return home, Lady Vols crush SEC-leading Aggies

SPORTS >>pg. 8

SPORTS >>pg. 8

Monday, January 27, 2014

Issue 13, Volume 125

Musical lineup trots out unique display

Cheek introduces programs for high achievement Hayley Brundige • The Daily Beacon

Hayley Brundige Assistant Photo Editor About one-third of UT students are eligible for the Federal Pell Grant Program, a statistic exceeding the national average for public institutions according to a 2009 Chronicle of Higher Education report. Last week, Chancellor Jimmy Cheek traveled to Washington D.C. alongside leaders from approximately 100 higher-education institutions for the College Opportunity Summit. Gathering representatives and leaders from private, public and community colleges across the nation, the summit rallied support for programs specifically geared toward high-achieving, low-income students. “We have identified assisting low-income students as a high priority for us,” Cheek said. “We have the Pledge and Promise scholarships that help those students go to school in addition to the HOPE and the Pell. So when you put the HOPE and Pell and other scholarships together, it makes us much more accessible than most universities.” Other schools in attendance included LSU, the University of Arkansas, Yale and the University of California system. Every university invited was challenged to create and submit innovative programs benefiting this student demographic. In response, UT’s Top 25 implementation team drew up three new programs to recruit, retain and graduate low-income students with academic potential. These programs include a summer math camp, a coach-

ers to success at the university level, such as coming from a lowachieving high school or having never taken an AP class. The coaching program aims to ease the transition from high school to college.

Swing music, progressive rock and break dancing – oh my! While these three distinctive genres do not ordinarily elicit comparisons, they shared a common audience Saturday night at Knoxville’s Relix Variety Theatre. Local acts Swingbooty, Oroboro and VolatomiX took the stage back-to-back for an evening in which the dance floor was undoubtedly the place to be. True to its name, the venue’s inclusive variety of entertainment allowed for concertgoers to practice their Lindy Hop one song, and their Six Step the next. Megan Patterson, freshman in biochemistry and cellular and molecular biology and psychology, thought the impromptu swing dancing that erupted during Swingbooty’s gypsy-jazz set made for a pleasant surprise. “Swingbooty was fantastic,” she said. “Watching a crowd of 21st century college students break it down like our grandparents’ generation was extremely entertaining and unlike any other show I’ve attended.

See CHEEK on Page 5

See SWINGBOOTY on Page 6

Jimmy Cheek speaks with students Billy Rochelle, left, and Laura Galloway, in the skybox during the Tennessee-Vanderbilt game at Neyland Stadium on Nov. 23. Last week, Chancellor Cheek traveled to Washington D.C., alongside leaders from approximately 100 higher-education institutions for the College Opportunity Summit. ing program to promote college readiness and an expanded transfer system with community colleges. “If you look at the metrics for Top 25 universities, the only metric we currently meet the goal in is the quality of our students,” Cheek said. “Our students are

already in the Top 25. But the financial resources are an issue with many of our students.” Starting this summer, the proposed math camp will target incoming freshmen interested in math-intensive majors who do not have the strong ACT math scores needed for success

in areas like engineering or biochemistry. Although there will be a fee to attend the camp, students will be able to apply for scholarships. A pilot version of the mentorship program is already underway, using volunteer coaches to mentor students who face barri-

• Photo Courtesy of Maggie Solomon

CCI takes New York City by storm R.J. Vogt Editor-in-Chief During his tenure at the College of Communication and Information, Dean Michael Wirth has pumped several million dollars into high-tech classrooms in an effort to improve the educational experience of CCI students. But for some CCI students, the pursuit of journalism, advertising and public relations took them beyond the classroom. Some things are just better learned in New York City. Last week, 28 journalism students and 24 members of the Ad Club traveled to the “City That Never Sleeps” to see the professional world of their respective disciplines. One of the year’s largest storms – referred to in New York as “Snow-pocalpyse” – greeted the UT travelers with more than a foot of snow but failed to stop them from meeting the likes of Anderson Cooper, Katie Couric and more. Ad Club Led by Courtney Childers and Roxanne Hovland, both faculty members for the School of Advertising and Public Relations, the Ad Club students visited six advertising agencies, including Young & Rubicam and Scripps Network. Eight students also visited NFL headquarters to meet with Paul

Liv McConnell Copy Editor

Maci Lewis, left, and Malorie Cunningham, middle, meet Today Show co-host Savannah Guthrie Tuesday, Jan. 21 outside NBC studios. Hicks, executive vice president of communication and government affairs for the NFL. Whether actually interviewing for internships or networking for future opportunities, the students had a peek into a life after Knoxville. “It’s definitely a learning experience, even as a senior,” Lauren Gregg, senior in advertising and public relations, said. “It helps you know if you really

want to live in New York.” Journalism classes Led by Sam Swan, a broadcast professor, and Elizabeth Hendrickson, a magazine journalism professor, the journalism students met with top industry executives, including on-air celebrities. “Honestly, when I saw Katie Couric, I cried,” McKenzie Martin, junior in journalism and electronic media, said after

the trip. “And Anderson Cooper was just so down-to-earth.” The broadcast students visited studios at NBC, Fox, ABC, CBS, CNN and the Food Network, capitalizing on alumni connections and the extensive professional network maintained by Swan, a former TV anchor in several Midwestern markets. See NYC on Page 5

Web show keeps LGBT talk active Liz Wood Staff Writer As the fight for LGBT equality continues, “The Lavender Table” web show strives to keep current issues under discussion. Creator and host Gary Elgin began the show in 2010 after years of activism with Knoxville Pride and other organizations. Throughout this period, Elgin sought to prevent pertinent topics from being neglected in the media. “We don’t talk enough,” Elgin said. “The goal of the show is – as the tagline says – to keep the conversation going.” Unlike programming on a national scale, “The Lavender Table” offers a more personal and relatable context, an attribute Chris Sanders, executive director of the Tennessee Equality Project, recognizes as a highly effective way to reach an audience. “Gary provides an important voice for equality in Tennessee,” Sanders said. “He really takes the time to interview his subjects in depth, and their lives embody important moments in the

struggle for equality. “I think that’s really an inviting way for people to understand what’s going on in our movement.” Although the web show often interviews local celebrities, more widely recognized guests are proliferating as the show gains popularity. Chaz Bono and Park Overall have appeared on former seasons. Overall’s appearance solicited 1,000 views, the show’s peak number to date. As “The Lavender Table” garners a following, viewers from Asia, Europe and Africa have begun to tune in. “The Lavender Table” will launch its fourth season April 9 with an interview of former UT trainer Jenny Moshak. Currently a co-plaintiff leveling allegations of inequality against the university, Moshak plans to discuss several LGBT issues as well as equality in relation to sports. “If we don’t talk about it, then people think things are fixed or that they don’t exist anymore or that they can just ignore them, and that is not the case,” Moshak said. See LAVENDER TABLE on Page 3

INSIDE THE DAILY BEACON

“... he who brings an extra tap will be crowned a hero and crowd surfed to the keg if the previous tap breaks.” @utkDailyBeacon www.utdailybeacon.com

OPINIONS >>pg. 4

In Short News Opinions Arts & Culture Sports

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