Partly Cloudy with a 30% chance of flurries HIGH LOW 39 29
Angie Bjorklund named CoSIDA Academic All-American
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Wednesday, February 24, 2010 Issue 30
E D I T O R I A L L Y
I N D E P E N D E N T
Prepare to dust off your old LP’s with The Monks
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Student Recruiters Outreach groups merge to save funding, make admissions process more efficient Sudan and Darfur rebel group sign key truce CAIRO — Darfur’s most powerful rebel group and the Sudanese government on Tuesday signed a truce after a year of internationally sponsored negotiations, raising hopes the bloody seven-year conflict could draw to a close. Rebel leader Khalil Ibrahim of the Justice and Equality Movement announced the cease-fire would begin that night as the international sponsors of the talks announced a $1 billion development fund for the war-ravaged region. The once bitter enemies, Ibrahim and Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, shook hands and embraced after the signing. The next challenge for the mediators will be getting the dozens of other rebel splinter groups to join the process as the arduous power and wealthsharing talks begin. Previous cease-fires and partial peace deals were short-lived. “This framework agreement is a very important step,” Ibrahim said. “We point out, however, that the road to peace still needs much patience and honest concessions from both sides.”
Donesha Aldridge
required the admissions office to go through the process three times. “Now with the changes, we only have to do this once because all students will fall under the same umbrella,” she said. Stansell said that all students will be trained for all divisions. “Instead of having 40 in ME4UT, 40 in Ambassador Scholars and 60 in Orange Pride, we will have a much bigger pool of students,” Stansell said. “Everyone will be cross-trained.”
Staff Writer ME4UT, Ambassador Scholars and Orange Pride will become one unified group under the new Student Recruiter Program. The new Student Recruiter Program started their membership drive on Monday. Laura Stansell, assistant director of Undergraduate Admissions, said the collaboration was a decision made by Vern Granger, the new director of Undergraduate Admissions. Orange Pride is in charge of athletic recruitment. Both Ambassador Scholars and ME4UT give tours for perspective students, but ME4UT primarily focuses on minorities. “There will still be three teams that fall under the Student Recruiters, but this should be more efficient, more effective, and it will save the university money,” Stansell said. Stansell said that Granger used this format at North Carolina State University and the program was more effective. She said that until now, the process for hiring students for these recruitment positions
Now with the changes, we only have to do this once because all students will fall under the same umbrella. – Laura Stansell, speaking about the collaboration of Student Recruiter Program
She said students will only be required to work for one division. Stansell said some perks for students in these organizations is that they will all be paid by an hourly wage, given priority registration for classes and will be given uniforms to wear during programs and tours. She said since students will be trained in each division, this will be very helpful when
Former Census Bureau director speaks on importance of survey
United States
Iran nuclear offer falls short VIENNA — Iran has formally set out its terms for giving up most of its cache of enriched uranium in a confidential document — and the conditions fall short of what has been demanded by the United States and other world powers. The document — seen by The Associated Press on Tuesday — said Tehran is ready to hand over the bulk of its stockpile, as called for under a deal brokered by the International Atomic Energy Agency and endorsed by the five permanent U.N. Security Council members and Germany. But Iran adds that it must simultaneously receive fuel rods for its research reactor in return, and that such an exchange must take place on Iranian territory. The Iranian offer was sure to be rejected by the six powers, which have waited for nearly six months for such an official answer. The United States and others fear Iran’s nuclear program is geared toward making nuclear weapons, while Tehran claims it is simply to provide more power for its growing population. The United Nations has slapped sanctions on Iran for its defiance on nuclear issues. — The Associated Press
planning big events. The group assignments can be spread evenly. Stansell also said that the students chosen to be a part of the organization will get the chance to vote on the official name of the organization. “For now the name will be Student Recruiters until all members have been selected and can vote on the title,” she said. This process will happen sometime in May. Chloe Shepherd, senior in communications studies, is a current member of Orange Pride. She thinks this change will be for the better. “I feel like there are positive changes,” Shepherd said. “One because it will encourage more people to join. I also think it helps to unify the groups so it is not much of a separation. We are all there for the same purpose.” Courtney Mauldin, junior in communication studies, is a member of ME4UT. She said she is looking forward to this week’s membership drive. “I’m excited about the membership drive,” she said. “I hope that we attract not only diverse groups but also people willing to work for this organization. I’m also excited that old members are applying and we can keep the tradition of what ME4UT always has been.” Stansell said the membership drive lasts until Friday at 5 p.m. Students can go online to http://admissions.utk.edu/undergraduate/contact/student.shtml to get applications to apply. An interest meeting about the organization will be held Wednesday from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the Hodges Library Auditorium.
CENSUS 2010
It’s In Our Hands Jillian Edmonds Staff Writer
Jessica Yonker • The Daily Beacon
Joe Clark spoke in the University Center earlier this month on topics such as diversity, the adapted film Lean on Me and strategies on success.
It’s back to the basics with the 2010 Census. Charles Louis Kincannon, former director of the U.S. Census Bureau, spoke at a luncheon Monday hosted by the Baker Center. “The census is crucial in apportioning seats in Congress and also in determining federal funding on various projects in our communities,” Carl Pierce, Baker Center interim director, said. “Having Mr. Kincannon speak at the luncheon to elaborate on these and other implications of the census was timely, as the 2010 Census commences in March.” Kincannon gave a brief history of the census and how the Census Bureau came to be. “The census is the cornerstone of democracy,” Kincannon said. “It is functional in representing the government and is taken for the benefit of the people.” The census helps determine how more than $400 billion in federal funding will be spent on education, business and general planning. “The 2010 Census requires an easy response,” Kincannon said. “There are only 10 ques-
tions that everybody already knows the answer to without looking up the information.” The survey includes questions like age, marital status and whether the residence is owned or rented. “This year’s census will be as basic as the first one in 1790,” Kincannon said. “It is innovative and thoroughly planned. This is the biggest innovation since 1790.” There were intentions of using hand-held computers this year, but the upgrade was delayed. However, making the census digital or computerized is expected to be less costly. An online census was tested in the first three years of the decade, but as Kincannon explained, diverting from the paper questionnaire did not increase responses. “Security of data is a major concern,” Kincannon said. “People are afraid of a fake Web site that would ask for additional information such as bank accounts and social security numbers.” Questions formerly asked on the long form will still be polled by the Census Bureau as part of the American Community Survey. See CENSUS on Page 3