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‘King of Amalur’ falls short

Dixon: Students should support Diamond Vols

Thursday, February 28, 2012

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Issue 34

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PUBLISHED SINCE 1906 http://utdailybeacon.com

Vol. 119

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Youth step up to help environment Liv McConnell Staff Writer For UT students like Maria Rosales, green is the new orange, as the search for environmentally-conscious alternatives is taken up by a new, determined generation.

Rosales, a senior in environmental studies, hopes to accomplish her green goals for campus through the Million Dollar Green Challenge. The challenge aims to set up a green fund to provide up-front capital for eco-friendly sustainability projects on campus.

“Any student could propose a project to reduce energy consumption and save money,” Rosales said. “The money would then go back into the fund to help pay for more projects and continue savings.”

With Knoxville gas prices reaching a ninemonth high of $3.65 per gallon and an unseasonably warm winter closing with no cumulative snowfall, evidence for the need for conservation efforts is hitting right at home for many students.

According to Rosales, it is up to these young people to be the primary movers in the green crusade.

“College students have the resources we need to make a difference here on campus,” she said.

“We have the research to spark new green technologies, the business students who will measure the benefits of clean energy, the political science students to implement the policies, and the science behind it. All of us together can bring green alternatives to the forefront of our policy.”

For Rosales, making UT green is a cause especially close to her heart. It was on this campus that she discovered her passion for ecological safeguarding in the first place.

“Growing up, I was always concerned with social and international issues,” Rosales said. “It wasn’t until I got to college and took a geology class with Dr. Michael McKinney and later participated in a rally for the Kingston Coal Ash Spill in 2008 that I learned the urgency of climate change and the need to move towards a clean energy future.”

McKinney, professor of geology and environmental studies director, believes that we have no choice but to change our wasteful ways.

“The way we are living is clearly and measurably unsustainable,” McKinney said.

Growing up in Orlando, Fla., McKinney has seen first-hand the rapid and harmful effects of human industry on the environment.

“Since I was a teenager, I always liked the outdoors,” McKinney said. “I watched Orlando become a sprawling, urban, tourist mess from a nice little town with lots of natural beauty.”

Like Rosales, it is within the younger generation that McKinney sees the potential to give temperance and order to humans’ current destruction of nature. He points to Rosales herself as a prime example of his reasons for encouragement.

“Students like Maria have always been the foundation of change in any society,” McKinney said. “She is a real inspiration to myself and many others who realize that changing the future requires challenging the laziness of the status quo, and that takes work, vision and passion.”

This passion is being put to practical use in the upcoming months, as Rosales and other students work tirelessly to get the Challenge’s revolving fund signed into effect by the chancellor. Along with fellow coordinator, junior Nick Alderson, Rosales is currently organizing a forum about the future of energy efficiency at UT. This will hopefully raise public awareness about sustainable issues, especially the Challenge.

Until the Challenge’s revolving fund is assumedly implemented, UT students can do simple things to better their environment and work toward making orange green.

“Bike more and drive less, ask for organic and local foods from restaurants, and think about a career that makes the world a better place instead of mindlessly accumulating money, to name a few,” McKinney suggested. “Most importantly, don’t give into the temptations of apathy, cynicism or despair. They won’t get you anywhere and certainly won’t help the problems we face.”

Rosales has faith that UT students can and will avoid these pitfalls and step up to the conservational plate.

“Students have always led social movements; think women’s rights, civil rights and the antiwar movement,” she said. “Every major social revolution has been led and driven by young people. It’s time for the green movement to be added to that list.”

Lauren Beale • The Daily Beacon

Zack Plaster, freshman in public relations, and Emily Hoffman, undecided freshman, participate in the SPEAK protest against UT’s coal plant on Wednesday, Oct. 12, 2011. The event was just one spearheaded by Maria Rosales, who hopes to raise awareness and help usher UT into a more environmentally friendly era.

All-Sing celebrates 80th year Violence in Syrian streets claims 138 lives The Associated Press

Tara Sripunvoraskul • The Daily Beacon

A member of the Alpha Omicron Pi and Sigma Alpha Iota performance of “Dream Girls” sings a solo during AllSing on Saturday. This year’s All-Sing event had a decades theme, with groups focusing on music from different eras of music, from old spirituals to Whitney Houston.

Andi Overby Staff Writer All Campus Events (ACE) began Spring Semester with its 80th annual All-Sing competition Saturday night at the Knoxville Convention Center.

This year’s theme “ACE ACE BABY: All-Sing Through the Decades” was chosen in recognition of the event’s 80th year on campus. The popular ’80s song “Ice Ice Baby” was an inspiration for the title.

“This theme gives lots of flexibility with decades that provide different musicals and movies,” Lauren Charles, ACE committee chairperson, said.

The competition, which was first held in 1932 and titled “Song-Fest,” was originally an initiative by the YMCA and All Students’ Club as a singing competition to introduce students, faculty and the UT community to songs from different time periods.

All-Sing has connected organizations on campus for decades.

“Our programs for the event will have a special touch of All-Sing through the years,” Charles said. “Generations have participated in the same event that we will see this Saturday — how amazing is that?”

This year, teams competed for the title with themes that varied from ’80s to “Pocahontas.” Organizations performed songs from “Mama Mia,” “Grease,” “Wicked” and hits from the Blues Brothers.

Saturday’s competition included 13 teams that were a combination of 20 different student organizations. With large and small divisions separated into co-ed and single teams, there

was a variety of organizations competing, as any student group is invited to participate. Audiences also saw special performances from VOLume and reVOLution, both a cappella ensembles in the UT choral program.

Judges were picked from all over campus and throughout the Knoxville area. Based on criteria from categories such as sound, interpretation and music, teams were awarded for divisional and overall performance. The best female and male soloists were also awarded.

Baptist Collegiate Ministry took home first place overall with their theme “O Brother, Where Art Thou.” They performed tracks such as “Down to the River to Pray” and “In the Highways” in costumes fit for the time period.

“Their theme also projected who they are as a group,” said audience member Victoria Van de Vate. “Their entire performance stood out because ‘Oh Brother, Where Art Thou’ has themes of redemption and forgiveness which is a part of their ministry.”

Phi Mu Alpha and Alpha Delta Pi placed second overall with their mix of songs from “The Wizard of Oz” and “The Wiz.” Third place overall went to Delta Delta Delta and Chi Omega with their performance of hits from “Mama Mia.” Alpha Gamma Rho and Sigma Alpha placed first in the small mixed division. Zeta Tau Alpha and Kappa Sigma placed third in the large mixed division, Phi Mu and Alpha Chi Omega took second for large single division, and Delta Zeta and Sigma Kappa placed third.

ACE will conclude the Spring Semester with Carnicus in April. This year marks the 100th anniversary of the competition, and committee members are enthusiastic about planning something special to celebrate the event.

BEIRUT — A Syrian activist group reported Monday that 138 people have been killed across the country, about half of them in the embattled opposition stronghold of Homs. A team from the Syrian arm of the Red Cross delivered aid to one of the city’s most dangerous neighborhoods after days of trying to reach the area.

The activist group did not say whether all 138 died on Monday or were killed over the past few days. Many of the casualties were believed to be from the rebel-controlled Baba Amr neighborhood of Homs, which the Syrian Arab Red Crescent entered late Monday.

Also in the neighborhood are two wounded journalists along with the bodies of two of their colleagues who were killed last week. European and American diplomats and aid workers have been trying desperately to find a way to evacuate them.

Homs has been under siege for nearly four weeks, making it impossible for rescue workers to get to the wounded and for families to bring their injured and dead to the hospital or aid stations.

The high death toll reported by activist group the Local Coordination Committees is sure to add to the already intensifying pressure on authoritarian President Bashar Assad to give up power.

Representatives of more than 60 countries met in Tunis last week trying to forge a unified strategy to push Assad

from power. They began planning a civilian peacekeeping mission to deploy after the regime falls. And the European Union imposed new sanctions on Syria Monday.

But Russia has been stubbornly vocal in its opposition to any outside interference in Syria’s affairs.

Putin warned Monday against military intervention in scathing criticism of the West as he laid out his foreign policy priorities less than a week before Russia’s presidential election.

Putin said the West had backed the Arab Spring to advance its interests in the region, and that instead of promoting democracy the revolts had given rise to religious extremism.

In Damascus, a Syrian official accused the West of trying to destabilize the country for its own gain and warned that the opposition that militarizing is a big mistake that will backfire.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Jihad Makdissi told The Associated Press in a rare interview in the Syrian capital that dialogue among all parties is the only way to end the conflict. Activists groups said Monday that the death toll for 11 months of unrest has now surpassed 8,000 people.

“The West took advantage of the awakening of the Syrian street. Instead of helping Syria to overcome this painful crisis, they are using this to hit the stability of Syria for other geopolitical reasons,” he said.

2 • The Daily Beacon

InSHORT

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

James Hayden• The Daily Beacon

Alberto Gonzales reacts to a student’s question during a lecture in the College of Law Building on Wednesday. Gonzales gave accounts of his time as the former U.S. Attorney General and what impact the job had on his view of world politics.

1894 — Ben Hecht is born Novelist, playwright, and screenwriter Ben Hecht was born on this day in New York City to Russian Jewish immigrants.

Hecht’s family moved to Racine, Wisconsin, where Hecht attended high school.

He started studies at the University of Wisconsin but soon quit and took a job chasing down photos of crime victims for the Chicago Journal, which paid him $12.50 a week. Hecht later became a star reporter, known for his sensational and colorful, if not always accurate, stories. Another paper, the Chicago Daily News, sent him to Berlin to cover the aftermath of World War I, which inspired his first novel, Erik Dorn (1921).

Hecht later wrote a column in which he sketched Chicago’s wide variety of characters. His columns were collected in his popular 1922 book, A Thousand and One Afternoons in Chicago. But his literary work was bringing in little money, and by 1925 he was broke. But an old friend invited him to Hollywood to try his hand at screenwriting, which he did with great success. He wrote more than 70 screenplays, including Underworld (1927), for which he won an Oscar. He collaborated on the screenplay for Gone with the Wind and many others.

In 1928, Hecht turned his madcap newspapering adventures into a hit play called The Front Page, which he wrote with Charles MacArthur, who also collaborated with him on other plays and movie scripts. Hecht died in New York in 1964.

1953 — Watson and Crick discover chemical structure of DNA On this day in 1953, Cambridge University scientists James D. Watson and Frances H.C. Crick announce that they have determined the double-helix structure of DNA, the molecule containing human genes.

Though DNA — short for deoxyribonucleic acid — was discovered in 1869, its crucial role in determining genetic inheritance wasn’t demonstrated until 1943. In the early 1950s, Watson and Crick were only two of many scientists working on figuring out the structure of DNA. California chemist Linus Pauling suggested an incorrect model at the beginning of 1953, prompting Watson and Crick to try and beat Pauling at his own game. On the morning of February 28, they determined that the structure of DNA was a double-helix polymer, or a spiral of two DNA strands, each containing a long chain of monomer nucleotides, wound around each other.

According to their findings, DNA replicated itself by separating into individual strands, each of which became the template for a new double helix. In his best-selling book, The Double Helix (1968), Watson later claimed that Crick announced the discovery by walking into the nearby Eagle Pub and blurt-

ing out that “we had found the secret of life.” The truth wasn’t that far off, as Watson and Crick had solved a fundamental mystery of science — how it was possible for genetic instructions to be held inside organisms and passed from generation to generation.

Watson and Crick’s solution was formally announced on April 25, 1953, following its publication in that month’s issue of Nature magazine. The article revolutionized the study of biology and medicine.

Among the developments that followed directly from it were pre-natal screening for disease genes; genetically engineered foods; the ability to identify human remains; the rational design of treatments for diseases such as AIDS; and the accurate testing of physical evidence in order to convict or exonerate criminals.

Crick and Watson later had a falling-out over Watson’s book, which Crick felt misrepresented their collaboration and betrayed their friendship. A larger controversy arose over the use Watson and Crick made of research done by another DNA researcher, Rosalind Franklin, whose colleague Maurice Wilkins showed her X-ray photographic work to Watson just before he and Crick made their famous discovery. When Crick and Watson won the Nobel Prize in 1962, they shared it with Wilkins.

Franklin, who died in 1958 of ovarian cancer and was thus ineligible for the award, never learned of the role her photos played in the historic scientific breakthrough.

— This Day in History is courtesy of History.com.

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

ARTS&CULTURE

The Daily Beacon • 3

RPG disappoints, feels empty Wiley Robinson Staff Writer “Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning” is exactly the kind of name you should avoid when putting an RPG together. There is nothing even remotely inviting about it. Nobody has any preconceived notions about what “Amalur” is, being a world made up for this game, whether it’s intended to be a franchise or not. And the word “Reckoning” is about two entire definitions away from being a more interesting word like “revenge,” having to pass first to through “retribution” and “judgment,” at least. What “Reckoning” more readily means is a statement of an amount due, like the wad you’ll drop buying a game the best reviews are having a hard time really describing.dis Full disclosure: It doesn’t matter how hungry you are for a great new fantasy RPG, this is not it. Not for lack of trying — they had fantasy author R.A. Salvatore create the world and lore, and Todd McFarlane laid the foundation for the art.

Predictably, when isolated from one another, both of these are solid. Everything in this game, on its own, could be considered solid. But nothing in this game works together to create a fun, interesting, thought-provoking experience that particularly demands one’s attention.

The story revolves around the typical hero who is the catalyst for a bunch of events in a land of, in this case, humans, elves and gnomes (with different racial flavors) troubled by war and conflict. There are bad elves who have a new evil god, and they’re trying to conquer everything. The world itself is strictly determined by fate, and your blank-slate character that you create from a smattering of faces, hairstyles and colors is apparently free from it to determine, well, really just their own dynamic combat class from a mix of fight, mage and thief.

The main storylines of quests themselves unfold interestingly enough — they’re easily given the most production attention — but this is still a game that considers itself strongly openworld. That said, there is an absolute tidal wave of faction and miscellaneous quests that make up a good 90 percent of the game, but without any larger context, interconnection or purpose other than the completion of an insular micro-plot and the experience and loot it brings, these feel mostly tacked on. Games like “Skyrim” can, unfortunately, get away with breaking the linearity of purpose in favor of these, again, insular series of events that have no effect on each other and have little role-playing consequence because “Skyrim” achieves far more sensory immersion than “Amalur.” Despite the fact that “Amalur” tries to simulate stealth, theft, the rule of law and general human interaction in much the same way more openworld games do, it just doesn’t feel as rewarding — it just can’t compete on a technological, sensory level. So without the consequences of the larger story events lending even the most passive meaning or urgency to our more mundane actions, the entirety of the periphery game in “Amalur” — which, due to its size and potential length, could properly be considered the main experience — completely fails to be enjoyable.

The large open-world of meandering and narrow paths connecting the larger open areas gives this single-player game kind of a massive multiplayer online feel. The open spaces are either filled with towns (where every other person gives you a shallow, uninteresting fetch or kill quest) or wilds, ruins and secondary settlements and things to kill and collect.

But, altogether, it looks much better than “World of Warcraft.”

Almost every interior and exterior location and region has its own complex, unique fantasy

aesthetic which far exceeds the horribly overused dungeon kits of “Skyrim,” although towns and houses still suffer from prefabricated, boring interiors. The quality deteriorates in consistency somewhat with creature (a mixture of standard “Forgotten Realms” and some unique creations) and character models, which vary highly in creativity and appeal, but hovers somewhere around the Blizzardesque hybrid of cartoony and detailed. Weapon and armor model variety can still be rather redundant, but the rapid level sensitive progression that determines what loot you encounter offers enough variety among the three basic classes to facilitate an adequate level of role-playing, such as your silent, blank character can achieve.

Very active combat, though, is being touted as this game’s critical contribution to the experience of this medium.

What’s been accomplished is a chain-based, animation-heavy “God of War”-ish system that doesn’t quite achieve the intricacy or thoughtfulness of “Ninja Gaiden” (but definitely the flashiness). It’s twitchy and takes a satisfying level of preciseness when dodging and counter-attacking, especially when facing the toughest opponents, but only the toughest really demand much thought regarding the type of move, animation or damage you do. It didn’t seem like there was a wrong way to spend level-up points (think “Dragon Age”) on moves, spells and weapon proficiencies even after trying a dozen combinations — you can re-spend your points at any time, a nice ease-of-use function that compliments this game’s level of realism and immersion.

To those of us who can’t get enough RPG, the game’s single player is worth a run through.

However, unless you’re weird and/or in prison in a country that allows you to play video games, it’s recommended that you find a list online of only the

best miscellaneous quests that give you unique items or boss fights and maybe a few factions.

This game tries to meet the open-world genre with the bare minimum; it took talent to voice the game — the British voice actors in this game are a huge plus — write the story, design and populate a landmass, items and economy — but these things were developed far too separately from the main story board. And the result is an openworld game that feels dominated by uninteresting filler. It took a lot of ignorance, arrogance or both to make a game dense and detailed feel so empty.

• Image courtesy of gamezone.com

4 • The Daily Beacon

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

OPINIONS

LettersEditor to the

CPC exhibits abused, privilege lost In response to Emily DeLanzo’s article “Hate poisons student art,” I am unreservedly disappointed. I am disappointed that the “Velcro Poetry” has been removed and will probably never return, that it has been so sickeningly misused and that the Visual Arts Committee has been forced to buckle beneath the weight of such vile misconduct.

This “Velcro Poetry,” ever since its incarnation last year has been a wonderful poetic outlet for students of all genders, races and orientations. It is frankly appalling that it has been so continuously debased by so many violators who thought that it would be a swell idea to have a joke at the expense of others. On many occasions, I would see references to every depravity known to man, bestiality included, stickered to the walls. Is this supposed to be funny? Most of the vile phrases were closer to contempt than actual humor. At the same time, though, true pieces of art were plastered right next to the vulgarities. Phrasings of surprisingly poignant depth were on display for everyone to see. Sadly, however, these legitimate contributions to the event were mostly ignored

in favor of the racist and anti-homosexual remarks.

The worst part about all of this is that nothing can be done to prevent such sickening infractions.

The school is not about to hire guards to stand watch in the hallway and reprimand any persons suspected of having a dirty mind. And while I completely understand that the Visual Arts Committee had little choice other than to close up shop for the month, I am still extremely disappointed. Personally, this has always been my favorite display of theirs, a chance to find one’s inner poet. If things had gone differently, I believe that those hallways would be filled right now with people positively engaging in the event.

Unfortunately, however, that is not the case. The violators have inflicted all the damage they could imagine. The “Velcro Poetry” is gone, and in all likelihood, it will never return. I guess the good things do not last, after all.

Matthew Jaco Class 2014 Business pre-major mjaco1@utk.edu

CPC displays lacked direction, planning Dear Editor, The Central Program Council or CPC has alone embarrassed our great university. As a junior studying finance, I frequently make trips to the UC for all sorts of reasons. A few weeks ago when I was walking through the main hallway I noticed all the “poetry sticks” on the walls. At first, I was confused and had no idea what they were for. So I looked around, but never saw any signs or posters explaining their purpose. As the days passed I began to understand that they were there for the students to be “creative” and write or say what they wanted. However, with no clear-cut purpose for the poetry sticks, how could anyone possibly believe malicious or harmful things were not going to be written?

I saw racist things, homophobic things,

sexual things and just plain vulgar things. You must remember that we, or most of us, are 18to 23-year-old college students with dirty and nasty minds. We are currently in the prime years of our lives when it comes to hormones and emotions. We say what we feel when we feel it, and we are not afraid to say it. Now, I can kind of see how you thought this would be a fun and creative exercise to allow the students to speak freely. But, for future reference, try clearly explaining what their true purposes are rather than just throw a bunch of words on a wall and allow college kids free rein to make what they want out of them.

Connor Rosenbaum Class of 2013 Finance crosenba@utk.edu

SCRAMBLED EGGS • Alex Cline

THE Great Mash Up• Liz Newnam

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.

Romney still too cold to spark voters C ampbel l’s Co r n e r by

Seth Campbell As the campaign season moves along, I had an extreme realization regarding the Republican candidates vying for President Obama’s current position. We’ve all seen several candidates come and go throughout the process, but no matter who has entered the race, this still remains the weakest class of candidates in the modern era, regardless of political party.

From Rick Perry to Michele Bachmann, every Republican candidate is remarkably flawed. The four remaining candidates all have serious issues that make the reelection of President Obama seem more likely by the day.

The GOP candidate that seems most likely to walk away from the primary as the nominee is former Gov. Mitt Romney. While I am far from being a Romney supporter, he does appear to be the least crazy of the group. This isn’t exactly a compliment, but I’m not sure that Romney deserves too much credit. Since he is the day-to-day frontrunner, it should concern Republicans that Romney is so weak on so many different fronts.

If Romney is the eventual nominee, the GOP will have a tough time recapturing the White House or making progress in the Senate or House. While Romney may get a decent percentage of the vote, he most certainly will not be able to motivate the Republican base. When it comes down to it, Romney is a moderate.

Even though many people enjoy a moderate stance on policy, Romney runs from the label with a certain disgust towards the moderate classification. Can someone tell me why being moderate is such an illness for current-day Republicans? Could it be the radicalization or advancing craziness of the party?

Not only is Romney a moderate, but he won’t be able to carry either Michigan or Massachusetts in the general election — both happen to be his home states. Ask Al Gore how important carrying your home state is.

Furthermore, Romney is an awful public speaker. I’d much rather listen to any other candidate speak because at least they’re liable to say something entertaining.

Romney is so scripted and stern that listening to his stump speech is akin to painting a fence — rather boring.

When Romney opens up on the campaign trail, he makes $10,000 bets with fellow nominees or proclaims his love for the height of trees in Michigan. It seems to be a lose-lose for Mitt.

Romney and his demeanor will never motivate the party to the extent it needs to be motivated in order to upset Obama. Even though Speaker Newt Gingrich has outrageous ideas, he’d be much more likely to motivate the Republican Party to that Tea Party status that had so many Republicans hyped. Romney can sing Americathemed songs until his face turns blue, he’s just not going get many people excited about his candidacy.

Only a few short years ago, Sen. John McCain had many of these same problems. After securing the GOP nomination, there were times that McCain couldn’t fill an assembly hall for his speeches. It’s no secret why McCain wasn’t attracting the crowds in the same way that Obama was, it’s simply because McCain isn’t a good campaigner. He eventually addressed this by selecting Sarah Palin as his running mate, but this shot of adrenaline into his campaign still couldn’t deter the shellacking he received in November.

The common joke around the late-night circuit is that Mitt Romney doesn’t even feel comfortable around himself. As hilarious as this is, it’s a serious issue for his campaign. In an effort to appear looser and more human, Romney was told to avoid wearing neckties by his aides. It’s going to take much more than a wardrobe change to transform Romney into a candidate that can become the President of the United States.

Many people claim that Romney is an outsider and is exactly what we need in America. First, Romney has been a constant candidate for the better part of the last 20 years. This is far from the outsider label he currently strives for. Moreover, Romney has been closely entangled with the Republican aristocracy throughout his whole life.

The GOP can win in November, but not with any of the current candidates they’re offering. If Mitt Romney happens to be your frontrunner, your political party is in a mess. No matter if he wears a tie or not, Mitt Romney is still Mitt Romney — and that’s good news for President Obama.

— Seth Campbell is a senior in history. He can be reached at scampb42@utk.edu.

Communication key in relationships Bus y N ot h i n gs by Samantha Trueheart

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Being in a relationship can be a wonderful experience where both parties learn to grow and work together as one. When a relationship is going well, having a partner by your side to serve as a support system can get you through any difficult task. Yet, when the relationship is crumbling, the stress one feels from resentment and the fatigue from fighting can cause other daily activities to be interrupted. My speech teacher in high school once told us that the top reason a couple breaks up or ends a marriage is due to lack of communication. At the time, I thought it was interesting, since women and men communicate frequently in their day-to-day lives. But when it comes to a spouse or partner, communicating their wants and needs effectively could be a constant struggle. In order to create a healthier and happier relationship, one must work with one’s partner to establish good communication.

For women, being honest and direct about their wants and needs can be difficult. Often, women feel that if they express themselves, they will appear demanding and helpless to their partner. In order to correctly resolve a conflict where both parties are satisfied, do not focus on winning or losing. When confronting your partner, use “I” statements so that the person being confronted does not feel attacked.

Also, try not to bring up old arguments, as that will only lead to more fighting and less communication.

Remember to focus on the issue at hand and always respect your partner and his or her feelings. Asking questions in a curious and non-aggressive manner communicates that your intention is to solve the problem rather than win a battle.

One important factor of communication is not to be fearful of conflict. Every couple is different, and experiences and handles situations differently. While some couples might quietly talk things out, others might passionately scream about the conflict. Although those ways of communicating are on opposite ends of the spectrum, learning to confront conflict and not being fearful of stating your opinions is important for a healthy relationship. If a partner feels that they

cannot express their feelings without fear of humiliation, degradation or retaliation, then the communication within the couple is not effective and trusting.

There are other forms of communication that people might not even realize as well. Over 50 percent of communication is from nonverbal cues. Simple things such as eye contact, touching an arm or crossing arms are all subtle ways to communicate. Couples who are healthy often have learned to be more receptive to sending and receiving nonverbal cues. Correct interpretation of certain body language can help a couple better understand what each person is trying to convey. Yet, your partner is not a mind-reader either.

If there is a problem, do not rely solely on your body language to express a message. Directly telling your partner what you are thinking will avoid any confusion later.

If problems with your partner seem too difficult to solve on your own, look into getting help from a therapist. Couple or marriage counselors will work with the couple to establish good communication and confront conflicts within the relationship. Seeking a spiritual counselor, such as a pastor or rabbi, can also help couples connect on a religious level and become closer in their faith. Sometimes personal problems and unresolved childhood experiences can hinder a relationship from developing into an emotional and healthy partnership. If this is the case, seek individual therapy in order to express your feelings to an unbiased professional.

Relationships take constant work even when things are going well. Effectively communicating to your partner your wants and needs is vital in establishing a trusting and committed relationship. Remember that you and your partner are a team, and you need to work together in order to make it last. Do not be afraid to express yourself, and resolve a conflict so both parties are happy with the outcome. Understanding your own body language and your partner’s can help a couple establish good communication. But also try to directly state what you feel as well, because your partner does not already know what you feel and need. If the problems you experience seem too difficult to overcome, seek out a counselor who can give unbiased opinions and help form good communication and trust in a secure environment.

— Samantha Trueheart is a sophomore in communications. She can be reached at struehea@utk.edu.

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

The Daily Beacon • 5

ARTS&CULTURE

Dark game strongly delivers Clinton, Gates Chris Flowers Staff Writer A quest for vengeance may be the most played-out plot in gaming, but Digital Extreme’s “The Darkness II” uses the tired premise to create one of the strongest narratives in a firstperson shooter since “Bioshock.”

The storyline delivers the visceral satisfaction of revenge films like “Kill Bill” and “Oldboy,” but turns its unsurprisingly dark tone on a dime for quieter moments that carry surprising emotional weight.

Jackie Estacado has suppressed the darkness and taken control of a criminal empire in the two years since the events of the first game. The opening scene illustrates Estacado’s new place in life as he makes his way to dinner in a ritzy Italian restaurant, then quickly sets the story into motion when his meal is interrupted by an assassination attempt. These sudden shifts between moments of character development to gore-filled action sequences are jarring, but keep the game interesting throughout the six- or seven-hour campaign.

While the narrative focuses on Jackie’s emotional vulnerability, the gameplay leans more toward an ultraviolent power trip. Players command devastating demonic powers against almost helpless mortal enemies with a level of brutality only seen in games like “Mortal Kombat.” Using Estacado’s supernatural tentacles, impalement, decapitation and eating enemy hearts are all par for the

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among those up for peace prize

ers mapped to the face buttons, such as a swarm of flies to stun enemies, also help with crowd control.

Melee combat in first-person shooters usually has only situational use, and almost always boils down to tapping a button in close range to smack an enemy with your gun.

Estacado’s tentacles provide a longer ranged and more powerful melee option. Controlling the direction of the tentacle slash makes the melee combat feel more involved than the typical shooter, and adds some strategic options once upgraded.

The game’s upgrade system is divided into four branching skill trees that add and improve powers.

Upgrade points are primarily earned through combat. Killing an enemy in more stylish manner will net more upgrade points, but will usually be riskier to pull Upgrades range • Image courtesy of levelsave.com off. from adding effects to the troller the bumpers and triggers acti- tentacle slash, to giving additional vate the tentacles and weapons, options for disposing captured foes, while the right analog stick controls to adding new abilities like a gun the direction of Estacado’s tentacle channeling spell that improves whip and aims. Using a mouse to weapon fire for a stretch of time.

Think outlines and bright colors direct the tentacle whip felt unnatural, and the bumpers and triggers evoke the game’s roots as a comic provided more intuitive control of book series. Little touches like occathe left and right weapons and tenta- sional cross-hatching on textures and hard black shadows make this the cles.

Precise aiming isn’t what the com- most successful use of cel-shading in bat is about anyway; here the focus is a video game to date. The script, instead on macro-managing a large penned by comic writer Paul Jenkins, number of weak enemies. Objects in is delivered with consistently great the environment can be grabbed by a voice acting, highlighted by Mike tentacle for use as a projectile or Patton as the Darkness. The short portable cover, and their strategic but sweet adventure is one to experiuse is necessary for the more difficult ence, though don’t expect any resoluencounters. A few rechargeable pow- tion from the sequel setup ending. course in combat encounters.

What makes the combat in “The Darkness II” unique also created a sad first for me as an elitist PC gamer. I generally prefer using a controller to play a first-person shooter.

Although most modern shooters are designed with consoles as their priority, the greater precision of mouse and keyboard controls have always made them the superior choice. The game’s combat mechanics require simultaneous control of two weapons and two tentacles. On a 360 con-

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Please e-mail a resume, cover letter, and three references to Ila Vee McGahey at imcgahey@utk.

Landscaping company looking for FT and PT help. Must be able to drive pick-up truck. Leave name and number at (865)584-9985.

THE TOMATO HEAD KNOXVILLE Now hiring dish and food running positions. Full and part-time available, no experience necessary. Apply in person at 12 Market Square or apply online at thetomato-

VICTORIAN HOUSE APTS Established 1980 3 blocks behind UT Law School. 1, 2 and 3BR apartments. VERY LARGE AND NEWLY RENOVATED TOP TO BOTTOM. Hardwood floors, high ceilings, porches, 3BR’s have W/D connections. 2 full baths, dishwashers. Guaranteed secured parking. 24 hour maintenance. No dogs or cats. www.sixteenthplace.com. brit.howard@sixteenthplace. com. (865)522-5700.

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Gage Talent is seeking models for bar and local promotions. Contact Gage at gage@gagetalent.com

Lakeside Tavern spring job fair will be held Tues Feb 28 from 8am-6pm. Hiring all positions. Apply in person at 10911 Concord Park Dr. Come be apart of one of East Tennesse’s most successful restaurants!

Pride & Joy Children’s Academy 4418 Kingston Pike, (across from Western Plaza in the Sequoyah Hills area) has immediate part-time positions available working with school age children.

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Terminus Real Estate PT marketing /office assistant needed. Show space for rent and answer phone for downtown real estate company. $8.50/hr. to start.

15-25 hrs per wk. Self motivate, honest, hard worker.

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OSLO, Norway — The Nobel Peace Prize jury has received 231 nominations for this year’s award, a spokesman said, with publicly disclosed candidates including a former Ukrainian prime minister and the U.S. soldier accused of leaking classified material to WikiLeaks.

The secretive committee doesn’t reveal who has been nominated, but those with nomination rights sometimes announce their picks.

Names put forward this year include Bradley Manning, the U.S. Army private charged with the biggest leak of classified information in U.S. history, Russian human rights activist Svetlana Gannushkina and former Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko.

Others believed to have been nominated include former U.S. President Bill Clinton, Microsoft founder Bill Gates and former German Chancellor Helmut Kohl.

Being nominated doesn’t say anything about a candidate's chances. A wide range of submissions come in every year from lawmakers, university professors and others with nomination rights, but the decision rests solely with a

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five-member panel appointed

by Norway’s parliament.

This year’s list of candidates is a mix of repeat nominations and new names, the Norwegian Nobel Committee’s nonvoting secretary Geir Lundestad told The Associated Press.

“They are from all over the world, very many well-known names and some that are not so well-known to the public,” he added.

The deadline for outside nominations was Feb. 1, but the five-member committee added its own suggestions at a meeting Friday, Lundestad said.

Last year’s prize was shared by Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Liberian women’s rights campaigner Leymah Gbowee and Tawakkul Karman of Yemen.

Some critics say the committee has departed from award founder Alfred Nobel’s intentions by broadening the scope of the peace prize to include efforts to promote the environment and human rights.

Earlier this month a Swedish authority that oversees foundations in Stockholm — including the Nobel Foundation — said it would investigate whether the peace committee is complying with Nobel’s will.

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6 • The Daily Beacon

THESPORTSPAGE

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Students should watch Diamond Vols on rise Matt Dixon Sports Editor After a 7-0 start, it’s time for Tennessee baseball fans to make travel plans for the College World Series, right?

Not quite, at least not this year, but first-year coach Dave Serrano has the Vols headed in the right direction.

After all, they couldn’t get any worse after the Todd Raleigh era ravaged the program for four seasons.

But seriously, Serrano is the coach who will bring UT back to the level of success it had in the mid 1990s and to an extent in the early 2000s. Back when the Diamond Vols were among the top teams in college baseball, Lindsey Nelson Stadium was packed on Friday and Saturday nights, giving UT a decisive home-field advantage.

With the lack of success in recent years in football, and its future still far from certain, Serrano’s program is one students and the UT fans base can get behind. He is arguably the best head coaching hire UT has made since bringing Johnny Majors home to coach the football team in 1977. It will take another season or two — think of the situation Derek Dooley inherited when he took over the football program in January 2010 — but Serrano will have the Vols competing

for SEC titles and a spot in the College World Series on a regular basis.

Before that happens, fans should take a night or two each week and witness the turnaround first-hand.

Baseball doesn’t appeal to some sports fans because of its slow pace, but the atmosphere at UT baseball games is a fun one, especially if you like seeing fans heckle opposing teams. Recent renovations turned Lindsey Nelson Stadium into a stateof-the-art facility. (What sport at UT doesn’t have top-notch facilities?)

The only downside to the new additions is frat guys can no longer sit on the roofs of their fraternities along the first base line, drinking (adult?) beverages and cheering on the Vols.

Aside from that one negative, UT baseball games are one of the more underrated aspects of UT athletics.

While the Serrano hire has already brought excitement to the program — UT had its largest home opening-day crowd in history this year — the support for the team needs to carry on throughout the year, especially when the team begins losing some games.

It’ll be easy to get behind the baseball program when the expectations are higher in a year or two, but why not support the Diamond Vols now and start attending games? There are worse things to do. Plus, it’s free for students.

Rebecca Vaughan • The Daily Beacon

Baseball head coach Dave Serrano shouts to players on the field during a game against Seton Hall on Friday. Serrano is already off to a quick start, leading the Vols to a 7-0 record at the start of his maiden season at the helm.