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Wednesday, February 16, 2011 Issue 25

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Vol. 116

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T E N N E S S E E

Huckabee advocates value, importance of life Former governor supports pro-life stance, says age does not decrease value of life Grace Van Dyke Staff Writer Former Governor Mike Huckabee and the Center for Bio-Ethical Reform’s Southeast Region Director Fletcher Armstrong came to the Knoxville Convention Center Monday, Valentine’s Day, for the ‘Celebrate Life’ dinner.

The evening began with opportunities for attendees to have their book signed by Huckabee or have a professional photograph taken with the former governor.

Later, a worship and Southern-style meal took place, and Christian comedian Mike Williams provided the entertainment.

Armstrong brought a more serious tone to the room when he spoke and played a video about his project, known as Pro Life on Campus, an organization recognizable by the pictures of abortion displayed on the Joe Johnson Pedestrian Mall every year.

The video drew comparisons between segregation, child labor, slavery and abortion. It also explained that 52 percent of abortions occur on college campuses.

Pro Life on Campus hopes to reach 50 of the most influential southeastern schools each year. These schools have a combined enrollment of about 700,000. Armstrong said about 10 percent of students change from pro-choice to pro-life because of the project, which translates to about 7,000 mothers giving birth, instead of aborting, per year, strictly because of the Pro Life on Campus program.

The total cost for Pro Life on Campus is $450,000 yearly. This is broken down to about 65 cents per student, or $65 per child born.

The issue of abortion is a controversial one.

About 1.3 million abortions take place in the U.S. every year, but this number is shrinking, partly because of Pro Life on Campus.

Armstrong said that the pictures may be offensive but it is important to “show people the

truth.”

After Armstrong, Huckabee took the stage.

“I’m not here tonight because this is a political issue,” Huckabee said. “I’m here to recognize a true concern.”

He spoke about a conversation he had recently with Judge Andrew Napolitano, who believed abortion should be a states issue. Huckabee disagreed, saying that making abortion a states issue would be like allowing slavery to be a states issue.

“It was wrong to own a slave in Mississippi and Michigan,” Hucklabee said. “This is not a states issue.”

He said that abortion is not about politics or parties.

“It’s not about left and right,” Huckabee said. “It’s about right and wrong.”

Huckabee talked about abortion being the idea that one life is less valuable than another.

“I don’t believe a (Down’s Syndrome) child is any less valuable than the captain of the football team,” Huckabee said.

He said two common criteria exist for deciding whether or not to have an abortion. The first was financial, or the inability to support and provide for a child. The second was social, or the Tara Sripunvoraskul • The Daily Beacon stress it would put on the mother’s and father’s lives, as well as their families and Students and faculty members protest as part of a PSA rally outside of the Knoxville friends.

Convention Center on Monday, Feb. 14. The rally was held before a fundraising speech by Huckabee then spoke on the science Mike Huckabee for the Genocide Awareness Project, which compares abortion to historical of abortion. examples of genocide.

“Life — biologically — irrefutably Huckabee mentioned his own unborn grandThen the conversation changed to numbers. begins at conception,” he said.

He said that an unborn fetus isn’t the same Huckebee said that the Gallup and Pew Polls child, and spoke about seeing ten fingers and as a days-old baby, just like “a 3-year-old isn’t both showed recently that, for the first time ten toes, and a figure no larger than a peanut.

“Could any sane person come to any other the same as it will be at 30.” He explained that since 1973, the majority of women are pro-life.

“I believe in choice,” Huckabee said. “I just conclusion that this was a life?” Huckabee still, at whatever stage, the fetus is still a asked. think we ought to make the right one.” human life.

SGA vying for scholarship extension Student senate pushing Hope Scholarship summer accreditation Blair Kuykendall News Editor

George Richardson • The Daily Beacon

Kevin Khoo, Cody Mitchell, and Tyler Bone, all sophomores in civil engineering, perform land surveying for Geomatics 210 outside of Estabrook Hall on Tuesday, Feb. 15.

In keeping with recent passed legislation, the SGA student senate is pushing forward to extend Hope Scholarship funding to the summer term.

A student-initiated, letter-writing campaign was originally suggested to sway lawmakers in Nashville to support the extension. This week SGA is putting that plan into action.

“This letter-writing campaign for the (Tennessee) Hope Lottery Scholarship to be extended to the Summer Semesters is extremely important, in not only that it will let students voices be heard across the state to elected officials, but it will also, if successful, allow students to receive a great education in a timely manner, without having to incur a greater expense or more time,” Avery Howard, student services director, said in a statement.

Interested students can stop in the Haslam Business Building or the UC from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Wednesday or Thursday this week to fill out postcards that will be sent to their representative in the state legislature. The process does not take long, and an outpouring of student-body support for the initiative could impact the opinions of Nashville lawmakers. “(Tennessee) students currently cannot use their Hope Scholarship money for summer school,” Carey Smith, UT student trustee, said. “The issue is now receiving some visibility in Nashville, and students need to let their voices be heard. By sending a letter to your elected officials, you can help us generate the visibility and support we need to get this issue resolved during this legislative session.”

The SGA is collectively highlighting the importance of student participation in these efforts.

“This is an issue that many students take to heart,” Smith said. “Even if you are a graduating senior and will not directly benefit from the measure if it passes, you likely know someone that will. By extending the scholarship to cover summer semesters, students will likely be able to fulfill degree requirements in a more efficient manner.”

While the letter-writing campaign could possibly have a great impact in Nashville, extraordinary effort is not required to participate.

“This is an easy and quick process,” Smith said. “All you need to do is fill out your return address, sign your postcard and fill in your elected official’s name. If you do not know who your elected officials are, you can find out here: capitol.tn.gov If you do not have a chance to stop by and fill out a letter, we still encourage you to contact your elected official, by e-mail, phone or otherwise.”

SGA representatives are hoping the turnout for the event will be strong.

“Students should come out in support of this campaign, because it can ultimately benefit them or someone they know who has a hope of receiving an education from an institution of higher education,” Howard said. “The process is easy and will only take a few minutes of students time.”

Behind the scenes, schools across the UT system are coming together behind SGA’s efforts.

“The UTK Undergraduate Student Senate, as well as the Student Government Associations at UT Chattanooga, have passed resolutions supporting the measure,” Smith said. “A similar resolution is scheduled for a vote at UT-Martin next week. We plan to send these to Nashville, as well as the press coverage that we have been receiving. There very well may be more opportunities for students to help in the future, and I encourage them to be on the lookout for those. Currently, however, we are working very hard to expand our efforts beyond the UT system, gaining momentum on other college campuses across the state.”

Despite the lengthy process required to bring about a change in the funding system, the potential benefits for UT students is inspiring a great deal of excitement on campus.

“We hope this brings visibility (and support) to an issue that is important to students statewide,” Smith said. “Naturally, we hope the campaign ends with passed legislation altering the scholarship to cover summer semesters.”

Student representatives look forward to slight changes in the legislature that could make big impacts in the lives of students.

“Of course I hope that students will be able to use their Hope Scholarship for summer school,” Howard said. “This will allow them to graduate in an efficient manner. I will say that I don't want there to be an increase of funding for students to use, just a reallocation of the funds, based on when the student chooses to use them.”

2 • The Daily Beacon

InSHORT

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

• 1923 — In Thebes, Egypt, English archaeologist Howard Carter enters the sealed burial chamber of the ancient Egyptian ruler King Tutankhamen. Because the ancient Egyptians saw their pharaohs as gods, they carefully preserved their bodies after death, burying them in elaborate tombs containing rich treasures to accompany the rulers into the afterlife. In the 19th century, archeologists from all over the world flocked to Egypt, where they uncovered a number of these tombs. Many had long ago been broken into by robbers and stripped of their riches. When Carter arrived in Egypt in 1891, he became convinced there was at least one undiscovered tomb — that of the little known Tutankhamen, or King Tut, who lived around 1400 B.C. and died when he was still a teenager. Backed by a rich Brit, Lord Carnarvon, Carter searched for five years without success. In early 1922, Lord Carnarvon wanted to call off the search, but Carter convinced him to hold on one more year.

• 1951 — In a statement focusing on the situation in Korea, Soviet Premier Josef Stalin charges that the United Nations has become “a weapon of aggressive war.” He also suggested that although a world war was not inevitable “at the present time,” “warmongers” in the West might trigger such a conflict. Stalin’s comments in response to queries from the Soviet newspaper Pravda were his first public statements about the nearly year-old conflict in Korea, in which the United States, South Korea and other member nations of the United Nations were arrayed against forces of North Korea and communist China. Coming just over two weeks after the U.N. General Assembly’s resolution condemning China as an aggressor, Stalin’s statement Thomas Brantley • The Daily Beacon turned the tables by declaring that the United Nations was “burying its moral prestige and dooming itself to Steven Stribling, sophomore in nuclear engineering, plays the bassoon during the UT Symphony Orchestra condisintegration.” He warned that Western “warmon- cert on Saturday, Feb. 12. gers,” through their aggressive posture in Korea, would “manage to entangle the popular masses in lies, deceive them and drag them into a new world war.” In any event, he confidently predicted that Chinese forces in Korea would be victorious because the armies opposing them lacked morale and dedication to the war.

Feb. 11 A male UT student reported a theft that occurred on the Feb. 14 — Courtesy of History.com basketball courts of the TRECS some time between 4 p.m.

A UT staff member reported an incident of criminal tresand 6 p.m. on Feb. 8. passing that occurred in the Presidential Court cafeteria A female student reported a theft that occurred in Room around 3:45 p.m.

31C of the Health and Physical Education Building around A UT student reported that some items were stolen from 1:30 p.m. his black 1999 Chevrolet Tahoe while it was parked in the A contractor employee reported a theft that occurred in G7 parking garage around 7:45 p.m. The report stated that Room 3E of Perkins Hall some time between 8:15 p.m. on the value of the stolen items was $400.

Feb. 10 and 12:30 a.m. on Feb. 11.

A student reported that some items were stolen from his tan 1982 Jeep Wrangler while it was parked in the G7 parkFeb. 13 ing garage from 3:20 p.m. on Feb. 13 to 8:40 p.m. on Feb. At approximately 2:52 a.m., a UTPD officer observed a 14. The report stated that the value of the stolen items was male subject with watery, bloodshot eyes walking unsteadi- $125. ly in the Pilot Food Mart in the Pilot Gas Station. The suspect, a UT student, was arrested for public intoxication.

A female student reported that she had been assaulted —Crime Log is compiled by Robbie Hargett around 3 a.m. by a male student in Volunteer Hall.

Crime

Log

NEWS

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

The Daily Beacon • 3

UT continues Habitat for Humanity partnership Zac Ellis

Editor-in-Chief Students and staff from UT Housing spent the weekend amid hammers and nails as part of Knoxville Habitat for Humanity’s Blitz Build. The project, sponsored and funded by campus resident assistants and housing employees, was UT Housing’s 10th build since 1996.

Back in the 1990s, the idea to become involved with Habitat was piggy-backed off another university.

“We had heard that Ball State University had built a house,” Jerry Adams, associate director for UT Housing, said. “We just thought we would see if we could raise some money to try to build a house.”

Knoxville Habitat for Humanity has built nearly 400 affordable homes in the East Tennessee community since 1985, when the non-profit Christian housing ministry first became an affiliate of Habitat for Humanity International. Through several fundraising efforts, UT Housing raised enough money to build the group’s first house in 1996. The tradition has continued every year in which the office has been able to raise enough funds.

“We raised the money in the fall of 1995, and it only cost $17,000,” Adams said. “This year, the house we are building is about $30,000.”

Nick Gordon, hall director at Reese Hall, said the turnout for this year’s “blitz build” was better than expected.

“We actually took about 67 RAs on Saturday to work on the house,” Gordon said.

“We had two different shifts: a 7:30 to 11:30 and an 11:30 to 4:30.

“Everybody got lunch, everybody got free rides to and from the site. On Sunday, we put up all four walls and the entire roof. It’s actu-

ally a house right now.”

During the spring semester, the UT Housing group will work six Saturdays to finish this year’s house. Gordon said the “blitz build” day is the day most RAs want to work.

“We start with a conrete slab and make it a structure in one Saturday,” Gordon said. “To make nothing into something in one day is always the most popular day they want to work.”

The key to financing the group’s Habitat build comes from fundraising efforts within residence halls across campus. More than a dozen different fundraisers took place • Photo courtesy ofJerry Adams across UT’s campus this year to ensure the Students and staff gather after Habitat for Humanity’s Blitz Build on Saturday, Feb. 12. The event Habitat build. The marked UT Housing’s 10th year of teaming with Habitat since 1996. most famous fundraiser is likely the Reese erally raise tens of thousands of dollars to Hall haunted house, which raised nearly between $250 and 1,600,” Gordon said.

Though the fundraising efforts are enter- help somebody we’ve never met.” $1,600 this year.

“Seeing the family or someone who may Several other fundraisers took place this taining for staff and students alike, Gordon past year, including an open mic night at said the true payoff is constructing the house not have the opportunity to own a house, (the RAs) get a chance to do that. Every RA Morrill Hall, a “penny war” between several and seeing results.

“The RAs get excited about it, especially has the opportunity to get an education and residence halls, an Italian bake sale at Clement Hall and a “Pie Your RA” event at since we’re helping somebody,” Gordon said. have a roof over their head, so to be able to “It’s been unique and fun to see how the RAs pay it forward and help somebody out is realSouth Carrick Hall.

“I’d say each fundraiser raised anywhere have come together and work so hard and lit- ly a great thing to do.” who has run more than 20 marathons.

In addition to the keynote speech, the program will include creative diversity presentations, music and dancing. Tickets to the banquet are $30 each and tables of 10 are available for $300.

To order tickets, contact Sherry McNair at 865-974-4454 or smcnair@utk.edu.

UT College of Law hosts 11th Annual Blackshear Gala

UT Haslam Scholars program selects finalists High school seniors from Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama and Arkansas have been selected as finalists for the 2011 class of Haslam Scholars at UT. The finalists will be on campus next month to interview.

Fifteen will be invited to be part of the 2011-12 class of Haslam Scholars.

Selection criteria include scholastic achievement, leadership potential, special talents, and maturity and seriousness of purpose.

Haslam Scholars will be part of an intimate academic and leadership group mentored by top faculty. Haslam Scholars Program benefits include a $1,500 laptop computer and a studyabroad experience valued at $4,000, as well as up to $5,500 to support students’ honors thesis research and travel to present their work. In addition, each Haslam Scholar will receive a scholarship package that totals $16,200.

The program was created three years ago with $2.5 million from Jimmy and Dee Haslam. Jimmy Haslam is president and CEO of Pilot Travel Centers. Dee Haslam is CEO of RIVR Media and also chairs the UT Development Council. The Haslams chair the Campaign for Tennessee for the Knoxville campus.

Jim and Natalie Haslam contributed an additional $2.5 million to support the program. Jim Haslam is chairman of the board of Pilot Travel Centers LLC and chairman of the board and president of Pilot Corp.

College of Communication and Information to host diversity banquet Feb. 25 The UT College of Communication and Information (CCI) will hold its annual Experience Diversity Banquet at 7 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 25, at the Bearden Banquet Hall in Knoxville.

The keynote speaker is Jose Aponte, director of the San Diego County Library in San Diego, Calif.

Alice R. Bowling Wirth, a lecturer in the college’s School of Communication Studies and director of the college’s Diversity Student Leaders Society (DSLS), said the banquet is DSLS’s major fundraiser for the year.

The San Diego County library system that Aponte manages has a geographically and culturally diverse population, with more than 33 libraries, two bookmobiles and a literacy program.

Aponte also serves on the advisory board of the Laura Bush Foundation for America’s Libraries and is a competitive runner

The UT College of Law will host a special event next month to honor students and alumni who are making strides to increase diversity in the program.

The 11th annual Julian Blackshear Jr. Scholarship Gala will begin at 5:30 p.m., Saturday, March 5 at The Foundry in World’s Fair Park.

The college has hosted the event annually since 2001 in honor of one of its first African-American graduates, Julian Blackshear Jr. Ticket prices are $50 but only $25 for current students. Tables of 10 are available for $500. Reservations are needed by Feb. 25.

Fred Humphries, vice president of U.S. Government Affairs for Microsoft Corp. in Washington, D.C., and a native Tennessean, will provide this year’s keynote address.

All proceeds from ticket sales and money raised at the event directly support the Blackshear Scholarship. This scholarship program has helped recruit and retain outstanding AfricanAmerican students to UT's College of Law. To order tickets or for more information about sponsorship opportunities, visit http://www.law.utk.edu/news/11Blackshear.shtml or contact the College of Law’s Office of Development and Alumni Affairs at (865) 974-6691 or by email at LKH@utk.edu.

New lignin ‘lite’ switchgrass boosts biofuel yield by more than one-third Bioethanol from new lines of native perennial prairie grass could become less costly because of plant engineering by The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation and fermentation research at Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

In a paper published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers describe their transgenic version of switchgrass as one that produces about one-third more ethanol by fermentation than conventional switchgrass. This improved plant feedstock will be able to generate more biofuel per acre, benefiting not only the transportation sector but also the growers and farming.

For years, researchers have sought better ways to break down the plant’s defense system, and while substantial progress has been reported, recalcitrance remains a significant challenge.

Despite this obstacle, switchgrass holds great promise as a bioenergy feedstock because it is a native perennial plant, grows with high yields and requires little nitrogen and water. These characteristics made it an attractive target for transgenic improvements.

To achieve their goal, a team led by Zeng Yu Wang of The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation in Ardmore, Okla., chose to “downregulate” — a process that involves decreasing a cellular component — the caffeic acid 3-O-methyltransferase, or COMT, gene — in the Alamo variety of switchgrass. This change decreased the plant's structural “glue,” or lignin, by about oneeighth. The scientists chose this gene based on encouraging results of lignin modification from previous Noble research conducted in alfalfa and other plant species.

What the team from the Noble Foundation ended up with, as discovered by a team led by Jonathan Mielenz, is a switchgrass that is more easily converted to biofuels under milder conditions and with much lower costly additions during fermentation.

The paper, titled “Genetic manipulation of lignin reduces recalcitrance and improves ethanol production from switchgrass,” will be published online this week. Other authors are Chunxiang Fu, Xirong Xiao, Yaxin Ge, Fang Chen, Joseph Bouton, and Richard Dixon of The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation, Choo Hamilton and Miguel Rodriguez of ORNL, and Marc Foston and Art Ragauskas of Georgia Institute of Technology.

Supporting the research were the Department of Agriculture and the DOE Office of Science through ORNL’s BioEnergy Science Center. UT-Battelle manages ORNL for DOE’s Office of Science.

The BioEnergy Science Center is one of three DOE Bioenergy Research Centers established by the DOE’s Office of Science in 2007. The centers support multidisciplinary, multi-institutional research teams pursuing the fundamental scientific breakthroughs needed to make production of cellulosic biofuels, or biofuels from nonfood plant fiber, cost-effective on a national scale. The centers are led, respectively, by ORNL, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and the University of WisconsinMadison in partnership with Michigan State University.

OPINIONS

4 • The Daily Beacon

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

GuestColumn Rally for Egypt meant to support efforts Despite what some critics have said, for myself and others, our demonstration in the HSS amphitheater last week was our opportunity to express our support for the democratic movement now sweeping the Middle East and North Africa, but more precisely in Egypt. We did not intend to show support for any particular party or faction within the country, merely our support for democracy and respect for human rights in the region. Some observers’ assertion that the participants were nobly intended but “misguided” is a gross mischaracterization made based on brief looks at the participants with no regard for what was being said or the sentiments expressed.

Had people bothered to listen to our excellent speakers, who spoke about the aspirations of the Egyptian people to democratic participation, political liberty and economic opportunity, they would have learned that Mubarak’s regime has been anything but “moderate,” unless nowadays “moderate” describes a regime which practices widespread torture, police brutality and high-level corruption and cronyism. The assertion that Mubarak has overseen a period of unprecedented wealth creation from oil and natural gas is true as well, but he helpfully omits the fact that this profit is captured by Mubarak’s inner circle of bureaucrats, while ignoring the needs of Egypt’s extreme poor.

I state again that this demonstration had no leaning whatsoever toward any faction in Egypt, but his thoughts on Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood are inflated characterizations that distract us from a serious discussion of the Muslim Brotherhood. As he says himself, the Muslim Brotherhood has sought democratic change in Egypt, again helpfully omitting the crucial fact that its members have committed themselves to nonviolent action, in spite of the tortures and imprisonments they have endured at the hands of the “moderate Mubarak.” One would think that people would have learned in their political science and history classes that often the greatest barrier to extremism of any sort is a democratic system. Violence and extremist rhetoric don't tend to win many votes. Of course, the United States has often been more than happy to collaborate with Islamic extremist parties, and a Muslim Brotherhood-controlled Egypt should give us little cause for alarm; the Mujahideen in Afghanistan during the Soviet invasion and the sale of weapons to Iran after the Islamic Revolution are two particularly good examples.

People have also implied that our rally had no impact on the situation in Egypt. They are right, but this was never our intention. Our intention was to sway opinions on the democratic movement here in the United States and Knoxville. To this end, images and speeches from our rally were sent to the office of Ambassador Margaret Scobey, the U.S. ambassador to Egypt and a UT alumna. I am sure she will take an interest in such a gathering occurring at her alma mater.

Likewise, the offices of Tennessee’s congressional representatives and senators were aware that a demonstration in support of democracy in Egypt was happening in their own backyard. Maybe our actions didn’t make a large impact, but it certainly meant a lot to those of us who participated and our new friends and allies in the Muslim Student Association, Amnesty International, the Department of Religious Studies and, most importantly, in the Islamic community of Knoxville.

Perhaps one day, these connections will bear fruit in the form of real social change.

To conclude, I hope that our campus community will pay much closer attention to the movements for democracy in the Middle East, and instead of viewing these events with fear and dismay, they will instead see them as opportunities to celebrate common aspirations for freedom and opportunity.

— John McCullom is a senior in interdisciplinary studies. He can be reached at jmccoll4@utk.edu.

SCRAMBLED EGGS • Alex Cline

THE DAILY BACON • Blake Tredway

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.

Parking issues growing with student body T he Pen Is Mightier by

Sean Mahoney When I began my work as a Daily Beacon columnist earlier this year, I promised myself that I would write on the issues and topics that most concerned students at the university. My ultimate goal is to not only write about topics that interest me, but also to serve as an outlet for other students to voice their opinions, as well. Therefore, when I am brainstorming for column subjects, I often survey classmates and teachers for what matters most to them on campus. And since I began this practice, an issue that has frequently been brought up is parking, or lack thereof, on campus.

For weeks, students have told me that I should write about the current parking problems, and for weeks I have told myself that I did not wish to become an enemy of Parking Services. However, I promised myself that I would grant voice to those who have valid arguments throughout campus. I certainly agree that the issue must be discussed when so many students feel victimized, and after hearing so many stories, I could not ignore it any longer. And while certain solutions are being considered, like the addition of parking garages, they seem to be rather late. A significant problem exists now and with the university growing consistently every year, shouldn’t plans to accommodate more and more drivers expand every year as well?

It is certainly no secret that the parking situation is a significant issue among the student body. Any commuter who has attempted to find a parking spot on campus between 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. can certainly attest that they are more rare than blizzards in Knoxville. If I ever come to campus during this brief window, I plan for about 30 minutes of hunting for a spot. Whoever came up with the bumper sticker that says, “If you see my professor, tell them I’m still looking for a parking spot!” must have spent

some time here.

The issues do not just concern getting to class on time, either. When I was living on campus, there were problems, as well. One Saturday, before a home football game that evening, I was meeting my girlfriend for breakfast in the morning. I went down to the Lake Avenue garage, pulled my car out, and went to breakfast. When I came back about an hour later, an individual outside the garage instructed me that I was not permitted to park there. He explained that it was reserved for individuals who paid for the privilege to park there on game day.

Every student has a story like this. Last week, one of my TAs told me that he had been issued a ticket for parking in the wrong spot in a garage. At first, I could not find the problem, but then he proceeded to elaborate. The entire garage was empty because it was over Christmas break and he had accidently gone one space too far over in the row.

When he attempted to dispute the ticket, he found no success. So much for the holiday spirit.

My favorite story, however, came from a friend a couple of months ago. She arrived on campus during that wonderful window around lunchtime and ended up having to park in a spot not reserved for students or miss her class. When she returned to her vehicle, she found a much-expected ticket.

She then proceeded to contact Parking Services via e-mail and their response was nothing short of fantastic. The e-mail contained a message from a Parking Services representative that argued that he or she knew that there were spaces available on campus during that particular time. Whatever iPhone app shows open parking spots during that window, I would like to have it.

Stories like these are extremely common all across campus. It really should not be this difficult for students to be able to make it to class. The inability of the university to properly prepare for the increasing student population now has the students paying the price. Issues like these are going to be rather humorous when we receive that infamous envelope from the university asking for donations later.

—Sean Mahoney is a senior in history. He can be reached at smahone1@utk.edu.

State of mind,not age,defines adulthood LoL... wUT? by

Yasha Sadagopan

Zac Ellis

Ally Callahan

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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.

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Last week, my sister asked me about adulthood and how I had enjoyed it so far. She’s a few years younger than me, and is really looking forward to college (read: freedom from parental units) and the chance to explore something new, find out more about herself and all that jazz, the same way I felt when I left home to come to UT at the tender age of 17.

I responded that adulthood was OK and that it was not all that it was cracked up to be, when I suddenly realized I had no idea what being an adult was about. I’m still not sure whether I am an adult, and if I am, when I became one, considering that I spend most Saturday mornings laughing hysterically at “Scooby Doo” reruns and still check the shower for mad axe murderers before I get in. In my head, adults don’t do that. Nor do they eye their closets suspiciously for the invisible monster in it, wish on 11:11 or build a blanket fort while watching scary movies (yes, I know, I have a vivid imagination, and I’m probably developmentally behind my peers by about a decade). Adults just don’t do things like that in my world — they like paying bills, and being stuffy and all-powerful, and dictating other people’s lives.

To me, the idea of being an adult is thoroughly laughable, because I always perceived the word to be affiliated with being boring, dry and fun-sucking (in my life, teachers and parents), ruining all the fun I had and making me take on responsibilities I usually did not want and did my hardest to avoid.

I still don’t think I’m an adult. I loathe, loathe, LOATHE paying my bills. Everytime I swipe my debit or credit card, a little piece of my soul dies. I hate grocery shopping, wearing suits or work clothes, and being a wet blanket to other people. I also hate driving and ordering other people around … wait, scratch that, not really. But I do hate paying for gas with a body part, considering the prices are ridiculous. Basically, I just don’t like leaving my bed,

period.

Truth is, I don’t know what being an adult is. I don’t really even know what being a kid is, and I’m not sure there’s a fine line. It just happened that somewhere along the way, I started to think about things in a different way, in a different light. I realized that my folks were not going to take care of me forever, and even if they physically could, they weren’t the type (they believe in teaching a man how to fish, not fishing for him). I realized that even though family and friendships are great, the only person who truly had my own best interests at heart was myself, even if I didn’t know what I wanted about 99.8 percent of the time.

I used to think when I was younger that adults had everything planned out, that they had all the answers, that they knew what they wanted. I used to think up until recently there was something horrifically wrong with me because I was physically an adult and I had no idea what to do with my life — that because I was graduating from college, I was supposed to know exactly everything and be on top of my game, and that college was supposed to give me a sense of self.

Wrong. Wayyyy wrong.

Apparently adulthood is not a byproduct of being in college. Apparently responsibility and adulthood are irrevocably interlinked, and I can’t pick and choose what I want to do and what I can’t. And it sucks, a lot. But if I want to live my own life and make my own decisions and be happy with who I am, I guess I don't mind being an adult all that much.

And maybe adulthood is also not a mold but merely a state of mind and an evolution of a person.

After all, my mom, who is much older than I am (sorry, Mom), still pays her bills, gets her stuff done and puts on her ’80s clothes and rocks out to Metallica and Kiss on the couch. From dealing with her and other faux adults with their pretenses at perfection, I slowly realize that even though I’m not so much a typical adult, at least I’m typically me, and I am still evolving to being typically me so that it all works out in the end, to where even I’m old an gray, I will still be building blanket forts and acting insane.

—Yasha Sadagopan is a senior in economics.

She can be reached at ysadagop@utk.edu.

SPORTS

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

The Daily Beacon • 5

Lady Vols sweep weekend tennis matches Matthew McMurray Staff Writer The Tennessee Lady Vols tennis team defeated Wake Forest (2-3) 7-0 on Sunday, giving co-head coach Mike Patrick his 399th win at UT. The Lady Vols also defeated Indiana University (7-2) on Saturday.

On Saturday, Tennessee (5-0) won all but two matches against Indiana, finishing 5-2, but every victory was hard fought. Four of the six singles matches extended into the third and final set.

“Indiana is a very disciplined team, and you have to match them mentally and our team did that,” co-head coach Sonia Hahn-Patrick said. “This is great preparation for us. Next week, we’ll have to play three in a row at the ITA Team Indoors. It’s one thing to prepare physically, but preparing mentally is more difficult. Our girls will be ready to play.”

The Lady Vols had to step up the play with freshman Brynn Boren out with an injury. Brynn’s 19 victories are a team high.

“You always want to be able to rely on your seniors,” Hahn-Patrick said. “They knew what needed to be done, and they did a great job of stepping up.”

Tara Sripunvoraskul• The Daily Beacon

Natalie Pluskota celebrates after a point against Leslie Hureau of Indiana on Saturday, Feb. 12.

The coaches got what they asked of senior Rosalía Alda.

She secured the Lady Vols victory with her win over Evgeniya Vertesheva.

“I knew that my match was important,” Alda said. “Coach

(Mike Patrick) told me to make sure that I stayed focused.”

On Sunday the Lady Vols handily beat Wake Forest, sweeping every set in the match.

“The biggest thing is that everybody played well,” Patrick said. “Up until now, we’ve usually had one or two matches that weren’t as good, but today, all of them played well. We recruited a lot of the kids that went to Wake Forest so I know that they’re good players. It’s good to beat them.”

Alda earned her 94th doubles victory while paired with Maria Sorbello in the doubles match. The victory moved Alda into seventh place in UT history for doubles wins.

The Lady Vols did not get much time to recover from their match the previous day. Patrick thought this was good preparation for the team.

“We hadn’t played a lot of back-to-backs, but that’s what we need to learn how to do for next week,” Patrick said.

“We’re getting ready to play the best teams in the country every day next week. It’s going to be a challenge. If we can respond in this fashion next week, I’ll be a happy guy.”

The Lady Vols look to keep their momentum rolling through to Friday when the ITA National Team Indoor Championships begin. The championships will be held in Charlottesville, Va.

UT softball wraps up strong preseason Katie Cawrse Staff Writer The No. 4-ranked Lady Vols softball team got off to a successful start this weekend after sweeping games against Michigan State, Stetson and Boston College. The wins raise the expectations following this team in its pursuit of a national championship.

Senior center fielder Kelly Grieve knows just how high those expectations are throughout the year.

“Being a top-10 program like this, any year and every year you're going to have high expectations,” Grieve said. “We’re used to it.”

This weekend was the team’s first opportunity to showcase its talent, with many returning players filling the lineup, as well as seven fresh faces. The weekend proved to be a promising one as the Lady Vols walk away undefeated.

The win against Stetson brought the 700th alltime victory to the program, as freshman pitcher Ellen Renfroe clinched the win with a three-hit shutout in her debut. Tennessee finished the game in five innings, winning 11-0.

Michigan State posed no challenge either for the Lady Vols, who won 11-2. Junior first baseman Shelby Burchell had a perfect day at the place, hitting 3-for-3.

Tennessee beat Boston College 8-0 to clinch its third win.

Last year, the Lady Vols finished with a record of 49-15, losing to Arizona at the Women’s College World Series, finishing third as their season came to a close. This year they look take the next step and accomplish something they never have before.

Co-head coach Karen Weekly knows that she has the talent to win a title this year, but focus and determination is needed to make it there. With several returning veterans, they know that they have the team members with focus and know-how to make a run. However, with so many young freshmen, nerves will be a major obstacle in the upcoming months.

The Lady Vols finish the preseason with a 7-3 record. Their first game of the regular season was on Tuesday, as the Lady Vols take on in-state rival ETSU. Shutouts like those against Boston College and Stetson are morale boosters that Tennessee will use as motivation and a sign of determination for the rest of the season, one that has been highly anticipated by the entire program.

“Sometimes that’s something that scares coaches, but (preseason has) gone real well,” Weekly said. “The kids are playing well, they’re hitting well, they’re showing up on time with a great work ethic and they've got a lot of spirit. Things look really good, but like I’ve said before, spring training always looks good to every manager in the world, so we’ll see what happens.”

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Matthew DeMaria • The Daily Beacon

Sophomore Skye Sanders performs a dive during the women’s swimming and diving meet against Georgia on Saturday, Jan. 22. She had season-best performances on the 1-meter, 250.80, and 3-meter, 278.33.

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NEW YORK TIMES CROSSWORD • Will Shortz Across 1 Poorly developed, as an idea 7 Clear of dishes 10 50% 14 Milton Berle’s longtime sponsor 15 Actress ___ Alicia 16 ___-Dixie Stores 17 Spoil, as a parade 18 “Stat!”

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29 Rock’s ___Lonely Boys 30 Sunken ships 31 Unmoved 33 Anka’s “___ Beso” 34 Port on the eastern Mediterranean 35 Go ___ length 36 Q’s point value in Scrabble 37 Coffee additive 38 Bikini part

41 Draws back 42 Big Apple enforcement org.

46 Improviser’s asset 47 Artist Matisse 48 Tahitian-style wraparound skirt 50 Dam-building org.

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64 Marsh growth 65 Year-end helper 66 “Time After Time” singer Cyndi 67 Four hours on the job, perhaps 68 Cool, in slang 69 Opening 30 minutes of football Down 1 Deceptive remark 2 Barely defeat

ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE

3 With respect to a graph line, e.g.

4 Toto’s state: Abbr.

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53 Moe parodied him

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in some W.W. II-

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shorts

era Three Stooges

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60 Pub offering

62 Yes, in Yokohama

63 Big ___, Calif.

6 • The Daily Beacon

THESPORTSPAGE

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Vols looking to swing momentum Gamecocks hoping to end losing skid Gentry Smith Staff Writer Positive momentum down the stretch of a season can carry a team to the Promised Land known as the NCAA March Madness Tournament; on the other hand, negative energy can seep into a team’s core and wreak havoc on postseason dreams.

While on a three-game conference win streak to close out January and to begin this month, the Vols’ decisive victories over LSU, Ole Miss and Auburn seemed to be generating a formidable sense of momentum going into the most important stretch of the season.

The men’s basketball team began to resemble its old self — the team that knocked off Pittsburgh, Villanova, and Memphis — from the beginning of the season. The cohesion and excitement seen at Madison Square Garden was swiftly being put on display again.

However, a close overtime loss to Alabama at home has apparently quelled the momentum that the win streak and the prospective return of Vols coach Bruce Pearl for his first SEC game of the season only two days later. After the loss to Alabama, Tobias Harris spoke to the energy Pearl brings to this team, both on the court and behind the scenes.

“We’re very excited (to have coach Pearl back), but at the same time (associate head) coach (Tony) Jones and the rest of the staff did a great job during this eight-game stretch,” Harris said. “Having coach Pearl back is just great for us, and I know he’s really excited to be back also.”

Tennessee went on to lose Pearl’s conference debut at Rupp Arena against a strong Kentucky team, letting the momentum fade a bit more.

Saturday, Scotty Hopson torched the Gators, as he did against Pitt and ‘Nova earlier in the season; however, Florida edged its rival, Tennessee, 61-60 at home.

This three game skid has left a blemish on Tennessee’s NCAA tournament resume.

Despite struggling with the 11th-hardest of schedule in the nation, Tennessee still ranks 25th in RPI, and both polls have a heavy impact on tournament seeding.

With six games left on the schedule, all SEC foes and four at home, the Vols will need to take

their first step to generating another burst of Jason Hall momentum to end the season by winning at Staff Writer home against South Carolina on Wednesday night. The Vols must rely on improved play The South Carolina men’s basketball team from the point guards, which means Melvin Goins and others will need to successfully dis- will be looking to bounce back from three straight losses tribute the ball against SEC East around the opponents when it perimeter to travels to Scotty Hopson and Cameron Thompson-Boling Tatum and Arena to face the down low to Te n n e s s e e Tobias Harris Volunteers on and Brian Wednesday.

Williams.

The Gamecocks “We have to are currently last have better in the SEC East point-guard with a conference play,” Pearl record of 4-6 and said. “So there an overall record could be some changes. Right of 13-10. now, it’s South Carolina’s Melvin Goins current threeand Trae game losing streak Golden.

It includes a road could have to loss to No. 18 be Josh Bone Vanderbilt and or Skylar home loses to No. McBee. That 15 Florida and could be in the Georgia. cards against However, South S o u t h Carolina.”

Carolina coach Although Darrin Horn South Carolina remained optiis the only mistic following team ranked Ian Harmon • The Daily Beacon Saturday’s loss to below the Vols the Bulldogs. in the SEC Tobias Harris throws down as members of the “Obviously, our East standings, Alabama squad can do nothing but watch on confidence was it has beaten Saturday, Feb. 5. The Volunteers hope to turn both Vanderbilt around a three-game slump against South Carolina shook with our group,” and a Florida in Thompson-Boling Arena at 7 p.m. on Wednesday. young Horn said. “For us team that has to bounce back h a n d e d Tennessee a pair of losses. The Gamecocks will and fight the way we did the second half and be playing without an integral part of their make the plays that we did with contributions team, though, as all-around forward Lakeem from so many different guys is really a step for Jackson will be on the bench with a foot injury. our team.”

The Gamecocks are one of the youngest teams in the league. Sam Muldrow and Johndre Jefferson are the only seniors on the team. The team’s starting five includes one sophomore and three freshmen.

One of the most valuable freshmen from the Gamecocks’ young roster is point guard Bruce Ellington. Ellington is trying to replace standout point guard Devan Downey, who averaged 22.5 points per game, including a 35-point game in an upset victory against then-No. 1 Kentucky, last season.

“Ellington is a terriffic point guard,” UT coach Bruce Pearl said. “He leads them in scoring, minutes played. He’ll remind people of a young Devan Downey, a tough cover.”

Ellington has been one of the few bright spots for the Gamecocks this year, averaging 13.9 points per game and 3.3 assists per game going into Wednesday night. However, he was slowed by an injury toward the end of the Gamecocks’ loss to Georgia, a game in which he scored only two points.

“He didn’t want to come out, but I think it started cramping and it was sore,” Horn said.

“But you know the bigger the moment, the more he wants to be a part of it. I said, ‘You know I’ll run (the final play of the game) for you if you want it, and he said, ‘Absolutely, I want it, Coach.’”

The Gamecocks offense will also rely on senior forward Sam Muldrow. Muldrow enters the game averaging 10.8 points per game, 7.1 rebounds per game and 3.4 blocks per game.

Muldrow has been a key contributor for the Gamecocks key victories this season, including wins against Vanderbilt and Florida.

Muldrow will have has hands full against Tennessee forward Tobias Harris. Harris will continue to be a main scoring option for Tennessee with a likely increase in touches following Scotty Hopson’s ankle injury. The freshman continues to prove why he’s regarded as one of the best freshmen in the SEC, with 14.4 points per game and 7.4 rebounds per game.

The Gamecocks will also need to rely heavily on the success of Ellington against the Vols.