03 25 15

Female artists explore gender fluidity >>See page 4

History of alcohol on Rocky Top >>See pages 6-7

The brand new Whole Foods, located on Papermill Drive, opened Tuesday. Cameo Waters • The Daily Beacon

Whole Foods hits the Scruffy City Jenna Butz

Gabrielle’s perfect performance propels game >>See page 11

Volume 128 Issue 46

Arts & Culture Editor @butzjenna

When you first walk into the new Whole Foods, two things catch your eye: two for $3 kale and a fresh squeezed orange juice machine.

Both sections, along with the rest of the store, were crowded with Whole Foods fanatics and newbies alike, eager to shop grand opening deals, during the Knoxville store’s grand opening Tuesday.

Sabrina Greene, Whole Foods Knoxville’s marketing director, said people began lining up outside the store at 7 a.m. Tuesday for the store’s 9 a.m. opening. It was a moment Knoxville had been

utdailybeacon.com @utkdailybeacon

asking for for years.

“There was a Whole Foods in Nashville where I’m from, and I loved it there,” said Bailey Brown, a Papermill resident.

“Whenever I heard about this one last year, whenever they said it was going to open, I was so excited for it.”

See WHOLE FOODS on Page 3

Wednesday, March 25, 2015

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The Daily Beacon • Wednesday, March 25, 2015

Humans of Knoxville

DISPATCHES German airplane crashes in French Alps

Obama announces delayed troop withdrawal from Afghanistan

Germanwings Airbus A320 crashed Tuesday morning in the southeastern Alps of France with 150 people on board, representing at least three European nations. The flight took off just after 10 a.m. Tuesday from Barcelona, Spain, for Dusseldorf, Germany, with 144 passengers — two of them babies — and six crew members on board. It went down at 10:53 a.m. (5:53 a.m. ET) near Digne-les-Bains in the Alpes de Haute Provence region.

Helicopter crews found the airplanes in pieces and human remains strewn for several hundred meters. According to Gilbert Sauvan, a high-level official in the Alpes de Haute Provence region who is being briefed on the operation, authorities may not be able to retrieve bodies until Wednesday because of severe weather conditions complicating rescue efforts.

President Obama announced Tuesday that the United States will halt the withdrawal of 9,800 troops from Afghanistan, the majority of whom were slated to leave the country in the next few months.

They will now remain at their posts until the end of 2015. The White House announcement come directly after a visit from Ashraf Ghani, the president of Afghanistan, who entreated the president to alter the plan. In a press conference Tuesday, Obama connected the decision to the “reinvigorated partnership with Afghanistan,” the New York Times reports. Keeping troops in the region will maintain security and prevent terrorist attacks from being formed, Obama explained. The decision means many troops scheduled to return home will need to stay for several more months.

THE DAILY BEACON STAFF EDITORIAL Editor-in-Chief: Claire Dodson Managing Editor: Hanna Lustig Chief Copy Editor: Emilee Lamb, Cortney Roark News Editor: Hayley Brundige Asst. News Editor: Bradi Musil Special Projects Editor: Liv McConnell Sports Editor: Jonathan Toye Asst. Sports Editor: Taylor White Arts & Culture Editor: Jenna Butz Online Editor: Kevin Ridder Asst. Online Editor: Cara Sanders Photo Editor: Hannah Cather, Esther Choo Design Editor: Katrina Roberts, Lauren Ratliff Social Media Editor: Alexandra Chiasson Copy Editors: Jordan Achs, Tanner Hancock, Alexis Lawrence, Hannah Moulton, Faith Schweikert Editorial Production: Reid Hartsell, Justin Keyes, Teron Nunley, Alexis Porten, Steven Woods Training Editor: R.J. Vogt

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Jamie Sanders is GSMNP park ranger from Maryville, Tenn. “Oh you’re just taking pictures? That’s fine. I was worried you might be stealing frogs. We caught a group of college kids stealing bucketloads of ‘em last week! Can’t quite figure what for though.”

Taylor Gash • The Daily Beacon

Reporting of rapes increased on Tennessee campuses in 2014 Associated Press

Main Newsroom: (865) 974-3226 editorinchief@utdailybeacon.com

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

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The Daily Beacon is published by students at The University of Tennessee Monday through Friday during the fall and spring semesters and Wednesday during the summer semester. The offices are located at 1340 Circle Park Drive, 11 Communications Building, Knoxville, TN 37996-0314. The newspaper is free on campus and is available via mail subscription for $200/year, $100/semester or $70/summer only. It is also available online at: www.utdailybeacon.com

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INSHORT

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Reports of rape on Tennessee’s college campuses increased significantly in 2014, while total crime reporting was down year-over-year.

According to statistics released by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, the number of forcible rapes reported by Tennessee schools jumped from 26 in 2013 to 46 last year.

The TBI did not offer an explanation for the increase, but it comes at a time when awareness of rape on campus is high.

Several campus authorities said the increase could be the result of new school policies that encourage victims to report rapes and a greater willingness of campus administrators to include rapes that were reported anonymously or second-hand.

The school reporting the highest percentage of rapes per 1,000 people on campus was Rhodes College. The private liberal arts school in Memphis reported 11 rapes in 2014. That gave it a rate of 4 rapes per 1,000. A statement from the school says having a tight-knit community with a strong honor code encourages reporting of misconduct.

The University of the South reported three rapes, giving it the second highest rate with

1.2 per 1,000. Spokeswoman Laurie Saxton said the number increased this year because it includes not only rapes reported to police but also those reported to the school’s residence life staff.

Laura Dunn, founder and executive director of the nonprofit SurvJustice, said the trend of increased reporting is national. Reports of sexual offenses on campus increased 89 percent between 2008 and 2013, she said. That’s not because sexual assaults increased sharply but because “more people are willing to report.”

“You’re going to see the schools with high rates most often embrace addressing sexual violence,” she said. “For a school with an unusually low rate, it’s a pretty safe bet they are waiting for there to be an issue rather than being proactive.”

The TBI warns against making comparisons between colleges based on the statistics, saying that they could result in false conclusions about the relative safety of one campus over another.

The two largest state schools, Middle Tennessee State University and University of Tennessee, Knoxville, each reported only two rapes in 2014, although another nine off-campus rapes of Knoxville students were reported by police. Both of those schools reported a rate of 0.1 rapes per 1,000, however those rates do not include the rapes reported to Knoxville Police.

ARTS&CULTURE

Wednesday, March 25, 2015 • The Daily Beacon

3

Whole Foods is more than a just a grocery store; customers can also enjoy the hot and salad bar. Cameo Waters • The Daily Beacon

WHOLE FOODS continued from Page 1 The opening has been one of Greene’s favorite moments at her job thus far.

“Seeing everyone. All the community coming out to support us and the excitement and the energy,” Greene said.

“We’ve gotten a lot of support from the community.”

“We listened to the Knoxville community, and this has been years in the process. Some of our coordinators and designers came to Knoxville and found the right place,” Greene said. “It’s exciting.”

In the months prior to opening, Greene said Whole Foods hosted a local vendor fair to select local products to sell in the Knoxville stores. Knoxvillians can find favorites like Tomato Head hummus and granola, Tellico Grains bread, Three Bears Coffee and Cruze Farms milk among other selections.

“There’s a lot of great local suppliers here in Knoxville, in the East Tennessee area, so it was just the community,” Greene said. “We were ready. The community’s ready. It’s a fantastic time.”

For those on a budget, Greene emphasizes looking for Whole Food’s budget brand, 365, or buying a bulk, one of the store’s staples.

“There’s lots of options for anyone,” Greene said.

Outside of finding grocery list favorites, customers can also visit the store’s hot and salad bar, which serves lunch and dinner, coffee bar, dessert case with gelato, growler filling station and Rocky, a pizza restaurant with local beer.

Greene emphasizes that Whole Foods is a “full-service grocery store,” providing more than just the grocery store basics.

Brown thinks the opening brings more than health foods though. She also sees it adding a little bit of “class” to the Scruffy City.

“The people here are super cool and just all the fun, hands-on stuff you get to do,” Brown said. “You can’t buy stuff like this at a regular grocery store.”

The store is located at 6730 Papermill Drive and is open from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week. To continue the grand opening celebrations, Tim and Susan Lee of Tim Lee 3 will play an acoustic show tonight, March 25 at in the Rocky at 5:30 p.m.

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ARTS&CULTURE

The Daily Beacon • Wednesday, March 25, 2015

Women artists highlighted for Women’s History Month Madison Eubanks Contributor

The phrase “Women’s History” typically brings to mind notable figures such as Rosa Parks, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Marie Curie and Hillary Clinton.

But UT’s Commission for Women is creating a new way of recognizing the women who are impacting our society through various campus events occurring in the month of March for Women’s History Month.

The commission will end the month Wednesday night by hosting Women Artists and their Work in Hodges Library. Several student artists will be presenting and discussing some of their work beginning at 6:30 p.m. in the Mary Greer Room.

Keely Snook, graduate student in printmaking, plans to present pieces that she has created over the past three years.

“I think that people are complicated and efforts to generalize often result in incomplete definitions and stereotypes.”

-Keely Snook “They will be primarily woodcuts, screen prints and lithographs with a few paintings and drawings,” Snook said. “I will also be showing some of my influences and discussing a little bit of my background.”

Alanna Wilkinson, senior** **in 4D art, will screen a short film for the audience.

“I’m presenting a documentary about how my parents met and giving a look into their married life, all based on a collection of mixed tapes I found that belonged to them,” Wilkinson said.

Bailey Davenport, graduate student in painting and drawing, will present her most current work, a union of painting and performance art.

The function of this event is to celebrate women’s presence in an industry that is male-

dominated.

“The film industry is very male-based.

You really don’t see many women in film,” Wilkinson said. “But then there’s always going to be a hurdle that some have to work harder to get past than others.”

It’s an industry that Snook sees progress in but admits women are still fighting to make their influence known.

“The visibility and status of women in the arts has improved, but male artists still dominate the majority of art history and are primarily identified as the canons of the art world,” Snook said.

These presenters were each selected by their art professors for their tendencies toward work that connects and deals with various aspects of gender identity, feminism and society’s gender codes and norms.

“As a non-binary person, I feel like I absolutely represent everything that womanhood is and everything that manhood is,” Davenport said.

“And I’m uniquely positioned to speak on behalf of people who are perceived to be women because I have spent my life being perceived as a woman 100 percent of the time.”

Snook also takes a more fluid approach to gender — a large influence in her art.

“I feel that trying to break society into two disparate groups, male and female, leaves the majority feeling like outsiders, either rejected or forced to conform,” Snook said.

“I think that people are complicated and efforts to generalize often result in incomplete definitions and stereotypes.”

While each of these presenters acknowledges the lack of gender equality in society, and also the ongoing progress toward more equality, Snook believes society may be focusing on the wrong issue.

“Personally, I feel that allowing for a stagnant and closed-minded view of gender creates an array of issues in today’s society,” Snook said.

Davenport agrees with Snook’s belief.

“I think gender equality is a very difficult issue, and it means something different to every person that you talk to, but we just talk about women as being equal to men rather than having a different conversation about abolishing all of those binary gender codes,” Davenport said.

Davenport hopes to share these ideas with the audience in attendance.

“I hope that they experience a shift in perspective,” Davenport said. “I think that’s really valuable no matter what your perspective is.”

To the delight of many students, Whole Foods opened its first location in the Knoxville area on Tuesday.

Grand opening festivities included a visit from both mayors, live music and celebratory breaking of bread.

Lauren Hood

@lottiehoood

WHOLE FOODS IS OFFICIALLY OPENED IN KNOXVILLE

Cara Sanders

@CaraSanders

Incredibly impressed with the @WholeFoods Knoxville grand opening today. Beautiful new space with lots of yummy, whole foods. Check it out!

Michael Hyneman @MichaelHyneman #goodnews @WholeFoods is opening- bad thing all the #trendy #douchebag #hipsters of #Knoxville #Tennessee will be going there.

Second year printmaking graduate student Keely Snook, along with other artists, will present their artwork during Women Artists and their Work at Hodges Library on March 25 as a part of UT’s Women’s History Month.

• Artwork Courtesy of Keely Snook

Nicole of Knoxville @nicoleofknox As of now (8am) Knoxville finally has a Whole Foods!

ARTS&CULTURE

Wednesday, March 25, 2015 • The Daily Beacon

Barnett shares relatable stories with bold summer soundtrack Jenna Butz

Arts & Culture Editor (@butzjenna) When I first listened to Courtney Barnett’s sophomore album “Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit,” I was in my car Monday afternoon.

The windows were rolled down. It felt like summer. The music was loud. I was wearing sunglasses.

I felt cool.

Courtney Barnett made me feel cool.

Where most artists back off and mellow out on their second record seeking a more folksy sound, Barnett amped it up, incorporating more punk influences into her storytelling lyrical style.

When Barnett released the album’s first single “Pedestrian at Best,” fans knew to expect a heavier, more rock influenced album. What they weren’t expecting was that it would be the perfect summertime soundtrack.

That’s not to say the old Barnett is gone though. Her signature storytelling of the everyday is back and cleverer than ever. She’s not afraid of discussing the mundane and finding both joy and sadness in its quirks.

Pair those words with her conversational tone, and listening to “Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit” is a lot like listening to a friend recount their average day. You can hear the

smirks, the shrugs, the eye rolls and every other emotion in the way Barnett conveys the tale.

They’re relatable stories about wanting to play Sim City, saving money on lattes or switching to organic produce — reminiscent of our own thoughts and daily disasters.

Barnett’s voice and lyrical style contrast starkly with her guitar heavy melodies. At first, you’re not quite sure if it fits. It’s not the perfect mesh we’re used to artists striving for. No, it’s unexpected and sometimes abrupt, but it’s clear there’s no other way to digest Barnett.

She’s rough around the edges and definitely blunt, but there’s a poetic aspect that somehow just works.

Barnett’s second album is a strange summer soundtrack. But, it works — just like her.

Tennessee lawmakers stay connected Associated Press

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Tennessee lawmakers use different means to stay connected with constituents in the digital age.

The Commercial Appeal reports U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen of Memphis uses emails and tweets, and he carries a government-issued BlackBerry, an iPad and a personal iPhone.

Meanwhile, U.S. Rep. John J. Duncan Jr. of Knoxville mostly stays away from newer technology when it comes to communicating. Duncan says he prefers phone conservations to cyberspace communications. He doesn’t use email or text and aides tweet on his behalf.

“I’m from the old school, I guess,” he said.

Cohen has become the norm in Congress, where most members have both official and private email accounts and carry more than one mobile device.

That includes some Tennesseans, though others carry one mobile device and use it to access both official and private emails, which is allowed.

Cohen’s spokesman says he has two email accounts and most of his work-related correspon-

dence goes through the official account. The congressman sends any work-related correspondence he gets on his private email to a staffer who sends it to his government account.

U.S. Sen. Bob Corker of Chattanooga keeps an official email account for work-related emails, his office said.

“He also has a private account for non-official communication,” Corker’s spokeswoman said.

“To comply with Senate ethics requirements, he carries one device that is not paid for by taxpayers.”

U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander of Maryville uses a device paid for by his campaign, “with which he regularly communicates with constituents and others through his official Senate and personal email accounts,” said his spokesman, Jim Jeffries.

“This is a common setup in Congress,” Jeffries said.

U.S. Rep. Stephen Fincher of Frog Jump has one iPhone but uses separate servers for his official and personal email accounts, said his spokeswoman Logan Ramsey.

She said sometimes the congressman uses his personal account for business, though, because “folks contact Congressman Fincher by any means possible.”

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CAMPUSNEWS

The Daily Beacon • Wednesday, March 25, 2015

HISTORY OF ALCOHOL: UN Tanner Hancock

Copy Editor (@TannerHancock26)

UT is a drinking school with a studying problem. Yeah, that’s not funny. Still, there’s no denying alcohol is as central to the university’s culture as the color orange or stories about the time your friend almost met Peyton Manning.

Yet, despite UT’s love affair with the bottle, the state of Tennessee’s relationship with firewater has been tumultuous. The state that gave birth to Jack Daniels was also the first state to enact a prohibition law. The school that endorsed a “beer barrel” football trophy for over half a century still has a stigma against drinking on campus.

Needless to say, the history of alcohol at UT and the state at large is rather contradictory. Here’s a list of the highlights to help guide you through that history.

Cheers!

December 5, 1933

January 26, 1838

The 21st Amendment is officially ratified, repealing the 18th amendment and ending national prohibition. It is the only amendment to nullify another amendment and the only one to to be ratified by state ratifying conventions.

Tennessee becomes the first state in the nation to pass a prohibition law, making it a misdemeanor to sell alcohol in stores or taverns.

The roots of America’s temperance movement began in the 19th century as those concerned by the negative effects of alcohol began to call for its rejection and prohibition.

October 1933 1909 The Tennessee State Senate passes two prohibition related bills: outlawing the sale or consumption of alcohol within 4 miles of private or public school and the ban of all alcohol beverage manufacturing within the state respectively. Then Gov. Malcom R. Patterson vetoed both bills, but was subsequently overridden by the General Assembly.

Orange and White writer Phil Claxton reports on a circular letter sent by industries interested in the repeal of prohibition to the University of Tennessee. The letter hoped to cure college students of their “unwitting condition” and ignorance towards alcohol, citing universities as the “best field for beer education.”

1960 The Hilltopics student handbook includes reference to alcohol consumption, making it against school policy to consume alcohol on university property.

October 19, 1972 January 16, 1919 The 18th amendment banning the production, sale and transport of alcohol within the United States is certified by Congress.

Student Affairs Committee and Executive Committee of the UT Board of Trustees met to consider resolution to legally allow liquor on campus. The resolution maintained that “95 percent of the student body are adults and have the rights and responsibilities of legal adulthood.” UT president Edward Boling later came out in opposition to the resolution, stating, “I don’t expect the proposal will come before the Board. If it does, I’ll vote against it.”

CAMPUSNEWS

Wednesday, March 25, 2015 • The Daily Beacon

NIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE June 1977 January 1977 In an op-ed in The Daily Beacon, UT student Jim Nesbitt reported that Tennessee’s alcohol policy was inherently hypocritical, pointing out that drinking in dorm rooms was disallowed while “nursing martini in the Faculty Club” was not.

The Faculty Club was located on university property on Kingston Pike and contained an upstairs bar for faculty members with a “bring your own bottle” policy.

UT Board of Trustees Student Affairs Committee defeats SGA proposed alcohol policy. Chancellor Jack Reese later made a statement supporting alcohol on campus, claiming that while he himself did not drink, he was “not comfortable” with university policies that might be conceived as an “inevitable hypocrisy.”

Student affairs committee of the board of trustees voted unanimously to postpone consideration of a change in alcohol policy at UT.

Alexander “Xander” Broughton, a member of UT’s chapter of Pi Kappa Alpha, gains national attention after allegedly “butt-chugging” himself into a coma and being rushed to the emergency room. The Pike chapter was later shut down by the University.

November 17, 2007

Adam Carter, a 21-year-old senior and member of Sigma Phi Epsilon, died when his car struck a tree in southern Knox County. Authorities reported that alcohol and speeding were partially responsible for the accident.

August 1, 1984 October 1976

September 2012

Tennessee raises its drinking age from 19 to 21. The National Drinking Age Act of 1984 prompted many states to raise their drinking age to 21 or risk losing 10 percent on their annual federal highway apportionment. The new law included a grandfather clause that allowed all those born before August of 1965 to legally drink despite not being 21.

November 1997 Kentucky football player Arthur Steinmetz and Eastern Kentucky student Scott Brock are killed in a drunk driving accident following the team’s victory celebration over Vanderbilt. Kentucky athletic director C.M. Newton called for the suspension of the iconic beer barrel trophy contested between The Volunteers and Wildcats in the aftermath of the tragedy. The trophy was permanently discontinued in 1999.

July 1984

A Daily Beacon article describes the effects of the raised drinking age to businesses that serve alcohol on the Strip.

Ellison Cowan, manager of the Tap Room on Cumberland Avenue, saw the change in the drinking age as an unnecessary change.“I think 19 years old is fine, and I don’t think they should be bouncing the drinking age around like they have been doing.”

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CAMPUSNEWS

The Daily Beacon • Wednesday, March 25, 2015

Former White House adviser talks U.S. war on terrorism Hannah Marley Staff Writer

Ten minutes after seven on Monday night, Marc A. Thiessen, former speechwriter for President George W. Bush and well-known conservative writer and political commentator, took the stage in the Howard H. Baker Center to discuss the role of the United States in combating ISIS and other extremist organizations in the Middle East.

Thiessen, who was invited by the UT chapter of Young Americans for Freedom, an organization dedicated to promoting conservative values, critiqued the Obama administration’s military withdrawal from Middle Eastern regions and

advocated for a stronger U.S. presence in Iraq and Syria in order to effectively eradicate ISIS and other extremist groups.

He began with a short anecdote connecting the almost surreal hatred and violence seen in ISIS videos to that of Nazi Germany before asking and answering the question of how and why ISIS has been able to expand to its size and gain momentum.

His answer: the absence of the United States.

After the surge in 2007, Thiessen said, the predecessors of ISIS had been driven out of power and stripped of their influence in Iraq, leaving the region pacified for the time being. It is during the American exodus from Iraq under

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the Obama administration, however, that ISIS was allowed to take root, Thiessen argued. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Obama withdrew from Iraq, taking our boot off the necks of the terrorists and unplugging our intelligence and special operations capabilities we had that was able to take out their leaders, allowing them the vacuum to reconstitute themselves and regroup,â&#x20AC;? Thiessen explained.

He went on to list two other â&#x20AC;&#x153;fatal errorsâ&#x20AC;? on the part of the Obama Administration that allowed ISIS to form, including the administrationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s failure to take decisive action in Syria and refusal to aid the Iraqi army before ISIS had taken any major population centers. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Barack Obama came to office not to be the

president who continued wars, but the president who ended wars,â&#x20AC;? Thiessen said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;So he put his head in the sand and allowed this crisis to overflow.â&#x20AC;?

None of the actions of the Bush Administration were listed by Thiessen as possible causes for the current military and political situation in Iraq.

Thiessenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s stance on Iranian involvement in the conflict and the region was also reflected in his views on torture, the need for ground troops in Iraq and the need to promote the image of an UTDAILYBEACON.COM See more online!

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PUZZLES&GAMES

Wednesday, March 25, 2015 • The Daily Beacon

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NEW YORK TIMES CROSSWORD • Will Shortz ACROSS

33 French surname starter

1 Letters on Soyuz rockets

36 Try to find out what’s what at a pond?

5 St. Francis’ home

Timtation Creation • Timothy Brunson

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40 Sound of a lit fuse

14 Fifth-longest bone in the human body

41 Battery terminal

51 Cry at an unveiling

22 Enters charges against a restaurant employee?

55 Back, to Popeye

27 One of the Waughs

61 Fly

30 Worthless stuff

62 “Beloved” author Morrison

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56 Kayo Popeye?

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60 Letter after wye

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DOWN

64 Betty Crocker bowlful

1 21-Down unit

65 Sulky mood

2 Kiltie’s group 3 “Closing Bell” channel

ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE T O T O L O L O E K M O U N R E S S B P E E S N T

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63 Foul up

32 Major League Baseball’s oldest-ever rookie (age 42)

A M A H

5 15

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C H O W

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42 Thru 12th grade

15 One navigating the 43 Tea party crasher web? of fiction 16 Problem on the red 44 Polytetrafluorocarpet, maybe ethylene, 17 Mollycoddle commercially Dwayne Johnson?

46 Shift responsibility 19 108-card game for some missing campsite food?

20 Onetime Microsoft 50 Cheery air encyclopedia

Cartoons of The Daily Beacon are the views of the individual and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Beacon or the Beacon’s editorial staff.

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11 Some gas stations

31 Miffed

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A C C O U N T

B P E Y A R E G S O S L T A E R I U E N N T A O C R T A M P M H O S N C O S E W O O D H O U N D B R E A D T O A A T A L L H U S D O N E E S T A

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4 Balance sheet heading 5 Kutcher who hosted “Punk’d”

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21 Motel freebie

43 Oz. or qt.

23 One who can’t find a seat, say

44 Leash

24 Hackneyed 25 Dow Jones extreme 26 Weapon with a bell guard 27 Attys.’ titles 28 R.S.V.P. part

6 Command to Rover 29 “___ Tu” (1974 hit) 32 Bowwow 7 Round Table title 8 Answer to a judge

33 Dimwitted

9 Instant

34 Empty hall phenomenon

10 Tee off 11 Musical Mars 12 Piebald horse 13 Bogeyman 18 Priam’s domain

35 It’s all around you 37 Campfire story 38 Rolling ___ (rich) 39 Gets out of the freezer, say

45 Mansard part 46 Five-alarmer, e.g.

47 One who never changes jobs 48 Take up or let out 49 Midler of “The Rose” 52 Victor’s boast 53 Legal scholar Guinier 54 To some degree 56 Apply sparingly 57 A Gabor 58 Op. ___ 59 Kit ___ bar

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VIEWPOINTS

The Daily Beacon • Wednesday, March 25, 2015

Generally a bad idea

Kevin Ridder The Compass According to the UT Catalog, “general education provides the foundation for successful academic study, for lifelong learning, and for carrying out the duties of local, national, and global citizenship.”

I don’t know about you, but this sentence reads like a BS filler statement I’d write in one of my papers to increase the word count.

In our first 12 or so years of education, we are exposed to classes across a multitude of disciplines. This is done with the intention of building basic skills and finding what each individual student is good at. By the time we get to college, however, most students have a fairly good idea of what they want to study. So why are we continuously subjected to classes that have no bearing on our chosen career?

Reading further down the page, it goes on to spew out similar statements in the support of a “well-rounded education,” like “developing broadened perspectives” and “to develop a commitment to lifelong learning.”

A “well-rounded education” sounds great on paper and as such is perfect material for the board of administration. But how does it actually apply in a real-world situation?

How does the equivalent of a high school math class review help an English or music major? How does Chemistry 101 help a business major?

Instead of actually trying to learn the material and obtain a “well-rounded education,” a student who is being forced to take a class such as this will more often than not treat it with contempt. The time spent in gen-eds is time wasted; most students I know are well aware of this, and as a result will either cram all of their gen-eds into their first two years or put off a large portion of them until their senior year.

Our time in college is valuable. Right now, I’m paying somewhere around $10,000 per semester. Thanks to our national and state governments being largely unconcerned with the fact that most of us will

graduate with upwards of $20,000 in student loan debt, that number is only going to get bigger. So when I have to pay the same amount for a 100-level math class, which gains me absolutely nothing in my career field, as I do for a 400-level class in my major that gives me valuable skills for life after college, I start to lose faith in the system.

By requiring us to take these certain classes merely for the concept of a “wellrounded education” and no other concrete, stated goal, the university is telling us that we are not intelligent or ambitious enough to pursue different subjects.

Outside of set major requirements, we should be able to freely choose what topics we want to explore. If I am forced to take a certain class as opposed to choosing it of my own free will, I’m not going to approach it with an enthusiastic willingness to learn; a leading cause of the affliction known as “senioritis.” When I can look at a class I am being forced to take and clearly say, “I have learned nothing valuable from this course,” something is wrong.

Who attends a university for their fantastic gen-ed requirements? The way I see it, requiring general education courses is nothing more than a money grab from the university. Forcing someone to take a course outside of their degree area is unlikely to cause them to want to pursue that subject further.

Making college into yet another routine task takes away from the basic idea of higher education; a chance to explore what we are most passionate about and find out who we are as a person. If UT truly wanted to stand out from the crowd and attract the best and brightest students to Big Orange Country, then they would be proactive and reconsider outdated policies such as these which have little to no positive impact on a student’s education.

Saying you want to be Top 25 and actually working for it are two different things—something our university seems to misunderstand.

Kevin Ridder is a senior in environmental studies. He can be emailed at kridder2@vols.utk.edu.

Knoxville employee left hung out to drive

Jonathan Martin City Cents Either my eyes have a natural tendency to gravitate towards the word “Uber,” or the ride-sharing service just can’t seem to stay out of the headlines. Numerous stories have surrounded the company in recent months, especially since estimated valuations of $41.2 billion arose in late 2014.

Many people in the Knoxville area seem to be keen to the fact that the company has extended its operations to include the city we currently, or permanently, call home. In fact, several locals have signed on since the company arrived, working as drivers and using their own vehicles to transport people around town. For such workers, Uber provides a source of supplemental income.

One such worker is Wayne Pugh, who is a current Knoxville Uber driver, along with his wife. However, two weeks ago, as we were all turning off our brains and gearing up for Spring Break, Pugh encountered a roadblock. He was pulled over by a police officer and issued five different citations all at the same time and all due to his operating of a “vehicle for hire,” which is normally a description used to describe taxi services. Pugh told WBIR after the incident that he was never told the rules that he seems to have violated and that he is afraid that his driving record will be unduly damaged.

This is a problem Uber has experienced in several cities across the country and primarily stems from confusion created by lack of proper legislation—the same confusion that has Pugh in the sudden possession of five different citations. While some cities have implemented legislation that provides clear directions for ride-sharing services, others, such as Knoxville, have not yet come to any long-term agreement.

Some places have banned the service completely, such as the state of Nevada and the city of Portland, Oregon.

The other issue lies with the fact that it

was Pugh’s direct employment for the company that led to him receiving citations.

While Pugh voluntarily chose to join the company, it was under the guise that his participation would be in full accordance with local ordinances and other guidelines.

This lack of communication is a danger that Uber sometimes places on its drivers who are operating in areas such as Knoxville.

A long-term solution to these issues would be to solve the legislative ambiguity so that Uber can relay the proper information to its employees. As of the past several months, they have seemingly been operating under a false assumption that their drivers would not be cited for violating any rules. While any legislation can be complicated to write and to subsequently implement into a city, it has been almost eight months since Uber arrived. Although definite rules did not come in time to save Wayne Pugh from his citations, perhaps the possible challenging of those citations can motivate a timely formation of guidelines for both himself and his fellow drivers.

The short-term solution to the discrepancies might be up to Uber to solve and lends similarities to a situation they have already encountered this year. Earlier this month, Uber shut down its operations in Anchorage, Alaska after negotiations over insurance, background checks and fares guidelines did not come quick enough for the company and its drivers. This protected its drivers from unwanted citations and certainly sped up the negotiation process, considering they personally met with Anchorage Assembly members a mere two weeks later.

Although most people I know only use Uber for late night commutes to the Old City on the weekends, users might need to start rethinking their transportation strategy. While the service is undoubtedly advantageous, stopping in the middle of your ride for bright, flashing police lights is probably going to take away some of that convenience.

Jonathan Martin is a senior in finance and economics. He can be reached at j92mart@ gmail.com.

Columns of The Daily Beacon are the views of the individual and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Beacon or the Beacon’s editorial staff.

SPORTS

Wednesday, March 25, 2015 • The Daily Beacon

SOFTBALL

Lady Vols blow past ETSU

Junior Erin Gabriel pitches a no hitter during the 10-0 victory game against ETSU on March 24. Justin Keyes • The Daily Beacon

Lucas Hunter

Contributor On March 10, Erin Gabriel threw her first career no hitter against Illinois State On March 24, Erin Gabriel threw her first career perfect game against East Tennessee State University.

The 13th perfect game in Tennessee (22-7) history came in a 10-0 victory over ETSU (1115) in 5 innings, where the Lady Vols had 11 hits and 10 runs on 22 plate appearances.

Despite homeruns from Rainey Gaffin, Megan Geer and Annie Aldrete, the pitcher from Poland, Ohio stole the show with unparalleled efficiency, throwing just 49 pitches on the day while preventing a single base runner.

“Today I just had a goal of being efficient,” Gabriel said. “We talked about how over the weekend I wasn’t as efficient with my pitching and I wasn’t getting ahead of batters, so I just went out and had an attack mindset.”

Gabriel’s efficiency shined, with 75.5% of her pitches counting as strikes, striking out five of the 15 batters she faced.

“Well, we were planning on taking her out after four,” said co-head coach Ralph Weekly.

“But we knew it was a perfect game, and I wasn’t going to take her out with a perfect game.”

The defense behind Gabriel made plays throughout the game as well, starting with Scarlet McSwain who caught two line drives to

open the first frame and ending with Aldrete, who threw out a runner on a dropped third strike for the second out of the final inning.

“My defense had my back. I mean, I told them ‘I need to get more efficient, I need to throw more strikes,’” said Gabriel. “They knew I was going to go in there and try to hit my spots and they made every play possible, so this game goes to them.”

On the other side of the plate, the Lady Vols caught fire in the fourth inning, scoring five runs on six hits — all with two outs on the board — to gain enough of a lead to run-rule the Buccaneers. In the inning, Geer hit a solo homer followed by Aldrete’s two-run blast, bringing both of their totals up to eight on the season.

“After the first inning, which we struggled a little bit in the first inning and when to full counts and stuff, I just told them get comfortable in the box and see the ball and hit the ball,” Weekly said.

Included in the hitting barrage stretching from the bottom of the second to the bottom of the fourth was senior Cheyanne Tarango registering her first hit of the season after going 0-7 to begin her final year as a Lady Vol. With the victory over ETSU, the Lady Vols extend their in-state opponent series lead to 111-3, including 16-0 against the Buccaneers.

On Wednesday night, the Lady Vols face the Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles in the second mid-week game of the week before starting a three game series with Georgia on Saturday.

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The Daily Beacon • Wednesday, March 25, 2015

SPORTS

FOOTBALL

FOOTBALL

Sutton leads by example

Offensive line hopes to display progress

Jonathan Toye

Sports Editor Rising junior cornerback Cameron Sutton said every player sets individual goals for themselves for the season.

And while he didn’t say too much about his own goals, his head coach did.

“He wants to be one of the premier corners in our conference,” Butch Jones said. “He is working exceptionally hard at that.”

Originally named a three-star recruit by all major recruiting services, Sutton has been an instrumental part of Tennessee’s secondary since he first stepped on campus. In his first game as a freshman, he started. In his second game, he returned an interception for a touchdown.

He only got better his sophomore year: recording three interceptions and scoring another touchdown in form of a 76 yard punt return. Most opposing quarterbacks avoided throwing in Sutton’s direction.

Now as he enters his junior season, Sutton has placed himself in the position to be one of the best corners in the SEC. He is also tasked with being one of the leaders on a defense plagued with injuries, even

if he admits to being reluctant at assuming a leadership role “Anybody can step up and be a leader,” Sutton said. “My job is just to play football and play the scheme that we have and be leader to the younger guys and the older guys and just win ball games.

“I am kinda a sitback, I say my thing here and there when I have to, but just kinda getting out of my shell and embracing (my leadership role).”

One could argue Sutton’s mentality to just play football is what makes him such an important leader. It allows him to lead by example.

When most UT students enjoyed spring break, Sutton said he stayed home and worked out. His journey from a three-star to reliable corner could motivate the new players in the secondary.

“Cam is very consistent. He is very competitive,” Jones said. “We have great dialogue. We talk all the time. You know what you are getting in Cam Sutton everyday. You are getting an individual who is driven to be the best every time he steps on the football field and he is reliable.”

UTDAILYBEACON.COM SEE MORE ONLINE

Taylor White

Assistant Sports Editor (@T_Dub98) After spending the 2014 season as a punching bag for opposing fronts, Tennessee’s offensive line went into the off-season with nowhere to go but up.

As the first of the Vols’ 15 spring practices rolls around, the unit feels it has taken strides in the right direction and is looking forward to testing that on the field.

“I feel like the offensive line is a position where you need a lot of chemistry,” rising sophomore Jashon Robertson said after Tuesday’s first day of practice. “Just being around each other during workouts and during practice …

Just having that time together with the guys has definitely been helpful.

Strength was a clear problem for this group last season, as Tennessee ranked 12th in the SEC in total rushing after continuously failing to knock opposing defenders off the ball and generate lanes for backs to run through.

The Vols hope that problem won’t be as evident this year, however, as many of Tennessee’s young offensive lineman have had the benefit of their first full off-season in a collegiate strength and conditioning program.

Robertson made the switch from defensive tackle to offensive guard just a couple weeks before the 2014 season began and quickly became an anchor, starting all 13 games for the Vols.

The Nashville, Tenn. native was named to the All-SEC Freshman team, as well making an appearance on multiple Freshman All-American rosters. Robertson admitted he was surprised with his performance, but feels like he has great room for improvement this year.

“The time that we’ve spent with the strength coaches, as far as take-offs, all those types of things” Robertson said. “Just all that definitely has helped so far.”

Fellow rising sophomore Coleman Thomas experienced his own baptism by fire. Unlike Robertson, however, Thomas struggled to adjust to the college game.

The Max Meadows, Virginia native started five games at right tackle for the Vols in 2014, and had a hard time matching up physically as a freshman in the SEC. “It was an unbelievable wake-up call,” Thomas said. “I’m glad I got the experience. I’m glad I got to work through that. This off-season has really benefitted me, and now I think I’ll be able to compete.”

Despite spending the majority of last season playing tackle, Thomas begins spring practice splitting repetition between tackle and what head coach Butch Jones referred to as his more “natural position” at center.

An increase in competition has also become a factor on the offensive line, as Tennessee added two early enrollees to the group this off-season.

Jack Jones and Chance Hall have the benefit of experiencing spring practice this season, and the duo has already begun to stand out to their new teammates.

“The new guys that have come in are very talented,” Thomas said. “I can’t wait to see them on Saturday when we get some pads on. That’s the beauty of the beast, there’s guys coming in that can play like that and get you competition ready for Saturdays.”

While Tennessee returns four of its five starters on the offensive line from last year, Jones has made it clear that the best players will play, regardless of their experience on the playing field.

Spring practice gives teams an opportunity to experiment with different lineups, and the Vols are making sure to take advantage of that.

“We are trying to find out the best five, the best five individuals up front. So we are going to move some players around,” Jones said. “We are slowing starting to look like an SEC football team, in terms of our bodies. You can see individuals making monumental strides with their bodies.

“We always talk about your body is your weapon. Are you a Sunday body? Are you a Saturday body? Really taking pride in that and I thought some individuals you could really show their efforts in the weight room really translate onto the football field.”