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Three UT students complete Tough Mudder competition T H E

E D I T O R I A L L Y

Likes of Kardashian, Black harming music with Auto-Tune

Thursday, March 24, 2011

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Issue 45 I N D E P E N D E N T

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UT student to compete for Miss Tennessee Marissa Mitchell hopes to use pageant scholarship to pursue educational opportunities Stephanie Derochers Staff Writer On Wednesday, June 15, 2011, Marissa Mitchell, freshman in business pre-major, will represent UT in the Miss Tennessee Scholarship Pageant in Jackson, Tenn.

Mitchell already holds the title of Miss UT Knoxville, which she won at the Miss UT Knoxville Scholarship Pageant in the Pellissippi State Community College Performing Arts Center on February 12, 2011. If she does well in the Miss Tennessee Scholarship Pageant, she has a chance to compete for the title of Miss America.

“I look forward to representing the University of Tennessee in the best way possible,” Mitchell said.

Mitchell will be competing against 35 other hopefuls. She will be one of the newest to the competition circuit.

“Miss UT Knoxville was only my second pageant,” Mitchell said. “I knew that getting involved with the Miss America Organization was a great way for me to challenge myself by putting all of my acquired skills to the test.

These ‘must-have’ skills include intellectual communication, confidence, poise, style and self-discipline. Miss UT Knoxville is an official local preliminary to the Miss America Scholarship Pageant. The Miss America Organization is the largest provider of scholarships for women.”

Mitchell hopes to use these scholarships to pursue her educational goals.

“I plan to graduate from the University of Tennessee and attend the masters of accountancy program in preparation for the examination for certified public accountants,” Mitchell said.

“Marissa is outgoing and is willing to make a difference in her community any way she sees that she can,” Anthony Mathews, freshman in business pre-major, said. “She loves helping people and only looks at the positive in people. Her personality is amazing.

Coming from her boyfriend, I can only speak good things of her. She empathizes with anyone and can tune in to what people feel or what they want. She always pays attention

• Photo courtesy of Marissa Mitchell

Marissa Mitchell appears at halftime of a Lady Vols basketball game against LSU on Sunday, Feb. 27. Mitchell, business pre-major freshman, was crowned Miss UT Knoxville and has spent the time since then promoting her Music Matters cause. and always remembers the little details.”

In order to compete in the Miss UT Knoxville Pageant, Mitchell first had to fulfill many requirements for entry. These included tasks like coming up with stage talent for a performance of 90 seconds or less to raising money and awareness for Children’s Miracle

Network.

“She is really excited to have this opportunity,” Lauren Mench, freshman in nursing, said. “This was only her second pageant ever.

I was very happy I was able to go, and it was a lot of fun to see her play her clarinet. She is very talented and kept the whole crowd enter-

tained while on stage during talent.”

One of her most important tasks was to choose a platform.

“My personal platform is Music Matters: A Focus on Instrumental Musicianship,” Mitchell said. “I chose this because it was something that I am passionate about, and I believe children should be introduced to instrumental music at an early age. I have been studying clarinet since the sixth grade, and many of my accomplishments are related to my musicianship. Music has provided numerous opportunities in my life.”

Mitchell credits her success thus far to her supporters.

“I was so fortunate to have a wonderful support group to help me earn the title of Miss UT Knoxville,” Mitchell said. “Though my family could not make the trip to Knoxville for the pageant, they were very supportive by helping me with my wardrobe, service requirements and moral support. My roommates and boyfriend were at the pageant cheering me on. If it were not for this group of special people, I would not even have the opportunity to say what an honor it is to represent UT.” “Marissa is a hard-working girl that has such a kind and caring heart,” Erika Blalock, freshman in biological sciences I, said. “She goes out of her way to help people. She is very trustworthy and fun to be around. She is willing to make sacrifices for others, and she is an amazing friend.”

“Marissa is a genuinely great person,” Mench said. “It only takes meeting her once to notice that. She is involved in her university with band, as well lending her hand in community service events.”

Mitchell is the daughter of Mark and Crystal Mitchell and a member of the Pride of the Southland Marching Band and the UT Symphonic Band when she is not fulfilling her duties as Miss UT Knoxville.

For more information on Mitchell and the Miss UT Knoxville and Miss Tennessee Pageants, visit the Miss Tennessee Scholarship website at http://www.misstennessee.org/, the Miss UT Knoxville website at http://www.misstennessee.org/Locals/Search Knoxville.htm or Mitchell’s Miss UT Knoxville profile on Facebook.

Event to honor efforts of minorities Liz Ross Staff Writer The Fifth Annual African-American Image Awards will take place Thursday at 6:30 p.m. in the UC auditorium.

Created in 2006, the show celebrates African-American students’ excellency in academia and both faculty and student contributions to the campus.

The show includes awards like outstanding leader for both male and female students, best cultural programming and outstanding faculty member.

Other awards acknowledge students with exceptional GPAs and the rising leader award for a freshman male and female who have shown potential in becoming the next outstanding leaders among the African-American population.

Tierney Bates, the show’s creator and UT’s assistant director of development, said the awards show what African-Americans do here at the university.

“Students being honored by their peers goes a long way and also encourages others to get involved,” Bates said.

Many students think this event is a good way to show the campus the accomplishments of African-American students.

“We’re doing something productive on campus, not just going to class, and people can come see that,” Tianesia Johnson, senior in psychology and one of four hosts for the show, George Richardson • The Daily Beacon said.

Bates said that by bringing the show to UT, Workers toss leftover materials off an overhang of the Min Kao Electrical Engineering and he simply wanted to recognize those who’d othComputer Science Building on Monday, March 21. Thanks in part to a $17.5 million gift from the Garmin CEO and chairman, the largest single gift in UT history, the Min Kao erwise go unnoticed, while also creating a greater bond in the African-American commubuilding is scheduled for completion in fall 2011.

nity.

“This gives faculty and staff a chance to see they’re not alone,” he said.

Students said these award are very encouraging for African-American students.

“You don’t see many African-American names out, so the awards encourage and uplift students to keep up their good work,” Xavier Andrews, junior in business pre-major, said.

Johnson compared the show to the NAACP Image Awards. He said those award winners are internationally known, so the Image Awards on the campus level is endearing for the students.

“How many student programs do you know that allow the students to be involved in every aspect?” he said.

Hosts include Johnson, Ricky Sykes, sophomore in theatre interest, Christopher Holmes, junior in civil engineering and Jerica Robinson, senior in political science. The show’s sponsors are also all minority student programs at UT, including the Student African-American Brotherhood, Diva Opals and Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Inc. Unlike last year’s show, this year, the committee members decided they wanted to include audience interaction and will have a text voting portion of the show for the four talent acts that will be performing.

Bates said he is proud of having brought a highly anticipated awards show among minority students to the UT campus and said that other colleges in the South have contacted him about creating the awards show at their schools.

He said that the Image Awards have created a legacy of which the students can be proud to have been a part.

The show is open to the public.

2 • The Daily Beacon

InSHORT

Thursday, March 24, 2011

Crime March 21

Log

A UT student reported that her bicycle had been stolen from the bicycle rack in the rear of Hess Hall some time between 11:30 a.m. on March 12 and 10:40 a.m. on March 21.

March 22 At approximately 3:20 a.m., a UTPD officer patrolling the area around Clement Hall observed a homeless black male staggering eastbound near the Clement Hall fire lane.

The subject was consuming an alcoholic beverage as he made his way toward a park bench at the courtyard’s entrance. The officer arrested the subject for public intoxication and criminal trespassing.

A student reported that his bicycle and lock had been stolen from the bicycle rack on the northeast side of the Art and Architecture Building some time between 5 p.m. on March 11 and 10 a.m. on March 21.

A female student reported multiple incidents of Internet harassment that occurred at various times between June 25, 2010, and March 22, 2011. The report indicated that the suspect is a male UT student.

— Crime Log is compiled by Robbie Hargett

1989: Exxon Valdez runs aground The worst oil spill in U.S. territory begins when the supertanker Exxon Valdez, owned and operated by the Exxon Corporation, runs aground on a reef in Prince William Sound in southern Alaska. An estimated 11 million gallons of oil eventually spilled into the water. Attempts to contain the massive spill were unsuccessful, and wind and currents spread the oil more than 100 miles from its source, eventually polluting more than 700 miles of coastline. Hundreds of thousands of birds and animals were adversely affected by the environmental disaster.

It was later revealed that Joseph Hazelwood, the captain of the Valdez, was drinking at the time of the accident and allowed an uncertified officer to steer the massive vessel. In March 1990, Hazelwood was convicted of misdemeanor negligence, fined $50,000, and ordered to perform 1,000 hours of community service. In July 1992, an Alaska court overturned Hazelwood’s conviction, citing a federal statute that grants freedom from prosecution to those who report an oil spill.

Exxon itself was condemned by the National Transportation Safety Board and in early 1991 agreed under pressure from environmental groups to pay a penalty of $100 million and provide $1 billion over a 10-year period for the cost of the cleanup. However, later in the year, both Alaska and Exxon rejected the agreement, and in October 1991 the oil giant settled the matter by paying $25 million, less than 4 percent of the cleanup aid promised by Exxon earlier that year.

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

Retraction

Joy Hill • The Daily Beacon

Kati Rook, junior in deaf education, rests in a hammock along the Pedestrian Mall on a sunny Tuesday, March 22.

In a March 23 article in The Daily Beacon by staff writer Christopher Thomas entitled, “UT to increase minimum wage,” Nicole Carney of Electronic Resources & Serials Management in UT Libraries was reported to have said she “felt proper compensation for the work UT faculty does is a necessity in growing uncertainty.” That statement was erroneously paraphrased from Thomas’ conversation with Carney, who made no such statement.

Thomas and The Daily Beacon regret this error.

Thursday, March 24, 2011

Tennessee 4-H’ers collect goods for Second Harvest Food Bank at Congress The face of hunger in Tennessee is getting younger and younger.

One in five Tennessee children is at risk for hunger.

That startling and sad statistic comes from Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee. At 4-H Congress in Nashville, 4-H delegates from across the state will collect non-perishable food items for the charity as part of the service learning project for the event.

Tennessee 4-H’ers will collect and box the food items from 3:30 to 5 p.m. on Sunday, March 27, 2011, at the 4-H Congress Headquarters — the Downtown Sheraton Hotel at 623 Union Street.

The 4-H’ers will gather canned goods, juice boxes, granola bars and peanut butter and cracker packs for Second Harvest’s “Backpack” program. In many situations, when needy children don’t have a school lunch to eat on a Saturday or Sunday, they go without healthful foods. A backpack of food is sent home with the children to get them through the weekend. Second Harvest distributes healthy food items to 42 different schools and afterschool programs across Middle Tennessee through this effort. Second Harvest provides more than 213,000 emergency food boxes annually — and the need for food assistance has risen 36 percent over the past five years.

4-H Congress is an annual gathering of more than 400 ninth and tenth graders from across the state. They meet for three days in Nashville, and will spend the morning of Monday, March 28, 2011, in the House and Senate chambers of the State Capitol, where they will debate and vote on bills and resolutions about issues important to today’s youth.

Since its beginning in 1948, more than 32,000 4-H’ers and volunteers have come to Congress to learn more about our government.

This is the 64th annual 4-H Congress. The theme for 2011 is “Tennessee 4-H: Reflection to Perfection.”

For more information about the 4-H collection for Second Harvest, go to http://4h.tennessee.edu/stcong/generalinfo/service.htm.

For more about Second Harvest’s backpack program, please visit http://www.secondharvestmidtn.org.

4-H is the youth development program of UT Extension. 4-H teaches leadership, citizenship and life skills to more than 300,000 youth in grades 4-12. 4-H also has more than 18,000 adult volunteers statewide.

UT Extension operates in each of Tennessee’s 95 counties as the off-campus division of the UT Institute of Agriculture. An educational and outreach organization funded by federal, state and local governments, UT Extension, in cooperation with Tennessee State University, brings research-based information about agriculture, family and consumer sciences, and youth and community development to the people of Tennessee where they live and work.

NEWS switchgrass as a bioenergy feedstock through the University’s Biofuels Initiative. Jackson also holds a faculty position at the UT Institute of Agriculture, serving as a Research Assistant Professor in the Center for Renewable Carbon. In his faculty role, he is focused on the research, development, and commercialization of sustainable feedstock supply chains for the emerging bioenergy industry.

Jackson works with a variety of feedstocks including perennial grasses, short-rotation woody crops, forest materials, and other agricultural crops and residues. A significant focus of his effort has been the $70 million University of Tennessee Biofuels Initiative. The program, funded by the state of Tennessee, seeks to integrate the switchgrass feedstock supply chain with bioenergy and bioproducts industries in the state. The program has led to the establishment of switchgrass on local farms to supply the a demonstration-scale biorefinery in Vonore.

Jackson has helped coordinate a regional grant program that has provided nearly $5 million for bioenergy research across the southeast. Jackson currently leads a $2.3 million project focused on switchgrass production that was competitively funded by the Joint Biomass Research and Development Initiative of the US Departments of Energy and Agriculture. He is also part of another $4.9 million research project focused on high-tonnage logistics for switchgrass biomass.

Jackson received an undergraduate degree in wildlife and fisheries science and his master’s degree in forest ecology and management from UT. He earned his doctoral degree in natural resources from UT as well.

For more information, call 865-483-3571 or log onto www.utarboretumsociety.org.

The UT Arboretum is a project of the UT Forest Resources AgResearch and Education Center. The center is one of 10 such centers in UT AgResearch, a division of the UT Institute of Agriculture.

In addition to its agricultural research programs, the UT Institute of Agriculture also provides instruction, research and public service through the UT College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, the UT College of Veterinary Medicine and UT Extension offices in every county in the state. For more information about the Forest Resources Center, please visit http://forestry.tennessee.edu/.

UT science forum: professor discusses photographing plants Alan Heilman has been photographing plants for almost 70 years.

At the end of second grade, Heilman’s teacher gave him a small pot of soil and sunflower seeds that grew to be eight feet tall over the summer, which amazed him. In high school, Heilman used a microscope in his biology class, became fascinated by the details and strived to capture that close-up approach with photography.

Heilman, professor emeritus of botany, will be discussing “Looking and Seeing — 60 Years Photographing Plants” at the UT Science Forum on March 25 at noon in Thompson-Boling Arena Dining Room C-D. The program is free and open to the public; attendees are welcome to bring their lunches or purchase lunch at the Café at the Arena.

The UT Science Forum is a weekly event where academic, medical and research professionals share their knowledge and unique insights in their fields. Different science topics will be discussed with a question-and-answer session at the end of each 40-minute presentation.

The UT Science Forum is sponsored by the UT Office of Research.

For questions about the UT Science Forum, contact Mark Littmann, littmann@utk.edu or 974-8156, or Mike Clark, clarkgmorph@utk.edu or 974-6006.

Switchgrass and biofuels information program on March 29

Free health fair for UT students, employees and retirees April 6

The UT Arboretum Society will present a lecture by Sam Jackson on the development of switchgrass as a bioengergy feedstock on Tuesday, March 29, at 7:00 p.m., Roane State Community College, Oak Ridge Campus, City Room in Oak Ridge. Jackson works for sustainable, practical and economical supply chain solutions.

As Genera Energy Vice President for Feedstock Operations, Jackson has worked to develop feedstock supply chains for bioenergy and bioproducts in the state and region. He has worked with the UT’s faculty, legislators and farmers to spur the development of

The College of Nursing at UT has teamed up again this year with UT Student Health Service and the UT Medical Center to bring the UT community “HealthBeat 2011,” a free health fair for UT students, faculty, staff, retirees and their families.

The fair will take place from 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday, April 6, in the UC Ballroom.

Several screenings and tests will be provided, and exhibition booths also will be set up with representatives from various health

The Daily Beacon • 3 care organizations and UT departments giving counsel and handing out information.

Participants will be able to obtain information on nutrition and weight management, diabetes, breast health, oral cancer, organ donor registry and sign-up, HIV/AIDS education, student health education and services, drug and alcohol abuse, heart health and stroke risk, primary care, adult immunizations, ER trauma, pharmacogenetics, genetic counseling and genetic testing, and general health. Ask-adoctor and ask-a-pharmacist opportunities also will be available.

In addition to the information and exhibition booths, the following screenings will be provided: * Oral and dental health screening * Carotid artery screening * Skin cancer/age progression screening * Blood pressure screening * Bone density screening * Body Mass Index screening * CO2/Pulse Ox screening * Vision screening * Blood typing * HIV/AIDS testing * Sickle cell and other hemoglobinopathy testing Insurance is not required for any of the screenings or tests. Small fees will apply only to those screenings that require lab work: * $20 — Prostate Specific Antigen screening (men only) — This test measures the amount of PSA released into your blood by the prostate gland. * $20 — Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) — This test serves as a tool to measure thyroid levels in the body and can help diagnose thyroid disease. * $20 — Comprehensive Metabolic Panel — This test measures protein, potassium, sodium, glucose, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase(AST) and albuminum, among several other components. * $20 — C-Reactive Protein (CRP) — This test measures inflammation of the heart and can help assess your risk for heart disease. * $20 — Lipid Panel (fasting required) — This test measures your total cholesterol, HDL, LDL, triglycerides, ratio and glucose. * $15 — Complete Blood Count (CBC) — This test measures your red and white blood cell count. * $25 — Vitamin D screening — This test measures the level of vitamin D in your body. For accurate results, do not take supplements for 48 hours prior to screening.

Fasting for 8-10 hours is required for the lipid panel. Water and black coffee are allowed, and drinking plenty of fluids the day before is advised. Prescriptions should be taken as prescribed. Diabetics should consult with their physician before fasting.

Credit cards, cash and checks are accepted. Checks can be made payable to UTMC (University of Tennessee Medical Center).

Results will be mailed to the participant within 10 business days.

The following UT departments and programs will have representatives and/or booths at the fair: Center for Physical Activity & Health, Rec Sports, Book and Supply Store, Student Health Services, Police Department, Human Resources, and the Safety, Environment and Education Center.

Other participating organizations include UTMC Genetic Center, See BEACON BITS on Page 5

4 • The Daily Beacon

Thursday, March 24, 2011

OPINIONS

LettersEditor to the

Columnist ignores principles in criticism of Supreme Court ruling I am writing concerning Treston Wheat’s March 10 column, “Ruling allows dangerous free-speech issues.” But to which Wheat should I respond? The one who feels that the Westboro protesters are to be fined and/or imprisoned for their displays or the one who waxes Biblical and enjoins us to “love your enemy and pray for those who persecute you?”

First some clarifications: Harassment is not considered free expression. (Here we agree.) Private figures have protections which public figures do not. (We agree again.) And though unmentioned in Wheat’s column, time/place/manner restrictions on expression are quite legitimate. (Whatever the ruling, Westboro leader Fred Phelps cannot stand on the coffin.)

So freedom of expression is not the right to say whatever one wants in whatever way one pleases.

But it does include many of those actions we call “making a point,” barring the violation of some other right. And this includes the protests at funerals conducted by the Westboro Baptist Church.

(Yes, these are private events, but as was unmentioned in Wheat’s column, the protestors have to stay a certain distance away from the funeral.)

And here we part ways, for according to Wheat, “If what someone says has little to no value for public debate and it causes harm to a particular party, then it is not actually protected by the First Amendment.” Evidently, Mr. Wheat has not familiarized himself with the classics on freedom of speech, including Milton’s “Areopagitica” or Mill’s “On Liberty,” where, among many other places, it is pointed out that determining the “value for public debate” is not to be determined by the governing classes but by the listener. Again, it is the right of the listener to hear as much as it is the speaker to speak that is at stake. And I happen to disagree: Who can seriously say that the Westboro Church has not contributed to public discussion?

Secondly, Wheat includes emotional harm under harm. It is perfectly true that this is a consequence of free speech, but a necessary one if free speech is to be a meaningful principle at all. Wheat will surely be aware that defenders of censorship with regards to political Islam — especially concerning depictions of Mohammed, where the demands for self-censorship have been alarmingly successful — always dress up their defenses in terms of protecting hurt feelings. This occurs for blasphemy laws generally, but it can be used for anything. Speech that is political and has a meaning broader than harassment, no matter how much we disagree with it, is protected. In fact, checking Mill again, it is the unpopularity of the speech which positively correlates with the need for protection.

I will ask Wheat who he feels is to determine what he has the right to hear, who he feels to be competent enough to determine what speech has “value,” and after that person’s installment as speech commissar, when he expects public discourse to become sanitary enough for me to unplug my ears?

For now, I’m glad he encourages counter-protest. He could also have mentioned the privileging of Westboro by the media for cynical, ratings-generating purposes and how viewers might cease to reward outlets for this irresponsibility. These are free-speech solutions. But it has only been since the 1960s that America has gained the broad protections for free speech that we enjoy. The long struggle for this achievement, in the face of political persecution and blasphemy laws, is apparently worth no more to Wheat than reducing Westboro’s venues. But for those of us who value our principles, a somewhat higher price than unhurt feelings is required — granting the rather tenuous assumption that even that will really work.

Jesse Parrish senior in mathematics jparris8@utk.edu SCRAMBLED EGGS • Alex Cline

THE GREAT MASHUP • 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.

Overthrow of Gaddafi right move for all Immut abl y Right by

Treston Wheat On March 19, a no-fly zone took effect over Libya, starting with an air campaign by the French and a naval blockade by the British. This was in reaction to Muammar Gaddafi’s assault on his own people. America and other countries utilized the no-fly zone in an attempt to try to protect the civilian population of the country.

Already because of the countries involved, pro-Gaddafi forces are having trouble moving forward. However, these actions are not enough, and if America believes that everyone has a right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, then we should support eliminating Gaddafi and overthrowing his regime.

There are several reasons that America should support Gaddafi’s neutralization. First, he is a tyrant and an evil man. He started his reign during the 1970s and ’80s by suppressing dissidents, supporting terrorism and corruption. He did not allow elections and actually made it a crime to communicate with foreigners. In 1973 he delivered his infamous Five Point Address in which he implemented Sharia (Islamic) Law, purged the country of the “political sick” and established a people’s militia and then an administrative and cultural revolution. He created a tyrannical state.

This does not compare to his crimes of assassinations and terrorism; during the 1980s, his state is known to have assassinated more than 20 people. Also, he supported terrorist attacks against the United States.

Two incidents are most famous: La Belle nightclub and Lockerbie. The first happened in 1986 when agents of Libya bombed a discotheque frequented by U.S. military personnel. The attack killed three people and injured more than 200. The Reagan administration rightly retaliated by bombing Libya military bases. Gaddafi had Libyan agents put a bomb on a Boeing 747 that crashed over Lockerbie, Scotland, killing all on board and 11 people in the town.

The second reason America should support the removal of Gaddafi’s regime is pure geopolitics and economics. Gaddafi is not exactly pro-Western; he only nominally started supporting the West after the U.S. and its international coalition heroically overthrew

Saddam Hussein. That year, Gaddafi actually turned over his nuclear material to the U.S., where it went to Oak Ridge. A true democracy in the country will be more stable and possibly a better ally with the West, especially if we support the people’s freedom now. In addition, the world needs access to Libya’s oil. Although it is not one of the major producers, the conflict there has caused gas prices to skyrocket. During this fragile economic time, it would be better if oil and gas prices were much lower than they are today.

To achieve these goals, America must be very specific in its intended actions and must utilize international help, even the United Nations. To start the campaign, the countries already involved, which include the U.S., the U.K., Canada, France, Italy, Belgium, Greece and Qatar, should use their military power to support the rebels and help defeat the pro-government forces and oust Gaddafi, either by arresting him or neutralizing him. After they overthrow the government, the international force should bring in U.N. peace keepers to prevent government forces from returning and trying to put Gaddafi back into power. During this time the people will write their constitution and establish democracy in the country. The West should not try to write their constitution for them, but let the people decide how they want to organize their own government.

Then organizations like the U.S. Agency for International Development, the Millennium Challenge Corporation and others need to go into the country and help rebuild the economy. This will happen by giving loans to small businesses and construction projects to rebuild different places that were destroyed in the conflict.

Finally, OPEC countries, the Arab League and American oil companies need to help the Libyan people build up their wells and oil production. This will not only help the world by reducing oil prices, but it will bring in much needed jobs and revenue for the new state. Oil will be imperative for Libya to become a modern country because it is its largest natural resource and its best source for jobs and money.

Many people will look at the oil problem as some sort of neo-imperialism, but it is not. In this case it is best for everybody if America helps overthrow Gaddafi. It will be better for the Libyan people because they will have freedom, better for Americans because of cheaper gas prices and a more stable ally, and better for the world because a pro-terrorist dictator will no longer be in power.

— Treston Wheat is a senior in political science and history. He can be reached at twheat@utk.edu.

Too much focus put on political correctness Off the Deep End by

Derek Mullins

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Oh the multitude of events that occurred while the lot of us were off partying on some distant beach, taking in the sights at a tourist hotspot, volunteering with reputable causes or working for the entirety of Spring Break 2011. Japan was hit with the perfect trifecta of calamities — an earthquake, a tsunami and a possible nuclear meltdown — the major powers of the Western world deployed their military forces to aid rebels in Libya, the Tennessee Volunteer men’s basketball program fell apart before our very eyes and our beloved coach, Bruce Pearl, was unceremoniously dumped on his keister over allegations this fan base still does not know the totality of.

Between disaster relief, images of a new war and continuous coverage of March Madness, I almost had to schedule a doctor’s appointment to seek relief for my channel-surfing thumb. Through the mass of noteworthy stories, however, one seemingly inconsequential news story struck me as being particularly interesting and just obscure and frivolous enough to warrant a tirade in a humble little scholastic newspaper column.

I would be willing to bet any potential winnings from my various NCAA basketball bracket groups that if you have watched television for a collective hour over the past 11 years, you have seen commercials for Aflac. This insurance company has produced many ads that have featured a small, white duck in various ridiculous situations where he invariably ends up screaming “AFLAC!” again and again throughout the duration of the commercial.

The man behind the character was — and the owner of that awesomely debilitating voice is — Gilbert Gottfried. I use the term “was” because Gottfried was fired last week because of jokes and comments he made on Twitter in reference to the recent catastrophes in Japan. The most widely circulated being: “I just split up with my girlfriend, but like the Japanese say, ‘(There will) be another one floating by any minute now.’”

Whether or not you find any humor in the statements he made is beyond the point.

Now I understand that Aflac had every right to fire him. Normally it is not in the best interest of large corporations who cater to a broad consumer base to have a spokesman who makes such controversial statements like the ones Gottfried made. Then again, you would have imagined they knew what they were getting into when they hired this particular comedian, notorious for his dark and insulting humor. After all, this was the man who famously joked at a roast of Playboy mogul Hugh Heffner that occurred three weeks after 9/11 that he had intended to catch a plane to the event, but he could not get a direct flight because “they said they had to connect with the Empire State Building first.” I also understand that it is not very classy to make fun of a tragedy that takes the lives of thousands of people and arguably disrespects those who mourn that loss of life.

What I take issue with is what I deem to be the absurd degree of political correctness that Aflac displayed in this incident. They were so afraid that they might lose even a few current or potential customers that they immediately gave the man who most of my generation knows as being the voice of Iago in Disney’s “Aladdin” his walking papers and shoved him out the door. He was not wearing an Aflac jacket when he posted the comments, nor did he have a logo anywhere near what he was saying. They feared that they might be guilty by association.

This same thing is starting to happen more and more frequently. For instance, in the aftermath of 9/11, left-wing comedian and television host Bill Maher was dumped from his ABC show “Politically Incorrect” because he articulated his belief that the hijackers who perpetrated the attacks were many things but not cowards. Howard Stern was threatened with cancellation many times before he moved to satellite radio because of jokes he made. Frankie Boyle, a highly controversial Scottish comedian, has had his career threatened many times by the BBC, which often takes issue with his particular brand of humor.

My advice to companies that hire controversial people to try to promote their products is that they should prepare for statements they might not agree with and be ready to take the stick out of their backsides when it comes.

But who knows … maybe I just feel sympathy for or have a sense of comaraderie with people who like to make “unnecessarily malicious” statements.

— Derek Mullins is a senior in political science and history. He can be reached at dmullin5@utk.edu.

NEWS

Thursday, March 24, 2011

Beacon Bits continued from Page 3 Knox County Health Department, Knox County Mental Health Association and Tennessee Newborns. Participants also will be able schedule mammogram appointments for when the Mobile Mammography Unit the UT campus in April.

Parking is available at the University Center parking garage; normal rates apply.

UT and PepsiCo partner in groundbreaking educational diversity initiative Twenty-two students from the UT’s College of Business Administration are spending spring semester 2011 learning about today’s globally diverse workplace.

This is the inaugural offering of the PepsiCo Diversity Leadership Development Program, a program that prepares juniors and seniors in the College of Business Administration to work in fields or organizations where workplace diversity is a reality.

To be considered for the program, students must have a minimum GPA of 3.0, be socially responsible, be involved in campus and community activities and complete an essay on what they hope to learn from the program.

Over the course of the semester, the students attend four sessions taught by

SERVICES Bartending. 40 hour program. Must be 18 years old.

Day, evening and Saturday classes. knoxvillebartendingschool.com 1-800-BARTEND.

TUTORING TESTPREP EXPERTS GRE/ GMAT/ LSAT For over 30 years, Michael K. Smith, Ph.D., and his teachers have helped UT students prepare for the GRE/ GMAT/ LSAT. Our programs offer individual tutoring, practice tests, and computer- adaptive strategies at a reasonable price. Programs can be designed around your schedule, weekdays, weeknights, or weekends.

Conveniently located at 308 South Peters Rd. Call (865)694-4108 for more information.

EMPLOYMENT Bridal Shop looking for parttime help. Weekends a must.

Please submit resume to chastafoust@yahoo.com or call (865)693-9399 and ask for Chasta.

Camp Counselors, male/ female, needed for great overnight camps in the mountains of PA. Have fun while working with children outdoors. Teach/ assist with A/C, Aquatics, Media, Music, Outdoor Rec, Tennis, & more. Office, Nanny & Kitchen positions available.

Apply online at www.pineforestcamp.com.

CHILD CARE now and thru the summer. 3 kids: 3, 9 and 12. Near Northshore & Pellisippi Pkwy.

2-3 weekdays 2–6:30pm. $10/hr. Driving and very active play incl sports.

Non-smoker, good driver, swimmer. Must have a car. Resume and refs reqd. Leave msg at 406-2690.

Childcare Workers needed IMMEDIATELY for 2 year old and 3 year old Church School Classes! MUST be willing and able to work through the summer and throughout the next school year (2011-2012) @ Sequoyah Hills Presbyterian Church.

Hours: Sundays 10:15-12:15.

Pay: $12.00/hr. To apply: krolfes@sequoyahchurch.or g or call 522-9804. Background checks and references required. *The church is located at 3700 Keowee Avenue in the heart of Sequoyah Hills.

Marina in Knoxville needs dock hands. Good people skills and willingness to labor is a must. Able to work during UT games.

(865)633-5004 joec@themarinas.net

PepsiCo executives. The first two sessions dealt with building the business case for diversity and understanding what diversity in business really means. Two sessions remain in the inaugural program.

Talent Sustainability is one of the three platforms of PepsiCo’s Performance with Purpose mission in which the company has committed to providing employees with the skills they need to drive business growth in a supportive and empowering workplace. PepsiCo has been nationally recognized as one of the top places for women and minorities to work and was one of the first companies to hire minorities in professional positions.

Jennifer Rittenhouse, human resources director for Pepsi Beverages Company’s Tennessee/Western Kentucky Market Unit said, “Our local team is committed to giving back to our community and building PepsiCo’s diverse portfolio of talent. We hope these UT students will take these lessons to heart long after they graduate.”

For more information about the UT College of Business Administration, visit http://bus.utk.edu.

Ready for the World Café returns from Spring Break with flavor With Spring Break now behind us and finals just over a month away, it’s time to buckle down and … eat!

And the Ready for the World Café is there to help.

The menu for this week includes foods

EMPLOYMENT Customer Service Representative $12.00 per hour.

Serve customers by providing and answering questions about financial services. You will have the advantage of working with an experienced management team that will work to help you succeed. Professional but casual west Knoxville call center location, convenient to UT and West Town Mall. Full and part-time positions are available. We will make every effort to provide a convenient schedule.

Email: hr@vrgknoxville.com Fax: (865)330-9945.

Downtown law firm has a full-time temporary runner’s position available starting mid July 2011 through the summer of 2012.

Applicants MUST have dependable transportation available for travel during the work day and MUST be available from 8:30-5:30 Monday through Friday no exceptions.

This position is perfect for a recent undergraduate that will be attending Law School in the fall of 2012. Duties include hand and car deliveries to various offices in Knoxville and the surrounding counties, filing of various documents in the court systems and general office clerical work. Some light lifting may be involved. Applicants should email their resume to: kaa@emadlaw.com with “Runner Position” in the subject line. Hourly wage and mileage reimbursement and paid parking.

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

LAUGH AT WORK! Side Splitters Comedy Club in West Knoxville looking for new memberes for our phone marketing dept. Apply in person M-F between 12-4pm at 9246 Parkwest Blvd, Knoxville 37923. No phone calls about this job please. We are busy making our own.

N. Knoxville Health and Fitness Center seeking motivated, energetic individuals for the following part-time positions: Fitness Staff and Water Aerobics Instructor.

Exercise Science/ Physiology majors encouraged to apply.

Associated Therapeutics, Inc. 2704 Mineral Springs Rd., Knoxville, TN 37917. Call (865)687-4537; Fax (865)687-5367; E-mail jumpstart@associatedtherapeutics.com.

The Daily Beacon • 5

from Mexico, Italy, the Middle East and the U.S. The buffet will feature chipotle braised chicken; cioppino-style roasted crab; porchetta-style roast pork; spinach salad with almonds; braised bacon Carolina rice; steamed asparagus with cardamom butter; and couscous with fresh cilantro and lemon juice.

The café is an international buffet operated by students in the advanced food production and service management class.

The café is open from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. each Monday through Thursday in the Hermitage Room on the third floor of the UC. Diners pay $11 for the all-you-can-eat buffet or $9 for a plate of food to carry out. Aramark’s faculty/staff discount card can be used at the café.

Students in HRT 445 take turns planning the menus, marketing the café and working in the café. ARAMARK, UT’s provider of dining services, prepares the food.

This week’s café managers are Stuart Chandler and Meagan Cupp.

Chandler, of Knoxville, is a senior in history with an HRT minor, born in Nashville. He wants to manage hotels or restaurants someday.

Cupp, of Knoxville, is a senior in HRT. She has worked as a host and server at Calhoun’s. Her career aspirations include being part of an event-coordinating team or catering service and eventually becoming “an educator of some sort, focusing on traveling and exploring the world with children and families.”

Joy Hill • The Daily Beacon

Jacob Morris, sophomore in jazz, practices guitar in Circle Park on Tuesday, March 22.

EMPLOYMENT

UNFURN APTS

FOR RENT

FOR RENT

HOUSE FOR RENT

CONDOS FOR SALE

Looking for qualified Customer Service Representatives for a West Knoxville Call Center. Candidates with minimum of 6 months to 2 years of recent Customer Service experience (retail/ call center/ restaurant).

Part-time or full-time when needed.

Monday-Sunday.

Must have a flexible schedule, good work stability and professional demeanor.

Rent now for May! 1 and 2BR Apts.

UT area.

(865)522-5815. Ask about our special.

Apartments for rent. Old North Knoxville. 5 minutes to UT. Character! Charm!

Quiet location! 1, 2, or 3BR available. $400-850 per month. Call (865)776-4281.

Monday Plaza 1BR and studios available on The Strip.

Starting at $365/mo. Call (865)219-9000 for information.

5, 6, 7, 8BR houses in Fort Sanders for August. W/D, Central H/A, parking, large bedrooms, walk to campus.

Best houses go quickly!

Call/ text (865)964-4669 , or Volrentals.com.

For sale, walking distance to campus. Renaissance II 3BR 2BA. Gated covered parking.

Washer/dryer included. $182,000 (865)740-4425, swt418@gmail.com.

If you feel you would be a good candidate, please forward your resume to robyn.sisk@staffingsolutions.com. We will be conducting an open house each Wed, Thur, and Fri of this month between the hours of 10am-4pm; please bring resume for review. Please call (865)690-2311 for directions.

Need help with resume and posting on overseas websites. Offering $40 for help. davygene@gmail.com.

Now hiring bartenders, barbacks, security, night club dancers. Apply in person M-W, 12-6pm at 125 E. Jackson St., Club NV (old Blue Cats) PLAY FOR PAY! Children’s Center of Knoxville is currently seeking patient and loving individuals for PT employment. Located close to campus. Summer availability a must. Hours between 12-6PM daily. If interested, apply in person at 301 Frank Street or call (865)523-2672 for more info.

Savvi Formalwear Now Hiring PT sales associates.

Hourly plus commission. Fun work environment. Call (865)898-4742.

Staying in Knoxville This Summer? Need a Fun Summer Job? Camp Webb day camp, in West Knoxville, is now accepting applications for full-time summer camp counselor jobs! Positions: general camp counselors, lifeguards, and instructors for Archery, Arts & Crafts, Drama, Swimming, Ropes Course, Nature, Sports, & some leadership positions. Part-time available. www.campwebb.com to apply.

Still looking for summer work? Make over $8000 this summer working with FasTrac Training. Locations available in Knoxville, Atlanta, Nashville. For more info call Jeff at (615)579-4513.

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 thetomatohead.com.

16th PLACE APARTMENTS 3 blocks from UT Law School (1543- 1539 Highland Ave.) 1BR and 2BR apts. only.

Brick exterior, carpet, laundry facility on first floor.

Guaranteed and secured parking. 24 hour maintenance. No dogs or cats. 31st year in Fort Sanders. www.sixteenthplace.com. brit.howard@sixteenthplace. com.. (865)522-5700.

KEYSTONE CREEK 2BR apartment. Approx 4 miles west of UT on Middlebrook Pike. $497.50. Call (865)522-5815. Ask about our special.

South Knoxville/UT downtown area 2BR apts. $475.

Call about our special.

(865)573-1000.

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.

CAMBRIDGE ARMS Just 4 miles west of campus.

Small pets allowed. Pool and laundry rooms. 2BR at great price! Call (865)588-1087.

Condo for rent 3BR 2BA near campus. W/D included. All hardwood. $999/mo. 2835 Jersey Avenue 37919.

(865)310-6977.

FORT SANDERS APT FOR RENT: Available now 3BR apt, $660/mo. util. included, off-street parking; deposit and previous landlord refs. required. Grad stdnts only.

No pets. (803)429-8392.

HUNTINGTON PLACE UT students! Only 3 miles west of campus. We have eff. to 3BR. Hardwood floors. Central H/A. Pets allowed. Call (865)588-1087.

Ask about our special.

LUXURY 1 BR CONDOS 3 min. walk to Law School. $480R. $300SD. No app. fee.

865 (4408-0006, 250-8136).

Maple Sunset Apartments offering brand new spacious 1 and 2BR apartments at $725 and $850. Only 10 minutes from campus. Call (865)208-0420 or visit our website at maplesunset.com

RentUTK.com 1- 4BR CONDOS Walk to class rentals in the Fort plus Sullins Ridge, Kingston Place, Renaissance, Woodlands & RiverTowne.

Robert Holmes, Owner/ Agent. (800)915-1770.

Student Housing in The Fort.

3,4 and 5BR units still available for Fall semester. Call (865)521-7324.

UT area. Studio apt. 1700 Clinch Ave. 2 blocks from campus. Water and internet included. Lease and damage deposit. Pool and laundry room. $475. Avail. August 1. www.absolutecom.com/309.

423-956-5551.

HOUSE FOR RENT 1 up to 7BR houses for rent.

Walk to class. W/D furnished. Now leasing for Fall.

Off-street parking. Call (865)388-6144.

3BR, 2.5BA, W/D, very nice and close to campus. $350/mo. per person. Call 850-2519 or visit www.volhousing.com.

Sequoyah Hills - 924 Southgate Road. 4BR. $1600/mo.

(205)447-1119.

FOR RENT

CONDOS FOR RENT Available now. 3BR, 3BA 1800 sq.ft. West Knoxville Condo.

All appliances including W/D. Plenty of parking.

Ideal for graduate students. $1150/mo.

(865)242-0632. https://sites.google.com/sit e/donnellypropertymanagement/

ROOMMATES 2 girls looking for 1-2 roommate to share a 2BR aptartment at Crown. Walking distance from campus! Rent $300-600 plus utilities. Call (615)424-4992.

Like new! Clean, ground level, end condo. 10 min to UT. 2BR, 2BA, garage. MLS #735125 $102,900. Amy Fortune, Rocky Top Realty.

(865)246-0300.

RobertHolmesRealtor.com Condo Listings and Property Mgmt. Call Robert Holmes, RE/MAX Real Estate Ten Commercial (423)231-1266.

Southeastern Glass Building.

The Best of Urban Living!

On-site Parking & Storage 1BR lofts from $154,500, 2BR lofts from $254,500. 555 W. Jackson (Downtown). Downtown Realty, Inc. 588-5535.

AUTOS FOR SALE

Starting April 15 - Aug. 15.

Split rent and utilities. Includes internet, cable, W/D. Close to UT. (865)673-4694.

100+ vehicles $5,995 or less. Specializing in imports. www.DOUGJUSTUS.com

CONDOS FOR SALE 2BR 2BA townhouse. $106,900 near Cedar Bluff and Middle Brook Pike. All kitchen appliances stay.

Move in ready. Century 21 AAIM. (865)966-2121. Contact Wesley at c21wk@yahoo.com Buy or sell condos. Call or text Chuck Fethe, Keller Williams Realty. (865)719-1290 www.chuckfethe.com.

ANNOUNCEMENTS Long Branch Saloon Private Party room available. Please see our website: longbranchsaloonknoxvilletn.co m or call 546-9914 Fridays 3-6. Special rates for UT students!

This space could be yours. Call 974-4931

1, 2, and 3BR from $330 per bed. Walk to campus, Fort locations. NO APP FEE. NO SECURITY DEPOSIT. www.primecapmushousing.c om/tn (865)637-3444.

1BR $340/mo. 10 min from UT. Pets ok. Safe location.

(423)920-2063.

1BR $390, 2BR $450. 3526 Fairmont Blvd. Call for our specials. 219-9000.

1BR $575 2BR $700. 4408 Kingston Pike, across from Fresh Market on bus line.

Call 219-9000.

1BR Duplex $400/mo. North Knoxville, 119 Atlantic. 5 min to UT. No smoking, no pets.

(865)471-6372. Knoxjeffrentals.blogspot.com 1BR. Walk to campus. Pool & laundry. Cats OK. $499/mo.

755-6419.

2, 3, 4, and 5BR houses/ apartments in Fort Sanders. Available Fall. No pets. Call now for best selection. Leave name and number (865)389-6732 or after 6pm (615)300-7434.

4th AND GILL Houses and apartments now available. Please call Tim at (865)599-2235.

NEW YORK TIMES CROSSWORD • Will Shortz 1 4 10 14 15 16 17 18 20 22 23 26 27 29 31 32 34

38 40

Across “Huh …?!”

Fleet Muscle car feature What this would be to Caesar?

Jaded response to a movie suggestion Comb container Wanted poster abbr. *Photogenic athlete from Cincinnati?

Ceremonial presentation *Cozy rooms for playing?

Tax collector, e.g.

Drifts (off) “You must be joking …”

Food made from fermented beans “___ hope?”

Drafted, with “up” Company concerned with automobile history Spring Opposite of 33Down

42 Bob, e.g.

43 Indian city now known as Chennai 45 Mount 47 NPR’s Shapiro 48 Days before 50 Yaps 52 Actress Blanchett 54 What dirt may come out in 56 *Social gathering for auction participants?

58 Drags 61 *Diatribes from captured criminals?

64 Stadium cheer 65 Bank holding 66 Get into a habit?

67 Andy’s dinosaur in “Toy Story” 68 Shade of green 69 “I’m impressed” 70 See 28-Down Down 1 Pow! 2 Shout before a snap 3 *Commercial for a private school?

ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE

4 Henry Clay’s historic Kentucky estate 5 “The End of the Affair” actor, 1999 6 Playing pieces 7 “Start … now!”

8 Neutralize, as a bomb 9 Mr. ___, radioactive enemy of Captain Marvel 10 “Hello, I Love You” band, 1968 11 Shopworn 12 Kitchen window sites?

13 Walkers, in brief 19 Organization that sponsors an annual Mind Games competition 21 Let go

24 Halloween costume, maybe 25 Cutesy, in London 27 Like Type B personalities 28 With 70-Across, vitamin bottle phrase 30 Winter fishing tool 33 What’s broken out of the answers to the starred clues?

35 *Expose oneself to a former U.S. president?

36 Prefix with -naut 37 Marked, as a questionnaire box 39 Much of Nickelodeon’s target audience 41 Reference 44 States

46 Passed 49 Caterer’s supply 51 The Wildcats of the N.C.A.A. 52 ___ cabinet 53 1948 Best Actor nominee for “Johnny Belinda” 55 Gift from the Wizard of Oz that’s really a clock 56 Lip ___ 57 Classic Army bomber plane 59 Pet peeve?

60 Hot 62 San Francisco’s ___ Hill 63 Not yet determined: Abbr.

6 • The Daily Beacon

ENTERTAINMENT

Thursday, March 24, 2011

Elizabeth Taylor’s death leaves behind legacy Brandi Panter Managing Editor As someone with oddly colored eyes and a somewhat foul mouth, I have adored Elizabeth Taylor since I first stumbled across the Turner Classic Movies channel one afternoon when I was around 14 years old and saw “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.”

At the time, I had never seen anyone famous, past or present, who remotely reminded me of myself. Tabloid scandals of the day lent themselves to blonde, spraytanned goddesses of a different species from my auburn-haired self, and the perpetual crises seemed to all generate from the Hollywood parallels of either drugged-out party girls with no discernable talents or serious-minded and pretentious actresses who were constantly chasing Oscar gold.

When I started doing research on the actresses of Hollywood’s heyday, I didn’t seem to have much luck finding anyone who reminded me of myself either. Vivien Leigh, who was married to my pretend husband of yesteryear, Laurence Olivier, was apparently completely insane, and Audrey Hepburn, despite being my personal hero, was just too gosh darn good for me to actually relate to her. Then I discovered Liz. I asked my grandfather, who is now 70 years old, about Elizabeth Taylor right after the movie ended.

“She’s a home-wrecker,” he replied promptly. I asked my grandmother, and the response I garnered was “She’s a foulmouthed (the word my grandmother used has been removed because of editorial policy).” At last, I finally met my Hollywood match.

Elizabeth Taylor, who died yesterday at the age of 79, has always been one of my top-five life models. I like Liz not simply because she was brass and bold, without much of a care as to whether or not she offended you with the truth as she delivered it, and she didn’t care if you didn’t like what she wore, because it made her happy.

I like Liz because she always seemed to just

be herself, without any sort of apology whatsoever. Steal another woman’s man?

Wearing black with brown? It’s OK, it isn’t anyone else’s place to judge, so says the Tao of Liz. That’s the main reason I adore this woman, with her endless train of failed marriages and bad outfits. She just always seemed to “do Liz,” so to speak — she didn’t care if Mr. Blackwell mocked her fashion choices, as much as she didn’t care for pomp and circumstance. Other people wrote her lines, she was just there to stand pretty and deliver them. She knew her place in the world, and she never aspired to make any sort of false aspirations of grandeur. She was a fabulous actress, though, and extremely funny off camera, when no one else was writing her lines. She knew other people thought that she was a joke, a walking punchline, and she didn’t mind at all. It almost always seemed as though she was in on the joke, as though it was all just some big creation for Taylor to snicker at when she was at home alone later with her diamonds and sequined dresses.

She also loved without any sort of apology, even until she died. She was careless with her heart, despite how many times it was broken, and never seemed afraid to give it away to anyone she deemed worthy, no matter how much it hurt her later on.

She still defended her friend Michael Jackson amidst the accusations of child molestation, and she never once wavered her support for him, even after his death.

She sponsored AIDS charities, even when it was unpopular.

In a way, she was always larger than life, and that’s the reason I’ll always love Liz. As a boozy, reckless person with an affinity for big hair and sparkles, I’m going to miss Liz a lot. So, in closing, instead of my usual Hallmark summary, I’m instead going to close with my favorite Liz quote: “The problem with people who have no vices is that generally you can be pretty sure they’re going to have some pretty annoying virtues.”

—Brandi Panter is a junior in history and English literature. She can be reached at bpanter1@utk.edu. You can also follower her on Twitter (sigh) at @brandimpanter.

•• Photo courtesy of rottentomatoes.com

Autotune threatens music industry Will Abrams Entertainment Editor John Connor told us this day would come.

The day when machines would rise up and take control of the human race. Instead of nuclear holocaust, though, the destruction comes in the form of autotune.

OK, so maybe it’s not quite the same scenario, but the use of technology in today’s music world has gotten out of control. New inventions have clearly facilitated artistic pursuit over the years, but we have come to a place where musicians take a backseat to the work done by computers.

Two weeks ago, when the idea for this column first came about, the easy target was Kim Kardashian. For those who have been fortunate enough to steer clear of Kardashian’s first out-

ing as a “musician,” the professional celebrity released her greatest gift to the world, a single titled “Jam (Turn it Up).” The parenthetical subtitle has been included in this column because the phrase makes up roughly half of the song’s lyrics.

While the single is atrociously bad, most of the socialite’s fans were eager to defend her by claiming “she never claims to be a singer” and citing the fact that half of the song’s proceeds go to charity (apparently Kardashian, who reportedly made $6 million in 2010, couldn’t quite let all of the money slip through her fingers).

As bad as the song may be, it can be forgivable given that no one is really playing it and it will be forgotten just as easily as similar endeavors from Paris Hilton and Heidi Montag.

On the other hand, there is a coming generation that may not understand what’s so wrong with Kardashian’s failed attempt. Autotune, among other similar sound-editing techniques, might soon become more important a musical See AUTO-TUNE on Page 7

Thursday, March 24, 2011

The Daily Beacon • 7

SPORTS

UT softball splits series with No. 1 Alabama Staff Reports On Tuesday night in front of a Lee Softball Stadium record crowd of 1,650 Orange-clad partisans, No. 11 Tennessee (24-5, 2-3 Southeastern Conference) rebounded from a 9-5 doubleheaderopening loss to upset No. 1 Alabama (30-2, 6-1 SEC) in the nightcap, 4-1, and earn a split in the two teams’ vital league series.

The win marks the first for the Lady Vols over the nation’s top-ranked squad since sweeping a doubleheader from No. 1 Alabama at Tyson Park back on May 6, 2007, to earn the program’s only SEC regular season crown. UA’s only previous loss this season had been to No. 17 LouisianaLafayette by a 1-0 score back on March 4.

“Alabama is a true No. 1 team,” Lady Vol CoHead Coach Ralph Weekly said. “In my opinion they are the best Alabama squad we’ve played in my 10 years here at Tennessee. Karen (Co-Head Coach Weekly) and I are so proud of our team for bringing the fight to them in game two. These are the types of games that make teams stronger down the road in postseason play.”

In firing her second consecutive completegame (Iowa on March 18), Big Orange freshman pitcher Ellen Renfroe out-dueled previously unbeaten Crimson Tide freshman Jackie Traina, who had entered a perfect 12-0, to improve to 142 on the season. The Jackson, Tenn., native permitted the dangerous UA line-up just two hits and one unearned run while striking out seven and throwing 144 total pitches over seven frames of effort. In the process, Renfroe lowered her team-best ERA to a stellar 1.39 overall and is now limiting the opposition to a .167 average.

Lady Vol freshman shortstop Madison Shipman (1-for-3, RBI) got the UT offense started with a clutch two-out RBI single during the bottom of the fourth. Sophomore second baseman Lauren Gibson (2-for-3, run, team-best three RBIs over the DH) and junior designated player Jessica Spigner (1-for-1, run) each contributed clutch insurance RBIs during a twoscore seventh. Sophomore right fielder Kat Dotson was 2-for-3 at the dish, scored two of Tennessee’s tallies and hit a team-best .600 during the DH. The catchers created all the fireworks during the opening frame of the nightcap as UT junior Ashley Andrews and ‘Bama’s Kendall Dawson each erased base runners via strong throws to second.

With Renfroe throwing well, owning three K’s through the first two innings, Tennessee managed the first major threat of the contest in the bottom of the second. Gibson singled with one retired and was soon joined on the base paths as Spigner was hit by a Traina offering. With runners occupying first and second, UA’s rookie pitcher responded with back-to-back strikeouts to leave the UT duo stranded.

With the two pitchers dueling and getting

strong back-up via their defenses, it was left to the Big Orange to break in front in the bottom of the fourth. Dotson got things started with a leadoff infield single, advancing to second on a throwing error by Alabama third baseman Courtney Conley. A pop-up and a K threatened to derail the outburst, but Shipman came through in the clutch with a single that found a hole as Dotson raced home for a 1-0 lead. With two on sophomore pinch hitter Melissa Brown bounced a ball to second that was misplayed on another ‘Bama miscue as Spigner crossed unearned from second to make it 2-0, Lady Vols.

As good teams usually do, the Crimson Tide answered right back in the top of the fifth. A Conley lead-off walk, a dropped liner in the UT outfield and a sac bunt put UA runners at second and third with just one out. A shot back to the circle was almost caught on the fly by Renfroe, but the ball got away, and she settled on making the sure retirement at first as Conley crossed to cut the deficit to 2-1. With two down UT’s hurler managed to get left fielder Kayla Braud, she of the .505 batting average entering the day, to popup to short as Shipman squeezed the sphere for a big third out.

The Tide managed a runner in scoring position with one out during the top of the sixth, but again Renfroe responded. The 6-0 right hander coerced a bouncer to third by Traina and struck out first baseman Cassie Reilly-Boccia looking to leave another UA runner stranded. On the Traina bouncer, sophomore third baseman Raven Chavanne demonstrated her impressive range by moving well to her left near short to corral the ball before firing across the diamond to nail Traina by a half-step.

In the bottom of the sixth Dotson kicked-off what would eventually turn into a huge insurance inning with a lead-off base knock. Following a sac bunt off the bat of junior first baseman Shelby Burchell, Gibson delivered a one-out RBI single to make it 3-1. Spigner soon followed with her own RBI base hit as Gibson raced home with UT’s fourth tally of the contest.

Things got a bit hairy for the Lady Vols in the top of the seventh as Alabama managed to load the bases with two outs on walks drawn by designated player Amanda Locke, Dawson and Braud. Renfroe wouldn’t be denied, however, striking out center fielder Jennifer Fenton to complete the stirring upset.

Game One Trailing just 2-0 heading into the sixth inning, No. 11 Tennessee watched No. 1 Alabama add three runs in the sixth and four more in the seventh to fight off a late UT rally and prevail in the teams’ doubleheader opener, 9-5.

Burchell (1-for-3, two RBIs) blasted her ninth HR of the season to get the Big Orange on the scoreboard in the bottom of the sixth, while Gibson went 1-for-4 with a pair of RBIs. Chavanne (2-for-3) and sophomore left fielder Whitney Hammond (2-for-3, double) each deliv-

ered two of UT’s eight total hits and scored a tally, while Dotson was 1-for-2 and registered her team-best 51st RBI of the campaign.

Junior Cat Hosfield started and finished the match-up for Tennessee, allowing five earned runs on four hits with a walk and two strikeouts over 4.0 innings of work. Sophomore Ivy Renfroe permitted three earned tallies on four hits, walked four and struck out four in 3.0 frames of relief.

Despite allowing base runners early on, neither Hosfield nor Alabama senior starter Kelsi Dunne blinked under the pressure, putting zeroes up on the scoreboard over the opening two frames.

In the top of the first, Shipman started the contest off with a great play on a slow roller by the speedster Braud, charging the ball and making a throw to nail the runner by a step at first. A walk to Reilly-Boccia and an illegal pitch advanced the runner into scoring position with two down. Hosfield managed to get Traina swinging for strike three, but the ball escaped the grasp of Andrews behind the plate. The Tumwater, Wash., native raced to her left near the backstop, corralled the ball, turned quickly and fired a strike to Burchell at first that retired Traina by an eyelash to end the threat.

Tennessee nearly broke in front in the bottom of the first as a lead-off single by Chavanne and a stolen base quickly put a Lady Vol in scoring position with no one retired. Following back-toback fly outs by Grieve and Dotson, Gibson blasted a shot that looked off the bat as if it might leave Lee Stadium. It landed just short as Braud managed to make a solid grab on the run back at the warning track.

A hit batter came back to haunt UT during the top of the third as Hosfield christened the frame by hitting the lead-off batter Dawson with a 3-2 pitch. After a failed Alabama sac bunt, Braud ripped a chopper to first that Burchell managed to grab before it could race by. The Columbia, Tenn., native stepped on the bag at first and fired to second, but Dawson barely managed to beat the tag. Reilly-Boccia delivered in the clutch, lacing a single to left that plated the runner for a 10 lead.

Alabama added another to its tally in the top of the fifth as a two-out throwing error on the Lady Vol infield allowed Braud to achieve scoring position. Reilly-Boccia again came through in the clutch as her base knock to center plated Braud for a two-run advantage. Not to go unmentioned, Hammond made an outstanding play on a foul ball down the left field line during the frame as the Chattanooga, Tenn., product made a sliding “web gem” grab in foul territory to retire Fenton.

With the bases loaded and two outs in the top of the sixth, the Crimson Tide received a twoRBI single from Fenton and an RBI base knock

by Braud to take what seemed to be a comfortable five-run lead.

Burchell made things less comfortable early on

in the bottom of the sixth by following a Dotson lead-off bunt single with a two-run homer to cut the deficit to 5-2.

Unfortunately for the Big Orange, Alabama wasn’t done, striking for four more tallies in the top of the seventh. UA added the scores to make it 9-2 as Conley and Dawson were hit by Hosfield pitches with the bases loaded, Fenton singled to left and Braud bounced out to second for an RBI. An Andrews walk and back-to-back infield singles by Hammond and Chavanne gave Tennessee’s offense life in the bottom of the seventh as UT tried to mount a rally. With one down Dotson was hit by a Dunne pitch to force in a run and end the UA pitcher’s stint in the circle as Traina was summoned in for a relief appearance.

She managed a K for out number two before Gibson greeted the new hurler with a two-RBI single through the infield to draw UT within 9-5.

Spigner stepped to the plate with two Lady Vols on base and hammered a promising drive that was caught near the warning track to end the contest.

AUTO-TUNE continued from Page 6 instrument than guitar, drums or even vocal talent.

If that doesn’t seem like such a bad thing to readers, I would like to point out the newest Internet sensation Rebecca Black, whose song “Friday” is currently No. 33 on iTunes’ topdownloaded songs list. The only thing worse than Black’s song is its music-video counterpart, which contains about as much talent and passion as a milk carton.

So where is all of this headed? We don’t know yet. Maybe the trend will come and go like the long line of teen singers in the late ’90s/early ’00s that included Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera and, more briefly, Jessica Simpson.

More likely, however, popular music will continue down this path until people realize that the over-produced music really sucks in concert (I’m looking at you, Black Eyed Peas). From there, the problem will either be fixed or the trend will come back around in a decade.

The point of this column is not to say that everyone has a moral obligation to listen to indie singer/songwriters or classic rock bands from decades ago (although both of those genres have some amazing musicians). There is also good electronic music out there, which is mostly (if not entirely) composed from technological equipment.

What it comes down to is that the audience needs to be able to tell the difference between good music and songs that use gimmicks to put on an auditory sideshow. If not, Rebecca Black has six more days of the week to cover.

— Will Abrams is a senior in journalism and electronic media. He can be reached at wabrams1@utk.edu.

8 • The Daily Beacon

Thursday, March 24, 2011

SPORTS

Pearl’s firing glum but inevitable Matt Dixon Sports Editor It was a move Tennessee had to make.

The university’s decision to part ways with men’s basketball coach Bruce Pearl and his immediate staff on Monday was not unexpected.

Yet even after seeing Pearl’s assistants — Tony Jones, Steve Forbes, Jason Shay, Ken Johnson and Mark Pancratz — Monday afternoon leaving the Stokley Athletic Center after a meeting with UT officials, it hadn’t become reality to me.

Was Tennessee essentially firing the best men’s basketball coach in the program’s history?

And less than a year after he guided the program to an Elite Eight appearance — one possession shy of a Final Four — for the first time in school history?

The answer was yes.

And it appears UT had no choice.

Especially given the statements the university released late Monday from UT Chancellor Jimmy Cheek and men’s athletics director Mike Hamilton, both of whom publically supported Pearl during press conferences on Sept. 10 and later on Nov. 19.

“I am disappointed with the events that have brought us to this point today, events that I would call ‘the cumulative effect of evolving circumstances,’” Cheek said in his statement.

Hamilton gave insight — though vague — into these circumstances in his statement, citing the situation had changed since UT received a letter of inquiry from the NCAA in September.

“During this time, the dynamics of our case with the NCAA have evolved further, including additional violations committed on Sept. 14 and in March 2011,” Hamilton said. “The cumulative effect of the evolution of the investigation combined with a number

of more recent non-NCAA-related incidents have led to a belief that this staff cannot be viable at Tennessee in the future.”

A violation in March 2011?

The Sept. 14 “bump” violation was previously well-documented, but UT is now claiming an NCAA violation occurred this month?

Regardless of how minor — or major — this violation was, Pearl and his staff had been on double-secret probation from the university — to steal a line from the movie “Animal House” — since the staff’s transgressions came to light in September.

And what about the “recent non-NCAArelated incidents?”

What were these incidents? Does that even matter?

The fact that Pearl and his staff raised more red flags to the university after their initial wrongdoing made the decision to take the program in a different direction even easier.

Looking back, I can’t help but remember the first time I ever saw Pearl in person.

It was Sept. 17, 2005.

Pearl had yet to coach a game with the Vols. He was standing by himself, outside Florida’s Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, on the campus of a school he would later seemingly dominate during his tenure at Tennessee.

Now that it’s sunk in that Pearl is no longer coaching at Tennessee, that image of him in Gainesville, Fla., before the Vols lost to the Gators 16-7 is stuck in my head.

As was the case then, on Monday, I could only imagine Pearl, again seemingly alone with something to prove on the campus of a school where he won — and won big.

Only this time, it wasn’t because he had yet to gain notoriety.

It was because Pearl was leaving Tennessee with a Thompson-Boling Arenasized orange blazer to fill.

— Matt Dixon is a senior in journalism and electronic media. He can be reached at mdixon3@utk.edu and followed on Twitter at @MattDixon3.

Norfork’s skills sparking Diamond Vols Lauren Kittrell Staff Writer Senior Khayyan Norfork continues to bring the “wow” factor to UT baseball this season, and he shows no signs of stopping.

Throughout the 2011 season, Norfork has done his part as second baseman and brought energy to the team in the way he competes and leads on the field.

His stellar performance in each game and his .500 batting average for the season has not been overlooked by coach Todd Raleigh.

“It is just unbelievable what (Norfork) is doing,” Raleigh said. “He’s hitting the ball to all fields, he’s a catalyst, his leadership is tremendous and he just plays with so much energy. It’s incredible to witness what we have witnessed through 20 games.”

Norfork leads the SEC in stolen bases and leads the team with a hitting streak through 11 games. His energy as he plays affects the team, and his goal is to generate momentum and energy for the team.

“I’ve always been that guy who’s always loud out there on the field,” Norfork said.

“Just doing what I got to do to not let my teammates lose energy and get down. Energy can get you momentum throughout the game.

Momentum is huge in baseball. Any time we can get momentum, we can be successful.”

Norfork went 3-of-4 against Austin Peay on Thursday with a lead-off home run and posted his 13th multi-hit contest in 20 on Sunday against Kentucky. His goal for this season is to help the team win the SEC tour-

nament by continuing his dominant performance.

“My biggest goal is to win the SEC tournament,” Norfork said. “That’s a big team goal for us, and hopefully we can do that.”

Norfork’s seniority is something that is on his mind as a player and a leader. He hopes to have an impact on his team and continue to set the bar high and burn some dust.

“Being a senior, I’ve actually been through more not only as a person, but as a player on and off the field,” Norfork said. “I feel like I can be a leader for most of the younger guys and just set an example for the team and do what I have to do to help the team win.”

Even as a prospering senior, Norfork admits that he • Khayyan Norfolk has areas he needs to grow in, and he is willing to work for those in an effort to achieve his goals. He said mental slips continue to affect his performance, and he wants to improve on staying focused.

“We all have stuff to improve on,” Norfork said. “I gotta improve my footwork on defense and my mindset on defense. You can’t have mental lapses on defense. Those are the two biggest things.”

Norfork’s energy and awareness of faults will help the team as he encourages and leads them to the SEC tournament. Raleigh said that the team needs to work more on awareness of its weaknesses but that it is steadily improving in this regard.

“We’re not perfect,” Raleigh said. “We have a long way to go to get to where we want to be, but that resolve is hard to teach.”

UT ROTC cadets tackle Tough Mudder Lauren Kittrell Staff Writer Three young men made their way to Atlanta for a spring-break challenge few have faced, all with the same encompassing goal.

These men set out to test their strengths against the Tough Mudder, a 13-mile obstacle course made to challenge the toughest of competitors.

Juniors David Winter, aerospace engineering major, and Chandler Tarr, enterprise management, and David Cochran, undecided sophomore, competed in hopes of finishing in the top-5 percent of the competitors.

“It’s not as much of a race as it is a personal ‘can you get through it?’ kind of thing,” Tarr said. “I’m really attracted to that sort of thing, and I like pushing myself, and I love doing it with friends I know. It’s the perfect deal.”

The team went into the competition fully expecting to be physically challenged and abused, but the tests faced at the hand of the Tough Mudder proved beyond imagination, the three said. From a 13-mile run in the red clay of Georgia to greased monkey bars and fire, Cochran said the race was challenging but worth the effort.

“The Tough Mudder was harder than I thought it would be but completely worth the time and money,” Cochran said. “It was great to be able to complete it with some of my closest friends.”

The team had been planning the trip since November and had been training together since December. Winter said he heard about the Tough Mudder while at the gym and felt that it would be an excellent means of personal challenge.

“I looked into it, and it sounded pretty fun getting shocked by 10,000 volts and running through mud,” Winter said. “It sounded like a challenging thing to do. Something where we could push ourselves and train for.”

Tarr and Winter are both cadets in UT’s Air Force ROTC Detachment 800, which was recently recognized as the best detachment in the nation. Their training in this field is something that originally sparked their interest in competitive running.

“When I came to college, with Air Force ROTC, part of our physical fitness assessment is a one-and-a-half-mile run,” Winter said. “Because of that, I started getting into running, because I wanted to be able to max the PFA. Through that I started getting interested in (5,000-meter races) and stuff like that. I kind of got the bug for it now.”

The students not only finished in the top5 percent, but all three of them finished in the top 10 out of 1,350 people. With the team’s main goal complete, the members are looking forward to what may be next on the agenda.

“The Tough Mudder has this thing where if you finish in the top-5 percent of any Tough Mudder race, you qualify for the World’s Toughest Mudder, which is a 48-hour event,” Winter said. The time, place and cost of the event have yet to be announced, he said.

10 • The Daily Beacon

THESPORTSPAGE

Thursday, March 24, 2011

Dooley, football Vols spring into action Tennessee staff confident about ‘year one’ with new depth chart, comaraderie of team Matt Dixon Sports Editor The Tennessee football team began its spring practice in “year one” under Derek Dooley Tuesday afternoon.

According to the Volunteers’ second-year coach, this season will be more of a typical first year for the coaching staff, whereas last year, staff and player turnover left UT with an undermanned team, which still managed to finish 6-7, despite two controversial losses to LSU and North Carolina.

“I feel like this is year one, and last year was year zero,” Dooley said Monday at his pre-spring practice press conference. “It was such a unique situation we walked into last season, it didn’t feel like your first year. I feel that right now, this is year one. We obviously need improvement everywhere. I think every spring you come in and you want to improve fundamentally at every position, you want to improve in the schematic knowledge the players have, you want to improve on the intangible values we build our program on, and you certainly want to start building a team dynamic — which this year will be very different from last year.”

Dooley noticed the contrast from last year in the Vols’ first practice on Tuesday.

“Well, it was a good first day,” he said.

“Certainty a lot better than the first day of spring last year, but we have along way to go.

“I think probably big-picture-wise, that it was just a good, smooth, crisp practice.

Doesn’t mean there (weren’t) 8,000 mistakes, and the execution was terrible, but overall, there was a good tempo, the attitude was good, everybody understood what we were doing and it was a good day’s work.”

Prior to actually getting on the practice field, the players went through much-needed winter workouts, headed up by new strength and conditioning coach Ron McKeefery.

“We had an eight-week offseason program in the winter, and it was so important we get bigger, faster and stronger,” Dooley said.

“The stature of our team was well below what it needed to be to compete in this league. We put a really big emphasis on throwing around a lot of heavy weight — a lot — and learning how to strain. I think our players really responded, and I was pleased with the program. We made significant improvements in our strength levels and our speed.”

With the advances already made, Dooley has raised the amount he is demanding out of each player and the team. But he knows it’s a process.

“It’s a continual pursuit for improvement every day,” Dooley said. “I think it starts with setting a high standard of what we're trying to accomplish every day — probably a little higher than what we've set on them the past year.”

Another reason the Vols have raised expectations is because the majority of last year’s coaching staff returned. Only Chuck Smith,

the former defensive line coach, and Bennie Wylie, the former strength and conditioning coach, are no longer a part of the staff. Peter Sirmon, a graduate assistant last year who worked mainly with the team’s safeties, replaces Smith on the defensive side of the ball and will coach the linebackers. Lance Thompson, the linebackers coach last season, will coach the defensive line this year.

McKeefery replaced Wylie after Wylie accepted the same position at Texas.

Last year, the first two weeks was survival — for coaches and players — trying to figure each other out.”

Senior linebacker Austin Johnson went through the coaching carousel of the past few seasons, and he believes the staff changes affected the team’s outlook. A problem Dooley has fixed. “(Dooley) just wants us to have a goal,” Johnson said. “I think we all kind of lost our expectations back when we kept switching coaches, and everybody was just kind of thinking about themselves. Coach Dooley is really thinking about us all coming together as a team and looking toward a single goal, and that’s what we are, and that’s a championship.”

Freshman impact With such a young team, the incoming freshman class will be asked to contribute immediately.

Six of those freshmen — quarterback Justin Worley, wide receiver Vincent Dallas, tight end Brendan Downs, offensive guard Marcus Jackson, center Mack Crowder and defensive back Justin Coleman — enrolled in school in January and will go through spring practice with the team.

Following Tuesday’s practice, Dooley noted the six, especially Jackson, didn’t stand out, which wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.

“You know what,” Dooley said. “I didn’t notice (Jackson), which was good. So I’ve got to go watch the film. He probably missed every block he tried, but it wasn’t so bad I noticed him.

We’ll go watch the film and see how he did, but he blended right in and that’s really a tribute — and really all those freshmen did, the mid-year guys — it’s a tribute Geroge Richardson • The Daily Beacon to the investment those guys Tyler Bray runs through a drill during spring practice on have put in the last five weeks of Tuesday. Bray looks to return to the field in the fall trying to learn what to do under the direction of coach Derek Dooley, who enough to where they can funcdescribed the upcoming season as “year one.” tion. They were just like the midyear guys last year.”

The low staff turnover — compared to Last year’s early enrollees included three head coaches in three years — will pay Ja’Wuan James, who started all 13 games at dividends going forward. right tackle, and Tyler Bray, who started the “We’re going to be a lot further along in final five games of the season at quarterback. two main areas,” Dooley said. “No. 1 is just Dooley is hoping to get similar production out organizationally how we practice — what’s of the mid-year players this year as well. the expectation from a tempo, from a physi“You look at some of the key questions cality (standpoint), what are these drills we’re doing. And then No. 2 is, we are going to be a year into our schemes. We have continuity on offense, defense and special teams. I think that’s going to help us get a lot more accomplished by the end of spring than last year.

coming out of the spring but the biggest thing is can our freshmen — who energized our team a little bit — become dependable, everydown contributors in the SEC,” Dooley said.

“I think that’s a big jump from being excited about a player as a freshman and then turning them into every-down starters who can help you compete for a championship. That’s probably our biggest challenge for the spring.”

Jackson on track to come back Junior Janzen Jackson, the Vols’ starting free safety last season who voluntarily withdrew from school earlier this semester, could still rejoin the program, possibly as early as this summer.

“He’s not going to be with us this spring,” Dooley said. “He seems to be managing his life well right now — on pace to come back, but that’s day-to-day, month-to-month.”

Brewer returns The Vols’ other projected starting safety, sophomore Brent Brewer, was reinstated to the team after being arrested on a domestic assault charge on Feb. 23.

“Brent Brewer has been reinstated to the team,” Dooley said. “He has served a fiveweek suspension from all team activities. Still, there are some other internal disciplinary measures that are being taken. One of them is suspension from a session of summer school, which will be significant.”

Hughes misses first two practices While Brewer’s suspension was lifted, junior defensive tackle Montori Hughes missed the team’s first two practices because of “team rule violations.”

Hood moves to defense Sophomore Daniel Hood, who played at Knoxville Catholic high school, moved from the offensive line to defensive tackle, according to Dooley.

Dooley on Pearl The Vols began spring practice less than 24 hours after UT parted ways with men’s basketball coach Bruce Pearl and his immediate staff. Dooley was asked about the situation following Tuesday’s practice.

“There’s not much I can say,” he said. “I think everybody who’s a part of Tennessee hurts a little bit right now. It’s a real unfortunate sequence of events, but I know we have good leadership, and we’ll get moving in the right direction, and all my focus is right now is helping football represent this university the way everybody wants it represented.

That’s our goal, and hopefully, it will translate to wins on the field next year.”