03 21 16

In-state baseball matchup set for Tuesday night SEC success starts with a mid-week matchup as the Vols host Tennessee Tech at Lindsey Nelson Stadium. >>>SEE PAGE 11

Volume 131 Issue 41

utdailybeacon.com @utkdailybeacon

Tuesday, March 22, 2016

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INSHORT

The Daily Beacon • Tuesday, March 22, 2016

THE DAILY BEACON STAFF

EDITORIAL

Editor-in-Chief: Jenna Butz Managing Editor: Bradi Musil Creative Director: Katrina Roberts Chief Copy Editor: Hannah Moulton News Editor: Tanner Hancock Asst. News Editor: Alahnah Ligon Sports Editor: Jonathan Toye Asst. Sports Editor: Taylor White Arts & Culture Editor: Megan Patterson Asst. Arts & Culture Editor: Michael Lipps Online Editor: Cara Sanders Asst. Online Editor: Altaf Nanavati Photo Editors: Esther Choo, Alex Phillips Design Editors: Lauren Ratliff, Justin Keyes Copy Editors: Breanna Andrew, Sara Counts, Trenton Duffer, Courtney Frederick, Jared Sebby, Shelby Tansil Editorial Production: Laurel Cooper, Amber Dalehite, Rachel Incorvati, Caroline Norris, Cameo Waters Training Editor: Troy Provost-Heron

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DISPATCHES UT football player cleared of sexual assault An unnamed UT football player accused of sexual assault was cleared by the Knoxville Police Department following a nearly three-month investigation. According to the 50 page case-file, the alleged victim claimed to have woken up in bed with a man she did not know. The player, who stated the pair did not have sex, says he found the woman wandering drunk outside his apartment complex the night after UT’s victory over Western Carolina when he invited her inside. The woman says she woke up without clothes, bleeding and with a bruise on her “lower stomach area” when she was asked to leave the apartment by the football player. The woman filed a report to the police after first visiting the Student Health Center and then the Sexual Assault Center of East Tennessee. The alleged victim is not one of the eight unnamed women in the Title IX lawsuit against UT.

UC Berkeley reviewing basketball coach’s role in sexual harassment case UC Berkeley is investigating the role of basketball coach Cuonzo Martin in the handling of a sexual harassment case involving assistant coach Yann Hufnagel, who was fired last week. UC Berkeley said the purpose of the review is to “dispel any doubts” about whether Martin responded properly to complaints made by a female reporter, who contacted him directly about Hufnagel’s conduct. A female reporter told investigators that she informed Martin via phone in May that Hufnagel had been sexually harassing her, but the investigation reveals that a month had passed before Martin reported the complaint to campus authorities.

Martin told investigators he did not realize at first that the reporter’s complaint about Hufnagel involved sexual harassment. Martin coached Tennessee for three seasons from 2011-14 and guided the 2013-14 team to the sweet 16.

‘90s boybands reunite for western thriller Former Backstreet Boys member Nick Carter wrote and stars in his new film Dead 7, which will premiere on SyFy channel on April 1.

Alongside Carter, members of ‘N Sync, Backstreet Boys, 98 Degrees and O-Town will also appear in the movie. “To fight the undead, you have to resurrect ‘90s boy bands,” reads the trailer of what Carter described as a “zombie Western Futuristic horror movie.” The movie will be produced by the makers of Sharknado, and former Backstreet Boy A.J. McLean said Dead 7 is comparable to that sort of movie. He said that while the movie seems ridiculous, he believes it will reach the same cult classic status as Sharknado and others.

Around Rocky Top

Main Newsroom: (865) 974-3226 editorinchief@utdailybeacon.com LETTERS POLICY: The Daily Beacon welcomes all letters to the editor and guest columns from students, faculty and staff. Each submission is considered for publication by the editor on the basis of space, timeliness and clarity. The Beacon reserves the right to reject any submissions or edit all copy in compliance with available space, editorial policy and style. Contributions must include the author’s name and phone number for verification. Students must include their year in school and major. Letters to the editor and guest columns may be e-mailed to letters@utdailybeacon.com or sent to Editor, 1340 Circle Park Dr., 11 Communications Building, Knoxville, TN 37996-0314.

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Katie Stamper and friends participate in events for an alternative Spring Break program in Colombia, South Carolina.

This trip’s theme was Hispanic communities and health.

• Photo courtesy of Katie Stamper

CAMPUSNEWS

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Tuesday, March 22, 2016 • The Daily Beacon

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Parking policy aims to make accessible spots more accessible Tanner Hancock News Editor

Parking frustration, it seems, isn’t exclusive to traditional students.

On Monday, Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration Chris Cimino sent out a university wide email announcing revisions to the university’s parking policy. The revisions, which will take effect July 1 and be enforced beginning August 1, were made in response to student and faculty complaints claiming the majority of accessible parking spots on campus are being used by drivers with improper handicap placards or no placards at all.

Over the past three years, around 75 percent of all accessible violations issued on campus were to vehicles parked in accessible spots without a placard.

Under the new system, students, faculty and staff wishing to utilize accessible parking spots must display a dual registration in order to limit the number of abuses campus wide. Drivers must exhibit a valid state-issued handicap accessible placard or license plate, as well as a UT-issued accessible permit.

The costs for the UT permits will be determined by university status: $360 for an annual staff pass, $182 for commuter students $285 for non-commuter students.

To help implement the change, approximately 485 new signs will be added to the existing parking spots, indicating UT Accessible Permit is required to park in the space.

Mark E. Hairr, director of UT Parking & Transit Services, explained that the new system will largely eliminate the current abuse of handicap spaces by some commuters taking parking away from students and faculty who have paid for the spots.

“This change is in line with what the great majority of university campuses already do — that is, the new policy requires that an accessible permit be purchased at the standard rates for students and faculty/staff,” said Hairr.

“This program will ensure that the individual using the placard is the one actually parked in the space, and it practically eliminates the abuse by those who use another person’s placard illegally. This in turn will free up parking spaces for those individuals with valid placards.”

As a part of the subcommittee that proposed the changes to the Traffic and Parking

Authority, Engineering Associate Professor Christopher Pionke studied the regulations of nearly 30 other universities in an effort to help UT amend its current accessible parking policies. Pionke said that while some universities required a more difficult, separate application process for an accessible parking permit, he and the other committee members felt the dual registration method was the most effective method to reduce parking fraud.

As a faculty member who personally utilizes the university’s nearly 500 accessible parking spaces, Pionke feels the new system he helped create will go a long way in improving the parking situation across UT’s campus.

“Our goal was to eliminate the fraud and abuse and to provide more consistent and reliable access to accessible parking to those that truly need it. I think the new regulations go a long way in achieving that goal,” said Pionke. “I personally feel that the changes are a significant step forward.”

This change is in line with what the great majority of university campuses already do - that is, the new policy requires that an accessible permit be purchased at the standard rates for students and faculty/staff. ” Mark E. Hairr, director of UT Parking & Transit Services

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CAMPUSNEWS

The Daily Beacon • Tuesday, March 22, 2016

Cheek welcomes students back with Title IX report Staff Report

Chancellor Jimmy Cheek released an email statement Monday welcoming students back to campus after Spring Break and elucidating claims surrounding a recent Title IX lawsuit filed against the university.

“The lawsuit has generated negative publicity, particularly here and in Nashville, and all of that is very uncomfortable for many of those involved and certainly for those of us who care so much about our community,” the email reads.

The Title IX lawsuit alleged the university has allowed a culture promoting sexual misconduct and assaults on campus.

While Chancellor Cheek did not cite specifics of the lawsuit, he maintained these claims against the university were false.

“Any assertion that we do not take sexual assault seriously enough is simply not true,” Cheek said in his email. “To claim that we have allowed a culture to exist contrary to our institutional commitment to providing a safe environment for our students or that we do not support those who report sexual assault is just false.

“We are a community, even if we’re not a perfect one, and we hurt when any of our family members hurt or cause pain to others.”

Cheek mentioned the university has been in “high gear” since sexual misconduct became more prevalent on college campuses in 2011.

Since 2013, the university has conducted an evaluation of its conduct procedures, adopting 37 of 39 suggested changes, and has instituted many other sexual misconduct programs and resources.

One of the 37 recommended changes installed included the change of name of the Student Judicial Affairs Office to the Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards. “(The change) emphasized a transition from a judgmental, punitive posture to one more focused on education, development, and support,” Cheek said in his email.

Other changes since 2013 include the

Photo Courtesy of UT training of UT police officers in sexual assaults on campus, the development of a Sexual Assault Response Team and a corresponding advisory board that meets weekly, and the addition of three positions to the Division of Student life working closely with sexual assaults on campus.

“The Student Life staff members who work to prevent sexual assault and to educate and counsel our students receive extensive training and are regarded as experts among their peers across the country,” Cheek’s email reads. “They have been recognized nationally for their leadership in this field.”

The university is currently being sued by eight unidentified women who claim the university’s handling of sexual assault cases, especially those involving male student athletes, have been consistently mishandled. Of those women, five claim to have been raped by UT football players.

Visit sexualassault.utk.edu for more information on the university’s sexual assault policy.

Contact Chancellor Jimmy Cheek at chancellor@utk.edu.

ARTS&CULTURE

Tuesday, March 22, 2016 • The Daily Beacon

Website recruits locals to explore outdoor activities Megan Patterson

Arts & Culture Editor

At the start of March, Michael Turner found out he would be receiving $500 in travel cash and $500 in gear fees to fund a road trip across the Southeastern U.S. Turner received this funding as a part of the RootsRated University Inspiration Grant. If you haven’t heard of this before it’s because this was the grant’s inaugural year, and RootsRated’s fourth year in business.

In 2012, Fynn Glover noticed that no online database existed to provide outdoor enthusiasts like himself reliable resources and recommendations of where and how to get outdoors. From that simple need, Glover built a national network that compiles locally sourced recommendations of a wide scope of outdoor activities, from hiking and mountain biking to disc golf and cross country skiing.

Glover’s site distinguishes itself by one main factor — every destination RootsRated publishes has been deemed tried and true by a local. However, in some cases a “local” might be a RootsRated employee sent to try out everything outdoors in a given area before reporting back and publishing to the site.

This is how Matt Guenther began working with RootsRated, as a UT student given the mission of testing out and documenting outdoor destinations throughout Knoxville.

“Two years ago I was tasked with going out and redoing all of Knoxville’s destinations,” Guenther said. “Every day after class I would go out and rewrite or check up on a destination, and now it’s being redone again. We’re constantly updating it and trying to keep it really fresh.”

RootsRated’s close relationship to university students is apparent through their grant focus and recruitment, but Guenther said this isn’t without cause.

“I’m also a trip leader for the outdoor program here, which is cool because as someone working in an outdoor program and someone working for RootsRated, I can really see the need for something like this,” Guenther said. “There’s this big issue with freshman coming in from different cities who don’t really know Knoxville and where do they get outside.”

RootsRated hopes to make this process easier for students by organizing the site’s

destinations by location and by category.

Each destination was visited and written up by a member of RootsRated trail crew and verified by a local outdoor retailer.

In Knoxville, RootsRated works with River Sports Outfitters to put out appropriate and relevant content.

“They can tell us if something is a joke and we won’t publish it,” Guenther said.

“No one else that has that sort of verification system.”

Andy Jones at River Sports Outfitters has been working with RootsRated since they came to Knoxville. Jones said that the site provides a way of getting ideas to locals of how to get outdoors.

“Originally we gave them locations and reviews from our staff to post. Now they’ve taken that and grown so far that they go search out places, and they go write the reviews,” Jones said. “They’re so hands on now.”

As an outdoor resource, Jones said RootsRated’s trail crew regularly supplies destinations that are “well researched” and full of “great information.”

“They have grown from really just an idea to a hub of information on how to get outdoors, not just locally but across the country,” Jones said. “To take it from an idea to that is just amazing for such a short time.”

In addition to their destinations, RootsRated also publishes personal stories from freelance writers that might cover areas that the site hasn’t had a chance to fully explore otherwise.

The company has diversified in other ways as well. Despite originating as an outdoor resource, they now publish destinations centered around exploring a new city, including multiple cultural and community sites.

“RootsRated definitely started out being very outdoor focused, and it still is that’s the core of it,” Guenther said. “But we do a lot of local best spots to eat, best spots to go out for a morning run, anything active or anything seeing the town that you’re in. It’s all about local views.”

For Guenther, this expansion sticks to the mission that began RootsRated — facilitating quality exploration, whether local or national.

“We have a really big goal of having a really local feel,” Guenther said. “If you read our destination profiles, we want it to feel like we were actually there, because we were.”

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Humans of Knoxville

“I would be working at my parents’ business, Tommy’s Jerky Outlet. If I could do anything, I would travel to Japan. I have always been fascinated with it and the culture there.” - Trent Uglow, sophomore in physics and theater Mary Geiser • The Daily Beacon

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VIEWPOINTS

The Daily Beacon • Tuesday, March 22, 2016

The grass is worthy of being loved on the other side

Adam Weatherell Dreaming of Dolly

I’m coming off one of the greatest weeks in my life — which is weird for me because I definitely broke or lost hundreds of dollars worth of personal goods.

I broke my name brand sunglasses after jumping on someone’s back. My phone is effectively useless after it cascaded to the ground from atop the fridge, resulting in a spider web of shattered glass. I had to have someone break into my house to overnight my keys from Knoxville because German automakers don’t trust American locksmiths, and I definitely burned a hole in one of my favorite bathing suits.

Still, in spite of it all, spring break 2016 was one of the most restful weeks I have ever had, and it has everything to do with the folks I was with.

College has a weird way of bringing people in and out of your life. Now that I am t-one and a half semesters from graduating with not one but two inherently unemployable degrees, I can’t help but reflect on the transitionary nature of my college relationships.

One of my best friends I met in an HSS bathroom, and for the better part of our post dorm lives, he and I have existed in separate spheres largely divided along religious lines. Or at least that’s how I have understood it. I have a pretty tumultuous relationship with the church, which I rarely care to delve into because

this is the South, and aside from the occasional free burgers and archaic abortion laws, the church really hasn’t made much of an impact on me. It exists, but separate from me in a well-dressed Patagonia ad with matching Reeboks. We all know the type, I just never thought I would be friends with the type, let alone that those friendships would bring me such solace.

I’ve written about a lot since I started to pull this column out of my bootyhole every week, from Islamophobia to my dating life, and then my dating life again, but mostly it’s about my dating life. It’s like the never-ending story, but with more abs and less giant dogs. It also seems to be constantly plaguing my day-to-day cognition, and I can’t even go to the grocery store without some ones that are clean and a shirt with a team. But in my efforts to find my match, I often forget about the people who remind me why I am worthy of any match in the first place.

I sat on a seaside back porch until one in the morning over spring break with my HSS bathroom friend talking about all the above plaguing thoughts and you know what? I realized it’s all so trivial — delightfully so. I may be saturated in an environment where it’s now normal for people to be finding their perfect pairs, and while I may not be included in that

population subset, it is no statement on my lovability.

In other words, I am loveable without being loved. I am capable of actions without explicit acting. I am surrounded by so much love and support that my constant dismissal of myself stands as a disservice to the troves of people who actually stand by/for/with me — even if I thought that something as frivolous as their religious affiliation made us antithetical. I haven’t cried in front of someone in a while, but it’s amazing just how much rest can come of such excruciating vulnerability.

So I guess what I am trying to say is this: sometimes the divisions that separate you from people are only in your head and though some of your best friends may be momentarily out of your range of vision, that doesn’t mean they aren’t there. Spring break was great because it reminded me of these simple truths, and I now carry them with me. Granted, I also have a lot of other reminders (broken phone/ glasses/pride) but that’s life.

Adam Weatherell is a junior in political science and Africana studies. He can be reached at aweath10@vols.utk.edu.

The importance of making a bad choice

Jarrod Nelson Socialized

Hi everyone. Did we all have a good spring break?

I had a fun spring break. I rode roller coasters and let the amount of work I need to do pile up behind a dam of “House of Cards” and “Daredevil.” That’ll be breaking any day now so be on the lookout for a slightly-hipster looking blond man walking around the bull statue asking for its help. Religion finds us all.

Let’s get back to business though. We’ll keep it light this week and talk about food.

Have you ever gone to a dinner, and there was nothing there you really liked? The host offers you a choice of smoked sausage or ham, but you’re a turkey kind of girl who does not understand why all ham cannot just evolve into its better form: bacon. Then there’s green beans or squash, and you’re wondering where the sweet potatoes are because yams are obviously the king of crops.

If anyone gets the Achebe reference, please email me, and we can talk about our pain together.

This scenario has probably played out in your life multiple times with choices other than food. Your friend asks if you prefer Nickleback or Linkin Park.

Your mom wants to know if you’d rather watch Fox News or The 700 Club. Your dad gives you the choice between a fish and a ferret. A lot of times in life, we just don’t get offered the dog.

We are constantly choosing between two things we do not like, and most of our lives are the culmination of decisions that lean towards the thing we can tolerate the most rather than what we like the best. It sucks

but that’s how it is.

So when I tell you that Donald Trump is probably going to be the Republican nominee or that Hillary Clinton is all but already the Democratic nominee and you get mad, that is your prerogative. You can tell me about super delegates or how Trump’s only gotten 37 percent of total votes on the Republican side or that the media is skewing the narrative and trying to kill Bernie’s momentum, but in the end, if I had money to bet (and I absolutely do not), I’d be betting on Trump v. Clinton. Which, given both candidates’ legal problems, is honestly a really fitting name for the eventual HBO movie that will come out of this election cycle.

I’m going to speak directly to Bernie fans and the Republicans that understand what Trump is now. If you’re not one of those, you can still stick around, because sometimes there are jokes, and it will always make me smile.

Bernie fans: I was with you. Still am. But the math isn’t looking pretty, and on the Democratic side, it doesn’t matter how many states you win, it matters by how much you win them by, and boy has Clinton got some margins on Bernie. Vote for him though.

Organize, make your voices heard. Do everything you can to get him the nomination until the moment the nomination is decided. I promise I’m not saying it’s impossible. I’m saying it’s impossible baring an indictment for our illustrious Cedar Rapids’ chillin’ girl, but that’s no reason for us not to try.

Look, I have a lot of problems with Clinton. She

has held every position on the map, voted for the Iraq War and has the two ton baggage that comes with being a nationally known figure for over 30 years.

She has ties to Wall Street. She has a lot of things we probably don’t like and shouldn’t like.

But then I look across the aisle and see a man who has openly stoked the flames of racial resentment, condoned and encouraged violence at his rallies, has the policy depth of a puddle in Atlanta and is ranked as one of the top ten global threats by “The Economist.” I see him and I realize that, come November, if it’s Clinton or Trump, I am much more willing to compromise some of my political positions, beliefs and values to stop that man from even sniffing near the White House dog house than I am to stay home and tacitly contribute to him inching ever closer to the White House bedroom.

It will suck, yes. And I’m not going to be very happy. But I’m choosing Linkin Park over what is the equivalent of a Confederate Marching Band, and I hope you’ll join at what’s going to be a very depressing concert.

Republicans who hate Trump: Read above.

I’m not going to write on Trump anymore unless it gets really bad. But let’s start wrapping our mind around two bad choices. It’s practically a requirement to being an American.

Jarrod Nelson is a sophomore in public relations and can be reached at jnelso47@vols.utk.edu.

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

Tuesday, March 22, 2016 • The Daily Beacon

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Taking the politics out of environmentalism Erica Davis

Franco D’Aprile

Two Treehuggers with an Ax

Franco: Hey, I heard people are trying to start some environmental initiatives without consulting people on campus with experience.

Erica: Well, that really poli-ticks me off.

Politics are dirty — that’s why our planet has gone to hell.

All year, we’ve written about the crisis of climate change. One thing that is clear is that politics play a huge role in both perpetuating and mitigating this crisis. The major key is that environmental policies must be rooted in values, not merely political opportunism.

If the motivation behind adopting environmental causes is to simply advance in polls, elections or to make money, then there is no reason to follow through on policies. We’ve seen it time and time again. An environmental policy is adopted, sometimes by companies or by governments, because they think it will help them improve their image, there is a big to-do about it and then everyone forgets it’s there.

It’s left to gather dust somewhere.

This is something we’ve seen with students at UT, especially in the Student Government Association.

There are people on campus who fight day in and day out for positive change in the area of sustainability on campus. Meanwhile, others have the inclination to use the environment as resume fodder or to support sustainability initiatives solely for their economic benefits.

So when people on campus want to get something environmental done, they have to use the benefits of

image to convince people it’s a good idea. Now, there is nothing wrong with there being the advantage of improving one’s image with environmental action.

What we are trying to point out is that when this is the only motivation, things do not work out well for Mother Nature.

Another reason that our environmental conditions are as degraded as they are is that everyone feels entitled to a little piece of nature: this is mine, I deserve this. The same applies for projects and ideas benefiting the environment: I thought of this, so I’m going to start from scratch and do something about it. In a society where efficiency is become increasingly important, this is a horribly ineffective means of actually solving real, prudent problems.

That is precisely why we have individuals, organizations, professors and departments on campus dedicated to promoting environmental ideals, activism and justice. There is an existing, ever-growing network of dedicated and passionate people who have the knowledge and experience to use ideas to create initiatives and implement policies that can have a lasting impact on campus and in the broader community.

The connections are waiting to be made, thus it is not necessary to make new ones materialize out of thin air, regardless of whether you want it on your resume or if you want credit.

The fact of the matter is that there is no room for political opportunism in the ongoing battle for environmental justice — on campus and especially

Find the middle ground in politics Thomas Carpenter

The Workshop

I’m not a partisan voter.

I do not vote for anyone solely because they have a D or R by their name on the ballot. To me, voting on party lines is one of the least democratic things you could do in our democracy because you are selling yourself short. Here’s the truth: there are just as many bad Democrats as there are bad Republicans. Affiliating yourself with a party is a form of self imposed disillusionment that even I have found myself caught under.

I will call myself a liberal, although that refers mostly to my social ideology, but even that label has been commandeered by the Democrats for their own use and I don’t like it. I don’t like that just because I’m a liberal that means I vote Democrat, but at the same time, there is a bit of reason there. The same reason political parties exist in the first place — a coalition of voters and candidates with a specific political agenda.

This seems like a good idea: that the more people you have on your side, the more likely you are to get what you want done, but see what I did there? I used the word “side,” as if Americans are some binary pool of sheeple that fall on one side of the aisle or another. This is a false image that has been created by the establishment of both parties to force people to conform and fall in line for the good of the order.

Well, I’m done falling in line.

“To the efficacy and permanency of your Union,

a government for the whole is indispensable. No alliance, however strict, between the parts can be an adequate substitute; they must inevitably experience the infractions and interruptions which all alliances in all times have experienced.”

This line from George Washington’s Farewell Address in 1796 is as relevant today as it was then.

What is happening in both the Democratic and Republican parties is division. What is dividing the two parties is actually pretty similar on both sides.

Between Trump and Bernie, anti-establishment sentiment has dominated the 2016 presidential race. The difference however is the voter base on each side.

On the left, anti-establishment means working to provide healthcare to all people, ensuring a living wage at the minimum because a person that works 40 hours a week should not live in poverty in the richest country on Earth and advocating for policies that protect our fragile planet and don’t destroy it.

On the right, this means racist, anti-immigration policies that punish immigrants for our own failed system of naturalization, problematic foreign policy that includes an admiration for Putin and a disdain for refugees, as well as more tax breaks for the rich while the middle class continues to dwindle.

While these may be similar to party platforms, these are ultimately ideologies supported by the respective electorates for each party, and the con-

in the world around us. Frankly, the indigenous tribes protecting their land from the Keystone XL pipeline, the native Appalachian folk fighting against mining industries and the migrant farmers who do not earn a living wage to grow the produce you eat in PCB are not interested in your help, and especially not your pity, if you’re not truly invested in the cause. And let us be clear: it is completely obvious, and detestable, if your motives for helping the environment are selfserving and insincere.

Maybe this is more repulsive to us because we put ourselves out there and try to make a conscious effort.

And then we’re faced with that person who has an REI sticker on their laptop or wears Chacos and then claims they’re an environmentalist and lover of the outdoors. We don’t care if they want to change their image as long as they’re actually doing something. It’s the person that recycles one can and then decides that they’re now the Mother Theresa of environmentalism that gets under our skins. Please, by all means, be involved in environmental initiatives and spearhead projects that are genuinely dear to your heart. Just please, for the love of God, don’t use our planet simply to get ahead.

Franco D’Aprile is a senior in political science and sustainability, and Erica Davis is a senior in environmental sociology. They can be reached at fradapr@vols.utk.edu and spz839@vols.utk.edu, respectively.

trast is stark. What in the world is happening to Republicans? How could anyone in their right mind listen to Trump for more than a minute and say, “Yeah, this guy would make a great president?” Well, there’s a lot of reasons, but the most obvious is our failed education system. When we put our teachers in the bottom 10 percent of the wage bracket instead of the top 10 percent, as opposed to most other industrialized countries, how do we expect to have an electorate that can confidently elect a capable person into office? We can’t.

I am not advocating against democracy, just the opposite. Democracy works because it is the best way to represent the concerns of all citizens, but American citizens, especially those voting for Trump, clearly do not understand what the root cause of their problems are or how to go about fixing them. This is made evident in the excessive scapegoating of immigrants, minorities and Muslims by The Donald.

My point is that you should not vote on party lines for the sake of partisanship and you should not be anti-establishment for the sake of being antiestablishment. Find the happy medium and vote for someone because you did your research, not because you watched Fox News or MSNBC. Thomas Carpenter is a senior in Classics. He can be reached at ThomasCarpenter@utk.edu.

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ARTS&CULTURE

The Daily Beacon • Tuesday, March 22, 2016

SeaWorld must live without iconic Shamu Associated Press

ORLANDO, Fla. — SeaWorld built its brand on a leaping and splashing killer whale named Shamu. She was part of its logo, gave her name to stadiums in the theme parks and was the inspiration for rides. The orca image sold T-shirts and soft, stuffed animals for the kids to take home.

With the company phasing out its killer whale program, it is forced to ponder the question: What is SeaWorld without Shamu? “The orcas were their most powerful engagement tool,� said Allen Adamson, a marketing and branding expert based in New York. “It requires SeaWorld to reinvent its core signature attraction. It’s not an easy fix.�

Under unrelenting pressure from animal rights groups and suffering from a drop in ticket sales, SeaWorld announced Thursday it was ending its orca breeding program and stopping its traditional killer whale shows.

SeaWorld isn’t the only company to lose a signature and popular icon. Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus is retiring all its tour-

ing elephants to a 200-acre conservation center in May under similar pressure. And McDonald’s phased out its “supersized� menu following the 2004 documentary, “Super Size Me,� in which filmmaker Morgan Spurlock chronicled the effects of the chain’s food on his health.

But McDonald’s didn’t go as far as SeaWorld, said Debanjan Mitra, branding expert at the University of Florida’s Warrington College of Business. “A comparable situation would be if McDonald’s says, ‘Tomorrow we are taking down the Big Mac.’ That didn’t happen,� Mitra said.

SeaWorld’s decision followed a backlash from the 2013 documentary “Blackfish,� which told the story of Tilikum, an orca responsible for the death of a SeaWorld trainer in 2010 and two other people in the 1990s. Attendance at SeaWorld’s parks in San Diego, Orlando and San Antonio declined and some top musical acts dropped out of SeaWorld-sponsored concerts at the urging of animal rights activists, who demonstrated outside the parks’ gates.

SeaWorld’s 29 killer whales — ranging in age from 1 to 51 years old — will remain in captivity, but in “new, inspiring natural orca encounters,� according to the company. And,

eventually, as they die off, the parks will have to figure out a way to attract visitors without them. “It’s hard to walk away from such a powerful icon, but they have no choice,� said Laura Ries, a marketing consultant based in Atlanta. “Are they really going to hang their brand on this visual that is really problematic and makes people question what they are doing with animals?�

Whether the iconic killer whale images survive remains to be seen. Shamu already started fading from view when Southwest Airlines dropped its marketing partnership with SeaWorld in 2014. Experts said the orca imagery is inconsistent with SeaWorld’s new focus. “Imagery nostalgia can connect their audience in some way— that is part of their past, but it can’t be part of their live future,� Ries said.

SeaWorld Entertainment CEO Joel Manby said the company has a good story to tell about its marine animal rescue operations. “I feel like that’s where we need to go as an organization and eliminate this orca issue as a cloud over our great story,� he told The Associated Press.

Is that a story that will attract visitors?

Theme park consultant Dennis Speigel said SeaWorld now has the opportunity to return to its roots as a marine life park and enhance its position as an alternative theme park experi-

ence for people taking a break from Disney or Universal parks.

The Orlando park is getting a new roller coaster this year, but rides won’t be the company’s future, Speigel said. “You’ll see less of that in the future. You’ll see capital dollars spent in the attractions area that focuses them back on marine life science and a really rich educational aspect,� Speigel said.

Other experts caution that education might not attract crowds seeking thrills. People don’t expect to visit an aquarium when they visit SeaWorld, and the company’s previous plans to expand its orca tanks didn’t placate the public, said Arun Sharma, professor of marketing at the University of Miami School of Business Administration. “They will have to create experiences that differentiate themselves, as Universal does with Harry Potter or Disney does with Star Wars,�

Sharma said. “Education itself is not very attractive.�

Overall, marketing experts say SeaWorld is making a positive change. In response, SeaWorld’s stock shot up more than 16 percent

by Friday afternoon.

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PUZZLES&GAMES

Tuesday, March 22, 2016 • The Daily Beacon

9

Get Fuzzy • Darby Conley

NEW YORK TIMES CROSSWORD • Will Shortz ACROSS 1

6 10 14

I’m Not A Hipster• John McAmis

TITS T TI

I MEAN...

MARKETING?

I CAN’T EVEN TIE A TIE...

I’VE MAJORED IN THE WRONG THING SNIFF SNIFF~

15 16 17 19 20

...I’M WAVING A PAIR OF SOILED UNDERWARE’S STANK IN MY FACE...

21 22

I MEAN FOR CHRIST SAKE...

I’M A PANEL AWAY!

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25

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31

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.

32 34

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Record label for Bing Crosby’s “White Christmas” Greek R’s Mets’ home before Citi Field “Too rich for my blood” Ice dam site Brick carriers Banned wrestling hold Dr. ___, Austin Powers’s foe Andrea ___, ship that sank in 1956 Big concert venue Together, musically Aid in accomplishing a goal The Sunflower State Actress Thompson of “Family” Guest you might not want to stay for too long Pop singer from 27-Down Inits. on an airport uniform

40

41 42 43 44 45 50 51 52 54 55

60 61 62 63 64 65

“Don’t give up the fight!”

Workplace often surrounded by trailers Seize (from) Gives stars to, say ___ to middling Actress Anderson of “Baywatch” Risk everything Slippery Gold star or silver medal Realty listing data The “B” in Roy G. Biv Carved decoration on a ship’s prow … or a hint to the first word of 17-, 25-, 37- and 45-Across Something you can see through “Dark Sky Island” singer, 2015 “May the ___ be with you” Coup d’___ Indian royal Many a middleschooler

1

“What’s the ___?”

O V A L O F F T I E C X E

T I D Y

O D I E

L E G I S L A T O R R O A N

K N O T

A P P E D A A I L W N S L E T H T A A E R T R I D O L E D T A S

M O L A R S D E F O E

T R A S K W A F T L E F T

S K Y E I C D A E N F T T G T A A T B O O R O S

B E R N A R D P A R E N T S

E L I E V O L V E U S E P A R S E T P Q Y O U L A C E I C K S S K E T T T I A V O L E N I T E F O R

D E S K R I D

S W O R D

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60

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7 8 9

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45

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DOWN

ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE P O I S E

1 14

Bird that can run up to 30 m.p.h.

One of 15 in a typical weekday crossword: Abbr.

Dead-end street 1 for hydrogen or 2 for helium: Abbr.

Linotype machine, nowadays Starts, as a big job Egg: Prefix Rand Paul or Marco Rubio: Abbr.

Everest guide Homely home Minneapolis suburb Symbol of Jesus Christ in the “Narnia” series Historical periods

21

22 23

24 26 27 29 32 33 34 35

36 38 39

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43

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44

Czech form of the French “Pierre”

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One of seven in a Hawthorne title

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Small hooter

47

Animals, collectively

48

Delivery person?

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Test by lifting

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“Oh, ___ cryin’ out loud!”

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57

Before, poetically

58

Star pitcher

59

Cub Scout group

10

ARTS&CULTURE

The Daily Beacon • Tuesday, March 22, 2016

NEW MOVIE MONDAYS

Zootopia

Disney Animation Studios has been on a hot streak lately.

From 2010’s Tangled forward, their output has found consistent success, both on financial and critical levels. It seems like they might have stolen the juice from their wiz-kid brother Pixar.

Zootopia, Disney’s latest addition to the animated front, is no different. It’s a clever neo-noir detective story disguised as a children’s movie, with plenty of detailed design and a poignant message about race relations to boot.

In the titular city of Zootopia, it’s said that everyone’s dreams can come true. Wolves dwell with lambs, leopards lie down with goats and anthropomorphic animals of all species stand side-by-side.

But when Judy Hopps, a precocious, by-the-books rabbit with dreams of becoming Zootopia’s first “bunny cop,” moves to the big city from her country home, she finds that things are actually a little more complicated. Predators and prey might have given up their more animalistic ways, but prejudice between the two groups is rife.

Zootopia’s design isn’t as eye-popping as the Kanye-approved pop art of Wreck-It Ralph or the diet anime of Big Hero 6. Its world sometimes feels a little vacuum-sealed, and we don’t explore the actual city as much as I’d like.

That being said, every character is so intricately crafted, every hair and fiber so glistening, that Disney has definitely earned applause. I don’t even dare imagine how much processing power, let alone how many man-hours, went into bringing the animals of Zootopia to life.

Disney also deserves credit for doing their part to combat bigotry, as they go out of their way to make a point about behavioral racism and micro-aggressions, using the animal kingdom as a mirror to our own world.

However, in communicating this message they shy away from systematic racism and coddle their anti-racist message in the “follow your dreams” speak typical of most kid’s movies. Zootopia exists in a world seemingly without privilege, in which everyone feels the affects of discrimination, further diluting the parallels to our reality.

Then again, it is a kids’ movie, so a certain amount of simplicity is expected.

Zootopia goes a lot further on the topics of race and general prejudice than most might dare, and I commend Disney for calling out racist attitudes and behaviors as much as they do.

There’s no better place to start with such lessons than childhood.

It’s the perfect packaging for a message our society deserves to be reminded of: if other animals can find a way to get along, maybe we can too.

The Lady in the Van

The Lady in the Van, the third collaboration between director Nicholas Hytner and playwright Alan Bennett, is an incredibly British affair.

It’s proper, but with a dash of profanity and a bag full of poop jokes. It’s timid, but constantly concerned about its own timidity.

As the opening title card informs us, this film is a “mostly true” story based off of Bennett’s real-life relationship with Miss Shepherd (played by British national treasure Maggie Smith), a homeless woman who lived in his driveway for over fifteen years.

Bennett is our main character, and the story ends up being more about him than the titular lady.

He is split into two personalities, the one who does the writing and the one who does the living, each played in physical form by actor Alex Jennings. Despite the amount of time we spend with the two versions of him, it’s still difficult to get a sense of his character.

I can’t entirely blame the film for a lack of detail about his life, as The Lady in the Van is a British movie adapted primarily for a British audience by a British director from a British play by a British author.

Needless to say, this American reviewer was a little lost.

As a result, it’s Smith who inevitably steals our attention and most of the show. Since the success of PBS’ Downton Abbey (or maybe even since Harry Potter), Dame Maggie Smith has carved out a late career niche playing stubborn and sassy old British ladies in films like The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.

The Lady in the Van sees her doing more of the same, albeit a little more grotesquely; at this point, she risks turning into the United Kingdom’s Melissa McCarthy. She’s an immense acting talent and brings a certain weight and poignancy to the character, but I’d like to see roles ask more of her than geriatric humor.

Hytner chooses to open the film with a bit of set-up, showing us a crucial event in Miss Shepherd’s earlier life that goes unbeknownst to Bennett until after her death.

Starting the film with this flashback does give the whole affair a touch of dramatic irony, but it also makes the eventual closure feel a little trivial and tacked-on.

This example speaks to The Lady in the Van’s general aimlessness. It’s a little low-energy and leans far too often on the crutches of quirkiness to get by.

While it’s not an overly cinematic movie, it uses color rather nicely, bringing out yellows, reds and light blues. Other than that, it doesn’t strive for much more than being a complacent, competently filmed motion picture.

Then again, sometimes we need nice movies about nothing more than timid men and old ladies.

The Mermaid

In the weeks since its release, The Mermaid has gone on to become the highest-grossing Chinese film of all time.

In addition, this latest film from Chinese director and comic actor Stephen Chow, is the second highest-grossing film of 2016.

However, Sony, the company distributing The Mermaid stateside, has dumped the film in a handful of American theaters with little promotion. I can only imagine Sony’s operating under the false notion that foreign language films can’t possibly succeed in the United States.

Chow, one of Hong Kong’s most famous creative forces and an international star thanks to comedies like Kung Fu Hustle and Shaolin Soccer, doesn’t act in The Mermaid, but his touch is unmistakable.

The Mermaid tells the story of the mermaid (Lin Yun) who is selected by her colony of merpeople to kill a wealthy developer (Deng Chao) who has poisoned their ecosystem.

However, the merpeople’s plans are complicated when the developer and his would-be assassin unexpectedly fall in love.

Chow takes this already-insane premise even further, cramming as much wordplay, vomit, wacky CGI and slapstick into the film’s 94-minute runtime as possible.

What might make The Mermaid challenging for certain American viewers is how firmly it rejects believability, something even the most bombastic Hollywood blockbusters crave.

Chow works in a popular subgenre of Hong Kong comedy films called mo lei tau, which translates to “make no sense.”

This type of comedy rejects realism in favor of escapist humor that’s heavy on the slapstick and non-sequiturs. Chow’s brand of comedy is more visually oriented than almost anything found in America today.

Chow may be profane, but he’s also precise and professional in his craftsmanship. The Mermaid manages to sew slapstick, romance, and horror into a seamless package.

This freewheeling and fluid approach to genre might also take some getting used to if you’re mostly acquainted with Hollywood’s strict segregation of story styles.

Hong Kong’s cinema is noted for its excessiveness, pushing everything – violence, physical humor, dirty jokes and melodrama – to the extreme.

The Mermaid upholds this tradition of outrageousness, but it’s a little more accessible than many other Hong Kong comedies in that it largely eschews local humor. Some jokes might get lost in translation, but the film’s physical comedy, its romantic plotline and its concern for the ecocide of marine life exist in international waters.

It’s difficult not to get swept up in Chow’s against-all-odds love story.

SPORTS

Tuesday, March 22, 2016 • The Daily Beacon

11

BASEBALL

Nick Senzel steps up to the plate against Vanderbilt on April 9, 2014. • File Photo

Vols hope to improve pitching for midweek game against instate foe Rob Harvey

Contributor When the Tennessee baseball team plays host to Tennessee Tech in a midweek matchup Tuesday night at Lindsey Nelson Stadium, pitching will be a big priority.

The Vols pitching staff struggled Sunday afternoon in its deciding game against Ole Miss, a 10-7 defeat. Starter Hunter Martin didn’t even survive the first inning as he was pulled after giving up two runs. Two other pitchers, Steven Kane and Daniel Vasquez, also gave up multiple runs in their outings.

It hasn’t all been bad, though. The new pitchers have been a bright spot for the rotation, as they look to continue their nice start on Tuesday. Junior Jon Lipinski, a junior college transfer, pitched two and two thirds on Friday collecting the win and Will Nealy pitched two and one third innings on Sunday while only allowing one hit.

“The best performers this weekend were by the new guys,” Coach Dave Serrano said. “Lipinski threw well and

Will Nealy had a good outing. Will Nealy has had two good outings in a row. The older guys that need to get out of their own way and help this team like guys with experience should.”

The Vols offense has not been a problem so far this season and will look to continue its onslaught on Tuesday.

Jordan Rodgers has been the offensive spark so far as he as hit three home runs and leads the NCAA with 36 RBI. Nick Senzel has 26 RBI and has drawn 21 walks on the season already while Vincent Jackson has three homer runs and 20 RBI. This was the Vols first series without leadoff hitter and second basemen Jeff Moberg who will be out for the season, and the lineup didn’t seem to falter because of it as they put up seven runs in Sunday’s game.

“Stuff like that is going to happen,” Jordan Rodgers said. “Coach told us someone is going to have to step up and we have.”

Tennessee Tech will come into the game with a 10-8 record and just having completed a three-game sweep against Tennessee Martin.

The Eagles are led by Farragut native sophomore Chase Chambers who has already tallied four home runs and seventeen RBI on the season. Tennessee Tech is definitely a power team that will challenge the Vols pitching as it already has eight players with home runs on the season.

Pitching wise the Eagles have struggled with their starts as all three starters have losing records and high ERAs, but their bullpen has been a bright spot as

they have three relievers, Kyle Godwin, Michael Wood, and Ethan Roberts who sport 2-0 records and ERA under three.

The Vols play a weekend series against Alabama, but Coach Serrano is not looking past Tennessee Tech.

“Tennessee Tech is a big game,” Serrano said. “Alabama starts Tuesday night against Tennessee Tech. Someone needs to set the tone on the mound and we have to play good offense and that’ll carry over to the Alabama series.”

12

SPORTS

The Daily Beacon • Tuesday, March 22, 2016

March Madness upsets not as random as you think

Lucas Hunter Contributor

The greatest weekend of the sporting year has come and went, and through the buzzer-beaters, upsets, dunks and mayhem, the only constant has been the inconsistency.

As is the case with most years in the NCAA Tournament, it is halfway over and we are no closer to knowing who the champion will be than when we started.

That statement is only a mild hyperbole, we do know that Michigan State will not be the national champion. Middle Tennessee State University upended Tom Izzo’s ambition to bulldoze into the Final Four with his best squad since Draymond Green’s senior year. In all of the uncertainty surrounding the weekend, Izzo has been the one constant we could always rely on, but he was taken from us at least three rounds too soon.

In light of Michigan State’s failure, the MTSU Blue Raiders created one of the biggest upsets in history, and became just the eighth No. 15 to find their way into the second round. They did not get there by chance or hot hand either. MTSU played legitimate basketball, and went at a superior squad with gusto and enough moxie to outplay them, and immortalize themselves in the halls of March Madness history.

How could Michigan State get defeated by such a puny team? Maybe the answer lies in the notion that MTSU was not one eight worst teams in the tournament. The Blue Raiders won their conference, finished with a modest 24-9 record and came into the tournament on a six-game winning streak. I’m not saying MTSU should have won — they shouldn’t have — but to pretend that they were a pushover team is silly.

In other places on the bracket, the highly experienced, severely underrated, exceptionally coached Wichita State Shockers upset perennial tournament team Arizona after beating preseason SEC favorite Vanderbilt, but finally lost their legs and opened 1-14 from the field against Miami. The Shockers would eventually make it a game after falling 21 points behind, but a larger issue is present.

Including their play-in game, the Shockers played three taxing elimination games in five days. They were also an 11-seed, oddly low for a team that is eighth in the Kenpom rankings, an objective stat used to compare all 351 teams in Division I. The seeding committee effectively eliminated a very competitive mid-major team based on their

seeding alone. No matter your talent, no amount of conditioning prepares you for that condensed of a schedule against high level teams.

Upsets are more frequent than ever, including the likes of Northern Iowa and Stephen F. Austin. In unison, technology and statistics are evolving and revealing that some incredibly low seeded teams are a little better than they look, and some highly seeded teams might be gilded instead of gold.

The seeding committee has a very difficult job, and there’s no true neutral way to rank the top 68 teams in the land. However, the impression that every March seems madder than the last is a slight of hand. By manipulating the bottom half of the bracket to lower more deserving teams, the committee is able to make upsets more likely, and in turn, more frequent.

You cannot script half-court buzzer beaters, fadeaway three-pointers, or a 12 point collapse in the dwindling seconds of the game. The ball is not on a wire as it narrowly leaves the hand of a player before the buzzer.

The tournament is still a biased form of random, but maybe not as random as it seems.

“Pull Quote”