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Nashville-based Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors at Bijou Theatre
Senior Matt Simms excited about next season despite new role
Friday, March 25, 2011
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Issue 46 I N D E P E N D E N T
Vol. 116 S T U D E N T
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Baker Center eyeing staff cuts, shift in focus Proposed changes scale back staff members, put student civic engagement at risk Kristian Smith Student Life Editor A recent report issued by the Baker Center task force proposes many changes and a reorganization of the Baker Center. “We find that the Baker Center is a tremendous asset for the university, the community and the state, but the center has only begun to move toward meeting its potential,” the task force, commissioned by Chancellor Jimmy Cheek, said, according to the report. “We recommend a more focused mission, better integration into the academic life of the university, an active research program aimed at generating external funds, greater participation in the university’s teaching mission, public programs that are better focused and higher profile, a more streamlined administrative structure and much more emphasis on development of private sources of funding.” Some of the changes proposed in the report, specifically a staff cut and shift in focus to energy, environment and global security, have been a cause of concern for many in the UT community. “There are inconsistencies in the task force report and with UT’s mission (to enrich the undergraduate and graduate experience),” Gavin Luter, UT alumnus and former Baker Center employee, said. “It seems inconsistent to cut positions and scale back initiatives that are directly meant to better student experiences.” Luter said he thinks students will lose out from the recommendations specified in the report. “One of the positions cut specifically dealt with the student experience,” Luter said. “College student civic engagement and K-12 civic engagement seems to be a casualty of this report.” On the contrary, Carl Pierce, director of the Baker Center, said the report still allows for quite a lot of student engagement. “The Baker learning community for freshmen and the Baker Scholars program, two of the main programs for student engagement, will be continued at the Baker Center,” he said. He said that, while there may be some changes to these programs, notably possibly integrating the Baker Scholars program into the university-wide Chancellor’s Honors Program, these programs will not end because of staff cuts or reorganization. Pierce said the Baker Center is also looking for new opportunities, like internships, to allow for all students to get involved in the center and
the community. Third, in light of the recession and recent “I see changes, but I don’t see the Baker university-wide budget cuts, the report focused Center abandoning student engagement,” he on fiscal sustainability for the Baker Center. said. Pierce said the staff cuts were part of the goal of As far as civic engagement through service- fiscal sustainability. learning goes, Pierce said the university will “We are reallocating resources currently decide how to handle service learning universi- devoted to administration to other uses in ty-wide, but he will participate in discussions hopes of generating revenue that we will need about service learning and hopes the Baker in the future,” he said. “But it doesn’t make Center is part of the strategy. (cutting staff) easier.” Besides staff cuts, the report also recomPierce said that this reallocation will help mends that the Baker Center focus on energy, with a new curriculum in public policy that the the environment and global security. Baker Center has been working to develop. Pierce said this is because of resources and a relationship with ORNL, but this still seems to be a concern for some. “The Institute for a Secure and Sustainable Environment (is) already doing energy, environment and security,” Luter said. “I don’t know how the Baker Center will uniquely add to these things.” According to the ISSE’s website, it was created “to File Photo • The Daily Beacon promote development of policies, Multiple flags flutter in the breeze in front of the Baker Center in this technologies and undated file photo. A recent report by a Baker Center task force proeducational pro- posed several changes to the center. Those changes include a staff grams that cut across multiple dis- cut and a shift in focus to energy, environmental and global security. ciplines, engage the university’s research faculty and staff and grow “The Baker Center has been collaborating in response to environmental issues facing the with faculty members to develop new publicstate, the nation and the globe.” policy courses that could possibly include a Pierce said that though these things are rec- masters and doctorate program in public poliommended to be the new focus, Baker Scholars cy,” he said. will not be limited to research in those areas. Pierce said things like a new curriculum are Pierce said three main goals were in mind in just a part of how the Baker Center hopes to commissioning the report. First, get the Baker improve UT as a whole. Center more integrated into and connected “We hope to add value (to UT) through pubwith the rest of the university. lic-policy research, enrichment of the (public“We want to honor Sen. (Howard) Baker policy) curriculum, service through political with a program that is integral to UT and adds programs and continuation of robust public provalue to UT,” Pierce said. gramming, (namely lectures),” he said. Next, the report wanted to identify the misAs far as public programming goes, though, sion and focus of the Baker Center going for- Pierce said the Baker Center will focus on qualward, which is where a focus on energy, envi- ity over quantity. ronment and global security comes into play. While most agree that the Baker Center
needs to generate revenue, Luter said he doesn’t think staff cuts and a focus to energy, environment and global security are the only ways to create it. “There is nothing to say that since student civic engagement was something that the Baker Center was starting to be known for, it couldn’t be something used to generate revenue,” Luter said. “Other schools like the JFK school at Harvard and Tufts University have generated revenue by student civic engagement, and I’m not sure why this is something that has not been looked at with the Baker Center.” As for implementation of the recommendations spelled out in the report, Pierce said the chancellor will evaluate them and make final decisions, particularly on items that are not explicitly spelled out by the report. However, the implementation of some parts of the report have already started. “We have begun the streamlining of staff,” Pierce said. “But the elimination of positions does not reflect the work of the people in those positions.” Though some changes are already in place, Luter said he is working to get a group together to speak with the chancellor about the report’s recommendations. “We want to meet with Cheek before the end of the school year to have a conversation about inconsistencies in the report and see how he might be able to restore student engagement,” Luter said. “We want to do everything we can, because (student engagement) has a lot of value.” Luter said he thinks that a task force making recommendations does not seem to be the correct way to handle things. “This calls for a good, civil dialogue in the spirit of Sen. Baker,” Luter said. “A single-handed, one-track approach to what we’re going to do does not seem to be in line with democratic process.” Pierce said that, while it is legitimate for students and faculty to have questions and concerns about these changes, overall, the report is a positive step in an ongoing process to improve the Baker Center. “(The report) shows that Chancellor Cheek sees the importance in the Baker Center and sees its potential to add to the value of UT,” he said. He added that while cuts and sacrifices will have to be made, the overall outcome will be positive. “You have to recognize that sometimes it is necessary to do things that are hard,” he said. “But it is a good faith effort to honor Sen. Baker with a robust center.”
Rookie band finds unexpected success Nashville. Sexton said the group was picked up by a management company, as well as othBrittney Dougherty ers. Staff Writer “Since then they’ve been aligning all these pieces and putting a plan in place,” he said. Jonathan Sexton and the Big Love Choir “It’s like they’ve been setting up dominos.” has been in Nashville making a name for As a kid, Sexton learned guitar from his itself for the past few years, but the members dad, Andrew Sexton. His dad had two main are now back in Knoxville, and they plan on hobbies, Jonathan Sexton said: being a biker making some noise for their hometown. and being a musician. The elder Sexton The band has some goals for this year. The decided to give up motorcycles to jam with group is working on finishing an album, his son. He still does and currently plays bass spreading its name with publicists and manin the band. The rest of the band consists of agers and looking into a national tour. Its Lafont on vocals, Dave Campbell on drums, biggest goal, Sexton said, is to get into the Kevin Hyfantis on keyboards and Josh Hobbs Knoxville music scene. on guitar. “I want to re-create a presence in our own “The role they play on this team is even hometown,” he said. “I want to reestablish more important than the instrument they ourselves here to all these awesome people I play, because everybody’s got something that haven’t met yet.” makes them special and irreplaceable,” Sexton said he hopes to do so by playing Sexton said. a lot of shows and showing Knoxville what The music JSBLC can do. they make as a He said auditeam draws ences can from a selecexpect to have tion of artists fun and to be that possess “part of the certain gifts. choir.” Sexton said he “It’s just a is enamored really highwith three energy, upbeat types of musithing,” Sexton cians. He called said. “That’s his favorite the one thing artists, like that everybody Bob Marley keeps telling us • Photo courtesy of Jonathan Sexton and the Big Love Choir and the after the show. Grateful Dead, It’s kind of contagious energy.” the “greats.” The “versatile guys” are musiSexton has been in many bands throughcians like Ryan Adams and the “storytellers” out high school and his college career at UT are the final group. as an early-childhood education major, but “They’re able to paint a picture and tell a they were never fulfilling, he said. In 2008, story in under two minutes that leave you he started playing solo but was still searchthinking, ‘Wow, I’ve totally felt that way,’” ing for more. Sexton said of the storytellers. “You can’t do it all yourself, and why Another influence people can expect to would you want to,” he said. hear in his music is reggae. Sexton says he Since the members got together and startappreciates reggae, and the band has a few ed really focusing on the band, his newest songs in that style. group has found success. JSBLC played “I love reggae, because it’s so spiritual and Bonnaroo last year, and Sexton ended up setuplifting, and I want to bring that into modting a Guinness world record for the most ern rock and American music,” he said. “I hugs in 24 hours. He gave 8,709 hugs in one always want to write more reggae, but I’m day to encourage donations to benefit the not Jamaican, and I want to stay genuine.” Nashville flood relief. His final hug of the day Jonathan Sexton and the Big Love Choir Joy Hill • The Daily Beacon was with Elodie Lafont, shortly before he will perform at the Cider House with the Preston Sangster, senior in music, paints a pair of TOMS for the Apartment proposed to her. Black Cadillacs tonight. Doors open at 9 p.m. Residence Tenants’ Association at Andy Holt on March 23. Students were able The band has also performed at a variety and tickets are $5 in advance, $8 at the door. of venues, from New York to Chicago to to buy TOMS to decorate for $20.