Issue 36, Volume 122
Thursday, February 28, 2013
Zipcar rental cars available to UT students Emilee Lamb Staff Writer For those at UT who lack their own transportation, the opportunity to borrow a car from campus has arrived through the Zipcar car sharing service. Having arrived at UT on Feb. 21, Zipcar is a worldwide car sharing service that came to the U.S. about ten years ago to provide a more environmentally sustainable form of transportation. The company provides members with access to cars stationed around the world,
including gas and insurance in the rental price. UT’s drive to become a Top 25 public research university is reflected in this latest campus innovation by taking another step toward making campus a desirable place for students to pursue their education. Zipcar will also help UT further its progress toward becoming a more eco-friendly campus. “I think this could be in line with our master plan for the campus of being one that’s less about having a car on campus or a garage smack dab in the middle of it,” Adam Roddy,
senior in political science and current SGA president, said. “I think being able to rent cars is a big step toward that.” The car sharing resource seems to be mostly geared toward freshman students, since they tend to be the demographic most commonly without cars. “I think it will go a long way, especially toward freshmen on campus who are not commuting,” Roddy said. “It will be a good option, and I think many will choose not to have a car on campus.” Resource sharing programs
are becoming more commonplace in today’s society, as evidenced by popular bike sharing programs, but some consider car sharing to be a bit implausible. Alex Gainer, a senior in accounting, expressed skepticism about the feasibility of a car sharing program and how well it can be implemented. “I just think liability would be a big concern,” Gainer said. “I’m sure they have extensive waivers, but an issue is liability as far as students getting into accidents, causing accidents and damage done to the
vehicle.” One of the students intended to benefit from the system, undecided freshman Carson Jones, has similar concerns. “I don’t know how safe it is to have so many people sharing one car,” Jones said. “It also seems a bit expensive.” Roddy disagrees, pointing to growth in product sharing services as evidence that Zipcar can succeed at UT. “We’re seeing more and more things like this sprout up across the nation,” he said. “I don’t think small car sharing programs are anything crazy at all.”
• Photo courtesy of Zipcar
Ordinarily, students, faculty and staff can join their campus Zipcar program for a fee of $35 per year, but the first year’s fee is currently being waived for UT members thanks to a grant from the Knoxville Regional Transportation Planning Organization. Upon joining Zipcar at UT, members will receive a unique Zipcard allowing access to the vehicles. The cars — one a Ford Focus and the other a Honda Civic — can be reserved by phone or online for $7.50 per hour and $69 per day for up to four days. Despite the convenience of having a car on-demand, some students find the price for that convenience a bit steep. “It depends on how badly I need it,” Jones said. “It’s kind of pricey, and I can usually get a ride right now.” In contrast, Gainer thinks the price is reasonable. “I think going to the grocery store, or just being able to run errands around town and not always having to find rides through friends, is worth $7.50,” Gainer said. Though there are manifold concerns about Zipcar and how well the program will actually work, Roddy maintained that it will prove to be a great asset to UT. “I think it will be incredibly successful,” Roddy said. “Any kind of cheap, accessible transportation, students are going to jump on.” For students, faculty and staff who join now, Zipcar is awarding $35 in free driving. To join, students and faculty can go to the Zipcar website at www.zipcar.com/utk
Two students in finals for prestigious scholarship Injured student, Samantha Smoak attorney advocate need for bike awareness Copy Editor
David Cobb Assistant News Editor About two weeks ago Genny Petschulat was riding her bicycle down Clinch Avenue, nothing out of the ordinary for her. What happened next was anything but typical for the UT senior pursuing her teacher’s certification. “What I remember is somebody in a red car running a stop sign, or at least pulling out in front of me when I had the right of way,” Petschulat said. “I slammed into the side of the car and was thrown off my bike and hit my head on their car, and my bike flew the other way.” The driver stopped temporarily, repeatedly saying, “I thought she saw me. I thought she saw me.” Petschulat did see the driver. But the man, who was described as a clean-cut white male in his early 20s, failed to yield at his stop sign. Petschulat didn’t have a stop sign, and the collision ensued. Without exchanging contact information with Petschulat or stopping long enough to ensure she was truly OK, the driver returned to his vehicle and left the scene of the accident. “I went to the hospital a few hours later that day feeling dizzy and nauseous, just kind
of ‘out of it,’” Petschulat said. “So I did go to the hospital, and I was diagnosed with a concussion.” Petschulat is feeling better now, but even after she and Amy Benner, an area attorney, filed a report with the Knoxville Police Department regarding the incident, no new information on the driver has surfaced, meaning it’s Petschulat’s insurance company footing the bill for a CT scan. “I don’t think it came from a place of ill-will on the part of the driver,” said Benner, who is also the president of Bike Walk Knoxville, an advocacy group for bicyclists. “I think it came from fear,” she said. “The No. 1 concern of everyone there was ‘is she okay.’ So I think he just kind of took that opportunity to scoot on out of there.” The incident, though it left Petschulat with a mangled bicycle and a concussion, brought an opportunity to the surface for her and Benner to spread a message about biker awareness. “I’m not saying it’s some simple thing,” Benner relented. “You’ve got to be alert and on the lookout, but we definitely need to open up the idea of being far more friendly and aware of bicyclists in the area.” See BIKE SAFETY on Page 2
Tia Patron • The Daily Beacon
Eric Dixon and Lindsay Lee participate in the SGA debate last year. Both have been nominated for the Truman Scholarship. See TRUMAN on Page 2
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From a field of 700 to 800 applicants, two UT students have been selected to compete for the nationally renowned Harry S. Truman Scholarship. Eric Dixon, a senior in philosophy, economics, sociology and global studies, and Lindsay Lee, a junior in mathematics and Spanish, have been chosen as finalists to receive one of the 60-65 awards that are handed out annually. The scholarship provides up to $30,000 toward graduate school for students who want to pursue a career in public service. “Regardless of whether I get this or not, I want to go into public service, I’m certain of it,” Dixon said. “I want to work either for a non-profit or in the government sector ... basically what the Truman would do would almost kick-start my career. I would be able to network with people I might not meet at the beginning of my career, and I would be able to go to graduate school hopefully debt free or with less debt.” Lee applied under the recommendation of a professor, and found that it helped her hone in on potential career paths. “Once I got into the process it really helped me really plan out what I wanted to do,” she said. “I … fell into it by accident but it really served a really big purpose for me.” The application for the award asks several specific questions but does not provide lots of answer space, so candidates are forced to be clear and concise in their answers.
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