02 24 16

UT scientists search for life in Siberian frost >>See page 4

Opinion:Overt Zionism too often disguised as academic >>See page 6

19.96% 14.39%

Travis Dorman Staff Writer

UT Housing recently released the percentages of minority students living in each residence hall in response to claims from a diversity meeting in December that housing on UT’s campus is segregated.

Hess and Massey’s populations are 28 percent and 31 percent students of color respectively, while residence halls in Presidential Court contain anywhere from 9 to 17 percent each.

Morrill has 26 percent, but this figure is skewed by the Multicultural Mentoring Program on the third floor.

Reese Hall houses the fewest minorities at just 9 percent, and Clement, at the most, has almost 45 percent.

See HOUSING on Page 4

Volume 131 Issue 28

13.98% 7.15% 78.87% • Courtesy of University of Tennessee Housing

Students unequally distributed in housing

Dazzo’s Pizzeria hidden gem for NY pie >>See page 8

65.65%

RESIDENCE HALLS NOT IN PRESIDENTIAL COURT KEY:

White

Black

utdailybeacon.com @utkdailybeacon

RESIDENCE HALLS IN PRESIDENTIAL COURT Other (includes Native American, Hispanic, Asian, Pacific Islander)

Wednesday, February 24, 2016

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INSHORT

The Daily Beacon • Wednesday, February 24, 2016

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Haslam says refugee lawsuit sets bad precedent

Kesha’s producer responds to abuse allegations

Louisville divorce case seeking records from Texas coach

Governor Bill Haslam criticized the Tennessee senate’s resolution requiring the Tennessee attorney general to sue the federal government over refugee resettlement, saying it set a “bad precedent” for the rest of the state. On his recent trip to the capital, Haslam discussed the details of the refugee program, admitting that terrorists are unlikely to use the refugee process to gain access to the country. The state senate maintains that the federal government is in violation of the Refugee Act of 1980, as the state is responsibly for providing services to refugees despite opting out of the program in 2008.

Megaproducer Dr. Luke, also known as Lukasz Gottwald, addressed accusations Kesha has raised against him in a lawsuit for verbal, sexual and emotional abuse on his Twitter account. Kesha is suing to leave a six-album contract with Gottwald’s Kemosabe Records after the producer allegedly gave the singer drugs and then raped her once she was unconscious. Gottwald denied all claims and accused Kesha and her mother of extortion. Recently, Gottwald tweeted that he did not rape Kesha and had never had sex with her. He went on to say that he regretted the singer “would turn a contract negotiation into something so horrendous and untrue.”

A divorce case involving a Louisville donor and trustee is requesting testimony and documentation from Texas football coach Charlie Strong.The case involves Louisville trustee Jonathan Blue and wife Tracy Blue. Attorneys for Jonathan Blue want text messages and phone bills from Strong’s cellphone as well as calendar, travel and other records. In a statement Sunday, Strong said he was recently informed of a marital dispute “between a couple I know.” Strong says he is “not a party to their divorce” and has received no court order. He said he would not comment further on the legal case.

Strong is one of several witnesses that Jonathan Blue wants deposed.

Tennessee wants Manning reference removed from lawsuit Associated Press KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The University of Tennessee has filed a motion to strike a reference to Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning from a lawsuit that alleges the school

has violated Title IX policies in its handling of sexual assault complaints against athletes.

The lawsuit filed Feb. 9 by six unidentified women focuses on five cases from 2013 to 2015, but also references incidents dating back to 1995 to show how the school has historically handled reports of player misconduct.

One paragraph in the 64-page document men-

tions a sexual harassment complaint made by a Tennessee trainer in 1996 including an incident involving Manning, then the Volunteers quarterback.

The motion filed Tuesday says the Manning reference should be struck “because of the utter lack of relevance” it has to the lawsuit.

Haslam takes issue with lawmakers ordering refugee lawsuit Associated Press NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Gov. Bill Haslam on Tuesday took issue with a move by fellow Republicans in the Legislature to order the state attorney to sue the federal government over the refugee resettlement program in Tennessee.

The governor told reporters that refugee resettlement was a major topic of discussion during a National Governors Association meeting in Washington over the weekend, and that he came away with the understanding that the program doesn’t present a threat to Tennesseans.

“There are people who are coming into our country illegally who want to do this country harm, but I don’t think that’s the process they’re coming in under,” Haslam said, noting that the resettlement process can take between 18 months and three years.

The resolution overwhelmingly passed the Senate on Monday and is sponsored by Speaker Ron Ramsey, R-Blountville, and Senate Republican leader Mark Norris of Collierville.

While the measure “directs” a legal challenge to be mounted, Norris said that the resolution provides for hiring an outside attorney if the Attorney General Herbert Slater were to decline to file the lawsuit.

Haslam nevertheless raised concerns about “one branch of government ordering the attorney general what to do.” He was also worried about the precedent that would be set by hiring an outside attorney to represent the state.

“I’m not sure that’s a really good trend for us,” Haslam said.

Fears about refugee resettlement in Tennessee were heightened after last year’s terrorist attacks in Paris.

Republican Sen. Mark Green of Clarksville said security concerns caused him to support

the resolution.

“Our federal government has failed to protect us,” Green said during Monday’s debate on the Senate floor. “In certain groups of those refugees, people who want to do harm to us are infiltrating this program.”

Opponents of the resolution, including dozens of protesters who came to the Capitol, argued that it would make Tennessee appear unwelcoming to immigrants.

Norris rejected those arguments.

“What could be more welcoming than a state that is willing to stand upon its rights, under the state and federal constitutions, to protect the people within its borders?” he said. “What I, ask you, could possibly be more welcoming to that?”

The resolution has been sent to the House.

The governor does not have the power to veto resolutions.

CAMPUSNEWS

Wednesday, February 24, 2016 • The Daily Beacon

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UT Fraternity suspended for five years

Supermarket wine bill derailed over liquor store cap

Staff Report

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A legislative disagreement over protecting liquor stores from competition means Tennesseans looking to buy wine at their local supermarket will likely have to wait a little longer for the shelves to be stocked.

Rep. Curry Todd, R-Collierville, on Tuesday made good on his earlier threats to kill the entire bill if his colleagues stripped a provision that sought to impose a two-store limit for liquor retailers.

Todd said the cap was meant to protect mom-and-pop stores, but opponents argued that the free market should decide winners and losers.

Rep. David Alexander, R-Winchester, noted that in his private retail business he must compete to succeed.

“I have no protections whatsoever in the free market, except how hard I work and how good a job I do,” he said “What’s all this protectionism? I don’t like that. I like that free market.”

The effort to remove the package store cap from the bill was approved on a 10-9 vote, and Todd promptly withdrew the measure from consideration.

The main aim of the bill was to allow grocery stores to begin taking deliveries to be ready for a new law allowing wine sales starting July 1.

The failure of the bill doesn’t mean that supermarkets will not be able to sell wine, but it could take a few weeks for them to be supplied by wholesalers.

Todd told the committee that he had been involved in closeddoor negotiations with several unnamed parities before the

UT’s chapter of Lambda Chi Alpha became the latest in a series of fraternities to be suspended from the university, according to Lambda Chi Alpha’s national headquarters spokesperson Tad Lichtenauer. The fraternity’s board of directors voted to suspend all operations for the next five years due to multiple hazing incidents committed over a three-year period.

The fraternity has come under scrutiny from local authorities twice in recent in years. In 2013, Lambda Chi was suspended for instituting military style training for fraternity pledges, while UT Police reported in 2015 that some members of the fraternity were made to do push-ups and swim 300 yards.

Those 22 students currently living in the fraternity house have until March 6 to find new housing accommodations. The Epsilon-Omicron chapter of Lambda Chi Alpha formed at UT in 1927 and consisted of 122 active members before its suspension Tuesday.

The fraternity will maintain control over the house until the end of the semester, though it plans to sub-lease to other student organizations beginning in the fall of 2016.

Lambda Chi Alpha is one of the largest fraternities in North America, with an active presence on 194 campuses across the country. The group was founded in 1909 at Boston University and has initiated nearly 300,000 members since that time.

Associated Press

legislative session to come up with bill. But at least one out-ofstate liquor store chain argued that the measure was aimed at preventing it from investing in Tennessee.

Republican Gov. Bill Haslam said earlier in the day that he was concerned about placing limits on liquor store ownership.

“My gut feeling is to leave the cap off,” said Haslam, whose family owns the country’s largest truck stop chain.

The Senate version of the bill advanced to a full floor vote without debate in the State and Local Government Committee earlier Tuesday. But bills must clear both chambers before they can be sent for the governor’s consideration.

The Tennessee Wine and Spirits Retailers Association was a longtime opponent of the popular effort to allow supermarket wine sales, and removing restrictions on ownership was a concession to package store owners as part of the 2014 law.

The group’s lobbyist, David McMahan, has said owners had originally thought that lifting the cap would help them compete with grocery store chains that will soon be able to sell wine. But now they worry about being squashed by larger competitors coming into the state, he said.

McMahan said there’s a public interest in limiting how a “controlled product” can be sold.

“I don’t think that cheaper, more available liquor everywhere is what Tennesseans want,” he said.

Justin Owen, the president of the conservative Beacon Center think tank, said he considers the package store owners’ arguments to be “ridiculous,” and contrary to free market principles.

“If you don’t want to make liquor more available, then get out of the liquor business,” he said. “It’s not the government’s role to protect the bottom line of liquor stores.”

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HOUSING continued from Page 1 Director of Housing Frank Cuevas said the high racial disparities in housing are not an intentional effort by the department, and said no demographic data aside from gender is used during the assignment process. Rooms and halls are assigned on a first come, first served basis, Cuevas said.

Black Student Union member Joshua Oliver presented a list of demands at a diversity meeting last December directly criticized the unequal distribution of minority students in UT Housing.

Oliver said most students of color live in Clement, Massey and Hess, and that these buildings have been given derogatory nicknames like “Nasty Massey” as a result.

Presidential Court, he said, contains very few people of color, and the name itself bears a connotation of elite status and prestige.

“There’s a divide in housing,” Oliver said.

“We want to see that come together.”

It is not just the Black Student Union that has taken issue with certain residence halls’ disproportionate number of minority students.

A number of students who live or have lived in Clement and Massey Hall have spoken out, suggesting that more students of color live in these buildings than in any other. Clement Hall in particular is known among the student body for having an unusually high population of black, Hispanic and international students.

Julian Wright, senior and president of the UTK Diversity Student Leaders Society, recalled how as an incoming black freshmen without any housing preferences, he was advised by a

resident assistant to choose Clement Hall.

“When I was choosing my dorm freshman year, the RA told me ‘Pick Clement, I’m sure you’ll like Clement,’” Wright said. “As a student that knew nothing about where to stay, he may have suggested Clement because I was black and appeared urbanized, he felt that I ‘fit’ or ‘belonged’ in Clement Hall.”

Wright said after he chose to live in Clement, his brother who was a sophomore at the time told him he made the right choice because “all the black folk from Nashville and Memphis are in there.”

While Wright said he enjoyed living in Clement, he felt that other residence halls were never presented as an option.

Many students said they feel like the segregation of residence halls is a failed attempt by Housing to make people feel comfortable. One such student, Chinese international sophomore Liu Yuchen, described how the segregation of international students can prevent them from thoroughly immersing themselves in American culture.

“We came to America to learn the culture, to learn English, to be with the native people,” Liu said. “If we are all put together on purpose, it is the same as if we are still in China.”

Maya Jackson, a Hispanic freshman, said she listed Morrill, Humes and South Carrick — three residence halls located in Presidential Court — as her preferred housing choices.

Massey Hall was her last pick, and that is where she was placed.

“I think minorities get placed over here away from the Pres Court area. That area, like this school, is very white … I’ve always felt like Clement, Massey and Hess were the minority

“

CAMPUSNEWS

The Daily Beacon • Wednesday, February 24, 2016 halls, and Pres Court is where people who are predominantly white with more money and involved in Greek life live,” Jackson said.

Jada March, a black freshman who was also placed in Massey, said she shares Jackson’s view of a housing system that is divided by racial lines. However, she said she does not believe that the segregation is intentional but rather a product of a larger problem in society — economic inequality among minorities.

“It’s just a product of how the system and life in general is set up. It’s a money issue when you get down to it. It’s all about what you can afford and how fast you can pay for it, which sucks, but that’s the problem,” March said.

According to a study by the Pew Research Center, the median net worth of white American households in 2013 was 13 times greater than that of black households and 10 times greater than Hispanic households.

A system that rewards those who can immediately afford to pay the $250 confirmation fee favors higher income students, and Cuevas agrees that this may be one reason why Presidential Court — which historically fills up first — is home to a smaller number of minority students.

Richard Swearingen, associate director for administration of housing, pointed out that more minority students are first generation college students, and they may be less familiar with the application process as a result.

“There may be other factors besides finances,” Swearingen said. “We have a lot of first generation students — first time college attendees from their families. An underrepresented student and a white student may be admitted at the same time. They both have their deposits

I’ve always felt like Clement, Massey and Hess were the minority halls, and Pres Court is where the people who are predominantly white with more money and involved in Greek life live.”

Maya Jackson, Freshman

sitting there in cash on the table, but the white student may know just because all of his brothers have already been through, to move fast on this and confirm.”

Cuevas, a first generation student himself, said he understands that the application process can be confusing. He said that housing is working on reaching out to all populations to help walk students through the application process, and they will continue to work to make room assignment as fair as possible.

The Black Student Union declined to release an updated statement on this issue.

UT scientists revive microscopic life from frost Altaf Nanavati Copy Editor

While reviving frozen humans is usually restricted to British spy parodies, the survival of microorganisms in is not far from reality.

Tundra is usually associated with geographical landscapes with extremely low temperatures and lack of living organisms.

However, during the summer, the top layers of ground in regions such as Siberia start to thaw. The result is buried frozen soil called permafrost.

Due to global warming however, permafrost, which exists in approximately 24 percent of exposed land in the northern hemisphere, is beginning to thaw.

A collaborative team including Tatiana Vishnivetskaya, research associate for the Center for Environmental Biotechnology at UT, is working on a five-year study in Siberia to see whether or not any members of the microbial community that were initially trapped in permafrost can be revived.

Vishnivetskaya explained why the team chose Siberia as their field of study.

“Permafrost in that area is quite unique because you can gain access to samples from 7000 to 3 million years ago,” Vishnivetskaya said.

Karen Lloyd, co-principal investigator for

Vishnivetskaya and assistant professor in the department of microbiology at UT, also emphasized why Siberia is an important location for the team’s research.

“Siberia has a large amount of permafrost compared to the rest of the world, and we don’t have as intense of research up there,” Lloyd said. “So we are hoping to identify what microbes can be grown out of this and what microbes are dead.”

Lloyd will be using her research, which focuses on using genes derived directly from environmental samples to learn about microbes that have never been grown before in labs, to help with this study.

Instead of gaining access to genes directly from the environment by using chemicals to pull out DNA from permafrost samples, Lloyd uses a technique where single cells are sorted in tubes and their DNA is amplified to make a genome.

“These are some rare samples that we have our hands on,” Lloyd said. “So in some cases, we’re going to be looking at these important soils for the very first time.”

However, as Vishnivetskaya pointed, summer in Siberia is extremely short and only lasts for about a month. Therefore, even though the team began their work on location in the beginning of July of 2015, they were dealing with a tight window of time before they had to end their expedition towards the end of August.

Another problem the team had to deal with came before the project had even begun.

While their study was funded by the National Science Foundation’s Dimensions of Biodiversity program with a $1.5 million grant, the initial proposal to get the project going was rejected due to technical issues.

Eventually, around two years later, the team had received their grant.

In 2015, they studied and collected permafrost samples from freshwater soil. Later this year, Vishnivetskaya and her colleagues will be returning to Siberia to look more closely at permafrost from marine soil and observing the similarities and differences between the two.

CAMPUSNEWS

Around Rocky Top

Wednesday, February 24, 2016 • The Daily Beacon

Stocks weaker amid oil drop, weak data Associated Press

William Wright discussing his book of poetry at UT’s Writers in the Library series in the Hodges Library Auditorium on Monday, Feb. 22.

Tiara Holt • The Daily Beacon

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SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Global stock markets mostly fell on Tuesday after downbeat economic data in Europe and as the price of crude oil turned lower on supply concerns.

KEEPING SCORE: Britain’s FTSE 200 fell 0.6 percent to 6,000.62 and Germany’s DAX was down 0.9 percent at 9,491.79.

France’s CAC 40 was 0.5 percent lower at 4,276.98. Futures augured a tepid start for Wall Street. Dow futures lost 0.1 percent while S&P futures fell 0.2 percent.

ECONOMIC DATA: Market sentiment declined in Europe where surveys showed business confidence fell in Germany and France in February. The German survey showed concern about the global turmoil, while France’s indicated a continued impact on retail sales from last year’s Paris attacks.

The drop in confidence, if sustained, would be a concern as it affects the two biggest economies in the eurozone, but also bolsters the case for more central bank stimulus.

ASIA’S DAY: Earlier, Japan’s Nikkei 225 closed 0.4 percent lower at 16,052.05 while South Korea’s Kospi fell 0.1 percent to 1,914.22. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index fell

0.3 percent to 19,414.78 and the Shanghai Composite Index in mainland China dropped 0.8 percent to 2,903.33. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 was down 0.4 percent at 4,979.60. Stocks in Singapore and the Philippines were higher, but stocks in Indonesia were lower.

ENERGY FORECAST: The International Energy Agency said on Monday it does not expect oil prices to recover significantly until 2017, but sees slower growth in global supplies. Fatih Birol, executive director of the IEA, said oil would rise gradually to about $80 a barrel. The comments by the group of major oil-importing countries triggered a surge in crude oil prices and rallies in global stock markets overnight but they could not be sustained.

ANALYST’S TAKE: Despite the forecast that the glut of crude will be gradually reduced, “we remain cautious at this juncture, since so far, Iran and Iraq remained non-committal in terms of production cuts though both countries welcomed the initiative,” Mizuho Bank said in a daily commentary.

OIL: Benchmark U.S. crude fell 33 cents to $33.06 per barrel in New York. On Monday, the contract jumped $1.56. Brent crude, which is used to price international oils, fell 7 cents to $34.62 per barrel in London.

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The Daily Beacon • Wednesday, February 24, 2016

“

Palestinians want their story to be heard

Summer Awad Quite Contrary

I have been to some bad lectures at UT over the years, but never have I been so furious as I was on Monday night in McClung Museum.

Luckily, thanks to some wonderful campus organizers, I was given a way to vent my frustration with the complete disregard for Palestinian lives that was a given a platform at our university by the Judaic Studies program.

On Monday night, Michael Brenner, Ph.D., chair of Israel Studies at American University, gave a talk entitled “The Idea of A Jewish State from Herzl to Netanyahu.” After seeing a description of the talk on campus posters, a group of students involved in the movement against Israeli occupation decided to attend the talk and speak out against Brenner’s Zionist message.

For those eager to hear a pro-Israel, pro-colonial perspective with no regard for the native inhabitants of historic Palestine, Brenner did not disappoint.

Brenner spoke at length about the “utopian society” early Zionists wanted to create. His talk followed a larger colonial tradition of erasure, incorrectly painting Israel as a formerly empty place whose only few inhabitants were barbaric and uncivilized.

Brenner chuckled at the fact that the indigenous people of Palestine were so unwilling to accept the “civilization” that the Zionists brought (read: forcibly imported) to historic Palestine.

However, as a whole, Palestinians were largely absent from the talk. This is a key part of the Zionist agenda; don’t talk about Palestinians or the Palestinian “problem,” and we will go away. Let me make this clear: you cannot talk about modern Israel without talking about the former inhabitants of Israel’s stolen land.

In response to Dr. Brenner’s message, the group of students handed out literature revising the biased definitions of terms related to modern Israel. The flyer defined Israeli occupation, pointed out the difference between anti-Zionism and anti-Semitism and highlighted the undertones of ethnic cleansing inherent in the history of the state of Israel.

Several students distributing the flyers were met with anger; one person crumpled up the flyer and threw it back at the students while scolding them.

The rest of the audience began to give us sideways glances and ask us our purpose in attending the talk. This is a typical response to anti-Zionist activism — those who speak out against the human rights violations of modern Israel are viewed as sneaky outsiders and agitators.

Despite their reactions, our protest did not stop there. At exactly 8 p.m., about 15 students stood up at various places in the audience and held signs that read, “Israel is an apartheid state.” We were instantly met with derision and hostility from the audience, largely made up of older white people.

As I held my sign in silence and calmly walked up the stairs to leave, a man next to me said, “You have no idea what you’re talking about!” A woman in the back of the auditorium groaned audibly, and others

The worst part about all of this is that college students are taught to accept scholarships by figures like (Michael) Brenner as fact.”

yelled things like “You’re wrong!” and “Bye!” Dr. Brenner paused to acknowledge our protest, saying, “You have the right to do that, but I’m going to keep going.” The activists who remained in the room to ask questions after the talk were not called on, likely as a result of racial profiling.

Out of all the audience responses to our protest, the man who said we didn’t know what we were talking about bothered me the most. How can white people tell Palestinians they don’t know anything about their own experiences of oppression? That we don’t feel the weight of our ancestors being raped and murdered and forced out of their villages?

That we aren’t affected every day by reports of Israeli violence in their growing illegal settlements?

Palestinian experiences, like the experiences of Native and Black Americans, are continually disregarded in the service of an oppressive colonial message.

The worst part about all of this is that college students are taught to accept scholarship by figures like Brenner as fact. Students attending the lecture for extra credit are expected to write a summary of the “knowledge” they gained from the talk, even when that knowledge has a specific oppressive agenda. By inviting speakers like Dr. Brenner who perpetuate uncritical narratives of Zionist history, the Judaic Studies program at UT is spreading an oppressive colonialist ideology and is therefore complicit in Israeli violence against Palestinians.

Luckily, UT students have and will continue to push back against these exercises of power and hegemony that are disguised as objective academic research. Because of America’s undying support of Israel, there is much to gain in changing American attitudes about Zionism in Knoxville and beyond.

We will keep pushing, and we will keep winning. #FreePalestine Summer Awad is a senior in College Scholars.

She can be reached at sawad@vols.utk.edu

VIEWPOINTS VIEWPOIN

Happy World Bartender Day! Here’s some songs to help you celebrate.

“Bartender Song (Sittin’ At A Bar)”

Rehab ft. Hank Williams Jr.

“Let’s All Go To The Bar” Deer Tick “Alabama Song (Whiskey Bar)” The Doors

“Bartender” T.Pain ft. Akon

“TipYourBartender” Glassjaw

“Mr. Bartender” Bradley Gaskin “Bartenders, Barstools, and Barmaids”

Dierks Bentley

“Hey Bartender” Johnny Lee

“Bartender’s Blues” George Jones

“Miss Bartender” Tony Grimig

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 24, 2016 • The Daily Beacon

I’m just another crayon in the box

Maria Smith Bleeding Orange, Being Different

Dear Tennessee Legislature, It’s strange how we don’t really pay attention to our surroundings.

This weekend, one of my good friends had a Sunday dinner at his off-campus apartment. Not only is he a good cook, but he also has a great array of diverse friends. It wasn’t until I overheard my two Hispanic friends in attendance comfortably engaging in full Spanish conversation that I took a good, hard look around the room. There was so much diversity. The room could have perfectly replicated the new Crayola Multicultural Crayons (where were these when I needed to color my family tree in elementary school?), and I loved it.

Japanese, Hispanic, Vietnamese and Black, the mix of cultures was something to take note of. All of this blending became even more apparent when we began to (well attempted to) “whine our waists” to some Caribbean island music (I’ve yet to ask my mentor from the Bahamas for critiques). It was as if the whole gathering was on a euphoric high of cultural and background blending, and there was no coming down until we all separated back into our separate lives in preparation for the week to come.

Now that I think about it, our Soul Sunday event became a unifying composition of only a small part of what this whole campus has to offer.

I’m so thankful to have such a diverse friend

group that engages in such liberating interactions, even during some of the most stressful times of the semester. I love that we can talk about broad issues and how their outcomes have affected us. We may arrive with our eyes stapled shut, but we leave with our minds, ears and eyes open to the newness of a fresh perspective. Without these particular friends, we could not have imagined the possibilities or the depth of certain circumstances, and this is just my friend group.

These are things we as diverse individuals choose to do to make sure we develop into well-rounded people who do not cut out the voice of others due to unacknowledged ignorance. We want to grow and thrive in a community that at least tries to understand how our personal dominoes will be impacted once the massive amount of underestimated force knocks down the patterned sequence that once had order, into the ripple effect of a destructive downfall.

We want to withstand the force.

As a diverse student body, we want to withstand the legislature. Is it fair for students, who want to learn about and engage with different ways of life to gain more intellectual depth in pursuit to help others, to be limited to their amount of social awareness due to funding? Is it fair for a legislature predominantly compiled of conservative, straight, white males to determine the experiences of various

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minorities during some of their first years in higher education and during their first experiences in the “real world?”

An apparently intentionally blind and deaf legislature should not be able to map out my college experiences by cutting the funds of clubs and organizations. These organizations cater to the needs of the societally silenced ethnic groups that have attended this university to succeed with enlightened, unlimited mindsets with educational experiences to match.

How can anyone wanting more for themselves, both intellectually and educationally, even consider UT as an option when they will be notably limited in their most liberating time of life?

Dear Tennessee legislature, if you are, can or are even able to obtain this content, this content from an actual student’s perspective rather than your unethically supported opinions, then I am begging you to reconsider this strong decision that you’ve unapologetically made.

Sincerely, Another crayon in Crayola’s multicultural box of colors, because I’m obviously not a person with a voice that’s being heard.

Maria Smith is a sophomore in journalism and electronic media. She can be reached at msmit304@ vols.utk.edu

Academy Awards host multiple major issues

Elle Johnson I Learned Something Today

Amid recent controversy, the 88th Academy Awards will be held this upcoming Sunday evening.

While the blinding whiteness of the nominations is getting well-deserved awareness, another major issue will continue to prevail with little notice, just as it does every other year.

Many fantasize about the idea of walking down the red carpet, strutting among overwhelming glitz and glamour. However, for many women able to reach the red carpet with dreams of a wide variety of beautiful gowns to select from, these fantasies shatter promptly.

Or, at least for those above a size 4.

For the record, the average dress size for the American woman is size 14.

With the majority of women easily missing this slim cutoff, actress Bryce Dallas Howard most recently brought the issue to the public eye at the Golden Globes in January with a comical but telling statement. In her navy lace dress, after being asked who she was wearing by red carpet host Ryan Seacrest, Howard replied briskly with “I just picked this up at Neiman’s.”

Referring to the store Neiman Marcus, Howard continued, “I picked it up myself. I like having lots of options for a size 6, as opposed to maybe one option, so I always go to department stores.”

At a size 6, well below the national average, Bryce Dallas Howard had no choice but to go to a department store to have a wide selection of dresses, while

actresses just one dress size below her would have had an array of choices of a variety of notable highend designers.

However, this predicament runs much deeper than just the red carpet; it exists to a wider degree in our department stores as well.

For most major retailers, anything above a size 12 for women is typically considered “plus size,” meaning that average sized women, and even some below average, are being forced to take on a label that truly does not match reality. Additionally, plus size sections in stores usually have a very limited selection of styles and sizes, leading women to guess and assume what will fit and look good while shopping through online outlets.

Luckily, some fashion designers are making their mark and taking a stand.

This past November, Ashley Tipton became the first contestant of Project Runway to win with a plus size collection. Her work not only showed that plus size fashion can easily walk the runway, but that it can also be stunning and made with the body in mind all at the same time. However, it’s troubling to think the show that has produced so many of today’s top fashion designers took 14 seasons to generate a single winner who designed clothing to fit the average woman.

Furthermore, after her own experiences with award show fashion backlash, Melissa McCarthy

is taking a step toward revolutionizing the fashion industry herself.

“Two Oscars ago,” McCarthy recalled, “I couldn’t find anybody to do a dress for me. I asked five or six designers—and they all said no.”

Now, McCarthy’s new clothing line Seven7 focuses on assuring that no woman has to feel like the “other” when shopping, offering a wide range of clothing in sizes 4 to 28 and all available in stores.

With big names like Bryce Dallas Howard, Melissa McCarthy and Project Runway hopping on board with this much needed fashion movement, it’s plain to see awareness is growing rapidly. However, there are still several prevailing issues needing attention, including widespread additions of full plus size collections to in-real-life stores, availability of tall and short plus size options and making plus size clothing tailored to the body, rather than just scaled up versions of straight sized clothing.

This weekend, take in and observe the Academy Awards’ culture with a greater awareness of the separation and otherness that prevails in our day-to-day lives and speak up and loud towards a society that is welcoming to all and hostile to none in all aspects.

Elle Johnson is a sophomore in College Scholars.

She can be reached at ejohn100@vols.utk.edu

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ARTS&CULTURE

The Daily Beacon • Wednesday, February 24, 2016

Dazzo’s pizzeria proves hidden gem for Knoxville eaters Tanner Hancock News Editor

The front of Dazzo’s Pizzeria, like much of Knoxville, is completely cut off by construction.

Sitting at the lower end of Gay St. near the Bijou Theater, the pizzeria occupies the kind of space that is easy to miss unless you already know what you’re looking for.

For the past two years, Adam Myers has been working at Dazzo’s Pizzeria as general manager, dealing with the day to day grind he believes makes his restaurant stand out from the rest. “We have a lot of regulars, and a lot of our regulars probably think they’re in on a secret,� Myers said of the clientele. As a self-described “niche� pizzeria, it’s not uncommon for Myers to see prospective customers walk right by, completely unaware that the pizza they’re looking for is getting farther and farther away. “I’ll see them walking right by us,�

Myers said. “We’re kind of a best kept secret.�

However, that secret only really started to take form in 2011, when Martha Boggs purchased the location from its

former owner, Gavin Loyer. Loyer had originally migrated from Long Island, New York in the mid-2000’s. Armed with family recipes, Loyer set up the original Dazzo’s as a traditional, New York style pizzeria, yet grew tired of the location in 2011. “He was kinda like the pizza Nazi,�

Boggs joked, describing the former owner simply as the “crazy New York guy from Long Island.�

In spite of the owner’s eccentrics, Boggs grew to love the pizza while working across the street at her other restaurant Bistro at the Bijou. Over the course of her life, Boggs has had her hand in several of Knoxville’s eating establishments. A one-time bartender at former Old College Inn, Boggs took over managerial duties for the Bistro at the Bijou in the mid-90’s, eventually coming to the own location altogether.

While she admits to loving the pizza, Boggs said her purchase of Dazzo’s was more out of necessity than admiration. “I have no storage at the Bistro and they have a giant kitchen downstairs, so it provided us with a commissary and extra storage for the Bistro,� Boggs said.

Step inside the restaurant, and one can immediately see where the idea

of a niche restaurant originated. The interior, unlike the exterior, reflects the kind of atmosphere Myers takes pride in.

Patrons can watch the chef prepare each individual pizza. After flipped dough, after ruby red tomato sauce and fried cheese, after half an hour in the oven and a restaurant filled with the aroma of garlic, only then comes the final product.

As a restaurant situated at the far end of Gay St., Myers says the restaurant’s customers typically come from two areas: those who work downtown and frequent the establishment often, and the concert-going crowd that spill into the streets when the show is over.

For Myers, it’s the ones that stop by frequently that make the job worth it. “Day or night, you name it, we’re getting regulars constantly,� Myers said.

Over the course of many shifts, Myers recalls a woman struggling with kidney failure who frequented the restaurant.

Over time, he came to view her, and many regulars like her, as a kind of alternate family. “It’s a more intimate atmosphere,� James Andrews, an employee of Dazzo’s Pizzeria, Myers said. begins to make a pizza.

Dazzo’s Pizzeria is open seven days a Tanner Hancock • The Daily Beacon week from 11 a.m. - 10 p.m.

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PUZZLES&GAMES

Wednesday, February 24, 2016 • The Daily Beacon

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Get Fuzzy • Darby Conley

NEW YORK TIMES CROSSWORD • Will Shortz ACROSS 1 7 11 14

dadoodlydude • Adam Hatch

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Cartoons 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.

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SPORTS

The Daily Beacon • Wednesday, February 24, 2016

Tennessee coaches address sexual assault during press conference Jonathan Toye

Sports Editor The Tennessee coaches thought it was time they shared their thoughts on UT’s current social and political situation.

It has been a tumultuous two weeks for Tennessee athletics. On Feb. 9, six unnamed plaintiffs filed a lawsuit against the university.

The lawsuit alleged that UT had created a hostile sexual environment through its handling of sexual assault cases. The allegations cited in the lawsuit circulated in the national media, creating a publicity nightmare for Tennessee.

Matters worsened last week when former Tennessee football player Mack Crowder and current player Alexis Johnson were arrested on back-to-back nights. Johnson was indefinitely suspended from all team activities.

Johnson was arrested on counts of strangulation and false imprisonment, adding ammunition to the growing perception that Tennessee has a sexist culture.

The 16 varsity Tennessee coaches wanted to share their side of the story, however, and decided to hold a joint 16-coach press conference

Tuesday at Ray and Lucy Hand Digital Studio.

Tennessee athletics director Dave Hart was not present at the press conference because he was out of town, Tennessee spokesperson Ryan Robinson said.

The coaches made it clear though that the joint press conference wasn’t administration’s idea but their own. Football coach Butch Jones said the coaches meet once a month, and several coaches thought it would be a good idea to publicly share their talking points from the meetings.

“It was time,” soccer coach Brian Pensky said of the press conference. “I think this athletic department and our administration has taken a beating for a number of years since the consolidation of the (male and female) departments, the logo change, the Nike change and now these alleged sexual assaults. I think all of us want to let everybody know we are behind our administration, and there is a lot more to the University of Tennessee and the athletic department than what is being read about. And that this is a great place.”

The coaches didn’t specifically mention the Title IX lawsuit, but they addressed the allegation that UT has created a culture hostile to

women and women’s athletics. The recent lawsuit coupled with Tennessee’s decision to drop the “Lady Vols” moniker from all women’s sports except basketball contributed to the perception that athletics has a sexist culture.

Multiple coaches, however, vehemently denied Tennessee has a toxic culture for women.

Softball coach Karen Weekly said the softball team is one of the few teams in the nation that has access to the university’s football facilities.

The women’s golf coach Judi Pavon said any woman golfer is treated as well as Josh Dobbs.

“The culture here right now is the best it’s ever been,” Weekly said. “Those stories aren’t being told, and the image being displayed of our culture is unfair. That’s why we are here together today because we want people to hear the positives.”

But there is nothing positive about sexual assault allegations, and Jones made that point clear.

The coaches spent most of the press conference defending UT’s administration and rebuffing claims of a sexist culture, but Jones made sure to emphasize that the university and athletics sympathizes with the alleged victims.

“Our hearts, our prayers, our feelings go

out to the alleged victims,” Jones said. “That’s something that I know personally. I am a parent, that hits at the heart. It starts with them. I know we all feel for them. That’s first and foremost.

That’s why we are constantly trying to educate our players. We are constantly trying to prevent any of this from happening. That’s our role as coaches.

“I don’t want you to think in any way, shape or form that we don’t feel for the alleged victims.

We feel for them.”

Jones, however, didn’t shy away from defending his players.

He advised against stereotyping his players, saying it’s unfair to typecast the players who consistently make wise choices.

“Have we had some individuals make some poor choices? Absolutely,” Jones said. “It’s easy to sit out there and judge when you don’t live our day every day. You’re not around the student athletes, you’re not around the these coaches.

To sit here and stereotype that, there’s a lot more on this campus than just a quote-unquote football party.

“I don’t want to diminish the great people we have here in the administration, the coaching staff, our student body and our student

BASEBALL

Tennessee pitching staff key to Vols’ series win over Memphis Rob Harvey

Contributor

Coach Dave Serrano has preached the importance of solid pitching from the beginning.

He contends that his pitching staff will be the key to this season.

The pitching staff was definitely the key in the Vols’ season-opening series against Memphis this past weekend, as the unit helped the Vols take two out of three games from the Tigers.

“I thought I saw some really good stints from guys this weekend,” Coach Serrano said after Sunday’s 5-2 victory. “Zach Warren was great. Hunter Martin hit a guy early and all that was up and down in the zone, but it was tough to hit. Kyle (Serrano) threw three really good innings ... Zach Reid came out of the bullpen and Lipinski closing it out.”

Senior Andy Cox, who for the first time in his college career has a specific role in the pitching rotation, gave a strong performance on Friday. Cox recorded four strike outs and only allowed three hits in four

innings. Cox will be a big factor for the Vols this season as he will be the No. 1 starter on this team.

The bullpen held it down for Cox on Friday as Eric Freeman pitched three innings, and Will Nealy made his collegiate debut. Nealy, despite giving up a home run to the first batter he faced, settled down and closed the game out for the Vols.

Junior Kyle Serrano will also be a huge key for Tennessee, and he seemed to be in good form for the first three innings he pitched on Saturday where he only allowed two hits while tallying three strikeouts.

He does have room for improvement, however, as the wheels fell off for him in the fourth inning. In that devastating inning, he allowed five runs and committed an error that could have prevented multiple runs.

Kyle Serrano does not seem to be too worried as the season progresses, however.

“I’ve just got to find ways to get out of those situations and avoid putting crooked numbers on the scoreboard,” Kyle Serrano said. “I’ve just got to stay positive. It’s the first start, and so I just need to keep those first three innings in my memory bank and then keep building for next week and the weeks on.”

The bullpen struggled too in Saturday’s game as three relief pitchers gave up two runs or more.

“There were a lot of things we didn’t finish the job in,” Coach Serrano said. “They just need to clean up some of the physical stuff.”

On Sunday, sophomore Zach Warren had things flowing for him as he gave up one run on two hits and he struck out three in four innings.

Hunter Martin pitched after him and pitched solid for three and two thirds innings as he only allowed a run off of two hits.

Closer Jon Lipinski made his Tennessee debut and collected the four-out save to end that game where the pitching was the most solid it had been all weekend.

Coach Serrano did say work needs to be done despite the successful weekend.

“We have work to do still,” Coach Serrano said. “We have to solidify some roles. We have to figure who’s going to be at the end of the game. By the time we get to Ole Miss and the start of Sec play in March, hopefully we’ll have all those kinks worked out so we can go with the plan we want to go with.”

Zach Warren pitches against MTSU on March 3, 2015. • File Photo

SPORTS

Wednesday, February 24, 2016 • The Daily Beacon

11

Culture problem not just confined to Tennessee

Taylor White Asst. Sports Editor

When sifting through the PR babble, mindless wise cracks and a plethora of straw men arguments that made up most of the 54 minutes of Tuesday’s press conference, one quote stood above the rest.

Co-softball coach Karen Weekly, one of 16 University of Tennessee head coaches to take center stage on Tuesday in response to the negative publicity that has come Tennessee’s way over the last few weeks, came to UT’s defense.

“If you want to go back 20 years and accumulate incidents,” Weekly said. “I would imagine you could look at a lot of schools like Tennessee and come up with a similar story. I think that’s what has happened here, and that’s the part that I feel is unfair.”

There were a lot of things said on Tuesday, some important and some not, but this statement should be the biggest takeaway from an unprecedented press conference. This comment was obviously directed toward the pending Title IX lawsuit that has been filed, accusing the University of “creating a hostile sexual environment.”

Many of the allegations in the suit span just the last few years, but some, such as the 1996 issue involving Peyton Manning, go back much farther. The incidents brought up by the six female plaintiffs have brought national attention to what has been perceived by some as culture problem specific to Tennessee.

Any argument the school had against this culture problem should have been thrown out the window last week when a recently graduated football player, Mack Crowder, and current football player, Alexis Johnson, were arrested on back-to-back nights, both in regards to issues

with women.

Crowder was arrested for trying to solicit sex from whom he thought was a 14-year-old girl in Tampa, while Johnson, who has been on campus for just two months, was arrested on charges of aggravated assault in regards to a former girlfriend. The accuser in Johnson’s case has since decided not to press charges, though he remains suspended from the team.

These incidents coupled with the upcoming rape trials for former football players A.J. Johnson and Michael Williams, as well as investigations into numerous other players, show that there is a clear culture problem at UT. But despite what the national media would have you believe at the moment, this culture problem involving student-athletes and women is not specific to one school. You can pick and choose cases from football teams all around the country.

In 2014, Georgia defensive end Jonathan Taylor was arrested for allegedly choking his girlfriend and striking her several times. He was promptly dismissed from the football team, but Nick Saban recruited him to come to Alabama.

After signing with the Crimson Tide, he was again accused of domestic violence before being removed from his second SEC football team.

A similar story is told with Baylor defensive end Sam Ukwuachu. The Texas native was convicted of aggravated assault against a women’s soccer player and sentenced to six months in jail and 10 months’ probation.

Ukwuachu started his career as a Freshman All-American at Boise State before being dismissed for an undisclosed violation of team rules. According to reports by a Waco paper, he

was accused of attacking his girlfriend. Baylor coach Art Briles claimed to have no knowledge of the prior incident, while then Boise State coach Chris Peterson claims to have informed Briles of the situation.

Perhaps the most well documented case recently was Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston being accused of sexual assault by a fellow student. After an investigation, the Tallahassee Police Department elected not to charge the Heisman winner due to a lack of evidence, but the case captured national attention nonetheless.

Has the culture of Tennessee reached the point where women just are not safe on campus? No. But that does not mean there are not problems.

Tennessee coach Butch Jones has had a clear method when dealing with legal issues: suspension until the case is closed. If charges are not filed, as with Von Pearson, then the player is rightfully reinstated to the team. If the case gets to court, as with Johnson and Williams, the players are removed, which is more than can be said at many schools.

The time has passed for questions such as, “is there a culture problem centered around athletes?” There is more than enough evidence to answer that. The new question should be, “how can we, as a society, continue to let this problem go unaddressed?”

It is not just the University of Tennessee that needs to answer it.

Taylor White is a junior in journalism and electronic media. He can be reached at twhite52@vols.utk.edu.

MEN’S BASKETBALL

Vols look to carry intensity to South Carolina Taylor White

Asst. Sports Editor The Tennessee basketball team is heading into Columbia, South Carolina fresh off an upset over LSU, despite Kevin Punter watching from the sideline with a stress fracture in his right foot.

The Vols have been here before.

After beating a nationally ranked Kentucky team at home, Tennessee was beaten by 18 points by an average Arkansas team. After beating former coach Bruce Pearl and Auburn by almost 30 points, the Vols laid an egg at SEC bottom dweller Missouri. Now Tennessee is trying to break that pattern.

“To go on the road in a very balanced

league,” Tennessee coach Rick Barnes said, “The talent level is probably more than people might want to give credit towards. To win in this league, you have to have a competitive spirit about you.

When you go on the road and play tough games, there are a lot of factors that go into it.”

Now the Vols (13-14, 6-8 SEC) travel to a Gamecock (22-5, 9-5) team that is tied for second in the SEC and has been playing good basketball after getting dismantled at home by Kentucky earlier in the year.

South Carolina is led by Michael Carrera, who has taken his game to another level in his senior season. He’s averaging 14.8 points per game while shooting 46 percent from behind the 3-point line. Sindarius Thornwell, who struggled

in the Gamecocks loss to Tennessee in Knoxville early in the season, is averaging 12.9 points and is leading the team in assists.

While Barnes pointed to the talent upgrade as a reason that South Carolina basketball has taken off this year, he noted that the culture Frank Martin has instilled in Colombia is a big factor.

“When you look at their team and what he’s done, I’m not surprised.” Barnes said.

“We became good friends while he was at Kansas State, and his teams are tough, hard-nosed; they truly do personify his personality. He looks for a certain kind of player that he wants to have in his program.

“He believes in fighting you on every inch of the court. He’s not going to let you think that you’re going to walk out and get

the ball on this area of the floor or this area of the floor.”

No matter the talent of the opponent, the fact is that Tennessee has struggled on the road. The Vols are 1-12 away from Thompson-Boiling Arena, and Barnes keeps pointing to a lack of intensity as the reason why.

With the Vols coming off arguably their best defensive performance of the year against the Tigers, Barnes hopes his team can finally carry that intensity in a hostile environment.

“Defensively,” Barnes said. “We’ve got to work hard at not fouling against a team that’s aggressive and puts you in situations where you do have to foul. It’s a mindset. It’s a nine o’clock game, so that’s a little rhythm. We’re all asking the question, ‘What’s different on the road?’”

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The Daily Beacon • Wednesday, February 24, 2016