02 04 15

Fireworks and decapatation star in anthropologist’s lecture >>See page 3

Craig Market & Thomm Jutz performs Feb. 2 for Tennessee Shines, a Monday night radio show broadcasted by WDVX. JoBeth Collins • The Daily Beacon

Even adults eat fish sticks >>See page 7

Talent shines on local radio show WDVX hosts live performances weekly, brings ‘thrill’ to Gay Street Marina Waters Staff Writer

History repeats itself with second top 10 recruiting class >>See page 12 Volume 128 Issue 19

On a blustery Monday night in the Scruffy City, downtown slows its pace as the frigid February air rolls down Gay Street.

But the blue black bitterness of downtown’s freezing winds are long forgotten

inside the Knoxville Visitor Center as the Tennessee Shines live music and radio special is just tuning up for the evening ahead.

Tennessee Shines is a Monday night radio show broadcasted by local radio station WDVX. Similar to its sibling radio show, the Blue Plate Special, the show hosts these live performances in front of a live studio audience in the heart of downtown Knoxville.

utdailybeacon.com @utkdailybeacon

“It’s different from going to a little bar to see music or going to a club to see music,” said Paige Travis, radio producer and host of Tennessee Shines. “We’re trying to bring that element of the people in the audience are really also part of the show.”

“There is that slight thrill of ‘We’re live for an hour. And anything can happen.’”

See TN SHINES on Page 4

Wednesday, February 4, 2015

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CAMPUSNEWS

The Daily Beacon • Wednesday, February 4, 2015

Around Rocky Top

Syster, syster Founding organization ‘leans in’ to encourage female engineers, computer scientists Heidi Hill

Staff Writer

Sally Buice bikes along the Canal du Midi in Southern France. Mitchell Connell, senior in studio art, was announced the Staff Pick winner in ISEP’s Photo Contest.

• Photo courtesy of Mitchell Connell

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A scrawny figure wearing Coke bottle glasses and a pocket protector, hunched over a desktop with his eyes forever glued to a glaring screen.

This is the stereotypical image that Jessica Boles, senior in electrical engineering, wants to eradicate. Boles instead wants to focus on recruiting and retaining women in both the electrical engineering and computer science fields.

With 26 percent of women holding professional computing positions in 2013, according to the National Center for Women & Information Technology, Boles said her vision is nothing if not timely.

As the vice president of Systers, a tutoring and training program housed in the College of Engineering, Boles and her fellow Systers stress the need to recruit and maintain strong female mentors to encourage greater gender diversity within the department.

By pairing a new undergraduate with an older student or professor, Boles said the introductory classes are less deterring for potential majors and bolster the chances for more females present in the department.

“We are big believers that if most women, if they haven’t seen other women in (the field) or they haven’t grown up around it, they won’t even consider engineering because it’s weird,” Boles said.

“It’s not the norm.”

But Systers was created with the idea that norms that are meant to be broken.

Businesswomen like Sheryl Sandberg, chief executive officer of Facebook and author of “Lean In,” serve as primary examples in redefining roles for women in the workforce, not limited to computer science and engineering.

As part of an extended curriculum, Systers took part in Sandberg’s Lean In Circle, a program launched from the book, that discusses how to develop future generations of more confident female professionals.

“It opened my eyes to a lot of things

that I took as face value as far as how women have to survive in our field,” Boles said of the impact Sandberg’s book on her beliefs. “In reality, it taught me that change is possible. If everyone just accepts that status quo, then nothing ever progresses. That’s what that class really taught me: to stand up and use my voice and stand up for what I believe in.”

Though Boles cited that female undergraduates in the department have increased from six to eight percent in the last year, she said asserting a stronger female presence in a classroom can still be awkward.

This is a reality that Anagha Uppal, a sophomore in College Scholars and specializing in computer science and statistics, knows all too well.

“When (women) do ask for help, I get this feeling that men, when they’re explaining things, they’ll explain things in a lot more detailed fashion and breaking things down into simpler and simpler bits, as if girl couldn’t understand it on the same level as a guy could,” Uppal said.

Currently, Systers visits schools like L&N STEM Academy to teach classes on basic coding as part of their outreach in Knoxville.

This aspect, Boles said, remains a key part of the organization’s mission as well as the most satisfying part of her work with Systers. “(Students) see what we’re doing, they’re looking up to us, they see that we’re women, and you can just tell that they’re seeing this as the norm,” Boles said. “That’s what we want them to think — that’s it is not abnormal for them to consider it.”

WomEngineer’s Day, an inaugural, nocost conference for those interested in engaging with computer science and electrical engineering professionals will be held on April 11.

The event will be organized by Systers and sponsored by the College of Engineering’s board of advisors.

To register for the event, please visit WomEngineersDay.com or contact Jessica Boles at jboles@vols.utk.edu.

CAMPUSNEWS

Wednesday, February 4, 2015 • The Daily Beacon

3

Anthropologist illuminates Tennessee fireworks disaster Altaf Nanavati Staff Writer

In 1983, at approximately 9:15 a.m., an industrial accident took place caused by the production of illegal fireworks in an unlicensed factory near Benton, Tennessee. The result was an explosion that killed 11 factory workers, six of whom were decapitated.

Due to the overall condition of the bodies, it became difficult for the authorities to determine the identity of the victims at the time.

Immediately, Bill Bass, world renowned forensic anthropologist and former professor at UT, was called to use his expertise to assist in the identification of the victims.

Now Bass is returning to UT to discuss the aftermath of the incident along with the role that he played during the investigation at the James R. Cox Auditorium of the Alumni Memorial Building at 5 p.m. Wednesday.

Invited by the Undergraduate Anthropology Association, Bass will bring with him photos from the scene of the Benton fireworks explosion.

Christine Reilly, a senior in anthropology and secretary of the Undergraduate Anthropology Association, said Bass’s first-

hand experience will offer plenty of insight into the events that took place in the 1983 explosion.

“Students should definitely attend the event because it gives them unique opportunity to be walked through a real life anthropological case study in which Dr. Bass was the leading forensic anthropologist,” Reilly said.

Even though he began his career as an archaeologist during the 1950s, Bass is better known for starting UT’s first Anthropological Research Facility, colloquially known as the “Body Farm,” in 1971. The center consists of a 2.5 acre wooded plot where bodies are exposed in various ways to determine how the decompose in different environments.

While Bass has retired from teaching at the university, he still plays a vital role at the research facility.

Sara Poarch, a junior in anthropology, said Bass’s work and passion for the field of anthropology translates to students in any major and all students should consider attending the event.

“Dr. Bass has spent his entire career using science to give voices to those long passed,” Poarch said. “His talks are always an emotional roller coaster from laughing to crying to just being in awe of his work.”

The event is open to anyone, and the

Dr. Bill Bass tickets for general admission will cost $10 each. For those students who have opted-in, however, the online tickets will cost $5.

After the event, Bass will be available for book signings and photos. Due to the sensitive subject matter, photos will not be permitted during the lecture.

Event is Wednesday, February 4.

General admission tickets (at the door): $10 Opt-in students (online only at knoxvilletickets.com): $5

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ARTS&CULTURE

The Daily Beacon • Wednesday, February 4, 2015

Performance connects racial, social issues across cultures

Brittany Rodgers Contributor

“History repeats itself,” the saying goes; and learning from the past can help solve problems in the future. “‘Master Harold’ … and the boys,” a historic play surrounding racial issues and Clarence Brown Theatre’s first production of the spring semester, will open Friday at the Ula Love Doughty Carousel Theatre.

The play, directed by UT alumna Jayne Morgan, follows white South African teen Hally, played by Eric Sorrels, a senior in theater, who has grown up and developed close relationships with two black waiters, Willie and Sam. When Hally discovers his alcoholic and racist father will soon leave the hospital to return home, he realizes how his life will change for the worst. Unleashing his pent up anger and frustrations toward his father, Hally’s emotions could change the dynamic of his relationships with Willie and Sam. The play seeks to show how racism and hatred are not natural born qualities, but rather, are learned from being taught or influenced by someone.

“This play shows how badly we are (From left to right) Bryant Louis Bentley, Rico Bruce Wade and Eric Sorrels will capable of treating people and how we are star in the Clarence Brown Theatre’s production of “‘Master Harold’ ... and the also capable of reaching for being better,” boys.” • Photo Courtesy of Clarence Brown Theatre Morgan said.

TN SHINES continued from Page 1 There is a certain rhythm and rhyme to the radio show and its guests though.

The show seeks to showcase all forms of East Tennessee culture, varying from sequences of live music, the occasional artist interview and spoken performances from the night’s poetic guest.

From Celtic Bands to poets, Tennessee Shines has had various talents grace their intimate corner stage; however, these acts all have an intertwined theme.

“We really like that kind of interplay between music and the kind of feelings and thoughts and stories that songs tell — and also the kind of feelings and the resonance that poems, that different kind of art, can bring into the show,” Travis said.

Though telegraphed through radio waves and seen only by those in the audience, these performers feel an air

of openness in such a live acoustic setting, as musical guests Craig Market and Thomm Jutz, mentioned during this Feb. 2’s Monday night performance.

“At some point Craig said, ‘Man, there’s nowhere to hide, no drums, no bass, no nothing,’” Jutz said. “We took that sentiment of not being able to hide anywhere — and you can take that in a more emotional and spiritual way if you will.”

The pair’s latest album is appropriately titled “Nowhere to Hide” due to the acoustic circumstance they endured while recording the record. The two also related this same mindset with their show at Tennessee Shines.

“It’s just two guitars and two voices,” Market said. “Nothing slick, no effects, no help.”

Tennessee Shines offers a laid-back, evening atmosphere as compared to Blue Plate Special, a daily afternoon show.

“It’s a little looser. People, hopefully, don’t have to go to work after they’re

here at Tennessee Shines,” Travis explained. “They can have a beer. They can have some moonshine samples. It has more of a night-life vibe, and we try to go with that a little bit.”

The performers, hosts and audience members aren’t the only factors in creating the show’s atmosphere; Tennessee Shine’s listeners are tailored to as well.

“Whatever they’re doing at home, the people get a sense of the live audience and the band on stage and the reader, and they kind of get that theater of the mind concept,” Travis said. “Because people can listen anywhere in the world and we may have listeners out there who have never been to Knoxville, they’ve never been inside the visitor’s center, and we really want every show to have something that they can imagine.”

To paint this Knoxville music-themed picture in the minds of the listeners, Tennessee Shines uses live sound effects and audience applause to enhance listeners’ experience.

Though the pouring of liquid and

This reality, and seeing a production that addresses these social issues, relates to current political issues, making the play an event Morgan believes everyone should experience.

“People should see this play because we are in a hard time to talk about subjects like race and use of power,” Morgan said.

While “‘Master Harold’ … and the boys’ speaks to current issues, the play takes place in South Africa in the apartheid era, which caused some challenges for the cast. They had to learn how to speak the accent and still make sure they could be understood by its East Tennessee audience.

Another challenge for the cast and director was learning to ballroom dance including the quick step, fox trot and the waltz while making it appear natural with the assistance of choreographer Kody Row. Sorrels sees these new experiences and challenges as the most rewarding part of taking on this multi-faceted role.

“It’s quite a journey because the highs are super high and the lows are very low,” Sorrels said.

The show previews Thursday, Feb. 5 and opens Friday, Feb. 6 and runs until Sunday, Feb. 22 beginning at 7:30 p.m. each night. Preview tickets are free for students and all other performances are $5 and can be purchased at knoxvilletickets.com. ringing of a dinner bell near a mic during the Sugarlands Distilling Company and Tomato Head advertisements added this element to Monday’s show, Travis also rallies the audience for audience sound effects.

“I try to coach people at the beginning of the show,” Travis explained. “If someone does a crazy guitar solo and you’re just like jumping out of your seat, give a shout. I think it’s one of those things that people really like about live music, about hearing live music on the radio or hearing live music anywhere.

It gets you that much closer. It has that live quality.”

“They imagine this little place where Tennessee Shine happens.”

Tennessee Shines is currently located on the bottom floor of the Knoxville Visitor’s Center on Gay Street but will move to Boyd’s Jig and Reel in the Old City starting in March. The show starts at 7 p.m. on Monday nights and admission is currently free for college students with a valid I.D.

ARTS&CULTURE

Wednesday, February 4, 2015 • The Daily Beacon

5

Heather Dobbins returned to UT to read from her collection of published poetry during Writers in the Library on Feb. 2. Kristen Bright • The Daily Beacon

Poetic UT alumni bring balance to Hodges

Mikayla Ragan Contributor

Writers in the Library welcomed back two alumni to Rocky Top Monday night.

Heather Dobbins, a former College Scholar, and Christian Anton Gerard, a former student who holds a doctorate in English, read from their collections of published poetry during this semester’s Writers in the Library series.

Marilyn Kallet, director of the UT Creative Writing Program, welcomed the writers to the Lindsay Young auditorium and gave the audience some background information, including her own praise of their success since graduating.

“I always tell people that the writers at UT, the students and the alumni, are among the best writers in this country,” Kallet bragged, “and tonight’s poets will help me prove that point.”

Heather Dobbins first read poems from her collection, “In the Low Houses.” The poems, while all different in structure and topic, united through common metaphors and themes, with many focused on love. Dobbins addressed this common occurrence as she talked between readings.

“She knows now, that every poem is a love poem,” Dobbins said about a poem called “Sixth Graders Discuss Poetry.”

In the name of transparency, Dobbins gave the backstory before each poem and evoked audience laughter with tidbits about poets themselves.

“I challenge you, find a poet not obsessed with hands and mouths,” Dobbins joked.

True to her word, hands and mouths did

come up in Dobbins’ poetry, as well as in Gerard’s.

Gerard’s first poems were from his collection “Wilmot Here, Collect For Stella.” After that, he read some from his upcoming, second collection.

“I’m going to try something new,” Gerard said, introducing the new poems.

These poems were in first person and most mentioned his name directly, an element Gerard made clear from the start.

“Sometimes (the collection) is a little hyperbolically self-indulgent,” Gerard joked. “It’s bound to happen when you write in first person.”

The last poem Gerard read was a spur-ofthe-moment decision but tied the evening together by creating similarity between his poems and Dobbins’ poems.

“I wasn’t gonna read this one, but since you mentioned hands and mouths … ,” Gerard said, causing laughter.

Gerard often caused the audience to laugh, while Dobbins usually caused a hush with the occasional murmur. The differences in their style showed through in the reactions of the audience.

Bennet Lemaster, a sophomore in English, noticed the differences in their style of writing.

“I really liked it,” Lemaster said. “I thought there was a cool balance. He was really funny, and she was kinda more serious.”

Matthew Schwartz, a sophomore in aerospace engineering, agreed with Lemaster. He also mentioned that Kallet’s thoughts on UT poets being some of the best in the world was spot on.

“Go Vols,” Schwartz exclaimed. “We have the best everything around here.”

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VIEWPOINTS

The Daily Beacon • Wednesday, February 4, 2015

An environmental step in the wrong direction

Kevin Ridder The Compass

Last Thursday, the Senate passed a bill 62-36 approving construction of Keystone XL, a 1,179 mile long pipeline transferring oil from Alberta, Canada to refineries along the Gulf Coast of Texas.

Once the House passes the bill as GOP leaders stated Tuesday, the bill will reach President Obama who holds steadfast in his promise to veto the bill.

When looking at the pipeline through a purely economic lens, one could see why Congress would want to push it through; a sudden creation of thousands of jobs is a powerful motivator.

But these jobs, which have been projected to be anywhere from 2,500 to 20,000 strong, are very temporary. As soon as construction of the pipeline would be completed, there would be only 35 permanent jobs, as predicted by a State Department study.

I will admit, the project would be a boost to the economy; however big a boost is impossible to tell, as there seems to be a different claim on every site for or against the pipeline.

But even with a nudge to the economy and short-term job creation, is Keystone XL worth it?

In a June 25, 2013 speech at Georgetown University, President Obama had this to say on the matter: “... our national interest will be served only if this project does not significantly exacerbate the problem of carbon pollution.”

This is why Keystone XL receives a fail in my book.

As America slowly starts the process of moving away from fossil fuels and towards more sustainable energy, Keystone XL would be an enormous step backwards. The oil taken from the Canadian tar sands is not your typical crude oil; over its life cycle, from being mined out of the ground to pumped into your gas tank, tar sands oil produces 17 percent more greenhouse-gas emissions than normal crude oil due to the energy-consuming nature of its production.

Another downfall of the oil gleaned from tar sands is that you don’t simply drill into the earth and pump it out. The black sand is either surface mined after the trees and topsoil are removed, requiring an average of two tons of tar sands to create one barrel of crude oil, or it is brought to the surface after blasting steam hundreds of feet

underground to liquefy the tar. After being mixed with water and natural gas to make the tar less viscous and dumping the toxic leftovers, the gas is ready to move through the pipeline.

The amount of resources used to make even one barrel of tar sand oil is just absurd; and what’s left over is even worse. After the water is used in the refining process, it is so polluted that it has to be dumped in massive toxic sludge pits held back by a series of dams— a similar barrier used to hold back the coal ash in Kingston. These pits, which cover a total of 176 square kilometers, are not watertight by any means. A previous federal study shows that a single pond will leak 6.5 million liters of toxic waste daily into the groundwater and the nearby Athabasca River.

As for the pipeline itself, the proposed route for Keystone crosses over several hundred miles of the Ogallala Aquifer, one of America’s largest underground sources of freshwater. While TransCanada claims that top-of-the-line technology will be used that will prevent or better mediate spills, how can we trust them when their Keystone 1 pipeline leaked 12 times in its first year of operation alone, including a valve failure that dumped 21,000 gallons?

The Keystone XL project, and tar sands mining in general, is the wrong move for the future of America. We should be focusing our resources on the development of cleaner energies, not resorting to one of the dirtiest sources of fuel on the planet.

Digging up and burning all of the fossil fuels we find will have disastrous consequences on our planet if we don’t do something about it now. As Bill McKibben said in a New York Times article, “... if we’re ever going to tackle global warming we actually have to leave some carbon in the ground.”

Keystone XL represents a waste of time and resources on a severely outdated source of energy.

Instead of attempting to solve the energy crisis with one short-term fix after another, America needs to start focusing our resources on developing real, long-term solutions. Our future depends on it.

“America needs to start focusing our resources on developing real, long-term solutions. Our future depends on it.”

Kevin Ridder is a senior in environmental studies. He can be reached at kridder2@vols.utk.edu.

After going decades without publishing, news broke yesterday that celebrated author Harper Lee will release a second novel this summer. The book, called “Go Set a Watchman,” was written in the 1950s before “To Kill a Mockingbird” and features an older Scout Finch who has returned to Maycomb to visit her father, Atticus.

Parker Gunsey @parker_gunsey There’s gonna be a sequel to “To Kill a Mockingbird”....possibly the first time in years I will willingly read a book

Elle Johnson @ellepeg It’s pretty incredible that the Go Set a Watchman survived all these years.

Guuci Coode @edooChcaZ Honestly, I thought Harper Lee died 15 years ago.

Columns of The Daily Beacon are the views of the individual and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Beacon or the Beacon’s editorial staff.

VIEWPOINTS

Wednesday, February 4, 2015 • The Daily Beacon

7

Right stuff, right price

Adam Weatherall Guest Column

To Kroger: Verb. Meaning to rendezvous with Cincinnati’s conglomerate beer and produce merchant, often biweekly. See also, “quasi-adulthood.”

I’m not quite sure when it happened, but at some point over the past 21 years it was decided that I should leave the sanctity of my parents red-brick colonial and begin the life-long amusement ride that I have come to know as “adulthood.” Now that I am here and living off of fish sticks, all I can think is HOLY FISH STICKS I AM NOT READY FOR THIS. I knew it was always coming, like people living alongside coastal fault lines know that eventually they’ll have to replace the patio furniture after the tsunami or how Dick Cheney’s hunting partner knew the risk of a “hunting accident.” However, I remain continually blind-sighted.

For example, my sink hasn’t drained properly in four months. Everything I own has coffee stains. I make my daily commute on a bike with broken brakes. I guess I always thought there would be a revolutionary moment of catharsis, and I would find myself descending from Mt. Sinai with a resolute sense of purpose and a compelling sense of direction.

Instead, I was met with a relatively disorganized 20-something with an affinity for unprofitable educational ventures and a generally apathetic nature towards personal hygiene. Nowhere is my seemingly inept nature more apparent than when I find myself staring once again into the rainbow colored rows of imported produce in the Chapman Highway Kroger.

Why are there so many different types of onion? Are large cage-free-free-range-organicbrown eggs really ethical enough to justify an extra $2? Where’s the peanut butter?

Cursing myself for failing to ever develop any semblance of organization and overwhelmed with my options, I find myself opting for the safe route — pesto and pasta — before again cursing myself for forgetting one of the many reusable shopping bags my eager environmentalists/roommates leave by the back door. I grab the pasta wrapped in the turtle killer and lumber out into the parking sea carrying more groceries than I intended and vowing to return next time with a proactive list.

I will be the first to tell you that I should not be trusted with the responsibility that adulthood entails, but I will also tell you that

I have yet to flounder and flail with most of my current responsibilities. I used to work at an outdoor education company where it was proclaimed that, “limits are but mirages on the horizon, always in sight but never really reachable.”

So I remind myself that while I may constantly forget time-sensitive math homework and have to enter my home through a window because I can’t ever find my keys, I still make it home. I decided to write this column because I wanted to find the medium between being a college student and coping with adulthood.

Writing a published opinion column is innately masturbatory, but I’m hoping that my thoughtful blend of phallus jokes and social commentary will prove to be worth your read as I struggle to discuss very adult topics while still remaining very much so a child. So if you go to Kroger, bring a list, and if you see my keys, please, for the love of God, call me.

Adam Weatherell is a sophomore in political science. He can be reached at aweath10@ vols.utk.edu.

Insure Tennessee has potential, lacks guarantees

Jonathan Martin City Cents

This week in Nashville, Gov. Bill Haslam will be appealing to state legislators to move forward with his new health care allocation plan called Insure Tennessee. The dual-option plan will extend health care coverage to an additional 280,000 low-income Tennesseans.

One option in the plan is called the Volunteer Plan, where participating employers will cover a portion of the cost of their employee’s insurance. The other option is the Healthy Incentives Plan, which provides for those who do not have coverage through an employer.

The trial period for Insure Tennessee would be two years, with the federal government providing complete funding during that time. After the trial period, if the plan continued, federal funding would drop to 90 percent, with the other 10 percent being paid for by providers. This federal funding allowed for Haslam to promote the plan as tax-free as he campaigned it in recent weeks.

The details of the plan will become increasingly apparent as the week progresses, but there are already potentially dangerous incentives that lack guarantees in the proposal.

For instance, the Volunteer Plan requires employers to pay a minimum of 50 percent of their employee’s insurance. However, Christie Herrera, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Government Accountability, reports that the average employer contribution for Tennessee employers is currently 65 percent. This creates an incentive for the employer to actually

decrease their employee contribution if that extra 15 percent saved isn’t outweighed by the administration costs of changing their policy. Therefore, the first option of Insure Tennessee would need to account for this fact if the Volunteer Plan were to be widely accepted.

Similarly, the Healthy Incentives option brings worries of its own. About $20 per month in premiums will be required of those who make between 100 percent and 138 percent of the federal poverty level. However, there is no incentive for anyone to actually pay these premiums. Haslam has proposed removing people who go more than 60 days without paying their premium, but there is no lockout policy. Anyone being kicked out can simply turn right back around and sign up again. This won’t be easy to fix, as a lockout policy can be very difficult to get passed.

Another danger comes after the trial period. The federal government will require Tennessee to partially fund the plan in order to continue to receive funds. The current path is for providers to pay 10 percent to the state as a tax, but there needs to be a guarantee that this will continue past the first few years.

If anything were to happen to the providers’ contribution, the payment would fall to the state government and, in turn, to taxpayers.

It may seem like a slippery slope, but in reality it is only one step removed from either raising state taxes to fund the plan or drop-

ping the plan altogether, which would place hundreds of thousands back out of coverage.

Even with the question marks, that will hopefully be answered this week, Insure Tennessee is a noble and worthy idea. The plan itself needs clarification and several guarantees, but it has potential to cover many Tennesseans who are without health care.

Nevertheless, Insure Tennessee was founded through a verbal agreement that Haslam announced with the Obama administration.

In fact, Insure Tennessee looks very familiar to the Affordable Care Act. That is why, this week, many members of the GOP might be afraid to support Insure Tennessee completely. With all of the opposition to Obamacare in recent years, conservatives are hesitant to publicly turn around and accept it now.

This would be a disgustingly partisan response to a plan that could help many Tennesseans if given the right amount of attention. Legislators’ talks this week should not revolve around the origins of the plan but on better defining the provisions within it and answering the many questions that they will bring.

Jonathan Martin is a senior in finance and economics. He can be reached at j92mart@ gmail.com.

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ARTS&CULTURE

The Daily Beacon • Wednesday, February 4, 2015

Knoxville Comedy showcase delivers laughs Johnesha Harris Contributor

When Knoxville native Douglas Parker informed me the Station Comedy Showcase “is one of the best in the city,� I couldn’t wait to take a seat and watch the festivities.

I was surprised to see a railroad station when I arrived at this secluded location, the Historic Southern Railway Station. I stepped into a low lit, small bar/gift shop crowded with eager people; the small talk featured discussion about the signature Blue Slip Wine provided by the company and excitement for events to come.

Once their drinks of choice were selected, I followed as the friendly crowd flowed into the next room.

As I walked in, a shadow of blue and purple lights filled my eyes. In front of me was the stage surrounded by small round tables, so I chose my seat and was kindly greeted by a man with a menu. He informed me that Forks on the Road, a catering food truck, would be available all night. Through the window in the back room, I could see cooks slaving away at the stove, preparing food for their happy

customers.

The CFC Strategies Company, the public relations company that markets the event, and Forks on the Road truck both run their businesses through the comfort of their own cell phones. Tickets and other purchases all are ordered with one swipe of a card.

To allow for a full comedic experience without interruptions, a number was

“They are close knit and bring out the laugh in anything from the soil in the ground to the clouds in the sky.� -Faith Collins included on the menu and after deciding, guests could send a text and their food would be right out. Soon, the air was filled with the smell of soup, signature burger sliders and a mix of homemade sweet potato and regular fries.

Finally, the show began and from the moment host Shane Rhyne stepped on stage, the crowd never stopped laughing.

The show was comprised of a crew known as Scruffy City Comedy, some of the best comics in Knoxville. The young Victor Agreda Jr. started the show off with his “cue cards� of overused jokes and his common knowledge of the average person. Jay Kendrick, the 2014 winner of the Rocky Top Comedy competition came on, killing the crowd with his thoughts on relationships and cat jokes. Right after him, 2013 champ of the same competition, Trae Crowder, rocked the stage with his smart mouthed banter and insight on the “dumb� crowd. Matt Chadourne ended the night chatting on about weather and the gas prices.

Faith Collins, a seeker of spots for nights out on the town, informed me she has “been to many shows but none are like this.� “They are close knit and bring out the laugh in anything from the soil in the ground to the clouds in the sky,� Collins said.

There was no way to contain the laughter, and I certainly joined in as the show carried on.

Shows are every Wednesday at Blue Slip Winery at 7:30 p.m. with doors opening at 6 p.m., and tickets are $10.

Local street artists rename the game Staff Report

On Wed. Jan. 21, The Daily Beacon published an article called “Streets speak through poetry of *JETO,� in which one poet anonymously tagged her poetry under the name *JETO and another under the name with_a_gg. Now, the two have updated their group name to The Knoxville Streetniks to include more writers in their cause. This includes an updated Facebook page name.

Rhythm ‘n Blooms welcomes new additions in festival lineup Staff Report

Rhythm n’ Blooms, an Americana festival hosted in Knoxville each year, has added The Drive-By Truckers as a festival headliner. Other recently added acts include Langhorne Slim & the Law, The Apache Relay, Humming House, Alanna Royale, Count This Penny, Guthrie Brown & the Family Tree, Daniel Ellsworth & the Great Lakes and *repeat repeat. More artists will continue to be announced in the coming months. Festival passes are $60, and the festival coincides with the Dogwood Arts Festival.

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PUZZLES&GAMES

Wednesday, February 4, 2015 • The Daily Beacon

9

Get Fuzzy • Darby Conley

NEW YORK TIMES CROSSWORD • Will Shortz

Timtation Creation • Timothy Brunson

Columns of The Daily Beacon are the views of the individual and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Beacon or the Beacon’s editorial staff.

ACROSS 1 Manual 6 What “you had me at,” in a classic movie line 11 See 30-Down 14 Sauce commonly served with seafood 15 Had a homecooked meal 16 Treasure lost on the Spanish Main 17 Material that may be acid-washed 18 *Legoland, for one 20 Cut 22 Busy time at Speedway or Churchill Downs 23 1992 or 2006 Winter Olympics locale 26 Next-to-last word in a fairy tale 28 Actor with the movie line “Me, I always tell the truth. Even when I lie” 29 *Tricky football play 32 First word in a fairy tale 33 Actress Sorvino

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62 Show for which Conan O’Brien once wrote, in brief

10

The Daily Beacon • Wednesday, February 4, 2015

MEN’S BASKETBALL

SPORTS

Vols fail to capitalize on second-chance opportunities, fall to Bulldogs 71-66 Troy Provost-Heron

Staff Writer (@Troy_Provost)

Tennessee had its chances.

And its second chances.

In their second matchup with Mississippi State this season, the Volunteers corralled 20 offensive rebounds but could only convert that into 17 second chance points.

Their inability to capitalize on extra possessions proved to be costly as the Vols fell to the Bulldogs, 71-66, inside Thompson-Boling Arena on Tuesday.

“We missed some chippys around the goal,” Tennessee head coach Donnie Tyndall said. “We did a nice job of going and rebounding the ball, but we didn’t convert. When we did have the opportunity to stick it in, we missed some easy buckets within four or five feet.

“I can’t fault our effort. I thought our kids tried to play hard, but we just didn’t convert some of those easy putback baskets.”

No missed opportunity, however, stung as much as Derek Reese’s failed second chance with 57 seconds remaining.

After gathering his third offensive board of the game, the junior forward knifed to the basket and launched himself toward the rim in an attempt to throw down a game-tying dunk.

Instead, the slam caromed off the rim and soared into the waiting arms of Mississippi State’s Fred Thomas, who leaked out to the other end and made a transition layup while being fouled by Armani Moore.

The ensuing made free throw turned what could have been a tied game into a 66-61 Bulldog advantage.

“I thought (Reese) attacked the rim,” Tyndall said. “I will live with that. He is trying to dunk a ball off a dribble penetration and we will take that every time. If it goes down, it is a tie game with a minute or so to go and you have a chance to win. Again, that is an example of a chip right around the goal that we didn’t convert.”

But while Tennessee (13-8, 5-4 SEC) struggled to convert on second chance shots near the basket, the Bulldogs (1111, 4-5) refused to miss from outside the paint, where they scored only 12 points.

In a shooting performance that flipped the script from the first matchup between these teams — where

Mississippi State shot just 11-of-36 from the floor — the Bulldogs drained eight of their 11 attempts from beyond the arc, with Craig Sword and Fred Thomas each sinking four.

“When you let get guys like Thomas or Sword get their head up, it’s going to be a tough night,” senior guard Josh Richardson said. “We let them get hot early, and they did a good job to keep attacking.”

By the end of the night, Sword had 26 points — his second highest output of the season — while Thomas finished with 20 of his own.

As Sword and Thomas carried their team, though, Richardson did the same for his.

In a game-high 39 minutes, the Edmond, Oklahoma native dropped a career-high 30 points on 11-of-19 shooting, including a 2:21 stretch in the second half where he scored 10 consecutive points for the Vols to trim a seven-point Bulldog lead to two.

The 30-point performance was the first for UT since Jordan McRae scored 31 against the Missouri Tigers on Feb. 15, 2014.

“He was great,” junior guard Kevin Punter said. “I know I passed up a few shots because he was hot. Where I’m from, whoever is hot you feed him the ball until he starts missing. He played a great game and kept us in it. For us, we just tried to help him out and do anything to help the team out and help us get the win.”

But the help never came.

Punter was the only other Vol to finish with double figures, scoring 10 points on 3-of-8 shooting.

And while the scoring distribution lacked, Tennessee’s defensive struggles hurt even more.

Aside from allowing Mississippi State to shot 55.9 percent from the floor, the Vols also recorded 24 personal fouls, giving the Bulldogs 35 free throw attempts — making 25 of them.

“We fouled them too much and put them on the line and that is a credit to them, they didn’t settle for jump shots and they drove the ball,” Tyndall said.

“A couple times we didn’t get the post fronted, about four or five times, we don’t get over the top of a ball screen and they turn the corner and draw a foul.

“You look back and (they have) 35 free throws and we have 17, that is the difference in the game.”

Junior Derek Reese dribbles the ball during the game against Mississippi State on Feb. 3. Hayley Pennesi • The Daily Beacon

SPORTS

Wednesday, February 4, 2015 • The Daily Beacon

11

MEN’S BASKETBALL

Hot-shooting Bulldogs negate career night from Richardson Jonathan Toye

Sports Editor As The Game Turned: It will be a moment that will live long in Derek Reese’s memory.

Kevin Punter had just knocked down a triple on to cut the Bulldogs lead to two at 63-61 with 2:20 left in regulation. After trailing the majority of the second half, the Vols had an opportunity to tie the game in the last two minutes.

After Richardson partially blocked I.J Ready’s shot, Tennessee got the stop on defense it needed. With the crowd in Thompson-Boling on its feet, Richardson dribbled the ball up the court and called an offensive set.

Punter tried to put his team in the lead when he attempted another 3-pointer from nearly the same spot where he drained his last triple.

This time, however, his 3-point attempt bounced off the rim. But Reese snagged the offensive rebound, giving the Vols another offensive possession and another opportunity to tie the game.

With one minute remaining in the game, Reese recognized he had a driving lane and drove hard to the basket.

The junior raised the arm holding the basket-

ball above his head and in a quick motion, threw his arm down in the direction of the basket, attempting a one-hand dunk that would have sent the orange-clad crowd into a frenzy.

It proved to be a mistake.

When Reese’s arm and the rim came into contact, the ball bounced out of the basket and landed in the hands of Fred Thomas. Thomas capitalized on the transition opportunity and delivered the dagger to the Vols.

Thomas, who scored 22 points on five-ofseven shooting, made the layup and drew the foul, giving the Bulldogs a 65-61 lead with 52 seconds remaining.

The crowd watched in stunned silence when Thomas went completed the 3-point play. It was as if someone had gut-punched every member in the crowd at the same time.

The five-point swing would prove detrimental for the Vols as the Bulldogs defeated the Vols, 71-66, on Tuesday night.

Head coach Donnie Tyndall, however, neglected to chastise Reese for the miss slam but instead said the Orlando, Florida native’s blunder was just another missed opportunity to convert a close look at the rim.

“I thought he attacked the rim. I will live with that,” Tyndall said. “He is trying to dunk a ball

off a dribble penetration and we will take that every time. If it goes down it is a tie game with a minute or so to go and you have a chance to win.

Again that is an example of a chip right around the goal that we didn’t convert.”

Reese’s teammate also offered support.

“You got to cheer him up,” Punter said.

“There is no need to get down on him, it’s bad enough to miss dunks. Everybody else is probably going to get mad. But for us, as a unit, we kept his spirit high and on to the next play.”

Hot Topic: The Bulldogs entered Tuesday’s night contest ranked last in the SEC in 3-point shooting percentage, averaging 30.5 percent from beyond the arc.

Against the Vols, The Bulldogs played a different tune from beyond the arc.

Mississippi State went 8-of-11 from the perimeter in its victory against Tennessee, with Craig Sword and Thomas both hitting four triples in the game.

“We have to do a better job of getting the corners covered,” Richardson said. “I think they were hurting from the corners real bad today.”

In a three-minute span in the second half, the Bulldogs knocked down three consecutive triples, turning a tie game into a 7-point lead.

“It makes your team kind of drop your head and get down a little bit,” Tyndall said, “Then it gives (Mississippi State) a great deal of confidence on the road. They are able to answer the bell if you will.”

Spotlight: When Richardson recorded his fifth personal foul with four seconds to go, the fans remaining at Thompson-Boling gave a standing ovation for the season as he approached the Tennessee bench.

The fans were applauding what might have been Richardson’s best game in his career.

The Edmond, Oklahoma native recorded a career-high 30 points on 11-of-19 shooting. At times in the second, Richardson single-handedly kept Tennessee in the basketball game.

Yet Tyndall observed that Richardson still did not play a perfect game.

“I always talk about field goals made and attempted field goals. I hope what Josh is looking at is that he only had one rebound and one steal in 39 minutes and turned it over seven times,” Tyndall said. “It doesn’t mean that he didn’t play hard. It doesn’t mean he didn’t play well. We don’t get hung up on field goal made and field goal attempted. It is those other numbers.”

12

The Daily Beacon • Wednesday, February 4, 2015

Around Rocky Top

MEN’S BASKETBALL

Tennessee can’t afford to make mistakes down stretch of SEC play

David Cobb Senior Sports Columnist (@DavidWCobb)

Performers provided a show for the audience during the men’s basketball game against Auburn on Jan. 31. Hayley Pennesi • The Daily Beacon

FOOTBALL

Defensive line leads 2015 recruiting class Stephen Kasper Contributor

Wednesday is National Signing Day, meaning the next chapter of Vols football is being written with each signed national letter of intent faxed in throughout the day.

By 4 p.m. Wednesday afternoon, Tennessee could potentially have one of the top three recruiting classes in the country.

Here is a preview of what to expect throughout the day.

Quarterbacks Galore Early enrollees and four-star quarterbacks, Quinten Dormady and Jauan Jennings have been on campus since the beginning of the spring semester at UT. But a third highly-rated quarterback is also expected to sign with the Vols.

Sheriron Jones, another 4-star quarterback from Moreno Valley, California was once committed to Florida, but the departure of Gator’s head coach, Will Muschamp left Jones looking for a different home.

On Jan. 8, Jones flipped his commitment from Florida to Tennessee and he has been solid to that commitment ever since.

Expect Jones to officially sign as a Volunteer and solidify what is being considered the nation’s best quarterback class for 2015 by national recruiting analysts.

Coach Strip’s Army of Defensive Linemen With highly-rated recruits Kyle Phillips, Shy Tuttle and Andrew Butcher already on campus for the spring semester, the Vols have already added some elite talent to join the defensive line unit.

Tennessee is expected to add at least three

other defensive line recruits, including 5-star tackle Kahlil McKenzie, four-star defensive end Darrell Taylor and three-star tackle Quay Picou.

Centered around McKenzie, who is widely considered one of the top 10 overall players in the nation, defensive line coach, Steve Stripling, has organized what might be the best defensive line class in recent Vols history.

Help is on the Way for Offensive Line The offensive line performed poorly in 2014, and the simple lack of depth played a significant role in their struggles.

Head coach Butch Jones took note and made the offensive line a top priority in this year’s recruiting class.

With Jack Jones and Chance Hall joining the roster as mid-year enrollees, Tennessee is likely to add up to three more offensive linemen to the class – including Memphis native Drew Richmond, who is rated the number two prospect in the state of Tennessee, only behind Vols commit and early signee, Kyle Phillips.

No (Real) Surprises For the most part, Tennessee has the majority of its recruiting class in place.

The recent commitment of four-star linebacker Quart’e Sapp was rather expected. And while the Vols hoped three-star running back Kendall Bussey would stay committed to Tennessee, he flipped to Texas A&M earlier this week.

With the recent decommitment of Drew Richmond to Ole Miss after his official visit to Knoxville this past weekend, it is now likely he will sign with the Vols on National Signing Day. If all goes to plan, Tennessee will sign between 28-30 recruits in 2015, and it appears Jones will have his second consecutive top ten recruiting class.

SPORTS

On numerous occasions in the second half, Donnie Tyndall waved his arms, enthusiastically asking the 13,268 at Thompson-Boling Arena to help his team out.

Time after time, they heeded the request and rose to their feet to serve as UT’s sixth man when Mississippi State had the ball.

But it wouldn’t have mattered even if there were 102,455 screaming fans surrounding a basketball court inside Neyland Stadium, because where Tennessee needed a sixth man the most in its 71-66 loss to the Bulldogs on Tuesday was on the court in its zone defense.

Mississippi State’s Craig Sword and Fred Thomas shot the Bulldogs to revenge of an earlier 61-47 loss to the Vols by making 8-of-11 shots from 3-point range to overshadow one of the greatest offensive performances by a UT player since Chris Lofton played for the Vols from 2004-08.

Josh Richardson scored a career-high 30 points for UT (13-8, 5-4 SEC). Inexplicably, though, his teammates neglected to look for him or he simply lacked assertiveness with the game on the line as the Vols crept to within a missed Derek Reese dunk of tying the game in the final minute.

That missed dunk may come back to haunt the Vols when the powers that be are deciding who to select for college basketball’s various postseason tournaments.

In reality, Sword and Thomas won the game for the Bulldogs (11-11, 4-5) more than any UT player or one play lost it.

But with the more difficult half of UT’s conference slate remaining, the Vols cannot miss any dunks or allow opponents to shoot as well as Sword and Thomas did on Tuesday if they hope to remain in the NCAA Tournament conversation.

Next up is a game at Georgia (14-6, 5-3) on Saturday. The Bulldogs faltered at No. 1 Kentucky on Tuesday night and lost 69-58, but they’re 10-1 at home.

Following Georgia is a game at Vanderbilt 11-10 (1-7). The Commodores are not a good basketball team, but playing them inside a uniquely configured Memorial Gymnasium is never easy.

Games against LSU (16-5, 5-3), Kentucky (22-0, 9-0) and at Ole Miss (14-7, 5-3) loom in mid-February. By the conclusion of that stretch, UT’s identity and destiny should be clearer.

For now, it is still uncertain. Against Mississippi State, the Vols looked more like what they were expected to look like before the season; they struggled to garner significant contributions from players other than Richardson.

UT’s senior leader contributed 12 of the 13 points UT scored between the 9:41 and 5:18 marks in the second half to keep the Vols afloat.

It was a remarkable effort — the kind that would have made history if it had continued down the stretch when the Bulldogs kept him out of rhythm and iced the game.

As Richardson trudged to the bench after fouling out with four seconds left, he received a standing ovation from what remained of the crowd.

Both Richardson and the fans did their jobs remarkably well.

UT just needed a literal sixth man.

David Cobb is a senior in journalism and electronic media. He can be reached at dcobb3@vols.utk.edu.